158: Hand over power

Chapter 156: Transfer of Power

After dealing with the Pioneer Group’s affairs, Arthur set off to meet the high-ranking officials of Mist Town.

As Arthur walked out of the church, he felt the chill deepen, and the damaged houses in Mist Town shivered in the wind.

It was as if spring in this place was blocked by the cold wind, reluctant to arrive.

The town had finally regained a semblance of normalcy, but only a semblance.

The guards were still in uniform, but everyone else had sheathed their swords.

Some merchants reopened their shops, but many still had nothing to sell.

The farmers, with no land to till, huddled behind the town walls, drinking the last of their savings on cheap wine, muttering to their empty cups.

Only the fanatics remained full of vigor.

Arthur’s temporary absence had not affected their spirits; they continued to chant scriptures and fast relentlessly.

They were so devout that they seemed isolated from everything around them.

When Arthur appeared, these fanatics followed him.

The young priest patiently gestured for them to wait in the church.

He also told them to follow the arrangements made by Vanka and the Mountain People.

These people treated his words as an unquestionable divine oracle and obediently headed to the church.

Food was still scarce, and the ruins around Mist Town could not fill the gap in grain shortages.

Arthur could see this clearly.

Ismark and his team were doing their best to restore everything that could be restored.

But he was too young, and none of them had ever truly governed a town, so their lack of experience made their efforts difficult.

Before Arthur brought them victory, the townspeople could unite because they had a common enemy.

At that time, the Sheriff only needed to consider how to defend against the Undead’s attacks and deploy personnel.

Logistics were entirely handled by Joshua and his merchant guild.

Now, Joshua and his people had been judged, and the external enemy had been successfully repelled.

The townspeople, without a goal, became idle, and internal unrest followed.

Arthur arrived at the Mayor’s residence, recognizing the soldier guarding the gate as the same black man who had guarded the city gate before.

Arthur remembered his name was Scorpion.

Seeing Arthur, Scorpion immediately straightened his posture and respectfully said, “Welcome, Lord Arthur.”

“Is the Mayor in?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, he is inside, all—all of them are,” Scorpion replied excitedly.

Arthur nodded and walked in.

The town’s high-ranking officials were gathered in the living room on the first floor, and from their expressions, Arthur could easily discern their pessimism about the current situation.

Winter in Western Amn was particularly harsh every year.

And Mist Town’s troubles would prevent it from planting crops in the upcoming sowing season.

This would undoubtedly make the place extremely vulnerable in the future; they might even erupt into internal strife due to food shortages, even without external invasion.

Arthur’s arrival invigorated everyone present.

Ismark invited Arthur to sit and then told him about the matter they were discussing—they were considering slaughtering the last batch of livestock to ensure enough food to get through the difficulties.

Grey spoke, “In this environment, people’s tempers have become very volatile.”

“Last night, someone reported to me that a group of people were preparing to fight the fanatics.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s eyes turned to Arthur.

Their biggest fear had finally come to pass.

The fanatics Arthur had gathered from the slums were originally the lowest-ranking people in the area.

Many of them were criminals, committing theft, robbery, and even murder, stopping at nothing.

The former Mayor left this group of low-class people partly out of a trace of kindness, and partly to serve as a warning to the townspeople: once you committed a crime, you would be thrown into the slums to associate with these people.

Ismark had initially thought Arthur would be angry.

But the Baron was not, merely asking calmly, “What was the outcome?”

“They fought, but it didn’t last long.”

“These people quickly discovered that those who had no hope for life fought like ferocious beasts.”

“They were beaten back the way they came, leaving the lives of two of their comrades on the street behind them.”

“Their bodies were never found, and I decided not to pursue the matter further,” Grey said slowly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Heir interjected, “After that, the fanatics resumed their new prayers and chanting.”

“The townspeople began to understand that they were no longer the lower-class people they once were; they had become very dangerous.”

“So you called me here because you want me to restrain them?” Arthur asked.

“No, that’s not it,” Ismark quickly explained, “We just don’t know how to deal with these people.”

“Just as you don’t know how to deal with me and my people,” Arthur said bluntly.

Silence immediately fell over the living room; no one spoke.

Arthur looked at everyone present and continued, “Look at you all, you finally achieved a victory, only to fall back into civil war and division.”

“Do you really think the real danger has passed?”

“That’s ridiculous. I can help you solve the food problem, but I can’t help you solve the problem of internal division.”

“As the leaders of this town, these matters should be handled by you.”

“Lord Arthur, you might be mistaken,” Louis said, “The fundamental reason for all this is that we lack an influential leader.”

“You see, Ismark and Heir are both too young; they lack experience in governance and leadership.”

“Their father passed away suddenly, unable to leave them enough political legacy, which led to such serious internal divisions. And Grey, he is currently a man under punishment, and most of the townspeople harbor doubts about him.”

Arthur couldn’t help but ask, “What does that mean?”

“It means we hope you will become the leader of Mist Town,” Brussian replied to Arthur.

The Druid stood up and walked over to Arthur, saying sincerely, “You are the bridge connecting everyone; no one dares to question your status.”

“This is not just because of your heroic performance on the battlefield, nor just because you are the earth mother’s Divine Emissary, but also because you saved those who were on the verge of death.”

Arthur looked at all the attendees present and asked, “Do none of you have any objections to this?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“We are well aware that Mist Town’s crisis has not been resolved; the real battle is only just beginning.”

“And none of us can truly lead these people to victory.”

“You brought miracles and hope, Baron; people are willing to follow you, and so are we,” Ismark said sincerely.

Arthur pondered all this in his heart.

Jessica and his other subordinates had told him.

The local townspeople were different from the Pioneer Group; they knew very little about Arthur.

So after the victory, many might choose to leave rather than stay.

Even those who stayed would not be as loyal to Arthur as the Pioneer Group.

This was also why Arthur chose to continue serving as a priest; he planned to subtly indoctrinate the townspeople through faith, encouraging them to stay here as much as possible and fight for the Goddess.

“Are you sure?” Arthur asked again, “I am an outsider, and those people cannot even tolerate their own kind living in the slums.”

“We really can’t think of a better solution,” Heir said, “Conflicts will only become sharper, and the populace will only become more divided. It will be very difficult for us alone to maintain this fragile balance.”

Arthur pondered for a moment and said, “If you truly want me to rule, then you’d better not treat me as some mascot.”

“As I said, Divine Emissary,” the Druid responded, “Now, no one dares to question your authority.”