r18novel Chapter 179 The Covenant, Chapter 5, and the Victor's Settlement
Chapter 179 The Covenant, Chapter 5, and the Victor's Settlement
Chapter 110 The Five Laws and the Victor's Settlement
"Tiberius, what are you doing? Why are you stopping those guys? It's one thing to kill prisoners so they won't get the ransom, but why are you even forbidding looting?" Jules looked at Tiberius in disbelief.
He was very puzzled by the "five rules" proposed by his nephew.
"It's simple, Uncle, this will get you more money," Tiberius said confidently.
"If you trust me, I can get ten thousand gold coins this afternoon to reward our soldiers, instead of letting them loot freely—that's too inefficient!"
"Are you sure, kid?" Jules looked at his nephew with some doubt.
"Distributing the money and looting is no easier than fighting a war; it's about whether people will respect you!"
"I know, Uncle, but trust me this once. Besides, it doesn't matter if it doesn't work out; we can just stick to the old ways!" Tiberius waved his hand and said.
So, just as the mercenaries were howling and preparing to storm into the city for a traditional "three-day plunder"—allowing soldiers to burn, kill, loot, and seize all visible wealth—they were stopped by a cold order.
The order came from Tiberius Mode, and the veterans of the Lightning Legion and the White Legion behind him.
"Five rules!" Tiberius's voice rang out through the messenger to the eager mercenaries.
"1. No looting of private homes! 2. No wanton killing! 3. No arson! 4. No rape of women! 5. No trespassing on noble residences or temples!"
"Why should I!" roared a mercenary leader with a scar on his face.
"I won the battle, and I deserve it! You killed prisoners, and I tolerated it, but you want to interfere with this looting too?"
Tiberius didn't even answer him personally. Old Tom coldly raised his lance, while Vito pointed his crossbow at Tiberius's head.
Behind Tiberius, the clearly superior, well-organized phalanx of spearmen and crossbowmen stepped forward, their killing intent palpable. The mercenary captain's expression changed, and he retreated, cursing under his breath.
"You only managed to enter Broken Spear City because of my uncle and me, so shut up! If you don't, I don't mind cutting your heads off and throwing them outside the city walls right now!"
Of course, Tiberius wasn't trying to be a saint. His methods were more efficient and ruthless.
Instead of letting his soldiers swarm into civilian homes like locusts, he directly dispatched troops to control the city's warehouses, treasuries, granaries, all official buildings, and the homes of the powerful and wealthy.
Subsequently, under the guise of "collecting war reparations," he began a systematic plunder.
Under his command, and with the assistance of the trembling local accountants and scholars whom Tiberius had "invited" with swords and gold coins, squads of soldiers inventoried every grain of rice, every barrel of wine, every bolt of cloth, and every metal ingot in the warehouse. Gold and silver coins were carried away by the chests.
As for the powerful and wealthy, Tiberius would send soldiers with swords to "politely" demand the collection of "protection taxes."
Of course, the price was very high, but Tiberius had no pity for these vampires. He simply had his soldiers hold knives to his neck and demand the bill.
The entire looting process resembled an efficient business activity, rather than a traditional military raid.
Although Tiberius himself was not very literate, he relied heavily on the scholars and accountants who were forced to serve him, ensuring that every "levy" and ransom was recorded to maximize his profits.
Meanwhile, Risangro, the second-generation rich kid who was an expert in valuation and business, and Lezapo, the logistics officer, were like mice entering a rice jar. They had the heaviest task, but they were extremely excited.
The only one who might be unhappy about this is Vito.
As the White Legion's crossbowman captain, accountant, legion historian, Jules' confidant, and Tiberius's henchman, he was constantly on the go. In the morning, he was calculating supplies, and in the afternoon, he had to suppress any scum that showed signs of conflict.
When the first list of cleared goods and gold coins was presented to them, Jules fell silent.
"Ten—ten thousand gold coins!" Jules stammered, somewhat incoherently. "This is just the first batch of spoils—how the hell did you manage to scrape together so much money? What did you use to convince them?"
"Well, Uncle, it's actually very simple." Tiberius shrugged and tossed a bag of gold coins in front of Jules.
"I only rob the rich. I don't even bother with the poor. They don't have much to offer, but they have a lot of people. If I really take away their meager savings, they'll riot sooner or later."
"And they know the area better than we do. Give them a few gold coins, drape a silk robe over their heads, and they'll happily lead us to the home of a local tycoon!"
