Chapter Forty-One: Does Every Protagonist Like Singing? (Part Two)

At the same time, the propaganda work proceeded simultaneously, led by Leyard. He explained to each villager who received food the general structure of the People’s Commune system. The gist was that from now on, lands previously rented and farmed by peasants from nobles would belong to everyone collectively. No one was allowed to resell them, as they would be managed uniformly by the commune, which was divided into three levels: the commune itself, the production brigade, and the production team. Peasants would no longer cultivate independently; instead, their respective production teams would allocate labor and resources to cooperate collectively. The grain and crops produced would be handed over to the autonomous regional government in a fixed proportion. The government would then convert this income through trade or other means into other necessary materials for the region to sustain both governmental and military operations. A portion would also be reserved as flexible welfare funds to provide subsidies for particularly disadvantaged areas. The commune would also establish a members’ representative assembly to form a council with a chairman and management committee, all accountable to the autonomous regional government.

Meanwhile, Gamio was in charge of maintaining security and recruiting soldiers. Although there was no active warfare, Gamio was more anxious than if there were battles, as they had reached a critical juncture. The current distribution of food and seeds, along with propaganda efforts, aimed to win hearts and minds, but there was no guarantee that trouble wouldn’t arise. Though the nobles in the city were under house arrest, many rural gentry still remained. According to the leader, these individuals would also have to be subjected to struggle. Once the autonomous regional government was solidified, the next step would be to target the wealthy peasants and landlords in the countryside, confiscating surplus land and tools from them to redistribute to those in need. Recruiting soldiers went relatively smoothly; it was said that joining the army guaranteed enough food and a certain allowance to support families, causing long lines to form at recruitment offices.

As Grant thought silently, everything happening inside the city was a war without gunpowder—the war for people’s hearts. Winning over the people meant victory for Cammineson; failure meant defeat. Even if they currently occupied Gaul City, it would be meaningless without winning hearts.

———

Inside the city, everything proceeded orderly according to Grant’s arrangements. Grant and some revolutionary members quietly left the city, carrying some spoils as gifts, and headed toward a secret valley where a group of orcs awaited their meeting. Two leaders stood at the forefront: one broad-shouldered and muscular, the other slender with long arms and sharp eyes.

“I didn’t expect the two chieftains to personally come to offer congratulations,” Grant greeted them. These two represented the two major powers adjacent to Gaul City: the Bier tribe and the Monk tribe. The broad-shouldered one was Krober, chieftain of the Bier tribe, while the slender one was Romo, leader of the Monk tribe. However, out of respect for the Orc King’s court, they were not suited to personally visit Gaul City.

Krober enthusiastically embraced Grant, a customary gesture among the Bier to express brotherly friendship.

“Romo and I have come to congratulate you. Having a hero like you in the human-controlled areas is good fortune for us. Perhaps now we can coexist peacefully. Things under Hendry were terrible. Although he sent us some goods, every year he and his people tricked us, exchanging our best resources for shoddy items. Grant, you wouldn’t do that, would you?” Krober asked.

“Of course not. Brothers from the Bier and Monk tribes are friends of the revolutionary group,” Grant smiled. “Without your support these years, we would have struggled to sustain ourselves and achieve victory. You can rest assured—we will establish special institutions for trade with you. I’ll even invite the Bier and Monk to directly participate in these organizations and take charge of communications. This way, you won’t have to worry about incidents like those under Hendry.”

Hearing this, Krober was completely reassured and even felt a bit embarrassed for having been suspicious earlier, scratching his head sheepishly.

“You mean we orcs can work directly within your trade institutions?” Romo immediately caught the key point, blinking his small eyes. If this were true, it would be wonderful. Romo believed that one major reason why the Wolf, Kate, and Ford tribes of the North Ktect Sibyus Mountains fared better than the Bier and Monk tribes of the South Ktect Sibyus Mountains was that they had learned human ways.

The Monk tribe prided themselves on their intelligence, comparable to the Ford tribe, and their flexibility rivaled the Kate tribe. The Bier tribe had great strength. The Wolf tribe was known for strong combat capabilities, but if it came down purely to strength, they would not surpass the Bier. If the southern Ktect Sibyus Mountains could also learn some of the humans’ skills, it would not be a bad thing for the orcs.

Grant nodded affirmatively. Krober found nothing strange about this and muttered, “Our children often sneak along with the revolutionary group to fight, don’t they?”

“That’s different,” Romo immediately scolded him. “Fighting is an innate skill of the orcs, but now we’re talking about learning new skills.”

“You two don’t need to quarrel. I promise I will keep my word. I guarantee that any orc willing to abide by our autonomous regional system will have opportunities to work. After vocational training, they will be responsible for direct contact with the orc tribes. Krober, Romo, let humans and orcs lay down their hatred. This land belongs to all of us—we can build it better together. Humans and orcs are essentially equal; no one is superior. Cammineson’s goal is to eliminate class distinctions. In fact, there is much we can learn from orcs—you are the original Camminesonists,” Grant said with heartfelt conviction.

This undoubtedly pleased the two chieftains greatly, balancing their mindset. They began to believe that ceasing hostilities and strengthening ties with humans was truly not a bad thing—provided it was with Grant. After all, even he said that the orcs were the original Camminesonists. It seemed that after all the twists and turns, humans had concluded that orcs were the best.

“Maybe we can give it a try. But you know, considering the fierce fighting on both sides before, this place is not just us; there are also the Cartell folks, and they’re a bunch who don’t follow rules,” Romo sighed.

“Oh, by the way, there is something I want to ask for your help with,” Grant suddenly recalled something important. “We have an expert named Hegel whose daughter, Miss Cecily, went missing near Gaul City. Our people have searched all human-controlled areas but found no trace. I suspect she may have been rescued and fled into your territory. Could you help us look for her?”

“No problem,” Krober readily agreed, but Romo frowned as if recalling something.

“A human girl? Krober, could she be the same girl who was with the last King Bimon’s envoy, the female Smai?”

P.S.: A previous plot point was revised: Captain Kaplan’s loan for purchasing the Settlers ship came from usurers and private lenders, not the bank. Later, the bank is introduced. Writing online sometimes leads to overlooked details, numerous typos, and occasionally interrupted thoughts, resulting in unnoticed errors. I apologize for any inconvenience and ask for your understanding.