Shane watched the two groups. He didn't rush forward, choosing instead to observe them cautiously.
Rhine stood at the front of the crowd, one hand resting on his sword hilt. His back was as straight as ever, and his gaze was icy.
Facing him were over a dozen adventurers of various descriptions. Their clothes were worn but sturdy, and several had their weapons half-drawn, glaring fiercely at Rhine.
The two sides stood five or six paces apart, looking as though a conflict could erupt at any moment.
“Rhine! Don't think you can keep throwing your weight around just because you've aligned yourself with the princess!”
The leader of the group was a man around forty with an old scar running across the bridge of his nose. He spoke in a gruff voice, “Why is it that you're always the first to get water whenever it's distributed? And why are the supplies we risked our lives for stockpiled in your private chamber, where we don't even have the right to take a single look?”
“That's right! Exactly!”
A younger-looking adventurer nearby chimed in, spitting on the ground. “This isn't the old Greystone Post anymore. You don't get the final say!”
Rhine looked at them expressionlessly, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he did not rush to speak.
Seeing no reaction, the scarred man took a step forward, raising his voice even louder. “Over the past few years, we did whatever you told us to do. But what about you? You pocketed all the benefits for yourself, while what you gave us was barely enough to keep us alive!”
“Why should we put up with this!”
“Yeah! Why should we!”
“Bring out the goods and divide them!”
A chorus of agreement erupted from the crowd. Several adventurers pushed forward, and the tension in the air instantly spiked.
But Rhine remained completely unmoved. Drawing his longsword in a swift motion, he pointed the tip directly at the scarred leader, an icy aura of long-established authority radiating from him. “Since you all have grievances, we'll settle this by the old rules.
“The strongest fist makes the rules. Anyone who wants a share of the goods has to get past me first.”
Instantly, the air froze.
The scarred leader's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, but his feet remained firmly planted.
The rowdy crowd behind him fell silent as well. None of them dared to meet Rhine's gaze, their eyes darting away in avoidance.
Rhine had never established his authority through kindness; he had done so with his longsword and superb swordsmanship. Although he had been captured by the princess the night before, he was unharmed, and his skills remained as formidable as ever.
But that did not mean his opponent would back down so easily. The scarred man suddenly grinned. “Rhine, you weren't talking like this last night when you were tied up like a dead dog.”
This remark drew low chuckles from his companions, but the atmosphere only grew more tense.
Rhine raised his sword another half-inch.
However, the stiff atmosphere soon eased. The princess arrived before the crowd, leading her entourage and accompanied by Isha.
Both confronting parties noticed her arrival. The scarred man's arrogance instantly withered, and the adventurers instinctively shrank back, parting to make a path for the princess.
Rhine did not sheathe his sword either, but lowered it to his side.
The princess stopped between the two groups, her gaze sweeping across every face before finally resting on the scarred man. “What is your name?”
The scarred man swallowed hard and replied, “Tucker, Your Highness.”
“Tucker, you say you are dissatisfied with how Rhine distributes the supplies, is that correct?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Tucker did not dare to raise his head, his voice filled with clear resentment. “The wells here were all dug by everyone in the past. But after Rhine arrived, he declared that the well water had to be distributed by him, while the well in his own courtyard was never included in the distribution.”
“And then there's the food. Thirty percent of the grain we risk our lives for has to be handed over to him as 'public reserves.' But once those reserves went to his place, we never saw them again.”
At this point, Tucker's voice rose slightly. “Your Highness, we aren't refusing to obey you. We just want to live with a bit of fairness!”
The princess listened quietly, then turned her gaze toward Rhine.
Rhine stood there with his lips pursed. He did not meet the princess's gaze, and his posture slumped slightly.
Only then did the princess withdraw her gaze and face the crowd again, her voice softening slightly. “I have heard your demands. Regarding the issue of supply distribution, I admit I did not consider it thoroughly beforehand.”
Upon hearing this, Tucker and the adventurers behind him looked delighted, unconsciously straightening their backs.
Then, the princess continued, “Since Greystone is now under my jurisdiction, the old rules must change. Starting today, I will arrange for dedicated personnel to recount all supplies and draft a fair distribution plan.”
She glanced at Tucker and his group, then turned to look at the residents eavesdropping from inside the earthen houses. “Not just supplies—the land, the harvests, and everything in the future will follow unified regulations. Those who contribute labor will receive more.”
A murmur swept through the crowd. Some faces showed delight, while others were filled with anticipation.
But Tucker took another step forward, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
The princess showed no displeasure, asking in a gentle tone, “Do you have more to say?”
Tucker prepared himself mentally. Taking a deep breath, he summoned his courage and continued, “Your Highness, your words sound wonderful, but this place is ultimately ruled by Rhine. He has more men than us, and better weapons. Even if we set new rules, what are we supposed to do if he turns around and goes back on his word?”
His words were blunt, cutting straight to the princess's weak spot.
She did not have many people at her disposal. She had barely a dozen guards, and even with Rhine's trusted men, they numbered only about twenty. Managing both Silver Sand Lake and Greystone Post at the same time was already a struggle, let alone enforcing a distribution plan line by line.
