A vast stretch of open sea.

Two warships rose and fell with the waves, one ahead and one behind, their green flags emblazoned with crossed sabers fluttering proudly in the wind.

But the sailors on board were in no mood for pride, they were scrambling to lower lifeboats and rescue the soldiers floundering in the water. The arrogance they had shown while chasing their prey had completely vanished, replaced by sheer humiliation.

Standing at the rail, Captain Achim’s face was dark as iron. His fists clenched tightly around the railing, and his sharp eyes brimmed with fury.

That cargo ship had taken away more than 1,000 Moonfolk, and cost Gallon Port at least a million Dinars in losses! Yet this was not merely about money, it concerned the reputation of Governor Nihark, and even the dignity of the entire Xilande Empire.

If those fugitives reached Silvermoon Bay and made it ashore, who knew what outrageous rumors their tongues might spread?

The survivors of Poro Province might understand what was happening, but outsiders would not. They might even think the Empire was nothing but a band of robbers.

And he had to make clear, this was not robbery.

It was for the prosperity of the Xilande Empire, and the peace of its next generation!

Captain Achim turned to his adjutant, gritting his teeth. “Who the hell are those people?!”

“Their ship was built in the Silvermoon Bay shipyard,” the adjutant replied quickly. Then, with confidence, he added, “I’m certain of it, there’s only one shipyard there. It can’t be mistaken. Our ships were bought from the same place.”

“Idiot! I didn’t need you to tell me that!” Achim barked, and the adjutant trembled in fear, not daring to speak further. His superior not only outranked him but also possessed the noble blood of the Tigerfolk and Sunfolk, just like the Marshal himself.

That noble lineage made the adjutant afraid even to meet the captain’s eyes, terrified of offending him.

At that moment, a sharp-eyed junior officer stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “Sir, I may know something about them.”

“Speak,” Achim snapped impatiently.

The officer immediately said, “When I traveled through the Camel Kingdom, I saw that white bear insignia before. Judging by the symbol and the bear traveling with them, they must be members of the Order of the White Bear!”

Achim blinked. “What is that?”

The officer explained, “It’s a bank based in Petra Fortress. The owner, I heard, is a woman who, during the War of the Sunset Province, helped several nobles persecuted by the Weilanters. Because of that, she built strong ties with the royal families of the desert kingdoms, and her business prospered. After the ceasefire between the Enterprise and the Army, merchants from the New Alliance entered the Sunset Province, and they made a fortune exchanging currencies. Later, they expanded into loans and deposits.”

Most of what he said was rumor, but one fact was certain. The Order of the White Bear were famous across the Camel Kingdom, especially in Petra Fortress.

Achim rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing. “So this person’s rich?”

The officer hesitated, then nodded quickly. “Yes, absolutely!”

A gleam flickered in Achim’s eyes as an idea formed. He turned to his adjutant and barked an order. “Pass my command, everyone back aboard immediately! We depart in five minutes for the waters near Silvermoon Bay!”

With the Camel Kingdom’s cowardice, they’d never dare let that cargo ship dock right in front of the Xilande Empire fleet.

If he could seize that vessel, he’d not only reclaim the slaves but perhaps even demand a ransom from that so-called Order of the White Bear Bank.

The adjutant’s face went pale with alarm. “Captain, sir, our rescue isn’t finished yet! There are still men unaccounted for!”

Achim cut him off with a wave of disgust. “Those fools are the Empire’s shame. They couldn’t even capture a cargo ship! What use do we have for them?” He glared coldly at his subordinate, voice dripping with threat. “The Governor ordered us to retrieve those slaves and those meddling outsiders at any cost. If you don’t want to feed the fish, do as I say.”

Sweating profusely, the adjutant nodded and ran off to shout for the crew to reboard. The remaining castaways would simply have to be written off as dead.

Ending the rescue cleanly and decisively, Captain Achim summoned the helmsman and navigator, pointing at the sea chart with a deadly tone. “I don’t care how you do it, we must reach the waters near Silvermoon Bay before the smugglers. They cannot be allowed to dock.”

The sailors exchanged uneasy glances but dared not object. All nodded rapidly. “Yes, sir! Understood!”

...

Though in the Camel Kingdom, and especially Petra Fortress, the Order of the White Bear were hailed as paragons of justice, their operations across the border in Poro Province had gone far less smoothly. In fact, they had recently become synonymous with evil.

At the root of it all was one meddlesome woman who just couldn’t mind her own business.

Slave trading wasn’t rare in the Wasteland. But rounding up free citizens en masse and chaining them under absurd pretexts was rare. Even the dullest old fools of Boulder Town knew that there were far more efficient contracts than slavery. An indebted worker could produce ten times the value of a slave, and live on even less.

Yet the grotesque practice was unfolding right before the New Alliance players’ eyes in the Poro Province.

A group of people was suddenly branded as traitors, and thus became lawful targets for robbery and slaughter.

At first, Sisi had no intention of interfering. She even covered Tail’s eyes and kept warning her not to stir up trouble on someone else’s turf. But when she realized those beasts weren’t even sparing children under twelve, she snapped.

After that, they had used their Roro Boat’s 155mm cannon and six 100mm short-barreled field guns to bombard Gallon Port, sinking two warships under repair at close range. Then they gave away the million-silver worth of weapons they had intended to sell, to the thousands of Moonfolk prisoners held there.

Perhaps it was courage, or perhaps desperation, but inspired by the foreigners’ defiance, and realizing that the Imperial forces were not as invincible as they had believed, the Moonfolk finally took up arms.

They entrusted their women and children to the hero in the red bandana, while the men and elders stayed behind, taking the supplies looted from the Imperial port and retreating into the forests under the guidance of Moonfolk veterans.

That act was what sent Governor Nihark into a rage, ordering the Roro Boat and its crew hunted down.

Though they made no money, in fact, they lost a great deal, none of them regretted it. In a lifetime, there were many chances to get rich, but only one or two chances to stand up like a hero.

When Tail tied that red bandana around her head, she thought she looked mighty cool. As for the lost money in game, she didn’t give half a shit!

...

The next morning.

The golden sun rose over the endless ocean, its light glittering across the rolling waves.

Sesame Paste stretched lazily in the sea breeze, squinting contentedly at the horizon. A whimsical thought crossed her mind, what would oceans on a planet five light-years away look like? Would they be just as vast?

“Ah! My camera!”

Realizing such a sight was too beautiful not to capture, she rummaged hurriedly through her satchel.

Though they’d just survived a thrilling naval battle last night, for veteran Wasteland Online players, that kind of thing was nothing new.

If they didn’t die, it was no big deal. And if they actually died... Well, that was no problem either.

The Order of the White Bear didn’t just run a bank in the Camel Kingdom, they also provided communication services and player save points.

For just 2,000 silver, merchants from Dawn City, or traveling trade players, could deliver a portable Clone Cabin for saving progress.