Chapter 141: A Biting Dog Doesn’t Bark
Golden sunlight poured onto the land as Durag awakened from its slumber.
The streets became increasingly crowded as people resumed their busy day.
The Federation’s headquarters was unusually lively, with Federation staff converging there, guards assembling, and security tight. Everyone wore serious expressions, their eyes alight with a mix of excitement and anticipation.
Outsiders, unaware of the reason, were filled with curiosity, speculating if another major event was about to unfold. Many gathered at the notice board opposite the headquarters, waiting.
At this time, in the Federation’s main meeting room, all high-ranking officials who could breathe were present, their expressions solemn.
The head of the long table was empty. Anse sat opposite, facing the gazes of everyone with composure.
Quentin scanned the room and cleared his throat, “The meeting will now proceed to a final vote. Please raise your hands if you agree to Mr. Anse Horleywen serving as the President of the Durag Union.”
Amidst the complex looks from all the high-ranking officials, nearly all councillors raised their hands simultaneously.
“Unanimously passed!” Quentin stood up, his tense expression dissolving into a broad smile. He bowed slightly to Anse, “Now, please take your seat, Mr. President, and give your address.”
Anse hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly, without a single dissenting voice, especially since they didn’t truly know him.
This was inseparable from the support of Illyas and Quentin. Others, even if they had reservations, could only keep them to themselves.
He stood and walked to the main seat, with Illyas to his right and Quentin to his left.
“Thank you for your trust, everyone. Durag is currently facing both internal and external challenges. I hope we can all cooperate with sincerity to protect this scarce land of peace.
I am not yet familiar with the operations of Durag, so everything will remain as it is. I ask for your diligence,” Anse said with a faint smile.
“As expected…”
Seeing that the new president was not making any rash decisions, everyone’s smiles widened, and the atmosphere instantly relaxed.
Next, they discussed the matters of announcing the appointment and the significant problems Durag was currently facing.
Ultimately, everyone unanimously decided to continue concealing the death of the former president, Stol. They would announce that he was seriously injured and had temporarily retired, with Anse taking over as the new president.
The meeting adjourned, leaving only Anse, Quentin, and Illyas in the room.
Quentin was Durag’s “chief steward,” managing all affairs and possessing an intimate knowledge of Durag’s situation.
He was Stol’s confidant, lacking any significant backing or background.
Apart from him, the other five councillors were not ordinary people. Each was backed by an organization or family influential enough to shape the city’s landscape, such as Illyas’s Jacqueline Castle.
Quentin understood Anse’s purpose in summoning him and voluntarily revealed everything he knew.
Durag was of moderate size, with a permanent population of less than ten thousand. The Union had about four hundred members, including over three hundred and fifty guards and more than seventy staff.
The guards served as a combined force for security, justice, and patrol, responsible for a wide range of duties including public order, judicial matters, patrols, and city defense… They were the core armed force of Durag.
Magistrate Pardo had been personally appointed by Stol, considered a loyal subordinate and trustworthy.
Tax Official Little Harold hailed from Jacqueline Castle and was the Old Butler’s second son. He managed Durag’s treasury, which was why Illyas had a clear understanding of Durag’s economic status.
“You may need to pay close attention to Councillor Graham. Governor Rein was also recommended by him. His Iron Crown Merchant Guild has been developing aggressively in recent years, capturing a large portion of the weapon market, and his actions are becoming increasingly ostentatious,” Quentin advised.
“Iron Crown?” Anse asked, confused.
“I suspect it’s a subordinate guild of the Iron Throne, and Iron Crown is merely a disguise,” Illyas pouted. “The evidence is that they used to be straightforward, but in recent years they’ve frequently targeted my guild with underhanded tactics.”
Jacqueline Castle engaged in all sorts of businesses, owning multiple farms, vineyards, and ranches. However, its core product was high-end weaponry and equipment, which was highly sought after in Durag.
Competition had always existed, but anyone daring enough to employ insidious methods against Jacqueline Castle must have had some significant backing.
Anse remained silent, realizing that this young lady had her own selfish motives for having him become president.
The Iron Throne had recently schemed against him, and if this proved true, he couldn’t stand idly by.
“It could also be the Amn people,” Quentin considered this possibility more likely, as the Amn people had previously attempted to bribe the Union, and only Graham’s attitude had been ambiguous.
