"Federation people really know how to enjoy themselves!"
Standing on top of the reinforced bus, the captain of the hunting squad had a cheap, varicolored Kleve sourced from the Federation hanging from his mouth.
Unlike the pure Kleve, this varicolored Kleve is not suitable for inhaling directly. It is mixed with a considerable proportion of tobacco, making it inhalable and quite strong.
The manufacturers of these Kleves have repeatedly assured people that mixing Kleve leaves with tobacco does not pose significant health risks as long as certain doses are not exceeded, yet each year, a substantial number of people still die from overconsumption of varicolored Kleve leading to various issues.
Despite this, sales of varicolored Kleve remain very high due to its potency.
This potency is unlike that of alcohol, which causes people to lose control over themselves; it merely causes some dizziness and inexplicable joy without losing control over one’s body.
The whole world seems to spin slowly; people become excited, their breathing slightly hurried, with few other manifestations.
Since Kleve has been heavily exported to Nagariel, some local privileged classes have become addicted to this substance, which provides them with greater joy.
Its quick effect without impairing judgment during sudden situations makes it especially suited for the hunting teams on the prairie.
They prohibit alcohol, because getting drunk during a wild animal attack on the camp renders effective response impossible, and historically, such incidents have happened more than once.
A group of hunters got drunk in the evening and was wiped out by some wild animals; therefore, hunting teams are not permitted to carry alcoholic beverages into the prairie.
Varicolored Kleve resolves this problem troubling people; it is easy to carry and quite strong. They can bring a few sticks, insert them into the belt of ammunition, and smoke a few puffs when needed, then extinguish and insert back, deeply favored by hunters.
At this moment, the recalled hunting team is already near the city’s edge, being one of the contingents to handle this chaos.
It’s quite ridiculous to say that the Nagariel United Kingdom doesn’t actually have a large organized military. There used to be one during the relatively backward and barbaric times when blood sacrifices were necessary for the struggles between the regime and Divine Authority. Even then, the military resembled clan armies.
They only obeyed each region’s Provincial Governor, and they consisted of the latter’s clan members or servants. Later, with societal development, these private-style armies gradually retreated from the stage.
The Central Government, namely the royal family, gathered all military units. Deploying these forces requires royal consent, causing Provincial Governors to be quite unenthused about the military.
They prefer to mobilize their own private soldiers or hunting teams rather than the military, involving numerous issues of power distribution. This is a primary reason Provincial Governors recalled hunting squads to solve the unrest.
As the hunting squad reached the city’s outskirts, they encountered rioters. The captain, with a varicolored Kleve in his mouth, picked up his weapon, skillfully checked the bullets, and unlocked the safety. He turned his head slightly to look at the person next to him and, biting the Kleve cigarette holder, asked, "Have you hunted people?"
His assistant next to him was stunned for a moment. The next second, the sound of a gunshot rang out.
Inside, a young man holding a rock, with a certain crazed hatred on his face, looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, was about to throw the rock at the convoy when a bullet blew away half of his cheek, causing him to fly backward two or three meters and roll over the ground a couple of times before finally coming to a complete stop.
Blood quickly spread out from his wound, staining a large patch of earth red.
The power of the hunting rifle was immense; these guns were designed to deal with ferocious animals, even the weakest of which surpassed human strength. The bullets capable of killing them could effortlessly kill humans.
The mob blocking the road seemed to be considering robbing the convoy, but the instant chaos broke out, some fled while others threw rocks and anything they could find at the convoy.
These attacks were too weak. The captain laughed maniacally; while laughing, he instinctively raised his gun, aimed, and squeezed the trigger.
They spend every day in a life of slaughter, moving from initial discomfort to adaptation to an interest in this way of living, until finally becoming numb.
Shooting has become an instinct, second only to breathing.
Every squeeze of the trigger, every gunshot, signifies the end of a life. Unaware of their own objective awareness, they have become the arbiters of life.
Some even ponder a question—does the feeling of killing a person resemble that of killing animals?
Some remain in doubt; some have already verified it. For those who haven’t, now presents a great opportunity.
