Chapter 223 Seamen
"It seems that the Curtain and Nightingale Repertory Theatre is really popular." Marcylin couldn't help but sigh.
This was the fifth child with a mask with a nightingale pattern painted on his face. He ran past them laughing, holding up his non-existent skirt. Behind him was usually a child holding a small wooden sword, playing the role of the brave Gerald.
Because the script was so classic, she could even blurt out which scene it was: In order to rescue his lover, the brave Gerard disguised his identity and sneaked into the palace banquet, but found that the girl he loved was not a poor and beautiful wandering dancer persecuted by the nobles, but a princess of a hostile country.
He chased after her in grief and anger, trying to get an explanation. During the argument between the two sides, he was stabbed in the chest by the villain Duke who had coveted Princess Aurora for a long time in the name of protecting the emperor.
The child playing Gerald stumbled a few steps, clutching his chest, his expression in agony. "Aurora, you burn my eyes like evil fire, and bite my soul like a pack of snakes. Even the frozen earth of the icy plains that never melts isn't even a fraction as cold as you!"
He performed with great emotion: "Why are you crying? Are your tears the poisonous saliva of the black rock scorpion? In the morning I placed a dewy rose at your window, but tonight you brought death upon my chest!"
The child who played Aurora obviously hadn't memorized her lines. She just laughed and yelled, "Oh! Gerald! Why are you Gerald?"
The "dying" companion immediately jumped up to correct him: "Hey! You can't say that while laughing! Princess Aurora doesn't laugh!"
York shook his head, as if he was unwilling to associate with these children.
The minor incident encountered on the way did not affect the group's journey. Maxine led them to the workshop at Jaeger Wharf with familiarity, which was one of the territories of the Seamen's Union.
It was very hot in the workshop. The burly men who were wandering around with their upper bodies exposed and cursing, once they saw the red-haired girl's face, their first reaction was to shyly cover their hairy chests with expressions of terrified expression.
York and Ole's faces were gloomy. The former looked like he wanted to cover his sister's eyes, while the latter looked like he wanted to kill all these disheveled, suspected hooligans - assassins sometimes have a bit of overprotectiveness towards the only girl in the team, commonly known as excessive fatherly love.
The red-haired girl was quite calm. She randomly found a big man who was wearing a lot of clothes and was not too eye-catching. When the man squatted down and curled up into a ball with his head in his hands skillfully, she silently told him that she was looking for Esker Rabbi.
"Oh, so that's how it is. Why didn't you tell me earlier?" The big man, who was psychologically traumatized by the beating, immediately became excited.
He attentively led everyone through the workshop. Esker Rabbi was watching the experiment of a fuel that could burn at sea. It seemed that the battle in Port Morris had given him a lot of inspiration.
When he saw Marcyline's unusually striking, blazing red hair, he froze for a moment. He forced the upward curve of his lips down, looked away, and with a stern face, he stepped forward and shook hands with the black-haired young man surrounded by the crowd. "You're really slow, Mr. Ghost."
He emphasized the word "ghost" with special significance.
Even though his skin was red from the fire, the smoky gray eyes behind his ghostly glasses still lacked any warmth. He nodded coldly at people, seemingly with no intention of greeting them at all.
York on the side slowly opened his eyes, turned his head away at a speed that seemed to break his head, and stared blankly at the annoying guy.
Of course, he had heard about Port Morris and the name of "Ghost" - they said that the ghost from the abyss brought a group of confused slaves to massacre in the port, and the noblest blood of the empire dyed the sea red.
But York never imagined that the characters in the story would get drunk at his dinner table. He even seemed to give people a cold shoulder...
York was sent to find his familiar uncle, Joe. The Seamen's Union leader was a straightforward man, and without further ado, he took them to identify the man. As they were about to enter the meeting room, the professor suddenly heard a faint whisper: "The matter of Mardell Rabbi is settled."
“…”
The black-haired young man's breathing paused slightly. He saw a face that bore a striking resemblance to the student in his memory, staring intently ahead, as if what he had just heard was merely an illusion.
...In a sense, Rabbi Mader and even his family were implicated by him and died in his place. Hatred was inevitable, and he had long been mentally prepared. No one had the right to ask the deceased's family for "forgiveness." This was an unexpectedly good outcome.
The ghost lowered his eyes in silence.
He continued to walk forward, past the blazing fire, and the layers of translucent shadows, which glowed like molten gold, followed loyally behind him, like a shadow following him.
The nominal boss of Jaguar Wharf is now Marshilin, but this title of "boss" is earned entirely by force, and she is not the one who actually manages things.
