Chapter 147: 146 – Lardy’s Analysis
Chapter 147, Hundred and Forty-Six Lardy’s Analysis
After concluding his inspection of the shipyard and spending a few days in Port Fullan, Paul planned to depart back to Lakewood.
Before returning, he organized an awarding ceremony, giving major material rewards to the officers and soldiers who had made great achievements in the battle to eliminate the pirates and the previous battle against the wizards, depending on the size of the assessed merit, the officers and soldiers received awards ranging from 10 silver coins to 25 silver coins.
In fact, even without this ceremony, these rewards had already been prepared to be sent to the meritorious officers and soldiers, a sound military merit system had already been established in the current Arda army, how the merits were assessed and how much they should be rewarded were all in accordance with the stipulated rules, not based on the whims of the superiors or their personal likes and dislikes.
But having an award ceremony is more likely to improve the army’s morale and sense of honor, so why not do it.
For a time the whole army was enthusiastic.
The South’s sailing preparations are also in full swing, and is scheduled to depart in two weeks. And the female advisor intends to return to the lake town with Paul first, in the south of the ship the day before the departure of the port of richland.
Soon after, Paul bid farewell to Theodore, the town’s mayor, and the others, and set out on the road back to Lakewood. In light of that attack he encountered on his way here, Austin sent a group of musket-equipped sailors to escort him back.
Along with Paul to go back, in addition to the sailors and the second squad of the inner guard soldiers, there are 18 pairs of coffins, in the battle on the way to the port of Frankland, 15 people died on the spot, the wounded were transported to the port of Frankland, there are three people died of serious injuries, and the first squad of the inner guards sacrificed half of the members.
The remaining half of the wounded still stayed in Port Welland to recover from their wounds, and many of them might even be disabled, and Victor, the captain of the guard, who was kicked and broke his ribs, is still lying in bed.
As soon as Paul saw these coffins, his heart was heavy, and the excitement that the new route was about to be opened was gone in an instant.
This batch of sacrifices of the guards are lake heart town people, this trip to richland harbor also did not ask for secrecy, back to the town, there will inevitably be family members standing on the side of the road to take a look at the return of the mission of the son or husband, when it is another set of poignant scenes.
Lardy, who rode aside, saw Paul’s appearance, and she said with great guilt, “I’m sorry, Lord Greymane, I should have warned you to make more preparations, or simply prevented you from traveling, and the situation might have been much better if you had stayed in the town.”
Paul shook his head and said, “No, you already warned me, and it was my fault for not being prepared. Sorry, wasn’t a big believer in your ‘divination’ before.”
“If we stay in the town, with that sorcerer’s madness and ability, he might even cause a lot of civilian casualties, taking care of him in the middle of nowhere is the best.”
Lardy frowned as if she was recalling something, and after a few minutes of silence she suddenly said:
“Lord Greymane, when I examined that sorcerer’s body at that time, I found a slightly familiar pattern tattooed on his body, but at that time, I couldn’t remember where I had seen it before, and then I didn’t continue to recall it.”
Paul turned his head to the female counselor at once, and he asked anxiously, “Does anything come to mind now?”
Lardy, secretly surprised at Paul’s current impatience, immediately replied, “Yes, I just remembered that the pattern belonged to an organization of mages, the Secret Society of Magecraft, I just don’t know if they’re still called by that name.”
“Secret Mage Society?” Paul frowned, “Do mages still have organizations?”
The female advisor nodded her head and responded, “Yes, for various purposes, such as exchanging magical tips and helping each other, mages will secretly associate, but most of the mages’ organizations are very loose, and the members get together occasionally at irregular intervals.”
“Then this secret mage society?”
“The Secret Mage Society is a mage association with a difference, it is very tightly organized compared to other similar groups and seems to have a very large membership. However, its advocacies are fairly normal, nothing more than preaching that mages should unite and help each other against the threat of the Church and the like. There are many other mage groups that hold similar claims, though none of them have become a big deal.”
Paul asked, “You’ve been in contact with them?” “Well, when I was still in the south, the Secret Law Society once invited me to join them.”
“It looks like you let them down.”
“Yes, a group like the Secret Law Society usually has a lot of rules and regulations, otherwise it wouldn’t have grown so big, which means responsibilities and obligations, and I just wanted to be a traveling scholar and adventurer at that time. “
Paul said thankfully, “Thank you for your decision in the first place, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to have such a capable advisor.”
With a slight blush on her face, Lardy continued, “Lord Graiman, I would like to point out that the sorcerer who attacked us outright called me a traitor, and held a grudge against me for fighting with you against him, repeatedly uttering insults.”
“Generally speaking, mages respect each other’s positions. Therefore I have a bad presumption that the Secret Society of Law, to which he belongs, may have had its claims changed in some way, and it is very difficult for mages with different aspirations to get together.”
“Certain changes?”
“Becoming more radical and hostile to groups other than mages, as the various mages who attacked us demonstrated.”
At that, a look of gravity appeared on Lardy’s face.
“I have an even worse speculation, that mage said that the Gaden Pirates were under his command, and the sudden and rapid rise of the Gaden Pirates of late confirms that there is someone behind them, and that the support is still strong. But generally speaking, mages rarely cross paths with ordinary people, let alone go through that much effort to support a pirate group. Then based on the following two points-“
The female advisor listed them one by one:
“1. No matter how capable a mage is, he can’t replace an army.”
“2, Given the paramilitary nature of the pirate corps ……”
Hearing this, Paul also gradually understood what the female advisor meant.
“You’re saying that that Secret Society might want to mess around in the Northwest Gulf?”
Lardy nodded, “The influence of the church that is most hostile to mages is relatively not as strong here as it is elsewhere, so if they really have something in mind, the Northwest Gulf is an excellent location.”
After listening to the female advisor’s analysis, Paul’s heart cursed at the Secret Law Society for a while: you guys should have found another place to mess up, I’ve managed to make my territory a bit better, but it’s really bad luck to have recruited a group of disasters like you guys.
Seeing Paul’s face getting uglier and uglier, La Di comforted, “Lord Gleeman, the above are all my guesses, maybe the truth is not like that.”
“No, when a bad thing may happen, then it will happen, I have no doubt about that.”
Paul flicked his horsewhip, “That wizard, or that secret society, sooner or later I will have to investigate it to the fullest.”
He hated enemies who hid in the shadows and sneaked around, come and play line up and shoot your brother’s army face to face if you can!
(End of this chapter)