At the Governor's Office on Longtail Island, the original staff were furious about Count Hobart's new arrangements.
It was not because Hobart had withheld their wages. On the contrary, he had even given them an extra two months' pay.
Rather, they could have decent jobs on Longtail Island, but that might not be the case elsewhere. They had no confidence they could find respectable work in Bayam, much less return to Backlund.
The vast majority of them wanted to remain employed, but the assessment for retaining their positions was extremely strange. It consisted entirely of questions about crop cultivation or trivial matters concerning the local natives, while tests on grammar and the like were placed last.
In the end, only three people were retained, and it was said that they would also be sent back to Backlund for further study.
The staff simply could not understand it. What was there to study about working at the Governor's Office? They grew increasingly agitated and gathered at the Governor's Office, refusing to leave.
At that moment, Countess Fors rose to her feet. Unhurriedly taking a stack of documents from a bag handed over by a servant, she said in a crisp voice, "Guards of South Colson, I temporarily grant you law enforcement authority. Go arrest the scoundrels whose names I am about to read."
The guards in the hall and courtyard answered in a roar, "Yes!"
"Barre Queton, the police officer in charge of security on Longtail Island!" Fors opened the document in her hand. "His original name is Benedict. He is a wanted criminal in the Loen Kingdom, with a bounty of 600 pounds still on his head! Arrest him, and I will escort him to Backlund to face the judgment of the law.
"Borg Gill, the judge of Longtail Island,