CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 59 FIREWORKS?

Rose Swordsmanship granted "Zorro" a nimble gait.

In the darkness, he was like a graceful dancer lightly stepping to the rhythm, swiftly traversing through the shadows of buildings, like a solo dance of the prince of the night. Swift and rhythmic, rare was it that he didn’t attract any attention.

A moment later, a group of more than a dozen people pushing wheelbarrows toward the pier came into "Zorro’s" view. Yet this group didn’t notice that a gatecrasher had joined them in the shadows behind.

"You idiots, from now on, keep your mouths shut, don’t say a word! We’re just going to the dock to pick up goods, we know nothing else. If anyone makes a mistake, don’t blame old Barry for being ruthless!"

Under "Zorro’s" covert gaze, the leader, a man with a head of messy white curls like a lion, was softly warning his subordinates.

Swept by Barry’s gaze, the lackeys felt as if being stared at by a sinister old wolf, hurriedly covering their mouths and nodding repeatedly to show fear.

"It’s obvious to tell others there’s a problem, this villain is really unprofessional."

While "Zorro" secretly sneered, he didn’t expect how wronged the Lion Head was; who knew that on a nighttime path, there would be a nocturnal creature like you lurking around?

For now, not knowing what they’re planning to do, "Zorro" could only follow quietly.

If it turns out they’re really up to no good, he could only knock them out and toss them to the patrolling Navy. After all, Lord "Zorro’s" principle has always been: do good without seeking recognition, just kill without burial.

At the docks.

Since the late-arriving merchant ship began approaching, Aiven and the Navy had been watching for a full hour until it finally successfully docked.

"Who goes there? What are you doing at the pier?!"

Meanwhile, a group of men pushing wheelbarrows emerged from the direction of Lighthouse Island.

Aiven discreetly signaled, leading a few sailors personally to liaise with the docked merchant ship. Gary led most of the remaining men to confront the group, questioning the leader with curly hair.

"Good evening, sir! I’m old Barry, representative of the Golden Olive Commerce Association, here to receive a batch of goods we’ve ordered. This is our registration with the dock management office, you can check it." The curly-haired man Barry said, handing over a certificate issued by the dock management office.

"So late, are you sure you need to unload the goods immediately? Can’t you wait till daylight?" Not finding anything amiss, Gary asked.

Not that Gary intended to make things difficult, but with the strong winds tonight, the dock on Lighthouse Island had been unused for years and wasn’t in great condition, plus poor lighting, unloading at night could definitely lead to accidents.

The curly-haired man immediately showed a distressed expression, bowing deeply, complaining:

"Your Excellency, it’s not like we have a choice! Tomorrow is the day of the festival, and our goods are fireworks to be used at the festival. The first batch of fireworks was poorly handled and got soaked, so we had to rush to order another batch.

If the fireworks aren’t set up tonight, we’ll be in big trouble if we’re blamed tomorrow! You must help us."

Seeing his pitiful expression, Gary didn’t overly trouble him, especially since there was no regulation that forbids unloading goods at night, so he comforted him, saying: "I’ll talk to the Captain, it shouldn’t be much of an issue, just make sure to stay safe, can’t afford injuries!"

"Yes, yes, yes, we won’t cause any trouble." The curly-haired man nodded and bowed to Gary, who could be his son, with a fawning smile, utterly void of the harsh and domineering attitude he displayed while reprimanding his own men earlier.

Gary jumped onto the ship in two steps and approached Aiven.

Within moments, Aiven had already reviewed the certification documents on the merchant ship, including the ship owner, cargo names and quantities, cargo owner, loading location and time, destination, etc.

The captain presented documents issued uniformly by the Kingdom’s maritime department, intended both to verify the ownership of the goods aboard and facilitate tracking the merchant ship, as well as prevent potential pirate threats.

Since the island didn’t have permanent port staff, this duty fell to Aiven and the Navy as temporary agents.

Comparing with the receiving party’s inspection results, from the paperwork perspective, both parties had valid documents, with no indication of any issues.

"Boss, the receivers say....."

"Fireworks?"

Upon hearing Gary explain the special situation, Aiven contemplated for a moment. He empathized and didn’t mind making a slight exception within his authority to offer some convenience.

"You can unload the goods, but I’ll be watching from the side. Tonight’s exception applies only to the designated fireworks, other cargo waits till daylight, understand?"

Lion Head Buck had no objections, repeatedly agreeing.

Soon, the merchant ship and Lion Head completed their paperwork exchange and began unloading.

Box by box of tightly sealed "fireworks" was lifted off the ship by Buck’s men and loaded onto the wheelbarrows after being securely tied.

Seeing the wheelbarrows half-full, someone in the shadows couldn’t sit still. Knowing this batch of goods had a problem, letting them transport it into the island under cover of night could make finding them difficult later. If they create a stir, I, as a member of the Navy, wouldn’t escape responsibility.

Whoosh——

One of Buck’s men had just tied a wheelbarrow when a gleaming short crossbow arrow suddenly shot from the darkness, embedding into a wooden box with a "thud," frightening him into landing hard on his rear.

"Someone’s shooting arrows! Run!"

Everyone was startled and quickly avoided when they saw the gleaming object, fearing the next arrow might fall onto their heads.

Standing on the deck overseeing the sailors, ensuring their safety, Aiven noted that the arrow from the beginning aimed directly at the wooden box, not targeting anyone.

"Thud!"

Nimbly leaping off the merchant ship, Aiven moved through the crowd huddled on the ground in panic, avoiding impulsively rushing into the darkness to search for potential enemies. Instead, he approached the box hit by the crossbow bolt, pulled out the arrow, and examined it closely.

This crossbow arrow was made of high-quality steel, much shorter and more refined than ordinary crossbow arrows, initially judged to be from arm crossbows used by assassins or rangers.

Despite its small size, its cost was far above that of regular bow and crossbow arrows, making this weapon beyond the reach of ordinary folks.

Glancing at the darkness where the lighthouse couldn’t shine, Aiven ordered everyone to remain stationary and not move recklessly. If the archer’s aim was to draw them away, he’d be very passive. As a commander, he must consider the larger picture, never acting like a regular sailor, hot-headed and relying on force to act impulsively.

But in the moment Aiven appeared, "Zorro" hiding in the shadows recognized the Navy Captain who had once defeated him.

"It’s actually this guy?" Startled, "Zorro" instinctively slinked further into the shadows.

After their sword duel, he understood the gap between himself and Aiven; his previous successful escape was purely luck, and he wasn’t sure if he’d have the chance to escape if exposed this time.

Though being caught wouldn’t be a huge deal, it would certainly damage his "Radiance" reputation.

"As for the sailors from the Third Fleet stationed on the Warm Wind, I’ve seen most of them; he should be an officer from the Silver Wings.

A Navy warship doesn’t have that many Captain Officers; a quick check with the adjutant will reveal it."

"Zorro" didn’t intend to use his position for personal vengeance; dedicating himself to becoming a "Great Prophet," he had no interest in deceptions and plots, digging into Aiven’s identity was just a natural curiosity to uncover others’ secrets.

"With this guy’s sense of responsibility that chased me across half the city, he should notice the hint I provided, right? Having that notebook with a witchcraft aura, I wonder if he’s discovered the secret within?"

Uncertain thoughts swirling in his mind, "Zorro" raised his hand and fired another crossbow arrow.

Whoosh——

"Hurry and open the box to check, you idiot!"