Chapter 106: Banditry – A Surprisingly Profitable Career

“We recovered over twenty sets of metal armor from the corpses, mainly peeled off commanders and their deputies, so they’re of reasonably good quality. Around a hundred and fifty sets in total, the bulk being chainmail,” Harold paused briefly, “Over five hundred assorted weapons, but most of the armor and weapons have been singed and need refurbishing. We’ll also have to find a way to remove the identifying marks before we can sell or utilize them.”

Wu Qingsong nodded. Given the value of armor and weapons, even in an iron-rich region like Esola, this represented a substantial amount of money. And naturally, they wouldn’t be selling these items locally.

“We found nearly two hundred gold sols and more than three thousand five hundred renals. These guys weren’t carrying much cash. However, we discovered some jewelry on the bodies of the group leaders, deputies, and merchant guild representatives, particularly the Osaga Merchant Guild manager’s necklace, tie clip, buttons, and rings seem to be of high value, though they might be challenging to sell.”

“Ram should have a way to deal with that, or we could hold off selling them for a few years,” Wu Qingsong remarked. “What else?”

“Then there are the spoils from Greg Mine,” Harold continued. “Almost ten tons of food, apparently supplies loaned by various guilds and temporarily stored there. About eight tons of iron ingots, likely left by the previous mercenary group, along with a variety of uncounted tools and items. Lastly, we have five hundred and thirty slaves, predominantly of rabbitfolk and mousefolk.”

Handling the slaves was a bit of a dilemma. Wu Qingsong had no moral qualms about eliminating the mercenaries, but slaughtering these people for secrecy’s sake went against his ethical standards. Hence, he had no option but to bring all the slaves to his domain and keep them under control.

While the exact value of many items was uncertain, a rough calculation suggested that the armor, weapons, and jewelry stripped from the bodies alone were worth more than the profits of his long-term endeavors. And this was not even considering the significant value of the large number of slaves.

Robbery, it seemed, was indeed a faster route to wealth than honest work, as long as one came out victorious. A loss, after all, meant ending up as a corpse dangling from a tree.

“Let’s distribute the relief funds first, and use all the captured cash as rewards,” Wu Qingsong pondered and decided. Feya and Luli had played pivotal roles in the battle, and figuring out their compensation was a challenging task.

“Hand out weapons to the young lads and robust women alike. Treat them as half the equivalent of a formal mercenary and assign them to oversee the slaves, ensuring they don’t escape. But it’s imperative to instruct them to treat these slaves kindly and act fairly. If they prove themselves capable, they’ll be considered citizens of our territory in the future, with absolutely no discrimination or abuse allowed.”

Given the rabbitfolk and mousefolk’s minimal combat prowess, these adolescent houndmen and houndwomen should suffice to keep them in check.

“Explain our rules to the slaves. If they work diligently and pass the tests, they’ll soon gain freedom and become free citizens of our territory, either earning land or a salary,” Wu Qingsong elaborated.

This verbal assurance was primarily to ease their minds, but as long as they understood that fair treatment and a better life awaited them here, Wu Qingsong was confident they had no reason to betray him.

Beck returned promptly, visibly thrilled, “The city lord spoke to me personally and even escorted me to his office door.”

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but feel a bit disdainful. Yet, for someone who had suffered in the slums just half a year ago, this kind of treatment must have been overwhelmingly gratifying.

“What did he say?” he bluntly interrupted Beck. “What was the reaction in the city?”

The city Lord Baines’ words were as expected. He likely knew about the incident from Griffin before Beck arrived, hence his cordiality even towards someone of Beck’s low stature.

The reactions in the city were quite telling. Many probably couldn’t believe what had happened. The two carriages full of heads were undeniable proof, catching them off guard. Beck described their expressions at that moment as quite remarkable.

“The next few days will be crucial,” Harold added.

If the narrative of a ‘bandit attack’ became the official story, then they’d effectively navigated through this ordeal. It was impossible to predict what would happen next, but at the very least, for a substantial period, they should be safe from further threats.

“What about the people from the Osaga Merchant Guild?” Wu Qingsong asked.

“They’re likely still trying to figure out what exactly happened,” Beck responded. Wu Qingsong had particularly asked him to monitor the reactions of the Osaga Merchant Guild’s members.

Despite being somewhat overawed by the city protector’s hospitality, Beck had not forgotten this crucial task. 

“However, my lord, I suspect they will soon send someone to conduct an investigation.”

Wu Qingsong’s primary concern throughout the entire affair was their reaction; the rest were of lesser importance.

The truth was blatantly obvious, and everyone was aware of who the so-called ‘bandits’ really were. Currently, everyone was feigning ignorance, distancing themselves while awaiting the Osaga Merchant Guild’s response. If the guild chose to handle this discreetly, then this issue would be conclusively settled, and the ‘bandit attack’ story would become the accepted truth. Yet, if they chose to delve deeper, Wu Qingsong was certain that others would not hesitate to join them in a concerted backlash against him.

But what would that matter?

Given the chance to do it all over again, Wu Qingsong would not hesitate to make the same choice. 

It was crucial to completely eliminate such a venomous threat, rather than wait for it to strike from the shadows again and again.

His only regret was that he hadn’t realized this earlier and seized a better opportunity to eliminate the threat.

“If only Ram were here,” he found himself saying. 

She would have been far more skilled in handling such matters than Harold or himself. But in her absence, they would have to follow his strategy.

“Harold, find a way to connect with that man’s deputy as soon as you can to feel out his stance. If he’s ambitious and willing to keep this quiet, we have plenty to offer him. We won’t let him be shortchanged.”

“What if he’s unwilling or pretends to be cooperative?”

“If you sense any lack of sincerity or hidden agendas, eliminate him immediately. Ling can use her abilities again, enabling us to take him out without anyone noticing. I’ll assign her to accompany and protect you, acting on your commands,” Wu Qingsong directed. “We’ve already taken out a manager; dispatching a deputy won’t make much difference. If we can’t buy his loyalty, we’ll just remove him and win over someone even higher. He’s merely a minor guild manager. I highly doubt they would risk bringing this matter to the attention of Marquis Osaga.”