After a group of bandit prisoners was taken to the basement, Paul noticed a stranger standing next to Schroeder. The young man’s face was unshaven, and his clothes were torn, but they were not the ragged garments of an ordinary civilian.

  “Schroeder, who is this?” Paul asked, his brow furrowing in curiosity.

  “Oh, I forgot to mention him. He claims to be a member of the Foster family from the Azure Bay Alliance. He came to explore the Northwest Gulf a few months ago but was unfortunately kidnapped by bandits,” Schroeder replied.

  The young man immediately straightened, executing a noble salute with perfect posture. “My lord, you must be the ruler of this land. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Quiller Foster, the second son of the Marquis of Foster, a member of the Council of the Azure Bay Alliance. On behalf of my family, I extend my deepest gratitude for rescuing me from the pirates.”

  Paul suppressed a smile at the young man’s grandiosity. “You’re too kind! It’s my duty as a lord,” he replied, noting the name-drop of the Marquis. Clearly, Quiller was keen to leverage his family’s status.

  “You are Quiller Foster?” Meru Highmore, the head of the Leachman Adventure Group, interjected, her voice laced with frustration. “Do you have any idea how hard we worked to find you?”

  Quiller looked confused, glancing between Meru and the others. “Uh... how many of you are there?”

  Meru’s exasperation peaked. “Your family hasn’t heard from you in two months! They’ve been worried sick! Lord Marquis entrusted us to find you, and we risked our lives in the process.”

  “Uh, I was just impulsive and worried,” Quiller replied dismissively.

  Meru’s patience snapped. “What I said was that I almost lost my life trying to save you! You should be grateful, not flippant! The commission was for a search, not for battling pirates. I expect at least double, no, triple the initial payment!”

  Quiller snapped his fingers, his demeanor suddenly arrogant. “What a joke! The Foster family respects adventurers. We will fulfill your wishes.”

  His indifference drew a collective sigh from the room. “You don’t even know what the initial commission was!” Meru retorted, frustration evident in her voice as everyone shared glances of envy toward the wealthy young man.

  As they spoke, officers who had been suppressing the pirates in Fulen Harbor arrived at the church one after another. Quiller and the Leachman Adventure Group were shown to a resting area, while the townspeople were sent home. In a nearby room, battalion and company officers were summoned for a debriefing.

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  Staff Officer Joyce stood up to report. “My lords, this operation yielded excellent results. The Shark Gang was completely dismantled. We killed 123 bandits, including their leader, Shark. Sadly, we lost thirty-two of our own, and fifty-five were wounded.”

  The officers exchanged satisfied nods, proud of what they had accomplished.

  Paul leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. “What about the bandit group led by someone called ‘Loach’?”

  Joyce shook his head. “We didn’t encounter them. According to the captives, they fled back to sea early on.”

  Schroeder added, “During the chase, we recovered several boxes of coins they had brought on board. It’s estimated there are 2,000 gold coins, 6,000 silver coins, and tens of thousands of copper coins.”

  Gasps of surprise filled the room. No one had anticipated such riches from a small pirate group. The prospect of newfound wealth invigorated everyone’s spirits.

  Paul’s mind raced with possibilities. “With that money, we could mint more cannons, recruit additional soldiers, build more muskets, and even develop our own naval power.”

  Ideas flowed as the officers shared their thoughts on how to use the windfall. Even Cecil, the intelligence director, couldn’t help but hint that his work needed more funding.

  But then, someone raised a critical question. “But a lot of this money was robbed from the coastal residents. Shouldn’t it be returned to them?”

  An uneasy silence fell over the room. All eyes turned toward Paul, the weight of the decision heavy on his shoulders. He felt an internal conflict; while he wanted to return the money to the people, he also knew the complexities involved.

  After a moment, Schroeder broke the silence. “With our current resources, calculating the exact losses for each household is nearly impossible. The Shark Gang has been active for years and has robbed from other territories as well. If we allow citizens to claim it, it could lead to false claims and chaos. For instance, someone who wasn’t robbed could easily assert they lost their last silver coin.”

  Nods of agreement rippled through the room as the officers considered Schroeder’s point.

  Cecil chimed in, “The common people can be cunning and greedy. When I was handling forestry matters, I often encountered troublemakers looking to take advantage.”

  Paul’s anger flared at this comment. He slammed his hand on the table, startling Cecil into silence. He was frustrated by the casual dismissal of the commoners’ plight, even if it stemmed from personal experience.

  Schroeder continued, “Instead of returning the money directly, I propose other compensatory methods. We could reduce taxes, pave roads for the robbed villages, or discreetly provide some assistance to families genuinely affected by the bandits. This way, we avoid relying solely on claims that could be misleading.”

  “Good idea!” various officers responded in agreement, some even applauding Schroeder’s suggestion.

  Paul, recognizing the wisdom in Schroeder’s plan, nodded decisively. “Alright, let’s proceed with that. We’ll ensure the people receive the support they need, while also safeguarding against potential abuses.”

  The room filled with murmurs of approval, and Paul felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He knew that the path ahead would be fraught with challenges, but today, they had taken a step toward doing right by their people.