Chapter 535: A Butcher and a Swindler
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Sir!” Ye called out at the door.
Anfey, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. “Come in.”
Ye pushed the door open and walked in. He bowed and said, “Sir, things are getting out of hand.”
“Oh?” Anfey jumped down from the bed and put on the long robe that was hanging by the side.
“After you have deliberately slackened in your management, more than 10 female swordsmen became very active. They have befriended many people, but Julie, whom you have instructed me to observe, is well-behaved. She has been practicing her swordsmanship and Combat Power all day long, and has never left the Garrison,” Ye said, “It has been more than 10 days, I am worried…could she have suspected something?”
Anfey frowned, deep in thought.
“Sir, you shouldn’t have told Shinbela the truth. She is not suitable for this role. If someone has let the cat out of the bag and caused Julie to become suspicious, it must be Shinbela.”
“Have Shinbela and Julie fought with each other?”
“They need not fight, Sir.” Ye shook his head. “A hostile or wary look, even just once, is enough to cause Julie to become suspicious.”
“Shinbela is very careful. I don’t think she would make such a stupid mistake.” Anfey said lightly.
“In this case, I don’t understand why Julie is so careful.” Ye smiled wryly and said, “It could be…you have made a mistake. She is not what you think.”
“I have a good memory.”
Ye shrugged and said, “If you are right and Shinbela did not let the cat out of the bag, then what is the matter with Julie?”
“Let’s wait for a few more days,” Anfey slowly said, “Probably, she can take her time to complete her task, which is why she didn’t take the risk.”
“But previously, she has reported to Sir Anthony. I think she is anxious to climb up the ladder, and at the very least, to replace Shinbela.”
“How is the relationship between Feller and Julie?”
“Julie is very warm toward Feller, but she keeps her distance. Hahaha…I don’t think she is interested in Feller.”
“I am disappointed with him.”
“Sir, how about getting Lord Christian to test her out? With his background and charm…”
“Stop your nonsense. How can I let Lord Christian take the risk?”
Anfey pondered this and said, “Let’s wait for few more days and see how it goes.”
“I guess we will have to do that.” Anfey nodded and said, “Sir, one more thing.”
“What?”
“It’s about Batusimon,” Ye said. “He has joined us at a later stage, and has never contributed to The League of Mercenaries. Thus, you have never had any regard for him, or at least, he thinks that you don’t appreciate him. I have heard that he frequently complains to his men about you, saying you are being unfair and even…”
“Even what?”
“Even says that you are a swindler,” Ye said grudgingly. “Sir, Batusimon is unhappy with you.”
“So? He dares to rebel against me?” Anfey sneered. He looked down on Batusimon. Before he had war with the Wolf King Manstuly, the Reaper, Batusimon had sent a messenger to The League of Mercenaries and had promised to join forces with them with his troop.
However, even after he had defeated Blackwater City, Batusimon was still procrastinating and had deployed only a small part of his troop to the war. It was Baery, who had crossed over the valley and wiped out the army of the Shansa Empire. When everything was over, and the army marched up to the north, Batusimon then led his troop to gather with The League of Mercenaries.
Batusimon did not contribute at all to the war. In this case, Anfey could not keep the promises that he had made to Batusimon. The make-up of The League of Mercenaries was very complex. To unite everyone, Anfey had to be fair in his dealings with every team, refugee, and partner. If he had kept his promises to Batusimon, Batusimon would have been very happy, but to those soldiers who had fought together with Anfey, it would be unfair.
“The Maho Empire will unify the continents. Batusimon dares not rebel,” Ye smiled and said, “but he can look for another chief. Recently, he has been walking closely with General Shinge from the Roaring Dead Legion.”
“Shinge?” Anfey was running the name through in his mind.
“Sir, I have spoken to Lord Christian about this. He has asked Shawn to check on Shinge’s background, and they have found out that Shinge is Granden’s confidant!”
“Why have you not mentioned this to me before?”
“Lord Christian has told me to inform you later,” Ye said softly.
“Why?”
