"Have you counted them?"
A leisurely voice rang out aboard the Navy warship. "How many are there in total?"
"We've counted them, Rear Admiral! There are at least 250."
A freckle-faced colonel serving as adjutant turned around, rubbing his hands excitedly.
"The price offered from above is 500,000 Beli per person. For 250 of them, that's a full 120 million Beli!"
"We've struck it rich, Rear Admiral! We're really rich this time!"
Over 120 million Beli?
That was indeed not bad. It was nearly equal to all the extra money he had skimmed over the years. Rear Admiral Enge was blooming with delight inside, but his face remained calm as he stroked his goatee and said mildly,
"Don't get too excited. Tell the men that when those little brats get close, they must act fast. As soon as the bodies are dealt with, we leave immediately. We'll talk about dividing the money on the way back. Delays bring trouble, understand?"
"Don't worry, Rear Admiral! The men we brought this time are all old hands. They know the drill."
The freckle-faced colonel chuckled. His eyes shifted as he eagerly flattered him.
"Come to think of it, that lord who gave us the order probably never expected you to come up with such a brilliant trick, Rear Admiral. He probably only intended to toss us a few million to brush us off. This time, it's over a hundred million in one go. That'll hurt his purse..."
"Ah."
Enge grew even more pleased with himself, though he modestly waved a hand and said dismissively,
"Don't underestimate that lord. He's with the World Government. He was generous and straightforward in our previous dealings too. What's a hundred million Beli to him? Barely a drop in the bucket."
"Hehe, true..."
The freckle-faced colonel scratched his