CHAPTER 561: THE QUELLING

TL: Rui88

The Internal Guard in Alda’s military and political system was positioned similarly to the armed police in Paul’s previous life. It currently maintained a force of one hundred men. When the regular police encountered situations they couldn’t handle, the Internal Guard would step in to resolve them. Additionally, they were responsible for the security of various key departments of the Administration Council. The Internal Guard’s weaponry included flintlock muskets and light artillery, making them better suited to handle extreme violent incidents than the police, who were typically armed only with cold weapons.

When Burgan launched his rebellion, the Administration Council, deceived by him, handed over command of the Internal Guard to him. In this way, the Internal Guard instantly became the most powerful force Burgan held. They were far better trained than the militia.

However, after Burgan learned that Schroeder’s army had arrived outside the city, he did not have the courage to lead such an armed force out to fight. The reason was that the Internal Guard and Schroeder were too familiar with each other; if he took them out, they would most likely defect on the battlefield. Therefore, he only led the militia out of the city to confront Schroeder, while the Internal Guard was broken up into several small teams and deployed in different areas within the city.

But the sound of a cannon from the Lord’s Manor caught the attention of the Internal Guard. A small team closest to the Lord’s Manor immediately sent someone to the castle to inquire and, naturally, they soon learned the truth of the rebellion. They then contacted the other various small teams and gathered in front of the Lord’s Manor gate. At the same time, the people inside the Lord’s Manor also learned that Lakeheart Town was now very vulnerable, as most of the militia had been led outside by Burgan. They immediately seized this opportunity, collectively signed an order, and had the Internal Guard proclaim it throughout the city.

Without Burgan as their leader, his few remaining accomplices in the city lost their backbone. Under the pressure of Schroeder from without and the Administration Council from within, they were quickly arrested. Control of the Lakeheart Town urban area returned to the loyalists.

The Internal Guard immediately sent men out of the city to get the latest information, only to discover unexpectedly that the instigator of the rebellion, Burgan, had been killed. And so they came before Schroeder.

After reading the letter personally written by Old Ford, Chief of Staff Schroeder and the 9th Infantry Battalion Commander Claude did not hesitate. They immediately led their troops into Lakeheart Town, and the two men soon arrived at the Lord’s Manor.

“Oh, Heavenly Father! Thank goodness you are all right.”

Schroeder saw the Head of the Logistics Department, Ron, and the Head of the Equipment Department, Kelly, and immediately went forward to embrace them.

“Lord Schroeder, we thought we would never see you again.”

Ron and Kelly’s eyes welled up with tears.

After Schroeder had realized something was amiss and left Lakeheart Town, these two had become the biggest obstacles to Burgan’s usurpation of the armed forces’ leadership, so they were immediately attacked and imprisoned.

After a round of greetings, the key figures from both the military and political sides sat down to discuss the arrangements that would follow.

Schroeder brought good news to everyone: Count Grayman had defeated the attackers and was still alive and well. This allowed Director-General Ford and Steward Philip to finally put their minds at ease.

After discussion, everyone agreed that the most urgent matter was to bring the lord back to Lakeheart Town to ensure his absolute safety, and also to bring Count Ganard to Lakeheart Town.

Additionally, until the aftershocks of the rebellion had completely subsided, the martial law in Lakeheart Town would remain in effect.

Furthermore, after retaking the signal towers near Lakeheart Town, the Lord’s Manor received information from Emden: the 6th Infantry Battalion had repelled the forces of Count Bazel, who had been attempting to enter Emden at the border. Schroeder replied to the 6th Infantry Battalion’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Walton, in the name of the Staff Department, explaining the whole story, praising his choice, and ordering him to continue to be vigilant against the major surrounding powers.

Two days later, Paul and Malron returned to Lakeheart Town, one after the other.

“Gentlemen!”

Paul summoned his subjects in the Lord’s Manor, his voice somewhat choked with emotion.

“I have never felt you all to be so dear as I do now. I… I…”

His shoulders actually began to tremble slightly.

“Lord Grayman, please do not be overly emotional.”

The lord’s secretary, Bernard, who was at his side, comforted him. “Those gathered here now are all your closest friends and loyal retainers. They would absolutely never harm you.”

“I know, Bernard, thank you.”

Paul took a few slow breaths to calm his heart.

However, the lord’s brow immediately furrowed tightly. Everyone present could see a wave of resentment swirling across his face.

“I will punish them harshly! I will punish them harshly!”

The lord repeatedly muttered this sentence in a low voice, but everyone heard it clearly. It seemed Count Grayman was about to announce the punishment for the rebels.

He suddenly stood up and said in a raised tone, “Thinking back on it now, how indecisive I used to be. Since such a slow, gradual reform could incite their rebellion, then I should have just unleashed a storm right from the start. Just you watch, I will not be merciful from now on. All my plans will be put into practice, all reforms will be launched immediately. What petitions, what public opinion…utter nonsense! I will never care about such things again!”

What? The crowd looked at each other in dismay upon hearing this. Plans? Reforms? At a time like this, Count Grayman wasn’t thinking about how to deal with the participants in the rebellion, but about his policies? It was truly baffling.

“Thomas!” Paul barked at the Chief Justice of the Lord’s Court.

“Yes! Lord Grayman!” The Chief Justice, who had never seen Paul in such a state, started and immediately stood up.

“Immediately begin expanding the scale of the Lord’s Court. Every town must have a court outpost, and it must be able to cover every surrounding village, no matter how remote.”

“I understand, my lord,” Thomas replied hastily.

“The reason for this,” Paul explained, “is that I intend to bring all judicial power under the sole authority of the Lord’s Court. From this day forward, no one shall be permitted to impose their own punishments or prisons. Apart from the judges of the Lord’s Court, no one shall have the power to judge others.”

“Corresponding to this is the expansion of law enforcement power. Russ!”

Paul called out the name of the Director of Public Safety.

“Yes, my lord,” Russ Hayden looked at his lord.

“I command you to expand the police force. In addition to the major cities, institutions must be established in the villages and towns, with their scope of administration likewise effectively covering every surrounding village.”

“As you command, Lord Grayman,” Russ Hayden accepted.

“Wakely!”

Paul looked at the Administration Council’s Director-General, Old Ford.

“We must strengthen our administration at the grassroots level. The old way of just dispatching a single functionary to a village is absolutely unworkable.”