223: Return

Chapter 219: Return

Flora had Ruby and Grey wait at the Sheriff’s Office.

She then went to find Philip, who was on the other side.

The seven troublemakers from earlier, whose attitudes were terrible, she hadn't handed over to Grey and his team for interrogation. Instead, she specifically entrusted them to Philip.

"How are things?" Flora asked.

Philip immediately replied, "We've gotten it out of them."

"These people are either nobles from the border regions or wealthy individuals from well-off families."

"Because the Allied Army collapsed too quickly, they didn't have time to gather their assets before fleeing."

"So they could only disguise themselves as commoners and blend into the Refugees' ranks."

"That's why they kept complaining and found fault with everything.""

Flora nodded after hearing this and said, "That makes sense then."

"So, it's unlikely they are spies, right?"

Philip pondered for a moment and responded, "I've used all the interrogation methods Mr. taught me this time."

"These people have been put through enough; I don't believe they could still be lying.""

"Alright, let them recover for a bit, then send them to the Night Outcasts."

Philip then asked, "What about the other group?"

"They are nothing more than a bunch of opportunists hiding behind a banner of righteousness."

"We must take this opportunity to thoroughly investigate and completely uproot this group," Flora said with a firm tone.

"Then—should we inform Lord Arthur first?"

Flora shook her head and retorted, "Have you forgotten what Mr. instructed us before?"

"The Lord is kind-hearted; if we report these matters to him, he might hesitate."

"We should handle such matters discreetly.""

"I understand. It's just that I might have to return tomorrow or the day after."

"Can you manage on your own?"

Flora replied, "Don't worry, I've already recruited some people, enough to handle the current situation."

Philip felt relieved and whispered, "Everything is for Lord Arthur."

"Everything for Lord Arthur," Flora echoed.

When they left Wave Nest City, Godwin was worried that Jessica would become too powerful and potentially harm Arthur.

So, he secretly approached Flora and others, forming an alliance together.

The primary duty of this alliance was to handle all matters that could pose a threat to Arthur.

Besides that, they also had to act as the "black hand" to help Arthur resolve issues that were inconvenient to handle openly.

According to Godwin's intention, some matters didn't need to be reported to the Baron at all and could just be dealt with in secret.

Ever since arriving in Qingfeng Valley, Flora had been looking for an opportunity to contact Godwin.

Philip's visit this time was also at Godwin's instruction, specifically to assist Flora in eradicating these restless individuals.

However, no one expected that he would encounter a series of continuous incidents as soon as he arrived.

Thus, the task of assisting in the eradication of the rebels was delayed.

Since it had been clarified that the group of troublemakers were merely nobles accustomed to a life of luxury, and their complaints were only due to the stark difference between their current lives and their past, Flora decided to shift her focus to Ruby's side.

She gave Philip a few more instructions, also asking him to report these events in detail to Godwin, before turning and returning to the Sheriff's Office.

As soon as she sat down, Ruby proactively admitted her mistake: "This incident is all my fault."

"I will investigate thoroughly."

"If the Lord is not satisfied, I will pack my bags and leave right away.""

Flora waved her hand, signaling for the two to sit down.

Then, following the strategy Godwin taught her, she said, "This is not your fault."

"These people are like ungrateful jackals; no matter how many benefits you give them, they will never be satisfied.""

"Then how do you plan to deal with them?" Ruby quickly asked.

Her cousin, who had made a mistake, was still locked up.

If it was merely stealing a bit of wine, he wouldn't have been imprisoned for so long.

But the things her cousin and his companions said at the time were truly rebellious.

So, these days, whenever Flora had free time, she would interrogate them.

Ruby had also been worried about what kind of punishment her cousin would receive.

"We must send these unstable elements away," Flora said.

Grey immediately understood her meaning and interjected, "Are you still planning to hand them over to the Night Outcasts?"

"Exactly." Flora nodded, her gaze shifting to Ruby.

