"Tell them these items are to bring their family members home."
In the council halls of the four military towns, similar scenes unfolded almost simultaneously.
Hundreds of men, women, and children, their faces filled with apprehension, were led there by soldiers.
Most were shabbily dressed, their expressions numb, their eyes filled with fear of the unknown.
They were the families of bandits. This identity was like an invisible brand, making them unable to lift their heads in the territory. Ever since people knew there were mountain bandits in their families, everyone feared being implicated and avoided them, which also made them constantly worry about the lord's judgment.
They knew that once such a thing was exposed, as relatives, their ultimate fate would be to be hanged, their entire families.
And during the previous rule of the Terry Family, they had witnessed too much of this.
The official of Cliff Fort stood at the front of his military town's council hall, looking at the desperate faces below, his heart a mix of emotions.
Before this, he was also just a commoner, just like the people below him.
He cleared his throat, trying to keep his somewhat shaky voice steady: "Everyone! Please be quiet!"
The commotion in the crowd gradually subsided, but the atmosphere of fear grew thicker, and the crowd trembled silently.
An old woman with white hair tightly held her granddaughter in her arms, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind. Just a few days ago, she had personally reported her own son, and she felt some regret, having believed in the rumors of Arthur's benevolence, unsure if it was right or wrong. Her own death didn't matter.
She was afraid her granddaughter would also be killed.
She had lived her whole life on this land, yet why was she so muddle-headed in her old age? She had never seen a noble's benevolence.
Gathering them here, wasn't it just to kill them all? The old woman sobbed softly.
The sobbing brought a mournful mood to the council hall, causing the official to not know how to continue speaking.
Seeing that the official seemed unsure how to proceed, the military official stepped forward and spoke. His first sentence finally brought a slight relaxation to the tense atmosphere: "Today, we have invited everyone here not for judgment! Nor for punishment!"
He saw confusion flash in some people's eyes and raised both his hands, waving them:
"Lord Arthur, our lord, wishes us to convey his benevolence and promise to all of you, and to your family members far away on the High Mountain."
The official stepped forward, took a deep breath, and repeated Arthur's exact words:
"I swear in the name of Arthur!"
When the name Arthur was solemnly uttered, a small ripple went through the crowd. This name, on the land beneath their feet, represented absolute power and an unyielding will.
"All your family members on the High Mountain, as long as they are willing to come down the mountain and return to their families, all their past crimes, no matter how great or small, will be forgiven."
These words were like a boulder thrown into still water, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.
"What?"
"No more accountability?"
"Is this true? It's not a trap?"
"Or are they going to trick them down and kill them?!"
The council hall instantly erupted. People whispered to each other, their faces filled with disbelief. They had dreamed of their family members returning,
yet they feared they would be purged upon their return. Ever since Lord Arthur arrived in this land, every family had received their own public land, and could even cultivate land for temporary use before more population needed to be allocated. As long as there were males in the family who worked hard, their harvests and lives would only get better and better.
The three officials did not stop their discussions. They waited quietly, allowing the news to slowly ferment in their hearts, from suspicion to a faint glimmer of hope. When the noise subsided slightly, they threw the second stone into the lake, an even more impactful one.
"Not only pardoned!" The military official's voice rose a few octaves, overriding all other noise. "Every male! Lord will grant public land! Enough for them to cultivate! Enough for them to feed their families! Enough for them to live a stable life!"
A middle-aged woman covered her mouth, tears instantly gushing out. The man beside her, a strong man unable to go to the mountains due to a broken leg, excitedly grabbed her hand, his knuckles white from the force. Their child had fled into the High Mountain precisely because during the Terry Family's rule, even with abandoned land everywhere, they were not allowed to cultivate it.
Land, for these penniless, struggling serfs at the very bottom, these two words carried more weight than gold, more practical than life itself. It represented food, roots, a true home. And ever since Lord Arthur arrived, he had allocated land for every family to cultivate.
The spark of hope ignited in everyone's eyes, quickly spreading like a wildfire. Despair and fear were swept away, replaced by a nearly fanatical hope.
"Lord, are you telling the truth?" a bold old man asked loudly.
As one of Arthur's earliest followers, the military official answered in a deep voice:
"I guarantee it with my life and honor!"
"Lord Arthur's promises never fall through!"
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"