Chapter 64: Chaos in the Absence of a Sovereign

It was the time when the season of water met the season of earth. Fine rain fell diagonally, like silk and curtain, and under the nourishment of these showers, the seeds of life, after four months of hiding and gestation, began to reveal their presence to the world, bringing forth a vibrant green that seemed to breathe hope into everything.

Victor’s hillside camp was nothing like it had been two months earlier. The low, temporary shelters had been completely flattened, replaced by new wooden houses. Broad roads were paved with blue stone slabs, and the young trees lining each side had already sprouted tender shoots, so fresh and green that one couldn’t help but feel affection for them—this was the color of hope.

At this moment, the hillside camp resembled a village full of promise: clean, orderly, and tranquil, shrouded in gentle rain, exuding a harmonious beauty that was utterly captivating.

Yet Victor’s heart was burdened with heaviness.

Yesterday’s misunderstanding had caused a great upheaval in his camp, almost a disaster.

“So, you withdrew all the guards to search for me, and that’s what led to all this?”

Victor gazed out the window, questioning Lilia, who stood with her head hung low.

“Sir, you shouldn’t blame Lilia. It’s my fault for failing to properly manage the free folk; that’s how this trouble started,” Linda explained hurriedly.

Victor sighed, for he already understood the sequence of events.

Three days ago, Victor had sent five alchemical war hounds out of the camp, instructing them to hide forty kilometers west of the hillside camp. What he hadn’t expected was that Old Hamm’s hunting dogs, while patrolling around the camp, caught the scent of the war hounds and were utterly terrified, tails tucked between their legs as they fled back to their kennels, refusing to emerge again.

The dogs’ abnormal behavior drew Old Hamm’s attention. As an experienced herdsman, he knew this was how his dogs responded to ferocious animals.

Out of caution, Old Hamm did not hastily inform Victor; instead, he personally searched the area around the camp. On the western side, he found the tracks of the war hounds. Comparing the size of the prints, he was horrified to find they were larger than his own hand. Worse still, there were five such creatures—this defied all his knowledge, for no wild beasts gathered in such numbers; each always had its own territory.

With these doubts, he brought out the hunting dogs again, and followed the tracks westward. Perhaps because two days had passed and the war hounds’ scent had faded, the dogs, urged by their master, tracked for twenty kilometers before suddenly turning and fleeing. Old Hamm was now certain: it was ferocious beasts, and five ferocious wolves!

Due to Victor’s blockade of the upper camp, Old Hamm could only report to Lilia. By the time Lilia brought him to Victor, Victor and Reynard had already departed.

Worried for Victor’s safety, Lilia, after informing Morin and Linda, mobilized all their guards to search for Victor.

Upon receiving Lilia’s warning, Morin immediately led the villagers who were building the village back to the hillside camp, and Linda instructed the free folk laboring outside to return to their temporary quarters.

Tension spread. The villagers returned to the hillside camp, raising the drawbridge. Meanwhile, the free folk in the temporary quarters grew agitated, aware that danger was approaching. They pleaded with Linda to let them take refuge in the camp, but Linda coldly refused, declaring she would face the danger alongside them. Her authority as sheriff calmed them somewhat, though some free folk took advantage of the chaos to settle old scores, stabbing two people to death on the spot. Order collapsed.

The free folk fought amongst themselves in a scene of utter chaos. Linda, unable to restore order through persuasion, resorted to force, killing three people on the spot, but it was of no avail; her numbers were too few, and all were mere militia. Fortunately, Morin organized the camp’s militia in time to reinforce them, and order was restored, though seven free folk died in the disturbance and over ten more slipped away in the confusion.

“Lilia bears some responsibility, but the greatest fault is mine,” Victor said bitterly.

What could Victor say? He himself was the root cause. When Lilia learned he might be in danger and organized a rescue, she was blameless. Linda, short-handed, remained steadfast in the free folk quarters, and Morin’s decision to bring the villagers back to camp was prudent. They all acted admirably, and yet disaster ensued. This was the issue he needed to reflect upon.

“Lilia, you were far too rash. If Old Hamm was right, and there were five ferocious wolves, could your fifty guards have confronted them in the wild? Fortunately, they didn’t encounter them—otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!” In Victor’s view, Lilia’s decision was dreadful.

Ferocious beasts were tough, powerful, swift, and cunning. To have ordinary guards face five ferocious wolves in the wild was tantamount to sending lambs to slaughter. They couldn’t even use crossbows to target such beasts.

“Victor, I’m sorry. I was simply too worried about you,” Lilia said, her eyes reddening with grievance.

“Sir, please punish me! It was I who advised Miss Lilia to take all the guards to search for you,” Morin stepped forward, anxious and remorseful.

Therein lay the root of the problem: Victor’s personal safety was of utmost importance to them, directly tied to their lives and fortunes. Even in the face of mortal danger, they would protect their lord.

“Morin, how goes the village construction?” Victor asked after a pause.

“Sir, the double-layered fence is complete, and we are now digging trenches. In five days, we should be able to start building the arrow towers,” Morin answered promptly.

“However, the villagers are all resting in the camp now, since the danger hasn’t passed.”

Victor nodded. Old Hamm, accompanied by Reynard, had gone to investigate the whereabouts of the ferocious beasts. Everyone awaited news, and Victor could only feign ignorance.

“Linda, since these free folk have come to us for shelter, we ought to provide them with safety. Why did you choose to stay in the free folk quarters, rather than allow them to take refuge in the camp when threatened by ferocious wolves?”

