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When Hobert was at his old home, his family used to barbecue, so he was very clear about the process.
Especially after becoming a Beyonder, he discovered that by "distorting" the flames in the grill and temporarily "tampering" with the density and ignition point of the charcoal, it would light almost instantly.
While Audrey was busy bringing out the meat and vegetables, the fire was already lit.
Moreover, there was no need to flip the skewers while grilling. Hobert "distorted" the temperature of the charcoal, allowing the heat to surround the skewers, which was much more even than simply flipping them back and forth.
As for the barbecue seasoning, Hobert had put some thought into it. There was cumin, sesame, salt, and chili powder. As for other spices, he wasn't too sure, so he just added two more randomly.
Hobert tasted one first, and the taste was not bad.
The aroma of grilled meat filled the courtyard. Audrey watched from the side, feeling the urge to swallow her saliva, but because that would be very unladylike, she swallowed secretly.
After finally getting the skewers in her hands, Audrey blew on them first, then followed Hobert's example and ate a piece of grilled meat. The juices burst on her tongue, and the savory taste of the meat, along with the flavor of the seasoning, filled Audrey's entire mouth.
"It's so delicious!" Audrey found that in the end, only this one compliment remained in her mind.
Hobert smiled and ate a skewer: "Oh, right, there's also beer."
He went inside to bring out the beer and poured a glass for each of them: "Cheers!"
The beer washed away the taste of the meat skewers in their mouths, and with the next bite of the meat skewers, their mouths re-experienced the savory taste of the grilled meat.
Audrey ate seven or eight skewers in a row before asking, "Hobert, what style of grilling is this? Why haven't I had it before?"
This made Hobert couldn't help but sigh: The food culture of the North and South continents is really hard to describe in a few words. Look how hungry this noble lady is? This is something you can eat at the entrance of any community in the Common Era.
He thought so in his heart, but said, "I saw a very unpopular way of eating it when I went to the Rorsted Archipelago. It is said that it was learned from the elves."
"Although it's delicious, it probably won't become popular in noble circles."
Audrey was concentrating on dealing with the skewers and didn't notice that the "origin" Hobert had just mentioned was just nonsense.
However, she understood why it wouldn't become popular in noble circles, because this way of eating was not gentlemanly or elegant enough.
Audrey also tried to eat more elegantly, but she soon discovered that it was impossible!
If she ate elegantly, the skewers would be almost cold when they reached her mouth, and the taste didn't seem so delicious anymore.
Anyway, there were only the two of them here, so Audrey didn't care about being ladylike or not. It was more important to enjoy the food first.
After eating for a while, the two of them gradually slowed down their movements of eating skewers and began to chat while drinking beer.
Listening to the sounds of night insects around them, Hobert raised his glass and sighed, "This reminds me of when I was in school. When I was really craving barbecue in the summer, I would sneak out with a few classmates to eat barbecue.
"We were all excited along the way, discussing how much barbecue and how much wine we wanted. But as soon as we entered the restaurant, we saw the form teacher and several teachers also having barbecue. What was even more despairing was that the form teacher also saw us."
When he mentioned the form teacher, he hesitated for a moment. Fortunately, he immediately "recalled" that the grammar school also had form teachers, so he didn't let anything slip.
Audrey smiled and said, "What happened later?"
Hobert took a sip of wine: "I almost didn't have a later."
"Did this happen when you were in college?"
Hobert paused slightly before saying, "Not really, it was at grammar school."
Does the college counselor care about this? It would be better to have a drink with them and secretly pay their bill.
Audrey sighed: "I don't have the experience of going to school, and I feel a little regretful."
Hobert smiled: "Thinking about it this way, school is also quite boring. Students are kind and simple, but the teachers' thoughts are mixed. Some teachers are serious and responsible, while others don't seem to know what they are doing all day long, and most of the leaders are hiding dirt and filth.
"It's a tragedy of the times!"
Audrey didn't have any corresponding experience, so she didn't feel much empathy for Hobert's sigh: "What other fun things were there at that time?"
"There were too many," Hobert said. "I don't know why, but there was a time when I really hated studying. In order to go out and play, I would pretend to be sick, and another classmate would ask for leave.
"As a result, because I pretended too well, the form teacher sent me to the hospital."
Now that I think about it, I caused a lot of trouble for the form teacher back then!
