Chapter 82: Punishment and Rewards (Part 3)

Wu Qingsong had certainly heard of the Grand Duke Fantali. Although not intimately familiar with the specifics, he recognized the Duke as a prominent overlord in the central region of the Elven Empire, responsible for military command.

In essence, as the military commander of the central region of the Elven Empire, the Grand Duke didn’t have the authority to interfere in the internal affairs of various local lords.

However, he had the power to mobilize most of the military forces from duchies, marquisates, and baronies within the region in response to emergencies. In the entire Elven Empire, only nine such noble figures existed, collectively forming the Elder Council, powerful enough to stand on equal footing with the Emperor.

Wu Qingsong wasn’t sure how many sons the Grand Duke Fantali had. Julian probably wasn’t his only son and might not even be a particularly favored one. However, if his life’s ambition was to cling to a golden leg within the elven hierarchy, then Julian was probably the thickest leg he could find for someone of his status.

‘But I’m a rebel at heart! How did a refined elf like Julian end up picking a rough man like me?’ Wu Qingsong felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.

Setting aside Julian’s concept of ‘soon’, which, as Harold mentioned, might span decades due to the elves’ extended perception of time, did it mean he was expected to play the role of a subordinate to Julian for ten to twenty years?

Even without considering Nina’s situation, what would become of Liuli and Ling?

Wu Qingsong was adamantly sure that while he might endure temporary subservience, a lifelong submission was out of the question for him.

In this world, unlike his previous one, the hierarchy was starkly different. Elves had the absolute power to strip everything from him at any moment. As a person from the modern world, he could never reconcile with such a subservient status. It was only a matter of time before problems would arise.

What if someone desired Liuli or Ling, demanding that he offered them up? How would he handle that?

Becoming a sheriff, essentially a high-level underling, and then ending up like Gilgood, always vulnerable to being discarded like a dog by his master?

Furthermore, as a man with numerous secrets, his most prudent strategy should be to steer clear of elves. If he were in Julian’s proximity, his secrets might remain hidden for a few years, but what about in ten or twenty years? How could he ensure they would never be discovered?

It was likely that someone like Julian would undoubtedly have many powerful mages around him. What would the outcome be if they detected something unusual in Wu Qingsong? The Grand Duke Fantali might whimsically decide to scrutinize the background of this new individual near his son. And then… if their investigation went deeper, would they realize that Wu Qingsong’s identity as Woody Tagraedi was a facade? Could they even trace his connections to Nina?

While this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for others, for Wu Qingsong, it was exactly the kind of opportunity he least needed.

Refusing might anger Julian and Osaga, but it was far better than accepting an offer that brought endless potential troubles.

“Your Excellency, you are too generous with your praise,” Wu Qingsong responded, his face betraying his disbelief. “I’m of humble origin, with no remarkable talents or scholarly knowledge. Managing a mercenary group is just about what I can handle, but a position as important as a sheriff seems like an unreachable summit for someone like me.”

Julian’s smile abruptly solidified, and after a moment, his voice escalated sharply, “Tagraedi, are you aware of what you’re saying?”

“Your Excellency, I’m deeply honored by your praise, and I’ll cherish it as a highlight of my life to share with others. But I’m well aware of my own limits. Someone like me, who relies on little clever tricks isn’t worthy of Your Excellency’s attention.”

Julian’s expression turned as cold as ice. Wu Qingsong braced himself, half-expecting an immediate sword thrust.

At last, Marquis Osaga spoke up, “You are dismissed!”

“As you command, Marquis. I wish you eternal health,” Wu Qingsong carefully backed out of the hall, the half-elf attendants eyeing him with a mix of fear and incredulity as if they were beholding the world’s greatest fool.

He swiftly returned to his previous spot.

“You need to evacuate quickly,” he said to Ram and Harold. “And take Liuli and Ling with you!”

Now that the mercenary group had drawn attention, he couldn’t withdraw them, otherwise, he would have suggested that Liuli take them all.

“What’s going on?” Ram asked, visibly alarmed.

“I just turned down an offer from Duke Fantali’s son, all for Nina,” Wu Qingsong said with a strained smile.

“Be serious!” Ram admonished.

“I’m being serious,” Wu Qingsong quickly explained what had happened. While it wasn’t entirely for Nina’s sake, it wasn’t entirely inaccurate either.

Ram appeared both surprised and moved. She shook her head firmly, signaling that she wouldn’t dream of leaving Wu Qingsong behind in such a situation.

“We’re staying,” Ling and Liuli stated resolutely. “Wherever you are, Wu, that’s where we’ll be. We’ll face any dangers together.”

Wu Qingsong was touched. “Alright, then let’s see how they decide to handle my case.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Harold offered. “Do you really think a noble elf lord and a duke’s son would need to be secretive or cautious about dealing with you? Even Gilgood was executed without hesitation. If they truly wanted to harm you, they would have done it right there, and no one would have spoken up for you.”

His words made sense, yet they sounded unsettling.

Soon enough, the outcome arrived. A mastiffman soldier delivered a document in the name of the Governor of Esola City. It briefly praised Wu Qingsong’s performance in the recent defense battle, encouraging him to continue serving the empire with distinction. As a token of appreciation for his service and to enable further accomplishments, the document appointed him as the overseer of the Elmons Mines and the surrounding region.:

The houndmen burst into cheers. Although they didn’t know where the Elmons Mine was, Wu Qingsong had achieved in just a few months what would typically take other mercenary groups a decade or more. Per his earlier promise, they could now relocate their families from Bota’s slums to this new territory, a dream come true for them.

Wu Qingsong was also taken aback. He assumed that after rejecting Julian’s offer, all his merits would be nullified. Surprisingly, despite their ruthlessness, the elves seemed to be quite fair in their dealings.

“Where is the Elmons Mine located?”

The mastiffman soldier handed him an atlas attached to the document and then left, shaking his head.

What was that supposed to mean?

Wu Qingsong quickly opened the atlas, and then couldn’t help but swear.

‘Okay, I retract my previous words. These elves are utterly despicable and shameless,’ he thought bitterly.

Not far south of the Elmons Mine, a name was prominently marked, the Eryk Mine, the very epicenter of the insectoid calamity.