Chapter 937: Chapter 28 An Offer You Can’t Refuse_3
Upon hearing Gerard’s question, Old Sergei also stopped in his tracks and perked up his ears.
“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with you… rest assured, your matter has already been properly resolved, and the military governnt will not pursue you,” Winters said, leaning casually against the wagon, speaking in an easygoing tone, “Colonel Alec is upset because I made a proposal to him.”
“What… proposal?”
Winters laughed heartily, “I hinted to him that if he would provide us with so logistical support, we could help the military governnt clear out the bandits that are entrenched along the provincial roads.”
“Oh,” Old Sergei nodded vigorously, seemingly half-understanding.
“That’s the way it is.” Winters spread his hands.
“Oh!” Old Sergei nodded even more emphatically.
“Colonel Alec.” Gerard suddenly frowned, “It’s unlikely he would agree…”
Winters expressed regret: “He did not agree.”
Old Sergei suddenly slapped his forehead, as if struck by a revelation, and hurriedly said, “Your Excellency, are you implying sothing to Lord Alec?”
“Implying?” Gerard looked puzzledly at his old comrade.
“Don’t bother, Lord Alec won’t understand those kinds of things!” Old Sergei spoke passionately, spraying as he spoke: “The bandits don’t rob them, how could they know the severity of how bandits plague the common people?”
…
Small villages and large towns alike are unable to be entirely self-sufficient; people always need to engage in a certain degree of material and information exchange with the outside world.
The bandit problems that sprang up with the chaos of war have turned “going out on long trips” into a high-risk activity, and the material and information exchanges between different places have also diminished.
Economic crops harvested are piling up and rotting slowly in the warehouses, and even the small paths just a few steps outside of the villages have beco unsafe.
From clergy, rchants, and landlords to poor farrs and tenants, everyone feels threatened. The once semi-open towns have erected walls one after another, and farrs gather together and form associations as much as possible for self-protection.
Winters had not fully understood this pervasive sense of panic that now exists.
It wasn’t until he sat by the fireside and shared als with many different people along the way that he gradually ca to understand, “While bandits are not as devastating as famine, their destruction of ‘sense of security’ is even greater.”
Given the choice between [no more conscription] and [no more bandits], n, won, the poor, the wealthy, the old, the young… people overwhelmingly choose [no more bandits].
…
“Colonel Alec.” Gerard pulled on Old Sergei, trying to smooth things over, “He wouldn’t be able to help much, after all, killing bandits and catching thieves aren’t really within his jurisdiction…”
“Yeah, ‘not within his jurisdiction’.” Winters was sowhat disheartened, he didn’t want to discuss the shortcomings of the bureaucratic system with the two old Dusacks, so he said with a smile: “I just ntioned it in passing to Colonel Alec, after all, our convoy is like uncovered at, and flies will always sll it and co. It’s all about fighting, wouldn’t it be better to dig so money out of the Republic?”
“That’s more like it!” Old Sergei suddenly perked up, completely ignoring the increasingly awkward expression on Gerard’s face, and enthusiastically agreed: “I knew you would not do a losing business!”
Fortunately, Winters had another group of visitors—the three local chamber of comrce directors had co to call—which gave Gerard an excuse to pull his comrade away and bid farewell.
“These are our locally renowned smoked sausages, and there are so other specialties.” The lead middle-aged rchant, panting, brought two baskets of smoked sausages, trying to placate with a smile: “My lord, please accept these as a token of our esteem.”
Winters didn’t hesitate and gestured for the guards to take them all.
Seeing the youthful man’s military bearing in every gesture and the fully ard guards around him, the three visiting rchants beca even more convinced that this large-scale rchandising convoy must have a military background.
“If it weren’t for your visit, who knows how many honest rchants in the town would go bankrupt?” The middle-aged rchant continued to curry favor, “May we offer our assistance and help you with accommodation?”
“No need, we’re leaving today.”
“So soon?” The middle-aged rchant’s eyes widened.
Winters answered succinctly: “We’re in a hurry.”
