Chapter 328, What's That? Give Me One.
By the next morning,
the convoy, towing damaged pirate ships, approached the port.
As each scarred ship neared the harbor, it caused quite a stir.
"What's going on? Why are pirate-flagged ships docking?"
"That's the flag of the Poison Blade and Red Crown Pirates. I saw it on the wanted posters."
"They're near the Guild's port, so it looks like the Guild wiped them out."
"The Poison Blade Pirates have been notorious for over a decade. How could they go down so easily?"
"Seems the Guild is cracking down hard; pirates have been too active on the trade routes lately."
"True…"
People whispered among themselves.
Meanwhile, some information agents quickly left the crowd to report back.
Soon, news of the Guild taking down two pirate crews spread swiftly from the port to the rest of the island.
Taverns and brothels buzzed with talk about the event.
Many speculated that Steward Imiro himself had led the mission to make an example by wiping out the pirates.
...…
In the ship's hold, Wu Heng ordered the skeletons to stand by.
He then walked back onto the deck, disembarking with Sheila Grey and the rest of the squad members.
After speaking briefly to the port manager, they took a carriage back to the Guild.
Upon arriving at the Guild,
the squad members headed to the rest area, while Wu Heng and Sheila Grey went to the steward's study.
They knocked briefly before entering.
Inside, only the assistant, Moya, was present.
When she saw Wu Heng and Sheila Grey enter, Moya's eyes widened slightly.
Yesterday, Wu Heng had said he'd received information about Sheila Grey being in danger; today, he brought her back?
That was almost unbelievably fast!
Or maybe Sheila Grey hadn't been in any real danger and just happened to run into Wu Heng on the way back.
"Deputy steward Sheila Grey, are you alright?" Moya asked.
Sheila Grey brushed back her hair and replied, "I'm fine. There were some injuries among the sailors, and the ship took damage. Where's the steward?"
Moya answered, "I've relayed the message to him, but he hasn't returned yet."
Hearing this, she grew even more curious about how Wu Heng had located her and brought her back so quickly.
Even if he'd known her hiding spot, it couldn't have been that fast, right?
"Do you know when he'll return?" Sheila Grey continued.
"Tonight or tomorrow, I'd expect," Moya replied.
"Alright, we'll come back tomorrow," Sheila Grey said.
"Yes, he'll be relieved to know you returned safely."
Wu Heng and Sheila Grey nodded, then left the study.
...…
Exiting the study,
the two continued down the stone steps, heading to the mortuary.
The retrieved bodies still needed identification.
Everything had to follow the Guild's procedures.
In the cold, damp mortuary,
the coroner was inspecting a body on an iron table.
When he saw the two stewards enter, he immediately saluted, "Deputy steward, sir."
Wu Heng placed the shrouded bodies on a table and said, "Two bodies, both wanted criminals. Confirm their identities, then sew them up."
Both bodies were in pretty rough shape.
The Red Crown captain had a gaping hole in his chest, while the Poison Blade captain was in worse condition, his legs retrieved from the mast.
He'd been stripped bare, with his neck slit halfway through, his head barely hanging on.
The coroner placed the bodies on iron tables, took a quick look, and nodded, "Understood. I'll inform the front desk when I have the results."
"Thank you for your efforts."
The two turned to leave.
They parted ways in the hallway, heading to their respective offices.
...…
Returning to his office,
Andviel smiled and helped him hang his coat.
She spoke softly, "Did you go on a mission yesterday, Master?"
"Yes, I went to rescue an Guild ship," Wu Heng said, washing his face in the nearby basin.
Andviel took a towel and gently dried his face.
Wu Heng sat down, saying, "Andviel, help me draft a report; the steward might need it later."
Andviel took out paper and pen, saying, "Alright, please go ahead."
Wu Heng recounted yesterday's events, from receiving the intel to rescuing Sheila Grey.
He made only one adjustment, omitting that he'd killed all the pirates.
