Chapter 117 – The Wavering Defector and the Model Employee
Just two days after the interview, a petition denouncing Jonathan Hackman's cruelty and greed was delivered to Charlotte.
The petition was written by a resident of Ambratu County. In his writing, the governor was practically a demon who took pleasure in killing, eating at least three boys and two girls for every meal. Wails of resentful ghosts could be heard from his governor's mansion every night. Not only did he enjoy killing, but Jonathan Hackman also loved to amass wealth. After eating children every day, he would single-mindedly fabricate all sorts of baseless charges to arrest all the wealthy households in the city, kill them with various appalling tortures, and then seize their wealth for himself.
In the letter, the author tearfully pleaded with the Viscount of Lanwan, stating that the people of Ambratu would rather have a non-Ambratu person govern Ambratu than have Jonathan Hackman continue as the governor of Ambratu County.
After reading the petition, Charlotte couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration. "This petition is written with such deep feeling. Who wrote it?"
Logically, the citizens of Ambratu County whose interests had been harmed were all currently locked up by Charlotte in the labor camps. The friends and relatives of those citizens should have been thoroughly intimidated by Jonathan Hackman. Who else would be so brave as to step forward, lead the charge, and so poignantly and empathetically accuse Jonathan of his crimes?
"A young man named Bill. He's a freeman of Ambratu County, but his father and grandfather were slaves of the powerful Capino family of the Ambratu city-state. For several generations, they were relatively trusted and were responsible for managing one of the Capino family's manors," Cecilia, who had already understood the situation, explained to Charlotte. "After the Ambratu city-state elders, Olivier Capino and Lucas Capino, were arrested and hanged by Mr. Hackman, the Capino family's manor was also confiscated. The trusted slaves who had once served the Capino family in the manor were dispersed and given land and commoner status, including Bill's father and grandfather. Therefore, Bill's family has always been dissatisfied with Jonathan."
Charlotte had a sudden realization. "So they're people who suddenly have no one to serve as slaves and are having trouble adjusting."
It wasn't hard to understand why such a thing would happen. In this era, the pampered slaves of some powerful noble families lived far more comfortably than ordinary commoners, both materially and mentally. They were not ashamed of being slaves; on the contrary, they were proud of it. It was impossible for these people to become supporters of a liberator just because of the title of "freedom" or a few acres of land. Instead, they had always been the backbone of the resistance against liberation.
Hearing Charlotte's words, Cecilia smiled and added, "Bill's family has been trying to rally support everywhere to overthrow Mr. Jonathan. Bill had written and submitted this letter long ago. I thought it was useless and filed it away. Mr. Jonathan asked for it, spent two days, and gathered enough signatures for it."
Attached to the original petition were several hundred transcribed copies, each with dozens of signatures. Charlotte roughly flipped through them and felt that the number might be more than ten thousand. She couldn't help but marvel at Jonathan's enthusiasm and efficiency, thinking he could be awarded a model employee prize.
"Since we have the petition, let's send someone to call for that Mr. John Rice," Charlotte said, putting down the petition.
"Yes." Cecilia accepted the order and left.
Fairy Lake, Canal Construction Site.
The future Lanwan Grand Canal was rapidly advancing from its midpoint at Fairy Lake toward both the southwest and northeast ends. Its progress was so fast that merchants passing through on their way to the Green Plains Duchy would feel as if they had taken the wrong road on their return journey.
Such rapid progress was, on one hand, thanks to Charlotte's numerous improvements to construction tools: ink lines, plumb bobs, handsaws, pulley systems, steel rulers, tape measures, and so on. Some improvements were major, while others were minor. Charlotte's improvements to the tools not only changed their appearance but also established a standard system. After taking Ambratu, the steel production in Charlotte's territory had increased. According to the standards set by Charlotte, batch after batch of new metal tools were produced.
