CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER 195: REVIVAL PLAN_1

As the first rays of dawn shone upon Hamlet, the central square was overflowing with people. Most of them were neatly dressed and unified in appearance, their faces lacking the pallor common among refugees. However, they bore a look of uneasiness and couldn’t help but fixate their gaze on the man speaking from the high platform at the center.

"I am the Lord of Hamlet..."

Lance had never been one for long-winded speeches, for no amount of words could compare to the stark reality before their eyes.

Yet, to inspire these refugees who had migrated here, he found himself compelled to employ his powers of oratory.

Lance recounted the tragic sights he had witnessed along the way, evoking painful memories for those listening, and some, remembering their former lives, were moved to tears.

Crushed by the Empire, the Church, and the Nobility above, and exploited and oppressed by the villains among the refugees below, no one but they could understand their suffering.

Emotions are contagious, and as they spread, even the original residents of the town couldn’t help but feel a growing sadness, for in many ways they weren’t so different from the refugees.

"I saw everything! I saw disaster spreading throughout the Empire, I saw the pain inflicted upon you..."

Lance’s voice suddenly grew fervent. In his telling, gathering the refugees was not a means to exploit them for his own power. Instead, it became an act of compassion, borne out of witnessing their plight and deciding to do everything in his power to aid them.

As his voice grew increasingly impassioned, he denounced the man-made disasters, simultaneously stirring distrust towards the Empire and the Church among the crowd.

There were some things Lance could not say himself, but the crowd could voice them, and under the lead of a few, the atmosphere grew charged with emotion.

They vented their emotions against the Empire and the Church, the situation becoming more chaotic by the minute, but Lance simply watched, his gaze sweeping over those whose reactions were off.

Those truly rescued by these two powers wouldn’t be here. After all, no city or town along the way wanted to accept them, some even sending troops to drive them away or slaughter them. Otherwise, who would choose to travel such a great distance?

So Lance targeted this survivor’s bias. He deliberately directed their emotion against those powers, looking to greatly amplify his own influence. The stepping stones he was using were plain to see.

Even if he wasn’t aware of the actual situation, sometimes sitting in this position, one didn’t need a brain.

What could those people possibly do? At most, they might shout a couple of times, but that was it. Even with five thousand of them, they were still as disparate as sand.

After they had vented sufficiently, Lance began the crux of today’s grand act.

"But!"

This exclamation gripped the refugees’ hearts.

"Saving you does not mean your troubles are over, for Hamlet does not welcome the lazy. You must strive to survive on your own, contribute your strength to Hamlet and to me!"

The group of refugees seemed uneasy; they had been told they would farm for their food, but the reality of the situation was uncertain.

Lance could feel their anxiety and proceeded to roll out the plans he had been meticulously preparing: the Land Reclamation Plan, the Collective Farm Plan, and the Town Renovation Plan.

"For one year, work diligently without breaking any rules, and you will regain the status of a free citizen. Exceptional ability or significant contributions may hasten this process."

During that year, all the labor produced by the refugees would belong to Hamlet. They wouldn’t receive wages, only daily meals and assigned housing.

This was their value, the reason Lance had expended resources to save them.

As for those who had attacked the convoys, they had already been sent to the farms; they didn’t even have the right to stand here.

"All official free citizens of Hamlet will be allocated farmland according to family size. Both men and women over the age of ten will be eligible, irrespective of gender. The land cannot be traded but is only subject to a tax of thirty percent.

"Children of free citizens who are six years old and above will be given the opportunity to attend school with a subsidy from me covering part of their tuition fees and meal costs..."

Various preferential policies were announced, benefits they had never heard of before; they felt more like Nobility than commoners.

Both the original residents and the new refugees showed unprecedented excitement, eager to begin cultivating their own plots of land right away.

Why did Lance insist that all refugees join as slaves? It was to impose pressure on them. This status, contrasting with that of free citizens, would create a policy disparity, fueling their desire to shed it. Having something to look forward to would make them more diligent and hardworking.

Next, Lance announced a significant piece of news: a military conscription of five hundred. When the terms were laid out, the refugees were abuzz.

This was especially true for those from Totnes. They knew their Lord’s words held true, and having not been chosen previously, they were determined to give it their all this time.

The Guards from the disbanded camps also understood that they needed to re-enlist, not to be left out. They desired to fight beside their leader.

Lance observed their fervent emotions; only these five thousand people he had chosen could withstand his "voracious military recruitment."

Consider that a typical town of a thousand might have twenty or thirty sheriffs at most, with militias formed on an ad hoc basis in times of trouble.

Why is that? Don’t they want a stronger force?

The real reason is a matter of economics.

The cost of full-time soldiers is exorbitant, to say nothing of the generous compensation he offered. Also, a ten percent recruitment rate is an outrageous ratio, as it can easily lead to economic collapse.