Chapter 343: The Infamous Queen Bee Ship!

Sophia Gallanord stood silently at the harbor, gazing into the distant horizon.

In her palm was a golden ring, which she had dutifully sent to No. 699 Seventais Riverside Street as agreed. However, it had quickly been returned without a single word of explanation.

Sophia Gallanord considered this a failure to "borrow the ship," yet she harbored no resentment toward Charlot Mecklenburg. Instead, she was profoundly grateful. It must have taken immense courage for Charlot to make such a request on her behalf. After all, warships were incredibly precious, and it was only natural for the owner to refuse, especially since Sophia intended to take the vessel to battle—not for leisure. The risk of damage was considerable.

Today, she was here to receive another warship.

As Sophia prepared for the battlefield, Count Gallanord, her father, refused to let his daughter suffer any disadvantage. Thus, he funded the construction of a vessel, appointing her as its captain and assigning a crew from their family to serve under her command.

Accompanying Sophia was the Gallanord family’s butler, Yalman, a middle-aged gentleman dressed plainly yet exuding an air of authority. His stern features were softened by a faint smile, and his attire bore no ornamentation.

Although the Gallanord family wielded tremendous influence in the army, their standing within the navy was negligible. Count Gallanord had been reluctant to see his daughter join the navy, but Sophia's determination to roam the seas left him with no choice. Unable to let her start from the bottom as a mere serviceman, the count ensured she was fully prepared.

On the horizon, a small black dot suddenly appeared. Sophia grew slightly excited, convinced that this must be her new ship. But beside her, Yalman’s expression changed dramatically, and he exclaimed, "Miss, we must leave immediately—that’s not the count’s ship!"

Sophia Gallanord did not argue, trusting the experienced butler implicitly. The two, accompanied by their entourage, were about to leave the harbor when a figure soared into the air, their voice reverberating like crashing waves: "I am a naval officer of the Ingrima Empire, delivering a ship to Miss Sophia Gallanord under orders."

Yalman, skeptical, ascended into the air cautiously and approached the vessel.

Half an hour later, an ancient magical warship with an imposing presence docked at the harbor.

Yalman returned with an expression of disbelief. He disembarked from the ship, exclaiming, "Miss! Who could have such influence to lend you the Queen Bee? This is a legendary warship!"

What defines a legendary warship?

It is a vessel so rare that only twelve exist across the entire Seven Seas.

The Fars Empire possesses just one: the Fontainebleau, the personal flagship of Emperor Julius Axel.

Even with the Gallanord family's clout, acquiring such a ship for Sophia would have been impossible. In fact, Count Gallanord, despite his role as Minister of War, lacked the influence to mobilize even a standard magical alchemical warship. The Fars Navy had its own power base!

Sophia Gallanord stood frozen in shock. She had known that Charlot had sought to borrow a ship—his expression at the time clearly indicated the importance of the vessel. Still, she hadn’t given it much thought. After all, it was just a ship!

Even when the golden ring had been returned, she had assumed it meant "failure to borrow the ship," and hadn’t dwelled on it much—again, because it was just a ship.

Yet now, to her astonishment, it was indeed "a ship"—but not just any ship. It was none other than the infamous Queen Bee!

She could hardly believe her eyes. But the massive ancient magical warship rested silently before her, forcing her to confront the reality of its presence.

"How much influence does Charlot Mecklenburg wield to borrow such an ancient magical warship? And not just any ancient warship—a legendary one!"

"He did this… for me?"

Tears streamed down Sophia Gallanord’s face. Suddenly, she turned her gaze toward Strasbourg, overcome with an urge to confront Annie Mecklenburg and reclaim the love of her life.

The sight of the Queen Bee filled her with confidence: in this war, victory was assured.

Of course, this was a beautiful misunderstanding.

Yalman, oblivious to Sophia's emotional turmoil, continued rambling, "The ship comes fully crewed with seasoned sailors. While the personnel the count assigned to you are loyal beyond question, they lack naval expertise. Initially, I was worried, but now there’s no need for concern. I suspect some of these sailors are retired officers from the Ingrima Royal Navy, and others—"

"Miss, are you listening?"

Sophia Gallanord had no patience for the butler’s chatter. Taking a deep breath of the salty ocean breeze, she declared, "Let’s board the ship!"

As the party approached the Queen Bee, the golden ring in Sophia's hand began to hum. The entire ship seemed to awaken, as if welcoming its rightful master.

Stunned, Sophia placed the ring on her finger, and the ship resonated joyfully in response.

Yalman’s face lit up with sudden understanding. "I’ve heard that the Queen Bee was once a pirate vessel from Saint Michael Island. Not long ago—"

"Miss, are you listening?"

Sophia Gallanord had already ascended the ship with pride. This was the ship Charlot had secured for her!

When your beloved arrives atop a radiant cloud to rescue you…

Who cares where that cloud came from?

The old butler failed to grasp this sentiment.

Hours later, Sophia had familiarized herself with the Queen Bee. Aided by the crew, she quickly learned how to operate the magical arrays, navigate, and prepare for combat.

Another ship soon appeared, slicing through the waves. This vessel bore the insignia of the Gallanord family, a brand-new warship that, while not an alchemical masterpiece, ranked among the best conventional ships. The crew, handpicked by Count Gallanord, had been recruited at great expense. The count had indeed gone to great lengths for his daughter.

Yalman approached Sophia once more. "The ship your father sent has arrived, Miss. Should we receive it?"

Caressing the Queen Bee's captain’s quarters, Sophia replied nonchalantly, "Let it serve as a supply ship."

"It is time for me, as a daughter of the Gallanord family, to serve the empire."

After replenishing supplies, the two warships set sail, plunging into the open sea.

When they were surrounded by nothing but vast ocean, the Queen Bee began to emit a faint luminescence—once, twice, thrice… ten times in total.

No one understood what had occurred, not even Yalman, despite his Saint rank. Yet everyone aboard could sense something different about the Queen Bee.

Far away in Strasbourg, Charlot Mecklenburg suddenly felt as though he had incurred an enormous debt. Yet upon reviewing his accounts, he found no liabilities. Even the mortgage on his residence at 58 Elysée Avenue had long been settled.

Where did this overwhelming sense of indebtedness come from?

Charlot was utterly perplexed.

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