Seeing Ruby's expression wasn't good, she asked, "If you have any opinions, just speak them directly."

"I'm just a rough person, I don't understand grand principles, but I know that mistakes must be punished," Ruby said in a low voice, "but isn't this punishment a bit too severe?"

Flora countered, "Then can you keep them in line?"

"Can you prevent such incidents from happening again in the future?"

"Can you make them work wholeheartedly for the Lord?"

Seeing Ruby speechless for a long time, Flora already had her answer.

At this moment, Grey asked, "Does the Lord know about this?"

"Do you remember what I told you back then?" Flora asked in return.

Both of them nodded silently.

"The Lord doesn't need to know about these matters, do you understand what I mean?"

Ruby and Grey were both members of the alliance that Flora had brought in, a suggestion made by Godwin.

However, in Flora's view, this decision was quite unreasonable.

Firstly, those who could join the alliance should be absolutely loyal to Arthur.

On this point, there was no need to say more about Godwin, Drax, Philip, and the others.

Secondly, these people also had to be capable of ruthlessness and maintain absolute rationality.

Drax was a former gladiator; killing was as normal to him as eating and sleeping.

Although Philip was a conscientious person, he was relatively simple-minded and easily manipulated.

As long as he wasn't asked to kill children or unarmed women, he would absolutely complete his tasks excellently.

As for herself, there was even less to say.

The revelation she received from the Forest Mother was to protect Arthur.

So, even if she faced children and women, as long as they posed a threat to Arthur, she would not hesitate to eliminate them all.

But the situation with these two people in front of her was completely different.

Grey was an experienced Sheriff; he knew how to organize people for combat, find clues, arrest criminals, and conduct interrogations.

However, he had made a fatal mistake—covering for his son.

This was enough to show that he was not rational enough and was prone to making big mistakes when it came to emotional issues.

As for Ruby, she was a crude woman, illiterate, and without much thought in her head, relying entirely on her brute strength to impress people.

Therefore, her subordinates were extremely undisciplined, with no rules whatsoever.

These were not only Flora's conclusions but also Jessica's judgment.

But Godwin clearly had his own insights.

He pointed out that these two individuals were manipulable and could be brought into the fold, but not completely trusted.

He also asked Flora to test the two repeatedly to see where their bottom line was.

And now, Flora was doing exactly that.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Flora continued, "As long as you can guarantee that these people won't cause trouble again, I will allow them to stay."

"But they should never expect to hold any important positions."

"Furthermore, if they dare to cause trouble again in the future, it won't be as simple as just being expelled.""

Ruby finally spoke: "I agree with your judgment."

Grey pressed his lips together, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded.

"Remember, the Lord doesn't need to know about these matters," Flora reminded them again.

Isabella rushed into Godwin's office.

"Sir, come quickly, come see who's back!"

Godwin had already guessed who he would see.

He put down his pen, tidied his clothes, and reminded her, "Didn't I teach you not to panic in such situations?"

However, this time, Isabella didn't restrain herself and still excitedly said, "I think you'll be just as excited in a moment."

Godwin smiled without speaking and followed the girl out.

The longer he spent with Isabella, the more he felt that this girl was a malleable talent.

Due to their faith, Randel's family could be said to be absolutely loyal to Arthur.

Isabella was even more so the elder in the family.

This fourteen-year-old girl possessed maturity far beyond her peers and a deep understanding of her faith.

Although, in Godwin's view, this understanding was fanatical, irrational, and illogical.

But just like his consistent attitude towards faith—it's enough if it can be utilized.

Another crucial point was that this girl was literate and knew how to count.

So, during this period, Godwin had been cultivating her.

Now she was considered Godwin's deputy.

As soon as the two walked out of the room, Katu, with his sword, followed.

Also fourteen years old, Katu from Chult was a completely different kind of person.

Compared to pen and ink, this young man preferred the sword.

Katu spent almost all his free time on combat training.

