Chapter 93: Disposal
The battle had ended, but much still needed to be dealt with.
The more dangerous threats, like Bard and Daniels, were not only crippled but also bound with hemp ropes or iron chains.
As for the surrendering members of the Holy Hand Association and the Broken Wave Gang, they were thrown into a temporary jail to be dealt with later.
"Gaius, I appreciated your attitude when you joined me to annihilate the Frog Fish Monsters that day. Moreover, you haven’t committed unforgivable crimes like Bard, so I’ve decided to give you a chance."
In front of the fortress, Duane sat on a makeshift chair, looking at the tightly bound Vice Leader of the Broken Wave Gang before him.
"Submit to me. From now on, you will help me eliminate the threats on Black Forest Island and atone for your past crimes!"
Gaius knelt on the ground. In truth, he had felt extremely uneasy ever since Bard decided to rebel.
But when he had pictured how today’s battle would unfold, he still thought their side had a high chance of winning.
So he went along with it.
But now that it had come to this, he realized he had underestimated the Baron’s intellect.
His arrangements were too meticulous.
"The Baron is the true master of Black Forest Island! Only by following him can we have a better life and a better future!"
Hardy, who had already surrendered, chimed in, "This is your chance, Vice Leader. Are you really going to pass it up?"
Gaius turned his head to look at Hardy. "We never thought that you, and these people behind you, would betray us."
Hardy offered a specious argument: "When I chose to work for the Baron, Bard had already intended to submit. It was only later that his conviction wavered and he betrayed the Baron."
"The choice is yours, Gaius."
Duane cut in. "My patience is limited. Submit, or die."
Gaius looked back to the Baron. "Is there any chance Bard will be allowed to live? He is an Earth Tier Warrior, after all, and Thorn Valley isn’t exactly a peaceful place."
Duane shook his head. "I hear you have children of your own. If they were used to make medicine and then consumed, would you spare the one who did it? Besides..."
He sneered. "Without him, do you think I can’t conquer Thorn Valley? That I can’t conquer Black Forest Island?"
Gaius sighed internally. They had never approved of Daniels’s methods, but Bard ultimately chose to consume the Sauce Meat Fruit in order to defeat the Lord.
Who could have known that this very choice would seal his fate with the Baron, leaving him no chance of survival?
Gaius lowered his head. After a brief silence, he forced the words out with all his might: "I... submit! From this day forward, I will serve you as my lord!"
A smile spread across Duane’s face. With a wave of his hand, he had the man’s bonds untied.
"Soon, my Civil Officer will come to you. I expect your cooperation in writing down everything you know about the crimes of Bard, Daniels, and the others."
Gaius, his head still bowed, responded to Duane’s instructions, "Yes!"
Duane then shifted his gaze to Hardy. "I witnessed your loyalty during this battle. You will be duly rewarded."
His tone shifted. "However, I prefer to get the unpleasantries out of the way first. Since you have submitted to me, you must abide by my rules and the laws of the Kingdom! If I find any of you committing evil deeds as you did in the past, don’t blame me for being ruthless."
Hardy and his men quickly agreed.
They had just witnessed the fate of those who crossed the Baron’s line.
Not even an Earth Tier Warrior or a Level 3 Mage were spared. If they stepped out of line, their fate would be no better.
And with that, Duane had dealt with those who had surrendered.
In terms of manpower, he had gained two top-tier fighters from this conflict.
Two Advanced Peak Warriors.
In addition, there was the Middle Level Warrior Hardy, the Basic-level Warrior Iron Hammer, and some surrendered commoners.
All told, that came to about thirty people.
Combined with Duane’s existing Guards and Militia, these new recruits brought his forces to nearly one hundred men.
He had planned to form a standing army of one hundred, and that goal was now nearly realized.
"Kaelon, Raymond, I’m leaving the interrogation and guarding to you."
Duane instructed, "I’ve already sent for Julian and Ralph. They will be taking inventory of the Holy Hand Association’s and Broken Wave Gang’s assets. You are to arrange for their protection."
"Put Simone in charge of guarding Daniels and Bard."
Having received their orders, the men began the post-battle work.
Taking a rare moment for himself, Duane stepped aside and opened his attribute panel to check how his Skill Levels had increased after the intense battle:
First, Basic Swordsmanship (Perfection).
This, the second Skill he had activated, had finally reached Perfection. It not only provided a wealth of corrective information that further refined Duane’s Swordsmanship, but the Perfection Level of Basic Swordsmanship also granted him a new Combat Technique—Sword Rain Storm.
This was a type of swordsmanship that fell under the category of Combat Techniques.
According to the description, a master of this technique could unleash dozens, even hundreds, of Sword Auras with a single thrust. They would descend upon the enemy like raindrops in a storm.
While the power of each individual Sword Aura was less than a third of his full strength, the combined, overlapping force of so many was not to be underestimated!
It was a killing move, so it was more difficult to learn than Spirit Swordsmanship.
Next, Basic Shield Skill (Mastery 258/400), an increase of a little over two hundred points since before the battle.
Then, Basic Archery (Mastery 12/400).
His Basic Archery Skill Level had finally reached the Mastery Level. He was now confident he could perform legendary feats of archery, like shooting the tassel off a distant spear.
Then there was Spirit Swordsmanship (Mastery 326/400) and Fighting Qi Slash (Skilled 220/300).
Neither of these two Skills had leveled up, but their Skill Levels had both increased significantly.
One more good, hard-fought battle should be enough for them to level up.
Finished with his Skill Level check, Duane turned to his attribute points. He had accumulated 1.8.
He had gained 1.5 attribute points for bringing Basic Swordsmanship to Perfection and gaining Enlightenment regarding the Sword Rain Storm Combat Techniques;
And 0.3 attribute points for reaching the Mastery Level in Basic Archery.
Duane put all these attribute points into Strength, raising his Strength Attribute to 13.3.
Instantly, he felt the exhaustion from the battle leave his body. He felt like he could kill an ox with a single punch.
’Perfecting a Basic Skill gives one more attribute point than perfecting a skill like Cooking or a Combat Technique.’
Duane thought, looking at his attribute panel.
Under the "Basic" tab, there were still 14 Basic Skills that had yet to reach Perfection.
’If I perfect all of them, I estimate I could get another 25 attribute points.’
’If I put all of those into Strength, my Strength Attribute would reach 38.’
Duane’s heart began to pound. ’38 points in Strength... what kind of Level would that even be?’
He didn’t know, but it would be incredibly powerful. He might even reach the same level as his predecessor’s father.
"My Lord, Daniels just confessed that he has a hidden treasury in the fortress, which only he in the entire Holy Hand Association knows about."
Raymond came to him for instructions. "But... he says he hopes to trade his treasury for his life."
Duane was pulled from his reverie. ’A Mage’s treasury... what could it contain?’
"I’m somewhat interested in his treasury, but getting me to promise to spare his life? That’s impossible."
He thought for a moment, then said, "The army should have methods for interrogating prisoners. Are you familiar with them?"
Raymond nodded. "I’ve heard of some, but I have no practical experience."
"Then use Daniels for practice. Be careful to keep him alive. I still have use for him."