Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 34: The Aftermath

After the pirate captives were taken to the basement, Paul noticed a stranger standing beside Schroeder. Despite his unkempt beard and tattered clothing, it was evident that his attire was not something an ordinary commoner could afford.

Paul inquired, Schroeder, who is this?

Oh, I forgot to mention. He claims to be from the Foster family of the Southern Horn Bay Alliance. He came to the Northwest Bay for an adventure a few months ago and was unfortunately kidnapped by pirates.

The young man stepped forward and performed a perfect nobles bow.

Count, I presume you are the lord of these lands. Allow me to introduce myself. My father is Marquis Foster, a member of the Horn Bay Alliance Council. I am his second son, Queller Foster. On behalf of the Foster family, I extend our highest respects and gratitude for rescuing me from the pirates.

Paul struggled to keep a straight face as he responded, Youre too kind! Its part of my duty as a lord.

Paul internally remarked on the oddity of the name Queller Foster, considering the Marquis was a significant figure in the Horn Bay Alliance, likely involved in trade. The coincidence of his name sounding like Losing in Chinese amused him, despite knowing it was just a phonetic similarity.

Youre Queller Foster? The Lichman Adventure Team turned their attention to the young man after he introduced himself.

Thats me, Queller replied, stroking his hair with a self-absorbed air. He didnt feel the need to be as polite with these apparent commoners as he had been with the Count.

Team leader Meru Heimer exploded in anger, Do you have any idea how much effort we put into finding you?

Queller looked bewildered and confused, Uh Im sorry, who are you?

Meru was exasperated, Unbelievable, such a whimsical young master. Your family was frantic after not hearing from you for two months. The Marquis hired our adventure group to find you. We only learned you were with the pirates after arriving here, and we nearly lost our lives trying to rescue you.

Ah, my impulsive actions caused concern. I apologize.

Hey! Youre missing the point of my story.

What did you say?

Im so frustrated! I dont care, the initial agreement was just to find you, not to battle pirates. We demand triple the original fee!

Queller snapped his fingers and said nonchalantly, Heh, no problem! I always respect adventurers. The Foster family will fulfill your wishes.

His cavalier attitude was unmistakable.

You didnt even ask how much the original fee was! Everyone in the hall, including Paul, felt a surge of envy, jealousy, and resentment towards the wealthy.

As they spoke, officers who had been hunting down the remaining pirates in Port Fran arrived at the church.

Queller Foster and the Lichman Adventure Team members were escorted to rest, and the townspeople were sent home. Meanwhile, in a room adjacent to the hall, officers of the company and platoon level were gathered for a meeting.

Staff officer Joyce was responsible for summarizing the battles outcome. He stood up and reported, Ladies and gentlemen, the battle was a resounding success. The Shark Gang has been entirely wiped out. We executed 123 pirates, including their leader Shark, and the rest were captured. We lost thirty-two men, with fifty-five injured to varying degrees.

The officers exchanged looks, very satisfied with the outcome.

Paul asked, Any news on the pirate group led by Mudfish?

Joyce replied, We didnt encounter them in this battle. According to the captives, they seem to have fled back to sea early on.

Schroeder added, In the pursuit of Shark, we also recovered several boxes of coins they had loaded onto the ship. A rough estimate is about 2000 gold coins, 6000 silver coins, and tens of thousands of copper coins.

Oh! Everyone expressed surprise, amazed at how lucrative piracy could be, with a small pirate gang amassing such wealth.

Paul was overjoyed. With so much money, he could now do many things he had long wanted to.

We can use this money to cast more cannons.

Recruit more soldiers.

Manufacture more muskets.

And establish our own naval force.

The officers shared their ideas on how to use the money, with even Cecil, responsible for intelligence, subtly indicating a need for more funding for his operations.

But much of this money was plundered from the coastal residents. Shouldnt we return it to them? someone suddenly asked.

The room fell silent, and the lively discussion came to an abrupt halt. Everyone exchanged glances and then turned their attention to Count Paul.

Paul internally agonized over the decision. Of course, his heart wanted to return the money to the people, but he wasnt sure about the others. If they also wished to return the money, it would be a happy consensus. However, if they didnt want to, voicing his opinion might go against their wishes, potentially causing conflict.

After a tense stand-off lasting nearly a minute, it was the old knight Schroeder who finally spoke up.

With our current means, its difficult to accurately calculate each households losses. Moreover, the Shark Gang has been operating at sea for years, and some of the loot is from other territories. Allowing residents to claim it would provide opportunities for deceitful individuals. For example, someone who wasnt robbed could insist they lost their only silver coin to the pirates. How would we handle that?

Everyone nodded, realizing that Schroeder made a valid point. The final amount left might be minimal, or they might even end up spending more.

Cecil immediately agreed, Right, the common people are the worst, both cunning and greedy. When I was in charge of forestry, the most troublesome were those always looking for small advantages.

However, the young Count was infuriated by this remark. He slammed the table and glared fiercely at the head of intelligence, who quickly covered his mouth, still unaware of his error.

Schroeder continued, Therefore, I suggest compensating the affected residents in other ways. For example, we could reduce some taxes, repair bridges and roads in robbed villages, or discreetly investigate and provide financial aid to families whose livelihoods were genuinely threatened, under different pretexts. This is better than allowing claims based solely on one persons word.

Great idea!

Schroeder always sees the bigger picture!

I second that.

The officers unanimously supported Schroeders proposal.

Paul also agreed and, seeing everyones consensus, decisively declared, Good! Thats settled then.