Harvest (Part 2)

Sean had barely crossed past Phil, who was struggling to drag a heavy wooden crate, when he heard hurried footsteps echoing from far down the passage. Before long, Torr and Vinson came jogging up to him.

"Young Master, we're here..." Seeing Sean and Phil there, Torr immediately spoke to him.

"Torr, perfect timing... Come on, help Phil carry this..." Sean was slightly surprised, then smiled as he spoke. He pointed at the crate in front of Phil, signaling for them to join in.

"Of course, Young Master. Leave the moving to us. You rest for a bit; it'll be done soon..." Torr replied at once. He stepped past Sean and moved forward to help.

Vinson followed Torr without hesitation, stepping up to join the other two in heaving the crate. Deep down, Vinson was overjoyed—thrilled to be part of something so secret and important. This massive haul, even if he was unlikely to receive any tangible reward from Sean, had successfully integrated him into Sean's inner circle. It meant that from now on, he would earn Sean's trust.

Of course, there was always the risk of lingering hidden dangers. But as long as Vinson kept his mouth shut and proved his loyalty afterward, Sean probably wouldn't develop any unfavorable thoughts about him.

"You two head back to the ship first. I'll be along shortly..." Sean watched them struggle a bit with the crate and said with a smile.

Time always flies when you're in high spirits. Before they knew it, over an hour had passed. Sean and his four men took the speedboat the Water Bandit Leader had prepared in advance and returned to the warship they'd ridden earlier. Sean ordered them to tie this speedboat, along with the four captured Water Bandit Speedboats, to the rear of the Garrison's warship. When they withdrew back to the city, these boats would be towed along into Linshui City.

As for the two chests of wealth they'd found, Sean had no intention of telling anyone besides the four who'd discovered them. He hid the chests in the speedboat's lower hold and put Phil and Vinson in charge of guarding them. He himself took Torr and the letters they'd found earlier and went to find Lieutenant Colonel Merkel.

Lieutenant Colonel Merkel was in the Flagship's captain's quarters, handling official business. Sean, holding the letters, was announced by Sergeant Jason and knocked before entering the captain's quarters. Only Merkel was inside. He immediately smiled, rose, and gestured a welcome. Sean smiled back and quickly stepped forward.

"Haha... Sean, did you rest well?" Merkel laughed as he embraced Sean, asking with concern.

"Very well, thank you for your concern, sir..." After they parted, Merkel warmly took Sean's hand. They sat down on chairs, and only then did Sean smile his thanks. As he spoke, he handed the letters to Merkel.

"What's this?" Merkel asked, a little puzzled as he took the letters from Sean. He glanced at them and frowned.

"Sir, just take a look and you'll see." Sean smiled and made a gesture for him to go ahead.

"Sean, where did you get these... letters?" Merkel asked, his tone flat and devoid of emotion as he casually skimmed a few of them. His usually warm expression gradually turned cold, and a sharp glint flickered in his eyes.

Sean had already read these letters and knew what was going on. These letters alone were enough evidence to convict those merchants. But Merkel also understood that these merchants were entangled with certain nobles in the city. Some were even directly controlled by nobles behind the scenes, with the merchants in front serving as mere puppets or shields.

In the Empire, anything involving nobles had to be handled with extreme caution. A misstep would inevitably invite backlash from 'them.' So it was no wonder Merkel's expression was grim—it was his duty. If he hadn't known, it would be one thing. But now that he did, he couldn't just pretend nothing was wrong.

Still, Sean hadn't handed the letters to Merkel to cause him trouble. Given Sean's current status and position, these letters were nothing but a liability to him. Merkel, however, had room to maneuver and could even gain some unexpected rewards from them.

"Sir, this afternoon, with Vinson's guidance, I... accidentally discovered these letters." Sean spoke calmly, a faint smile on his face. He then pointed to one of the letters and said, "When I found them... I noticed this letter was related to our campaign against the Water Bandit Group. So I came straight to you, sir..." The letter he pointed to was the bounty letter from the Max Bandit Group.

Merkel let out a surprised "Oh..." and picked up the letter Sean had indicated. He skimmed through it quickly and had to admit that, as Sean said, there was indeed some connection.

"Sir, as for the other letters..." Sean smiled, but his eyes held an oddly calm, eerie look.

Just as Merkel was lost in thought, he heard Sean speak again. At first, he felt a flicker of displeasure. Then he looked up and noticed the strange expression on Sean's face.

In an instant—or perhaps a single moment—Merkel suddenly recalled the look Sean had worn when he'd laid out his plan to rescue and eliminate the water bandits. That same faint, knowing smile was on his face now.

"Out with it. Do I have to drag it out of you?" Merkel forced a smile and pretended to scold him.

"Sir, not all the merchants mentioned in these letters have... backing behind them." Sean remained unfazed by Merkel's scolding, still wearing that faint smile as he offered a reminder.

"You mean... I should only go after..." Merkel frowned slightly, his tone uncertain. If he handled it that way, it would inevitably damage his reputation afterward. After all, such things couldn't be hidden from those in the know.