However, Hobert stopped this topic in time, because that was after all something that happened in high school, not something that happened in grammar school, and it would be easy to slip up: "At the dance a few days ago, you saw the light bulb, how did you feel about it?"
"It was amazing, Hobert!" Audrey said. "I didn't expect it to be so bright at night!"
Hobert smiled and said, "Those are the first batch of light bulbs. I didn't have time to test how long they could last before I took them out to use.
"After I have collected the data on their lifespan, I will start recording the manufacturing process. Mass production should be possible by the end of May or June."
However, the specific time of sale depends on the results of the generator.
Otherwise, it would be meaningless to start selling light bulbs if the electricity supply couldn't keep up.
Moreover, Hobert recently realized that it would be difficult to popularize light bulbs in a short period of time by pulling wires, so he planned a transitional solution: temporarily using batteries to power the light bulbs.
So, a battery technology research team was added to the manor's laboratory.
Now the most important thing is the material for the battery casing. Currently, there are two options, waiting for a breakthrough in plastics; improving rubber.
Hobert was also generous, saying "I want them all," because plastics, as a new type of material, looked like they wouldn't be used for a while, while natural rubber already had many relatively mature processes that could be used as a reference, and should soon meet Hobert's requirements.
Similarly, at this time, the manor's expenses had reached an average of 300 pounds per day, and this expenditure was still increasing.
Of course, this also includes the newly built large laboratory and the salaries of the research staff.
Hobert didn't plan to announce these things to the public for the time being.
Audrey saw the candles on the table: "It's hard to imagine what the scene would be like if Backlund started using electric lights?"
"Few people will be interested in the stars and the moon," Hobert seemed to recall for a moment before smiling: "Or rather, the stars seem to disappear from people's sight."
That being said, this is a good thing.
Hobert started grilling vegetables again. He only had the kitchen prepare cabbage and peppers.
The sliced cabbage was brushed with sauce and grilled, which Audrey loved.
And Hobert finally realized that he had forgotten a very important thing: he hadn't made small pancakes.
Audrey suddenly talked about Princess Alice: "You were able to invite Princess Alice to the dance that day?"
"Is she hard to invite?"
"It is said so."
"Maybe it's because I saved her life," Hobert mentioned simply: "I had previously carried out a mission to protect her."
Although he didn't feel much belonging to MI9, out of respect for Georgina, he didn't go into detail about the specific mission content.
"No wonder!" Audrey nodded slightly. She had long noticed that the princess's eyes when she looked at Hobert were very strange. It seemed that something had happened between the two of them.
Hobert suddenly smiled: "Why don't you change back to your own appearance?
"It's quite uncomfortable to face someone with someone else's face."
He paused and added: "You see, there are no residents around this villa, and no one will bother us.
"Even if they see you, it doesn't matter, because no one here knows you."
While changing back to her own appearance, Audrey looked around. The villa seemed to be outside a village and was indeed quite far from other farmers.
She asked: "Now can you tell me where we are?"
"In a small town in the suburbs of Backlund, not far from my manor," Hobert said. "I rented this place for half a year and occasionally send people to take care of it. If I want to make any special food, I'll have the manor prepare the ingredients in advance."
Before this, he had already eaten a plate of boiled pork slices here by himself, which was his secret base, and also the most extravagant and largest expense he had in terms of food.
Audrey asked curiously: "Can you cook other foods?"
Hobert cleared his throat: "Actually, I'm a chef who was delayed by the Earl."
Audrey shook her head with a smile, obviously not believing his nonsense: "I'm also a gourmet who was delayed by the life of a noble. If you have any new attempts, you can invite me to taste them."
Hobert hesitated slightly: "That is also possible."
He just suddenly thought that he hadn't shared those delicacies with Fors yet, but had brought Audrey over first, which seemed a little inappropriate.
But then he thought again that such a small matter didn't need to be taken to heart.
Audrey pouted in a very unladylike manner: "Forget it if you didn't want to invite me."
Hobert actually hesitated! This made Audrey feel very uncomfortable.
Looking at the beautiful girl's somewhat resentful and cute appearance, Hobert couldn't help but laugh and said, "You misunderstood my meaning. Eating those delicacies requires using Elven tableware, and I don't think you'd know how to use them."
Audrey was stunned. According to her observation, Hobert didn't seem to be lying. Oh well, she forgave him: "I can learn."
Hobert smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll teach you next time you come."
