Inside the Mountain Forest Fortress, the castle servants were rounded up by the Guards, not a single one missing.
They knelt on the ground, trembling, despair clouding their minds.
They already knew what Princest had done, and they knew the man before them was the true master of Mountain Forest Town.
And as the servants of a traitor, perhaps only death awaited them.
"My Lord, they’ve all been gathered!"
Chahar finished his count and reported, "Fifteen people in total. One steward, four from the kitchen, three maids, five manservants, and the other two were Princest’s mistresses."
Chahar paused, then added, "According to Tom, Princest’s wife and son are in the Sain Territory, not in Mountain Forest Town."
Ronin’s eyebrows twitched. ’Well now, this Princest was quite the character. Keeping two mistresses in Mountain Forest Town while his wife was away.’
Ronin scanned the group. He didn’t need Chahar to point them out to see which two were the man’s mistresses.
They had curvy figures and fair, delicate skin, a clear cut above the maids and kitchen women next to them.
Chahar noticed Ronin’s gaze fall upon the two women and immediately recalled his master’s former reputation. ’He hasn’t been near a woman for some time,’ he thought. ’Is he getting a bit... restless?’
So, he bowed and asked, "My Lord, should these two be left for you?"
Ronin’s gaze shifted to Chahar, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Do you think I would want them?"
Although he was smiling and his tone was questioning as usual, all Chahar felt from it was rejection and scrutiny.
"My apologies, My Lord. I spoke out of turn!"
Chahar lowered his head. He had regretted his words the moment he’d spoken them.
The Marquis’s grandson of the past was in the past. The man before him now was a Transcendent who faced his enemies with confidence, courage, and decisiveness.
He warned himself that he had to completely forget his previous impression of the Baron!
Ronin looked away and spoke to the people below in a flat tone.
"Though you are the mistresses and servants of a traitor, and I would be well within my rights to kill you, I am merciful. I am willing to believe you had nothing to do with this matter, so I will give you a chance to live."
The fifteen kneeling people all breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Ronin with a jumble of grateful voices.
"Although I will not kill you, I will not employ you either."
He wasn’t killing them because he felt it didn’t matter either way, and letting them live would add a few more people to Mountain Forest Town’s population.
As for employing them, that was a security risk. If they were too loyal to Princest, it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to remain in the castle.
"Chahar, have this steward take you to inventory the castle’s grain, tools, and other supplies. Give me a list."
"Macken, assign two guards to supervise these cooks and have them prepare a feast for us."
"The rest of you, manservants and maids, go clean out a few empty rooms. Remember to replace everything inside!"
"As for you two mistresses, leave the castle now. And remember, I am only ordering you to leave the castle, I have not given you permission to leave Mountain Forest Town."
Ronin waved his hand, dismissing them to their tasks.
For the servants, leaving the castle meant leaving a life of privilege. But compared to keeping their lives, a life of privilege meant nothing.
After the Guards and servants had all left the hall, only Macken, Elron, and Tom remained.
"My Lord!" Macken said respectfully. "I will go arrange the guard posts."
Ronin nodded. The castle’s security was crucial; he didn’t want just anyone to be able to come and go as they pleased.
"Have the uninjured Guards handle defensive duties. Have the servants quickly prepare rooms for the wounded Guards to rest."
Ronin looked at Tom. "You’re more familiar with this place. Show Macken the way."
"Yes, My Lord!"
Tom followed Macken out of the fortress.
"Come, Elron. Accompany me on a proper tour of this castle."
"It would be my honor!"
And so, Ronin and the Mage, Elron, took a thorough tour of his new base.
Before long, he reached the top of a tower and gazed out over Mountain Forest Town.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, the town appeared crude and barren.
Aside from the main road leading from the castle to the outside world, which could barely be called a "street," the rest of the area didn’t seem to have any proper roads at all.
’Princest must have disdained improving the environment for his subjects. For him, as long as he lived securely and comfortably, that was enough.’
But what about Ronin?
He hoped to make his living environment more like the countryside on Earth. To him, that was true comfort.
Improving the living conditions of their subjects seemed to be a thankless task for many nobles in this world.
After all, with a castle and Transcendents to protect them, why should the nobles care whether the common people, who were meant to be laborers, lived lives of hardship or comfort?
But Ronin didn’t see it that way.
If a Lord’s Transcendents were his hard power, then his subjects were his soft power.
Soft power wasn’t easily seen, touched, or felt, but it was crucial for supporting a territory.
For one thing, if he raised the standard of living for his subjects and ensured they all had full meals, wouldn’t more commoners like David appear, people who could awaken a Fighting Qi Spirit Seed?
Without enough Knight Clans pledging their allegiance, these subjects were Ronin’s foundation.
However, he also knew that you had to eat a meal one bite at a time and walk a road one step at a time.
Ronin wasn’t foolish enough to consider something like land redistribution. It didn’t suit the current situation, nor was it something a person of his social class should do.
The right path for him was to adapt to his status as a noble, enjoy the power and responsibilities of his class, and then make slight changes according to his own will.
Perhaps one day, when he was powerful enough that any decision he made would win the support and following of others, it wouldn’t be too late to make bigger changes.
Shielding his eyes with his hand, Ronin gazed at the setting sun. "Elron, what do you see?"
Elron looked up at the sunset and said with a smile, "I see that the light will be with you always, My Lord!"
"Under your leadership, this town will walk a path of unprecedented brightness. I believe that one day in the future, bathed in your radiance, this place will become a city of miracles!"
"Hahaha!"
Ronin roared with laughter. "As expected, you really know how to talk, unlike that blockhead Macken who only knows how to say ’As you command,’ ’Yes,’ and ’As you wish’!"
Elron smiled. "Macken Knight’s loyalty and composure are worthy of my study."
’People who love to read really know how to talk.’
"Let’s go. Time to get to work, Mage."
Ronin led the way down the tower. "The Guards’ role is to protect and to fight. Their daily duties are training and patrolling, not completing chores like cleaning."
Elron followed behind Ronin. "You are right."
"So, help me write a recruitment notice. The castle has expelled its former manservants, maids, and cooks. We need to hire a new batch to handle the daily chores."
Elron chimed in, "You are right."
"Also, I’ve only toured the castle today. I need to find time to inspect the entire territory so I can make proper arrangements for the future."
"You are right!" Elron added. "But I think it would be best to first publicize the fact that you are now the Lord of Mountain Forest Town."
"The display of force on the streets today has left the subjects fearful. Although you offered a simple sentence to reassure them, I don’t think your reassurance has necessarily reached everyone’s ears."
"You’re right, Elron!"
Ronin nodded. "Then have Tom take David with him to spread the word everywhere. Find a location for tomorrow morning, and have all the subjects gather there to see me."