Chapter 312: Chapter 232: Turning the Tables_2
"Hahaha... I’ll be off first then."
"Those Heretics think about taking your life every day. The water you drink outside might be poisoned, and anyone you meet on the street could draw a knife to slash at you. Are you sure you want to go out?"
Lance’s words thoroughly frightened the fat man, who quickly begged Lance for mercy.
"I don’t want to die... Please, send someone to protect me quickly."
"I’ll send you to a nice place. You’ll probably see your father coming to fetch you soon."
Lance grinned, looking at Reynard to signal, "Send him to the sanatorium."
The fat man, however, was clueless about what a sanatorium was and said cheerfully, "When my father arrives, he will definitely reward you handsomely."
"Take him away." Lance waved his hand, an even brighter smile on his face.
Reynard understood the Lord’s meaning and directly took the fat man away.
Watching the fat man being led away, the smile on Lance’s face gradually disappeared.
He had already offended the fat man. Given his malicious character, he would definitely create trouble to regain face once he gained power. Therefore, this man couldn’t be allowed to live.
From the beginning, Lance had considered the fat man as good as dead. To him, seeing Ovando in chaos was a delight; only then could he profit.
He had initially wanted Walter to control Ovando by controlling the food supply, but that was difficult and time-consuming. The current chaos, however, had accelerated the process.
Oh, my Ancestor, thank you. Otherwise, I would still be at a loss with Ovando...
「...」
Grendel’s hand twitched. She instinctively tightened her grip, but the familiar sensation was absent. Startled, she woke up and glanced around. Only after picking up the Magic Wand resting by her bed did she feel somewhat calmer. Her eyes swept over her surroundings; it was still the solitary tent.
"Awake?"
Boudica’s voice drew her attention. Only then did she realize she was actually lying on a bed. The blind Boudica, at her side, seemed somewhat bored.
"How did I end up in bed?" Grendel could only vaguely remember falling asleep while talking.
"Last night, the Boss came to check on the infirmary. When he saw you slumped over the table, he brought in an extra bed." Boudica went on with a hint of complaint, "You toss and turn like a mountain grub when you sleep! You, on the other hand, slept like a log, but your restlessness kept me up all night."
Boudica wasn’t one for scheming; however, her straightforward nature was tough for many to handle.
"I’m sorry..." Grendel was slightly embarrassed and quickly got out of bed to tidy herself up.
The constant flight had exerted immense pressure on her, not to mention being cornered by the Witch and engaging in prolonged confrontations. All of this had severely damaged her spirit; her will was riddled with holes. If not for the hatred sustaining her, she might have collapsed long ago.
But... it had to be said that last night might have been the most peaceful sleep she’d had since escaping.
No need to worry about the Fang Wolf Tribe’s hunters, the wild beasts in the Mountains, the malevolent Slave Catchers, or the crazy Witch wanting to transform her into a monster.
Probably even Grendel herself didn’t realize that her feelings toward this place had unknowingly undergone a change.
"Let me give you a check-up," Grendel said, not wanting to continue the awkward conversation, and stood up to examine Boudica.
"When will my eyes be healed?"
Boudica was not only physically stronger, but she was also protected by Supernatural Power. This meant her recovery after medication was much better than that of the soldiers. For her, the biggest issue now was when her eyes would heal.
Grendel, too, had some thoughts on the matter...
"So you need some special herbs, and you’re planning to venture into the wilderness to find them, right?"
Lance looked at Grendel. Neither mentioned the previous night’s events, but it was clear she was in much better shape after a night’s rest, devoid of her earlier exhaustion.
"Yes, after studying the condition of the patients, I think I know how to treat them, but I need some special herbs."
"I remember the Witch had a herb garden; you might find the herbs you need there. Coincidentally, I’m preparing to survey the corrupted area with Paracelsus."
Lance had already planned to delve deeper to designate logging areas, and Paracelsus had always been interested in the corrupted regions within, wanting to collect samples.
