Losa carefully examined the galley — there was a noticeable gash across the ship's hull, and besides that, it seemed there was nothing else.

He followed Hog and stepped onto the boarding plank.

On the deck, there were traces of blood and marks from swords and sabers.

"You're sure this ship is a pirate's, right?"

"Of course, I followed it under the water for a long time before making a move."

Hog had a hint of a pleased expression on his face: "I can assure you, there was no mistake about their identity, and no witnesses saw us."

"Have all the pirates on the ship been dealt with?"

Hog couldn't help but reveal a somewhat cruel smile: "All finished, those fools thought jumping into the sea would help them escape, truly naive."

Losa pinched the bridge of his nose, looking at the ship as if he could almost hear the desperate cries.

"Let's go, take me to see these pirates' treasure."

Bam—

Hog kicked open the captain's cabin.

He pointed to the sea chart above and said to Losa: "My lord, I've looked. This sea chart records the positions of several ports across Aden Bay and there's a treasure map. They must have hidden their spoils on an island that they hadn't yet been able to offload. In a while, I'll retrieve it."

Losa's fingers gently brushed over the rough parchment surface of the sea chart.

Africa is a treasure trove not much less than the New Continent, with precious metals like gold and silver, gems, and luxury items like ivory... all very stable hard currencies.

What a pity.

At present, Losa simply didn't have the power to develop it.

Firstly, the navigation skills were insufficient, and countries like Ethiopia in Northeast Africa near Aden Bay couldn't be underestimated as native forces. They possess advantageous terrains, a long-standing civilization, and many believers in the Coptic Christianity.

Attacking them would not be any easier than a regular territorial expansion, and there wasn't even a righteous cause.

The term more detested than heretics, the concept of "heretic" became more prevalent after the Thirty Years' War, that religious conflict that swept through Europe.

If it were solely about trading with Africans, Transjordan lacks strong products — dates, wine, grains... none of these make a significant profit.

Losa didn't want to touch the slave trade either.

In addition, mosquitoes, malaria, and other plagues were enough to halve an expedition army that wasn't adapted to the climate before they even met the enemy.

There were also the wizards in African tribes, and the animal spirits of the primitive faiths to consider.

Thus, it needed to be approached gradually.

Losa rolled up the sea chart, his gaze swept over some gold and silverware in the captain's cabin, touching them in succession, selling them to the system store.

"My lord, come with me. In the hold, there's treasure from another sunken pirate ship, all dredged up by my lads and placed in the cargo hold."

...

After a thorough sweep.

In the end, Losa gained a total of one thousand Suludes gold coins, roughly equivalent to the cost of building a city in New Habsburg.

In sea battles, the winner often takes all, earning exorbitant profits.

Of course, this was because the outer walls of New Habsburg, which required the most investment, were already completed in advance.

"Hog, I will take out half of this money to upgrade you; I hope you continue your hard work."

Hog was somewhat surprised but pretended to decline: "My lord, you're tight on funds now. Isn't half too much for me?"

"No need for modesty, this money is all your earnings, so giving you half isn't particularly generous."

Losa patted Hog's shoulder, thinking, "You are already a mature retainer, you should have the realization to earn money and upgrade yourself."

"Alright, Hog, I'm very satisfied with your actions this time, keep it up in the future."

Seeing Hog's demeanor suddenly rise a notch, the ghostly green flame on his body flared for a moment before slowly calming down.

Five hundred Suludes gold coins pushed Captain Hog directly to level thirty, it's almost like riding a rocket.

But probably because the upgrading cost multiples geometrically after surpassing level fifty, once reaching elite status, it'll drop back to level one, and the cost will become normal again.

"Thank you, my lord."

Hog was full of joy, clenched and then loosened his fists, feeling the power within him had multiplied countless times. As a retainer with a Lord template, this improvement would greatly enhance his flagship, the Ocean Disaster, along with its crew.

...

Losa watched Hog standing on the side of the ship, elegantly leaping into the water.

Beneath the sea, a large dark shadow slowly emerged, then gradually moved away.

Jeanne came to his side, somewhat sentimentally saying, "Making money is good, how long has Hog been under your command and already reached level thirty?"

Losa replied with mild irritation, "If you could earn money yourself, all the earnings would be yours."

He used to plan on helping Jeanne set up a distillery, who knew this woman had a passion that lasted only briefly, completely abandoning the idea of brewing and distilling.

Instead, she drank those expensive wines from his cellar every single day.

Jeanne rolled her eyes, "You want me to earn money and also work my life out, the capitalists of our time wouldn't dare to think like that."

"That's because you've seen very little."

Losa remembered news from his past life about paid employment, silently praised Captain Hog again.

He ordered the galley to be taken to the shipyard for repairs, intending to return to his residence.

The activities at Eira Port had begun to proceed.

But unlike the drastic reform at Alandler, Eira Port's reform was much milder, with many lands divided between Zane and his loyalists, essentially digging into his own pocket.

Due to Zane's misdeeds in Eira Port.

The port appeared somewhat desolate, dockworkers without work gathered with worried faces, looking at Losa's team with fear and cautiousness.

The Winged Cavalry patrolled back and forth in the port in neat formation.

On the training grounds, the farmer soldiers, under the command of the Imperial Knights, were undergoing intensive training, which practically took all their time, as they kept receiving military training.

Losa had spread his resources a bit too broadly.

Many lands recently exchanged for Alandler's farmer soldiers hadn't even been seen before they had to run to Eira Port to garrison.

Hans proposed, "My lord, shouldn't we transform this farmer soldier force into a standing militia completely?"

Losa looked at the empty port and sighed.

Though newly received with the five hundred gold coins from Hog, his small treasury still held a decent amount from Gwent Card and plate armor workshop earnings.

But expenses were also high.

"If Eira Port can't regain its past vitality, maintaining a new farmer soldier militia is a losing proposition."

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