Setting Off! Starting a New Position in Willowbrook Town

After dismissing the young eunuch who delivered the decree, Magnus Valorion gathered everyone in the town hall and closed the doors. Once only his trusted people remained, Magnus sat on a high-backed chair with his legs crossed and began to read the emperor's decree with a feigned seriousness.

"Sinbad, hear the decree!"

Everyone in the hall looked at each other, unsure who their lord was addressing.

Magnus read again, "Sinbad, hear the decree!"

William Brown was the first to react. He hurriedly pulled Neil Thompson down to kneel, saying, "Neil, the lord is calling you. From now on, you are Sinbad!"

Neil was stunned but quickly knelt and bowed to receive the decree.

"Effective immediately, Sinbad is appointed as the mayor of Green River Town. Of the five thousand soldiers under your command, three thousand will be retained and incorporated into the military. This is an imperial decree!"

Magnus casually threw the decree in front of Neil and said, "Sinbad, why aren't you thanking for this grace?"

Neil quickly understood, knelt down, and kowtowed, "Thank you, my lord, for your grace!"

"Hmm, from tomorrow onwards, you, Sinbad, will be the mayor of Green River Town. I will be taking up my new position as the mayor of Willowbrook Town."

Everyone was stunned and immediately began to mourn as if they had lost their parents.

Neil shouted, "My lord, you must not leave! You are the sky of Green River Town. If you leave, the sky will fall."

William Brown also held onto Magnus's leg, saying, "Yes, my lord, if you leave, what will we do?"

Magnus interrupted their wailing, saying, "Why are you crying? Didn't you read the emperor's decree? Sinbad will be the mayor of Green River Town, and I will be the mayor of Willowbrook Town. Besides, even when I'm in Willowbrook Town, Green River Town will still be my domain."

"Neil, I saw your talent when you were managing the construction and corvée labor. Now that I'm entrusting Green River Town to you, you must govern it well. If I find out that you're acting like Henry Vander, you know what happened to him."

Neil kowtowed three times in quick succession and pledged, "Neil will not betray your trust and will serve the people wholeheartedly."

"Good, good, I'm pleased with your commitment."

"I see your son, Ethan Thompson, is also quite bright. Let him come with me to Willowbrook Town. I will personally guide him to ensure he becomes a pillar of the court like you."

Magnus planned to take Ethan with him to Willowbrook Town as a hostage. Although Neil was loyal now, he might grow too comfortable as the mayor of Green River Town and stop following Magnus's orders. This way, Magnus could keep him in check.

But Neil didn't notice this. He merely thought his son had potential, and Magnus wanted to cultivate him.

The next morning, Magnus assembled 300 soldiers and some craftsmen to head to Willowbrook Town.

Unexpectedly, the entire population of Green River Town came out to see off their lord.

Men, women, young, and old lined both sides of the street, their faces filled with sorrow. It was reminiscent of the scene in "The Lord of the Rings" where the people of Gondor bid farewell to the soldiers going to war.

When Magnus's party reached the city gate, Neil and his secretary William Brown were already waiting.

Magnus rode forward and instructed, "Neil, winter is approaching. I had Galen Veritas procure some cotton. Distribute it to the townsfolk so they can make winter clothes. Ensure that no one who comes to Green River Town freezes or starves."

The townsfolk, who were already reluctant to see Magnus leave, heard his concern for their winter needs and crowded around his horse, trying to prevent him from going to Willowbrook Town.

"What are you doing? Are you all disobeying orders?"

"You all now have a good life, with food, potatoes, and pickles. But what about the many people in Willowbrook Town? I'm going to Willowbrook Town to free the other suffering people! Though I'm leaving, Green River Town will still be my base!"

The townsfolk, having endured hard times, were moved by Magnus's impassioned speech. They realized the weight of the responsibility he bore and reluctantly cleared the way.

Magnus gave Neil one last piece of advice, "Remember, if you put the people in your heart, they will lift you up!"

Neil nodded firmly, repeating, "If you put the people in your heart, they will lift you up."

After Magnus and his entourage departed, Neil took out a small red booklet and wrote down what Magnus had said. The cover of the booklet read "Magnus Valorion's Sayings."

Meanwhile, in the capital, Chancellor Alp Arslan was already aware that Edmund Blackthorn's family resided in Willowbrook Town, and he had deliberately arranged for Magnus to be transferred there.

Although Magnus was a minor figure, his ability to turn the dilapidated Green River Town into a well-organized place within half a year showed his competence.

But competence alone wasn't enough. Today, Alp Arslan wanted to teach Magnus a lesson: in this world, one must have power and connections.

Even though Lucius Blackthorn was dead, Alp Arslan and his officials had already contacted the Blackthorn family head, Edmund Blackthorn.

Alp Arslan's contact with Edmund was to have the Blackthorn family, along with some prominent families in Willowbrook Town, create all sorts of trouble for Magnus during his governance, making him fail and even incur public wrath.

Alp Arslan's faction promised that once the task was accomplished, an outstanding youth from the Blackthorn family would replace Magnus as the mayor of Willowbrook Town.

In this era, what was most important? Power, of course!

Now, with Alp Arslan's promise to make a Blackthorn family member the mayor of Willowbrook Town, Edmund agreed without hesitation. Before Magnus arrived, he had already gathered many local prominent families, including those recently raided by Magnus, like the Ravenswood Family and the Hawthorne Family.

These families had previously inflated grain prices, forcing the poor to exchange their land deeds for coarse grain mixed with sand.

As a result, 80% of Willowbrook Town's farmland ended up in the hands of these prominent families.

Many destitute peasants fled to Green River Town. Those who remained in Willowbrook Town either had strong ties to the land or simply couldn't afford to leave.

Originally, Willowbrook Town had about 20,000 residents. Now, nearly half had left, but many suffering peasants still awaited Magnus's aid.