Chapter 1026: Chapter 572: Have You Heard the Tale of Ode to Gallantry..._2
Receiving the Lord’s response, Vick also breathed a sigh of relief, because the environment in Ovando was really putting pressure on him.
But he quickly pulled himself together and asked, "Sir, what’s my next mission?"
"Mainly in Bastia, as well as the surrounding territories of Hamlet, and the frontline of the Empire’s civil war. Do you feel confident?"
"I guarantee to complete the mission!" Vick was no longer the ordinary person he once was, having some understanding of the Empire’s situation.
Saying this, Lance suddenly changed his tone, smiling as he added, "But before that, you have a more important task."
"What?"
"Take a break, go home and rest for a while."
Upon hearing this, Vick realized it and couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t refuse, having not returned home for a while, it was time to go and see his family.
"Sir, among those people, I’ve found a few promising ones. I’d like to try and develop them."
"Go ahead, I trust you." Lance patted Vick’s shoulder to show his support.
The two of them dusted themselves off and left the scene, leaving Ovando, which although hadn’t been destroyed, was already on the brink of collapse, to Walter.
Although he’d anticipated it, even planned for it, Walter still felt like a huge sucker, his old bones...
But complaints aside, Walter’s abilities left no room for doubt. He quickly took control of Ovando, promoting some reliable people to key positions, sorting out the current mess, figuring out how to stabilize the situation, and gradually restoring production and life.
Truth be told, Vick’s uprising, the disappearance of the bureaucrats in the city, followed by Walter’s intervention, was so cleverly orchestrated. Many smart people in the city could see that it was evidently Walter’s arrangement with Vick, taking the opportunity to seize Ovando.
As for why those people listened to him?
Because Walter controlled the food supply, and he had a group of elite guards, plus Vick’s two hundred men counted among them.
More importantly, all those people were dead, anyone who had the strength to oppose him had vanished.
Even if they guessed something, they wouldn’t dare speak recklessly, having no choice but to be obedient. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare to assure that the next to disappear wouldn’t be them.
But all this had nothing to do with Lance and Vick.
It’s just that the two hadn’t quite left yet.
Vick wanted to talk to those undercover spies and discuss the future arrangements.
According to the plan he and the Lord had, it was to set up a new caravan, using this as a pretext to conduct intelligence operations.
Just as Walter was now taking over Ovando, the merchant group needed people.
Nevertheless, to keep a low profile, Vick decided to use Bastia as his base...
While Lance was in a warehouse that looked ordinary from the outside, inventorying the loot.
In today’s secret warehouse district, it appeared inconspicuous, but inside it held hidden treasures.
Box upon box filled the warehouse, among them were uncountable gold coins, with an estimated amount of at least tens of millions, but that was just cash.
There were also various rare collectibles, jade gemstones, art pieces, and...
All sorts of things were even hard to estimate, and what interested Lance more were the extraordinary equipment that had been scavenged, but most were ordinary things, further tainted by eerie negative effects, not worth much.
He was only concerned about the various books and scrolls, many weren’t antiquities, or were inscribed on peculiar leather, a simple flip through them could evoke a chilling feeling.
Can’t find any extraordinary equipment, but these books are the best medium.
Lance could only wait until he had time to slowly sort through these things, as aside from him, not many could withstand that unnamable eerie twisted thinking.
This was just one of the warehouses, specifically for storing valuables, while other miscellaneous goods were in other warehouses, Lance even took away their clothes and blankets, leaving only an empty shell.
The city plundered Hamlet’s wealth for over ten years, now it was all back in the hands of Hamlet’s Heir.
All this could only be considered the boomerang tossed by the ancestors finally returning to my hand.
He couldn’t take all the money, the exhibition room didn’t have enough space, and Ovando also needed funds to recover.
But at least now Tiffany couldn’t hassle him.
Once things in Ovando were pretty stable, Lance took advantage of the night to slip into the old route.
......
Totnes.
The fleets that left Hamlet almost in an escape-like manner finally returned to their home port after a fearful journey.
Most people, whether shipowners or crew members, were grateful they finally escaped back, as the sturdy ships and artillery of the Totnes fleet gave them a sense of security.
Meanwhile, the pressure was released at this moment, they began spreading those strange rules of Hamlet, tales of monster invasions, church beat-downs, each of which was big news through their channels.
Bars, brothels, casinos... the name of Hamlet quickly spread in those places.
Within a day, almost all the captains and crew in Totnes knew there was nothing good about the place called Hamlet, instead, it offered only disaster and madness.
Also, this information was fed back to the forces behind them by the shipowners.
Things like fishmen invasions they didn’t care much about. Looking at the Empire or even the continent, instances of monster invasions weren’t really rare.
For them, as long as it didn’t happen in Totnes and affect their interests, they didn’t care.
However, the Lord’s beat-down of the Church was interesting. It should be known that both the Mendicant Monk and the Candlelight Priest were renowned, legendary figures in the Church.
Yet in Hamlet, they were beaten for causing trouble, publicly humiliated.
Mixed emotions indeed, but there was a bit of satisfaction, as it was something they longed to do but dared not, accomplished by a small town Lord!
But they were more curious about this place, even more curious about that Lord, who was so powerful yet unheard of?
These people have family heritage, naturally having some understanding of the Hamlet of the past, thinking perhaps some old monster from the Hamlet Family crawled out of the grave?
In this world where supernatural power exists, immortality isn’t really that rare, it’s the power beyond humans, easy to those beings.
If it truly were such a case, those who feasted on Hamlet’s People might be on edge.
Beating the Church’s legendary figures, if they truly come to attack, who could withstand it?
But most maintained a watching attitude, convinced the Church wouldn’t let it go easily, they’d have a good show to watch once it kicks off.
As they imagined, although the Church Duo hadn’t returned, the news spread among the crew, not to mention there were some believers among them, immediately reporting the matter to the Church.
The Bishop of Totnes, learning the facts, felt no connection to the monster invasion, but the Hamlet Lord beating the Church Duo made him furious.
Though most Church members didn’t like the peculiar Martyr Martin, his preaching of the vow of poverty was viewed as troublesome by many internally.
I worked hard to become Clergy, without making money, enjoying life, or playing... Isn’t it for nothing?
Believers should provide, for we are Messengers of the Holy Light.
Especially with Totnes’s heavy commercial atmosphere, the corrosion by money turned the Church there into the Empire’s wallet.
Moreover, Martin caused quite a stir in Totnes’s Church upon his arrival, hence the superiors pushing him out with ease.
But even when punishing a dog, one must consider its owner!
