strictlysupreme Chapter 195: Undead Coin
Chapter 195: Undead Coin
Being a puppet lord under the Taranthan system was by no means an easy feat, as could be seen from the drastic transformation of Charlie Rex in just half a year. While puppet lords elsewhere might indulge in leisure and luxuries, such a notion was inconceivable under Yang's command.
Despite lacking real authority, one would still bear the full weight of a lord's responsibilities. Endless rural inspections, relentless surveys of public sentiment, interminable meetings, and intricate accountings. Any slip-up would invite Yang's scrutiny—an ordeal far from humanly bearable.
"Can I decline?" Tuttle Joe set down his cup of milk, his expression grave.
"Probably not," Rex replied honestly. "You know I don't have the autonomy to appoint someone on my own. Yang decided to make you the new lord of Weisshem."
A heavy silence fell in the room occupied by four individuals...
The city hall comprised three buildings: a five-story main building and two four-story annexes. The main building and left annex were dedicated to office spaces, while the right annex, with its luxurious offices complete with rest suites, lay empty, as its previous occupants were now detainees at the west gate camp, awaiting their fate.
Naturally, this building would be repurposed for new uses—communal areas would be turned into shared facilities and offices partitioned into employee dormitories with minor adjustments to the furniture.
The former bandit trio of Hal, Tuttle, and Finley were unsung heroes of the covert battle to take the city. Without their tireless efforts, Yang Qiu would have struggled to surgically remove all illicit businesses tied to the nobility or criminal factions. Thus, when allocating rooms, Yang specifically instructed Rex to provide the brothers with a living space that had a dining area and balcony.
Although sharing a segmented living space among the three might seem subpar, Rex's own modest bedroom was just next door... Hence, even Hal couldn't voice any complaints.
Rex, stepping out of his bedroom, could instantly see the three brothers dining in the living room's adjacent dining area. After collecting his breakfast, he casually broke the news to Tuttle.
While Finley and Hal's shock were palpable on their faces, Tuttle's reaction was equally understandable... "Refusal" was written all over his face.
It wasn't that Tuttle lacked a desire for power or authority. What man wouldn't want to rule over a domain where his word was law? The catch was, becoming Yang's puppet lord meant enduring even harsher exploitation and losing what little freedom one had.
"Is there really no way to decline?" Tuttle asked again, almost mechanically.
Rex clapped the disheartened ranger on the shoulder, assuring him, "Don't be so gloomy, buddy. Although Yang's demands can indeed be challenging, at least you'll gain unparalleled fulfillment. The significance of your contributions is the best reward you could ask for, isn't it?"
"No... I'm not some idealistic lunatic like you; we're different." Tuttle Joe stared at him with trembling lips and dead eyes that revealed the ranger's agitated state. "You can afford to pay any price for the realization of long-term ideals, but I can't. I'm a normal person who needs tangible benefits to feel content."
"Um... At least there's still a salary. We do get the promised compensation on time each month for working with Yang, though often it's settled with goods... But the supplies Yang provides are indeed practical," Rex said, his gaze shifting slightly.
"Which lord lives on a mere one gold coin salary?!" Tuttle exclaimed.
Indeed, when Yang had first lured these native tools to the remote Taranthan wasteland, a monthly salary of one gold coin was promised. But... half a year had passed, and not only had they not received any gold coins, they hadn't even caught sight of a copper.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
It wasn't just that; when the former bandits had attempted to flee, Yang had produced a ledger, revealing they actually owed a considerable sum for their meals...
Otherwise, Hal wouldn't have been thinking about scraping some money together during their "business trip." It was quite vexing for a group of adult men (and professionals) to be scrounging for coins.
Tuttle's protests were futile. After having the breakfast prepared by the Logistics Department, he was dragged by Rex to change into respectable clothing for a meeting with the local nobility.
Tuttle wanted to find an opportunity to escape, but when he suddenly noticed Hal staring at him as though intent on devouring him alive... Tuttle didn't resist Rex too fiercely.