Victor’s question left those in the office exchanging glances. After a moment, Linda hesitated before answering, “Sir, the free folk are filthy and foul-smelling. They haven’t bathed for days and relieve themselves anywhere… I was afraid they’d dirty our camp.”

Seeing the village leaders and Lilia nodding in agreement, Victor’s anger flared. He sneered, “It must be such a hardship to work alongside these stinking free folk every day.”

“Not at all, not at all!” Dean, the village leader, replied with a sycophantic smile.

Victor shook his head in resignation. His villagers, in both habit and mindset, were now vastly different from the free folk, and the hillside camp was their own creation—a home. Who would tolerate a horde of strangers seeking refuge within their home? Especially since vassals were naturally exclusionary.

“Linda, how many free folk have come to us now?” Victor continued.

“We have taken in over six hundred free folk. The exact number isn’t certain, since people arrive daily and occasionally leave. This time, seventeen free folk left the camp,” Linda explained in detail.

Victor nodded. Since promoting Linda to sheriff, she had been diligent and responsible, steadfast even in times of danger. Victor saw it all, though this was merely a misunderstanding.

“How dare these free folk leave the quarters? Aren’t they afraid to die outside?”

Victor was puzzled by those who departed willingly.

“Sir, though this is a frontier, there are few monsters in the territory, especially since we’ve cleared the area thoroughly. There’s no sign of monsters or orcs near the camp. Furthermore, those who left are mostly wild folk—they know how to survive outside. In fact, this recent turmoil was a conflict between ordinary free folk and wild folk,” Linda explained.

“Wild folk? Are there factions among the free folk? Tell me more,” Victor’s curiosity was piqued.

“Sir, wild folk are free folk who’ve lived outdoors for generations. They’re different from us displaced farmers—much more savage and fierce,” one village leader explained to Victor, disdainfully curling his lip at the mention of wild folk.

Victor suddenly understood. Wild folk were the true free folk, accustomed to their way of life, indifferent to the status of a villager. Those who lived by hunting and gathering were known as mountain folk.

“Were the perpetrators mountain folk? Have they been caught?” Victor asked Linda.

“They were mountain folk, and they’ve been captured. They acted in retaliation after being ostracized,” Linda replied.

“Hmm, the root cause of this disturbance was the weak defenses of the temporary quarters and the free folk’s lack of security. Therefore, I’ve decided to halt village construction! You village leaders will now lead the villagers and free folk to reinforce the temporary quarters: dig trenches, build at least one layer of iron-oak fencing, and erect four arrow towers inside.”

“You must understand, we need time to assimilate these free folk. For some unavoidable reasons, we must not let them disperse, especially not to the eastern part of the territory. Do you all understand?”

Seeing his village leaders nod yet with a hint of indifference, Victor added a warning. He had to prevent the free folk from being exploited by his eastern neighbors, used to hinder him.

Though Victor had effectively abandoned his eastern lands, the villages of Lake Plain and the Chebman family’s camp still sat in his throat like two thorns, making him uneasy. Especially now, signs showed that the village chief Dick and Bayer he appointed had already compromised.

“Understood!” At Victor’s raised voice, the village leaders paled in alarm.

“Linda, select twenty free folk eligible for promotion. Tomorrow, I will publicly grant them villager status and execute the perpetrators before everyone,” Victor said coldly. Now, to stabilize morale, he needed to offer both security and rewards, as well as punishment.

“Sir, Old Hamm and Reynard have returned!” shouted a guard outside the office.

“Old Hamm, what’s the situation?”

Seeing Old Hamm and Reynard enter, Victor asked, feigning innocence, though he himself was the instigator behind the scenes.

“Sir, it appears to have been a misunderstanding. I found several human footprints near the wolf tracks. They were likely mountain folk out hunting with mastiffs, possibly carrying ferocious beast droppings, which made the hunting dogs mistake the mastiffs for ferocious wolves,” Old Hamm explained respectfully.

“How can you be sure they weren’t ferocious wolves? This mustn’t be mistaken!” a village leader pressed Old Hamm.

“How could five ferocious wolves appear together, walking alongside people? Besides, they headed west, now sixty kilometers beyond the camp. I won’t be wrong this time!” Old Hamm said, irritated at being doubted.

“Old Hamm, you’ve worked hard. I’ll have Lilia reward you with a thousand labor points.”

Victor felt apologetic toward Old Hamm—the old herdsman treasured his hunting dogs dearly. For Victor’s safety, he had sacrificed two of them and risked his own life.

“Sir, I don’t want labor points. I have only one request,” Old Hamm bowed. “If those mountain folk come to us, I’d like to have two—no, one—of those mastiffs. Sir, they’re truly enormous!”

“That day will come, I promise you,” Victor nodded to Old Hamm, then raised his voice. “Since it was a false alarm, everyone, do as I’ve instructed!”

—————

When all had left the office, Victor took a sip of the world’s unique ‘coffee’, a drink attuned to fire elements, which invigorated his spirit.

This incident revealed a problem to Victor: though the hillside camp appeared to be thriving, it was, in truth, strong only in appearance.

The middle tier of his territory was flawed. Those he had promoted, like himself, had no experience in managing a domain; without his presence, chaos would ensue.

Victor did not believe other lords suffered the same issue, else how could territories be passed down?

He had intended to use alchemical humans to control the free folk, but their low emotional intelligence rendered them unfit for the task. He needed to devise a new system to ensure the domain’s operation, or else its development would be hindered.

The villagers’ fear of ferocious beasts had also given Victor an idea—perhaps he could use this to suppress those thorns in his throat.

He already had a plan.

(Today’s update is a bit late—apologies! Thanks again to readers for your support and recommendations.)