When they were truly put into large-scale use in the canal project, people gradually began to discover just how useful these simple tools, improved by generations of engineers and workers in Charlotte's previous life, really were. Even the small wheelbarrow, initially considered an impractical "prototype cart," became a powerful tool for transporting earth and stone now that iron was plentiful. At the strong suggestion of the foremen, in addition to the single-wheeled version, the two-wheeled version of the small wheelbarrow designed by Charlotte was also put into production.
On the other hand, the progress of the canal project was also fueled by flesh and blood. Nearly twenty thousand former Ambratu citizens, six thousand mountain people, and three to four thousand slaves toiled day and night on the canal. A 996 work schedule? Even a beast of burden wouldn't dare to rest so little! Being able to get a few hours of rest after collapsing from exhaustion was considered an act of conscience on the part of the foremen.
"Yesterday, two more children fainted."
John Rice sat by the canal, rubbing his sore knees as he spoke. The youngest of the former Ambratu citizens working on the canal site were fifteen or sixteen, but in John Rice's eyes, they were indeed just children.
Mariasis sat beside John Rice, silent. Mariasis had just received a sword of merit from Charlotte's hands and was one of the hot topics in the Lanwan Viscountcy recently. It was precisely because of his arrival that John Rice was able to get a moment's respite. However, at this moment, Mariasis's heart was in turmoil.
Mariasis had originally defected to Charlotte after heeding One-Eyed Logan's advice: "The citizens of Ambratu are waiting for you to save them." For a while at the beginning, Mariasis did indeed work tirelessly for those suffering former citizens of Ambratu. But as time went on, Mariasis's mentality gradually changed.
In the city-state of Ambratu, Mariasis was just one of nearly thirty thousand citizens. But in the Lanwan Viscountcy, he was a knight, a genuine nobleman. Although citizens were part of the ruling class in a city-state, their status was clearly not as transcendent as that of the Oran nobility. The commoners of the Oran Empire only dared to prostrate themselves at the feet of a knight, something that was simply impossible in a city-state. Not to mention the generous material treatment Charlotte gave to the knights, the feeling of lording over the majority of people was already corroding Mariasis's heart like a drug.
It wasn't just him. Mariasis had also noticed that the one hundred and ninety-odd transcendent-level citizen-soldiers who had surrendered with him were also gradually losing their enthusiasm for rescuing the former citizens of Ambratu. It was clear that these people also preferred their current lives as knights. Before the Battle of Dorukocha, those people would still put on a facade in front of Mariasis. But after the Battle of Dorukocha, someone had bluntly tried to persuade Mariasis, "Stop doing things that will annoy the Viscount. The three months of hard labor are almost over anyway."
Clearly, Charlotte's outstanding command abilities and the formidable combat power of the Oran Knights had completely won over these already wavering defectors.
"Elder John, what's the use of telling him all this? After getting a broken sword, he's probably feeling so smug right now. How could he still remember us?" a young citizen said sarcastically.
"You!" Mariasis was instantly enraged. He himself couldn't tell if he was angry at being accused of forgetting the former citizens of Ambratu, or at his sword of merit being called a broken sword.
The young citizen was not entirely wrong. Mariasis had indeed been in the spotlight recently. Charlotte's award ceremony had made him truly feel the glory of a knight. He couldn't forget the longing and envy in the eyes of his comrades and the surrounding populace even when he slept. So naturally, he cared a great deal about the sword of merit he had received.
"How dare you speak to General Mariasis like that! Apologize to General Mariasis at once!" John Rice scolded.
Under John Rice's firm gaze, the young citizen reluctantly apologized to Mariasis. Although still angry, Mariasis grudgingly accepted the apology.
"Please don't mind," John Rice said, seeming to see that Mariasis's anger had not subsided. "The three months are almost up. The citizens don't know if the Viscount of Lanwan will release us as promised, nor do they know if we will continue to be persecuted by that demon Jonathan Hackman after we are released. So everyone is very anxious."
"That's right, General Mariasis! You must go and tell that Viscount of Lanwan that she must keep her promise!"
"No, no, the key is to get rid of Jonathan Hackman! If he remains the governor, we won't dare to go home even if we're released!"
