A mage's journey begins with a battle mage.

Chapter 112 Establishing Authority

Are you sure?

Mayor Louis's voice was low, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure, as he stared intently at the man named Eden before him.

"It's absolutely true, Mayor. Our men saw it with their own eyes—that so-called new lord just swaggered into the castle, completely disregarding you!"

Eden's tone was highly inflammatory.

"..."

Louis fell silent, the firelight in the fireplace casting shifting shadows on his face.

From the moment the new lord stepped into Hamlet, he never sent anyone to visit him, the "local tyrant."

This is a silent declaration.

When the nature of Hamlet's territory changed from an ordinary noble territory to an alchemist noble territory, Jiang Shuzhou, as the lord, automatically acquired all the rights within the territory.

This includes, but is not limited to, the appointment and removal of all officials, changes in taxation, and ownership of all minerals and natural resources within the territory.

He could be replaced at any time as the town mayor.

"Mayor Louis, we can't just sit here and wait to die..."

The man didn't say the rest, but Louis understood what he meant.

"Don't drag me into your stupidity! That's a mage, after all. Even if it succeeds, what will happen afterward?"

"We can go to the mountains; they won't do anything to us."

"what ever."

Louis was speechless at this absurdity.

Eden's expression froze; he hadn't expected Louis to be so timid.

Just as he was about to leave in disappointment, Louis's voice came.

"If I don't do it, he'll find a pretext to remove me as mayor sooner or later, and I won't have a good ending. Rather than that, I might as well... strike first."

"The mayor is wise!"

The man grinned, clearly pleased with Louis's choice.

"idiot."

Only after Eden's footsteps had completely disappeared outside the door did Louis manage to squeeze out those two words through gritted teeth.

There are many ways to maintain one's position.

The simplest way is to offer a substantial "pledge of allegiance".

Louis looked out the window toward the castle.

It seems I'll have to make contact with that new lord tomorrow.

As for that idiot?

He is the best gift.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

the next morning.

A makeshift platform was erected in the square, but it was packed with people below.

Hamlet's people looked at the new faces on the stage with a mixture of numbness, fear and a little curiosity.

Mayor Louis went on stage with Jiang Shuzhou and others.

The town mayor spoke first.

"Since the alliance was founded, a total of 32 lords have come to Hamlet's territory."

"They're all bastards, beasts, animals, parasites!"

"But this Viscount Navis is neither a bastard, nor a beast, nor an animal, nor a parasite!"

"He personally led the troops to suppress the bandits as soon as he arrived! He is a great hero of our Hamlet territory, and our great benefactor!"

Jiang Shuzhou felt a little embarrassed by all the flattery.

"Someone, bring the goods!"

With a single sentence from Jiang Shuzhou, the Griffith Mercenary Group dragged several corpses onto the stage—the bodies of the robbers who had previously dared to rob Jiang Shuzhou.

Sometimes the dead are more useful than the living.

Sure enough, as soon as the body was brought out, everyone in the audience burst into applause. Clearly, they realized that this was not just an empty promise.

Jiang Shuzhou truly came here with the intention of changing this place.

"very good."

Jiang Shuzhou nodded, and then waved his hand to signal that the applause could stop.

"But even so, someone still dares to attempt to assassinate me. What do you think their intentions are?"

As he spoke, Griffith brought in a man who was tightly bound.

"It's Eden!"

"So it was him. No wonder those robbers always managed to plunder our loot after we've finished harvesting."

"It was him! He betrayed us!"

Someone in the crowd said.

"Kill him! Kill this traitor!"

Soon, the crowd below became enraged, and the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control.

"Quiet! As the lord of Hamlet's territory, I will naturally uphold justice for my people!"

As Jiang Shuzhou reprimanded them, the agitated crowd gradually calmed down.

"Long live Lord Navis! We can never repay Lord Navis's kindness!"

As someone in the crowd spoke, the crowd, which had just calmed down, began to stir again.

"Long live Lord Navis! We can never repay Lord Navis's kindness!"

"Long live Lord Navis! We can never repay Lord Navis's kindness!"

This time, Jiang Shuzhou did not speak up to stop him; he stood quietly on the stage.

It wasn't a waste of time to hire someone.

As time passed, the cheers gradually subsided.

At this moment, Jiang Shuzhou spoke again.

"As a lord, I have a responsibility to ensure that my people are well-fed and clothed, and that they do not suffer from hunger and cold."

"Similarly, I also have a responsibility to ensure that my people live in peace and prosperity, free from attacks by bandits and wild beasts."

"Today, I assure you, there will be bread, and there will be safety!"

"Pierre!"

"Distribute supplies!"

As soon as Jiang Shuzhou finished speaking, Pierre and the mercenaries from his mercenary group arrived, pushing carts full of bread.

Jiang Shuzhou bought these items from the game system's trading house. They were cheap and included shipping, so he could take them out and use them immediately.

"One bag per person, no more than that, there will be more tomorrow!"

Upon hearing that there was still time tomorrow, the crowd erupted in excitement once again.

"Long live Lord Navis! We can never repay Lord Navis's kindness!"

This time, no one took the lead; everyone shouted the phrase spontaneously.

"Of course, as for this person?"

"In the name of the Lord of Hamlet, I sentence you to death!"

Swish.

Griffiths swung his sword down fiercely, and Eden was decapitated.

His eyes were wide open, as if he had died with his eyes open in disbelief.

There was no other way. Jiang Shuzhou had just arrived and naturally needed to establish his authority. Eden just happened to walk into the line of fire. As for whether he actually did those things or not?

It does not matter.

"Due to Eden's actions, the entire guard has been disbanded!"

"For the time being, the Griffith Mercenary Group will be responsible for the defense of Hamlet Territory."

"However, this does not mean that the guard team is a thing of the past. Soon, the guard team will be re-established, it will just have a new name."

"Lord's personal guard!"

"All the lord's personal guards will be eligible to be summoned by me and swear allegiance to me."

"Furthermore, as a reward for your defense of your homes, you will not only receive generous salaries, but I will also grant you priority access to housing renovations and larger food rations!"

Everyone was celebrating, and people's support for Jiang Shuzhou, the new lord, had reached its peak.

"Anyone interested in becoming a lord's personal guard, come and register here!" Hayes pressed his advantage, setting up a recruitment booth below the stage.

"I!"

"My lord, choose me!"

"I……"

Hayes's recruitment office was packed with people, all wanting to do their part for the lord and, incidentally, improve their family's living conditions and meals.

"No criminals, no minors, and no only children!"

Hayes screamed desperately, almost overwhelmed by the frenzy.

This was also proposed by Jiang Shuzhou.

Criminals should not be allowed to join the military under any circumstances. Not only are they difficult to manage, but military discipline will also become lax, and various serious incidents may even occur.

Most importantly, it would create a social mentality that good men don't become soldiers. Once this mentality takes hold, if war breaks out again, Jiang Shuzhou will have no soldiers to use.

Although he can use alchemical golems, can those things be the same as soldiers?

How much money does it cost to feed and treat the soldiers well?

The fact that the children were minors and only children was a matter of pity for Jiang Shuzhou, as sending children and the only sons in the family to the battlefield was somewhat inhumane.

Jiang Shuzhou looked at the young people who were eagerly signing up.

Now, they are a seed.

In the future, they will be the sharpest weapons in Jiang Shuzhou's hands.