"Sir, not 'only go after'... but 'first go after'..." Sean ignored Merkel's subtle frown and gently wagged his finger as he corrected him. Seeing Merkel's still-puzzled look, he had to continue: "Sir, you've just won a brilliant victory over the Water Bandit Group. Your contributions are immense. The soldiers are exhausted too; they need time to rest properly. So... naturally, you'll be short-handed. It only makes sense to arrest only some of the merchants involved in collusion first. And then... purely by chance—yes, this is entirely a coincidence."

He paused, then smiled again. "If, at this point, some rumors accidentally leak out... what do you think, sir, those nobles would choose to do?" Sean nodded meaningfully at Merkel.

"You mean... those who are implicated... will clean up the rest of the mess themselves." Merkel said, half-guessing, half-affirming. The displeasure in his heart was gone, replaced by joy and admiration for the young man before him. He could vaguely sense that this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed. Perhaps he'd even gain some unexpected benefits afterward...

"Yes, sir. You only need to arrest a few merchants with no connections first. Then demand that the Linshui City Local Court try them for their crimes. By then... the fact that you 'accidentally' obtained these letters will naturally reach the ears of certain interested parties." Sean smiled, confirming Merkel's thoughts and even suggesting a plausible way for the rumors to spread.

Under Merkel's increasingly bright gaze, Sean continued with a smile: "Once those people catch wind of it, they'll clean up their loose ends cleanly. After that... whether the involved merchants die in 'accidents' or simply disappear, you can smoothly close the case..."

"Of course, if anyone attacks your reputation over this, you can simply say you need time to sort through the evidence one by one. It's just a matter of who gets dealt with first... And those nobles who catch the hint will immediately understand that this is a favor from you. Naturally, they'll hold goodwill toward you..." Sean took a breath and added the final touch with a smile. His eyes were fixed intently on Merkel.

"Haha... Not bad, not bad... That's exactly it... Haha... The soldiers just fought a battle; they deserve a good rest." Merkel laughed heartily, delighted by Sean's words. He even winked at Sean and gently tapped the letters in his hand.

"Sir, there's one more thing I'd like to ask your permission for." Sean seized the opportunity to make a request.

"Oh? What is it? Speak freely." Merkel's eyes flickered with an unreadable expression as he smiled at Sean, though his tone carried a hint of wariness.

Sean knew that if he made an excessive demand now, it would create the impression that he was trying to cash in a favor. Without hesitation, he stated his request: "Sir, during the infiltration mission earlier, I promised Vinson and the other two captured water bandits that if they cooperated actively and the mission succeeded, I would allow them to follow me afterward..."

"Oh... I see. Well... they were your captives to begin with. Since you've already promised them, would I oppose it?" Merkel's brow relaxed, and his tone returned to its usual warmth as he smiled. Clearly, Sean's request had surprised him—but pleasantly so, for its simplicity.

"Thank you, sir." Sean smiled along, as if he hadn't noticed the earlier tension at all.

"Speaking of which, your infiltration and rescue mission was brilliantly executed. When we return to Linshui City, I'll personally commend you for your merits..." Merkel praised with a smile, then made a promise, as if he'd never harbored any misgivings about Sean.

"Thank you, sir. It's all thanks to your excellent command. A mere Water Bandit Group could never be a match for you, sir..." Sean replied humbly with a smile. He knew his share of the credit was secure, but flattery cost nothing and lifted everyone's spirits.

"You, ha... Prepare to break camp and return to the city tomorrow. Go get ready..." Merkel waved his hand helplessly, then changed the subject with a smile. He was also a little excited. As the supreme commander of this campaign, he had not only ensured the safe rescue of the noble hostages but also successfully wiped out the entire rogue Water Bandit Group.

No one could deny his achievements. Once back in Linshui City, he could make it widely known. Not only would he gain military honors, but it would also add weight to his bid to succeed as the Garrison Commander. This was a textbook case of gaining both fame and fortune—how could he not be pleased?

"Yes, sir. I'll prepare as soon as I return..." Sean also looked delighted at Merkel's words. Finally, he could return to Linshui City. He wondered if Alice and the others were doing well...

After that, Sean and Merkel chatted lightly about some interesting anecdotes before Sean took his leave. Back in his own cabin, Sean told Torr the good news about setting off for the city tomorrow. He sent Torr to inform Phil and Vinson, who were still guarding the two large chests on the Water Bandit Speedboat.

Once Torr left, the silent cabin held only Sean alone. He couldn't help but think: handing those letters over to Merkel was certainly a huge benefit to him. But he himself hadn't come away empty-handed either. After all, some things could never be kept secret forever.

When those 'relieved' nobles 'accidentally' learned that these letters had been handed over by him to Merkel, and then 'coincidentally' heard some of his advice... they would surely feel gratitude toward him, which would then turn into goodwill.

As for the 'accidents' and 'coincidences,' he could control them entirely. Even if he later had to give up on exploiting them to avoid misunderstanding from Merkel...

But if he were too greedy and tried to hold the nobles' leverage himself... At this thought, a faint, cold smile curled at the corner of Sean's mouth. Then another thought flashed through his mind: Indeed, only with enough capability can one have enough appetite. Those who can't see clearly, can't let go, and only want to swallow every 'bit of profit' in sight—the only possible outcome is being 'choked to death'...

As for keeping it all secret... Hah. Many things don't require evidence. Suspicion alone is enough. Especially when the gap in power is vast, it becomes all the more self-evident...