They don't want me to try anymore.

Ah, I like to do that now too, and I'm even more extreme than you know it.

Richard smiled and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Thanks to my disciple, nothing happened to me, and I even got fat from being pampered in prison!" Megan laughed heartily, recalling a certain prison guard.

"This time, I really want to thank you properly, but not now... Come back to the palace with me quickly, His Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time."

Richard returned to the palace with Meghan.

There was also a welcome banquet here, though it was much more modest than the lavish banquets of the Empire. Richard felt a special warmth upon seeing the people he had known since childhood.

Of course, the most important figure is Henry II, with his arms outstretched.

Richard did not hesitate and embraced his father in this life.

"Welcome back, Richard, my son, my pride."

Henry II patted his son on the back, unable to contain his smile: "When I saw the news of your victory in the newspaper, I ate two quails!"

"Haha, I think the cook must have contributed to that as well. Father, don't forget to reward her."

"Of course... but next time, it's best not to take such a risk."

Henry II then changed the subject, saying with a hint of reproach, "Otherwise, I would have fainted on the table from nervousness before the cook even received my praise."

Meeting the old man's gaze, Richard nodded solemnly: "I will be more careful from now on."

There's no other way; the times are tough, and there's no room for stability...

The welcome banquet will proceed as scheduled.

Richard was immediately surrounded by his fellow countrymen, who bombarded him with questions. Even Zoe, who was standing nearby, couldn't escape; she was dragged away by her relatives from the south, who kept chattering away.

Having finally found some free time, Richard sought out Henry II again to discuss a series of problems in Connaught…

"The banana plantation disabled workers relief organization you mentioned before is now operational and has saved many people."

Henry II said with satisfaction, "This is exactly what our prince should do."

"That's good, but I'd like to do more."

Richard stated frankly, "I'm going to stay here until winter. I don't want to just stay cooped up in the palace... Has Connaught been having any trouble lately?"

Henry II hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and smiled, "Very well, you should go and see for yourself at the grassroots level."

Then he summoned his attendant and asked him to explain in detail:

"Your Highness, in addition to the usual friction with Standard Fruit, we've also seen an increase in the number of times our cargo ships have been robbed at sea. It's said that this is because of the intense power struggle among several factions on Divine Grace Island, which has led to a large number of pirates retreating to the eastern coast of the ocean..."

Pirates?

Richard squinted.

After the banquet, Zoe was reluctantly taken away by her family to return to her fiefdom to participate in a series of trials and fulfill her duties as a member of the Wolf family—the specifics of which were not well known to outsiders.

Richard, on the other hand, obtained a new post from Henry II, officially becoming the Special Operations Officer for Coastal Defense at Connaught, responsible for investigating and defending against pirates.

The implications of the crown prince becoming an official are self-evident, and therefore his subordinates cooperated very actively.

The next day, Richard was taken to Connaught's small navy, which numbered only a few hundred. He was warmly received by the captain and accompanied the ship on an inspection tour, circling several routes multiple times, and then…

Got nothing.

We found nothing except to see seagulls darting around.

Just then, they learned that two merchant ships from the south had been robbed.

"Ah, thinking about it, it's not surprising."

In the tavern, Richard gratefully accepted the fried fish Katyusha offered him and said to the short-haired youth across from him, "If our Connaught Navy, with its mere few ships, could accurately locate and defeat pirates, I wouldn't have received this position."

The young man's name was White. He was originally a naval sailor who was chosen by Henry II to become Richard's assistant because of his meritorious service in fighting against pirates.

He smiled ingratiatingly and said, "On the high seas, sometimes it really comes down to luck..."

"I've been following the ship around for so many days, surely I should have found absolutely no clues?"

Richard swallowed the fried fish and said, "I'm wondering if it's possible that someone in the Navy is an inside agent for the pirates? Or that the officers feel they are not strong enough and are afraid to fight the pirates, so they are deliberately avoiding them?"

White was somewhat uneasy: "Your Highness, these words..."

"That sounds malicious, doesn't it? I was just joking. I didn't mean to blame anyone."

...that's weird.

