Fixer / Marching Toward the Grand Knight Territory

After a brief discussion, the two bounty hunter leaders decided to gather their remaining forces and break out of the encirclement.

"Doc Otter?" Nearl glanced at Oute.

"No need to worry. Qiesibo will take good care of them," Oute said. "The chances of him being useless aren't particularly small, so we'll collect some interest upfront."

"Let's get back to our previous topic, Nearl," Oute said. "When blood money is mentioned, most people instinctively think of it as 'extortion through violence against the people,' but now, another form of it is before us."

Nearl nodded solemnly; she felt the weight of that presence.

Margaret Nearl, a noble warrior with the blood of the Pegasi flowing through her veins, champion of the Knights' Tournament, and of old feudal origins in Kazimierz, said, "To avoid bloodshed, the people transfer their benefits to those who can prevent them from shedding blood."

Seeing Amiya's constantly shifting gaze, Oute chuckled, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "The interests here can be easily replaced with a term we're both familiar with: taxes."

The bandits who robbed on the road, set up camps, and robbed on the spot, and the booming state apparatus, reached a theoretical consensus.

If we focus our attention on the extreme aspects, then this is certainly an extreme doctrine.

However, if we dismantle the sanctity of the state and regard the disappearance of national boundaries as an inevitable step in the progress of civilization, then simplifying the model of social organization and using it to predict the future is also a valid approach.

After all, from a topological point of view, there is no difference between a person and a donut.

Looking at Amiya, Oute slowly said, "Only communities that are so disorganized that they cannot undertake any public works projects do not need taxes."

"Conversely, since they've started pressing for tax payments, they must assume corresponding responsibility for public services—a responsibility that, in some ways, needs to be infinitely increased."

"This means protecting the lives and property of community members, and ensuring the development of the community..."

Oute formally turned, turning to the silent Amiya and asking, "Let's turn it around again: when an organization fights for, and even substantially guarantees and promotes, the aforementioned rights of a community... what should it become?"

"Or rather, what should it be called?"

In this short dialogue, in this dialogue that Oute deliberately highlighted, there is only one answer: the nation.

Chapter 311 The Cleaner

Just as the "Scumbag Classroom" was beginning, the Fire Lung and Yellow Smoke Brothers had already broken through the defenses on the battlefield below.

The bounty hunters, who had been scattered and disorganized on their escape route, regrouped after witnessing this scene, thanks to Oute's deliberate compression.

They were like a surging torrent, washing over the soldiers' delicate defenses. But these defenses were not only made of solid concrete, but also of tough steel bars.

"Damn it! Someone's coming through the fog!" Fire Lung roared. "Useless bastards! Charge with me! If we can't break through this line, we'll be sitting ducks!"

Without waiting for his brothers' advice, he charged ahead, gun at the ready.

The bounty hunter's rough cloak was whipped up by the fierce wind as he charged forward like a meteor, resembling the tail of a comet.

Following in his footsteps, the bounty hunters also roared loudly to boost their morale.

Yellow Smoke gritted his teeth, and stayed behind with several hunters to cover their retreat.

"Yellow Smoke's performance is somewhat unexpected," Oute suddenly said to the pilot. "Plan B."

A thumb emerged from the driver's seat.

The aircraft slightly increased its altitude and flew towards Qiesibo and the others.

"Your life or death is in my hands!" From within the defensive line, a blond operator swung a sledgehammer and struck Fire Lung precisely on the head, forcibly halting his charge.

However, she soon received another instruction.

"Move aside? Why!?"

Oute didn't speak, but instead touched her heartstrings by showing her the terrain map that had been presented at the war council.

Although the battlefield was quite wide, as long as vehicles were placed on both sides, these routed soldiers, who had been terrified twice in a row, would frantically and obediently advance along that invisible dead end.

"Understood!"

Above.

Seeing that Nearl seemed a little restless, Oute asked, "Where does your anxiety come from?"

Now it's officially the female lead's turn in Kazimierz.

"I should go down and help."

"The battlefield below is functioning well; your help is not needed."

"This is my hometown. Rhodes Island's operators and soldiers are fighting for her, and I'm just watching from here..." Nearl suddenly stopped.

Her expression was strange. "... I consider myself to have a great responsibility towards them."

According to Oute's consistent logic: responsibility, obligation, power, and rule are always two sides of the same coin.

Therefore, Nearl's desire to "do something" can be transformed into the desire to rule and dominate Kazimierz.

