Translator: CinderTL
"Mr. Roland!"
Before the courtyard gate had even opened, a youthful voice rang out clearly, reaching the ears of everyone present.
The words had barely left his lips when Hoby's figure appeared in the courtyard.
He first bowed slightly, offering a respectful greeting to the assembled group, before hurrying over to Roland, his face beaming with excitement.
"All the supplies are ready!"
Though he had accompanied his elder brother on numerous overseas trading voyages, this was the young halfling's first time embarking on a maritime campaign specifically to hunt down pirates.
"The crew has also provided detailed intelligence..."
As he spoke, Hoby concisely recited the crew's information.
"It seems to align closely with the information you and Theresa provided earlier," Roland remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"But... the pirates aren't holed up in Howling Gorge after all? They've resurfaced on the open sea?"
To Roland, this was welcome news.
While he had thoroughly studied the terrain and intelligence of Howling Gorge, combat in such confined waters would inevitably carry greater risks of unforeseen complications.
Encountering the pirates on the open sea, by contrast, aligned more closely with his expectations.
With this in mind, Roland clapped his hands sharply.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
The crisp applause immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Alright, now that everything's ready..."
Roland paused.
"Theresa, Galvis, grab your belongings and follow Hoby onto the ship. I have some things to take care of here, but I'll join you shortly."
"Understood, Mr. Roland."
"Ha ha! No problem, Roland!"
Compared to the calm Theresa, Galvis eagerly snatched up his harp, his face beaming with excitement as he replied.
Soon, the once lively courtyard was empty save for Roland and Bronson.
The scholar was unconsciously rubbing his fingers, his eyes glazed over, clearly lost in his research thoughts again.
Seeing this, Roland sighed helplessly and gently patted Bronson's shoulder.
"Mr. Bronson?"
The call snapped the scholar out of his reverie. He chuckled sheepishly.
"Apologies, Roland. I was just..."
"I understand," Roland nodded understandingly, then proceeded with his usual meticulous reminders: eat regularly, rest properly, don't overwork yourself, feel free to use the money in the card, and so on.
Having finished his instructions, he retrieved the Red Squirrel from the leather pouch at his waist. The creature was scratching its belly, looking utterly bored.
"Mr. Bronson, would you mind looking after Joe for me while I'm gone? As for you, Joe..."
Using his Animal Companion ability, Roland gently stroked his furry companion's head and said, "Stay home and don't cause any trouble for Mr. Bronson, understand?"
"Don't worry, Roland!" the Red Squirrel chirped, standing in Roland's palm and patting its fluffy chest with a tiny paw.
However, its human-like gesture went unnoticed by Bronson, who had already sunk back into deep thought.
With all arrangements settled, Roland slung his already-packed backpack over his shoulder and headed straight for the door.
But instead of going directly to the port, he first made a detour to the Adventurer's Guild.
According to Hoby, there were at least a hundred pirates lurking in Howling Gorge.
Such a large bandit group occupying a vital sea passage should have warranted a guild commission for their extermination.
Roland wasn't particularly interested in the gold reward.
He was more curious about whether eliminating these pirates would yield any special rewards, similar to the unique compensation offered by Lilith for slaying the Wolf King.
Even if it wasn't a "self-selected" reward, obtaining a combat technique as compensation would be excellent.
Unfortunately, since the pirates hadn't recently launched any major raids on merchant caravans or caused significant disturbances, the extermination commission was only classified as ordinary.
As for the reward, it was merely gold coins.
Seeing the situation, Roland sighed helplessly but accepted the commission, then turned and hurried toward the port.
Though he wasn't short on funds at the moment, eliminating this band of pirates was a foregone conclusion. There was no reason to refuse this additional income.
As Roland stepped onto the deck, Hoby, who had already prepared everything, immediately began issuing orders.
Before long, accompanied by the sailors' hearty shouts, the Seabird slowly sailed out of the port and into the embrace of the vast sea.
Feeling the deck's far less stable rocking compared to solid land, Roland carefully inspected the ship to ensure all preparations were complete before turning toward his cabin.
After stowing his belongings, he approached Theresa, who was leaning against the railing, gazing into the distance.
"What's the situation, Theresa?" Roland asked, glancing around to confirm no one was paying attention before lowering his voice. "Have you noticed anything unusual among the crew?"
Trevor's casual mention of an unidentified demonic beast during his brief account of the Howling Gorge incident had lingered in Roland's mind.
Before setting sail to suppress the pirates, Roland had specifically instructed Theresa to use her God-given powers to thoroughly investigate the crew of the Seabird for any anomalies.
This was why he hadn't taken Theresa to the Adventurer's Guild earlier, but instead had her board the ship first.
"Mr. Roland, please rest assured..."
Theresa turned her head at his words, her long silver hair swaying gently behind her like a flowing silver chain in the sea breeze.
"None of the crew members show any signs of trouble. In fact, several of them..."
Her gaze shifted to a group of crew members nearby.
There, several crew members with physical disabilities were diligently cleaning the deck and tidying up miscellaneous items.
"...possess remarkably noble character."
"That's good to hear. Thank you, Theresa."
Roland breathed a sigh of relief at the news, but he remained vigilant.
According to Trevor's account, the timing of the demonic beast's appearance was uncertain.
It could have been lurking on the ship all along, or it might have quietly infiltrated during a port stop, or even...
Roland's gaze swept across the boundless sea.
Ever since witnessing the terrifying kraken at Far Ocean Port and surviving the Warsaw Fishmen's attack during their voyage, Roland had been keenly aware that hidden dangers lurked beneath the seemingly tranquil surface of the sea.
Therefore, it was entirely possible that the demonic beast had infiltrated the ship during the voyage.
With this in mind, Roland reiterated his instructions to Theresa, urging her to remain vigilant about the crew's condition.
After giving these instructions, he let out a soft sigh and asked slowly, "By the way, Theresa, you haven't told me how you discovered that demonic beast. Was it... through the divine power granted to you by God?"
"Yes," Theresa replied softly.
"So... you saw a past in them that was different from ordinary people?"
"No..." Theresa shook her head slowly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as if carefully choosing her words.
"That demonic beast... it had no past. I just..." She took a deep breath, as if trying to calm the unease rising within her.
"In it, I glimpsed an endless, unadulterated... the purest form of malice."
(End of the Chapter)
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