Golden Palm Port Pier.
Due to the turmoil, nearly all trade activities have ceased, and ships are few and far between.
Aran Navy Vice Admiral Bartlan is in his ship’s office inventorying the assets seized from Black Sail: a total of eight medium-sized twin-masted sailing ships, two battleships, over seven hundred Beima Official Standard Cannons, and more than three hundred captured East Sea pirates. Additionally, there are unexpected gains, including two heroic-level adventurers known as the Moon Wheel Knight and the Thorny Knight.
"Liszt said he would come to surrender. How credible is that?"
Bartlan put down his quill, removed his glasses, and asked Zahak.
Zahak’s deputy, Jin Mier, has been interrogating those two women these days, but unfortunately, they are tight-lipped and say nothing.
As for beauties, Jin Mier would certainly crush the flowers mercilessly.
But Zahak repeatedly instructed not to kill Goria, and the specific reason is also confidential.
This concerns the court mage Eustace’s dragon research, and the biggest issue is funding by Cicero National Bank. The dragon is national property, belonging to the Emperor, with involvement from a large number of anti-imperialists.
So this affair is quite complex, involving high-level figures, but it can’t be handled with great force. Zahak is just the unfortunate one assigned during a crisis.
Goria surely knows many names among them and the participants from the Lostrabema Holy Spirit Sect. The lists in her mind are more valuable than her life.
If she can become a tainted witness, Zahak might redeem himself and return as a Constitutional Soldier.
The Constitutional Soldiers inherently have slightly more power than other military branches. They don’t fear the officials but fear control. Constitutional Soldiers are the soldiers who control soldiers.
Besides the acting chairman Augustus, the power in the first tier of the Aran Military Committee lies with the Tax Army, the Royal City Army, and the Constitutional Soldiers. Other forces, like the Energy Department’s Inspection Corps and the National Guard’s garrison, stand back.
The Tax Army is formidable because the Emperor’s right-hand man, Cicero, the National Bank’s president, endorses them. Economic foundation determines the superstructure. Summer and winter taxes are collected repeatedly, blood taxes keep being levied until weariness sets in. Meanwhile, the Royal City Army is only mobilized by the Emperor and the Imperial Guard, independent of the Aran military system. Even Augustus is ineffectual as he only acts as a proxy for the real throne.
Next are the Constitutional Soldiers, who, within the Aran Constitution, are free to deal with anyone. Even outside the rules, they hold an honored seat in the White Tiger Hall.
Regarding Eustace’s situation, it theoretically belongs to the jurisdiction of the Tax Army since it concerns national property safety, directly tied to the Treasury and Tax Army. All fiscal entanglements also fall to them. However, they are ruthless, stringent to the smallest details, willing to behead someone over an incorrect copper coin. When lacking even one bowl’s worth of funds, they’d extract your intestines. Such conduct would lead to a major melee in the Royal Court, yet the anti-imperial traitors are strong and cannot be easily moved. Thus, it was delegated to the Constitutional Soldiers, though unfortunately, Zahak didn’t succeed either.
The Emperor, for various reasons, has devised nearly a hundred different military units with distinct roles. Even Zahak, who has navigated the military sphere for years, sometimes struggles to discern them.
But the most powerful corps remain the same, numbering around ten to twenty. The recently supported engineer corps by the Emperor, its future achievements are unknown. Currently, Lagrange is favored by the Emperor, cherished to the extent that benefits are granted to the Church Court to conduct missionary activities. Content originally comes from novel·fıre·net
"Not likely, just mere words. They are deep within Mulong, surrounded by the Army and Church Court, but the possibility of division of forces elsewhere is not excluded. Even a hero like Doringger died at their hands. Just in case, preparations should be made for defense. The best scenario would be to wait for the Mulong turmoil to end and then reap the benefits."
Having dealt with people from Black Sail, Zahak knows they love to play it deadly without fear of death.
"Besieged by Crocodile Island and the Time Sword together, can they really spare forces?"
Bartlan was noncommittal, thinking it clearly impossible. They’ve been at Golden Palm Port for quite some time, yet those pirates have shown no signs. The camaraderie they swear by seems futile.
Letting those pirates live was initially intended as a strategy to lure within range for an ambush, but upon deeper reflection, it seemed foolish. Expecting those scoundrels to have loyalty was a fantasy.
"Don’t underestimate them. The dock defenses are tight, and the Marquis of Golden Palm Port should be urged to bolster his private army’s checkpoints."
Zahak pinched his brow, perhaps truly endowed with bad luck, as every mission was fought in unfamiliar territories, on others’ grounds. The local lords here are all more cunning than the next. Beima and Aran have longstanding enmity, only from the past twenty years. The Londen City Admiral certainly isn’t favorably inclined towards Aran, while the Marquis of Golden Palm Port, though seemingly placid, is actually more terrifying, like an ungrateful wolf. At the slightest misfortune for the Navy, he would undoubtedly rush to curry favor with Uborio.
In the perilous realm of the Imperial City military, Zahak has survived this long by honing his skills in judging people.
"General, emergency report, a group claiming to be the Mulong Army has arrived at the dock, saying they wish to see... Lord Zahak."
The announcer, in his haste, forgot formality and entered without knocking.
Bartlan clapped the table, his face full of disbelief.
Presently, Mulong is a puppet comprador government, with no army to speak of. Even if there was, they’d be useless freeloaders. Mulong’s military has been outsourced to Crocodile Island.
"Probably the Resistance Army..." Zahak suddenly thought of something, urgently asking, "Did they encounter any conflict with the Marquis’s troops on their way?"
The announcer shook his head, "Those people bear no battle scars, seemingly arrived unimpeded. The Marquis’s troops also said they are the Mulong Army."
The Rebellious Marquis’s level of cunning exceeded Zahak’s imagination, the ultimate of turncoats, a double agent. The so-called centrists either get killed twice or win big. The Rebellious Marquis has been hugely successful, providing no effort of his own when the forces are mobilized. He fears anyone asking Golden Palm Port for money as he just wants to remain a Marquis.
Zahak sensed extreme danger, "Issue orders to summon all generals, where are they now?"
This battle’s participants seem without grand generals, yet are building momentum waiting for the advancement to Area Lord-level military achievements for promotion. In Aran, the military ranks never countenance mediocrity, relationships notwithstanding; those who can’t advance simply can’t.
"They are stopped outside the dock, already surrounded by troops led by two officers."
The announcer reported as such.
Zahak quietly let out a breath of relief but did not change his orders, still gathering the generals, fearing possible deceit.
"Let’s go meet the Mulong Army... or rather the Resistance Army, along with the East Sea Pirates."
Zahak unsheathed his sword, the Sword King’s bestowed ceremonial sword had been stolen by rogues, and he coincidentally retrieved it in Mulong.
He completely unaware that Shadi, bearing the sword, had already been slain by Joshua.
Zahak and Bartlan did not delay.
With a salt-laden, scorching sea breeze whipping by, Zahak stood on the warship’s side, gazing in the direction pointed by the announcer. Although he couldn’t discern faces, seeing roughly a hundred men surrounded on all sides seemed harmless.
What Morison couldn’t foresee was that claiming to be the Mulong Army fooled the Rebellious Marquis, a cowardly man by nature, allowing unobstructed passage to the naval-dominated dock.
Meanwhile, the Gion Officer led a large force elsewhere to rescue captives.
"I want to see Zahak."
Morison calmly spoke to the naval officer.