On the Tongue

"Sergeant Donnie, you're in command. Continue the pursuit..." After catching his breath, Sean loudly ordered Sergeant Donnie, who was not far away. Then he turned to look at the water bandits who had been knocked into the river and said to Torr, "Torr, have the soldiers put out the fire on the grain ship. Also, I want prisoners alive..." As he spoke, he pointed at several water bandits still floundering in the water.

Just ten minutes later, Torr had led the soldiers, together with the grain ship's crewmen, to extinguish the blaze. At the same time, the soldiers left aboard the ship used grappling hooks to haul more than a dozen struggling water bandits from the river onto the guard ship. The large chief was among them.

Sergeant Donnie had already joined up with another Independent Squadron. Caught in a pincer attack from both sides—especially after their chief fell into the water and vanished—the several Water Bandit Speedboats that had been besieging them abandoned their companions' corpses and turned to flee deep into the swamp.

Thus, a sudden ambush and counterattack came to an end. After checking their losses, the Transport Fleet began to regroup. The guard ship Sean was on also arrived at the waters where the battle had first begun, where the soldiers from the other Independent Squadron that had fought the water bandits were likewise cleaning up the battlefield.

"Senior Anderson, you weren't hurt, were you..." Sean called loudly to the black-haired young man standing at the bow of one of the guard ships, loudly directing the soldiers. The black-haired young man turned toward Sean and smiled.

"Haha... Junior Winchester, you're here. I'm fine. Thank you for your concern..." Senior Anderson replied with a hearty laugh. After taking two steps toward the side of the ship closer to Sean, he continued praising him loudly. "Junior, you're really something... I saw that outrageous stunt of yours just now. No wonder everyone says you're the most gifted student the academy has seen in nearly a century. Impressive, truly impressive..." As he spoke, he smiled and gave Sean a thumbs-up, looking utterly convinced of his prowess.

"Senior, you flatter me... I've only worked harder than others, that's all..." Sean said modestly with a smile. He had no wish to appear overly arrogant. Then, pointing at the captured fast boats, he asked with a smile, "Senior, I intend to tow all these captured Water Bandit Speedboats back. Once they're sold, we can give the soldiers some rewards as well... What do you think?"

"Haha, it seems we had exactly the same idea. You see, according to custom..." Senior Anderson laughed heartily at Sean's question, looking thoroughly pleased. Only then did he smilingly propose a division plan.

The so-called customary practice referred to the common method of distributing spoils of war in the Imperial Army: whoever captured them kept them.

The two then cheerfully divided the seven captured fast boats. Sean received four of them, since he had indeed captured more. Afterward, Sean bid Senior Anderson farewell and returned to the rear of the fleet with the other guard ship commanded by Sergeant Donnie. By then, the entire Transport Fleet was basically ready to set sail again, merely waiting for Sean and the others to give the order.

"Young master, we lost one soldier this time... There is also one seriously wounded and three lightly wounded." Torr reported to Sean, who stood at the bow. His tone was somewhat low, and he seemed heavy-hearted. After a pause, he continued, "We also captured twelve water bandits, and probably killed around thirty more... Do you have any further orders, young master?"

Sean pondered for a moment before instructing Torr, "Torr, gather all the soldiers on the ship. I have something to say..."

Soon, after several hurried sets of footsteps, all twenty-three soldiers aboard the ship stood neatly lined up before Sean. His gaze swept over them as he said loudly, "Soldiers, just now, I was very pleased to see every one of you fight bravely... You dealt the vicious water bandits a heavy blow and inflicted considerable casualties upon them..."

"Congratulations. I will personally submit a commendation request for all of you..." Sean paused after speaking, seeing faint excitement appear on the soldiers' faces. Then his tone grew solemn as he continued, "But regrettably, one outstanding warrior among us has left us forever... Please observe a moment of silence with me..." With that, Sean turned around and saluted the body that had been placed on the deck beforehand and covered with a white cloth. The other soldiers also wiped the smiles from their faces and saluted the corpse.

Only after a minute did Sean lower his saluting hand and turn to look at the solemn-faced soldiers before him. Generals died in a hundred battles; since ancient times, all soldiers had been nothing more than expendable tools on the battlefield, waiting to be spent in the next battle.

Sean put aside his stray thoughts and continued with a smile, "In addition to the Garrison's death benefits, the family of the fallen soldier will receive an extra share of compensation from the spoils of war. Naturally, the seriously and lightly wounded soldiers will also receive additional compensation..."

The soldiers stirred somewhat after hearing Sean's words, but quickly settled down. They watched him with focused, earnest eyes, and Sean could see approval and gratitude in their gazes. This was entirely the result he had expected. At last, he had shed the awkward status of an academy officer and gained the soldiers' sincere recognition.