“Where are you headed? To the west?”
Winters did not answer, only folded his arms.
The middle-aged rchant wiped the sweat from his forehead and, after a silent exchange of glances with the other two board mbers, ventured to ask with clenched teeth, “If I may be so bold, please forgive , but may I ask…to which rchant brigade do you belong?”
Which rchant brigade?
This out-of-nowhere question baffled Winters. He narrowed his eyes, fixing a gaze on the three guild directors that sent chills down their spines.
Suddenly, Winters revealed a smirk: “That’s a secret, you mustn’t tell anyone else…”
The middle-aged rchant perked up at the hint of information and nodded hastily: “Of course! Definitely!”
Winters gestured for the middle-aged rchant to co closer and spoke deliberately: “We are the private rchant brigade of that general.”
“Which one? That one? That one!” the middle-aged rchant’s eyes were wide as saucers.
“Yes, exactly that one.” Winters let out a surna softly: “Alpad.”
As the young man finished pronouncing the na, the three guild directors held their breath for a second, feelings of “So that’s it!”, “No wonder!”, and “I knew it!” made their scalps tingle with realisation.
“Don’t believe ?” Winters arched an eyebrow: “Would you like to see the pass?”
“Not at all! Not at all!” The three guild directors waved their hands in refusal.
“Have a look, it’s no big deal,” Winters retrieved the pass from his bosom, deliberately showing off Alpad’s seal on the outside.
The three guild directors dared not really take the thin letter and scrutinize it, repeatedly requesting the young man to take back the pass.
“Finished looking?” Winters put away the letter, his expression imdiately turned somber, and he demanded in a stern voice: “What are your intentions inquiring about military affairs?”
With Winters’ change in tone, the surrounding guards also closed in, hands on the hilts of their blades, encircling the three guild directors.
“No intentions, absolutely none,” the middle-aged rchant’s face flushed red as he stumbled through his explanation: “We were sent here by the local rchant guild… to ask a favor of you…”
“Speak.”
“As you know… the roads have been quite unsafe lately… could you possibly…” the middle-aged rchant licked his lips: “allow our caravan to follow yours? You’d only need to wait one more day, just one day! Allow us one day to load our goods. The local rchant guild is willing to offer a token of appreciation to you for this…”
“Is that all?” Winters couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yes, yes, yes, just that,” the middle-aged rchant’s emotions surged, and suddenly he burst into exaggerated tears: “I beg you to show so compassion. It might be a trivial matter for you, but for us, it’s a matter of life and death!”
Seeing his act, the other two guild directors also began to lay it on thick with tears and snot.
For a mont, the atmosphere turned bizarre, with three local dignitaries weeping loudly as surrounding guards and hired hands couldn’t help but stop and gawk at the spectacle.
Winters waved his hand: “Alright, that’s enough, I understand what you an, the other two gentlen there don’t even have tears with their crying.”
The middle-aged rchant cut short his weeping, awkwardly forcing a few laughs.
After contemplating for a mont, Winters replied: “No can do.”
The middle-aged rchant wanted to say sothing more, but Winters stopped him with a gesture.
“First, my ti is pressing, I can’t possibly wait for you for a day and a half,” Winters tapped his elbow gently, “Second, even if you did co with us, you wouldn’t be able to keep up with our pace.”
If it were a matter of pay, they could perhaps haggle over the price. But Winters’ reasons were solid, and the middle-aged rchant had no reply.
“Well then… so be it,” the middle-aged rchant tidied up his appearance and respectfully bid farewell: “Thank you for condescending to explain to us, the local guild wishes to present a gift of money to you, as a token of gratitude…”
“I haven’t done anything for you, how can I take your money?” Winters interrupted the middle-aged rchant’s pleasantries.
“And my words are not yet finished. The gangs that lurk around your town are actually just two groups, the rest are just small fries, not worth worrying about.” He pulled out a map book, urged the middle-aged rchant to sit down, and enthusiastically pitched: “I have a proposal…”
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