Chapter 344: Chapter 233: Because I’m Rich (Part 2)

"This isn’t something you can handle with mere words, or by scraping together a little pocket money to learn Magic. You’d be responsible for the day-to-day needs of four to five thousand people the moment you open your eyes. Do you have the skills and abilities for that?"

At Fang Zhen’s question, Ruth fell silent.

Mages, after all, tend to be well-read and are more inclined to listen to reason than other groups.

The issues Fang Zhen raised were genuine—not problems these few Mages could resolve simply through hard work.

"Four thousand people... that requires a great deal of supplies, and the cost is no small sum," Mansa lamented, then asked doubtfully, "If we can’t solve this problem, what makes you think you can?"

"I can," Fang Zhen said succinctly.

"And how?" Mansa asked, his suspicion tinged with a hint of curiosity.

"Because I have money," Fang Zhen stated with perfect composure.

At these words, Mansa was struck speechless.

Such a confident assertion. Even Yujins and Ruth, who had just been finding fault with Fang Zhen, had a flicker of newfound respect in their eyes.

After a long moment, Mansa found his voice again. "If I may ask, what is your primary reason for wanting this army?"

"Is it to satisfy your personal desire for power and ambition, or do you have other motives?"

Fang Zhen looked at Mansa and said, "I’m not particularly keen on absolute power. However, I don’t like being threatened, nor do I like chaos and a lack of order."

"Truthfully, even if the Tarrenno Duchy descends into chaos, I can still maintain my comfortable lifestyle. But too many innocent civilians would be swept up in it. For ordinary people, the chaos that comes from a loss of order is terrifying, leaving them with a precarious existence where they can’t be sure they’ll see the next day."

"I don’t want to see that happen, nor do I want another Tarrenno to threaten me, the people I care about, or my territory."

"So, since there must be a Lord, it might as well be me."

He meant every word.

In truth, Fang Zhen had just been struggling with this decision himself. ’Should I take over this army and these forces, putting an end to the conflict? Or should I just focus on my own mission and objective—completing the task of killing the Demon Duke?’

But the memory of seeing civilians being harassed by soldiers in the Ashton Territory made him finally decide.

’A man should leave his mark where he has been. I’ve only come to this Nameless World once; surely I can’t let it become a worse place because of me, can I?’

’No matter how tyrannical Tarrenno was, he at least provided order within the Duchy. He gave the people in his domain a stable, if rough, framework to live by.’

’He may not have done a good job, but at least there was something.’

’But now that Tarrenno is dead, if I do nothing, this land will fall into chaos. Who knows how many people will be displaced, how many human tragedies will unfold.’

’The saying "Better to be a dog in an age of peace than a man in an age of chaos" is no exaggeration. The tales of people exchanging their children for food during times of war and famine aren’t just stories; every word in the history books is soaked in blood.’

After wrestling with his thoughts for a while, Fang Zhen finally decided to accept control of these forces.

It wasn’t for power or ambition, but for a simpler, more fundamental reason.

He had created this mess by killing Tarrenno, so he had to be the one to restore order.

Simply walking away and washing his hands of the matter wasn’t his style.

A man should have a sense of responsibility. This was something he had to do.

Besides, becoming the de facto Lord and ruler of this land would give him more bargaining power, allow him to better protect the Ashton Territory and Dalia, and facilitate better resource exchanges in the future.

"Very well. You’ve convinced me, My Lord," Mansa said.

"As you said, an army must have a master, or else it becomes a menace. You are, perhaps, the most suitable person to command this army."

"For the sake of security and order within the territory, I am willing to help you control this army."

Fang Zhen smiled faintly. "Not ’perhaps.’ I am the *only* one."

"No one is more suitable to command this army than I am."

Mansa didn’t argue. Instead, he removed his hat and bowed to Fang Zhen from his horse.

"Third-Ring Mage Mansa will serve you faithfully."

Seeing that Mansa was convinced, Yujins and Ruth glanced at each other, and neither saw any great dissatisfaction in the other’s eyes.

"Mage Yujins will serve you faithfully."

"Mage Ruth will serve you faithfully."

The two of them removed their hats and bowed in unison.

Fang Zhen gave a slight nod.

After Tarrenno’s death, the highest authority within the legion was the Mage Corps. It was an unwritten rule of this world that the army would temporarily fall under their control.

Explicit rules might be broken, but the power of unwritten rules was absolute. Most people wouldn’t dare to challenge them; instead, they would learn, understand, and abide by them.

With Mansa now backing Fang Zhen, no other faction within the Tarrenno Legion would dare to object.

In truth, the soldiers of this era, even those in a regular army, were fundamentally like mercenaries. They had little concept of king and country; they joined the army mainly to get fed and paid.

This wasn’t just true for the Tarrenno Legion, but for the vast majority of soldiers.

Tarrenno’s soldiers were considered high-quality, possessing at least some concept of loyalty. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The main reason Mansa supported Fang Zhen was because he was drawn in by what Fang Zhen promised.

Even if Mansa and his Mages wanted to take control of the legion, secular rules wouldn’t permit it. More importantly, they lacked the ability to raise the funds for military pay. Leading an army to victory was certainly a skill, but keeping that army fed and preventing a mutiny was an even more crucial one.

Historical accounts that Fang Zhen had read revealed this very point.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, when Li Zicheng first raised his rebellion, his momentum was unstoppable, as if he could conquer the world. The manifestos he wrote were incredibly fierce.

Yet, the closer Li Zicheng got to the Capital City and the more powerful his army became, the softer his voice grew, and the more humble his attitude became.