Chapter 264: Collective Surrender
In the height of summer, in the private quarters of Councilwoman Veronica in the Dawn Mage Tower, now occupied by the new Count of Glamorgan, the master bedroom was cool thanks to the newly installed air conditioning. The soft, large bed held a couple embracing in sleep, while outside, the sun shone brightly, but inside, there lingered a peculiar smell.
The noble count breathed lightly, his eyes closed, yet he felt the tickle of hair brushing across his face.
It was ticklish.
Ryan tried to move away, but the warm and soft figure on his chest clung tightly to him.
"Alright, dear, stop it now~" Ryan had to open his eyes.
Veronica was lying on top of him, her sweet Garon witch face flushed with happiness and a touch of suspicion. Her delicate hands held strands of her black-brown hair, brushing them across Ryan's face.
"Stop~" Ryan reached out again, easily catching the wrist of the Garon witch, Veronica. Without resisting, Veronica leaned on Ryan's chest, murmuring dreamily, "Dear, thank you..."
"There's no need for thanks between us, Veronica. You deserve this." A gentle warmth spread between them as Ryan held Veronica close, their smiles meeting before she closed her eyes and they kissed.
Three minutes later, Veronica, panting, pushed Ryan away: "It's time to get up, Ryan. The hot water in Catherine is ready; you should take a bath before returning to the castle."
Ryan nodded; it was indeed time to get up. The count got out of bed, noticing Veronica still lingering lazily on the bed, so he teased, "How about joining me for a bath?"
"A bath together? Oh my, I don't want a bath that takes two hours. I can only hang onto the railings and let you do as you please." Veronica complained, massaging her waist: "Stop it, my waist is still sore, and I have no strength in my legs. I need to sleep a bit more."
Ryan was dressing, tenderly touching Veronica's cheek.
Veronica had gone all out last night, battling with Ryan until the early hours. The current Ryan was not the same as before; the Garon witch was completely overwhelmed.
Ryan understood what Veronica meant. As she said, Veronica knew her relationship with Ryan was now at a disadvantage, and with no cards left to play, this was her way of expressing her love.
After last night's affair, they had talked for a long time, and Veronica even couldn't help crying. Having her own luxurious wizard's tower was every witch's dream, and with Ryan's help, Veronica had realized this dream at twenty-nine, advancing far ahead of everyone else. Among the Garon councilors, she was the first to build her own wizard's tower before turning thirty.
"I still miss the you from last night." Ryan got up, smiling. The morning's Veronica had completely regained her usual sharp and clever demeanor; the weeping woman from last night seemed like a dream, only Ryan knew that such a witch truly existed.
"Hmph~" Veronica blushed, recalling her unguarded moments, and didn't hold back in her retort: "My great knight, so you have this kind of hobby? Then I guess you could go to your little Garon princess; she'd surely cry for you!"
"Hahaha~ Even now, you don't stop mocking Teresa, Veronica. Is your rivalry with Teresa really that deep?" Ryan said helplessly.
Veronica adjusted her skirt, leaning back on the bed. Hearing Ryan's question, she paused, then the Garon witch suddenly laughed coldly: "Actually, as you said, whether in spells, in wizard towers, or over men, I've beaten her. It seems I really don't need to compete with her anymore, but hearing your question, I feel I still need to keep it up."
"That's just your jealousy speaking, dear." Ryan was about to head to the bathroom but turned back upon hearing this: "Veronica, let me see."
Veronica rolled her eyes at Ryan but, seeing his firm stance, shyly pulled up her skirt. On her smooth, alabaster belly, the spiritual rune imprint left by Ryan was still active.
The silver sword and heart motif stored Ryan's spiritual energy. Notably, the wings on either side were fully unfolded. When Ryan's fingers lightly touched the rune, it immediately responded by glowing brightly.
"What is it, dear?" Veronica's cheeks flushed.
"It's done. My spiritual rune has fully integrated into your body and soul." Ryan's fingers traced the beautiful pattern: "This means you can master more advanced magic without fear of being corrupted by chaos, and it also means..."
"It also means I've become your possession, right?" Veronica glared at Ryan: "Tell me, dear, how many other women have this now?"
"Just the other day I finished inscribing it on Olica. Now there are three." Ryan always spoke the truth, and Veronica was a smart woman; he wouldn't lie.
"You'll definitely give one to your knight, even though she doesn't know magic. So, our little Garon princess will get one too?" Veronica continued, clearly interested in this topic.
"Sulia will definitely have one later. As for Teresa... she's outside of the plan. In fact, she wasn't part of my original plans at all; I didn't expect to encounter a change in the Garon council when I left Nord. But she followed me here..."
Veronica's beautiful almond eyes twinkled with amusement: "You're just too outstanding, dear. Go take your bath now, I want to sleep a bit more."
"Alright." Ryan kissed Veronica's lips lightly and headed towards the bathroom.
...
If there's anything that recently caused a stir in the County of Glamorgan, it was the many decrees issued by the Count himself.
The release of a fixed agricultural tax didn't elicit much reaction from the knightly class, as it seemed their interests were largely unaffected. At most, knights casually discussed it as an act of mercy by the count, allowing hardworking serfs to keep more of their grain. As for the lazy serfs, the knights were indifferent to their fate.
The serfs, however, were somewhat anxious about the fixed tax. To stabilize public sentiment, Sulia dispatched many family knights and their squires to all villages to post announcements and loudly explain the changes in tax rates. The serfs were instructed to memorize and recite the changes, with the best reciters rewarded with a copper coin and two black breads. Those unable to recite but who followed along loudly twenty times received the same reward. This method somewhat calmed the serfs' anxious hearts. Most serfs were illiterate and couldn't count; the real difference would only be felt after the autumn harvest when taxes were collected.
