Gagozab was very afraid of death, and that did not conflict with the courage he had once shown in betting on Kurt Hansen's future.
After all, one was a matter of personal character, while the other was a matter of judgment.
But for Carl, this was good news. A smart person who feared death understood what should be done and what should not.
And a smart person who understood boundaries was very suitable for negotiations.
With Gago's help—someone who had once been a high-ranking member of the Barghest—the territory that had once been under Kurt Hansen's core control in Dogtown was rapidly being consolidated and managed.
Following Gago's advice, Carl eased certain taxes imposed on Dogtown residents, including those on weapons, food, and power supplies, while beginning to strictly regulate taxes related to medicine.
The facts proved that Hansen had originally only wanted to ensure that his territory was one hundred percent loyal to him, and that he had also placed restrictions on Gago. Now that Gago was fully able to use his talents, Dogtown, which had been expected to require a month for basic consolidation, began bringing in tax revenue in less than half that time.
And collecting taxes basically meant that the place now belonged to them.
Carl's approach of giving him free rein and letting him do as he pleased also exceeded Gago's expectations.
At first, Gago had thought that after leading the Barghest back to seek refuge, Carl might give him a position out of consideration for his people. But it would not be a high-ranking one—at most, he would manage a small area or something similar. After that, he would have to start working again under all sorts of suspicion, and he would never reach the heights he had once held in this life.
Gago