Hal didn't care whether being a puppet lord was tough or pleasant. Right now, this fellow, who only wished to make a name for himself, harbored thoughts of strangling Tuttle.
As this bunch of officials related to Lady Gold Coin watched, Yang Qiu calmly... pulled out two game coins produced by a Chinese manufacturer.
"The undead only recognize this type of currency; they do not take ordinary coins," Yang Qiu explained as he placed the finely crafted, albeit copper alloy, game coins on the coffee table and pushed them toward the night watchmen officials. "Your division will need to exchange these coins with Lord Charlie Rex before employing the undead to do your bidding."
Captain Clark and other officials: "..."
"In addition to these coins, the undead also accept weapons and equipment from professionals as payment," Yang Qiu continued with an enthusiastic smile. "For troublesome and dangerous tasks like investigating haunted houses or clearing out evil spirits, a few hundred undead coins plus one or two pieces of enchanted equipment should suffice to hire a team of 10 to 20 undead for your division's service. Of course, if the assignment is particularly challenging, please consider increasing the compensation accordingly; otherwise, the undead will refuse to accept the job."
Captain Lynch Clarke had a blank look on his face, his mouth half-open, while the other officials didn't seem any better.
Allowing undead creatures to register as exorcists was an unthinkable proposition for the night watchmen organization.
Yet... on second thought, utilizing those fearless, inextinguishable undead to scout ahead seemed quite appealing—after all, which hired exorcist would be as fearless and disposable as the undead?
"...Such a significant matter cannot be decided unilaterally," Captain Clarke finally managed to speak after a fierce internal struggle. "I must seek guidance from Bishop Jene."
"Of course," Yang Qiu responded with a radiant smile.
When Bishop Lee Jene was informed over the phone, he too was profoundly shaken and arrived hastily within 10 minutes.
Once on-site, the bishop meticulously inquired about how safe it was to employ the Taranthan undead, the level of assistance the Night's Watch would need to provide during their employment, and debated with Yang Qiu over who would bear the costs of any damages incurred during their missions... He was a local authority, after all, and viewed matters from a different perspective than most.
After a tough negotiation, Yang Qiu and Bishop Lee Jene reached the following agreement:
1. The Night's Watch organization must exchange gold coins for undead coins—the conversion rate being 1 gold coin to 200 undead coins, equating to the local copper to game coin exchange rate of 5:1, with the markup being Yang Qiu's revenue... ahem.
2. Lord Charlie Rex would provide a venue specifically for the Night's Watch to create an exorcist registration office for the undead, located in the now-sealed-off club district, with the Night's Watch only needing to pay a nominal rent.
3. The Night's Watch will not set any barriers for exorcist registration; any Taranthan undead that applies has to be accepted.
4. The Night's Watch must provide detailed textual intelligence support during the undead's employment. For larger scale commissions, they must dispatch Night's Watch personnel to guide the actions, and in return, the undead will do their utmost to ensure the safety of the attending Night's Watch personnel.
5. If any damages occur during the execution of the Taranthan undead's assignment, the responsibility will be shared by the undead, the Night's Watch, and Lord Charlie Rex, with a liability ratio of 1:5:4.
To avoid player outrage after completing a task only to find that they needed to pay compensation, Yang Qiu needed to prevent such troubles...
With the employment contract and currency exchange agreement with the Night's Watch in hand, Yang Qiu left the headquarters feeling refreshed and briskly proceeded to the Bounty Association office.
The Bounty Association's public interface in Indahl was located at the Oak Bar, with the branch head Kelly Simmons, usually stationed on the second floor, facilitating connections between wealthy employers needing tasks done and professionals needing money while collecting a certain commission.
When Yang Qiu appeared before this lady with a smile, the head of the Bounty Association's Indahl branch was stunned for a full five seconds.
"Pardon the intrusion, Ms. Simmons," Yang Qiu said, bowing cordially. "I wonder, is your Bounty Association willing to collaborate with Indahl's new lord, Charlie Rex?"