He was also the fastest improving among all the Chult children.

Godwin guessed it was because Arthur's previous act of returning the sword had inspired this young man.

Philip commented that Katu would surpass him in another two years.

Godwin didn't know how much exaggeration was in that statement.

But before Philip left, he chose Katu to be Godwin's protector.

The three quickly arrived at the Lookout Fort gate.

Catherine's convoy was already on the main street.

Although Half-elf archer Laserlan had already returned and reported two days ago, Godwin's heart was still excited.

He could finally leave this wretched place and establish their own town on their own land.

That would be a brand new beginning, and it also meant they were one step closer to Arthur's vision.

Catherine had already seen him and waved to him.

Godwin walked over quickly and, like a true gentleman, helped the lady dismount.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see you, Miss Catherine," he exclaimed.

"Why?" Catherine teased, "Is it because I was too strict with the money before, and you all couldn't wait for me to leave, right?"

Both of them laughed.

After laughing, Godwin embraced Paul.

Then, looking at the carriage full of children, he asked, "It seems you've brought back not just land."

"You've also brought back the people to work it.""

"I was worried you'd be angry about this," Catherine said.

Godwin shrugged and said, "Am I that cold and heartless in your eyes?"

"Laserlan has already told me about this."

"I really don't understand your reasons for doing this."

"But since it's done, there's no need to say more."

"The most important thing is that you've returned safely, and the main task has been accomplished. That's better than anything.""

Godwin patted the guard Valok's shoulder and said, "Come on, I've had everything prepared."

The welcoming banquet was quite simple, consisting of the food the Pioneer Group usually ate.

The only difference was that Godwin had ordered three chickens to be added, considering it a welcoming feast for Catherine and her group.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Paul quietly asked Godwin beside him, "Is Qingfeng Valley not going smoothly?"

Godwin looked puzzled and replied, "Didn't I just say that the Lord has established a foothold in Mist Town?"

"Everything is going quite smoothly, why do you have such concerns?"

Paul picked up the last bit of bread on his plate and said, "Has the standard of living gone down?"

Godwin nodded and replied, "Yes, it has, to cope with the tight finances."

"After all, you took almost all the money."

"To save expenses, I had to lower the standards."

"The Lord knows about this, and he agreed."

"You think Qingfeng Valley isn't actually going smoothly, which is why the standards were lowered?"

"And my earlier words were just to stabilize morale?"

Paul put the last bit of bread into his mouth and nodded in admission.

"When it comes to being meticulous, it has to be you," Godwin said, "Don't worry, everything is going smoothly on the Lord's side."

Paul then asked, "What about the financial issue?"

"That land cost us all our money.""

"Don't worry, Lord Arthur sent a batch of fine goods, worth at least over a thousand gold coins."

"It's enough to solve the immediate crisis, and the Lord also said he has plenty more on his side."

"Additionally, we have also established trade in Lookout Fort, which is also a source of income.""

Paul looked at Godwin with some disbelief.

Godwin smiled and said, "Don't look at me like that, I was just as shocked as you were at first."

"Is the Lord truly sent by a god?" Paul said, "Can he conjure gold and silver out of thin air?"

"As far as I know, Qingfeng Valley is not rich anywhere."

"Most of the wealth is in the hands of the Dark Lord and his minions.""

"That I don't know," Godwin shook his head, "I also inquired with the convoys traveling to and from Mist Town."

"They also don't know how Lord Arthur obtained these things."

"They only know that these fine goods were moved out of a very large house.""

"Then I'm truly getting more and more curious, when will the convoy depart again?" Paul asked.

Godwin replied, "It will be tomorrow or the day after."

"Good, I'll go with them then."

"The Lord's side certainly needs manpower, but you've been traveling; you should rest a bit more."

"No, no, let the others stay here and rest," Paul shook his head, "I don't need to."

"Alright, then I won't say more, but before you go, I have some things to tell you," Godwin said.