Knight: Becoming King of the World

Chapter 107: Chapter 91: Eliminate Lawlessness, Annihilate Crime

The blacksmith and carpenter workshops, under Henry’s support, had become a key hub for the entire fiefdom’s cash flow.

The establishment of the candle, pottery, and leather Workshops was filling the gaps in Westwood Laine.

Before long, this rapid development brought with it emerging social problems, one of which was the formation of gangs.

These gangs were mostly composed of people with shared interests or backgrounds. Some were formed by bankrupt merchants or hopeless workers, who created alliances to protect their interests and safety.

Others were made up of vagrants or fugitives from elsewhere, who found a foothold on the outskirts of the town.

Those who were more eloquent, or who were already part of a group, gathered for common goals and interests, forming the core of these gangs.

They attracted more members by various means, such as offering protection. Internally, they established rules to maintain the organization’s order.

In Westwood Laine, the formation and growth of these gangs had a negative impact on the town’s safety and order.

Some gangs tried to control the market, smuggle goods, or provide illegal services to increase their wealth and power.

The actions of other gangs, meanwhile, risked conflict with Henry’s authority, as their very existence threatened the fiefdom’s stability.

When Henry learned that several gangs had actually formed within his town, he was so angry he laughed.

He could not tolerate the existence of these gangs. He had provided work for the fiefdom’s Free People and artisans, ensuring they had food to eat, clothes to wear, money to earn, and roofs over their heads.

Yet, some people were not only ungrateful but were now making trouble, attempting to disrupt the fiefdom’s stability and even coveting his authority.

"What a bunch of ungrateful parasites!" Henry snorted coldly. His patience had its limits.

Other nobles might have used gangs as another tool of control, but Henry would not.

"Claude! Tommy! How is it that you only found out about these gangs after they started collecting protection money from the blacksmith’s Workshop?! What are the Record Keepers under you even doing?! I only found out because an artisan from the Workshop came and reported it to me directly!

Tommy, I gave you forty soldiers! What do they do all day? Just sit around and collect a paycheck?! How are you deploying them?!"

Being reprimanded, Claude and Tommy broke out in a cold sweat and didn’t dare to speak. This was, indeed, a dereliction of their duty.

Henry immediately mobilized his most elite Senior Infantry squad. They were well-equipped, wearing Chain Armor, Cotton Armor, or Cloth Armor. They wielded steel swords and shields, carried short Javelins on their backs, and had a One-Handed Staff hanging at their waists.

"Soldiers! The peace and prosperity of our fiefdom are under threat. Greedy individuals, heedless of our safety, are attempting to destroy our order. Today, we will give them the punishment they deserve!"

"Senior Infantry, move out!"

The soldiers roared in unison. With a wave of his hand, Henry gave the order, and the Senior Infantry moved out at once. They split into several squads and headed straight for the gangs’ hideouts.

The gang members had assumed that, like gangs in other cities, the noble would use them as proxies to extort money. They never expected that Henry had absolutely no intention of recruiting them.

When the Senior Infantry appeared before them, the gang members panicked and scattered. But the infantrymen were well-trained and quickly brought the situation under control. As the One-Handed Staves came crashing down, the gang members were left lying on the ground, unable to move.