Instead, he claimed that when he arrived, Sheila Grey was already fighting the pirates, and he used skeletons and various devices to defeat them.
This was also something he and Sheila Grey had agreed on.
Otherwise, since Sheila Grey and her squad had hidden in the hold until the battle was over,
it would be hard to award them any credit.
Andviel noted down the key points and began drafting the report.
Wu Heng added, "Mention the damages to our ship; maybe we can get some repair funds from the Guild."
"Ah? Alright!" Andviel nodded.
...…
Meanwhile,
Sheila Grey looked at her fallen door and broken frame.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
This was the "minor damage" Wu Heng mentioned?
The door was completely unusable!
She dismissed the guards from the doorway, stepping over the fallen door to enter.
Looking around, she noticed a partially opened drawer under the desk.
It seemed Wu Heng had retrieved her headband from here.
She couldn't really blame him, given that he'd been rushing to save her in what had indeed been a dangerous situation.
Casually pulling it open, she saw the white bustier lying on top.
Her face flushed red instantly.
She'd just changed and hadn't had time to wash it.
Did he see this?
"That guy…"
"Deputy steward Sheila Grey!" Just then, a staff member entered.
Sheila Grey quickly tucked the bustier into her spatial ring and looked up, "What's the matter?"
"Shall I get someone to fix the door?"
"Yes, please."
"Understood, Deputy steward!" The staff member left.
Sheila Grey took out paper and pen and began writing her account of the battle with the pirates.
...…
Near noon,
Wu Heng left the Guild.
He left the report entirely to Andviel, as it wasn't a literary test. As long as it conveyed the facts, it would be fine.
Besides, with the steward still not back, it wasn't even certain the report would be delivered tomorrow.
This world had very slow communication.
His radio gave him a clear advantage in sending messages quickly.
Walking back home,
Minnie saw him and dashed out of the house, jumping into his arms.
Wu Heng caught her, feeling her cling to him like an octopus.
"Using this trick again?" Wu Heng held her soft hips, walking back inside.
Minnie cooed softly, "Just missed you a bit!"
"Can't miss me every day, though."
"Oh, come on!" Minnie cuddled up against his neck, pouting playfully.
Wu Heng carried her into the living room.
"Alright, go ask Chef One to prepare lunch."
Minnie hopped down, "Okay, Master, anything specific you'd like?"
"Anything is fine."
"Got it."
She ran to the kitchen.
Wu Heng went up to the third floor and entered the room with the radio.
He glanced at the skeleton investigator's notebook, then picked up the microphone, "Philipa, how's it going over there?"
Philipa's voice soon came through, "It's alright, though you killed a few of my crew; now I need to recruit more."
Things had been chaotic back then.
And besides Philipa, Wu Heng couldn't tell who her crew was, so the skeletons fired indiscriminately.
Killing only a few was fortunate.
"As long as you're not hurt. You can always recruit more crew," Wu Heng replied.
"Hmph, those were my best men, my allies in conquering the seas," Philipa said, then added, "What was that weapon you used to destroy the ships? It looked pretty powerful."
She was probably referring to the machine gun, which had enough firepower to sink a ship in seconds.
"It's a device."
"How about mounting a few on my ship? Then I could gather even more intel for you," Philipa suggested.
Wu Heng immediately understood her angle and replied, "No, and don't draw too much attention. Keep it low-key and focus on gathering intelligence."
Ammunition was a serious issue for the machine gun.
He only had the gun now, no more rounds.
Besides, even if he did, mounting it on her ship wasn't a clear-cut decision.
To pirates, this weapon was as valuable as a divine artifact. Philipa, an 8th-level ranger, wouldn't last long holding onto such a treasure.
There was no way.
"Stingy!" Philipa muttered, then added, "I found a blank envelope on that Poison Blade captain's body. The letter inside was blank too. Could it be the one you wanted me to watch for?"