Just now, in order to avoid "escalating the conflict," he simply quietly "distorted" Audrey's judgment, so she didn't see that this wasn't the main reason for Hobert's hesitation just now.
Audrey then regained her good mood: "Hobert, I heard that several earls have already expressed their desire to have a marriage alliance with Duke Christian?"
Hobert: "Let me tell you another story from when I was in school!"
"Don't try to change the subject!"
Hobert smiled helplessly: "I don't know what they're thinking, but my father rejected them all."
Christian still very much recognized Fors as his daughter-in-law. He was now a "Chaos Hunter," and his lifespan had been extended a lot. He could completely calm down and slowly manage things to gradually gain a high enough political position.
So, in this regard, the father and son had the same idea: No need for such a marriage alliance.
"What are your thoughts?"
"Of course, I reject it." Hobert smiled and said, "I don't plan to stay in Backlund forever, so there's no need for a marriage alliance."
For some reason, Audrey suddenly felt a little disappointed: "Then what are your plans for the future?"
Hobert was slightly stunned, but still revealed some of his thoughts to Audrey: "My pathway, when it reaches the 'High Sequence,' will need to have its own country, and it seems very difficult to build a country in the Northern Continent."
Audrey understood: "You're going to the Southern Continent in the future?"
This made her even more lost, because she could only stay in Backlund.
Hobert smiled: "More or less."
Then he asked: "You don't think that after you reach the 'High Sequence,' you can still stay in Backlund, do you?
"Your parents are ordinary people. Staying by their side is too dangerous."
"I, I haven't considered these issues." Audrey said truthfully.
"These issues are too serious." Hobert smiled: "Don't waste such good food. Let's talk about something else."
But Audrey was still a little absent-minded.
Hobert had no choice but to comfort her: "For us, the future is full of uncertainties. Don't waste your energy on these uncertainties. That's you fighting against yourself."
"No, Hobert, I should consider my future." Audrey said: "Next time you plan a Beyonder battle, can I participate too?
"Until now, I still don't know what a Beyonder battle is like, and what should I pay attention to in battle?"
Hobert pondered for a moment: "'Psychiatrist' is still somewhat inclined towards support. Letting you directly participate in the battle would be too dangerous."
He looked at Audrey's expectant eyes and couldn't bear to refuse: "How about this, you can participate as a post-war psychiatrist, and don't participate in the battle for the time being, just observe from a distance.
"After you reach Sequence 6, I'll see if there are any battles suitable for you to participate in."
Audrey once again regained her charming smile: "That's great! Thank you, Hobert!"
"Your shortcoming is that you temporarily lack the ability to quickly resolve enemies." Hobert continued: "I'll help you find a mystical item from the 'Hunter' or 'Warrior' pathway to see if it can help you make up for this shortcoming!"
The so-called "searching" was actually going to "Nation of Disorder" to rummage through to see if there were any suitable mystical items.
"Hobert, most of the time you are a reliable friend!"
Hobert was stunned: "And a small part of the time?"
Audrey smiled without saying a word: And a small part of the time you are a jerk!
In the second half of the night, the two of them ended their barbecue night.
When Susie saw the skewers in Hobert's hand, her eyes lit up. At the same time, she also noticed: Why was the pulled pork last time also brought by Hobert?
But the smell of the barbecue made her stop thinking about this question.
Hobert thoughtfully took all the meat off the skewers before leaving, which allowed Susie to quickly finish a whole plate of barbecue.
She licked the juice on her lips: "Audrey, what are you thinking about again?"
Like last time when she came back, Audrey was sitting by the window in a daze again.
"Susie, I, I just suddenly realized that compared to Hobert, I really seem like a baby."
Susie didn't quite understand what she meant: "Your physiques look about the same, and besides, you're not as fragile as a baby."
"That's not what I mean." Audrey said her worries: "Compared to Hobert, I have too few considerations for the future, and too few considerations for life."
She didn't want herself to always be seen as an immature girl in Hobert's eyes.
… …
May 1st, for Hobert, this should be a day off, but in Loen, throughout the North and South Continents, people still had to go to work.
And as soon as he arrived at the office, he received an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inviting him, as a young talent among the Loen nobles, to participate in the subsequent meeting of royal family members in Masin.
This was Hobert's overt identity for joining the "Loen Royal Delegation."
