When Schroeder escorted the Shark Gang back to the harbor, Paul Greiman was confirming the identity of the Lichman Adventurer Group.
Several local residents of Franklin Harbor had been summoned here, including Susan, the mayor's granddaughter.
"So this dying old man really is the mayor of this place."
"Yes, my lord." The townspeople answered cautiously, barely daring to meet their lord's eyes.
They turned their gazes toward Susan, who was standing beside the mayor and sobbing softly. How pitiful. She had lost her parents when she was young and depended on her grandfather for everything. If the old man didn't survive this, what would happen to the girl?
Paul looked at Susan. "Little girl, were those people who called themselves adventurers really hired by you to rescue your grandfather?"
Susan looked up at the lord, then lowered her head again to stare at her grandfather. She said coldly, "Yes, my lord."
That's strange. Does this girl have something against me? Paul was baffled. He had seen the look Susan gave him just now. It had been filled with hatred and contempt. Combined with her tone, anyone treated like that for no apparent reason would have felt uncomfortable.
"Your name is Susan, right? I'm very sorry about what happened to your grandfather. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Susan didn't even raise her head this time. She said coldly once again, "There's nothing you need to help with, my lord. As long as you fulfill your responsibilities as a lord and don't hide in the castle the next time the pirates come to bully us, that's enough."
Victor, who had recently been promoted to captain of the Internal Guard Unit, was standing beside Paul. Upon hearing Susan lash out at his lord, he immediately drew his sword and shouted, "Insolence!"
The other townspeople were terrified and hurriedly knelt to plead for mercy. "My lord, Susan is too young and doesn't know any better. On top of that, her grandfather was beaten so badly, and she's overcome with grief. Please calm your anger and show mercy!"
Unexpectedly, Victor's shout of "Insolence!" only provoked the girl. She spun around, raised her voice with a sob in it, and shouted at Paul:
"My grandfather was tortured like this, so why did you only come now? Do you know how many people's life savings have been stolen during this time, how many women have been violated, and how many people brave enough to resist have been killed? Do you nobles know?"
"All you know how to do is hide in your lofty castles, drinking and enjoying yourselves. Have you ever cared whether your people lived or died? If the pirates hadn't wanted to occupy this place permanently, would you have come at all?"
After venting everything, the girl burst into tears.
The townspeople no longer dared to plead for her. They collapsed onto the floor, trembling from head to toe, terrified that the lord's fury would implicate them.
Victor looked toward the earl and waited for his command. As long as the earl was willing, the girl was as good as dead. A commoner insulting a noble was a grave crime, though Victor himself deeply sympathized with her.
Paul waved his hand and ordered Victor to sheath his weapon. He walked over to Susan and reached out, intending to place a hand on her shoulder, but lowered his arm halfway there.
He said, "I understand how you feel right now. A few months ago, my father also died at the hands of pirates. It was the Shark Gang that had been entrenched in Franklin Harbor." The grief in his voice was unmistakable.
The girl stiffened slightly and stopped crying.
The other townspeople understood now. They had been wondering why their lord had suddenly become a teenager. It turned out the former lord had been killed by pirates. The Shark Gang hadn't been stupid enough to proclaim the killing of a noble throughout the world, so hardly anyone in Franklin Harbor knew about it.
The lord continued, "As for why it took me so long to deal with the pirates, that can't be explained in just a sentence or two. The forces I had at my disposal were too weak before, so I had to accumulate strength and wait for the right opportunity. In any case, I'm sorry..."
Silence fell.
Everyone in the hall, soldiers and commoners alike, was stunned by those words—"I'm sorry." A noble had actually apologized to commoners. It was unheard of! Susan turned to look at Paul, her round eyes wide. After throwing caution to the wind just now, she had thought she was certain to die. She never expected fate to give her such an unexpected outcome. And... it turned out that his family had also been harmed by pirates.
The boy, only a few years older than her, spoke in a firm voice. "However, you asked me not to hide in the castle again. I swear I'll do that."
"Not just pirates. No one will ever bully my people."
Paul silently added in his heart.
The members of the Lichman Adventurer Group, who had been temporarily detained in the basement, were released.
The handsome blue-haired Dean and the blond Scene Kid Kai both looked relieved and thanked Paul repeatedly.
Meilu rubbed her wrists, which were sore and aching from the ropes, and complained inwardly, The two men are one thing, but they treated two ladies this roughly as well. These northerners are barbaric.
According to their questioning, the Lichman Adventurer Group wasn't from the Rollman Kingdom. They had come from Independent Territory Messiah in the south. No wonder these people didn't look at him with the same awe as everyone else.
In some of the more commercially developed city-states and independent territories in the south, the divide between nobles and commoners wasn't as wide as it was in the northern nations. Of course, "not as wide" was only relative.
He had no intention of making things difficult for them. Arbitrarily punishing citizens of another country might cause diplomatic trouble, and there was no point in making enemies for no reason.
At that moment, a soldier came in to report, "My lord, Major Schroeder has captured Shark. He's already been brought to the church entrance."
"Oh? Quickly invite the old knight in, and bring the prisoners as well."
Soon, Schroeder and the others escorted Shark and his men into the church.
"My lord, the bandit leader Shark and his accomplices have all been captured. As expected, these pirates abandoned their companions and tried to sneak away by sea."
The old knight looked disdainful as he briefly described the battle.
Shark and his men were bound hand and foot. With an injured leg, Shark lay on the ground, groaning.
"It's him, my lord! He's the pirate leader Shark! My lord, you must kill him and avenge us!"
The townspeople in the hall all pointed him out.
Shark suddenly perked up and shouted, "Lord Greiman, I know where Edward's secret treasure is hidden! As long as you don't kill me, I'll tell you where it is! I was wrong about your father's death. If you spare my life, I'll be your dog. Whoever you order me to bite, I'll bite!"
Hmph! He's on the verge of death and still trying to cling to his last lifeline. Not to mention that Shark is my "father's murderer"—if I let him go just for money, how could I ever establish myself in this world?
That treasure was probably fabricated on the spot. How could Edward's treasure have been known to a small subordinate gang like Shark's? And even if Shark knew about it, why hadn't he gone after it himself? Why would he have to fight Greiman's army to the death here?
Paul ordered, "Lock these bastards in the basement for now. Tomorrow, I will hold a Public Trial."
Paul didn't want to believe a single word from the pirate leader.
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