Chapter 118: Adventurers, the Troublemakers
Leaving the Town Center, Cord, drenched in cold sweat, finally let out a breath. He never imagined that the maid he had gifted away years ago would be so formidable, no, terrifying.
It wasn’t an act. It was the aura cultivated from power and ability, a unique quality possessed only by those truly in command. Throughout their conversation, Cord felt completely suppressed. If the other party hadn’t held back, he would have already lost miserably.
Now, Cord couldn’t help but regret his misjudgment. If he had kept her in the Trading Company, perhaps the President wouldn’t be in such a passive position. After all, talent is rare, and true elites are one in a million.
Of course, Cord was just thinking. He knew very well that even if he had recognized her talent back then, the outcome wouldn’t have changed.
Cord chose a shop facing the street. It had a good location and a decent size. However, the money he brought was far from enough. He had to use goods as collateral, and whatever he sold had to be handed over, making this trip a wasted effort.
But Cord was satisfied. The Ha Rui Trading Company was the only foreign trading company in the entire territory. He had seized the opportunity, and that was enough.
Leaving a few clerks behind to sell the goods, Cord couldn’t wait to return. His bold move would once again put the President in a passive position, but he didn’t believe the President wouldn’t see the opportunity it presented.
Owen was well aware of the Ha Rui Trading Company’s arrival and departure, but he didn’t intervene. He didn’t even convert the personnel they brought.
The system’s conversion wasn’t omnipotent. At least, it didn’t work within the Town Center. First, the target had to agree to join the territory and acknowledge his rule. This was fundamental. Even if they shouted “Long live the king!” their resistance would prevent the conversion.
Moreover, the smarter the target, the harder it was to convert them, as intelligent people often had complex thoughts and found it difficult to let go completely.
During the initial conversions, Owen hadn’t noticed this because the targets were serfs. No one would resist becoming a farmer with land and a house.
He only discovered this issue later when converting the nomadic tribes and the residents of Mara Town, especially the merchants.
Fortunately, the living conditions in the territory were excellent. Only a very small number of people resisted, and they ended up as sacrifices for building the stone wall. They toiled until they died, with no room for regret.
It was for this reason that Owen felt troubled by the arrival of outsiders. Otherwise, he would convert everyone who came, and there would be nothing to worry about.
Unfortunately, what he feared came to pass. As the weather gradually warmed, more and more outsiders entered the territory. They were amazed to find such a large town in such a remote place. However, they didn’t care about the reasons behind it. Instead, they were delighted, as this meant they had a stable place to settle and could venture further to explore.
These outsiders were a mixed bag: spies, bandits, wanted criminals, adventurers, pioneers, and vagrants. Instability flowed through their veins.
However, the territory was prepared. Howard, appointed as the City Defense Officer, would shoulder this heavy responsibility.
Since arriving in the territory, Howard seemed rejuvenated. After bringing his family over, he devoted himself to his work. The territory’s welfare system eliminated all worries about livelihood. Even armor, weapons, warhorses, and servants were readily available.
With ample motivation, Howard personally planned the patrol routes. Sufficient manpower and soldiers who strictly obeyed orders allowed him to operate freely, ensuring no blind spots.
Additionally, Howard appointed his son, Hogg, as the town’s Sheriff, leading a squad of elite soldiers to apprehend troublemakers and maintain order.
Eighteen-year-old Hogg, well-nourished and rigorously trained, was robust. Not far from awakening Battle Qi, he wielded a flail and a large shield, making him a formidable opponent. Moreover, he was accompanied by ten Longswordsmen, ten crossbowmen, and ten Nomad Cavalry. In a fight, even a well-coordinated adventurer squad would be forced to flee.
And they might not even escape. The Nomad Cavalry were no ordinary cavalry. Scimitars, throwing axes, shortbows, and lassos were all effective tools against their adversaries.
With such an elite force, even the most restless individuals would wisely choose to remain silent upon seeing them, including a few notorious wanted criminals.
These criminals had committed crimes in the Empire and fled to the border, but they continued their mischief. After being wanted, they eventually escaped here. Initially, they planned to relax and pull off another big heist, but after seeing the numerous elite soldiers and cavalry, they decided to be law-abiding citizens for the time being. Once they committed a crime, they couldn’t fight or escape. It was certain death.
Only adventurers were an exception. They were the epitome of restlessness and unafraid of danger. On the contrary, the more dangerous it was, the more excited they became. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be considered destabilizing factors by lords everywhere.
Even Owen found adventurers troublesome, even more so than dark forces. Aside from a few brainless individuals who wanted to destroy the world, most dark forces sought either wealth or power, both of which were negotiable. Cooperation was even possible.
However, adventurers were different. They also craved wealth and power and dreamed of a leisurely retirement. But causing trouble was practically their instinct. Their curiosity and adventurous spirit were uncontrollable. This couldn’t be solved simply by throwing money at it.
Owen had heard from Maya that throughout history, the Empire had experienced numerous city-destroying and nation-toppling crises. Nearly 80% of them were caused by adventurers, or at least related to them. This showed the destructive power of adventurers.
Owen’s current resources weren’t enough to withstand their chaos. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have specifically designed Green Shade Town as an adventurer’s paradise, using the ruins as bait to confine their destructive power within a limited area.
As Owen had predicted, the adventurers’ attention wasn’t focused on Autumn Field Town.
Autumn Field Town was the name Owen gave to the territory’s town. Outside the town were vast fields. In autumn, the golden waves of wheat made one doubt they were in the barren Northland, hence the name Autumn Field.
However, the prosperous Autumn Field Town wasn’t the adventurers’ target. It was too peaceful, with too many soldiers. There was no room for adventurers to play their role, nor were there any missions. So, their attention quickly shifted to Magic Horn Forest. The entire territory was surrounded by open land, and the only place that might hold opportunities was there.
Of course, although Owen considered Green Shade Town as bait to lure adventurers, he wouldn’t make it too obvious. Otherwise, some adventurers might stir up trouble again.
To put it bluntly, adventurers were a bunch of troublemakers. They would be suspicious of meat handed to them, but after getting bruised and bloodied, they would gleefully gnaw on the bloody meat, claiming it tasted better that way.