Therefore, she needed someone who could establish and enforce the rules.
At this thought, the princess cast her gaze aside, letting it fall on Isha.
The young woman had been standing quietly half a step behind her. Sensing the princess's gaze, she raised her eyes.
The princess did not speak, but Isha instantly understood the meaning in her eyes.
With only a brief pause, Isha took a step forward, placing herself between the princess and Tucker. “Mr. Tucker, if I were to oversee the distribution of supplies, would that be acceptable to you?”
Tucker was clearly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the young woman. He sized her up, his tone hesitant. “And you are...?”
“Isha Val, head of the Val Merchant Guild.”
Isha puffed out her chest to face Tucker, showing no stage fright whatsoever. “Her Highness is right. Once rules are set, someone must enforce them. And what merchants do best is balance the books. I can guarantee that the destination of every batch of supplies will be clearly recorded, leaving a clear paper trail.”
As she spoke, she drew a roll of blank parchment from her sleeve—a habit she had kept for years, as business opportunities were always fleeting.
Holding up the parchment, she addressed the crowd, “I can draft a preliminary distribution plan right here on the spot. Everyone present can participate. If there are any objections, we will modify them immediately until everyone is satisfied.”
Tucker stared at the parchment, then looked at the princess. The latter nodded slightly without speaking, but her stance was clear enough.
“Fine.”
Tucker nodded and took a step back. “You write, and we'll watch.”
Isha nodded and immediately had Lena fetch a stone slab. She spread the parchment over it, drew a charcoal pencil from her waist, and began writing and sketching, looking up to consult the opinions of those around her as she went.
“Six wells in total. The three on the east side have low yields, the two on the west have high yields, and the middle one is a mix... Shall we distribute by head count?”
“A fixed meat allocation for each household?”
“Basic grain calculated based on days worked?”
Gradually, the surrounding crowd shifted from merely spectating to actively participating. The voices grew louder and more chaotic, but the atmosphere was far better than before.
Rhine stood in place, watching the scene with a complicated expression.
Standing a bit further away, the princess watched Isha command the situation effortlessly despite being surrounded by over a dozen adventurers, a smile of approval appearing on her face.
Meanwhile, Shane, who was already by the well, did not join the crowd to watch. Instead, he was directing the skeletons to evenly scatter the crushed Moon Sand over the bottom of the well, mixing it with the sandy soil.
They also packed plenty of it into the crevices of the well walls. Finally, he had another skeleton pour the previously drawn well water back into the well.
The water poured down the walls to the bottom. Initially, it grew turbid from the stirred-up silt, but after about half a quarter of an hour, it began to clear up, soon settling into complete stillness.
After a little more time had passed, Shane directed a skeleton to draw a fresh bucket of water. He scooped some out with a clay bowl and took a sip.
It tasted crisp on the tongue, with a hint of saltiness that was quickly overwhelmed by a refreshing sweetness. It was night and day compared to the well water from before.
He nodded in satisfaction, then looked toward the crowd with the bowl in hand. The discussion there was drawing to a close.
Isha held up the fully written parchment, displaying the terms to everyone. Tucker, who was literate, led a few other literate companions forward to inspect it. After a brief, quiet discussion, they all nodded in agreement.
“It's a deal.”
Tucker's voice was much calmer now, and a friendly smile appeared on his face. “Miss Val, you are a practical person. We accept this.”
Isha rolled up the parchment and nodded to Tucker. She then turned to the princess and reported with perfect poise, “Your Highness, we have reached a basic agreement.”
The princess nodded. Without saying much, she simply reached out and gently patted Isha's shoulder.
Isha's body trembled slightly, her heart filled with immense joy. She was about to say a few polite words to wrap things up when she caught sight of Shane walking over out of the corner of her eye, holding the clay bowl.
He walked up to Tucker and handed him the clay bowl. He remained silent, simply staring at him.
Tucker was momentarily stunned. Looking at the well water in the bowl, which was crystal clear and odorless, he instinctively took it and drank a mouthful.
His eyes instantly widened.
“Th-this is...”
“The water from this well.”
Shane's voice was as flat as ever, but his words sent a wave of intense excitement through the surrounding crowd. “It's no longer like before. This is the result of the modification.”
The crowd fell silent for two seconds, and then suddenly erupted. People scrambled forward to crowd around Tucker, staring at the bowl of well water.
“Is this for real?”
“Tucker, let me taste it!”
“Me too!”
Soon, gasps of astonishment began to ring out continuously, and every face was flushed with joy.
“It's true! They didn't lie to us!”
“What Her Highness promised is true! The well water actually tastes good now!”
“Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, unknown gentleman!”
Shane walked a few paces away. Looking at the lively scene before him, the corners of his mouth twitched in what could barely be considered a smile.
Then he turned and walked back to the well to continue his work.
In the distance, Elon and Sern watched them with differing expressions. Suddenly, a pale blue light flashed across the sky, and an owl phantom arrived before Elon, vanishing into thin air.
Instantly, Elon's eyes twitched, and he stared at Shane with a look of sheer astonishment, while Sern beside him wore an expression that looked like she was finally about to be set free.
Rate on N.U.
