Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

TL: Etude

As Schroeder escorted Shark and his gang back to the wharf, Paul Grayman was busy confirming the identity of the Lichman Adventure Team.

Several locals from Port Fran were called in, including the mayor’s granddaughter, Susan.

“So, this old man, who’s barely alive, is indeed the mayor of this place.”

“Yes, my lord,” the townspeople replied cautiously, hardly daring to make eye contact with the lord.

Their gaze shifted to Susan, weeping softly beside her grandfather. The poor girl had lost her parents at a young age and lived solely with her grandfather. If the old man didn’t survive this ordeal, what would become of her?

Paul turned to Susan: “Young lady, are those who claim to be adventurers really the ones you hired to rescue your grandfather?”

Susan glanced at the lord, then quickly lowered her gaze to her grandfather and said coldly, “Yes, Lord.”

Paul was puzzled by her reaction. Susan’s look of disdain and contempt, coupled with her tone, was unsettling, especially when directed at someone without apparent reason.

“You’re Susan, right? I sympathize with your grandfather’s plight. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

This time, Susan didn’t even raise her head, replying coldly again: “There’s nothing you need to do, my lord. Just fulfill your duties as a lord and don’t hide in your castle next time pirates come to bully us.”

Victor, recently promoted to the head of the internal guard squad, stood beside Paul. Hearing Susan’s sharp retort to his lord, he immediately drew his sword and shouted, “Insolence!”

The other townspeople were terrified, quickly kneeling and pleading, “Lord, please forgive Susan. She’s young and doesn’t understand, and she’s too grieved over her grandfather’s condition.”

Surprisingly, Victor’s shout provoked Susan’s anger. She turned around, her voice rising tearfully as she confronted Paul:

“My grandfather has been tortured to this state, and you only come now? Do you know how many people have lost their life savings, how many women have been violated, how many who dared to resist were killed in this period? Do you nobles even care?”

“Do you only know how to hide in your high castles, drinking and making merry, oblivious to the plight of your people? Would you have come if the pirates hadn’t decided to take over this place permanently?”

After venting, the girl broke down in tears.

The townspeople didn’t dare to plead further, lying prostrate on the ground, trembling, fearing the lord’s wrath might extend to them.

Victor looked to the Count, waiting for his command. If the Count wished, the girl’s fate was sealed. Insulting a noble was a grave offense, though he sympathized with her internally.

Paul gestured for Victor to sheathe his weapon. He walked over to Susan, extending his hand as if to comfort her, but then slowly withdrew it.

“I understand your feelings right now. A few months ago, my father was also killed by pirates, the very ones from Shark Gang in Port Fran,” he said, his voice heavy with grief.

Susan’s body stiffened, and she stopped crying.

The townspeople finally understood. They had wondered why their lord had suddenly become a young man. It turned out the old lord had been killed by pirates. The Shark Gang wasn’t foolish enough to broadcast their killing of a noble, so the residents of Port Fran were mostly unaware of it.

The lord continued, “As for why it took so long to deal with the pirates, it’s not something that can be explained in a few words. Previously, I didn’t have enough power and had to accumulate strength, waiting for the right moment. In any case, I’m sorry…”

A silence fell over the hall.

Both soldiers and civilians were stunned by the lord’s apology. It was unheard of for a noble to apologize to commoners!

Susan turned her head to look at Paul, her round eyes wide with surprise. She had braced herself for certain death after her outburst and was shocked by this unexpected turn of events. And to learn that his family too had suffered at the hands of the pirates…

The young boy, only a few years older than her, spoke with newfound determination: “But what you asked for, ‘not to hide in the castle anymore’, I swear I will make it happen.”

“Not just the pirates, nobody will bully my people,” Paul added silently in his mind.

…

The members of the Lichman Adventure Team, who had been temporarily detained in the basement, were released.

Dean with his blue hair and Kade with his blonde spiky hair both looked relieved and thanked Paul profusely.

Meru, rubbing her wrists sore and bruised from the ropes, grumbled internally: “The men are one thing, but to treat us ladies so roughly, these northerners are truly barbaric.”

It turned out that the Lichman Adventure Team was not from Ordo (羅爾曼) (It says Rolman; I’m assuming it’s just an error) Kingdom but from the independent territory of Messiah in the south. No wonder they didn’t look at Paul with the same awe as others did.

In some of the more commercially developed city-states and independent territories of the south, the gap between nobles and commoners was not as vast as in the northern countries, though this was only relatively speaking.

Paul had no intention of making things difficult for this group. Punishing citizens of another nation could lead to diplomatic troubles, and he didn’t want to create unnecessary enemies.

A soldier came in to report: “Count, Major Schroeder has captured Shark and brought him to the church’s entrance.”

“Oh? Bring the old knight in, and the prisoners as well.”

Soon, Schroeder and others brought in Shark and his group.

“Count, the pirate leader Shark and his accomplices have been captured. These pirates were trying to sneak away by sea after abandoning their comrades,” Schroeder said with disdain, briefly describing the battle.

Shark and his underlings were bound tightly, and Shark, injured in the leg, lay on the ground groaning.

“That’s him, my lord, that’s the pirate leader Shark! Please, lord, kill him and do us justice!” the townspeople in the hall pointed him out.

Shark suddenly perked up, shouting, “Lord Grayman, I know the location of Edward’s secret treasure. If you spare my life, I will tell you where it is! It was wrong of me to be involved in your father’s death. Spare me, and I’ll be your loyal dog, biting whoever you command!”

Paul thought scornfully: A last desperate grasp at straws. Even if he was the “killer of my father,” sparing him for the sake of money would tarnish my reputation in this world.

The supposed treasure was likely a fabrication. How could Edward’s wealth be known to a small-time gang like Shark’s? And if Shark did know, why didn’t he retrieve it himself instead of fighting to the death against the Grayman’s troops?

Paul commanded: “Lock these scoundrels up in the basement. I will hold a public trial tomorrow.”

He didn’t believe a word of the pirate leader’s claims.