Chapter 148: Competitive Spirit! Second Update
Soren naturally has a lot to keep him busy.
In fact, just after he landed, a subordinate came to report, but because Gloria was beside him, he waved to signal to wait until later. Afterward, Gloria was taken to the camp by Vivian, and Soren needed to deal with matters during his absence. Although he left Vivian here to oversee things, the one ultimately in charge was still the pirate leader below him. Additionally, Soren noticed a subtle tension among his subordinates, hinting at emerging factions.
Among the many pirate leaders, the one with the highest nominal authority should be Adele Isabella.
She has the most subordinates and possesses high-level strength, but after the Half-Elf First Mate Kasa was rewarded by Soren for his exemplary handling of affairs, his status skyrocketed as he took on management of some overseas voyages. This Half-Elf First Mate has always been eager to rival Adele Isabella. Last time, he successfully raided the Eastern fleet of Pirate King Asrold, bringing back a significant amount of wealth and an ocean-going fleet, thus surpassing Adele in strength.
Conversely, looking at Adele now, she had failed to establish connections with the Alchemy Guild, not only failing to complete Soren’s task but also delaying for a while, resulting in her missing the opportunity to meet him before he left for the Northern Region. Consequently, the pirates below clearly showed less respect for her; pirates are a group that respects and obeys the strong, and since Adele Isabella failed to complete the task from Your Grace Throat Cutter, the pirate leaders naturally looked down on her.
Moreover, being a woman adds to her awkward position within the camp!
Before leaving, Soren assigned the task of establishing the camp to the pirate leaders, with the Half-Elf First Mate as the manager. When Adele Isabella returned to the camp, he naturally wouldn’t give up his power, leading to Adele being like a nominal pirate leader. Although she still has a number of subordinates, she is essentially quite idle every day. Other pirate leaders, such as the Cyclops Pirate, the Steward, and the Giant Hunter (all nicknames), were already dissatisfied with a woman being above them, so when the Half-Elf First Mate divided factions, they all formed their own little circles, subtly plotting to isolate her.
No matter how it is viewed,
It is always much more difficult for a woman to rise among pirates than for a man, especially since Adele’s strength isn’t sufficient to exert clear dominance over the other pirate leaders.
Had she been a Legendary Professionist, her position would naturally be unshakable!
But she’s currently merely a High-level Professionist; the gap between her and the other pirate leaders is not significant, so once isolated, even her subordinates might waver.
Pirates are not fools.
Though they all serve Your Grace Throat Cutter, they are acutely aware of who holds more power, who is favored by Your Grace Throat Cutter, and which pirate leader has richer resources beneath them.
Thus, Soren could immediately see Adele’s rather awkward position!
The other pirate leaders each stood in a circle, with the Half-Elf First Mate at the forefront. Adele stood alone with her arms crossed, looking somewhat indifferent and disconnected from them.
“Your Grace Throat Cutter!”
“Your Grace Throat Cutter!”
As Soren approached, all the pirate leaders immediately bowed their heads in respect. Adele looked at Soren with an expression that seemed to want to say something but hesitated, ultimately standing aside with a lonely demeanor.
She had not completed the task; this failure left her feeling frustrated!
“Have someone bring the goods down!”
Soren scanned the others with his gaze. Then, he focused on the Half-Elf First Mate and Adele and said slowly, “Everyone else, step back. Kasa and Adele stay.”
The other pirate leaders exchanged glances, then bowed and withdrew.
The Half-Elf First Mate glanced at Adele, standing still in place. Your Grace Throat Cutter valued ability; he had been working hard on construction, even employing some harsh means to suppress discontent among the subordinates to demonstrate his capabilities to Your Grace Throat Cutter. The progress of the camp’s construction had increased by at least 30%, and although some harsh measures were involved, everyone had been subdued by him; in all aspects, he had perfectly completed his task.
Thus, the Half-Elf First Mate felt confident, believing that Your Grace Throat Cutter understood who could serve him best.
“Well done!”
Soren scanned the lighthouse, roads, and dock, saying slowly, “It appears handing this over to you was the right decision! Have you encountered any troubles during this time?”
Hearing Soren’s words, Adele’s expression darkened, while the Half-Elf First Mate revealed a hint of a confident smile.
He slightly bent forward to show his respect and then said in a serious tone, “There haven’t been any major troubles during this time; however, a week ago we encountered indigenous people from other tribes, seemingly from the other side of the island. We only met indigenous scouts, who haven’t attacked us, but they sent people to monitor the river area.”
“And the nearby Bipedal Wyverns, a fortnight ago, took away three slaves.”
“However, they haven’t attacked us again, so it should have just been a one-time accident. Also, Your Grace Throat Cutter, we’ve recently discovered a hidden Fishman Tribe near the harbor; currently, there’s no conflict with us, but we should still be cautious.”
Soren nodded and replied, “I understand.”
“Good job. Have your people tally the captured slaves and settle them into the camp.”
The Half-Elf First Mate bowed and withdrew.
Only Adele Isabella remained before Soren, the red-haired pirate showing a somewhat disheartened face as she lowered her head and said, “Your Grace, I failed to complete the task you assigned!”
Soren looked at her calmly and slowly replied, “I know.”
“I…,” Adele’s face was complex, a mix of disappointment and sadness as she murmured, “I am incompetent…”
Soren did not offer her any consolation.
He is one of the three Pirate Kings of the Southern Coast, not a child playing house. To rise rapidly in such a short time while rallying and controlling a group of elite pirates is thanks to his clear system of rewards and punishments. Adele truly failed to complete the task, and Soren’s ability to inspire his subordinates to serve enthusiastically is because he rewards merit. Therefore, if he were to break the rules regarding Adele, the authority he has built up would be compromised; he cannot show leniency simply because she is a woman.
Soren looked at the red-haired pirate before him and said slowly, “For now, set aside the matters of the camp; I will temporarily lead the fleet.”
“In a couple of days, I will send you to receive training from the Drow warriors. You have a considerable talent, and your strength is already significantly greater than others; I hope you can quickly touch the edge of legend.”
“Very soon!”
“I will have a daunting task to assign to you.”
“I hope that what you learn will not only be the combat skills of the Drow but also their cunning and treacherous methods, as the task I will give you is quite difficult; you will need to deal with many nobles from the church who are skilled in manipulation. You must learn to employ schemes and some cruel means; the Drow are experts in this area.”
Upon hearing Soren’s first sentence, Adele’s face turned pale, and her body swayed slightly.
Because Soren essentially stripped her of her power, such a punishment is excessively severe for her. However, upon hearing the subsequent words, a glimmer of hope rekindled in her eyes as she nodded seriously and said, “Rest assured, Your Grace!”
“I will absolutely not let you down again!”
As long as she has a chance, she can prove herself and reclaim her power and status.
“Very good.”
Soren looked at her and gently nodded, saying, “Go. I hope to see you enter legend one day.”
With that, he turned and left.
Adele Isabella stood in place, taking a deep breath, her expression resolute as she gazed at Soren’s retreating figure, her hands clenched into fists.
Unwilling!
How could she easily accept being surpassed by a Half-Elf who was originally not her equal? The bl**d of Amazon women flows in her veins; how could she concede defeat so easily!
………………
(PS: From now on, there will be automatic updates. The times are five and six o’clock. Two updates.) (To Be Continued ~^~)
