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Chapter 150: Awkward Status of The Security Squad

This man had a significant connection to the suspected catastrophe about to unfold in Weisshem!

"Is Charlie Rex acting on the orders of the 'Nightmare Butcher'?" This was Commander Walton's foremost concern.

"This we currently cannot ascertain." The unremarkable middle-aged man gulped. "The 'Nightmare Butcher's' undead exist openly in Weisshem. There's even an undead-run delicatessen on the main street, worksites that only permits undead, and even a skeleton holding the position of town mayor."

"An undead-run delicatessen?!" Walton exclaimed in astonishment.

The female scout nodded gravely. "This shop sells extremely cheap salt, food, and spices. Because of its existence, all the shops owned by Baron Markus have closed down."

Salt and food had always been the most stable and profitable of commodities.

The shops dealing in salt and grain on Martin Street Market were actually the private property of the former lord of Weisshem, Baron Markus, including the store Mia visited in the beginning, which appeared to be run by an elderly couple.

The undead disrupted the old order of Weisshem but did not attack the civilians. Instead, they even actively maintained the stability of Weisshem. These salt and grain shops also didn't expose themselves, "lying low" and waiting for Baron Markus to "reclaim his territory"until the undead-run delicatessen opened and took away all their business, rendering them unable to continue operations.

Commander Walton fell silent for a moment and then uttered, "Buying loyalty"

The public is foolish and shortsighted; as long as they see tangible short-term benefits, they do not care whether those ruling over them are just or evil.

After a pause, Walton expressed his doubt, "Where does the 'Nightmare Butcher' get so much salt and food to win the people over?"

"This It's like the 'Undead Cloth'; we can't trace its source," the female scout said, ashamedly lowering her head.

"This isn't your fault; the 'Nightmare Butcher' has always been extremely elusive and a mystery. Even the Inquisition has spent years trying to trace his origins to no avail." Walton shook his head. "Where he was born and which country his unique facial features originate from remain unknown to this day."

The Nightmare Butcher Yang became a continent-wide wanted criminal 60 years ago, attracting many individuals and organizations eager for the substantial bounty. They voluntarily participated in investigations into his background.

And the eventual result was inconclusive.

Yang's black hair seemed to match the hair of Kenyan people, and his facial contour lines were also somewhat similar to the Kenyans, but the differences in skin and eye color were vast, and his physique was strikingly different.

Yang's dark eyes, at a glance, appeared similar to the Sokrians of the south, but upon closer inspection, they differed. Sokrians had almost pitch-black pupils, whereas the Nightmare Butcher's eyes were actually dark brown. Coupled with the Sokrians' characteristic black skin and white hair, it was clear that Yang was not a Southerner.

Yang's light yellowish-white skin tone was similar to the people of the Norsk Federation in the east, but the differences in hair color, eye color, and facial features were significant

Even the Bounty Association, experts in tracking down clues, couldn't uncover the true origins of this enigmatic madman.

"Using salt, grain, and affordable Undead Cloth to win over the hearts of the Weisshem people, making them accept the presence of the undead, and appointing his subordinates as town mayor must cost a great deal of capital. It's clear that Yang isn't just looking to make a quick profit in Weisshem" Walton mused. "So is it Charlie Rex who's behind all this?"

The scouts exchanged glances, and the middle-aged man spoke first, "We've come into contact with some members of the security squad, temporary workers, and two clerks from the town hall. Like the soldiers of the city defense force, they don't mention the 'Nightmare Butcher' much and often speak highly of Lord Rex."

"Yes," the female scout added. "From the intelligence we've gathered, 'Nightmare Butcher' Yang rarely appears in town. On the contrary, Charlie Rex is very active and can be seen around the main street of the town every day."

The middle-aged man continued, "We've seen this new lord a few times during our investigations. He is very popular among the local townsfolk and seems to be quite approachable. However, he is always seen with the undead town mayor, and we were cautious not to approach too closely for fear of our disguises being seen through by the undead."

"So it's true then" Walton's brow furrowed, recalling the sullen young man who used to follow Yang. That young refined-looking man, with the light silver-white hair common among the Rhine Kingdom's upper-class, seemed increasingly malevolent in Walton's recollection.

After a moment of contemplation, Commander Walton firmly stated, "Contact the Horn's man. We need to infiltrate the town hall and obtain evidence linking Charlie Rex to the catastrophe."

The ones most adept at dealing with catastrophes were high priests of the various faiths.

To persuade the high priests of the Radiant Sun Church and the Church of Lady Golden Coin to act, Walton needed to gather compelling evidence!

The scouts of the Radiant Sun Church's cavalry unit were exceptionally skilled. Before infiltrating Weisshem, they had spent two days gathering information in the surrounding villages. They entered the town under the guise of "villagers from remote areas coming to work together," and even specifically rented a low-cost house as their base.

The daily recruitment of temporary workers on the main street was quite enticing for farmers. It attracted not only returning townsmen who had left for harvest work but also many villagers whose harvests were nearly complete. This influx provided the townspeople with some extra income from renting out their properties. With Weisshem having lost population over time, there were many vacant houses, some of which couldn't even be sold.