Along with the invitation letter came the specific departure time, a rough itinerary, and some preparations that needed to be made.
They would depart on May 3rd and planned to take a special train to Masin in two days. This was the name of a country and also the name of its capital.
There was a railway that could lead from Loen to Masin, which was the main trade link between the two countries.
In the Kingdom of Masin, the princes and princesses would conduct a series of exchange activities, including dances, banquets, informal talks, as well as hunting and masquerade balls, and so on.
It was outwardly claimed that this was a meeting to promote exchanges between the two countries and to ease the increasingly tense situation between the two countries.
Hobert was not clear about the specific purpose.
Because if it was just to ease the tense situation between the two countries, it would be impossible for such a sensitive person like Hobert to participate in it. After all, he had previously tricked the Feynapotter Royal Family, and calling him over was purely to annoy the other party.
Hobert didn't think about this issue in detail and continued to look at the next itinerary. The princes and princesses of the two countries would exchange in Masin for a week, and then take the train back to Backlund. The entire meeting plan would end in eleven days, and it would be postponed if special circumstances were encountered.
After receiving the invitation letter, Georgina's secretary came to invite Hobert.
After arriving at Georgina's office, the director-general went straight to the point: "This is a royal exchange activity, and it is also the top aristocratic exchange activity in the world today, which is very important!
"As one of the accompanying bodyguards, you must prevent other countries from sabotaging this event.
"If this is done well, there will be more similar activities in the future."
Hobert seemed to understand somewhat: Was this an action by the Kingdom of Loen to paralyze the countries of the Northern Continent?
"As for the degree of danger..." Georgina said: "According to some intelligence we have obtained, the Feysac Empire seems to have dispatched a demigod to sabotage this exchange event.
"The Intis Republic also seems to be taking action, but the specific situation is not clear.
"In addition, you should be able to obtain a Sealed Artifact and a talisman. There may be danger, but there will be no danger to life."
Hobert nodded: "That's good."
Georgina then said: "I'll give you leave for today and tomorrow. Go back and prepare.
"During these eleven days, you must remain vigilant at all times and not leave the royal delegation."
The implication was that he could no longer slack off like usual.
Back in his own office, Hobert was still a little dazed by the sudden paid leave he had received.
He first went to the manor in the suburbs for a walk, and then returned to the Earl's study to sit for half a day, and actually felt a sense of idleness!
Hobert sighed: "Suddenly not slacking off, life seems to have lost its purpose."
After thinking about it again, Hobert came to Longtail Island. Since he had nothing to do in Backlund, he would find something to do for himself.
Although the two-week deadline agreed with the estate owners had not yet arrived, the estate owners had already sent Hobert a batch of rubber. They had tried Bishop Chote's potion, and sure enough, the rubber trees had multiplied several times in yield.
It was just that the potion was a bit expensive, as much as 10 pounds a bottle, but it still made more money than before.
With the first batch of payments settled, the planters were completely relieved and inquired one after another whether Fors needed more rubber. They had discovered that the Earl was building a very large rubber processing plant.
Although it wasn't completed yet, that processing plant was large enough to handle several times the current rubber production of Longtail Island.
So, Hobert took advantage of his vacation and held another banquet. As before, Hobert said before the banquet began, "The demand for rubber has exceeded expectations!
"You can send all the rubber you produce in the next two weeks to me. I'll give you 1.5 times the market price, but this time it's not a pre-order; payment will be made upon delivery."
The two sides had already established a basic level of mutual trust, so there were no problems with either pre-ordering or payment upon delivery.
In addition, some people were already considering buying rubber from the surrounding islands and selling it to the Earl.
However, after a simple calculation, they quickly realized that unless it was a large-scale transaction, they wouldn't make much profit after deducting the purchase cost and transportation cost.
It was better to honestly trade with the rubber they grew themselves.
Unlike the last banquet, this time, people began to cozy up to Bishop Jodi, asking about the new rubber tree varieties she had mentioned before.
After learning that this type of rubber tree could produce latex in one month and grow into a mature rubber tree in two months when watered with another type of potion, many people were tempted.
However, the price of the new variety was not cheap, and the price of the potion was also not cheap.
Hobert could, of course, see their hesitation. He smiled and thought to himself, "I'll help you make up your minds in a while!"
The next day, Hobert first went to the factory under construction on Longtail Island for a tour. Currently, there were enough building materials, so they were building as fast as they could.
