Chapter 31

It was clear the pirates hadn't cared for residential comfort any more than they cared for a warehouse to store treasure.

This was because the prisoners were locked up in a stinking pit that didn't even have iron bars.

The sailors lowered a rope into the pit and pulled people up.

Most seemed to have been sold off as slaves, as there weren't many people left in the prison.

Among them was a young man who, despite his shabby state, had the air of someone well-bred.

Captain Leandro shared a reunion with him.

“Mr. Randolfo Signori? It is you. Goodness. I'm so glad you're alive.”

“Aren’t you Captain Leandro? Has a rescue party come? You knew I was kidnapped? But how?”

“No, we were just passing by. We just found out you were here, Mr. Randolfo.”

“I see. Truly, God has watched over me.”

Randolfo bit his lip hard.

His expression seemed to hold a hint of sorrow.

It looked like he had suffered quite a bit at the hands of the pirates.

And why wouldn't he have?

The pirates must have tormented him quite a bit here.

But that was that, and this was this.

I nudged Captain Leandro’s side, signaling him to make an introduction.

Captain Leandro was startled but soon realized what he had to do.

“Ah! This is Mr. Leon Gryph, who suggested the attack. If it weren't for him, we all would have died.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Leon Gryph. It is a pity we have to meet while I am in such a state.”

“Not at all. I am relieved to see you safe and sound like this.”

I shook hands with my future investor and grinned.

Found you, my money source.

***

Once rescued, Randolfo quickly recovered his innate arrogance and cheerfulness.

And after taking a bath at the well in the residential area, he even regained his original neat appearance.

“I heard you were of great help in rescuing me. I wanted to express my gratitude.”

Randolfo, having heard the circumstances from Captain Leandro, showed me his favor.

Randolfo broke the ice first.

“You are a merchant from the Imperial Capital?”

“Just a humble merchant.”

“I heard you have a tremendous escort with you? I was told he took down three men at once with a single swing of his axe.”

Naturally, all eyes turned to Theo.

Theo raised his nose high in the air.

“You heard that, Young Master?”

“Someone who travels with such an escort could not be an ordinary merchant.”

Now I saw that praising Theo was a build-up to flatter me.

He was quite a clever fellow.

“It is true that Theo is a great warrior. It was my good fortune that he joined me.”

“Haha, Mr. Gryph, you are as modest as you are resourceful.”

Randolfo smiled and got to the main point.

“By any chance, would it be possible for me to hire warriors with such skills? Or you could introduce me to someone. I will provide ample compensation.”

At that question, Theo and I looked at each other.

Did this guy just say he wanted to hire the Emperor's Royal Guard?

After spacing out for a moment, I quickly came to my senses.

It seemed the battle had exhausted me more than I thought.

It couldn't be such a one-dimensional question.

There was no way Randolfo would have recognized the Emperor's Royal Guard, nor could that have been his intention.

I decided to test the waters.

“I heard that the Signori Family holds great power in Fasa. Then you must have many skilled people under your command?”

“After what I've been through this time, I feel that's not enough. I need more professional people.”

Randolfo’s expression darkened.

It seemed his experience of being kidnapped by pirates had made him disappointed with the people hired by his company.

Then the people who were escorting Randolfo…….

Needless to say, they must all be dead.

“For the past several decades, the pirates of the Golden Sea have relentlessly tormented our merchants and sailors. My family has also suffered considerable damage, but we had no other choice. Now that I have gone through this myself, I can no longer tolerate it.”

“By that, you mean?”

“Revenge. I want revenge on the pirates. I will do so even if I have to spend my entire fortune, no, my entire life.”

Sparks flew from Randolfo’s eyes as he made his vow.

I hid the smile that was about to creep onto my face.

I had been wondering how I could secure an investment, so this was a fortunate turn of events.

Randolfo was a suitable investor for the mercenary business I was planning to start.

“Mr. Randolfo, do you know why I am going to Apennia?”

“A reason? No. I don't. Are you traveling? Or?”

“For business. That land has enormous potential to earn gold.”

“It seems you have discovered a potential in Apennia that even I am unaware of.”

As soon as I brought up money, the look in Randolfo’s eyes changed.

Just like a merchant, his eyes were now chasing after gold.

“If you don't mind, could I hear what kind of perspective you have, Mr. Gryph?”

“It’s not difficult. It's the mercenary business.”

“Mercenaries?”

Emotions like bewilderment, surprise, and unfamiliarity flickered across Randolfo's eyes.

“Can that really become a business?”

“The Signori Family doesn't hire mercenaries, do you?”