"There are three main forces: the navy, the pirates, and the seamen's union. The remaining scattered gangs have been completely subjugated by the union." Esker Rabbi gave a brief overview of the current situation. "The Kasa Strait is the only way to reach the Batalha Highlands. Simply put, everyone wants to monopolize this important route and collect huge tolls from passing merchant ships."
He sneered darkly, "The navy is collecting heavy taxes and forcing labor on sailors, and the pirates are robbing sailors wantonly. They really think we're easy to bully."
Now, whether it's the navy, pirates, or sailors, no one is having a good time. The navy, whose military budget is decreasing day by day, is unwilling to provoke those crazy people who are running rampant on the sea, and the pirates are unwilling to anger their masters. In the end, only these low-level people will suffer.
If it weren't for the union's protection, those guys who treat seafarers as consumables and want to squeeze their blood out of them would only become more crazy.
The professor remained silent, his head bowed as he sat there, writing furiously. The others at Skua Wharf couldn't help but wonder—this guy was as pale as a ghost, and wearing glasses made him look even more refined. He looked completely out of place among the rough sailors.
But according to Eske Rabbi, this man led only a group of slaves and defeated the three battleships of the Ruskin family - you know, the local navy only had five fully loaded battleships and more than ten supply ships and frigates.
The most annoying thing is pirates. That group of scumbags are elusive, extremely brutal and have no bottom line.
Of course, the Seamen's Union is not easy to deal with. They can at least gather two battleships and countless small boats.
Until the very end, the ghost gentleman, aside from asking a few questions, remained silent throughout the entire meeting. Esker Rabbi couldn't help but wonder; he'd seen him speak eloquently in Port Morris before, so it didn't make sense that he would be so silent in the Kasa Strait.
"...I do have some ideas." Upon hearing this, the other party glanced at him and said very calmly, "But the information we have collected is currently insufficient, so I'm not very sure - and besides, my people have also raised some opinions, right?"
For example, assassinating naval generals and pirate kings, or destroying the navy's supply points first - very personal opinions.
Esker Rabbi: "..."
This guy is using them for simulation training for his own people?!
After leaving the Seamen's Union, Marcylin suddenly felt a pang of guilt as she gazed upon the black-haired youth's emotionless profile. In her previous life, on the battlefield, she was primarily responsible for following the orders of her commander, especially Azuka. Even without her commander, her warrior instincts would guide her in making the best decisions. Several successful one-on-one encounters earned her the nickname "Valkyrie."
But now, she was facing a terrifying being known for his cunning and resourcefulness, one who had once instilled in her the terrifying psychological impression that "this person would never make a mistake." Yet, the other person remained silent when he emerged—Ma Shilin unexpectedly felt a rare lack of confidence, inexplicably feeling herself shrinking inch by inch in front of him.
The professor, who was thinking about his next move, suddenly felt a little nervous when being stared at. When he turned around, he met the pitiful green eyes of the red-haired girl, which made him a little dazed.
...What's going on?
Ma Xilin simply asked directly: "Did I say anything wrong during the meeting just now?"
"You're right." Nova was stunned for a moment, then praised generously, "If there are sufficient troops, your thinking is correct, and the target you chose is also appropriate."
He was right. The heroine, like Greven, was born with a "war mentality."
Ole, who was standing by, simply came over to join in the fun: "What about me?"
The other party glanced at him and said slowly, "In the short term, it's useful."
Ole: “…”
What do you mean by "useful in the short term"?! He crossed his arms and stared at the man in disbelief. And his tone was so forced—this guy really was discriminating, wasn't he?!
"This is my mistake, Ore. There is something I didn't communicate with you clearly." The tyrant suddenly raised his head and stared at him with his calm smoky gray eyes, which made the assassin subconsciously put down his hands and stand at attention in front of him.
The other party emphasized word by word: "Use assassination with caution."
“…”
Even though the assassin's expression turned grim at the seemingly ruthless words, the black-haired young man continued without hesitation, "I'm not saying assassination is forbidden. For example, when dealing with traitors or handling extreme emergencies in secret, assassination is still the most effective method. The existence of Shadow Chasers is necessary and effective."
"But in the long run, assassination can only solve the most immediate problem. Individuals are merely representatives of the forces behind them. If one dies, a second and a third will be pushed forward." His voice was soft, yet it was particularly deafening. "Just as I can die, you can die too, and the entire leadership of the Limin Army can die. It will simply make the path to victory more tortuous and difficult. What we need to do is to do our utmost to overcome these difficulties and avoid accidents."
"—But one thing you must always remember is that it is the will of the group that gives birth to the leader."
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