“It’s unlikely. Graham’s parents and children all died in Amn,” Illyas gently shook her index finger.
Anse pondered for a moment and decided to investigate personally. “Mr. Quentin, please compile a report on Councillor Graham and the Iron Crown and give it to me as soon as possible.
Also, the guard force needs to recruit personnel as soon as possible to reach its full strength of 350, or even exceed it. Things are about to get chaotic, and the army is of utmost importance. And, I’ve brought two people…”
He arranged for Giant Tail and the Green Dragonborn to join the guard force. Giant Tail would lead a contingent, ranking just below Magistrate Pardo.
This would not only enhance control over the guard force but also strengthen its combat capabilities.
Kalenno would temporarily serve as the President’s assistant, permanently stationed at the Union, relaying Anse’s orders and acting on his behalf to manage and oversee various affairs.
He had volunteered for this role, worried about his sister and unwilling to remain in the isolated Horleywen. Being in the city, he could receive various pieces of information, increasing his chances of learning about the outside world.
Anse couldn’t have asked for more. Kalenno was a level 4 Psionic Warrior, possessing great strength, intelligence, and extensive knowledge, making him perfectly suited for the task.
“No problem, I’ll get right on it.” Quentin stood up, exhibiting a decisive and swift demeanor.
Since he had chosen these people himself, he would not waver.
“Wait, find a place where I can bring out all the loot. There are quite a few muskets among them that can be equipped to the guard force,” Anse called out to him.
“This… all for us?” Quentin was surprised, then his face lit up with joy.
Muskets were very expensive; even an old one cost dozens of gold coins, and a common guard’s annual salary was less than forty gold coins.
“More accurately, it’s loot from the Union’s participation in the battle, along with some weapons and armor that are mostly usable after repair. We can discuss the specific distribution later,” Anse emphasized.
He was now the president and already viewed the guards as his own force; strengthening their combat capability was imperative.
“Yes, I understand.” Quentin’s face crinkled into a smile, completely taken aback by Anse’s generosity. “The adjacent guard training base has a warehouse and a logistics department dedicated to repairing weapons and equipment.”
“Let’s go.”
The group left together, heading for the guard force’s warehouse.
After clearing out any unrelated personnel, Anse waved his hand, and piles of weapons and equipment filled a corner of the warehouse.
In the previous day’s battle, the Amn Army had suffered complete annihilation; over three hundred and twenty were captured, and the rest were severely wounded or dead. The cost of their treatment was too high, so they were all abandoned.
Among the thousand soldiers, there were three musket squads, leaving behind three hundred muskets, less than half of which were damaged, with nearly two hundred intact and usable.
The three discussed for a while and decided to leave one hundred and twenty muskets for the guard force, fully equipped with ammunition. They would purchase more if needed, forming a musket company of one hundred men.
Anse took the remaining several dozen muskets and ammunition, as well as two hundred sets of intact weapons and leather armor. Horleywen would eventually need to form an army, so these were preparations.
After leaving over a hundred pieces of weaponry and leather armor for the guard force, everything else was for Illyas to handle.
After reviewing the magic item registry, she only took two anti-magic arrows and nothing else.
Anse knew she was considerate of the less fortunate, so he didn’t stand on ceremony.
Nearly thirty magic items, each of considerable value, he decided to let Salian and others choose first, then keep a few nice ones, and sell the rest.
After all the bustling, by the time Anse left the guard force headquarters, it was already midday.
Meanwhile, the entire Durag had erupted. The Union’s announcement was like a bomb dropped into deep water, stirring up a tremendous commotion.
In every street and alley, everyone was discussing the news of the Union changing its president, and Anse’s name was being spread everywhere.
This was because he was directly responsible for the annihilation of Amn’s elite thousand-man force and had also killed a black dragon. Over two hundred people had witnessed his feat.
This news was even more shocking than his election as president!
Especially after the battlefield was exposed, adventurers had “stolen” soil soaked with black dragon blood, further confirming the authenticity of this intelligence.
The title of Dragon Slayer was bestowed upon the new president.
However, a piece of news, originating from an unknown source, quietly spread through Durag, causing the heated atmosphere to become suppressed once again.
The former president, Stol, was dead!
