This was the strangest team Rennes Medde had ever seen.
A detailed map of Longsong Stronghold was placed on a square table in the hall on the first floor of the castle.
There were six people around the table. They were the commander of the First Army, Iron Axe, the police captain from Border Town, Vader, the current leader of the Inferno Gang, Nightingale, the head of the Security Bureau, Ashes, the black-haired witch, and himself, the Earl of the Elk Family.
Rennes had never thought that one day he would need the help of rats, let alone cooperate with witches.
"Sirs, there are currently around seven to eight gangs of various sizes in the fortress." Lie Gu revealed a fawning smile as he bowed and said, "The gang with the most members is the Sickle gang located in the northern district of the outer city. They have around five to six hundred members. However, the strongest gang is the Death Knell gang in the inner city. Most of them are made up of fugitives and mercenaries. They almost don't accept ordinary civilians to join them. They have a lot of weapons and armors. Of course, if they didn't do that, they wouldn't be able to occupy the richest spot."
"The eastern part of the city is the territory of the Carrion Bugs and the Vulture Gang. With the convenience of the dock area, they mainly sell slaves and Dreamland Water, and their methods are very cruel. I heard that these two rat organizations are backed by the Wolf Family and the Maple Family, but none of the nobles came out to help them when we, the Inferno Gang, beat them to a pulp a few years ago, "he said with some pride.
"As for the western part of the city, the gangs are much more complicated... Because they are all small gangs, I have only dealt with their leaders. They are... "
"The news about the gangs is not important, so there is no need to go into details," the tall Mojin man interrupted. "I just want to ask, can you take us to the underground rats' nest?"
"Ahem, my Lord..." Lie Gu nodded to him. "As the saying goes, when a rat builds a nest, there are ten holes and nine holes. I know the main gathering places of the gangs, but it is impossible for me to know every one of their shelters, especially those that are built with dry wells and basements. Only the leaders and their trusted followers know the specific locations. "
"He's right about that." Rennes sighed. "If we fight them head-on, the rats won't be able to withstand a single blow. But if we want to wipe them out one by one, I'm afraid it'll be very difficult."
"If we launch a sudden attack, we might still have a chance. But now that the notice has been issued, by the time the operation starts, those leaders should have already hidden themselves."
"Hide?" The black-haired witch sneered. "Unless he hides in Redwater City, as long as he stays in Stronghold, there's no one we can't find."
"Yes, you are right." Lie Gu wiped off the sweat on his forehead and no longer argued anymore.
The pressure that this witch named Ashes gave off was really amazing. Rennes had been on the battlefield and had also fought with demonic beasts in Hermes, so he knew what a real warrior was like … But even those experienced Judges would be overshadowed in front of her. The other party didn't need to put on a scary appearance. Just by standing there, he was enough to make people not dare to look at him directly.
There was no doubt that not only had she seen blood and taken the lives of her enemies, but she had also wandered on the edge of life and death, which was why she had such a domineering aura.
"According to His Highness, we still have three days to prepare. After the first batch of rations is distributed, the army will start from the North City Gate and clean up the rat gangs in each area." Iron Axe said in a deep voice, "This operation will only target the organizers, and strive to solve Black Street in the shortest time possible."
"But … will it really work?" Watching Iron Axe walk to the door of the hall, Rennes could not help but ask, "There has never been a city that can eliminate the rats. As long as there are people, they will not disappear."
Iron Axe looked back at him and said, "Really? There are no rats in Border Town."
…
After everyone left, only Vader stayed.
"My Lord, has anyone applied for a police position in City Hall?"
"Not yet … but I heard from Pérot that dozens of people in the Second Army have applied." Rennes slowly sat down with the help of the square table, Iron Axe's words still echoing in his mind. After a while, he asked in a low voice, "Are there really no rats in Border Town?"
"As for the usual Black Street organizations, there are none." Vader shrugged and said, "There is no shortage of food or shelter. Both men and women can find a suitable job. Even handymen are paid enough to fill their stomachs. To be honest, before I came to Border Town, I wouldn't have believed that there was such a place in the Kingdom of Graycastle. "
"Why?" Rennes could not help but ask.
"I don't know, my Lord …" Vader spread out his hands and said, "His Highness Roland's conduct is far different from that of any nobleman I've ever seen."
"Don't call me your Lord." He waved his hand and said, "His Highness asked us to work together to deal with this matter. We can put our titles aside in private."
Vader nodded and did not refuse. Rennes quite admired his straightforward character. "Do you think His Highness can really eradicate all the rats in Stronghold and make the entire Western Region a clean land?"
"I'm not sure." Vader's answer slightly surprised him. "After all, I used to be a patrol captain and have dealt with rats for several years. Their existence is like a shadow under the sun. It's difficult to rely on forceful means to deal with them. But His Highness said that if it was a big city with a million people, he might not be able to manage it well. But if there are only 100,000 people, it's not impossible to get rid of these low-level scum. To put it simply, it's enough to make the people feel that the price of being a rat is too high. At the same time, there are many more suitable alternatives. "
"The price is … too high?" Rennes automatically skipped over the description of a big city with a million people. Just 100,000 people was already an incredibly magnificent city. "This is not something that can be done in a short time."
"Yes, fighting against rats or crime is not something that can be done overnight." Vader nodded and said, "The police is the organization established by His Highness Roland for this matter. It's completely different from the patrol team. I've already told you about this."
They were indeed completely different. They were paid by the City hall and did not listen to the orders of a noble. They maintained the security and order of an area and did not associate with criminals.
"And, most importantly, His Highness said something to me."
"What did he say?"
"In fact, I've mentioned your doubts to him." Vader smiled. "In the end, His Highness said to me, 'If you can't do it, you won't do it?'"
Rennes Medde suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, as if something had suddenly become clear. "If you can't do it, you won't do it." If that was the case, he would not have been running on the path of a Knight. Although he had taken over the title of count and seemed to be getting further and further away from the life he liked, as long as he could continue fighting on the battlefield to protect the people, he would not be far away from the path in his heart. On the contrary, it would only become wider and wider.
"So that's how it is … I understand." He took a deep breath.
"I was also quite shocked at that time," Vader said emotionally. "But I still don't understand what His Highness said at the end."
"Anything else?" Rennes asked expectantly.
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