"As for money—ha, that's why I immediately went to persuade those accountants and scholars to serve me: they can do the math, they know who the local bigwigs are, who owns the most land, who's doing the best business, and who's just an empty shell. With their help, we have a clear understanding of the situation in Broken Spear City!"
"Ahem, Tiberius, to be fair—" Lisanro placed the parchment and wine glass on the table to the other side.
"I still don't quite understand why we need to enforce the so-called five-point agreement. Can't the victor do whatever he wants to the loser?" he said, somewhat finding it hard to accept.
"Yes, Lisanro, the victor can indeed do whatever he wants to the loser, but if it harms the victor himself, it's best not to do so," Tiberius said with a shrug.
"Hmm, how does this harm us?" Risang Luo asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Letting soldiers get rich after a victory is also one of the promises we made to them, and it's a tradition."
"It's very simple, Lisanro. In the end, the backbone of our Lightning Legion is the three hundred slave mercenary seedlings I brought out back then. They are the key to maintaining this legion."
"I went to great lengths to turn them into legionary soldiers who obeyed orders without question, only following the commands of the supreme commander—that is, the two of us," Tiberius told Lisanro, taking a sip of his honeyed milk.
"But once those soldiers pick up the bad habits of those mercenaries—robbery, rape, alcoholism—"
They will no longer be an army that obeys orders without question! I will have a very difficult time controlling the soldiers of the Lightning Legion! And if I cannot control those slave soldiers, will Habro and Dmitri still listen to me?
"Definitely not! Once they've made enough money, or after some minor disagreement with me, they'll definitely find a way to leave Team Lightning!"
"By then, our Lightning Squad will not only have suffered personnel losses, but its original core members will also have been corrupted. What difference will there be between us and those third-rate mercenary groups in our ranks?"
"Actually, the army is just like training dogs, Lisanro," Tiberius concluded.
"You can't let them be responsible for their own profits and losses." You must ensure that every piece of spoils passes through your hands before being distributed to them, making them realize that money and provisions can only come from your control!
Tiberius himself, during the "collection" process, also cleverly ordered his men to collect some special items: books and musical scores.
"Oh, right!" Lisanro seemed to have thought of something, blinking his eyes. "Commander Jules, Tiberius and I have prepared a gift for you."
A group of guards carried in heavy boxes of books and exquisite musical score scrolls, looking utterly bewildered: "Young Master Lisangluo, what are you doing with all this stuff that you can't eat or wear? It's too hard even to wipe your butt with!"
Tippi remained unfazed and replied in a flat tone, "Miss Sven will like it. She's well-educated, and these things will keep her entertained."
Jules paused for a moment, opened his mouth, then thought of the calm, blonde girl who was now helping manage the camp's documents. In the end, he said nothing, just touched his nose, and turned away.
When it comes to Johanna Swinn, this tough-guy commander always seems to become somewhat—temperamental.
Yes, Johanna Swin, this delicate lady, was with them too.
Although Tiberio and Jules both expressed their opposition and demanded that she stay on Lisbon, the girl was clearly more determined than they had imagined, and she strongly insisted on acting with the White Army.
According to Vito: With just this one sentence, Jules was finished.
Of course, Tiberius also admitted that having another comrade who knew math was a good thing.
In Broken Spear City, inside a temporarily requisitioned, somewhat luxurious manor, Lisanro Rogal yawned, emerging from his second-floor bedroom in a loose velvet robe, his steps still unsteady, his face bearing the weariness of a hangover and indulgence. He saw Tiberius standing on the terrace, gazing into the distance, an opened letter clutched in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.
Lisanro rubbed his temples, walked over, and said lazily, "Tiberius, up so early? Where are we going next?" He was still immersed in the excitement and sense of conquest brought by the victory on the way north.
Tiberius didn't turn around, but simply handed over the letter in his hand, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness: "Lisanro, I'm afraid—our war is almost over."
"It's over?" Lisangluo was stunned, a look of confusion on his face. "What do you mean? The main force of Valantis is still in Rieslan!"
"The flank corridor has fallen! Now, the Valantis have penetrated deep into the disputed territory!"
Tiberius turned and pointed to the map spread out on the terrace railing, his finger tracing the winding, contentious river: "Look here. The Valantis are indeed fierce. Our 'hundred-battle-unbeatable' commander-in-chief, Myr, has unsurprisingly suffered another defeat. And this is only thanks to the natural defenses of the flank corridor; the losses he's inflicted are staggering!"
