Chapter 340: A Not-So-Good Demographic Situation

Though the White Flower Society numbered in the hundreds, once their leader Marcello was captured, the rest became nothing but a rabble—unable to mount any organized resistance, with nowhere to flee, they huddled in crumbling dwellings, praying to slip through unnoticed.

Soon, this nearly defenseless crowd was swiftly corralled by the knights.

There were too many for Ronin to transport them all back to Goldfeather City—first, the ships could not hold them; second, there was no need.

Moreover, these people, if left on Flowstream Island, would become his subjects, serving him in time.

So he stood upon the high slope and proclaimed aloud his purpose in coming to Flowstream Island, declaring that this operation targeted only Marcello and his accomplices; all others who obeyed orders and fulfilled their duties for Knight Vali would be allowed to live in peace upon this land, unharmed.

This proclamation eased the tension somewhat. Seizing the moment, Ronin made a cursory inspection of the crowd—and noticed troubling signs.

Many among them were disabled; some were mentally impaired.

Some had poor eyesight; others moved like cripples; some who should have been teenagers bore the withered bodies of men decades older; still others in their twenties possessed the intellect of five- or six-year-olds.

According to Vali, many had been born this way.

That they had survived, understood speech, and could perform labor was already remarkable—many died within days of birth.

This, they said, was divine retribution visited upon their ancestors’ sins.

Ronin harbored his own suspicions.

The White Flower Society knew no proper social order; their reproduction must have been chaotic beyond measure.

Even among nobility, incest produced congenital deformities—what then of this far more tangled web of kinship?

If he were to inherit Flowstream Island, he would need to institute marriage standards—no random pairing of man and woman, but strict avoidance of consanguinity to prevent the birth of malformed children.

While they secured the populace, searches proceeded in parallel.

Very soon, the dock Ronin had spotted earlier was uncovered.

Vali stared at the scene before him, seething.

He had been entrusted with oversight of the entire island. That these people had grown increasingly unruly was bad enough—but to discover they had secretly built a dock, establishing contact with the outside world?

He looked at the piles of timber stacked nearby and knew: Marcello had been smuggling.

If this came to light, he would be held accountable.

“Damn these criminals!”

Vali muttered under his breath. In front of Ronin and the Royal Gryphon Knights, he had no chance of escaping blame, nor the influence to persuade these nobles to conceal the truth.

“My Lord Count, what are your next steps?”

Ronin fell silent for a long while, then said: “This dock was clearly used by the White Flower Society for smuggling. You will oversee the interrogations of Marcello and his men—uncover precisely who they partnered with, how long the trade lasted, how much timber was transported.”

Vali snapped back to attention. “Rest assured, my lord—I will extract every detail.”

“Do not harm their lives,” Ronin warned.

“Whether they live or die is the King’s decision. Our duty is to deliver them alive to Goldfeather City.”

To prevent recklessness, he assigned Tom and one of Missy’s knights to assist.

Fortunately, their lips were not as tightly sealed as expected.

Especially Clifford, whom Ronin had defeated—Vali merely threatened him for an afternoon, and the man confessed everything.

According to Clifford, he hailed from the Bloodsail Pirates, the largest gang in the Screaming Sea, and was their third-in-command.

To aid Marcello against Vali—and to seize control of the White Flower Society for greater wealth—he had long resided on Flowstream Island.

He had assumed such a remote place would escape the notice of great powers—at least not so soon.

Clifford never imagined the authorities would arrive so swiftly, so violently, granting him not a moment’s reprieve.

“Ronin, do you believe Clifford’s confession?” Missy asked.

As leader of the Royal Squad, Missy spoke, in some measure, with the King’s authority.

Back in Goldfeather City, she would report all she had witnessed to Bruno.

Ronin paused, then nodded—and shook his head.

“I accept his origins. The Bloodsail Pirates are certainly capable of such deeds. But whether other powers lurk behind this, I remain skeptical.”

During the afternoon search, Ronin had found numerous finished logging tools—axes, hatchets, and more.

This meant Clifford and his men intended to make a major operation of it, with established sales channels already in place.

Such a full chain—from felling to loading, transport, and sale—could not have functioned without cooperation.

Who was the partner?

Ronin naturally thought of the nobles along both shores of the Screaming Sea—most conspicuously, the Fleming family, lords of the Screaming Sea.

But these were only suspicions, lacking concrete evidence. He would not voice them to Missy—accusations of framing or slander from other nobles would be a nightmare.

He worried only this: now that he had cut off the Bloodsail Pirates’ revenue, would they seek revenge upon taking control of Flowstream Island?

An island stranded far offshore offered no safety like the Wubei Domain.

One devastating blow could cost him dearly.

Before Wubei possessed sufficient naval strength, perhaps setting disputes aside and pursuing mutual cooperation would be the wiser path?

Ronin’s party rested overnight in the White Flower Society’s stronghold.

At dawn the next day, Knight Vali left several knights and a contingent of infantry to maintain order, while the rest, with Ronin, escorted Marcello and Clifford back to Flowstream’s harbor.

Now, the only remaining rebellious force on the island was the Larn Society.

Having easily crushed the White Flower Society, the weaker Larn Society would be even simpler.

On the third morning, Ronin led his force out once more.

Communication on Flowstream Island was clearly sluggish. By the time the main force arrived at Larn’s territory, their leader, Knight Larn, had only just awakened from sleep—and learned that Marcello had been captured.

Under such circumstances, he offered no resistance, surrendering immediately.

The entire takeover occurred with barely a skirmish.

Thus, both rebel factions on Flowstream Island were subdued without a ripple. All that remained was to transport Marcello and his men to Oxhorn Bay—and Ronin’s campaign for glory would be complete.

In the quiet dusk, Ronin stood by his window, gazing down upon the port of Oxhorn Bay.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The door opened. Karada entered.

“My lord, the person you wished to see has been brought.”

“Bring him in.”

Tom and David flanked a bald man, shackled at the ankles, as they led him into the study. (End of chapter)