William curled his index finger and lightly tapped the desk. "So you're saying that the nobles of the Goa Kingdom, in order to welcome the World Government inspection team and the Celestial Dragons, deliberately set fire to the Gray Terminal, burning all the garbage and residents to ashes?"
Gesseta nodded affirmatively. "That's correct."
"How ruthless..." William exhaled deeply, his tone ambiguous, as if caught between admiration and sarcasm. "Compared to them, even I, a pirate, must admit defeat."
William considered himself to be quite ruthless. If, in the early days after his transmigration, he could only be described as cunning, then after experiencing so many events, he had become someone who could kill without hesitation. Yet even so, he had never entertained the idea of burning an entire district, along with its residents, simply because it was a burden on the population and environment of Kalmar City.
The others in the room exchanged glances. After a moment, Dampier frowned and said, "Should we expose this? If we dig deeper, this matter ultimately ties back to the Celestial Dragons. The inspection team is about to arrive, and revealing this now wouldn't be a wise move."
In this world, anything involving the Celestial Dragons is never a trivial matter.
William chuckled nonchalantly. "I understand, so let's not expose it immediately."
He instructed Gesseta, "However, the newspaper can start creating some suspense now. For example, question the intensity of the fire, the number of casualties, and then gradually reveal the hidden truths behind it. By the time the inspection team leaves the East Blue, we can unveil the full story."
"Are you suggesting we turn the news into a suspenseful narrative?" the editor asked cleverly.
William clapped his hands with a smile. "Exactly."
"But what benefit is there for us in exposing this?" Aramis asked, puzzled.
"How could there be no benefit?" William countered.
...
Time flew by, and the day of the World Government inspection team's arrival at Kalmar City had finally come.
Despite his personal disdain for the Celestial Dragons, William did not slack off in his reception duties. As the inspection team's ship approached the dock, fireworks burst into colorful displays in the sky, accompanied by the release of white sky lanterns drifting upward.
A group of "extras"—no, rather a spontaneously organized crowd—held flowers and rushed to the dock, enthusiastically welcoming the inspection team's arrival.
Like the Goa Kingdom, William had also constructed a high platform, adorned with a red carpet and flowers, stretching from the dock to the royal palace.
However, no matter how high the reception standards were, they could never match those of the Goa Kingdom.
As previously mentioned, the slums of Kalmar City were located on the outskirts of the city, almost encircling the commoner and noble districts. Although the inspection team disembarked at a dock within the commoner district, their journey by ship inevitably revealed glimpses of the slums.
Compared to the Gray Terminal, which had been burned to the ground, the slums of Kalmar City, though improved under William's efforts, were still an eyesore. The labyrinthine, dilapidated buildings and broken public facilities remained a stark contrast to the rest of the city.
Upon landing, William used the excuse that King Norton I and his family were visiting rural areas to oversee progress in agricultural reforms but were delayed due to bad weather and a damaged ship, preventing them from returning in time to greet the inspection team and the World Nobles.
The World Government officials would never suspect that the young man before them, confidently greeting them as the kingdom's first regent, was actually a rebellious figure who had sent the royal family and disobedient nobles to the countryside to fend for themselves.
The welcoming ceremony was meticulous, but the behavior of William and the Navia Kingdom left the Celestial Dragon representative, Saint Jalmack, feeling slighted.
As William led his disguised subordinates to kneel before him in greeting, Saint Jalmack kicked the slave beneath him, ordering the man to approach William. Looking down at William from his elevated position, Saint Jalmack scrutinized him for a moment, then left without allowing William to rise, his dissatisfaction evident.
"Scum!"
On a shaded hill overlooking the dock, Harden and a group of fierce-looking pirates, along with students from the Neustria Academy, watched the scene unfold.
Seeing the Celestial Dragons' behavior from afar, Harden's face turned red with anger, and he gritted his teeth as he cursed.
Other members of William's crew might have been intimidated by the Celestial Dragons' "prestige," suppressing their dissatisfaction, but Harden was not one to hold back.
Nearby, the drunken pirate Hatcheson rubbed his bulbous nose and tightly grabbed Harden's wrist, fearing he might act recklessly. "Let it go. That's a Celestial Dragon. Even the captain can't do anything about it."
Harden cursed again and shook off Hatcheson's hand. "Damn it, I can't stand this! Did you bring any booze?"
Hatcheson reluctantly handed over his flask, and Harden took it, downing half of it in one go before wiping his mouth and capping the flask.
Around them, some students whispered among themselves.
Hughes Holt, like Harden, was visibly upset by the scene. "What makes the Celestial Dragons so special? Why should Lord William have to kneel to them?"
As the son of a doctor, Ilya Reed, one of Sabo's roommates, was comparatively calmer. He said, "It's basic etiquette for the World Nobles. This isn't even the worst of it. Look at that poor slave being ridden—how much more tragic can it get?"
Hughes Holt retorted angrily, "Etiquette, my ass! The Celestial Dragons are nothing but parasites, just like the nobles we had in the past!"
Nearby, Sabo suddenly spoke up, interrupting their argument. "Stop fighting. Look at Abram and the others."
Hughes Holt and Ilya Reed turned their attention to the opposite side, where Abram and other children from the bridge kingdom Tequila Wolf were staring wide-eyed at the scene at the dock.
The adults watching over them outnumbered those on Sabo's side several times over, clearly afraid the children might cause trouble.
Abram's breathing grew heavier, his thoughts swirling chaotically. Ever since entering the academy and receiving an education, Abram and the other children from Tequila Wolf had learned who had ordered the construction of the bridge and who was responsible for their miserable lives.
Abram's mind replayed the loving face of his mother. Due to their experiences, the children from Tequila Wolf trained harder than their peers, with Abram being the most diligent. His academic performance was among the top of his age group.
The techniques taught in physical training and swordsmanship classes flashed through Abram's mind. He was certain that if given the chance to get close, he could use the most brutal and ruthless methods to kill the bloated, vacant-eyed Celestial Dragon.
But the cautionary gazes of the adults around him kept him from acting rashly.
From a distance, Sabo and the others watched the group of children from Tequila Wolf, their intense hostility palpable, and involuntarily shivered.
"Those kids from Tequila Wolf have had it rough. During the heart-to-heart sessions, Abram even talked about his mother," said Hughes Holt, who himself was from the slums, sympathetically. "Since then, I've understood why he trains so hard."
Beside him, Ilya Reed expressed concern. "I heard that top graduates from the academy will receive swords personally bestowed by the headmaster and can directly join the retinue. I hope all the honors don't end up being monopolized by the kids from Tequila Wolf."
"That's all you think about? Don't you have any compassion?" Hughes Holt snapped.
The two roommates, who shared a roof but rarely saw eye to eye, began arguing again.
Sabo sighed at the sight.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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