"Boss, they're back! They're back!"
Just as Lone Wolf was about to inspect the fat sheep they had hauled in, a subordinate rushed in, flustered. Lone Wolf frowned slightly.
"What are you yelling about? Spit it out. Who's back?"
"It's... it's the Pirate Alliance fleet. They're back from the Rock Fief!"
"So they're back. What's got you so worked up?" Lone Wolf said coolly. "Tell me, how many ships came back?"
"About 3,500..."
"What? 3,500?" Lone Wolf was delighted.
They had set out with around 5,000 ships. Had they lost almost a third in a single expedition?
Didn't that prove how far-sighted he was? Staying out of that mess had been positively brilliant!
"But they captured more than 900 warships!" The underling finally caught his breath and finished.
Lone Wolf: "..."
His image as a brilliant, mighty leader shattered into pieces. In front of all his underlings, Lone Wolf felt his dignity slipping.
"So they captured a few warships. The Seven Great Pirates must have pocketed all the spoils. What chance did the small and midsized crews have of getting a share?" Lone Wolf still refused to admit he had backed the wrong horse.
"But... according to the news our brothers sent back, it seems almost every pirate crew received some warships or equipment this time. They also brought back untold riches.
"It's like a festival in Shattered Star City right now. Our fellow pirates are throwing money around everywhere in celebration. The bars, casinos, and practically every entertainment venue are packed. The scene is..."
As he spoke, the underling lost the nerve to continue. He had noticed that his boss's face had turned black as thunder.
All the underlings tactfully looked away, their eyes vacant. Some stared at the control panels before them, pretending to work diligently; others appeared