Richard was well aware of the extent to which little Connaught had been infiltrated by various forces, so he was genuinely a little suspicious just now.

However, he also knew that this was a reality that could not be changed in a short time—his own royal family was so weak, even less wealthy than the standard fruit, that there was nothing he could do if he couldn't win over the grassroots staff.

So he really didn't want to punish anyone, he just wanted to solve the problem.

"In short, I think there's no point in continuing to wander around with the ship."

"Your Highness means..."

"Let's disguise ourselves and take a trip to a neutral island deep in the ocean!"

Neutral islands are small, secluded islands located in the center of the western ocean, far from the mainland, near the large islands occupied by empires and the Vatican.

In theory, these places also have a place to belong, but because they are uninhabitable or too remote and fragmented, they have not been effectively occupied and have ultimately become havens for criminals.

As a Connaught resident living by the sea, Richard had heard of these islands.

White hesitated for a moment: "Huh? Could this be dangerous...?"

Is it more dangerous than a one-on-one fight with William Clinton?

"That shouldn't be the case..."

"Ha, it's settled then!"

So, after being criticized by his father for a few days, Richard couldn't hold back any longer and decided to risk his life as the crown prince.

Of course, he wasn't recklessly taking risks.

Firstly, he is no longer the lowly Bronze-ranked man he once was. With his current strength and the many characteristics bestowed upon him by the system, as long as he doesn't encounter Gold-ranked enemies, he can at least escape with his life no matter what danger he faces.

Secondly, he had served as the second-in-command of a pirate crew in the simulation. Although he hadn't inherited detailed memories, he was quite certain that the pirate crews who had stolen goods wouldn't sell them near Connaught; they would definitely go to the neutral islands.

So there must be a clue there!

Faced with the prince's capriciousness, White, as his lieutenant, had no choice but to lower his head.

He did steal a glance at Katyusha, hoping the maid could persuade her master not to take the risk. Why risk your life for a job that only pays a few hundred dollars?

However, the cold-faced girl simply shouldered her shield and followed behind Richard.

Well, there's nothing we can do about it.

Richard used the characteristics of the "Masked Man" to disguise everyone, even turning Katyusha into a teenager. He then hired an inconspicuous fishing boat and traveled to a small island two thousand kilometers away from Connaught.

The island has a dilapidated, filthy, but bustling port, a hub for smugglers, slave traders, treasure hunters, and bounty hunters...

And Richard's target—pirates.

Fortunately, as soon as they entered the tavern, they overheard the information they wanted from the patrons at the next table...

"Recently, a lot of tough guys from Shenen Island have come to the west coast."

"Do you mean the Black Shark and Blood Pact pirate crews?"

"Not only that, I heard the vice-captain of the Evil Wind Pirate Gang, and that woman, are also here..."

"That woman? Wait, you don't mean... Pearl S. Buck's captain, the Scarlet Queen, do you?"

"Yes, it's her!"

"It's amazing..."

Richard blinked, feeling as if he heard a familiar name, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that White beside him was trembling slightly.

Hey, are you alright?

"It's alright, Your Highness, it's just that this news is too shocking."

White explained in a low voice: "The Scarlet Queen, whose real name is Veronica, was originally a notorious pirate known for her strength and ruthlessness. Recently, she has pulled off several big 'businesses' and is feared by everyone on Divine Grace Island..."

She's even come to the vicinity of Connaught... Your Highness, we're in big trouble!

It really was Veronica!

Richard calmly took a sip of his drink, recalling his experience during the last simulation, and thought to himself:

Connaught may not be in trouble, but my chastity might be in trouble, Your Highness...

In some ways, that woman was even better than Luvia!

At this moment, the conversation among the guests nearby took on a new twist.

"However, I heard that Connaught also sent out a special operations officer to deal with the pirates... yes, the same Easter champion who defeated Clinton's eldest son!"

"Richard Targaryen? Good heavens, this is going to be a real battle of titans!"

"That's right. It's hard to say how the Evil Wind Pirates and the Crimson Queen will fare, but the other pirates certainly won't be a match for this champion..."

Richard winked at White with a mischievous grin.

Look, even I, your superior, am a respected figure. What are you afraid of?