Magic, steel, heavy industry

Chapter 51 Deserters

At night, Merino had already officially started his work.

Vilan gave him plenty of food, a hot bath, and a warm new set of clothes, which cleaned up his once weathered face.

After all, he was once a master alchemist, and even after a period of wandering, his inherent elegance did not disappear.

With Vilan's blueprints in hand, the alchemist master quickly got to work, starting with the repurification of saltpeter and sulfur. Every step Merino took was meticulous and orderly, even possessing a kind of aesthetic beauty.

Vilan was relieved and turned his attention to another person.

Inside the castle's drawing room, Vilan sat in a chair, with Carreras and Llorente guarding him, while the refugee leader Mad Cat stood in the middle of the hall.

This was also Carreras's insistence, because he could tell at a glance that Mad Cat was a deserter who had killed people, and was more dangerous than any of the guests he had met before.

Vilan naturally understood Carreras's concerns, so he did not refuse. He looked at Mad Cat for a moment before saying, "Tell me your purpose, Mr. Mad Cat."

Mad Cat ignored Carreras's warning gaze and calmly looked directly at Vilan. "Merino is my friend. I cannot let him come to your territory alone. Please understand."

"Of course, as you can see now, I have no ill intentions towards him, but rather full of respect. If he wishes, he can stay here with me and enjoy the best treatment."

Vilan shrugged, not holding back his praise for Merino.

As a soul from the 21st century, it is Vilan's instinct to recruit talents without being bound by convention.

Mad Cat was silent for a moment, then his tone softened. "Besides that, I would also like to ask for your help. You are a great lord, and I heard that you are taking in refugees from the North Shore. I wonder if there are any for us? You know, without food and clothing, we will not survive this winter."

Mad Cat sighed. This was his real purpose, because in the past two days, two refugee tribes on the north bank had already been taken in.

They were the Bear Eye family and the Old Man's family. The Old Man's family had just been taken in yesterday, and many people were moved to tears upon hearing that they had all received food.

The news had spread throughout the entire north shore, and all the refugees were eagerly awaiting the next reception.

More importantly, Vilan's representative, the young man named Raya, had already met with the other refugee leaders, but not with him.

This greatly worried the refugees of Casalan. What if this lord only wanted to accept refugees from the North?

Are they just going to wait to die?

Mad Cat didn't want to see them die, so he came.

Hearing Mad Cat's words, Vilan smiled. "That's right. My territory is short of people. Those refugees can be excellent laborers. I provide them with jobs and food in exchange for their loyalty. Isn't that reasonable?"

"That's exactly why I've come, my lord. We can also work for you. Believe me, although we are from the East, the war has left us battered and bruised. If there were a place where we could live in peace, everyone would be happy and would never cause you any trouble."

After saying that, Mad Cat actually knelt down on one knee.

"I know your concerns. The people of the North call us Casalans because we are rebels, but please believe me, the ordinary people and warlords of the East are not the same kind of people. We are not ambitious or traitors."

"If you wish, I can swear allegiance to you now."

Mad Cat gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with a mixture of despair and hope.

That was all he could do.

Seeing his expression, before Vilan could speak, Carreras behind him sneered, "Do I need to remind you? You're a deserter. Why would Lord Vilan trust a deserter?"

"I'm not a deserter! I wasn't even a soldier to begin with; that bastard general forcibly conscripted me! I've fought for him countless times, but when there's no food, he turned his sword against my village!"

Mad Cat suddenly became agitated, his eyes filled with hatred.

"They're all dead. My village is completely wiped out... Those warlords are utterly wicked devils! Should I continue to serve my enemies?"

He stared at Carreras, who was speechless at these words.

Unexpectedly, the other party had such a past, and this was merely a microcosm of the Casalan region.

Under the butcher's knife of those warlords, countless people like Mad Cat lost everything.

Even Vilan was shocked. Although he had always heard that the Casalan warlords were inhuman, he never imagined they could be this barbaric. He wondered how much the once prosperous Eastern Territory had been ravaged...

But despite his feelings, Vilan would never easily trust a group of outsiders.

He stood up and said solemnly, "Stand up. Once you have my trust, I will naturally accept your loyalty."

Vilan refused, but Mad Cat's eyes widened. "You're willing to give us a chance?"

"Perhaps. Your courage is indeed admirable. If they were all like you, willing to take risks for others, they would certainly be excellent leaders. But there is no way to prove that right now."

Vilan shook his head and added, "There are nearly a thousand Casalan refugees, and many more are on their way across the Stag Mountains. I can't take you all in at once, but I can give you a chance."

He gestured to Llorente behind him, "You must already know each other. I need you to select all the craftsmen and hand them over to the advisor to work for my town. This is a test. If even the craftsmen cannot abide by the rules of Anvil Territory, then you will all be kicked out of my territory, understand?"

"Understood! They will definitely do their job well!" Mad Cat answered without hesitation, hope burning in his eyes.

"But what about the craftsmen's families? They wouldn't want to be separated from their families."

"Then let's take them all, but we must do a good job of screening. If anyone tries to sneak in, I will hang them without hesitation."

"I will make sure they are taken care of."

Mad Cat took a deep breath. He knew this was the best chance he could have. If the craftsmen could satisfy the lord, the rest of the people could survive.

"Then I won't bother you any longer. I'll head back to the North Shore and tell them the good news," he said respectfully.

Vilan nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something and said quietly, "I think there must be some uncontrollable individuals among you, like criminals or thugs. If you can handle these people well, I think it will be helpful to you."

Mad Cat's expression changed instantly, and his fists clenched involuntarily.

"Isn't this also a test?"

"...I'll handle it."