However, to be fair, if anyone attempts to implement any reforms or improvements to this country before taking control of Kazimierz... the outcome will likely not be good.

Below.

In front of Vina (Siege), Fire Lung shook its head and was about to fall to the ground.

But the bounty hunters who had broken through with him rushed over to support him. At the same time, some people stood in front of Vina.

Whether it was out of "brotherly loyalty," a clear realization of the Fire Lung Yellow Smoke Brothers' indispensability in the breakout operation, or simply a moment of impulsiveness... the bounty hunters' morale was rallied once again.

Gasping for Fire Lung, Huofei finally recovered from the dizziness that was raging in his Cranial Cavity. His eyes widened, and he licked the blood that had trickled down his lip. "Brothers! Charge with me!"

It was a scene of utter devastation, resembling the farmland they had ravaged, or a farm girl who had been kidnapped.

After the intercepting soldiers took turns providing cover and retreated in an orderly fashion like a beaded curtain, the Fire Lung successfully "broke through" the defense line.

First came the dense fog, then the intercepting troops. After breaking through two lines of defense, Fire Lung realized more clearly that the people of Rhodes Island were capable of defeating bounty hunters, but not of annihilating them.

If we had focused on breaking through from the very beginning, this battle would have been much easier!

Just as he was feeling frustrated, the soldiers he had "broken through" became an obstacle in Yellow Smoke's path.

Surrounded, Yellow Smoke roared, "Run!"

He gritted his Fire Lung and took a step forward.

The bounty hunters followed suit.

More importantly, vehicles temporarily leased by Rhodes Island gradually arrived from both flanks.

"Seeking power is never shameful." Seeing Nearl's wavering, Oute said, "What is shameful is believing that power comes without any cost after acquiring it."

"In fact, the problem with Nearl and Kazimierz lies in this: the knight lord, in the name of virtue, ended the rule of the Pegasi, yet he proclaims himself a representative of virtue."

"Thus, under the shining light of virtue, the filthy and despicable rule of the knights grew ever darker."

"The giant corporations that are replacing the knights' rule are riding the wave of the Crystal Age, possessing greater economic and productive power. But this doesn't mean that neon lights can bring any light."

"On the contrary, all human connections have been distorted into connections between money."

"Under the incandescent light, it was pitch black."

"But you are different; you shine from every angle."

"Um... thank you?" Nearl, surprised.

The earth trembled slightly, announcing the arrival of the enemy.

Qiesibo held his hand at his waist, loosely gripping the hilt of his sword. "Marek."

"Exist!"

"Stop them."

"Yes!"

The young knights gleamed in the sun, filled with immense excitement for this hard-won execution of justice.

On the other side.

Amidst the dripping sweat, sunlight pierced the eyes of the Kuranta bounty hunter from the western sky. A fire burned within him, each step, each breath, bringing increasing agony.

Hours passed, and the warriors, shrouded in frost and riding the thick fog, still trailed behind him. Unlike the Kuranta hunters, they didn't need boots for marching; they could use four wheels instead...

As the hunter unconsciously loosened his grip, a bullet lodged deep at his foot.

Damn it!

These people from Rhodes Island are totally messing with us!

They're neither killing us nor arresting us; are they trying to work us to death?!

Just as the bounty hunters were feeling disheartened, the reflection of armor appeared on the horizon.

Hunger and despair filled the hunters' bellies—including Fire Lung.

The Campaign Knight forward, his armor clanging melodiously.

However, a ray of light, sharper than the sun, pierced the daylight and plunged into the earth!

A figure so familiar to every young man in Kazimierz slowly rose to his feet.

"It's not wrong for you to want to change Kazimierz's mind, nor is it wrong for you to want to awaken moral consciousness."

"In the dead of night, the fleeting thought that crossed your mind was not wrong: Kazimierz is sick, she needs treatment."

"And we are the doctors, and you are the cure. Go, Nearl, illuminate them, illuminate Kazimierz."

Radiant Knight, Nearl!

No way, you scumbag not only send people to steal kills, but you also try to get your attention in front of those young guys?

I'm so tired...

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Chapter 312 Marching Towards the Great Knight Territory

Among the crowd, Kuranta boy carried a hoe. The coarse shirt he had specially changed into for farm work was wet in the front and back, and there were specks of mud on one leg of his trousers, which was darker than the other.

The Kuranta boy watched nervously as the Rhodes Island flagship weighed anchor again, listening to the increasingly familiar roar.