Chapter 339:

Chapter 339:

TL: Etude

As dawn barely broke, the tranquility of the early morning was shattered by the urgent sound of horse hooves. A rider, in a state of anxiety, lashed the horse beneath him, speeding through the streets of Lakeheart Town. Fortunately, most of the residents were still in their dreams, leaving the streets deserted. The rider quickly crossed the big bridge, arriving in the old district of Lakeheart Island.

With the expansion of the governed area and Paul’s daily enhancements to his bureaucratic team, based on memories from his previous life, Alda’s administrative system rapidly expanded. Numerous institutions established independent offices due to the natural security and confidentiality afforded by Lakeheart Island, surrounded by lake waters. Moreover, the castle where Lord Paul resided was also located here, so most department offices chose to be established on this small island. The island’s inhabitants were mainly various officials and their families. As for the original residents of Lakeheart Town, they had happily moved to new houses on the south bank with the ‘relocation funds’ provided by the Administration Council. The new houses were bigger, newer, and more comfortable. In this era of overwhelming lordly authority, nobody dared to be a holdout.

In fact, when the island residents learned that the Administration Council, in addition to building them new houses, was also giving them a sum of money (albeit not a large amount), everyone was visibly shocked and knelt, shouting long live the lord.

The rider continued to spur his horse, reaching the door of the Department of Intelligence. Suddenly, he remembered that the Department of Intelligence was not yet open at this hour, so he turned his horse and sped off again.

Soon, the rider arrived at the residence of the Intelligence Chief, Cecil, and vigorously knocked on the door. Cecil’s servant, grumbling, opened the door to receive the unexpected guest.

Twenty minutes later, a disheveled Cecil rushed out of his house, mounted the horse still tied at the door, and galloped towards the lord’s mansion.

“What’s the matter? Why such a hurry?” Paul yawned, his eyes still sleepy. He had been having a pleasant dream just moments ago when he was suddenly pulled out of bed by the butler, Philip. What a way to start a cold winter morning.

“My Lord, shocking news has arrived from Crystal Shine,” Cecil said, handing Paul a document. “You must immediately send someone to notify Port Fran and stop the merchant ships that are about to head south.”

“News from Crystal Shine? What does that have to do with the merchant ships?”

Paul took the document with a puzzled look, sensing something ominous from Cecil’s anxious expression.

Sure enough, as he opened the document, the words that met his eyes made his heart skip a beat — “Pirate attack on Port West, the kingdom’s naval forces stationed there annihilated.”

After a few seconds of stunned silence, he remembered Cecil’s earlier suggestion. He called a servant and ordered, “Quick, send a telegram to Theodore, the mayor of Port Fran, and Austin, the commander. Tell them to stop all ships heading south, warning them they might encounter pirates.”

“Major repairs? Why? Weren’t the Hope and the Southern just built the year before last?”

“Uh... In our haste to test the practicality of sail ships, the wood used for their construction wasn’t adequately seasoned, leading to rapid deterioration...”

“I see. So, our combat strength is temporarily reduced?”

“Not exactly. The two newly commissioned frigates are larger and more heavily armed. They each have two rows of 12-pound cannons on their sides, capable of bombarding enemy warships from a distance. They’re just slower, but only in comparison to galleons.”

Paul breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s reassuring.”

After lengthy discussions, everyone agreed that they couldn’t ignore the threat to the sea trade routes, as Alda’s economy heavily depended on exports. The first priority was to assess the strength of the pirates at Port West. Pirates capable of annihilating the kingdom’s naval forces were certainly no ordinary bandits.

Additionally, coordinating with the kingdom’s military was crucial. If the pirates were too powerful, it wouldn’t be wise for Alda’s navy to challenge them alone, and the kingdom’s government wouldn’t ignore such a dangerous force along its coast.

The outcome of the meeting greatly pleased Hansel, who volunteered to travel to Crystal Shine to liaise with “His Majesty’s Government.”

Everyone understood his motive: by representing Alda in these negotiations, the leaders in Crystal Shine might regard him more highly, thinking he facilitated Alda’s naval support.

Seeing Hansel’s enthusiasm, Paul agreed to his request. However, Hansel insisted on traveling by land to the south, refusing to board a naval ship—partly due to his lack of experience with long sea voyages and partly due to fear of encountering pirates. To save time, he decided to depart the next day.

The navy’s specific actions would be discussed once the leaders from Port Fran arrived.

Privately, Paul also worried about “Betty,” silently praying that the ship she was on could be recalled in time.