Under the direction of Roy, who already had extensive construction experience, nearly 20,000 natives were participating in the construction.
This made the slavers in Longtail Port very happy. There hadn't been such a large project since the beginning of the immigration to Longtail Island.
Although Roy gave them very low wages, citing the natives' lack of experience as construction workers, the large number of workers provided them with considerable income every day.
It was only because Roy was in charge of the workers' food and lodging that they couldn't deduct too much from their pay. The food that the Earl prepared for the workers was too good; they could eat as much bread as they wanted, and each person also received a piece of red bean toast and a small piece of butter every day.
As for the vegetables, even the slavers couldn't help but drool when they saw them. It was cabbage!
Longtail Island basically didn't grow vegetables from the North Continent, and the slavers had forgotten how long it had been since they had seen cabbage after leaving Bayam.
The large and fresh cabbages on the construction site were used as if they didn't cost any money, which made the slavers feel sorry. It was such a waste to give such good things to the natives!
The food here even attracted some natives. It wasn't the busy farming season, and they were willing to sell their labor just to be able to eat their fill.
As far as Hobert was concerned, the situation on Longtail Island had already opened up. The rest was up to time. When the time was right, he would make a big move and completely take over the governing rights of Longtail Island.
In fact, Hobert wasn't completely opposed to a "market economy"; it was just that the current situation on Longtail Island wasn't suitable for such an economic model.
He had to sort out the economic system first, and then consider the issue of a market economy. Otherwise, the economic pillars of Longtail Island would continue to be minerals, crops, and population.
After touring Longtail Island, Hobert went to South Colson again.
By this time, the immigration from Backlund to here was basically over. After spending a month living with plenty of food and drink, the first batch of immigrants no longer looked like wanderers.
Occasionally, they also had the opportunity to help out at the construction sites, especially the bridge construction site, the industrial park construction site, and the road hardening construction site between the town government, which needed a lot of labor.
After receiving their pay, some of them saved it up, preparing to borrow some money from the city government to build a house for themselves.
Others spent it all on food, drink, and entertainment. Their lives as wanderers had made them unaccustomed to saving money.
The city government certainly wouldn't care about these things. As Hobert had said before, the opportunities here would only be given to those who loved life.
And those who had experienced the life of a vagrant and were still willing to build their own homes and had beautiful visions for the future were the people Hobert was most willing to help.
In addition, the observation period for the thirty-odd scions of Backlund nobles had arrived. Hobert looked at the evaluations given by Corwin. Apart from a few good-for-nothings, most of them had performed quite well.
So, Hobert arranged three destinations for them. The first was to work in the town government in the South Colson area, because a large number of cadres had just been transferred to Longtail Island, leaving many vacancies.
The second was to go to Longtail Island, first to understand the situation, and at most, they would be the town mayor in a month.
The third was to return to Backlund and become Todd's assistant.
Although life on Longtail Island was a little more difficult, it had great potential. After this month of testing, they were already very eager for the position of town mayor, so most of them were willing to go to Longtail Island.
Hobert gave them three days off, after which they had to report to Longtail Island.
The backbone who stayed in the South Colson area to preside over the work was Corwin. Currently, this former personnel officer was the mayor, and Donna was the deputy mayor. Hobert was preparing to train his sister so that she could hold an important position in the future.
With Hobert's help, Donna was now a Beyonder. She had chosen the same path as her father, becoming an "Arbiter."
In the Lord's Manor, she still liked to fool around in front of her brother, but in her work, she had already shown a considerable degree of maturity, especially with the help of the potion, she already looked a bit imposing.
After touring the territory, Hobert, at Donna's request, took her to see the beach on Longtail Island.
Donna, who had changed into a more casual long dress, realized that her dress was too long and a bit hot after arriving on Longtail Island.
Fortunately, Fors still had some clothes here and found Donna a knee-length dress to change into.
As the three of them walked down the street, people greeted Hobert and Fors enthusiastically.
But Donna could feel that the enthusiasm of the people here was different from that of the residents of Jeffrey City. Their enthusiastic greetings seemed only to be in order to get more opportunities to make money, and not like the residents of Jeffrey City, who wholeheartedly supported Hobert.
Hobert, on the other hand, noticed that the gazes of a few people in the crowd seemed somewhat malicious.
But considering that most of them had been criminals, he didn't pay much attention to it.
