"Some time ago, three ships of the Church of Storms were sunk in the waters near the Rorsted Archipelago," Alger said in a solemn tone, recounting the events that had taken place at sea during this period.
"I received the news rather late while at sea. It happened roughly ten days ago. The Church of Storms is furious internally, and the seas are about to be swept up in a storm."
When Alger said this, worry and fear flashed through his eyes. Only insiders of the Church of Storms knew just how angry the Church truly was this time.
Ten days ago, ships of the Church of Storms… Could they have been the reinforcements from the Church of Storms who were supposed to support Leonard and the others, only to stand them up in the end?
Klein's heart stirred slightly as he thought of Leonard's letter from a few days ago. In it, Leonard had written a rough account of their adventure at sea.
Because the reinforcements from the Church of Storms had failed to appear, they had been driven off the Black Emperor, the ship of the King of the Five Seas, and returned to Backlund.
Leonard had even mocked the incompetence of the Church of Storms because of it.
Now it seemed the Church of Storms really could not be blamed.
Audrey blinked and asked curiously, "Isn't the Church of Storms the ruler of the sea? Who has the ability to target them?"
"The newly risen uncrowned king of the sea. He is even more terrifying than the original Four Kings of Pirates, and he hates the Storm even more."
Alger's expression became somewhat strange. He had once traveled together with that uncrowned king.
It was only recently that he learned the mysterious young man who had appeared beside him back then was actually the now-famous uncrowned king of the sea.
Many pirates, after hearing of his glorious deeds, had grown increasingly extreme in their conduct, showing signs of wanting to establish an independent nation.
This was not some baseless rumor. Quite a few pirates were already singing of the uncrowned king's heroic exploits and fantasizing about creating a free kingdom belonging to pirates.
"Is there some unknown inside story behind this?" The one who asked was Fors, who was skilled at enjoying gossip and imagining stories.
Alger shook his head and said, "I don't know. The Church treats this matter as taboo. Any information related to the uncrowned king can only be read by archbishops and others of similar status."
Could that uncrowned king be the illegitimate son of the Pope of the Church of Storms, or perhaps of some high-ranking figure?
This was the first guess that rose in Fors' mind. In many novels, important figures always had messy private lives, which led to plotlines where illegitimate children returned seeking revenge.
Audrey sighed sincerely. "The sea truly is terrifying."
She could not help thinking of Mr. Hastur. He was stationed at the coastal defense line of Southville County. In the future, would he have to face a terrifying existence like the uncrowned king?
After thinking for a moment, she looked at Alger and raised her voice slightly. "Mr. Hanged Man, I would like to know the general movements of pirates in the future, mainly matters related to Southville County."
"This will be a long-term task. I will pay you according to the value of the intelligence you provide."
"I can pay 500 pounds in advance for this."
An advance payment of 500 pounds? Fors, who was beside her, widened her eyes slightly. Her yearly royalties might not even reach that amount.
Alger was also shaken for a moment, but he had gradually grown used to Miss Justice's habit of throwing money at people.
"I will help you keep an eye on matters in this area," Alger said. Then he added, "Recently, there is actually one matter that may be related to Southville County."
Audrey's attention immediately focused.
"There is a relatively famous pirate crew entrenched on Damir Island, known as the Dark Hand Pirate Crew. Their style is brutal and disgusting, and they often plunder coastal fishing villages and ports."
To help Miss Justice understand better, Alger roughly drew a small regional map. Damir Island was in the eastern waters of Southville County, at a moderate distance. Pirate crews often robbed passing merchant ships in that area throughout the year.
"I heard that because a powerful noble from Backlund recently arrived at Puning Harbor in Southville County and is vigorously training and reorganizing the navy, the nearby pirate crews are afraid that he might really train a qualified navy. That is why there are rumors that the Dark Hand Pirate Crew is about to attack a port in Southville County."
This news was circulating among pirates. Most pirates did not take it seriously, believing that no matter how much the navy of Southville County trained, they would still be a bunch of weaklings.
But Alger did not think so. In this turbulent era, anyone who attempted to change something was worth paying attention to.
He had not expected that this piece of news could be exchanged for such a generous payment.
So it was because of Count Hastur Campbell. Klein, who had been listening all along, also focused his attention at this moment and began pondering the matter.
He was currently in Puning Harbor. If pirates really were going to bring disaster to the coastal areas, he would definitely reveal the news in advance so that Count Hastur Campbell could make preparations.