“We have no reason to hire them at all. That's something governments or monarchs who need war do. We have sold things to mercenaries many times, though.”

This is how people perceive them.

From a merchant's perspective, mercenaries are a subject of trade, not employment.

In the first place, the merchants here are no different from outlaws themselves, so they have no need to hire mercenaries.

That's why commerce is usually a family business or composed of relatives' connections.

Even the Signori Family, for instance, is what you'd call a family-run company in modern terms.

“But having military power is useful in many ways. Take pirate suppression, for example, isn't it? If you had a sufficient army, Mr. Randolfo wouldn't have been kidnapped. It would have been possible to suppress them long ago.”

“It's very tempting, but I don't know if a single family can manage that. Isn't the reason no one has done it until now because it's difficult?”

“Is there a need to do it alone? You can just gather investors.”

“But how? Do you have a good method?”

“Look at those treasures. If you mention those treasures, investors will naturally flock to you.”

“Ah!”

I pointed to the long procession carrying the pirates' treasure.

The pirates had been so atrocious that the procession stretched all the way to the coast.

The silver coins, packed full in large chests, reflected the torchlight and shimmered in dozens of colors.

“How about it? Does it look like it will succeed?”

“It seems to have plenty of potential. It really seems like it will be a good business.”

Indeed, treasure had a magic that captivated people.

Randolfo took my proposal seriously and was convinced of its business value.

A desire for both revenge and profit was visible on his face.

“Mr. Gryph, you haven't received any investments yet, have you?”

“That's right. Mr. Randolfo is the first. I was planning to hold an investment briefing in Fasa.”

“Excellent! In that case, I would also like to get a piece of that business.”

“Well. Nothing has been confirmed yet. And I might even leave Fasa.”

I intentionally took a step back to make Randolfo anxious.

At that, Randolfo's eyes widened.

Judging by his attitude, he was already hooked.

“If you're worried because I'm the youngest in the family, I also have the authority to manage the family's funds. You don't have to worry that I'll just talk and then back out.”

“As for the investment, it's not too late to talk after we get off this island. We don't know when the pirates might return, do we?”

“Ah, I got too excited and was rude. I understand. Let's talk about the details when we get to Fasa. I will invite you to our residence.”

Reminding him that we were still on a pirate island made Randolfo come to his senses.

But the way Randolfo looked at me had changed.

He seemed to regard me as someone incredibly amazing.

I wonder what he thinks of me.

A big-shot businessman from the Empire?

An exiled noble?

A warmonger?

Whatever it was, it seemed things would work out well thanks to it.

Just then, the boatswain called for me.

“Mr. Gryph, could you come here for a moment? There's a bit of a problem, and the captain said only you could solve it.”

Randolfo, whose conversation was interrupted, glared, but the boatswain didn't back down, though he seemed hesitant.

There must have been a serious problem.

“What is the problem?”

“The captured Kobold bastards are resisting. But they won't listen to a word.”

“……I'll go see.”

***

A strike.

It's a word that refers to a labor dispute.

It's also a word that doesn't fit at all with captured Kobold pirates.

But right now, that very thing was happening before my eyes.

Absurdly, the Kobold pirate captain and Captain Leandro were arguing.

“You don't want to row? What kind of bullshit is that?”

“Krrk, human captain! Keep your promise now!”

“What promise? You bastards who aren't even worthy of being thrown into the sea right now!”

“Krrk, didn't you say you'd let us go if we told you the location of the base?”

Listening to their conversation, I could see what had happened.

It was a difference in perception.

Right now, Captain Leandro had acquired so much pirate treasure that he had to divide it among the pirate ships as well.

But since a merchant ship wouldn't have that many rowers, he had no choice but to use the Kobold prisoners.

The Kobold prisoners, who thought he would be satisfied with looting the base and letting them go, naturally rebelled against such treatment.

However, since they were tied up with ropes and couldn't revolt, they refused to row instead.

Now, it was time for me, an expert in persuasion and counseling, to step in.

I stepped forward to mediate.

“Now, everyone, just a moment. Captain Leandro, please leave this to me. I will resolve it.”

“No, this will all be over if we just throw those bastards into the sea. There's nothing to even think about!”

“Let's just grant a temporary reprieve until we transport the treasure to Fasa. First, we need to get home safely, don't we.”

“Hmm.”

As I dissuaded him, Captain Leandro reluctantly stepped back.

The Kobold pirate captain, seeming to think that someone he could finally talk to had arrived, also relaxed his expression.

“Krrk, hey, human kid. Keep your promise. Release us now.”

