The civilians who came to 'cause trouble' were taken away by the soldiers. They would be assigned to the construction site in North Harbor West, where there were plenty of jobs that did not require much skill waiting for them. Their identities were 'troublemakers who were punished for causing trouble.' Due to their behavior, they would be sentenced to a few hours of labor. For obvious and most basic survival needs, they would also be given a hot meal, a hot bath, and a 'negligible allowance for hard work'.
Victoria had never seen such an operation before.
"The rules are sometimes too rigid, so we need to improvise, especially in such a place far away from the capital and with special customs," Byron glanced at Victoria, who appeared from the Light Bending Field and was looking at him with a dumbfounded expression. He shrugged and said, "These civilians were 'instigated' by the local small nobles and manor owners. At first, it was like this.
"The construction of North Harbor here by the construction corps has obviously provoked some people, and the influence of the Wilde family has made them not dare to act openly. These people have found other ways to test us. They have instigated or bribed some civilians who do not know the truth. When the civilians first came here, they were indeed angry, but they soon found that we are more 'kind and generous' than those who instigated them. The construction corps had plenty of supplies, but the civilians needed very little. They could do some simple work here in exchange for food that they could only enjoy on special days.
"But the biggest effect was the hot water. Our collective bath is the most popular place, more popular than I thought. The camp now has two waste heat recovery centers and a central heat exchange station, and the residents near the cold beach obviously did not have many opportunities to take a hot bath. My military doctor thinks that bathing these outsiders can effectively prevent them from spreading diseases in the camp. Now the latter have fallen in love with the abundant hot water supply here … "
Victoria's expression changed almost more times than in the past half a month. She frowned and looked at the 'imperial general' in front of her with a strange expression. "So … these people often come here? They come to you to protest, and then they are 'caught' by your soldiers to work, and finally, they get a good meal and a hot bath … "
"As well as a small allowance. You know, according to the laws of the Empire, those who are undergoing reform through labor can also receive a small amount of remuneration from their labor. This is to encourage their enthusiasm for making a living through labor."
Byron paused for a moment before continuing, "At first, only men came. They were bewitched or bribed. After a few forced labors and getting paid, some of them tried to sneak food back to their families. I found out about it, but I didn't stop them. It was nothing. However, the people behind the scenes obviously didn't want to see this result. They probably banned this behavior. You can imagine what happened after that — these people began to bring the women and children of their families. In fact, they even plan to bring along the elderly and young children, but that's too dangerous. I can't agree … "
Victoria listened to what Byron said in a relaxed and cheerful tone, but her expression gradually became serious. When the other party's voice fell, she exhaled and said in a deep voice, "So, now these people who were once encouraged … are completely on your side … And those who encouraged them haven't realized the seriousness of the situation."
"Maybe they have realized it. What does it matter?" Byron said indifferently. "A trend has formed. To reverse this trend, they have to pay a greater price than adding fuel to the fire. And the current situation obviously doesn't allow them to do so. The Wilde family won't help them, the Empire won't help them, no one will help them. Even their behavior itself has already stepped on the red line. Will they continue to step on the red line? Most likely not. Of course, I personally hope that they will go further. There is no scenery on this beach, and the flagpole of the construction corps needs some decorations. "
Victoria finally put away the feeling of absurdity and speechlessness in her heart. She looked at Byron as if she was re-examining him. After a few seconds, she slowly said, "I thought I knew everything about this land, but now it seems … I am not as resourceful as you, a newcomer."
Byron glanced at the duchess in front of him and suddenly grinned. "Grand Consul, this is normal. You know the north, but I know the civilians."
He used to be a mercenary leader, a person who had to deal with all kinds of people, and even had to do 'business' with bandits, lords, merchants, and civilians at the same time. The really careless people could not survive in this line of work. This person became a knight from a lowly background and quickly integrated into the new order created by Gawain Cecil. It was said that he had connections left and right in the Southern Territory. In the huge and complex government office system, this "mercenary knight" who held the key power had no relationship with anyone and was rumored to be at odds with him.
On the contrary, Byron was friends with the main person in charge of every department, and had good relations with almost all the middle-level officers and low-level soldiers. Even the traditional Knight officers who usually ridiculed him for his lack of 'the demeanor of a Knight' actually had a good relationship with him.
And such a person firmly adhered to his duty as a soldier — loyal to the Empire, loyal to the Emperor, and never overstepped his authority. He had been stationed on the coast for a month, and his soldiers had never stepped out of the camp except for the necessary tasks.
"I finally understand why His Majesty sent you here …" Victoria took a light breath and said slowly.
"I'm not thinking about that. I just want to build the North Harbor as soon as possible," Byron said casually. "Typhon is already ahead of us. We have now received accurate information that the Typhon people have restarted their Mobius Port, and a lot of mages are building new long-sea warships. His Majesty said that with the support of 'money power', Typhon's speed of making things is not slower than ours.
"And if the North Harbor is built as soon as possible, we can start the next step of the plan as soon as possible and turn it into a bustling port city. This is a great place. The largest ice-free harbor in the north, the calm and safe coastline, the peninsula of the Duchy of Holy Dragon and the islands of the Kingdom of Violet help us block the storms on both the east and the west, but the people here can only rely on the barren land and seal hunting to survive. They shouldn't be so poor.
"My next step is to open the market and merchant channel in the Southern District. At that time, I may need your influence to help. Try to get more merchants to come here. This will help the city to take shape. Back then, His Majesty did this in the Gloom Mountain Range.
"When the camp is completely established and the influence of the North Harbor expands, I will recruit the locals in the normal way. The people you saw today can come here to work openly.
