Chapter 789

Hela, the eldest princess, was truly generous. Evenson had originally planned to merely exchange a few pleasantries during this first meeting, praise them a little, and encourage their loyalty. He had not expected her to grant them something tangible—her own sword technique, no less—and even bestow upon them the honorary status of Hela's Guard. She really did have a generous heart.

But that made sense. Hela had once been a commanding general, and military rule had always emphasized heavy rewards for merit and harsh punishment for wrongdoing. Only then could everyone unite as one. After all, people joined the army and went to war for food and pay; they braved death to seize cities and territory so they could earn titles for their wives and sons, not to watch their superiors put on a performance.

It was like two rulers competing for the realm. One had immense personal charisma and noble origins. He treated his subordinates with great courtesy, often giving them his own clothes and food. When soldiers were wounded, he would personally carry a basket of vegetables to visit them, even shedding tears in emotion. Very moving, wasn't it? But when the war was over and it was time to reward merit, he would play with the seals and refuse to hand them out. He held the official seals from all four directions until their edges had worn smooth, yet still could not bear to give them away.

The other ruler, meanwhile, was lowborn and possessed little personal charisma. He behaved improperly in ordinary times, treated everyone with contempt and rudeness, and would even receive famous scholars while washing his feet. Yet when it came time to reward merit, he scattered great sums of money and granted vast tracts of land without the slightest hesitation. So who did