Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 329 - 19 Two Guards_2
Chapter 329: Chapter 19 Two Guards_2
The old seer does speak sense, Winters mused with a nod, “So what should we do? Select one person from each village?”
“Exactly, select one person from each village.” Brother Reed looked at Winters with satisfaction, “Dusa Village can select two or three. That way, the Dusans won’t have any idle talk. No one will be satisfied, but everyone can accept it. That’s the subtlety of politics.”
This kind of calculation made Winters feel bored, he sighed, “Mr. Reed, there’s something else I would like to ask for your advice on.”
Then, Winters recounted Sergei’s eulogy and carefully described the different reactions of the Dusans and the other villagers.
“What exactly does Sergei mean? Who is Ralphnovich?” Winters asked, “He seemed to only say a few words of praise, so why were the other Dusans so surprised?”
“Why do you care about the Dusan’s affairs?” Brother Reed raised an eyebrow.
“Before Ralph passed away, he entrusted me with the care of his son.” Mentioning the old Hunter, Winters still felt a bit sad, “I need to understand what Sergei meant and whether he has any ill will towards Bell.”
“I see,” Brother Reed sighed too, “Ralph was indeed a rare good man, a pity.”
The old Brother stroked his beard and said with a frown, “Don’t worry, Sergei probably means well. Ralphnovich means ‘son of Ralph’; he’s trying to restore the status of Dusack to Ralph’s son.”
“What does that mean? Isn’t Bell a Dusan? Half a Dusan?” Winters was entering an area of ignorance.
“Dusans and Dusack, these are two different concepts.” Brother Reed explained, leaning on the table, “To be accurate, Dusans aren’t a race but a way of life. Those who follow a specific lifestyle are called Dusans; their bloodlines can be said to be a complete mess, with ancestors of all sorts.
Moreover, not every Dusan is a Dusack. Ralph must have been stripped of his Dusack status, hence he couldn’t live in Dusa Village. If the father isn’t a Dusack, then naturally, the son can’t be either. Sergei wants to restore the Dusack status for Ralph’s son. This is a good thing for little Bell.”
“Why?”
“Because the status of Dusack is tied to the land,” Brother Reed countered. “Do you know what the appanage system is?”
“Uh… I don’t know.”
Brother Reed, who had been sitting for too long and felt stiff, stood up and began pacing, “In the Empire on the other side of Sheltering Mountain, the Dusacks are called ‘the Emperor’s whip.’ They have a very special way of life; every male Dusack is born to serve for life, and must provide their own warhorse. As a reward, the Emperor grants them bountiful land, enough to make them affluent farmers and small landowners.
The Emperor gives land to the Dusacks, so when he orders the Dusacks to kill someone, they do it without the slightest hesitation. Therefore, the Dusacks are mostly used to suppress rebellions; they never show mercy when killing farmers, that’s why they’re called ‘the whip.’ That is the appanage system.”
Winters nodded as he listened, “But if they are serving for life, how can they farm? What use is land to them?”
“Serving for life doesn’t mean being in the army forever,” the old Brother smirked, “The appanage system is a very complex one. Dusacks first serve a term of six years, then they can return home to their land. After an interval of several years, they serve a second term of three years. Life service means they are always on the roster, ready to respond to the call-up at any time.”
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Winters quietly uttered an “oh.”
Brother Reed continued thoughtfully, “The problem is that the Dusacks’ settlement is within the Empire, and the Dusans are subjects of the Empire. Although I’m not sure how these Dusans ended up in Paratu… But as far as I know, Paratu’s council treats them the same way the Emperor does, exchanging land for loyalty. So for these Dusans, it’s simply a change of master holding the whip, nothing else different.
And among the Dusans, the men who serve for life are called Dusacks—naturally, women aren’t. And only the Dusacks can serve, receive land, and start families. The status of Dusack is both a duty and a right. Sergei wants to allow Ralph’s son to serve, receive land, and return to Dusa Village. It’s a good thing for the boy, no need to worry.”
Winters’s biggest worry was that the local toughs would trouble the young Hunter. Now that he understood Sergei’s intentions towards Bell were good, Winters also breathed a sigh of relief.
As it was getting late, Winters took his leave from Brother Reed.
…
…
Over the following days, Winters and Gerard devoted their energies to mundane affairs.
The wounds of Wolf Town were gradually healing. Life had to go on, and people began to stop bringing up those who had died, as if by this means they could forget the pain.
The beast calamity began to slowly evolve from a vivid memory in people’s minds into a fading tale recounted by the elders, all of which Winters observed closely.
He visited every grieving family, encountered cold stares and hostility, but also gratitude. He could never make up for the loss of loved ones to their families, but he did everything in his power to provide comfort to the families of the deceased and injured.
In comparison, organizing a standing militia was much simpler and easier.
As the Garrison Officer, Winters changed the Sunday archery training into militia training.
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