“Lord Christian said that your killing intent has been immense, and that, if you know about it, you will try to kill Batusimon.” Ye smiled wryly. “Batusimon is only walking closely with General Shinge, and he has not done anything overboard. When Lord Christian rewarded his subjects previously, Batusimon was on the list. Lord Christian was afraid that if you kill his subject in a rash action…there will be unrest in Sacred City.”
“My killing intent has been immense? What does Christian mean by that?”
“Sir, have you forgotten? Previously, when Sir Alice met up with you and Lord Christian to discuss the uproar the royal families who have been jailed have created, and the rumors their family members have spread….” Ye was careful with his words. “Can you recall?”
Anfey’s expression changed. He recalled the incident. Alice had asked for their opinion, but before Christian could say anything, Anfey had said adamantly that they should be killed to avoid future trouble!
Those royal families had lost their power. No one could take this lying down. As long as they were alive, they would create trouble. If Alice wanted to implement a new policy but they wanted to hold onto the old, there would be no compromise. Thus, Anfey felt that he was right in the matter.
However, now that Ye had reminded him, Anfey realized that he had not handled the matter well. The prisons in Moonlight City and the few surrounding big cities were packed with people. One word from him, “Kill”, would send many heads rolling! Moreover, the royal families ganged up together, because their power had been taken away from them. In actual fact, they were the victims. They were different from those who fought in the war. Anfey had not been disciplined in his cultivation, and was behaving more and more like those small fries in the secular world. This was not what he wanted.
Since Alice was the Executive Governor for the eight provinces, she had the right to make decisions. Christian was the prince of the country, so he could also voice his opinion. However, for Anfey, although he was competent, and was the Chief of General who was in charge of the army of The League of Mercenaries, he had no right to interfere iwith the internal affairs of the Shansa Empire. The funny thing was, as the Executive Governor of the eight provinces, Alice was brainless. She immediately summoned Kumaraghosha to carry out the task. Christian just smiled, and did not oppose. Given his character, neither did he support the idea.
Alice was brainless? What a joke. If she was brainless, Yolanthe would not have had high regard for her. The League of Mercenaries would not come this far. Does Christian not have any plans? Impossible. If not, he would not have asked Ye to keep the matter about Batusimon from Anfey, who was no longer a greenhorn in politics. He knew that they had to go through certain procedures. Firstly, Alice, Anfey, and Christian had to come up with a reasonable countermeasure. Then, they had to discuss with Baery, Saul, Steger and the others, and agree on how they would carry out the plan and submit a proposal to Yolanthe. However, Anfey had jeopardized the procedures, stopping the flow at the first step!
The crucial thing is, Yolanthe had adopted the policy of appeasement. In the provinces ruled by the people of the Shansa Empire, the people of the Maho Empire must not interfere. Yolanthe was also constantly asking if the army had harassed the people. Anfey had been autocratic in his behavior, and had violated Yolanthe’s wish!
A shiver ran down his spine. Anfey was never afraid of any opponents, no matter how powerful they were. However, if the threat came from within, he would, in essence, be his own enemy, which made him feel uneasy.
Not just anyone could be an initiator. When Alice had wanted The League of Mercenaries to be more cohesive, she tried to paint a good picture of Anfey, praising to his ability. Anfey became the idol of a lot of people in The League of Mercenaries. Even if it were a lie, it would have become the truth once everyone began talking about it. Anfey was, in fact, capable. After having heard so much about him, no one had any doubt about his decisions, even if they could not understand them. Moreover, Saul liked Anfey a lot, and Yolanthe also had high regard for him. Although Baery, Steger, Miorich and the rest were Anfey’s seniors, they had never put on airs in front of him. They were like his friends. After the war at the valley, Anfey and Yinuamansu had become great friends. Anfey had the respect of his men, and support from his friends and many powerful elders, and these were enough to make a level-headed guy like him arrogant. Anfey also had sentiments, which he could not share with anyone!
“Sir…” Seeing Anfey in a daze, Ye called out cautiously. Although he was cautious, he did not dodge his gaze. There was one more thing that he wanted to tell Anfey. He had discussed things with Christian, and they found that something was not right with Anfey’s behavior. However, it was not convenient for Christian to bring this up to Anfey, so Ye had to do the dirty job.
