Adventurer Group

Paul Greiman led Morrison out of the room, asking, "Were there any treasures or anything like that here?"

"I wouldn't know about that. The Shark Gang is very strict with their finances, and only a few core members know the details. However, about two hours ago, a group of people came and moved some boxes, large and small, away."

"Looks like they really ran off with the money. Help me pray to the Lord of Light that I can catch them. But to have infighting at this critical moment, they're really courting death."

Morrison was puzzled, "Infighting? I've never seen pirates fight among themselves."

Paul asked, "Then what about these pirate corpses?"

Morrison looked blank, "Weren't they killed by your men, sir? I hid as soon as I heard the commotion."

Paul panicked and immediately ordered the surrounding soldiers, "Be alert, there might be other ambushes here." He then took out a gunpowder flask and loaded his pistol.

The soldiers perked up and escorted the Earl to the first floor lobby.

At this moment, a soldier ran out of a nearby corridor, stopped in front of Paul, and reported, "Report! Chief Steward Cecil has discovered a basement with some suspicious individuals inside. They have all been disarmed. But they claim they are not pirates, and he requests your instructions on how to handle them."

"Oh? So there really are others in this Church. Let's go, lead me to them."

"How many times do I have to say it? We're not pirates! Have you ever seen a beautiful girl pirate as naturally gorgeous as me?"

Meru Heimer, the leader of the Lichman Adventurer Group, frowned and protested loudly. Her hands were tied, so this was the only way she could vent her frustration.

However, no matter how much she protested, the gloomy-faced man simply ignored her, standing opposite her with his arms crossed.

"You won't release us, and you won't kill us, what exactly do you want?" Meru asked loudly again, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea.

The green-haired girl wearing a scholar's hat advised, "Meru, stop shouting. I guess this guy is waiting for his superior to deal with us."

Sigh, this time we really stumbled in a ditch! Dean sighed inwardly.

At first, the plan went smoothly. After two strange loud noises rang out outside the city, most of the pirates guarding the Church were drawn away. They ambushed near the Church and waited quietly for a while. Fortunately, the few pirates left in the Church split off another group to carry several large boxes onto a carriage and head towards the docks. They judged that the pirates couldn't hold on any longer and were planning to slip away. They couldn't wait any longer; they had to seize the opportunity, in case the pirates transferred the hostages as well.

The adventurer group members showed their skills and raided the Church. The few pirates left in the Church were probably checking for any important things that had been missed, but in terms of combat power, they were all weaklings and no match for them. They were taken care of in no time. After the battle, they carefully searched the Church and found a basement entrance at the end of a corridor. After going down, they found only Susan's grandfather, the town chief, who had been tortured unconscious. Their initial target, Bern, the young master of the Horn Bay Alliance, was not there.

The leader, Meru Heimer, decisively ordered the green-haired girl, Laddie, to help Susan's grandfather back first, while the others went after the pirates. However, just as everyone was preparing to return to the surface, they heard dense footsteps above, so they had to hide back in the basement.

After Intelligence Chief Cecil led the soldiers into the basement, he noticed someone inside and immediately ordered these "pirates" to disarm and surrender, declaring that the Alarda Territory lord's army had arrived and that resisting would only lead to death.

The adventurer group members then realized that the army attacking Franklin Harbor was the local lord's army. They hurriedly explained that they were not pirates, but adventurers who had come to rescue the kidnapped hostages.

The suspicious Intelligence Chief couldn't possibly believe them easily and insisted that the adventurer group put down their weapons. The leader, Meru Heimer, was also an impatient person, and the two of them started arguing. Just as the two sides were about to draw their swords and fight, Dean and Laddie, who were always calm in the adventurer group, persuaded their leader together. So, everyone handed over their weapons, Cecil ordered people to tie their hands, and then sent someone to ask Paul for instructions.

Time passed second by second. After what felt like an incredibly long wait for the adventurer group, someone finally walked down the stairs into the basement.

"A boy?" Everyone was puzzled when they saw the person.

Paul asked, "Are these the suspicious people you caught?" A pink-haired flat-chested girl, a blue-haired pretty boy, a yellow-haired punk, and a green-haired girl wearing a scholar's hat. Because the hat was blocking and the light was too dim, he couldn't see their faces clearly.

Cecil respectfully replied, "Yes, sir. They claim to be adventurers from the south, here to rescue hostages kidnapped by pirates, but I think it's better to be cautious."

Paul nodded, "Yes, you did very well."

He turned to the adventurer group, "Speak, how do you prove your identities?"

The Lichman Adventurer Group was surprised. Judging from the boy's voice, he was clearly still in puberty, which meant he was only about fifteen years old. It was too young to be a lord.

The leader, Meru, said eagerly, "You're the lord here? We really came to save people, quickly release us."

Dean wanted to cry but had no tears. He hurriedly whispered in Meru's ear, "Leader, we're at their mercy now, at least use a respectful title. The other party is a landed noble like 'Greedy Wolf' Giles. He's the master of his own territory, not as easy to talk to as the Robe Nobles in our place. I heard these northern lords are barbaric and unreasonable. If you annoy him, he can just find an excuse to kill us, and who would we complain to?"

Seeing them whispering, Paul became alert, "What are you doing? I warn you not to collude!"

Dean was about to explain when Laddie, who had been silent all along, suddenly said, "This honorable lord, I think you should first consider the safety of your own people. The old man next to us, who has been tortured unconscious by the pirates, is the local town chief. Please lend a hand, and his family can prove our identities."

Paul looked at the green-haired girl who was speaking. The girl was also staring at him, revealing her face.

She was wearing a scholar's outfit, wrapped tightly from head to toe. The face above the stand-up collar showed a charm far beyond that of ordinary women, and her eyes were extremely rare red pupils in this world.

Just as Paul made eye contact with her, he suddenly felt a subtle flash in the girl's pupils. Was it an illusion?

A slight sense of dizziness struck him. He shook his head to dispel the feeling, thinking to himself, Sigh, I was too excited about the siege the next day last night and stayed up all night. Now I'm mentally exhausted. I need to find some time to catch up on sleep.

He suppressed the urge to yawn and said, "Okay, what you said makes some sense. Cecil, do you know the town chief of Franklin Harbor?"

Cecil looked embarrassed, "Sorry, my lord, I know the town elder is an old man, but I really don't know what he looks like."

"Find a medic to treat this old man, and also find some townspeople to confirm his identity." Chief Steward Ford, who is in charge of territory affairs, might know the local town elder, but he didn't come with the army.

"Yes!" Cecil responded, beckoning two soldiers to carry the old man out.

Paul turned to the members of the adventurer group, "As for you, you can only leave after the old man wakes up and proves your innocence." He wouldn't easily believe one-sided statements just because there are beautiful women among them.

Dean said, "Lord, the town elder was already unconscious when we arrived, he doesn't know us. But you can bring his granddaughter Susan to testify for us." Then he gave Susan's address.

Paul agreed, "I'll bring her here right away, I hope you really are innocent."

No one noticed that the green-haired girl beside them quietly breathed a sigh of relief.