"Both things must be done!"
...
These former Ambratu citizens chattered on, directing Mariasis's actions just as they had in the citizen assembly. Suddenly, an indescribable annoyance welled up in Mariasis's heart, making him want to scold these people again.
Fortunately, just as the emotion in Mariasis's heart was about to reach a critical point, the sound of urgent hoofbeats interrupted the chatter.
A tall warhorse stopped by the canal. A young knight dismounted, saw Mariasis at a glance, and greeted him with a smile, "Yo, Sir Mariasis, you're here too?"
"Sir Adams." For some reason, being seen here by Adams made Mariasis feel a bit awkward.
However, before Mariasis had to rack his brains for an explanation as to why he was at the construction site, Adams had already spoken, "Who is John Rice? Come with me!"
The crowd before them instantly fell deathly silent.
"I am..." John Rice slowly stood up.
"Elder John, you can't go with him!" The young citizen who had been sarcastic to Mariasis earlier now stood in front of John Rice.
"That's right, Elder John can't go!"
"If you dare take Elder John, we'll fight you!"
"Get lost! Let that demon Jonathan die!"
"..."
The former Ambratu citizens were stirred with righteous indignation.
"Are you looking to die!" Adams' hand went to the hilt of his sword, his voice a deep rebuke, his eyes fierce.
Seeing the situation turning bad, Mariasis quickly stepped forward, placing himself between Adams and the former citizens. These citizens clearly thought Adams was here on Jonathan Hackman's orders to take John Rice away—of the citizens previously taken away by Jonathan's men, a third never returned alive, and the other two-thirds were also severely tormented. But Mariasis knew that, given Jonathan's status, he had no authority to command the knights of the Lanwan Viscountcy.
So, Mariasis asked, "Sir Adams, does someone wish to see Mr. John?"
As expected, Adams nodded and replied, "Her Excellency the Viscount wishes to summon John Rice."
"Why does the Viscount of Lanwan want to see Elder John!" a citizen asked loudly.
Adams frowned.
John Rice quickly pushed aside the citizens around him. "I am John Rice. Please take me to see Her Excellency the Viscount. Let's not keep Her Excellency waiting."
Meanwhile, at the Lanwan Viscount's castle.
After entrusting the knight on guard duty to deliver Charlotte's order, Cecilia returned to Charlotte's study, only to find Charlotte frowning in thought over some problem. Before Cecilia could ask, Charlotte spoke up, "Speaking of which, after these former Ambratu citizens are released, how will we fill our labor gap?"
Hearing this, Cecilia thought for a moment and said, "If we temporarily halt the construction of infrastructure on Swordfish Island and the port at Herring Village, and transfer all the manpower back, we can still have over ten thousand laborers on the canal. According to your construction plan, that should be enough."
"No," Charlotte shook her head. "The construction on Swordfish Island cannot stop, or the fleet there will mutiny. The port at Herring Village can't stop either. The Lanwan Viscountcy can't be without a proper port in Lanwan Bay."
Cecilia frowned again in deep thought. After a long while, her eyes lit up. "In a little while, Black Wolf might be able to supplement the canal with a new batch of manpower."
"Black Wolf?" Charlotte said strangely. "What's up with him? Come to think of it, I haven't seen Black Wolf since I got back." Due to his advanced age and severely declining combat power, Charlotte had not taken Black Wolf on the surprise attack on Dorukocha.
"Black Wolf feels he is also responsible for the Fierce Wolf Warriors collectively disobeying your military orders while stationed in Ambratu," Cecilia said. "After your triumphant return, he punished himself by kneeling outside the castle for two days, and then he went to the Kanpei Mountains again, saying he wants to recruit another hundred Fierce Wolf Warriors for you. Every time he comes back from the Kanpei Mountains, he brings back quite a few mountain people. It should be no different this time, right?"
"Hiss, such initiative. I've decided to award the model employee prize to Black Wolf!" Charlotte clapped her hands and said.
"Hmm?" Cecilia didn't quite understand Charlotte's words to herself.