Translator: Cinder Translations
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Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the tranquillity of the early morning was shattered by the urgent clatter of hooves. The rider, frantic, spurred his mount, galloping through the empty streets of Alden Town, where most residents were still asleep. The rider quickly crossed the bridge and arrived at the old district on Alden Island.
With the expansion of the territory and Paul's continuous improvement of his bureaucratic team based on memories from his past life, the administrative system of Alden had rapidly expanded. Many institutions had established independent offices. Due to its natural isolation, being surrounded by water, Alden Island was ideal for confidentiality and security. Furthermore, Lord Paul's residence was also located here, so most departments chose to build their offices on this small island. The island's residents were mainly composed of numerous administrative officials and their families. As for the original "old Alden Town residents," they had long happily moved to new homes on the south bank after receiving "relocation funds" from the Administrative Council. These new houses were larger, newer, and more comfortable. In this era of Lord Paul's absolute authority, no one dared to be a stubborn holdout.
In fact, when the island's residents learned that the Administrative Council had not only built them new houses but also provided them with a small sum of money, their shock was evident, and they all knelt, shouting "Long live the Lord."
The rider continued to urge his horse along the street until he reached the door of the Intelligence Department's office. Suddenly, he remembered that the Intelligence Department wasn't open at this hour, so he turned his horse around and sped off again.
The rider soon arrived at the home of Intelligence Director Cecil. He jumped off his horse and banged on the door. Cecil's servant, grumbling, answered the unexpected visitor.
Twenty minutes later, Cecil, disheveled, rushed out of his house, mounted the horse tethered at the door, and hurried toward the Lord's mansion.
"What's the matter? Why such urgency?"
Paul, still groggy from sleep, had been pulled out of his warm bed by Butler Philip. On this cold winter morning, it was a considerable discomfort.
"Lord Earl, we've received shocking news from Crystal Glare."
Cecil handed Paul a document. "You must immediately send someone to Theodore, the mayor of Frand Port, and Commander Austin to stop the ships heading south."
"News from Crystal Glare? What does it have to do with the ships?"
Paul looked puzzled as he took the document, sensing from Cecil's anxious expression that something serious was amiss.
Indeed, as he opened the document, the words that met his eyes made his heart skip a beat—"Pirates have attacked West Port, and the kingdom's naval forces stationed there have been annihilated."
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Paul remembered Cecil's suggestion. He summoned a servant and instructed, "Quick, send a telegram to Mayor Theodore and Commander Austin at Frand Port, telling them to stop all ships heading south, as they might encounter pirates."
"Yes, Lord Earl!"
Paul added, "Have the navy recall any ships that haven't gone too far yet! Use a clear written notice; the faster, the better."
The servant quickly left.
Paul and Cecil immediately convened an emergency meeting with the military and political leaders of Alden Town to discuss countermeasures. Whether heading south to Aldor or to Horns Bay, West Port was a crucial target port or resupply point. If it were to fall into the hands of a hostile force, it would undoubtedly choke the increasingly sea-dependent Northwestern Bay.
"Lord Earl, you should immediately dispatch the navy to retake West Port!"
Hansel, who was very agitated upon learning the news, urged.
"Hmph! Agricultural Director, you don't understand military matters, so it's better for you to keep quiet."
Bryce snorted coldly. Many local military and political officials of the Northwestern Bay were quite displeased with Hansel, who, whenever the kingdom was in trouble, would ignore Alden's interests and eagerly demand the Earl's intervention. They wondered why he never considered the real benefits of his "Royal Commissioner" title. Who paid his salary? Earl Grayman or King Rodney?
The two began to argue, further distressing Paul.
Lady Ladia Setia quietly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Betty sent me a telegram two days ago. Her ship was about to depart, which means it's been gone for two days…"
Paul's face darkened.
Ladia anxiously asked, "Can the navy's square-rigged ships catch up?"
Paul worriedly replied, "Merchant ships are slower and carrying cargo, so they should be able to catch up… Heavens help us."
The meeting continued, and as they discussed whether to send troops south, Chief of Staff Schroder reported on the navy's situation: "Lord Earl, the two oldest sailboats, Hope and Southern Star, are undergoing major repairs at Frand Port. Currently, we can deploy 12 oar-sail ships and 6 other sailboats, including two newly commissioned square-rigged ships."
"Repairs? Why? Hope and Southern were just built two years ago."
"Well… at that time, due to the urgency to test the practicality of the sailboats, the timber used for their construction wasn't properly seasoned, leading to rapid deterioration of the hulls…"
"Alright, I understand. So, we're temporarily lacking in strength?"
"It's not quite like that. The newly commissioned two square-rigged ships are larger and more powerful, equipped with two rows of 12-pounder cannons on their sides. They can turn enemy ships into Swiss cheese from a distance—though they are slower, it's only relative to the square-rigged ships."
Paul sighed in relief. "That reassures me."
After much discussion, they concluded that they could not ignore the potential disruption of maritime trade routes. Alden's economy heavily depended on exports. On the military's advice, the immediate priority was to ascertain the strength of the pirates occupying West Port. Pirates capable of annihilating the kingdom's naval forces were unlikely to be ordinary pirates.
Maintaining contact with the kingdom's military was also crucial. If the pirates were too strong, it would be unwise for Alden's navy to challenge them alone, and the kingdom government would not tolerate such a dangerous force wreaking havoc along its coast.
Hansel was overjoyed with the meeting's outcome and volunteered to go to Crystal Glare to liaise with "His Majesty's Government."
Everyone knew his ulterior motive: if he represented Alden in negotiations, Crystal Glare's high-ranking officials might easily assume he was the one who facilitated the Alden navy's involvement, thus raising his stature.
Seeing Hansel so eager, Paul agreed to his request. However, Hansel insisted on traveling by land to the south, adamant against taking a navy ship due to lack of experience and fear of potential pirates. He planned to depart the next day.
The specifics of the navy's actions would be discussed further when the Frand Port commanders arrived.
Paul privately worried about Betty and silently prayed that the ship she was on could be caught up with.
(End of the Chapter)
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