After that, several days passed.
Under Menna’s deliberate propaganda, the news of the Queen’s special envoy and the arrival of the little princess at Demon Suppression City to take charge of border disputes had spread thoroughly in the northern part of the kingdom.
After days of hard work, with assistance from Lilya remotely, Menna had managed to basically control and stabilize the situation in Demon Suppression City.
There were many things to be done.
Easing the increasingly tense conflicts with the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, reopening the routes from the Human United Kingdom to the north, regulating the economy, fortifying the borders, appeasing the disgruntled populace, dealing with the former rulers, the Tulls family of Demon Suppression City, these were all top priorities at the moment.
In addition, there was the interrogation and disposal of the recently captured poachers who illegally hunted and trafficked slaves of other races, tracing the buyers, big and small, within the country based on the leads they provided, and doing their best to rescue more innocent victims sold to various places.
Leaving aside everything else, the number of slaves rescued here in Demon Suppression City alone is far more than what Violet imagined. Preliminary statistics have reached over thirty thousand, whereas the total number of bandits killed or captured in battles is less than four thousand.
In other words, on average, each bandit has stolen and enslaved at least ten individuals from other races.
And this is only within the city. The thought of those who have already been sold off, or hidden in remote villages outside Demon Suppression City, as well as the number of captives in other cities, is simply unimaginable.
When she first heard this number from Menna’s pale face, even Violet was so shocked that she didn’t know what to say.
What she saw in the underground black market was just the tip of the iceberg. Such a massive number, if not for the intervention of Queen Lilya herself, would pose significant problems not only in rescuing but also in resettling and handling them.
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Thus, it’s evident that beneath the prosperous facade of the Human United Kingdom, the slave trade is rampant.
If Lilya is truly determined to investigate to the fullest extent, it would likely result in a major overhaul of the entire country. One can’t help but wonder if Miss Lilya, who is young and has not even been on the throne for a year, can bear such a burden.
Of course, leaving others aside, the powerful figures within the Tulls family, including those in the “One King, Two Powers,” are certainly not going to fare well.
When Menna stormed into the Lord’s Mansion that night, she encountered no resistance. Taylor Tulls dismissed the guards, removed his official robes, and sat alone in the study, calmly awaiting the arrival of the Princess.
Later, in front of everyone, he openly admitted to all his crimes, not even waiting for Menna to present the evidence she had collected, and allowed the Shadow Guards to put him in shackles.
Naturally, Taylor Tulls was directly sent to the dungeon by the Princess, stripped of his position as the Lord of Demon Suppression City.
As for his title as a Duke, bestowed by the late King Anchorro Melchior, Menna had no authority to revoke it, so it would require an official decree from the Queen. But that seemed inconsequential now.
The Tulls family suffered collateral punishment. They not only had to pay a massive fine within a set period, serving as funds for various subsequent tasks, but also faced numerous restrictions, including investigating the recent activities of family members and the cancellation of the private military quotas previously held by the Grand Duke.
The most severe consequence was faced by the current head of the family, Gryffith Tulls, who also served as the Prime Minister of the kingdom.
He was held accountable by the Queen and, due to his old age and frailty, voluntarily resigned from his position, which was then accepted by the Queen through the council, stepping down as Prime Minister.
At this point, Gryffith Tulls, the venerable old statesman of three generations, nearing his nineties, has also completely ended his lifelong career.
In the future, in order to avoid suspicion and minimize the negative impact of the chaos in Demon Suppression City, he will probably have to stay honestly in the Courage City, tending to flowers and grass for the rest of his days.
Actually, if Lan could follow Taylor’s plan and ruthlessly shift all the blame onto him alone, Gryffith might have been able to serve as Prime Minister for a few more years, and the Tulls family could have suffered much less. Unfortunately, she is a rebellious child who never listens to adult arrangements.
Though it sounds harsh, such is the nature of politics and career. One misstep becomes a lasting regret. Between being at the height of power and suffering a downfall, there’s always just a thin line.
Being able to shed some blood to pass through the ordeal, even retaining the hereditary title of Grand Duke, is already impressive enough for the Tulls family and Gryffith.
Even Lilya doesn’t wish to push them too hard, after all, the kingdom might face another major upheaval in the near future.
With the internal issues temporarily resolved, what remains is diplomacy with the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains.
Through the covert mediation of Violet as an intermediary, things have developed very smoothly.
As Walter indicated, the fastest demon general, Esther, personally returned to the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains at the earliest opportunity, informing the alliance of the situation here, causing a significant stir.
It’s said that a certain venerable saint also lent a hand in secret. After several discussions, the demons eventually reached a consensus and accepted negotiations with the Human United Kingdom.
The representative responsible for the negotiations, whom Violet also knows, is none other than the legendary major demon who escorted those demon girls back to their homeland before, a Spirit Puppet Tribe girl named Ewan.
Just as she finished escorting them home and was planning to rendezvous with Walter and other major demons in Demon Suppression City, she coincidentally encountered Esther rushing back and got roped into this task.
The Spirit Puppet Tribe has always been renowned among demons for their intelligence and rationality, especially someone like Ewan, a major demon, who is highly trusted by many races, including the Three Pillars. She has been handling matters related to the little princess herself, so naturally, she’s the most suitable candidate.
Because the demons are eager to welcome back the “little princess,” the negotiation date has been moved up as much as possible, set for tomorrow.
Since demons cannot freely enter and exit the cities of the Human United Kingdom openly, the negotiation location was ultimately chosen in a small town thirty kilometers north of Demon Suppression City, where the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains meet the Human United Kingdom.
Although Little Menna has been busy with countless tasks these days, Violet has finally had some leisure time. She has also had the chance to revisit the northern famous cities of the Human United Kingdom with a few companions.
Naturally, the wanted orders were canceled long ago, and it’s heard that the Internal Security Bureau is undergoing significant restructuring.
The formations of those demon hunters and poachers who were incorporated into special units have been directly disbanded, and all their past misdeeds have been brought to light. Menna won’t be lenient with those who previously acted arrogantly.
While it’s true that the poaching gangs entrenched both inside and outside the country won’t be entirely eradicated this time, with Demon Suppression City, essentially the poachers’ headquarters of the Human United Kingdom, being cleaned out, subsequent actions by the new government led by Lilya will surely become much easier.
As for the other three forces in the underworld of Demon Suppression City, Menna doesn’t seem to have any immediate plans to act.
According to her, a country cannot completely eliminate all its dark sides, it’s an unavoidable part of its makeup. Even if these organizations are eliminated, others will likely emerge.
Therefore, as long as their actions don’t cross moral lines like those of the poachers, it’s best for the government not to completely sever ties.
Perhaps it’s for similar reasons that they were able to achieve some level of cooperation when they were originally raiding the underground black market.