“Right, I said I'd release you. But I didn't promise where I'd release you, did I.”

“You swindler!”

The Kobold pirate captain wanted to strangle me, but his attempt failed because he was tied up.

Thud!

I met the eyes of the Kobold pirate captain who had grandly rolled on the floor.

“Now, calm down a bit and think rationally.”

“Krrrk, after I strangle you first!”

“But think about it. If I release you in your own den? Do you think you'll be safe?”

“Krr, what?”

“If Tospol finds out you betrayed him, wouldn't he tear you apart alive? You don't want that, do you?”

“I don't want that. But…….”

“Then follow quietly. I'll let you live.”

“Krrk.”

Mentioning Tospol to the Kobold pirates worked well.

They were still afraid of Tospol, as just hearing his name made their eyes tremble immediately.

In the end, the Kobold pirate captain accepted his situation and let out a long sigh.

“Krrk, alright. I'll do that.”

Of course, if he thought I would release him when we got to Fasa, he was mistaken.

Unfortunately, the world isn't that easy.

On the way back, Theo seemed to have the same thought.

“Are you really going to release those guys?”

“You think I would?”

“As I thought. I knew you wouldn't.”

“What do you mean?”

“When the Young Master has a wicked thought, the corners of his mouth go up like this.”

Theo imitated the ‘wicked me’ he had observed.

The corners of his mouth were turned up in a sneer.

“Did they? I had no idea.”

“Shall I try to guess what the Young Master is thinking? You're definitely thinking about how to work those guys to the bone, aren't you?”

“Are you a ghost? Reading my mind?”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, you're right.”

When I readily admitted it, Theo sighed.

“Aigoo, Young Master, if you get stabbed on the street at night later, don't blame anyone. It will definitely be the result of holding a grudge against someone.”

“What are you talking about.”

“Do you think those guys will stay quiet when they find out they've been tricked?”

“No need to worry. They're all guys who will be hanged on the gallows when we go to Fasa. I'm extending their lives for free, so they should be grateful to me instead.”

Just from Captain Leandro's intense reaction, I could guess how much the people of Fasa wanted to kill the pirates.

But that's not what I want.

In , the combat power of Kobolds is quite useful.

They are fast and agile, making them useful for reconnaissance and good for surprise attacks.

If nothing else, they can be used as rowers.

I'll have to think about it a bit.

There might be a good way to make use of these guys.

***

After finishing negotiations with the Kobold pirates, I came up on deck and witnessed a bewildering sight.

“Captain Leandro, can we really sail like this? Aren't we going to be shipwrecked if we run into a storm on the way?”

Thanks to the treasure plundered from the island, the merchant ship was at full capacity.

Even after dividing the treasure onto the captured pirate ship, the merchant ship's deck was perilously close to the sea.

But just as the waterline had risen, so had Captain Leandro's mood.

“Don't worry, Mr. Gryph. I'll bet my 30 years of sailing experience on it. We can sail without any problems. This isn't the first or second time I've carried this much.”

Isn't he a little too proud of being overloaded?

As I looked unconvinced, Randolfo laughed and took Captain Leandro's side.

“Don't worry. When it comes to sailing, Captain Leandro is one of the best in Fasa.”

“That's right. Besides, there is no more certain way to punish those Kresven pirate bastards than this. They'll be incredibly pissed off now that their base has been suddenly raided and their treasure plundered. Hahaha.”

Captain Leandro began to let his imagination run wild.

“Since we raided the Kresven pirate's den and even rescued the kidnapped hostages, the city government will also recognize our merit. And with this much captured cargo. Perhaps this will be an opportunity to become an independent shipowner.”

“Really?”

“Mr. Gryph, you probably don't know how difficult it is for a common sailor to become a shipowner. Meeting you, Mr. Gryph, must truly be the luck of a lifetime. If there is anything you need, please call on me anytime. I will drop everything and come running.”

“If you say so, I would be grateful.”

Just as I was suddenly dropped into the world of , you never know what the future holds, so there was no need to refuse his favor.

Besides, considering future negotiations with the shipowners' union in Fasa, it was advantageous to build a friendship with Captain Leandro.

“Since you put it that way, I have no choice. I understand.”

Just then, the boatswain reported.

“Captain, all the treasure has been loaded onto the ship.”

“Good, then let's set the island on fire.”

It was time for the finale.

The excited sailors set fire to the pirate den.

The flames spread in all directions in an instant and blazed up.

It looked as if the entire beach was on fire.

Leaving the burning pirate den behind, the hastily formed fleet left the pirate island and began to sail towards Fasa.

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