"Now, the only thing I'm worried about is the local family forces … They're not the big nobles, but the small nobles who directly control the scattered lands around North Port and instigate the civilians to cause trouble. They don't even have the title of 'manor master'. They have now shown enough caution and cunning, and most likely have figured out the bottom line of the construction corps. It's hard for me to really do anything to them. And you, as the Great Governor and the Guardian of the Northern Region, obviously can't directly suppress them …
"These 'local tyrants' may become a long-term problem in the North Harbor that is difficult to get rid of."
Byron rambled on for a long time. When he finally finished, Victoria broke the silence with a cold and unhurried voice. "You don't have to worry too much. The Wilde Family has ruled this land for seven hundred years and has some experience in dealing with some 'sporadic problems'.
"Also, you've overestimated the possible trouble that the local families may cause. They are indeed stubborn, but they are also very observant. Right now, the old order of the nobles in the north has mostly been disrupted by me. Although the local families are not involved in the Great Purge, they can only watch the order of the land change. Their actions right now seem shortsighted and blind because they are only scared but do not really understand the new rules of the game in the Imperium. They are still avoiding 'trouble' with their old experience. After they figure out the real rules of the game and discover that the 'new neighbors' in the north port are strong and cannot be driven away, I'm afraid that they will immediately become hospitable."
Listening to Victoria's flat words, Byron took a deep look at the Snow Duke. After a moment, he smiled happily.
"If it's really as you say, then I'm not worried anymore."
As his voice trailed off, he retracted his gaze and looked at the sea in the distance again.
Under the clear sky, the sea, illuminated by the bright sun, was gently undulating. In this position, the raging storm and the strange and unpredictable magic tide were still far away from the human world, but a bridge had already extended from the coast. The bridge fixed on the magic ice was like the spear that Knight had thrust, pointing the determination and courage of mankind to the sea.
…
A bright arc of lightning descended from the sky, sweeping across the surging sea like a lick. At the end of the arc of lightning were frightening, tree-like branches. In the deafening roar, the giant waves were vaporized by the energy turbulence, and a pungent smell spread between the sky and the sea.
A ship covered in magic-conductive metal, with countless runes shining on its surface and a large number of magic devices installed, was moving forward in the terrifying waves. The surrounding seawater rolled in layer by layer as if it had a will of its own. Together with the arc of lightning in the sky, wave after wave attacked the ship that seemed to be on the verge of collapse. However, the magic circles and layers of magic shields that appeared on the surface of the ship kept resisting and dispelling the waves.
The entire ship seemed to be protected by more than ten magic walls. In the powerful energy field, the ship was still moving forward.
The No.1 Ocean Exploration Ship of the Typhon Empire — Braveheart.
Inside the advanced warship that was protected by layers of magical power, the captain, Earl Owen Dyson, stood in the command room with a solemn expression. The illusionary spell maintained by the magicians projected the scene outside the warship clearly in front of the earl's eyes.
"Is this the 'disorderly turbulence' in the ocean?" Earl Owen Dyson muttered to himself. "What an eye-opener …"
Then he adjusted his expression and looked at the control magician beside him. "How's the ship?"
The high-ranking magician in charge of monitoring the ship was surrounded by layers of runes. He floated above the magic circle in the center of the cabin. He opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with arcane light, but they were so calm that they were almost mechanical. "The first to third layers of shields have been broken. The shield controller has temporarily lost the ability to cast spells. The amplification circle needs at least six hours to repair. The rest of the shields are intact. The outermost anti-magic shell has been broken. There are signs of elemental corrosion at the bottom of the ship. We have used mithril to repair it. The anti-magic shell in the inner layer is still intact.
"All the sails have been retracted and the wind outside has been isolated. The prototype magic engine has been completely shut down. Serious mechanical failure, unable to start. Currently, the ship's power is being maintained by the second echelon of sailors. "
Earl Owen Dyson frowned. "How long do we have to break out of this storm?"
"We have sensed the edge of the unstable energy field. We will reach it in fifteen minutes. The ship can last until then. "
Earl Owen Dyson nodded and said in a low voice, "Let's hope we don't encounter the 'disorderly turbulence' on our way back …"
"My lord, you shouldn't be on this voyage yourself." The first mate standing beside Owen Dyson could not help but whisper. "You are the ruler of Mobius Port. You are even the leader of the entire ocean exploration project —"
"Call me captain here. I think my sailing skills are at least worthy of this position." Owen Dyson interrupted the first mate. "We are just going to explore Sotasos Island, the closest colony to the mainland in the age of navigation. If I have to hide in a safe harbor for such a close voyage, then the Empire's ocean exploration project will never be on the right track."
The noble of Typhon, who had gray-blue eyes and a resolute gaze, spoke in a solemn tone. He then shook his head. "But we have indeed underestimated the power of the ocean. Seven hundred years ago, the things recorded in the old books are messy and fragmented, and the slightly more recent information is full of mistakes. The Dyson family should be held responsible for this. In recent generations, we have been busy maintaining the last commercial line at Port Mobius. Although we still maintain observations and records of the ocean, we have not invested enough, resulting in a lack of reliable information. Now, we have finally tasted the bitter fruit … "
"A year ago, no one would have thought that Oldenheim would suddenly decide to restart Mobius Port and the ocean exploration project." The first mate shook his head. "This is not your fault, my lord."
Owen Dyson's expression was solemn. "If this ship sinks, then it's my fault."
At this moment, the mage in charge of monitoring the ocean suddenly shouted, interrupting the conversation between the captain and the first mate.
"The waves are weakening!"
"We have entered the safe sea!"
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