The scouts had done an excellent job in their guises, but still they were detected.

When the unremarkable middle-aged man emerged from the alley, two security squad members keeping a discreet watch spotted him.

"There's movement," whispered Jimmy, who was pretending to rest at the entrance of a grocery store as he set down a cup of water provided by the shopkeeper. "Time to move. Let's follow him."

His partner nodded in understanding, and they both got up. The two, appearing to be on their regular patrol, followed their target from a distance.

The middle-aged man, disguised as an ordinary villager, walked past various street vendors for about a hundred meters before turning into another alley.

Jimmy and his partner didn't follow him into the alley but stopped at a distance.

"Those bunch from Well Alley are indeed together with this group," his partner remarked.

"Didn't I say these people are suspicious? They might even be working together," Jimmy scoffed. "Which villager that comes for temporary work wouldn't immediately rush to buy salt, grain, or cloth upon receiving their daily wages? It's only these two groups that often return empty-handed!"

His partner nodded in agreement.

The Radiant Sun Church scouts and city defense force spies probably never dreamed that despite their professional disguises and convincing acts, they would give themselves away simply by not buying salt or fabric

"Haa I thought that no spy would dare come here again after that incident with the Sokrian trade caravan. And here they are, seeking trouble so soon," Jimmy's partner said excitedly. "We might get commendations for this, Jimmy. Who do you think we should report to?"

Jimmy uttered an "Uh" and was stumped.

The security squad, reformed from the original militia, currently had no captain; their daily patrols and duties in town continued as per the former militia's schedule.

The squad's salaries and logistics (work meals, uniforms, equipment) were managed by Miss Mia from the town hall's logistics office, while the town's regulations and policies were set by Mayor Ji Tang. Meanwhile, authority for assignments and dispatches lay with Lord Rex.

Such a chaotic management structure would spell disaster elsewhere, but in Weisshem's unique environment, it was difficult for anything to go wrong. Mia, who controlled the finances, and Mayor Ji Tang, who managed structure, never interfered with the security squad's operations. Lord Rex only saw them as tools for maintaining order. All three with authority over the security squad didn't take "military deterrence."

In front of the formidable Fourth Crises and Lord Rex, who was formidable himself, the robust militiamen of the security squad didn't really amount to much

On a regular day, everyone was content just to work for their pay, with the highlight being the distribution of work meals. Now, on considering where to report their meritorious deed for a reward to, Jimmy realized that their security squad, seemingly dignified and well-treated in the eyes of townspeople and villagers, were actually in an awkward position:

The managing approaches of Miss Mia, Mayor Ji Tang, and Lord Rex were akin to letting sheep roam freely.

All three were their direct superiors, but none of them paid much attention to the security squad not that they were deliberately ignoring, just not prioritizing.

Jimmy silently lowered his head in frustration.

His partner, too, gradually grasped the dilemma and winced. All three of their superiors were so busy they hardly managed them on a regular basis. Rushing to report to them might be futile if they were too occupied to care about this matter. How would their contribution be recognized then?

"Maybe, maybe we should consult with Boss Hal?" Jimmy's partner suggested after some hesitation.

Jimmy pondered for a moment and then reluctantly nodded.

Boss Hal Maxwell, the head of the detention barracks, had nothing to do with the security squad and wasn't even their direct superior. However, in the "Taranthan system," if there was anyone with the deepest connection with the security squad, it would be Hal.

Those currently wearing uniforms and receiving salaries from the town hall were released by Hal's leniency; their former head and a good number of comrades who hadn't received Hal's permission were still enduring hardship in the former militia headquarters.

"What does it matter to me?!"

In the office of the current detention barracks, formerly the militia headquarters of the militia, Hal responded dismissively to the two young men seeking help.

Everyone who had been in the detention barracks knew about Hal's temper. Jimmy and his partner, with apologetic smiles, tried to persuade him earnestly.

"Boss Hal, those two groups seem pretty unusual, especially the ones from Well Alley. Their strength might even surpass those Sokrian mercenaries of the trade caravan from before."

"Yeah, Boss Hal, and they're staying in crowded areas like Martin Street. If they really have ill intentions, any trouble they cause could become a big problem."

Hal idly cleaned his ear. Frankly speaking well, he wasn't too keen on cleaning up messes for Rex. Although there wasn't much animosity between him and Rex, Hal just couldn't stand that pretentious youngster.

But then again life in Weisshem had been quite comfortable for him lately.

Since the Sokrian mercenaries were brought in by that damned black mage to be so-called job instructors, the number of annoying undead bothering Hal had drastically decreased. He didn't even need to supervise construction sites on the main street anymore; overseeing the detention barracks with over a thousand prisoners was enough.

Managing a large group of people, dealing with only a few persistent undead visitors daily, and being respected wherever he went Hal enjoyed these smooth sailing days and didn't wish for it to be disrupted.

"Alright, let me see what these guys are made of" Hal blew on his fingernails, stood up, and smirked mischievously. "You two go back to your duties. I'll make sure to pass on your deeds to that idiot Rex."

Jimmy and his partner were visibly grateful.

With Boss Hal stepping in, Lord Rex would surely take their accomplishment seriously!