CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 137: PICKING SOMEONE UP_1

"As for you, you’ve done well. Your salary will increase by thirty percent. Continue the good work, and you’ll be prioritized for promotion."

Lance looked at the few who had not been denounced amidst the chaos. They were undeniably loyal and not greedy. Regardless, they deserved rewards, and when the time came, he would consider promoting them based on their abilities.

Those people sighed in relief upon hearing this, grateful they had remained steadfast.

And those who had been consistently diligent felt that their perseverance had finally paid off.

"Handle their matters, then arrange for my men to have a meal and a rest."

Watching the man before her, whose name she didn’t even know, take command of the entire merchant company in such a short time with decisive measures, expose the conspiracy within, and then, with just a few words, win over those who had stood by her side...

Only now did the woman realize she had unwittingly lost her leadership position. Everyone, including herself, now preferred to listen to him.

She was aware of it, but there was nothing she could do. From the moment she chose to rely on his influence, she had no other choice.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, I’ll arrange it right away." The woman had no time for other thoughts and quickly began organizing things with her people.

They took over the affairs of the convoy, and the few who had been busy gathered around Lance.

"Sir, what you did was against the law," William said as he approached with his dog, Gefis. He was surprised by all the bizarre incidents he had witnessed since leaving the small town.

But he thought Lance’s use of private punishment and forceful restraint was somewhat improper.

"Are they righteous?" Lance asked nonchalantly with a smile.

"Of course not—what they did was unjust." William clearly disapproved of those people’s actions.

"And are they lawful?"

"They are obviously illegal."

"So, how should such cases typically be handled?"

"They should be taken to court for trial, of course."

"And who should conduct the trial?"

"Naturally, a judge."

"And who appoints the judge?"

"Of course, it’s the local Governor."

"Well, there you go. I am the Lord. In my territory, what problem is there with me judging them based on their crimes?"

William paused. He realized there might not actually be a problem, yet something still felt off to him.

Seeing his reaction, Lance almost laughed. In this era, talking about the rule of law was a joke. The Empire couldn’t even fully control its own interior. Different regions followed different laws. Some, too lazy to create their own, simply adopted the Empire’s laws for convenience. This created an outward appearance of unity with the Empire, but actual control rested entirely with the local Lords. Not to mention the Supreme Imperial Church, which could override the Empire’s authority and put anyone on trial whenever they pleased. William’s legal mindset, formed under such circumstances, was distorted, impractical, and untested by reality—existing only in his own naive ideals.

But Lance couldn’t spell it out plainly, at least not now. He needed to let William see the world outside, to expand his worldview from the small town to the world at large. For now, he would find something for him to do.

"The small town outside has been corrupted by an evil cult, and there must be evil cult strongholds in the city too. Spend the next few days with Fergus scouring the city and root those fiends out. We can’t allow them to harm ordinary people any longer."

Sure enough, compared to these issues, the threat of the evil cult was far greater. Hearing this, William temporarily set aside his doubts and promptly replied, "I’ll go now."

"Look, Gefis is tired. Rest well tonight; starting tomorrow isn’t too late."

Lance bent down and patted the dog’s head. The intelligent dog had become a favorite among everyone after they had gotten to know it over the past few days.

After making arrangements for Gefis, Lance turned and called over Dismas and Reynard.

"I have a task for you two."

"My lord, just give your orders."

"I need you to pick up two people."

As Lance spoke, he pulled out a simple map. Reynard looked somewhat surprised to see it, for it showed the area around his own hometown.

"My lord! This..."

"Go and bring them here. It’s too chaotic outside right now. I’ll explain the rest to them."

Dismas couldn’t quite understand what the two of them were talking about and looked puzzled, prompting Lance to explain.

"This time, we need to pick up Reynard’s wife and children. I wanted to go with you, but there’s a problem with the trading company here, and I can’t leave. So, I can only ask you two to make the trip."

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?" Dismas readily agreed. "Rest assured, my lord, I will definitely bring them back safely."

"The road is dangerous, so don’t take it lightly," Lance warned, noticing his carefree attitude. "You can ignore everything else, but ensure they return safely."

"Mission guaranteed!" Dismas’s demeanor became serious.

He and Reynard were among the first to pledge their loyalty. Having fought through many battles together, they were comrades who could trust each other with their lives. The bond between men needed no words.

Reynard stood by, not because he didn’t want to speak, but because he didn’t know what to say.

What exactly had he gained after fighting for the Church for over a decade?

And how many days had he been here?

A warmth surged in his heart, and even this man, accustomed to life and death, felt his eyes begin to redden.

"Alright, save it for when you return. I’ve said it before: since you have pledged loyalty to me, I will take responsibility for you."

"Why the long face? This is good news! Though, once your wife arrives, you won’t be able to visit the brothels with me anymore," Dismas teased.

"I never went in the first place." Reynard was somewhat speechless; the budding emotion had been thoroughly ruined.

"Hahaha! Let’s set off then. I’ve left you the best carriage," Lance said with a laugh, patting their shoulders and activating Bless to relieve their fatigue.

Watching the carriage drive away, Lance pondered. Reynard’s hometown wasn’t far. Without the main convoy, a round trip by carriage would take about three days. If they traveled day and night, they could possibly return in two. Meanwhile, he needed to use this time to deal with the trading company’s issues. He planned to rely on this trading company not only for commerce and profit but also for gathering information.

This recent experience made Lance realize that some tasks indeed needed to be left to professionals. He couldn’t afford to waste more time on this; his primary objective remained his great-grandfather, and he knew he had to prioritize.

「 」

"Do the accounts match up?"

"They do. What they coughed up not only filled the gaps in the trading company’s funds but also left a sizable surplus."

"Of course. That’s their blood money," Lance said lightly. After all, he had practically wrung them dry.

Thinking of this man’s brutal methods, the woman couldn’t help but ask worriedly, "But is it really safe for us to do this?" The camp was now filled with those people. If something went wrong, she definitely wouldn’t be able to escape.