He abruptly changed the subject, his tone tinged with a cold relief: "But fortunately, after much persuasion, he managed to prevent the Valantis from actually reaching the walls of Myr or the shores of the Step Islands. I've heard that Tyrossi and Myr have incurred astronomical debts to Braavos's Iron Treasury to sustain this war."
He pointed to the mouth and channel of the Controversial River: "Indeed, we are still not performing well in the war on land, but the key to the war lies here—our navy has finally proven itself and defeated the fleet of Valantis at sea."
"Our warships and the pirates who serve us now not only blockade the coast, but also sail up the Controversial River to harass their rear and cut off their attempts to transport supplies from the rear of Valantis via the Controversial River."
Tiberius sighed and continued, "Although we have won at sea, unfortunately, we still cannot kill the main force of Volantis' army—they are still massive, and with another tactical victory and sufficient supplies, they will remain an unstoppable force!"
"The only good news is that in this disputed land, there are not many decent large cities or strong fortresses for them to use as a base. The only ones are the large granaries and wealthy manors built here by the slave owners and plantation owners of our Three Daughters Kingdom."
"General Valantis could plunder and make a fortune there, but he could not truly settle down."
He looked at Lisangluo, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "So, the current strategy has become to starve them out. As long as our army stops launching offensives and retreats behind our defensive lines like tortoises, implementing a scorched-earth policy on land, while relying on the navy to blockade our supply lines, we can slowly deplete their food supplies and morale, and victory will ultimately be ours."
"This is an ugly but effective victory."
Risang seemed to understand something, raising an eyebrow: "So—this is a good thing? We won?"
Tiberius gave a wry, mocking smile: "Win? Perhaps. But Lisanro, think about it, whose land is being sacrificed every time we 'lure the enemy in deep' or 'strategically retreat'?"
"It is your Ries colony in the disputed lands! All the scorched earth, all the looting, all the losses, most of it has fallen on the Ries people! The losses of Tyrothy and Mil were relatively much smaller."
He picked up the letter and gently shook it: "Now, the news has reached Rees. The largest number of ships were sacrificed..."
The Reece merchants and governors, who had lost the most colonies, were utterly enraged. They felt betrayed by their allies, foolishly commanded, and had suffered bloodshed and financial ruin, while the "glory of the war" seemed to go primarily to Mill and Tyrese, who had held onto their homeland?
"Protests are now raging in the city of Ries, with people demanding the removal of the First Governor, Bambaro, who is responsible for the situation."
Tiberius put the letter away, his gaze fixed on the distant, disputed lands. His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of finality: "So, Lisanro, the war is over—at least, for those governors and wealthy merchants in Rees who wield power and fortune, they believe it's time to end it. They are unwilling to invest any more in a war that has caused them heavy losses while benefiting their allies."
"Rhys, it's time to withdraw from this game. At least, the governors and wealthy merchants in Rhys who control the purse strings and the votes think it's time to end it. They don't want to throw another penny into a war that has cost them dearly while their allies have benefited immensely. To them, continuing the war is pointless."
Lisangluo stood frozen in place, the languor and excitement on his face gradually fading, replaced by a cold, political reality. He realized that victory or defeat on the battlefield was far from the true end.
The setting sun cast its last rays upon the makeshift camp, gilding the mountains of spoils with a dark gold hue.
Among these spoils of war, Tiberius specifically instructed that books, maps, and other items should be collected with particular care.
In his view, these items were "assets" more valuable than gold.
Meanwhile, Tiberius was supervising Johanna Swin and several accountants and maesters as they counted and registered the spoils of war.
Just as Tiberius was fantasizing about how he would live a blissful life as a small landowner after the war, indulging in the decadent life of a feudal landlord, his gaze inadvertently swept over a large captured map.
It started as a casual glance, but a thought struck him like lightning.
His pupils suddenly contracted, his body stiffened, and then he lunged at the map, his fingers trembling as he rapidly traced lines on it.
"No—no!" he hissed, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead. The next second, he leaped up as if burned, shoving aside the scholar who was recording the quantity of silverware beside him, and charged madly toward Jules's main tent.
"Uncle!" Tiberius practically burst through the tent flap, his voice trembling with extreme anxiety.
"Quickly! Order a retreat! Retreat immediately!"