Competitive and Unyielding! Second Update
Soren naturally had a lot to do.
In fact, his men had come to report this the moment he reached the shore, but because Goria was nearby, he waved her off, indicating they should talk later. Later, Goria was led to the camp by Vivian, Soren naturally needed to handle the affairs that had been accumulating. Although he had left Vivian there to oversee things, the pirate leaders were ultimately in charge. Furthermore, Soren noticed at a glance that the relationships among his men seemed somewhat delicate, with a hint of factionalism emerging.
Of all the pirate leaders, Adele Isabella should be the highest-ranking.
She had the most subordinates and her own strength was at least high-level. However, after the Half-Elf first mate, Kasa, was rewarded by Soren for his efficient work and was entrusted with part of the overseas voyages, the Half-Elf first mate's status rose sharply. This Half-Elf first mate had always wanted to compete with Adele Isabella. Last time, he successfully plundered the Pirate King Asroder's Eastern fleet, bringing back a large amount of wealth and an ocean-going fleet. Therefore, his strength had now surpassed Adele's.
Conversely, Adele's current situation is different. Due to her failure to contact the Alchemy Guild, she not only failed to complete Soren's mission but also wasted time, so much so that she didn't even have a chance to see him before Soren left for the North. As a result, the pirates below her clearly have less respect for her. Pirates are a group of people who respect and obey the strong. Since Adele - Isabella failed to complete Throat Cutter's mission, the pirate leaders below her naturally look down on her.
Furthermore, given her gender, her position within the camp was rather awkward!
Before Soren left.
The tasks of building the camp were distributed among the pirate leaders, with the Half-Elf first mate serving as the manager. When Adele - Isabella returned to the camp, he naturally didn't relinquish his authority to her, leaving Adele essentially a figurehead pirate leader. Although she still had a considerable number of men under her command, she was quite idle each day. The other pirate leaders, such as One-Eyed, the Steward, and the Giant Hunter (all nicknames), were already dissatisfied with a woman overseeing them, and thus, when the Half-Elf first mate divided the camp into factions, they each formed their own cliques, subtly intending to isolate her.
No matter how you put it.
It is always much more difficult for a woman to rise in the ranks of pirates than for a man, especially since Adele's strength was not enough to significantly suppress the other pirate leaders.
If she is Legendary Professional, her status is naturally unshakeable!
However, she is currently only a high-level professional, and the other pirate leaders are not much different from her, so once she is isolated, even her subordinates are somewhat wavering.
The pirates weren't fools.
Although they were all serving Throat Cutter, the pirate henchmen naturally knew which pirate leader wielded more power, was more favored by Throat Cutter, and whose subordinates were more lucrative.
Therefore, Soren immediately noticed Adele's rather awkward position!
The other pirate leaders stood in a circle, with the Half-Elf first mate at the very front. Adele, however, stood alone with her arms crossed, her expression somewhat indifferent and at odds with the others.
"Your Throat Cutter Slitter!"
"Your Throat Cutter Slitter!"
When Soren approached, the many pirate leaders before him immediately bowed their heads in respect. Adele looked at Soren with a hesitant expression, and in the end, she just stood aside with a dejected look on her face.
She failed to complete the task, and this failure frustrated her!
"Have someone move the stuff down!"
Soren glanced at the others, then fixed his gaze on the Half-Elf first mate and Adele, and said slowly, "Everyone else, step back. Kasa and Adele, stay here."
The pirate leaders below exchanged glances, then bowed and took their leave.
The Half-Elf first mate glanced at Adele, remaining motionless. Throat Cutter was a man who valued ability. He had been working tirelessly to expedite construction, even resorting to Cruelty methods to suppress his subordinates' discontent—all to demonstrate his capabilities to Throat Cutter. The camp's construction was now at least 30% faster. Although some Cruelty methods had been used, his men had been completely subdued; in every respect, he had perfectly completed his mission.
Therefore, the Half-Elf first mate was very confident, believing that Throat Cutter Slitter understood who was most capable of serving him.
"Well done!"
Soren glanced at the lighthouse, roads, and docks, and said slowly, "It seems entrusting these to you was the right decision! Have you encountered any trouble during this time?"
Upon hearing Soren's words, Adele's expression darkened, while the Half-Elf first mate revealed a confident smile.
He bowed slightly to show his respect, then said in a deep voice, "There haven't been any major troubles lately, but about a week ago we encountered natives from other tribes, seemingly on the other side of the island. We only encountered native scouts, and they didn't attack us, but they did send people to monitor the other side of the river."
"And then there are the Wyvern nearby; three of our Slave were carried off two weeks ago."
"However, they didn't attack us again afterward, so it was probably just an accident. Also, Throat Cutter, we recently discovered a group of Dark Tide Merfolk near the port. They haven't been in conflict with us yet, but we should still be careful."
Soren nodded and said, "I understand."
"Well done. Take some men and take stock of the goods Slave, then settle them in the camp."
The Half-Elf first mate bowed and took his leave.
Only Adele Isabella remained before Soren. The Red-Haired Female Pirate looked somber and bowed her head, saying, "Your Excellency, I have failed to complete the task you entrusted to me!"
Soren glanced at her calmly and said slowly, "I know."
"I!..." Adele's expression was complex, a mixture of disappointment and sadness, as she murmured, "I am incompetent!..."
Soren did not comfort her.
He was one of the Three Great Pirate Kings of the South Coast, no child's play. His rapid rise to power and the ability to win over and control a group of elite pirates were all thanks to his clear system of rewards and punishments. Adele had indeed failed in her mission, and Soren's ability to command such loyalty from his men stemmed from his principle of rewarding merit. Therefore, if he broke the rules with Adele, his established authority would be affected, and he couldn't afford to be lenient simply because she was a woman.
Soren gazed at the Red-Haired Female Pirate before him and said slowly, "Put aside matters here at the camp for now. I will temporarily take command of the fleet."
"I'll send you to receive training as Drow Warrior in a couple of days. You have excellent talent, and your strength is far superior to others. I hope you can reach the edge of Legendary status as soon as possible."
"Soon!"
"I have a difficult task for you."
"I hope you learn not only the combat skills of the Drow, but also their insidious and cunning methods, because the mission I'm giving you this time is very difficult. You'll need to deal with many noble Church members who are skilled at manipulating things. You must learn to use Intrigue and some Cruelty methods; the Drow are experts in this area."
Upon hearing Soren's first words, Adele's face turned pale, and her delicate body swayed slightly.
Because Soren had essentially stripped her of her power, this punishment was far too harsh for her. However, upon hearing the following words, a glimmer of light returned to her eyes, and she nodded solemnly, saying, "Rest assured, Your Excellency!"
"I will never let you down again!"
As long as there is a chance, she can prove herself and reclaim the power and status that belongs to her.
"Very good."
Soren glanced at her, nodded slightly, and said, "Go. I hope to see you become Legendary someday."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Adele Isabella stood still, took a deep breath, and stared resolutely at Soren's retreating figure, her hands involuntarily clenching into fists.
I'm not reconciled!
How could she be willing to be easily surpassed by a Half-Elf who was originally inferior to her? The blood of Amazon Women flowed in her veins; how could she possibly admit defeat so easily!
(P. S.: From now on, updates will be automatic, at 5 PM and 6 PM, two updates per day.) (To be continued~^~)