noveltune Chapter 56: Corruption
Chapter 56: Corruption
Doron nodded.
Silver Shield is a major merchant guild in the North, and he had heard of it when he was a knight in the North.
It's not surprising that they have a branch in Gorubakburg.
What he needs to know is who's in charge.
The information Mad gathered was clear: no one had the final say.
Gorubak Castle has no city lord or lord, only a trade arbitrator who is rotated among the heads of the merchant guild. This arbitrator is used to handle contract disputes and investigate false accounts. He has no power to mobilize troops or collect taxes.
The tax collectors were tax officials sent by the kingdom, stationed in the old fortress in the west of the city, with only a few dozen clerks and a small squad of security cavalry under their command.
The Chamber of Commerce funds the security force, while the Kingdom enacts laws to collect taxes; each does its own thing.
"Isn't there anyone in charge?" Doron asked.
Mad shook his head.
"Last time, someone wanted to become the city lord, and all the merchant guilds united to drive him away. They used money."
Duolong stood by the dock, piecing together the information Mad had gathered in his mind.
This is the largest trading town on the border, but not the political center.
It was a transit point for goods and information. Ores and timber were transported from the wasteland, and grain and cloth were transported from the kingdom. Rumors and intelligence were loaded and unloaded along with the cargo. No one cared about the origin of the goods or the truth of the rumors.
This is where the Chamber of Commerce calls the shots. And the Chamber of Commerce is an organization that talks with money.
The once fortified city is now only guarded by a small squad of royal knights, with the entire fortress under the control of the merchant guild. This made Doron realize that the kingdom had begun to corrupt.
Doron wrote these messages in a letter and had his men personally deliver it back to his territory. At the same time, he reported his thoughts to the lord, hoping to gain the lord's support.
In Ashwood Territory, Ron clapped his hands in satisfaction as he looked at the completed fourth pit tower.
The territory now has nearly 2,500 people. The pit buildings have perfectly solved the problem of overpopulation. Each room in the pit buildings accommodates four people, and the two newly built pit buildings can accommodate over a thousand people. The others can be accommodated by squeezing in.
Mrs. Moriel has been extremely busy these past few days.
She first washed all the women, then divided them into three categories.
Strong women are divided into one category, women with average looks into another, and finally, women with some beauty and figure are divided into yet another.
Of the nearly nine hundred women, only one hundred were healthy and strong. These women, once they took good care of their health, were skilled workers and were naturally recruited into the Women's Administration Bureau.
As for those who were beautiful and had good figures, there were fewer than fifty in total, and they were all taken into the lord's manor. It wasn't that Ron wanted a harem of three thousand beauties.
Mrs. Moriel planned to train these women well so that they could become maids in the Lord's manor in the future. Even if they did not become head maids, they could be rewarded to meritorious officials in the future.
As for the ordinary women, they were all placed in the lord's directly owned properties, with the Women's Administration Bureau in charge of the arrangements. As for the bachelors in the territory, they had already been assigned last time.
The Women's Bureau was the first administrative department Ron established, primarily responsible for managing unmarried women in the territory. All unmarried women of marriageable age were under the jurisdiction of the Women's Bureau.
The administration has only one task: to settle and manage these unmarried women, to get them into production as soon as possible, and to give them priority in marriage if they find suitable unmarried men.
Many women didn't care about this, after all, they were once the goblins' breeding tools, and now that they had a new home, it didn't matter if they were arranged to marry.
As for those who are unwilling or have extreme emotions, especially those who have just been rescued from the goblin camp, Mrs. Moriel will lock them up and starve them for two days. Only when they calm down and are willing to accept the management of the territory will Mrs. Moriel rearrange their affairs.
As for those who refused, they were truly starved to death and then secretly used as fertilizer.
Where Ron couldn't see, Mrs. Moriel disposed of eight unruly corpses, making the somewhat irritable women watch the whole thing, which terrified them.
Nowadays, in the eyes of most women in the territory, the most terrifying person in the territory is not the lord, but the female stewards.
Ron was aware of Mrs. Moriel's methods, but he didn't interfere.
In the wilderness, kindness is a luxury; order is the foundation of survival.
If those women who starved to death were alive, they would incite more people to rebel, and then the death toll would be much higher than just a few.
"My lord." Thun led a large group of Grin to Ron's side.
Ron smiled and looked at the people around Thun. With the original thirty people and the more than fifty people who had just been recruited, almost all of the young combatants were in front of him, forming a team of nearly sixty people.
"What are you trying to do?"
Leonardo da Vinci placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and quickened his pace slightly as he walked toward Thun.
It's not about fighting, it's about defense. If sixty Greens appeared before the lord at the same time, it might be a rebellion, and his guards might not be able to stop them.
Thune noticed his nervousness and immediately raised his hand to stop the Grimm behind him, then stepped forward alone.
"Your Excellency Leonardo da Vinci, I meant no harm."
Tuen hurriedly explained, "My lord, you misunderstand. The Twin-Headed Bone Tribe has been dealt with, but there are still three tribes that haven't been dealt with. In this battle, these four tribes were severely weakened, and the other three tribes won't fare much better. This is the best opportunity for us. I plan to deal with the other three tribes in the same way we dealt with the Twin-Headed Bone Tribe. Perhaps we can even reclaim a large amount of supplies and food."
Ron thought for a moment and then nodded: "Okay, be careful in everything. Now you're not only the leader of the Greens, but also one of my few remaining family members in this world. I don't want anything to happen to you!"
Hearing Ron's emotional words, Thun was deeply moved and knelt down on one knee.
"Don't worry, my lord, I won't let you down. When the time comes, if anyone sends back a message, please send people to help transport the supplies as soon as possible."
Ron patted Thun on the shoulder and said nothing more.
He had said what needed to be said; he couldn't really stop Thun from going.
If the three tribes are truly dealt with, their surrounding area will be safe, at least they can cultivate farmland outside the city walls. Moreover, Ron plans to expand the territory's city walls to lay the foundation for the future.
Leonardo da Vinci frowned and said, "My lord, the Grin are growing stronger and stronger. I'm worried that one day..."
Ron smiled and waved his hand confidently, saying, "The Green people can't possibly have only one leader, Thun. Since I dared to accept the Green people, I'm confident I can control them."
After all, among the first group of Grimm, there were more than a dozen Grimm women, two of whom were pregnant.
As long as he lives, the Greens will not dare to cause trouble. And children are the easiest to brainwash. Perhaps in the next generation, they will be the most loyal subjects of the territory.