Paul was seething with anger. The play of officials and bandits being one family, which had existed only in history books in his previous life, was actually unfolding right before his eyes.
According to Quirk's confession, Edward had suddenly left several months ago with his fleet of trusted followers. As for what they were going to do, low-level outsiders like them had no right to know. With no tiger in the mountains, the monkeys declared themselves kings. Once freed from restraint, the scattered Pirate Crews ran wild—fighting among themselves and seizing territory. Before, Edward's strict orders had forbidden them from draining the pond to catch all the fish, but now they no longer cared about anything. They took as much as they could. Several Pirate Crews near Greiman Territory even grew bold enough to push into the interior, which they had not dared touch for nearly twenty years.
After interrogating Quirk for a while longer, Paul ordered the man thrown into the dungeon. Then, with a dark expression, he announced to everyone that he planned to take advantage of the pirates' main force being away to eliminate the remaining pirates in Northwest Bay and restore peace and order to the territory.
Chief Steward Ford said worriedly, "I understand your indignation, my lord. Eliminating the scattered Pirate Crews currently shouldn't be a problem, but what happens when Edward's main fleet returns? You saw it yourself some time ago. The other families won't help us until their own territories are attacked. Relying on just our territory, we probably have little chance of defeating Edward."
"That's why we must build a powerful navy and defeat them after Edward returns, while we're rested and they're weary." The nobles of the Auldo Kingdom had no awareness of naval power whatsoever, which was why they had allowed the pirates to grow unchecked.
"My lord, shipbuilding costs a great deal of money, you know. Add in sailor training and routine maintenance, and it'll be a bottomless pit."
"Don't worry, everyone. There will be bread, and there will be milk." The young count confidently guaranteed it.
His desire to eliminate the pirates stemmed not only from his outrage at the nobles' indifference to the lives of the coastal commoners, but also from other reasons.
After learning about the situation during this period, he discovered that this world was extremely backward. Apart from the ethereal magic of legend, its overall technological level was roughly equivalent to medieval Europe on Earth, with most goods painstakingly crafted by hand. He had racked his brains over ways to make a fortune. After discarding all kinds of impractical fantasies, he had ultimately settled on several industries that could bring in money immediately, such as papermaking, book printing, and porcelain.
But there was a problem. The Northwest Region of Aldo was still relatively backward. Most commoners could barely recognize a single character and had little money in their hands. Who would buy the things he produced? The nobles might take an interest in novel items and purchase them to decorate their homes or put on a show, but he couldn't make much money by selling only to nobles. So he had to sell his products in the more economically developed regions farther south, such as Crystal Radiance of the Royal Capital, or the Horn Bay Alliance even farther south. He could even use the Horn Bay Alliance to transport his products to more distant places.
How would he transport the goods there? Traveling by land was impossible. Never mind that the south was currently at war, with the Royal Family and Giles fighting until heaven and earth were turned upside down. Even in peacetime, checkpoints stood everywhere, and lords of every size were the sort to pluck a feather from every passing goose. So he had turned his attention to the sea. As long as he eliminated the pirates and opened the maritime route, he could fully exploit the sea's enormous cargo capacity without enduring layer upon layer of extortion from local lords, reaching his destinations directly.
To achieve this goal, building a maritime force capable of both attacking and defending was essential. Aside from commercial nations like the Horn Bay Alliance, other countries had little awareness of naval power. Yet the waters of the known world were hardly a vacuum of strength. Pirates and river bandits of every size were as numerous as hairs on an ox. Edward, who dominated the North Sea, was one of the most famous among them. Convicted criminals, serfs unable to survive under harsh rule, refugees driven out by war, adventurers seeking excitement, and ordinary people forcibly abducted into their ranks continually injected fresh blood into the pirate ranks.
"Lord Greiman, I thank you on behalf of the people of my homeland for your great kindness." The old knight suddenly stood and bowed deeply to Paul, his voice unexpectedly choked with emotion.
"Not at all, not at all. It is simply my duty as the lord of this territory."
"From now on, I am willing to serve at your command. Please do not disdain me for being old and useless." Though it was not a formal knightly oath of allegiance, everyone could clearly understand its meaning.
After solemnly saying this, the old knight sat down and remained motionless, seemingly lost in his memories.
What's going on? Could my King's Aura have suddenly erupted? Paul was filled with questions. At that moment, Butler Philip again leaned close and whispered, "When Knight Schroder was young, his family was attacked by pirates..."
So that was it. No wonder the old knight had suddenly become so emotional.
He cleared his throat. "Let's discuss our future actions."
Claude, the commander of the Second Battalion, spoke first. "Count, with our army's morale high after this great victory, why not press our advantage and retake Franklin Harbor, driving the pirates from the land?"
Someone immediately objected. "We must not underestimate the enemy. According to the prisoners' testimony, they still have at least seven or eight hundred men combined. We're still at a disadvantage in numbers."
The young count immediately ordered, "Bryce, recruit a batch of new soldiers at once. Within a month, I want to see two fully staffed Infantry Battalions."
Bryce rose and answered, "Yes, my lord."
The old knight, who had been reminiscing moments earlier, suddenly spoke. "We need to train a group of soldiers proficient in naval warfare. The new recruits should be drawn mainly from fishing families. After all, our enemies are pirates. We might as well cultivate the seeds of our future navy."
"I second that. It would be best to designate two companies specifically to form a marine force and train extensively in boarding actions and other forms of aquatic combat. Then we won't be so passive the next time we face pirates."
"I think the firearms invented by the count would be very suitable for use at sea. Especially that Hand Grenade—equip them in large numbers. When we approach an enemy ship, toss a few aboard, and I guarantee everyone on the other side will be wounded."
"Firearms are good too. I personally saw four unlucky fellows on the other side get hit. One shot, and they were finished."
"Build a few oared sailing ships with rams, or requisition fishing boats and modify them. Then send them downstream along the Ves River..."
"Everyone's suggestions are excellent. I'll assign people to increase firearm production, and we'll build warships as well."
The atmosphere at the meeting grew increasingly heated. Their recent victory had filled everyone with enthusiasm, and they eagerly offered suggestions and strategies.
As Paul listened to and considered everyone's proposals, a servant quietly entered and said something to Butler Philip. Philip immediately tugged at the servant's sleeve.
"Has something happened?"
"My lord, we've found the bell-casting craftsman you requested."
Paul slapped his thigh, overjoyed. "Oh? Hahaha, he's finally here." He then said to the people still discussing matters, "Carry on discussing. I'll be back shortly."
He urged the servant who had delivered the news to lead the way, then dashed off in a flash.
Those left behind stared at one another in bewilderment. Was there anything more urgent than dealing with the pirates?
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