Chapter 327 - 238: Joint Law Enforcement
"We’ll close the net tomorrow. The Inspection Department, the garrison patrols, and the Militia Team will conduct a joint operation."
Currently, Westwood Laine did not have a dedicated Security Team, so this responsibility was shared among those three groups.
The Inspection Department was composed of veterans who had retired for various reasons, and the garrison patrols were made up of troops fiercely loyal to Henry.
The Militia Team acted more as support, handling the trivial, day-to-day matters.
Claude smiled faintly and offered no further advice. Given Henry’s personality, once he made a decision, it was very difficult to change his mind.
In Claude’s view, Henry’s method of using violence to quell violence was a contradiction. While it couldn’t solve the problem at its root, it could at least maintain the domain’s stability and order for the short term.
For Henry, for Westwood Laine, and for the Earl’s Domain, that was enough.
Claude thought for a moment before speaking. "My lord, while your methods can’t solve the problem completely, they will at least keep the domain peaceful for a while.
These shadowy forces are like maggots or a persistent disease. Though they can never be fully eradicated, as long as we purge them diligently, we can keep the domain’s environment clean."
Hearing Claude’s words, Henry felt somewhat relieved. He could hear the understanding in Claude’s tone.
’Finally, someone understands me.’
"You’re right. We may not be able to eradicate these shadowy forces, but as long as we can maintain the domain’s stability and allow the people to live and work in peace, that’s enough."
’Morally educate the masses? Turn everyone into a good person? That’s just unrealistic. What a load of crap.’
"My lord, rest assured. I will continue to intensify our patrols and crackdowns to ensure the safety and order of the domain."
Henry patted Claude’s shoulder. "With you, Tommy, and all my loyal subjects, I can rest easy."
The two shared a smile, saying nothing more.
The next day, Henry was still busy training the new army. This was his top priority.
Henry still hadn’t found a way to exploit a loophole in the Overlord Panel. He had to follow the training manual and complete the month-long training mission.
Furthermore, he was still unable to use Overlord Training points to train anywhere outside of this one barracks.
Strangely, however, expanding the barracks did allow him to increase the number of troops he could train simultaneously. It was better than nothing, he supposed.
But Henry felt the Overlord Panel couldn’t be this inconvenient. ’There has to be a way to add more training grounds.’
’If I can really only conduct loyalty training in this one location, all the travel back and forth will be a huge waste of time.’
As for today’s gang cleanup operation, Henry didn’t need to worry about it. This sort of thing had happened many times in Westwood Laine; everyone was experienced.
Just as the townspeople were going about their day—working, shopping, and strolling through the streets as usual—they suddenly found that the city gates had been barred shut.
The sudden closure of the gates plunged the once-bustling Westwood Laine into a tense atmosphere. People on the streets began to whisper, speculating about what was happening.
Vendors packed up their stalls and customers quickened their pace. Everyone wanted to get home as quickly as possible to avoid getting caught up in some unknown trouble.
A few furtive individuals also scattered with the crowd, observing the situation.
According to intelligence from their predecessors, Henry’s Earl’s Domain was the most strictly controlled territory. He didn’t set up barriers to keep them out, but he was known for letting spies and scouts like them in, only to round them all up in one fell swoop.
In the city’s central square, Claude stood on a makeshift command platform. Beside him was a slightly chubbier Philip.
Philip was now living a very comfortable life, like a fish in water, which had eroded what little ambition he had left. His desire to make a name for himself had been replaced by a desire to maintain the status quo.
And really, it made sense. For a Little Mercenary Captain, becoming the Core City Militia Commander for a Count was a huge step up in the world.
His status, position, and the comforts of his life were all things an ordinary person could only dream of.
"It seems you’re enjoying your life now, Philip."
Philip nodded, a nostalgic tone in his voice. "Yes, life is peaceful now. I don’t have to charge into battle and fight to the death. It’s safe... If you put me on the battlefield today, I’d still have the courage to mount a warhorse and charge the enemy with my sword raised, but... haha."
Claude chuckled. While Philip wasn’t a member of the Bro Clan, he was one of the first people to join them, and their relationship was decent enough.
Following Claude’s orders, the members of the Inspection Department had already dispersed to every corner of the city. They were familiar with every street and alley.
Claude didn’t actually have the authority to command the Inspection Department, but Henry had given him temporary permission and the official documents to do so.
Henry himself didn’t know what had happened to him. In the past, he would have said he didn’t care about such things. But now, he was starting to place importance on matters he had once disregarded.
’Thinking it over, it had to be that damn book on his desk.’
’It’s all Jianqi’s fault!’
Relying on their vast experience and keen intuition, the veterans of the Inspection Department stealthily closed in on their suspicious targets.
Meanwhile, the garrison soldiers patrolled the streets, long spears in hand and marching in neat formations. This operation was about maintaining the domain’s stability; a pitched battle was highly unlikely.
The garrison’s main purpose was deterrence and intimidation. Who knew? Perhaps a few of the more timid targets would simply come out and surrender.