Aftermath of the Rebellion 3
Translator: Cinder Translations
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Stanford stepped onto the ground of Frand Port via a jumping board.
Ah, he had safely returned home again. He turned to look back at the ship, where a group of people was excitedly leaning over the railing, peering into the city of Frand Port.
He waved to those on board, "Brothers, we're home!"
"Wow!" "Hooray!" A cheer erupted from the ship.
With the support of Lord Paul Grayman, Stanford led his old comrades and newly recruited members, sailing north again with ample food and fresh water. This time, the fleet was twice the size of the last, boasting six three-masted sailing ships.
In addition to essential supplies, they carried a large quantity of goods for trading with the indigenous tribes along the way. The potential for profit was secondary; the main goal was to foster friendships with the locals.
They visited the Deer Tribe in the far north and were delighted to find that the first batch of explorers who had stayed there to recuperate was still living healthily.
When they arrived at the Deer Tribe, winter had not yet ended, and Stanford's fleet had brought ample supplies for winter. The indigenous people welcomed them joyously, eagerly accepting honeycomb coal, stoves, cotton clothing, and canned goods.
After a thorough exploration of the surroundings, Stanford returned home with those first explorers who had been away from their families for a long time. Of course, some members remained behind to learn and study the local language and customs.
The exploration team returned to Frand Port laden with precious herbs and animal pelts. After arranging for someone to guard the ships, Stanford announced a holiday, and most hurried home, especially those first explorers who hadn't returned last time. Some went into the city to indulge in festivities.
Stanford set out for Alden Town to report on this journey, as he had some important matters to discuss with Earl Grayman face to face.
"Hey, isn't that our Captain Stanford?"
While riding his horse, Stanford encountered an old friend, Grit. Grit was a merchant who had spent many years at sea, and he had collaborated with Stanford several times when Stanford was still a merchant ship captain.
"Grit, I didn't expect to see you here."
"This must be the guidance of the Lord of Light. Aren't you heading north again for an adventure? Are you back already?"
"Yes, I just returned. What about you?"
"I'm heading to Alden Town to discuss a business deal. Hurry and tell me about your adventures!"
The two walked together, chatting happily. When Stanford mentioned the countless valuable resources in the wilds north of the Rocky Mountains, and how the exploration team had returned loaded with herbs and pelts, Grit's eyes sparkled as a merchant's.
"Stanford, my good man, let me know next time you set off. I definitely want to get a big ship and join you to make some money."
"Haha, if our lord permits. Oh, by the way… Grit, I want to ask you something."
"Is there some pirate trouble again recently?"
Grit looked confused and scratched his head, "No, why do you ask? There haven't been any pirates for several years."
Stanford, puzzled, said, "I just saw a group of prisoners being escorted. It was really a group; they were lined up for quite a distance. If it weren't for a large-scale gang operation, how could this happen?"
"Oh, you're talking about that!" Grit rubbed his nose and guessed, "That's probably the rebels from a few villages up north. It seems a new labor camp has been established, and they're moving them there."
"Rebel… rebels?" Stanford was taken aback by Grit's words.
Grit glanced at him, "What? Didn't you know?"
"I didn't stay in Frand Port long after I got off the ship."
"Let me tell you then. Not long ago, there was a rebellion against Earl Grayman in Alden. A few villages led by Babol lured the Earl to their place under the pretext of asking him to hunt, and they nearly… In short, it was a very dangerous situation, and there was even a corresponding rebellion in Alden Town. Fortunately, the rebellion was eventually quelled."
Stanford asked with concern, "Is Earl Grayman alright?"
Grit waved his hand and replied, "Our lord must be protected by the gods; he wasn't harmed at all. Of course, although he was unharmed at the time, he surely flew into a rage afterward. I'll tell you…" He glanced around to make sure no one was listening and continued in a low voice, "Although the Earl has a reputation for kindness, he is ruthless toward traitors. Oh, that scene—villages implicated in the rebellion, especially Babol Village—were practically rounded up entirely."
"Not only that, but since the rebels were all local gentry, it's just those big families that have been entrenched in the countryside for generations. Earl Grayman even grew resentful toward those landlords who didn't participate in the rebellion. The Earl stripped them of their tax contract status and power and even legislated against their private punishments—you know how common such things used to be in the countryside."
"And he also sent people to meticulously investigate debts in the countryside, burning any he deemed unreasonable. I remember once visiting a friend in the countryside who had a considerable amount of land and used to lend money. Just then, people from the town came to check the accounts, and… well, his family had a lot of high-interest loans, so they were all burned down. My friend's wife was rolling around in the yard, crying and shouting in front of the lord's subordinates, even trying to jump into the fire. But what use was that? In the end, my friend had to pull his wife out of the fire, slapped her twice, and took her inside."
"Isn't the lord afraid of igniting another rebellion?"
"Rebellion? My heavens, who would dare?" Grit opened his mouth wide. "You don't know, all the discharged soldiers were called back into the army during that time. Alden, Byerldine, and Emden were all on high alert; who would provoke a furious lion that suspects everyone at this time?"
After learning the general situation, Stanford shook his head, "I didn't expect the fallout to be so extensive."
"Hey, I actually quite enjoy this situation, as do my friends who run factories… Ah, ah, ah, I'm not talking about the rebellion itself, but about the lord's subsequent measures."
"How so?"
"Because under the lord's strong orders, those landlords can no longer confine the commoners in the countryside, and many of them have started coming into the city to work."
(End of the Chapter)
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