There was a beach on Longtail Island that looked quite good, but unfortunately, it was undeveloped, full of weeds and coconut trees.
"Actually, a seaside park could be built here," Hobert said. "Otherwise, it's really a waste!"
Fors also commented, "This beach is no worse than the beach in Conant City."
Donna smiled and said, "If there was a park here, there would be a place to take a walk after dinner in the future."
She was still quite playful. Whenever she had time, she would follow the lumberjacks to Shipyard Island to pick wild fruits and catch sea fish.
Especially after Hobert organized Beyonders to start hunting the Beyonder creatures of Shipyard Island, she almost always went along.
Now, Hobert had used the "Traveler's Gate" to connect his sphere of influence. With the Lord's Manor in South Colson as the center, one "Traveler's Gate" led to Backlund, one led to Shipyard Island with its abundant timber resources, and one led to Longtail Island, constantly transporting logistical supplies such as grain and vegetables.
Therefore, there was now an agency similar to customs in the Lord's Manor, where the movement of goods and personnel had to be registered and inspected.
If a park were built here, I believe many people would indeed eat dinner in South Colson and then come to Longtail Island for a walk.
The more the three of them talked, the more Hobert felt that a park should be built, especially since they could have barbecues there. He had always wanted to experience a beach barbecue, but he had never had the chance.
However, this park would have to be built when there were enough building materials. The current main construction task was to improve the housing of the local natives as soon as possible.
Just as they were about to leave the beach, Hobert noticed three ships in the distance, seemingly preparing to dock on Longtail Island.
None of the three paid much attention, after all, this was a seaport, and it was normal for ships to dock.
At dinner, Donna raved about the local coconut toast: "No wonder everyone wants to go to sea. It turns out there's an endless supply of fruit at sea! The toast is even made with coconut! Oh, and there's an endless supply of fish!"
Hobert smiled and said, "Would you like me to arrange for you to experience the life of the natives?"
"If I were a native, I would find a deserted island to live on, and I wouldn't live like a slave like this," Donna said seriously.
Hobert forked a piece of peeled mango: "That reminds me of a book I read about island civilizations, and there's one point that impressed me deeply."
"Because it's easy to encounter natural disasters on islands, people who live on islands often lack a sense of security and tend to band together to survive, which easily leads to a hierarchical society."
Fors was very interested in this idea: "What book is that?"
Hobert paused slightly before smiling, "I forgot."
Actually, it was a book from the Common Era.
"Tch~" Donna said, "Hobert hasn't actually read this book. He's just telling me in a sarcastic way that the natives on the island won't leave their own tribe."
However, in her heart, she also felt that Hobert's words made sense.
Hobert raised his glass: "In any case, the miserable lives of the natives here are all a result of colonialism."
"Haha, the three of us are actually acting like colonizers."
"Let us..."
Just as he said this, Hobert seemed to sense something and looked towards the harbor.
Boom~
A muffled cannon sound suddenly rang out on the sea, followed by the sound of shells exploding.
This was like a blow to the head for Longtail Island, and the city, which had been a bit noisy, suddenly became quiet.
Someone shouted, "Pirates are here! Run!"
In an instant, the entire Longtail Port became very chaotic.
Hobert put down his glass and said unhurriedly, "I was wondering why I felt like I had forgotten something important. We don't have a navy yet! This won't do!"
Donna reminded him, "Brother, they're firing cannons outside!"
She wasn't nervous either. Although she didn't know how powerful Hobert was, he seemed very powerful. As long as Hobert was there, she wouldn't be in any danger.
"I'm not deaf," Hobert came to the window, first glanced at the chaotic street, and then saw three ships lined up in a row, firing at the coast in the moonlight.
At this time, he finally realized that no wonder he felt some unfriendly gazes when he was walking on the street in the afternoon. Those should have been scouts sent by the pirates in advance.
Because they didn't pose any danger, there was no spiritual warning.
And the three ships they saw at sea when they came back were the three pirate ships now.
Hobert smiled: "Speak of the devil, I was just worrying about where to order warships from, and now someone is delivering them to my door!"
At this time, the second round of shelling sparsely landed in the city, and the explosions immediately caused bursts of screams.
However, the power of the shells didn't seem to be great, at least very few buildings were blown down.
Hobert seemed oblivious to the scene outside, still staring at the pirate ships: "Let me take a look, the one in the front should be the flagship, with more than twenty gunports on one side, it's quite decent."