Grendel had no objection. Although the proposal made her feel somewhat as if she were being monitored, she also needed to get close to this person to observe him.
However, when he passed down the notice, it elicited opinions from several others.
"My Lord, the town has only just stabilized. Now is not a good time to leave."
"What if those Heretics organize another attack?"
"My Lord, you’ve been working tirelessly for so many days. Let me accompany the two doctors and protect them."
Facing their advice, Lance remained very calm. He raised his hand to silence their words and threw out a sentence, "The wilderness hasn’t been fully explored yet. If even I dare not enter, how can the townspeople be expected to venture out to develop it?"
Lance’s remark left everyone speechless. Developing the northern wilderness required many people; the Serfs from the labor farm were definitely not enough, meaning some townspeople would have to be mobilized. If even Lance dared not enter, what would the ordinary folk think?
The others understood the Lord’s painstaking efforts. He never shied away from anything, always taking the lead. They only felt powerless, unable to alleviate their Lord’s burdens.
"I not only have to go in, but I also have to notify everyone that I am entering the wilderness to look for herbs for the wounded."
Lance wanted to earn the people’s trust and shift their focus to construction instead of constant worry. For this, he needed to make a demonstration.
"And you all need to watch for any movements in the surroundings. We must defend against external threats, setting up traps and barricades..."
It wasn’t that they would be idle while Lance was gone. On the contrary, the heavy responsibility of protecting the territory would fall on them. Lance even planned to set up the training grounds at the edge of the wilderness.
This would not only give the workers a sense of security but also serve to train them.
Lance arranged everything swiftly. Time was incredibly precious to him; it was as if his Ancestor’s actions were like a whip smacking down on a horse, urging him to run faster.
He took three people and a wolf in a carriage directly to the edge of the wilderness. The carriage rolled over scorched earth; vast fields had been burned, leaving only charred soil and upturned roots.
To eliminate the fungal menace, Lance had expended considerable manpower and resources, ordering the entire area to be burned.
Through the carriage window, they could see that the farm ruins had been cleared. The granaries had been emptied and their contents moved back to town. The cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens had been distributed to three other farms that already had some infrastructure, thus avoiding putting all their eggs in one basket.
Meanwhile, the Serfs from the original labor farm had all been assigned to develop the wilderness.
Tasks such as constructing new camps, logging for charcoal production, and road building—all of which involved certain dangers and required venturing deeper into the wilderness—were assigned to them.
Naturally, they were unwilling, but Lance did not care about their opinions, nor did the whip.
After the last batch of Serfs had their status changed, the labor farm became a place for offenders. Consequently, the previously established treatment standards were altered.
These people endured the worst conditions in town. Naturally, their food was nothing special. Lance’s standard was just enough to fill their stomachs, but they couldn’t expect to eat well unless they performed exceptionally meritorious deeds or showed outstanding work performance.
These Serfs worked twelve hours a day, from dawn till dusk, without a moment to pause or think. They were treated entirely as consumables.
Ironically, having food to eat and a place to live was a luxury they wouldn’t have dared to dream of during their flight.
He had visited the site and found that those Serfs who had attacked the convoy were actually in better condition than when they were fleeing.
Humanity once again demonstrated its remarkable adaptability, like weeds by the roadside that, no matter how many times they are trampled, will still grow if given the chance.
Uh... to be honest, I hadn’t anticipated this situation, which made me wonder if I’d set the conditions too well.
However, an investigation revealed no evidence of anyone providing resources to these Serfs. Instead, a few ’little rats’ caught pilfering the territory’s resources were apprehended.
Now that manpower was sufficient, Lance seized the opportunity. He had the former squad leader implicated and executed, completely removing the old batch of farm Guards. They were demoted to Serfs, and in their place, a few high-performing Serfs were promoted to management.
These individuals had previously bullied the other Serfs. Now that they had become Serfs themselves, they were certainly going to suffer.
The newly promoted managers, having witnessed this, would likely exploit the other Serfs even more cruelly.
But Lance didn’t care; he only needed the Serfs to obey his commands.