The civilians who came to "make trouble" were taken away by the soldiers, and they would be arranged to the construction site in the West District of Beigang. There were a lot of less-skilled jobs waiting for them, and their identities They are "troublemakers who are punished for working for causing trouble." Due to their actions, they will be sentenced to several hours of labor - and for obvious and basic survival needs, they will also be provided with a hot meal, a Hot baths and a “modest allowance for hard work.”
Victoria has never seen this kind of operation.
"The rules are sometimes too rigid, so we need to improvise on the spot, especially in a place like this that is far away from the imperial capital and has special folk customs." Byron looked at Zheng Yi who appeared from the curved light force field. Victoria, who looked at her in astonishment, shrugged and said, "These civilians were 'incited' by the local small nobles and manor owners, and that was how it started.
"The Construction Corps is building the North Port here. This action obviously stimulated some people - and the influence of the Wilder family made them afraid to act openly, so these people will find other ways to test our authenticity - they incited or bribed some civilians who did not know the truth. , and those civilians were indeed angry when they first came here, but they soon discovered that we were more 'kind and generous' than those who incited them. The Construction Corps has abundant supplies, but the civilians want very little. They can do some simple work here in exchange for food that they could only enjoy on special days in the past.
“But what makes a bigger difference is the hot water. Our collective bathhouse is the most popular place, more popular than I thought. The camp now has two waste heat recovery centers, and A central heat exchange station, and the residents near this cold beach obviously don't have many opportunities to take hot baths. My military doctor believes that bathing these outsiders can effectively prevent them from spreading diseases in the camp, and now the latter have taken a liking to it. There is sufficient hot water supply here..."
Victoria's expression changed almost more times in one day today than in the past half month. She frowned and looked at the "Imperial General" in front of her with a strange look. ": "So... these people come here often? They come to you to protest, and then they are 'arrested' by your soldiers to go to work, and finally get a good meal and a hot bath..."
"As well as a small subsidy, as you know, imperial law stipulates that personnel who perform labor reform can also receive a small amount of remuneration for their labor. This is to stimulate their enthusiasm for making a living through labor."
At this point, Byron paused and then continued: "Only men came at the beginning. They were bewitched or bribed. After several forced labors and getting paid, some of them tried to put the food I secretly took it back to my family. I discovered it but didn't stop it. It was okay. However, those people behind the scenes obviously didn't want to see this result. They should have banned this behavior. You can imagine what happened after that - -These people began to bring women and children from their homes. In fact, they even brought them.I plan to bring the elderly and young children with me, but that would be too dangerous, and I can’t agree to it..."
Victoria’s expression changed as she listened to what Byron said in a relaxed and cheerful tone. But she gradually became serious, and when the other party's words fell, she took a breath and said in a deep voice: "So, now these people who were instigated... are completely on your side... and those who instigated them , not yet realizing the seriousness of the situation. "
"Maybe they realize it, what does it matter? Byron said nonchalantly, "A trend has been formed. To reverse this trend, they will have to pay a higher price than the original fueling of the trend, and the current situation obviously does not allow them to do so - the Wilder family will not help them. The empire will not help them, and no one will help them. Even their behavior itself has one foot on the red line. Will they continue to take another step towards this line? Most likely not. Of course, I personally wish they'd gone one step further - the beach isn't very scenic, and the Construction Corps flagpole needs some embellishment. "
Victoria finally put away the absurd and speechless feeling in her heart. She looked at Byron as if she was re-examining it, and after a few seconds she slowly said: "I thought I was enough. I know everything about this land, but now it seems... I am not as capable as you, a newcomer here. "
Byron glanced at the duchess in front of him and suddenly grinned: "Grand Consul, this is normal - you know the North, but I know the common people. ”
Looking at the nonchalant look of the gray-haired middle-aged knight, Victoria suddenly remembered the other person’s origin again, and for the first time seriously sorted out the people behind this careless-looking imperial general. Something that has always been overlooked by others -
He was once a mercenary leader, a person who had to deal with all kinds of people, and even had to do "business" with bandits, lords, merchants, and civilians at the same time. People, and it is impossible for a truly careless person to survive in this industry. This person became a knight from a low background, and quickly integrated into the new order created by Gawain Cecil. It is said that he has everything in the south. In the huge and complex Government Affairs Department system, this "mercenary knight" who holds the power has no rumors of discord with anyone.