What really sparked controversy was Ryan's "Decree of Virtue," which declared that all robbers and bandits within the territory had one month to surrender unconditionally to the Count. Those who surrendered could receive clemency and even amnesty. There was plenty of uncultivated land in the Charlon Forest within the Count's lands, available on a first-come, first-served basis. If the deadline was missed, these robbers would face the wrath of the Grail Knight, the Lady's Chosen Champion, Count Ryan of Glamorgan.
On a bright sunny
morning, five days after the "Decree of Virtue" was issued.
The entrance to the Count's castle welcomed a large group of unexpected guests. A large group of soldiers surrounded them, forming a tight circle around these individuals. The soldiers looked at the group with disdainful eyes. Their hands on their sword hilts, hearts filled with anger and confusion, for in their view, these bandits were opportunities for military achievements. The Count's "Decree of Virtue" had diminished their chances for valor.
But there was no helping it. Ryan's prestige and reputation were too significant; the soldiers didn't dare question or oppose the Count's decree. The lead soldier, Denny, clad in chainmail and armed with a dwarven-crafted longsword at his waist and a large bow on his back, managed the bandit leaders.
Unbeknownst to many, on this day, all bandit leaders within the Count's territory, along with their deputies, had come to the castle to surrender to Ryan. Dozens of people stood outside the castle, with bandit leaders surrendering their accumulated wealth to Ryan. They allowed the soldiers to search them and then followed the arrangements of the steward, Carsenberg.
The bandit leaders were very cooperative. Steward Carsenberg ordered all bandit leaders to rest in a room outside the castle walls, waiting for the Count's audience.
No sooner had they entered the room than the bandit leaders started quarreling.
"Petty! You bastard! I thought I was the first to arrive, but you were here first!" One bandit leader complained loudly: "Damn, if none of you had come, and only I had surrendered to Lord Ryan, how wonderful that would have been!"
Petty, the leader of the Longspear Bandits, skilled in spear formations, had brought dozens of bandits under his command.
"Come on! Gross, you bastard! You're the farthest from Gien Town, and yet you arrived with me?" Another bandit leader exclaimed dramatically: "Great, everyone's here! I was the first one who wanted to surrender!"
Gross, the leader of the Pollock Bandits, had thought of surrendering to Ryan immediately after hearing the "Decree of Virtue."
No one wanted to oppose Ryan, the Grail Knight, the Lady's Chosen Champion, whose reputation was at its peak within the kingdom. The bandits had been uneasy since Ryan's arrival, thinking they were doomed. Now, seeing an opportunity for lenient treatment if they surrendered, all bandit leaders instinctively thought of surrendering and hurried to do so.
A dozen bandit leaders bickered noisily in the room, creating a chaotic scene.
"Hugo, you little rascal, your people never operate within the Count's territory, so why are you here too?" After arguing, the bandits noticed a familiar face hiding in the corner: "Get out of here, you're clearly a bandit from the Duchy of Berleon, what are you doing here?"
"Who... who said a bandit from Berleon can't surrender to Lord Ryan? I... I came here to surrender!" Hugo, the bandit leader, was obviously nervous but still argued defiantly: "I've brought all my men here; two days ago, I became Lord Ryan's bandit."
"Hahaha! What do you mean you're Lord Ryan's bandit, are you worthy?"
"You're not worthy, I am!"
"You're worthy of sh*t!"
The bandit leaders knew they were within the Count's castle and couldn't physically fight, but that didn't stop these bandits from furiously undermining each other, each eager to gain Lord Ryan's favor.
No one truly wanted to be a bandit for life; they all longed to return to society with a respectable status.
"Speaking of which, where's Beltran? He's not coming to surrender? Has he been blinded by pork fat?"
"I don't know."
In the room outside the castle, the bandit leaders were arguing, while inside the castle, a man in his thirties with a small mustache, wearing a green feathered tricorn hat, green clothes, and green tights, knelt before Ryan, presenting several parchment sheets: "My Count, this is the full inventory and personnel list of the Belzac Bandit Group. We have three hundred and fifty tents, over eight hundred people, nearly five hundred of whom are skilled with swords and bows, good lads who can be equipped with pike formations. Now I, Beltran, on behalf of all members of the Belzac Bandit Group, am willing to surrender unconditionally to you, requesting your magnanimity. We are ready to accept any punishment."
Ryan stepped out from behind the table, helping Beltran to his feet with a smile: "I truly didn't expect you to bring your people here the day after I issued the 'Decree of Virtue.' I apologize for the inconvenience."
"No, no, no! Count, please don't say that, it's our honor to surrender to you. All members of the Belzac Bandit Group are grateful for your mercy and compassion." Bandit leader Beltran knelt and bowed his head: "We became bandits out of necessity, forced by circumstances. The Count giving us a chance to start anew, we sincerely thank you."
Seeing Beltran kneel and bow, Ryan was somewhat speechless; he had underestimated people's desire to return to the right path in a world with gods. No one wanted to be a faithless person whose soul would serve as fodder for chaos after death. Most turned to banditry out of sheer desperation, unable to survive otherwise.
Ryan had thought this through. After issuing the "Decree of Virtue," while the bandits were still hesitant, he had sent messengers with his decree to find the bandits: The Count has a message for you, as long as you can surrender...
Just five days after issuing the "Decree of Virtue," not only had bandits from his own county come to surrender, but even those from other duchies had made the difficult journey to submit to him!
This was the power of reputation. After years of careful cultivation, Ryan's painstakingly built reputation was finally paying off.
"So I will appoint you as..."
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