Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 724: Countermeasures
TL: Rui88
The residents of Lion’s Port spent the night in fear and trepidation.
They had been sleeping soundly when they were suddenly awakened by the roar of cannons. A towering fire lit up the sky in the direction of the port, a terrifying sight.
Faced with such a situation, no one could think of sleeping. Women hid at home, trembling and praying, while men went outside to ask neighbors for information.
It wasn’t until the Town Hall sent people onto the streets with loudspeakers, announcing that a small band of pirates had infiltrated to cause destruction but had been surrounded by the army in the port district, that things settled down. Residents were strictly ordered to return home and forbidden from spreading rumors.
At the same time, a large number of police officers began to block off major intersections, prohibiting passage and public gatherings.
The flames in the direction of the port caused great distress to many business owners who had goods stored in the various warehouses there. They feared their own property was burning and cursed the damn pirates to hell.
This situation continued until dawn. The morning sun dispelled the darkness, and the Town Hall issued another notice lifting the city curfew. Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the situation had finally subsided.
The previously silent streets were suddenly filled with people, eager for more news. Most of the people living in Lion’s Port were involved in maritime trade, so the sudden appearance of such a brazen band of pirates made it impossible for them to remain calm.
“This is the first time the city has been invaded. It seems the impact on public morale is significant!”
Liszt stood by the window of the meeting room, looking out with a worried expression.
In front of the Town Hall was the city’s central square, which was now crowded with people trying to get information. The guards at the door could only do their best to appease them, stating that the identity of the pirates was still unknown and they could disclose nothing else.
In fact, they really didn’t know. Even the senior officials of Lion’s Port had only just received a few clues. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Liszt turned around and fixed his stern gaze on the merchant Martin, who was bound and kneeling on the floor.
“Duke Jars is one of the most honored lords in the kingdom. If he finds out you’ve framed him, the Duke will have you flayed alive.”
Martin was already frightened out of his wits, trembling as he said, “I swear on my life, I would never dare to deceive you, Lord Liszt. It was Grand Duke Jars who coerced me into helping him invade Lion’s Port. My entire family is under Jars’s control, so I had no choice but to submit to the Grand Duke’s command. Otherwise, as a mere merchant, how would I have the guts to touch Marquis Grayman’s… ah, I mean, how would I dare to touch a tiger’s backside.”
Liszt’s brow furrowed even deeper. He looked at the naval commander, Quik, who was also present.
Quik shook his head. “The warriors who served as the main force of the invasion were very strange. They could endure serious injuries and fight to the very last moment. We didn’t manage to capture a single one alive. As for the ordinary crewmen, they knew nothing, only that they were ordered to cooperate with those warriors in battle.”
Liszt was in a difficult position. So far, it was only Martin’s word.
Although Jars was widely known throughout Ordo as a rebellious vassal, he now nominally acknowledged the rule of the royal family, maintaining a fragile peace. Was someone intentionally trying to provoke conflict among the lords of Ordo?
Just then, an attendant quietly approached and whispered something in Liszt’s ear.
“Gentlemen, please excuse me for a moment. You may continue the interrogation.”
After saying this, Liszt hurriedly left the meeting and went to his office as quickly as possible. Seviya was already waiting for him there.
“My heavens! Where have you been all night!”
Liszt was almost moved to tears of joy. The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled down. He stepped forward and pulled the witch into a tight embrace.
Last night, Seviya had volunteered to go to the port district and hadn’t returned. Liszt had thought something had happened to her and was heartbroken, but as the city’s chief administrator, he had not shown it in front of others.
Seviya quietly enjoyed the sweet moment for a while before pulling away from Liszt’s embrace.
“Sorry to have worried you. I was tracking a spellcaster last night, but unfortunately, he escaped!”
Liszt was shocked. “A spellcaster? Could it be…”
Seviya confirmed, “That’s right. There was a spellcaster among the invaders! And his master is Jars!”
Jars? Liszt instantly recalled the information they had gotten from interrogating Martin.
“How do you know?”
“I know that guy, Dirk Doyle!” Seviya said through gritted teeth. “A man with no integrity, no principles, who would sell his soul to the devil for his own gain.”
“He used to pass messages in our circles, recruiting spellcasters for his master, and the one he pledged allegiance to was Jars.”
“Then it all adds up! It all adds up! It really was Jars! We interrogated a prisoner, and he also said he was under orders from Jars!”
Liszt was somewhat excited, yet also a little terrified. Why would the Northwest Bay incur the enmity of such a powerful southern lord?
“Ah, he was in such a panic when he fled that he dropped this!”
Seviya handed him something. Liszt took it and looked, exclaiming, “The crest of Collins?”
The witch opposite him frowned. “That unprincipled scoundrel has sided with Collins now! Heavens, Collins is the most capable lackey of the Horn Bay Church. They’ve hunted down countless of our kind. I’ve underestimated Dirk Doyle’s depravity.”
The witch’s words were filled with utter disgust.
Liszt mused, “Is it possible that Jars and the Horn Bay Church have colluded? This crest could be a tool for identifying friend from foe. After all, the appearance of those warriors was indeed that of residents from the southern territories of Ordo.”
“I must report this to Lakeheart Town immediately.”
…
“I’ve never liked to cause trouble. Why did something like this have to happen?”
Paul stared blankly at the letter on his desk, his expression deeply troubled.
It was an urgent report, informing him of what had just happened in Horn Bay.
Although the invasion had been thwarted, he felt as if he had been slapped for no reason. Paul considered himself to have no past grudges or recent grievances with Jars and found it truly difficult to understand the other’s motives.
Hansel was also present. Hearing Paul’s lament, he couldn’t help but smile faintly. “My Lord Marquis, some people’s thinking is just like that—to them, there are only two kinds of people in the world: their friends or their enemies. Since you refused Jars’s recruitment, in his eyes, you have automatically placed yourself in the enemy camp.”
Paul nodded, quickly shifting his thoughts back to the practical matter at hand, and asked those present:
“Lion’s Port is isolated overseas. It won’t be good if these people keep causing trouble time and again. But we are too far from Jars’s territory. It seems our only option is to dispatch the navy to blockade his ports. Are there any other countermeasures?”
Hansel immediately proposed, as if he had already thought it through, “We are far from Jars, but the Crownlands are very close to him. Perhaps the warm southern climate has made the Grand Duke too comfortable. He needs a little excitement.”