On the contrary, Byron has no relationship with anyone in every department. The main people in charge are all friends, and they are very popular among almost all middle-level officers and lower-level soldiers. Even those traditional knight officers who usually tease him about his lack of "true chivalry" actually have a good relationship with him.
And such a person firmly adheres to his duty as a soldier - loyal to the empire, loyal to the emperor, and never exceeds his authority. He stationed on this coast for a month, and his soldiers Except for necessary tasks, I have never even stepped out of the camp.
"I finally fully understand why His Majesty sent you here..." Victoria took a gentle breath and said slowly.
"I don't think about this, I just want to build North Port as soon as possible," Byron said casually, "Typhon is already ahead of us - we have now received accurate information, the Typhon people They have restarted their Mobius Port, and there are still a lot of magicians building new high-sea battleships. His Majesty said that with the support of 'money power', Typhon's speed of making things is not slower than us.
“And if Beigang is formed as soon as possible, we can also start the next step of planning as soon as possible to turn this place into a prosperous and lively port city - what a great place this is, the largest ice-free port in the north, calm The safe coastline, the sea peninsula of the Holy Dragon Principality and the islands of the Violet Kingdom help us block the wind and waves on the east and west sides, but the people here can only rely on the barren land and hunting seals to make a living. They should not be so poor. of.
“My next step is to open up the markets and merchant passages in the South District. I may need your influence to help - try to get as many merchants here as possible, which will help the city take shape. Your Majesty originally This is how we do it in the Dark Mountains
“When the camp is completely established and Beigang’s influence expands, I will use normal methods to recruit local people. The people you see today are the ones you see today. You can come here to work in an upright manner.
"The only thing I'm worried about now is the power of local families... not the kind of big nobles, but the kind of small nobles who will incite common people to make trouble and directly control the scattered land around Beigang, even the title of noble The 'manor owners' who don't have any. They have now shown enough caution and cunning, and they have probably understood the bottom line of the Construction Corps. It will be difficult for me to really take action against them. As the Grand Consul and the Guardian of the North, Obviously it's not easy to suppress them directly...
"These 'local snakes' may become a long-term trouble in Beigang that is difficult to eliminate. "
Byron rambled a lot. When he finally finished speaking, Victoria broke the silence with a cold voice and an unhurried speaking speed: "You don't have to worry too much. many. The Wilder family has ruled this land for seven hundred years and has some experience in dealing with some 'sporadic problems'.
“And you also overestimated the trouble that those local families could cause - they are indeed stubborn, but they are also very good at observing the situation. Now that the old aristocratic order in the north has been almost destroyed by me, those Although the local families have not encountered the great liquidation, they have watched the order of this land change. Their current actions seem short-sighted and blind. That is because they are just scared but do not really understand the new rules of the game in the empire. They are still using them. Use old experience to avoid 'trouble' - once they understand the real rules of the game and find that the 'new neighbors' in Beigang are powerful and cannot be driven away, they will probably become hospitable immediately. ”
Listening to Victoria’s plain words, Byron took a deep look at the Snow Duke, and smiled happily after a moment:
“IfIf it's what you said, then I won't worry about it. ”
After the words fell, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the sea in the distance again.
Under the clear sky, the sea illuminated by the bright sunshine was gently undulating. In this position , the manic and unpredictable storms and the strange and unpredictable magic tides are still far away from the human world, but a trestle has been extended from the coast. The trestle fixed on the magic ice is like a spear thrust by a knight. Human determination and courage have been directed to the sea
...