That gunshot seemed to unveil a bloody prelude, as hunters armed with modern weapons from the cars behind began to search for targets and shoot freely. Each bullet takes away a life, just as they do on the prairie.
There was no moral guilt, no so-called horror of killing one’s kind. After an extremely brief excitement, there was only a pale numbness.
"Get back to your own houses. If I see you on the street again, you’ll end up like those rotting carcasses by the roadside!" The hunting squad roared past, leaving behind corpses, but also clearly sending a message for people to return to their homes.
This method of suppressing riots was better than preaching. People did not protest, nor would they, like Federation people, insist on flaunting their spirit of freedom at gunpoint to prove their innate freedom.
Although people wanted to be reincarnated into better lives and held a careless attitude towards life, none truly wished to die.
Those who really wanted to die were already dead; those who lasted until now did not wish to die.
The hunting squads advanced into the city via multiple routes. Wherever mobs gathered, the hunting squads would be present. They were like hunters roaming the urban thickets, hunting all non-compliant humans.
It only took a day. By nightfall, this riot, which had lasted nearly two weeks, was basically quelled.
In open spaces, under the gunpoint of the hunters, some drafted lowlifes were hauling corpses to pile on pyres. These bodies were to be burned.
Even in late October, the air in Nagariel remained hot and humid, a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive.
With so many people dying at once, if not handled properly, an epidemic could break out in the city.
The mobs that had been insolent before the hunting squads entered the city reverted to their previous cowardly, timid selves, not even daring to lift their heads as they walked.
As a crude incendiary bomb spun through the air and landed on a pile of wood, the flames spread instantly. Roaring flames consumed all ugliness and sin in one sweep.
"The air won’t smell too pleasant these days..." In an exquisite room, various wines and delicacies were still laid out on the table, a band played soothing music, and everything was so splendid. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel✶fire.net
Lynch shook his head, saying, "But the good news is, everything will be more smooth hereafter."
"We have no competitors anymore, and the market is firmly in our grasp. However, I must also tell everyone not to assume that having no more competitors allows us to control the market, as that is not permitted."
"The friendship between the Federation and Nagariel is enduring (able to withstand the test of history, not fading even over time). Some laws present in the Federation, though not explicitly recognized here as existing and effective, should still be observed by us."
Around Lynch were many Federation merchants who had been racked with fear during this period, each scared out of their wits, especially today.
The gunfire outside almost made them think those mobs had launched a coup. Not until this moment of silence after the shots did they realize the riot was over.
This also brought them a... very absurd feeling, knowing that during similar disturbances in the Federation, at most, militias would maintain order, rather than shooting and killing those who incited chaos.
But here, the best way to end the chaos is to deal with those who incited it, which instilled fear as some matters began to deviate from their understanding and control of reality.
Lynch became their crucial support for working and living here.
"Next, we will implement new city planning. Here, I must mention the mayor’s family, attacked and killed by mobs in the disturbance, which also made us realize the importance of peace."
Lynch suddenly turned, beckoning to the police station director who stood like part of the background off to the side. The director appeared somewhat bewildered but straightened himself and his uniform before striding to Lynch’s side, slightly bowing his head, "Mr. Lynch, do you have any instructions?"
Lynch shook his head and, smiling, gently grasped the police station director’s arm, looking toward the others, "There is a side that saddens, yet a side that excites us."
"In this turmoil, the police station director performed extraordinarily well. After discussing with Provincial Governor Drag, we’ve decided to promote the police station director as the mayor of this city. I believe he will surely excel in this new role."
Having said that, he offered his hand with a smile, "Congratulations, Mr. Mayor."
His smile was subtle, as he had already discerned the truth. With Lynch’s level of astuteness and familiarity with the local situation, he could easily deduce an approximate answer.
Promoting the police station director was a wise choice. He was a clever fellow, very obedient, and this was crucial.
The police station director, after a brief moment of being stunned, had disbelief flashing through his eyes. He reacted with exaggerated enthusiasm, gripping Lynch’s hands tightly, bowing his head, "I will surely not disappoint Mr. Lynch, nor everyone’s expectations and affirmations of me..."