Audrey asked in a grave tone, "Do you know the approximate time of the pirate crew's attack?"
"No more than half a month."
"Mr. Hanged Man, your information is very important to me. These 500 pounds are the reward you deserve."
Audrey approved the transaction. Exchanging 500 pounds for this piece of news seemed far too expensive, but to her, being able to learn in advance of the pirate crew's intention to attack the coastal areas of Southville County was truly worth it.
"Miss Justice, perhaps this information is very important to you, but to me, it is not worth a reward of 500 pounds. I only need half. I will pay for the other half of the reward with other information."
This was a long-term business arrangement, and Alger did not want to take too much advantage of Miss Justice, even though he knew that she might not care about 500 pounds at all.
Moreover, he still needed Miss Justice to help him inquire about some decisions made by the upper levels of the Loen Kingdom.
He could not afford such high consulting fees, so for now, it was better to leave a good impression on all the members of the Tarot Club.
As expected, Alger received admiring looks from Little Sun and Fors. Even that annoying vampire could not help revealing a hint of approval in his eyes.
Those gazes made Alger straighten his back slightly, his face wearing an expression that said this was only natural.
Audrey smiled brightly and said, "Mr. Hanged Man, a pleasure working with you."
…
Backlund, Earl Hall's residence.
As soon as this week's Tarot Club gathering ended, Audrey went to the study. Susie, who guessed that Audrey might be about to write a letter, also got up from the floor and followed her into the study.
"Audrey, did something happen?" Susie could tell that Audrey was a little anxious today. Just now, even her walking pace had been much faster than usual.
"Yes. I just learned an important piece of intelligence and need to tell Mr. Hastur in time."
As Audrey spoke, she arranged the paper and pen, sat down at the desk, and began writing.
"I don't know whether there will be enough time." Audrey was somewhat worried about the speed of delivering the letter. Generally, letters sent from Backlund to Southville County took around five days.
The time Mr. Hanged Man had mentioned was within half a month at the latest.
Seeing that Audrey was truly anxious this time, Susie quietly lay down by her feet and did not disturb her again.
…
Puning Harbor.
Klein, who had just come out of the washroom after relieving himself, was also thinking about the pirate crew's plan to attack the nearby coastal areas.
The main issue was that it would be difficult to explain the source of the information.
After all, he was a Nighthawk of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. He had nothing to do with pirates at all, so how could he possibly know that a pirate crew was about to attack?
After thinking for a while, his expression became strange. Did he really need to tell Count Hastur Campbell about the pirate crew's attack?
With that man's mysteriousness, plus the secrets hidden here in Puning Harbor, a single pirate crew probably would not even be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.
"But what if the pirate crew isn't coming to attack Puning Harbor?" Klein began worrying again. He still could not simply be a bystander.
"There's no need to tell Count Hastur Campbell directly. I only need to spread the news." Klein made up his mind, and his steps became much lighter.
On the other side, Hastur was training Puning Harbor's navy.
After nearly a month of training, most of the navy had clearly improved in physique, and their spirit and bearing had gradually gained a bit of the sharpness that belonged to warriors.
Now, all that was missing was the baptism of blood.
"Tonight, I'll lead them out to see some blood." Hastur gazed toward the eastern sea.
According to reliable information, pirates appeared year-round on Damir Island, east of Puning Harbor. Nearby merchant ships would rather take a longer route than pass through that area.
If pirates were already a scourge right at his doorstep, then there was no need to even mention other places.
He still preferred his doorstep to be a little cleaner.
At night, after ten o'clock. Hastur had the assembly horn sounded, then selected 1,000 naval soldiers. In total, they would command one large warship, three medium-sized warships, and ten small warships.
Originally, Puning Harbor's navy had around 1,800 people. After dismissals and new recruitment, Hastur had expanded the number to 2,000.
The night was deep, with only a gentle breeze.
"Meow." Ariella curled up in Sharron's arms, gazing at the sea shrouded in darkness.
It rarely separated from its master, but it also disliked taking ships.
Sharron gently stroked Ariella's jet-black fur. After looking at the distant sea for a while, she leaned close to Ariella's ear and whispered a few words.
Ariella's eyes immediately widened into round circles. It instantly broke free from her embrace and hurried off to move the dried fish it had hidden to a new hiding place.
A new round of treasure-hunting games could begin again.
The corners of Sharron's lips curved up slightly as she silently watched Ariella busily hide its dried fish.