A bright arc of electricity hangs down from the sky, sweeping across the turbulent sea like a lick, with the end strip of the arc. With frightening tree-like branches, and amidst the deafening roar, the huge waves were vaporized by the energy turbulence, and the pungent breath filled the sky and the sea.
A ship made of magic. The ship, covered with metal, with countless runes shining on its surface, and equipped with a large number of magic devices, was undulating in the terrifying waves. The sea water around it rolled up layer by layer as if it had a will, along with the arcs in the sky. * kept attacking the seemingly shaky ship, but was constantly resisted and dispersed by the magic arrays and layers of magic shields emerging from the surface of the ship.
The entire ship. As if protected by more than ten magic walls, the ship is still moving forward through the waves in that powerful energy field.
Typhon Empire No. 1 ocean exploration ship - Courage
In this advanced ship that is protected by layers of magical power, the self-proclaimed captain, Earl Owen Dyson, stands in the command room with a solemn expression. The illusion spell maintained by the magician is clearing the scene outside the ship.
"Is this the 'disordered turbulence' in the ocean..." Earl Owen Dyson said to himself, "It's really eye-opening..."
Then he straightened his expression and looked at the control mage beside him: "How is the situation of the ship? ”
The high-level mage responsible for monitoring the status of the entire ship was surrounded by layers of runes, floating above the magic circle in the center of the cabin. He opened his eyes, and his eyes were filled with arcane light. Calm to the point of being almost mechanically dull: "The first to third layers of shields were penetrated, and the shield controller temporarily lost the ability to cast spells. The amplification circle requires at least six hours of repair, and the remaining shields are intact; the outermost anti-magic shell appeared It was broken, and there were signs of elemental erosion in the bilge. It had been urgently repaired with mithril covering plates - the anti-magic shell in the inner area was still intact, so there would be no problem for the time being.
"All sails have been furled and the external wind has been isolated. All trial-type magic engines have been shut down - there is a serious mechanical failure and cannot be started. The ship's power is currently maintained by the spells of the second echelon of sailors. "
Earl Owen Dyson frowned: "How long do we have to break out of this storm?"
"The boundary of the unstable energy field has been sensed - ten. It will arrive in five minutes. The ship can support it until then." Earl Owen Dyson nodded and said solemnly: "I hope.Don't encounter any more 'disorderly turbulence' when we return..."
"My lord, you should not have conducted this voyage yourself," said the first mate standing next to Owen Dyson. He kept whispering, "You are the ruler of Port Mobius, and even the leader of the entire ocean exploration plan..."
"Call me captain here - I feel that I am the leader in navigation." The talent is at least worthy of this position," Owen Dyson interrupted the first mate, "We are just exploring Thassos, the closest colony to the mainland in the Age of Sail - if even such a close voyage If I have to hide in a safe port, then the empire's ocean exploration plan may never get on track. "
The Typhon noble with gray-blue eyes and resolute eyes said in a solemn tone, and then shook his head: "But we did underestimate the power of the ocean... Seven hundred years ago The things recorded in the ancient ancient books are messy and broken, and the information from a slightly more recent era is full of errors and omissions. The Dyson family should be responsible for this. In recent generations, we have been busy maintaining the last commercial line of Mobius Port. Although we still maintain observations and records of the ocean, our investment is far from enough, so that we lack real Reliable information, now we have finally tasted the bitter pill..."
"A year ago, no one thought that Alder South would suddenly decide to restart Mobius Port and ocean exploration. Plan," the first mate shook his head, "it's not your fault, my lord. "
Owen Dyson looked solemn: "If this ship sinks, it will be my fault. "
At this moment, the mage responsible for monitoring the ocean conditions suddenly shouted, interrupting the conversation between the captain and the first mate -
"The wind and waves are weakening! ”
“We have entered safe waters! ”