Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 330: Chapter 19 Two Guards_3

Every Sunday morning, the men from the villages would go to the town center to attend the worship service and then receive military training in the afternoon.

Since the initial purpose was merely to prepare for beastly disasters, rather than to send the militia into battle, the training program Winters had devised did not include formations or close-order drills. It was simply basic weapon use, plus some tactics against wild beasts that Winters had summarized.

The old Hunter was no longer there; Winters had originally wanted the militia to patrol the nearby woods once a week.

However, he realized that patrolling and standing guard were the tasks requiring the most perseverance, something the militia certainly couldn’t sustain in the long run. Therefore, all he could do was to instruct those who went into the mountains to collect firewood to pay extra attention to the situation within the woods.

The preparation for the public order militia was even smoother, as Winters unexpectedly found that money was not an issue at all.

Although Wolfton only had a permanent population of less than ten, it was, procedurally, an unquestionable “town.” Thus, after the villages were merged, two percent of the annual taxation collection was allocated as the town government’s financial budget.

And the mayor of Wolf Town was astonishingly incorruptible; Winters had never seen a public official as upright as Gerard Mitchell in his entire life.

Mayor Mitchell ate and lived at his own home, rode his own horse, the horse’s feed was also his own, and even the position of secretary was filled by Panveche, the butler who came with Mrs. Mitchell when she married.

Apart from hiring farmers from the surrounding villages to repair the dirt roads in winter, there were no other expenses for Gerard after serving as mayor for more than a decade.

Oh, there was one recent additional expense—paying Brother Reed, the clergy scribe, his copying salary.

Panveche, the butler who also served as the scribe and accountant, kept the accounts very neatly, making the use and surplus of the town government’s funds clear at a glance.

The surplus from over the years had accumulated into a reasonable sum of money, more than enough to set up a small armory. Winters had no intention of making the public order militia too large; he even thought a ten-man squad [eight-person team] was a bit much.

[Note: A ten-man squad is fully staffed with only eight men. “Ten-man squad” is just the customary term.]@@novelbin@@

Moreover, as a “tax-farming official” by nature, Mayor Mitchell theoretically had the right to impose an additional “security tax” on the people of Wolf Town.

But considering Wolf Town’s sound financial situation, there was no need for such a measure for the time being.

After discussing and gaining understanding from the village heads of the five villages, the matters of the Wolfton town public order militia were quickly settled.

Under Wolfton, there were five villages; Winters would select one person from each village to serve as a part-time guard.

The part-time guards also received a salary and were not taken away from their normal lives. They provided services only when needed, such as helping maintain order on Sundays.

On weekdays, the part-time guards lived in their villages like the other farmers and were responsible for the routine public order of each village.

Winters would also select a few individuals to serve as full-time guards whose membership wasn’t restricted to any single village and whose appointment was decided solely by him.

The total number of both full-time and part-time guards combined would not exceed one ten-man squad [eight persons], meaning that there could be at most three full-time guards.

As the old clergyman said: No one is completely satisfied, but everyone can accept it. Thus, in the end, no one opposed Winters.

Winters actually found even having three full-time guards a bit excessive since he was usually in the town hall. With a Spellcaster officer stationed there, in reality, there was no need for any guards, as Lieutenant Montaigne alone could settle everything.

Even considering the day he might return to Vineta, having one or two full-time guards in town would be sufficient, and Winters already had a very suitable candidate in mind.

…

“Me? You want me to be a guard in town?” Anglu, the young stable boy, widened his eyes, the bruises on his face still fresh. His voice was hoarse as he exclaimed, “Sir, you can’t be serious!”

“I’m not joking.” Winters patted the stable boy’s shoulder. “You can’t be a stable boy forever, right? Being a guard won’t interfere with your farming duties. You can start working in the town and continue until you’re twenty. After you’ve completed your service, you can take up the post again. I’ve spoken to Mayor Mitchell; he’ll hold the position for you.”

Winters had always taken a liking to this small stable boy, familiar with horses, because he always reminded him of Bard. Not to mention, during the bear hunt, the stable boy had saved his life, which made him even more determined to find an opportunity to express his gratitude.

Anglu looked down at his toes, humming softly, “Actually… I really like being a stable boy.”

“Hmm?” Winters was puzzled. “Why?”

According to Brother Reed, the status of a stable boy in Dusan society was not high, often assigned to punished Dusacks or Dusan men unfit for battle.

“Because as a stable boy, I can ride horses whenever I want. Being able to ride is enough to make me happy,” Anglu murmured. “I don’t own a Warhorse. If I’m not a stable boy, I won’t be able to ride at all, so I don’t want to be a guard in town.”

Winters laughed, “Boy, being able to ride is enough for you?”

“It’s enough,” the stable boy shrugged.

Thinking it over, Winters decided to persuade him in a different way, “Your Dusack service requires you to provide your own Warhorse, right?”

“When serving, we’re given some money to buy a horse,” Anglu answered quietly.

“Is that money enough to buy a Warhorse?”

Anglu’s head drooped further, his voice even quieter, “It’s not enough.”

“So, what will you do? Without a Warhorse, without gear, you can’t go…” Winters paused for a moment, “…serve. Can you still get your allotment of land?”

Anglu fell silent, the adolescent’s immature mind nearly on the verge of tears after just a few words.

Seizing the moment, Winters pressed on, “You don’t get paid as a stable boy, but being a guard in town comes with a salary. You can save the money you earn and, although you won’t be able to ride freely for a while, by the time you reach twenty, your savings plus the horse-buying allowance should be enough to afford a Warhorse. Then you can serve. Once you return from your service and receive your allotment of land, you’ll be a true Dusack, with your own land, Warhorse, and family…”

Anglu burst into tears with a “waah” and nodded in agreement to become a “guard” in town.

“Why are you crying, boy?” Winters, unable to help himself, ruffled the stable boy’s hair. “It’s not like you’ll never saddle up again. I can lend you Redmane to ride.”

“My mother…” Anglu, with sobs in his voice, “…she hoped to see me become a Dusack before she passed. I never thought I’d be one in my lifetime…”

Winters felt a tinge of sadness himself; he squeezed the boy’s shoulder, saying nothing.

“And… Sir…” Anglu wiped away his tears with force, “please don’t wear out Rejek too much, you need to take good care of him. Since Trellgreen is gone, Rejek is the only stallion left for next year’s village herd… but you don’t seem to care for him…”

“I don’t care for Redmane…” Winters laughed in sheer exasperation, smacking the stable boy’s head lightly, “Then you’ll take care of Redmane from now on. Once you’re in town, you’ll be in charge of tending to my horses!”

Winters intended to appoint only two full-time guards in town and the young stable boy Anglu claimed one of the spots. The other had already been decided upon well in advance.

The young Hunter, Bell, was brought from his cabin in the woods by Winters and became the second official guard of Wolf Town’s watch.

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