"As long as I remain your commanding officer, the example set this time will stand. Fallen and wounded soldiers will receive additional compensation..." Sean declared in an unquestionable voice. Then, seeing the excited expressions of the soldiers, he nodded in satisfaction.

He then turned to Torr and ordered loudly, "Torr, bring all the prisoners here..."

Torr was equally stirred, and he looked at his young master with reverence, as though flames burned deep in his eyes. It was an expression of both pride and admiration. Upon hearing Sean's order, he immediately shouted, "Yes!" Then he turned, called over the soldiers in his squad, and ran toward the prisoners with them.

Soon, the prisoners were dragged stumbling before Sean by Torr and the other soldiers, then forced to kneel on the deck under the soldiers' harsh pressure. Sean coldly swept his gaze over the bedraggled water bandit prisoners. Some looked defiant, while others trembled in fear.

Sean sneered and pointed at a defiant, bearded middle-aged water bandit. "Do you want to live... or die?"

The bearded water bandit was being forcibly pressed to his knees on the deck by two soldiers, yet he still glared at Sean with eyes full of hatred. Faced with Sean's sneering question, he pursed his lips and said nothing.

"Torr, did you kill any water bandits with your own hands in the battle just now?" Rather than paying attention to the water bandit's hateful gaze, Sean unexpectedly turned and asked Torr in a gentle tone.

Torr froze for a moment, then immediately said somewhat sheepishly, "Young master, I think I hit a water bandit with an arrow, but..." He did not continue. Presumably, that water bandit had either escaped or sunk directly to the riverbed.

"You've only practiced archery for half a year. Hitting someone is already quite good..." Sean gently comforted Torr. After a brief pause, he continued with a calm expression, "Since you haven't killed anyone before, kill this one..." As he spoke, he pointed at the defiant bearded water bandit before him.

The moment Sean's calm words fell, the bearded water bandit began struggling violently. Yet with his hands bound behind his back and two soldiers restraining him, he was still pinned firmly to the deck. Torr showed a trace of hesitation, but under Sean's calm gaze, he slowly took a deep breath, drew his sword, and thrust straight ahead. Amid the bearded water bandit's terrified cry, he accurately drove the blade into the man's heart. The water bandit's terrified death scream was abruptly cut off as if severed by invisible scissors. His eyes gradually lost focus, and he finally collapsed into a pool of his own blood.

The remaining water bandit prisoners immediately began trembling uncontrollably like startled quails.

Torr was clearly unsettled by killing someone for the first time. He pulled out his sword, staggered back several steps, and began breathing heavily.

Sean smiled and offered Torr some encouragement, then turned to another water bandit and gently repeated, "Do you want to live... or die..."

The young water bandit Sean addressed gently instantly went pale and dropped onto the deck. Terror shone through his pupils. His lips trembled, but he could not speak.

Sean turned to Phil behind him and curled his lips.

Phil immediately understood Sean's meaning. Whether from fear or excitement, he slowly drew the sword at his waist with trembling hands. Amid the young water bandit's panicked wail of "Please...," he stepped forward, gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, paused slightly, and then drove it forcefully into the young water bandit's body. The young water bandit's wail immediately became a scream, but the sound soon faded until it was barely audible.

At this point, even some of the soldiers had their scalps tingle at Sean's cruel orders. Yet several veterans looked at Torr and Phil, whom Sean had singled out for special attention, with envy. This was an obvious attempt to train the two of them, meaning that Torr and Phil would continue to receive Commander Sean's cultivation and favor in the future.

Phil, drenched in splattered blood, retreated in some confusion. The remaining water bandit prisoners looked at the gently smiling Sean as though they had seen the most terrifying demon. They desperately curled their bodies up, and a few even leaked cloudy liquid beneath themselves, making Sean reveal a look of disgust.

Sean frowned, yet still said with a sneer, "Gentlemen, congratulations. Our game is temporarily over." Then his sharp gaze fixed on the large chief, and he mocked him with a cold smile. "So, Mr. Chief, can you tell me what I want to know? Of course... I would be most grateful." Although he used a questioning tone, his words clearly carried certainty.

"My lord, what... what do you wish to know?" Facing Sean, who killed people at will while chatting and laughing, the large chief asked tremulously and fearfully.

"Very good. It seems we can have a pleasant conversation from now on..." Sean laughed in an apparently lighthearted tone after hearing the large chief's words. Then he instructed the soldiers, "Take all the other prisoners down into the hold and guard them closely. As for our Mr. Chief... prepare a clean set of clothes for him, then invite him to my cabin..." With that, Sean turned around and leisurely made his way back to his cabin.