Black Sail
Chapter 130: CXXX. Ruthless Work

Chapter 130: CXXX. Ruthless Work

The next morning at ten o’clock.

Claude and the Baroness must have had a restless night, for when he returned to the Black Sail Inn, Fen noticed his spirit was slightly off, albeit much fresher than usual.

His stubble was shaved clean, his face immaculately smooth, his hair slick and shiny, carrying the air of a former high-level knight.

After all, he was a master tasked with escorting the Aran Envoy on a significant mission.

It just so happened that things changed on the way, and he ended up aground in Heaven Port.

"I’ve called you here this time to discuss the trip to Aran. You are more familiar with the place and know the way."

Fen pulled out a map, needing to finalize everything before setting out.

"This isn’t just a big job this time, it’s a brutal one, damn it."

Rein smoked a cigarette, and this venture was undoubtedly extraordinary and would shake the world; if successful, the Black Sail would be plastered across all major newspapers.

Of course, Liszt was no fool; the first batch to taste the water couldn’t be touched, for they were untouchable.

There were countless numbers of Aran official armed organizations, including the Constitutional Guard, the Imperial Knight Order, the Tax Army, the Forbidden Army, and so on; who knew what the Emperor was thinking.

Perhaps the Emperor wanted to implement a purge within the royalty, a reshuffle of power, but just like stocks, the more they fall, the more people sell, the more they sell, the more they fall, creating a vicious cycle.

I want to purge.

Then you support a batch of your own military forces.

Having supported them, some gained high positions and formed their factions.

Then you execute a purge.

It’s not just a person’s issue; it’s the problem with the current system in Aran and the external environment.

It’s not that people disapprove of the Emperor; it’s that everyone approves of him, but the power he holds is so immense it’s unwieldable. Even a mere fraction of fragment of his power could help support an empire wanting to stand independently.

The Emperor isn’t against executing people. The rules at the Aran Court are severely strict, fraught with traps and dangers, and it’s easy for someone to accidentally lose their official position, all orchestrated by the Emperor.

But the executions were never enough; how many have been sent, one by one, into the Northern Prison? Changed? It’s a matter of switching the soup but not the medicine.

If he truly targeted the first batch of royal relatives, the Emperor, once furious, could simply order any department head to smoothly wipe out Heaven Port.

So, go ahead and tackle the third or fourth wave.

Still, some face must be given. If the Emperor sees that these pirate scum can’t be dealt with, what trash he deals with. Maybe he’d purge again, for the nation’s integrity, preventing embarrassment. Who knows, it might even lead to him blocking the news.

Wouldn’t that be delightfully cunning, a total free ride.

Claude and Fen discussed for a while.

"This railway runs from the Imperial City to Chenxi Port, right? I’m familiar with the surroundings in Aran, but how to get there from the outside, I’m not too sure."

Claude spoke truthfully; this brutal job was no time for pretense.

He had no family or friends in Aran anymore; all his past friends cut him off swiftly when he fell on hard times. Now settled in Heaven Port, if Liszt’s plan succeeded and it became entirely influenced by the Black Sail, spending the rest of his life here would be fine.

"I just hope I can make a name for myself, carry on the lineage. Being a pirate myself, perhaps my child could strive harder, enter a high-level institution for further studies, and eventually gain high status and titles. Then, I’d be able to report success in front of my ancestors’ graves."

Turbid River Dragon Hened was arranged by Liszt to eat and drink for free at the inn. It wasn’t the right time for him to emerge. He had to wait for the second stage, play his part so that Liszt could be on par with Taylor, not completely relying on Taylor for sales. Would Taylor remain the ’Boss’? He must supplant Old Deng.

At that moment, he was upstairs chatting with a Dark Elf signboard girl, overhearing the conversation below.

"Getting to Aran isn’t difficult. You young folks don’t understand the importance of connections. The fastest and safest way is to head to the South Sea Domain first, then enter Monges Southern Wetlands. The situation there is chaotic now, with a puppet government, which makes passage unobstructed. I have acquaintances on the shore there who can keep an eye on your ship. It won’t take more than twenty days. Once you leave the wetlands and pass through two tiny countries, you can enter deep into Aran’s hinterland."

Hened took a sip of his drink, boasted with his nose in the air. He reminisced about his smuggling days, when both underworld and legitimate faces showed him respect. He went straight to the black market, not with a sixty-forty split, but a complete monopoly. The pirates here were too pathetic, having to hand over forty percent of their head tax. They were being bled dry. Without the Boss of Heaven Port falling, there was no justification. In the underworld, loyalty was paramount for everyone to make a living and support each other against corrupt officials. Sadly, the young generation was more venomous than ever, disregarding those principles—a complete mess, utterly futile.

Wolman wasn’t in the inn. There was also someone in Heaven Port for him, a great figure, eight feet tall no less.

Fen glanced at a map.

So, as it turned out, the elders did have experience. He nearly forgot Wolman’s homeland, even though the Southern Wetlands had been incorporated into Aran as an autonomous region—it was indeed the most appropriate entry point.

"But transportation there is inconvenient."

Fen thought about this issue.

"In recent years, extensive conscription has been used to build many thoroughfares. They’re everywhere, accessible."

Claude, who had left Aran just three months ago, had more timely news than these pirates who lived on the fringe with limited information exposure.

"Really? Call down the Captain. If he has no objections, then it’s settled. Since Hened, the elder, has acquaintances there, we’ll rely on you too."

Fen closed the map, having planned the route completely. Though it was Wolman’s homeland, he couldn’t bring him along as it might stir up old emotions, potentially setting up shop and starting a revolution again.

As they grew stronger, they’d directly help him reclaim his homeland. Previously he might not have dared to dream about it, even with Stone Tablet Fragments, but with Fafna, it was now possible.

Moreover, the Southern Wetlands was an ideal stronghold, much like Beima Duchy with its enormous walls. If they controlled the critical passages, they were hard to penetrate, what with the fierce rainfall and complex terrain—it was hardly a place for people.

Liszt was called down. He looked around but didn’t see Fafna; however, with that mad woman around, there wouldn’t be any problem.

"Great, that’s settled then. Also, pull Mika back from the brothel. Since we’re going through forests, he needs to have all the preventative medicine for malaria ready. Otherwise, we might all die in the wetlands before even reaching Aran."

Liszt immediately sent a lackey to fetch Mika.

"Isn’t this another piece of good news?"

Morison, having never been to the wetlands, thought it was time to review the plans.

"You’re right, but the Black Sail Pirates will soon launch new content. You’ll be playing..."

Rein hadn’t finished speaking.

Everyone had scattered already, no one wanted to listen to his rants.

"Ah, this..."

Unable to suppress his overwhelming desire to express himself, Rein continued to perform to the Dark Elf signboard girl, while the bartender simply put on earplugs, uninterested in listening to his madness.

It was about to start a life-threatening venture again.

Liszt remembered he had left his gear at Dreya’s—his leather and leg armor. Thinking of seeing Sharon excited him tremendously.