Chapter 187: Reward and Punishment

Not long after Tristan cleared the port from all the barbarians, Karra and the rest of the orcs finally arrived.

The camp was situated right in the middle of an abandoned port, and as it was made with mobility in mind, the structure was nothing of note. But, with some elbow grease, the abandoned port could be a decent place to live, considering that it was maintained by the barbarians in the last few weeks.

Other than the shabby, half-ruined buildings, there was also the fact that there was currently a ship that was left floating in the harbor. To make sure he can keep the ship, Tristan decided to order some of his men to stay here.

He discussed the current situation with Karra, and agreed to let her leave half of the orcs in this place. Tomorrow, she could arrange for the Gretchins to move here and upgrade this place. For this plan, once again Tristan let One Ear be in charge of other orcs.

As this is still the Arcadian Kingdom territory, he left a dozen town guards to stay in this place, to prevent future misunderstandings where people would think of it as orcs' territory.

After everything was finished, Tristan returned back to Caerleon Town with his loot, and the rescued Arcadians. 

When he returned to the town, the sun had almost fully set into the western sky. He passed the battlefield and smelled the scent of blood, while the citizens worked together to clean off the place. 

The mayor had finally returned from the battlefield, carrying a huge victory for the town. The civilians started to walk out from their homes and formed a line welcoming the mayor. It was a victory march

The mayor rode on top of his majestic red stallion, in front of the 300 rescued civilians, and accompanied by the fearsome orcs, these all create certain elegance to Tristan's return.

The group slowly passed through the small streets of Caerleon, creating such a spectacular sight.

People crowded the streets left and right, welcoming the new ruler of the town.

It was a completely different reaction compared to when he first arrived 5 days ago.

At that time, he saw the citizens mock and whisper about him, but this time, all he saw and felt was expressions of both fear and worship. He couldn't help but smile at their reaction, for this was what he hoped to achieve.

When he arrived at the town center, he decided to not waste any time. He saw Uriel and Herrera already waiting in front.

He looked at them, and glanced at the crowds forming behind him. He took this opportunity to address the masses. 

Tristan looked at Uriel, beckoned him to come closer, and whispered to him and Gazef to help them make a quick announcement at the town center. The two helped invite the masses that stayed home, and after more people gathered, Tristan walked toward the podium in the town center and began to speak.

"People of Caerleon… Because of your bravery, now I can assure you that the barbarians' threat is no more!"

The announcement was welcomed with happy cheers from the people. After a few seconds, Tristan raised his hand and said.

"First of all, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to those who have bravely joined me in the battlefield to protect this town.  Unfortunately, while some of you bravely fight with us, some actually turned against us and some have attempted to flee and betray us."

Tristan signaled for Gazef to come, and the town guard brought out about three dozen men, all in chains. They are the ones who attempted to flee in the battle, or create trouble. The citizens looked at them and whispered. 

He decided to use this opportunity to tell them that such behavior will not be accepted, and if anyone still dares to go against his word, they will not go unpunished.

The punishment was public lashing which was quickly done right away in front of everyone. It was a simple but effective punishment, and the sight of people covered in red lash wounds would be an effective reminder for them to not go against his orders.

One by one, they were lined up in front of Tristan, and each guard was given a bullwhip to carry out the punishment.

Everyone went quiet as the shouts of pain can be heard from the punished, and the children amongst the crowd hid behind their parents in fear.

After a while, the lashings stopped, and the prisoners were ordered to turn around to show their wounds. The bleeding red gashes made some of the citizens gasp.

Next, he talked about the lives that were lost during the battle, and how their sacrifice was not in vain. From their sacrifice, he had managed to save the town and rescue 300 fellow Arcadians from slavery.

Afterwards, he started talking about the loot he found. Of course, he made sure to only mention the food. He said that the food was taken from people, and it was only right that they were returned back to the people.

He looked at Gazef and told him to start distributing the food to all civilians who joined today's fight.

What Tristan did was essentially a punishment and reward system. This would ensure the order of the town, and serve as a motivation for the citizens to always obey his orders.

He thanked everyone for coming yet again, and before finishing, he talked about the crimes Connor did. He would handsomely reward those who have any information regarding him and his group.

Once again, he reassured the town to put their trust in him.

"As I have promised to all of you, trust me, and all your problems will be solved!"

The people once again cheer for him.

Tristan glanced behind him, and saw Uriel nod in admiration and approval. It was clear, the fat elf did not expect things to go according to Tristan's plan.

Everything was over, and now it was time for him to count his gains.