"The two ships behind are a bit old, but they can still be used, but they need to be modified and used as training ships."
Finally, Hobert sighed: "The future of the sea belongs to giant steel ships."
At this time, Seel and Freya had already reacted, they began to maintain order on the streets, and had already noticed that someone seemed to be inciting everyone's fear.
Conrad had also begun to organize people to evacuate the city, and then give the pirates a strong blow after they landed.
Longtail Port does have coastal defense positions, but the coastal defense guns inside were replaced with rusty old cannons at some point. No one dared to use those cannons, because there was a risk of explosion at any time.
So Hobert ordered fifty coastal defense guns from Mr. Ulysses in one go, but because of the lack of artillerymen, they haven't been deployed yet.
The artillery force currently under Hobert's command is still undergoing training by Archibald on the Shipyard Island.
Hobert was quite satisfied with the reaction speed of Seel and others. He said to Fors, "Let Seel prepare to take over our warships, and let Angus prepare for interrogation."
After speaking, Hobert disappeared in place.
Fors and Donna went to convey Hobert's orders respectively.
The shelling stopped suddenly after another two rounds, and then the three pirate ships began to dock.
The residents of Longtail Island thought that the pirates were about to land. Without Conrad's organization, many residents who had been navy or pirates or adventurers spontaneously picked up weapons to meet the enemy.
For them, you have to fight pirates! Only in this way can you protect your property and safety.
Gentlemen in Backlund believe that this is their awareness of resistance, but in Hobert's view, this is a manifestation of their never expecting the Governor's Office.
When the three ships docked at the pier one after another, and the residents were ready to fight the pirates, a dark thing suddenly flew down from the ship and landed on the pier.
A resident saw in the light of the kerosene lamp that it was a corpse! The face still had a look of shock.
Whoosh~
Before everyone could understand what was going on, another corpse flew down.
The pirate ship was quiet from beginning to end, and the atmosphere on the pier gradually became strange.
However, what was even stranger was still to come. After the gangplank of the pirate ship was put down, the pirates lowered their hands and walked off the ship one by one without saying a word.
This stunned the residents in place again.
"Please step aside!" Seel led people forward to arrest people.
A pirate seemed to think this was an opportunity, put down his hand and bent over to run, but was smashed back by a soldier with the butt of a gun.
"He is a devil!" The pirate shouted heart-wrenchingly: "He is definitely a devil!"
But he was still tied up by the soldiers and taken away.
The residents were also strange, how much shock did they have to receive to shout like this?
"Cough!"
A cough attracted everyone's attention. The residents saw a familiar figure on the ship's side. It turned out to be Earl Hobert!
They s the Earl wiping the blood stains on his hands with a handkerchief, and said: "After the interrogation of these pirates is over, take them to the construction site and deal with them according to the previous old rules!"
The so-called old rule is to work to death unless there is a major contribution.
In South Colson, there are still a large number of former bandits working for free on construction sites.
The soldiers responded in unison: "Yes!"
The residents couldn't help but take a step back, and put down the weapons in their hands. It was the first time they had seen such a military appearance.
Hobert also said to the residents: "These dead people are the captains, first mates, etc. of the pirate ship. I think they must have bounties on them!"
"After I receive the bounty, I will repair the houses that were shelled for everyone, and give a certain amount of compensation to families with casualties. If there is any remaining, it will be used to Renovation warships and maintain coastal defense positions."
Everyone began to discuss, in this Berserk Sea that believes in the law of the jungle, they didn't expect to receive compensation from the Governor's Office!
A few seconds later, there were cheers and cheers. The strength and justice shown by Hobert tonight made everyone very supportive of the new lord.
Even if the compensation given to them is just talk, they will support it.
On the Governor's side, Angus's trial quickly had results. These pirates heard that a rich nobleman had come to Longtail Island, so they wanted to rob him.
Hobert seriously suspected that the information dealer had a grudge against the pirate captain, so he didn't make it clear that this nobleman was Earl Hobert?
But thinking that the captain was a Sequence 6, Hobert felt that maybe they knew this, but the captain thought that Hobert would not be his opponent.
The next morning, Hobert, who had finished fighting the pirates, had returned to Backlund and embarked on a journey to Masin.
As soon as he got on the train, Hobert discovered that Princess Alice was also in the delegation of the Loen royal family.
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