Early in the morning, everyone saw that another notice had appeared on the city wall. Unlike before, though, there was no need to find someone literate to read it aloud. From the moment Robin posted it, he had stood beneath it, explaining its contents to passing pedestrians.
Before the morning was even over, the people inside and outside Nafu City knew that their lord was going to give another speech.
At noon, the same wooden platform as before was set up, and people from all around gradually gathered there.
As afternoon approached, the nobles arrived in their own carriages as well. However, Claire had deliberately arranged no seats for them, so they could only stand alongside the commoners, occasionally taking out handkerchiefs to wipe the sweat from their faces.
After making them wait for nearly one or two hours, Claire finally arrived just as the sun was about to set.
Before she even appeared, the nobles below heard loud cheers and applause coming from behind them. Claire was far more popular than they had imagined.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" Claire stepped onto the platform with a smile.
"Good day to you, Viscount!"
"May the Viscount be well every day!"
"May the Viscount's renown resound across the entire world!"
The people below waved their hands in greeting. Ever since Claire's last speech, most of them had become her enthusiastic admirers.
Claire waved her hand, and the people below consciously fell silent.
"I called everyone here this time mainly to discuss suppressing bandits. The bandits outside the city have always been a thorn in the side of Nafu City. They even dared to assassinate me and seize our city's goods!"
The people below quietly watched Claire on the stage. Just as she had said, the bandits had done far more than that. Whenever food was scarce, they would break into villages to rob people of their food and abduct women. The people hated them bitterly.
"Ban... ptooey! Bandits must be suppressed at all times! Think about it! You're at home, drinking fine wine and holding a maid in your arms, when suddenly news arrives that your goods have been seized by bandits! That's why days without bandits are the good days!"
The people below did not quite understand, but they still shouted along, "That's right!"
However, the nobles below felt something was off. They had the vague feeling that Claire was hinting at something.
"But since I only recently returned to my territory, the funds I prepared have all been used to train the Knight Squad. And after reducing taxes by so much, I no longer have enough money to suppress the bandits. So I gathered everyone here in the hope that you could help by donating some money. Of course, whether you donate much or little, it is the thought that counts!"
Although Baron Eugene felt that something about the earlier words was strange, he had no time to dwell on it. It was time for him to step forward.
"Well said, Viscount! Days without bandits are the good days! I, Baron Eugene, will contribute fifty thousand gold coins to suppress the bandits!"
With a wave of his hand, his men immediately carried several large chests of gold coins down from the carriages and onto the platform. When the chests were opened, the glittering gold nearly blinded the people below.
"Good heavens, I've never seen that much money in my life."
"I wouldn't even dare dream of something like that."
The people below stared wide-eyed. They rarely even saw a single gold coin in their daily lives, let alone such a scene.
"As the administrator of the viscount's territory, I will also donate thirty thousand gold coins." Frank stood and spoke as well. However, he was not as relaxed as he appeared. Seeing the gold coins being carried onto the stage made his heart bleed. Unlike those nobles, he knew that once he donated this money, there was no chance of getting it back.
With those two taking the lead, the other nobles also stood and announced the sums they would donate.
Looking at chest after chest of gold coins piled atop the platform, the people below did not know how to react. They did not even know what expression to make. Their faces were filled only with shock.
But after their shock faded, everyone hurriedly reached into their pockets, pulled out their money, and ran up to place it on the platform.
"Though I can't donate much, I hope it can help the Viscount!" a citizen shouted.
"That's right! I don't have any money on me right now, but I'll go home and get it!"
"I'll go back and bring out the money I've been saving away too! The Viscount is a good person, and I'm willing to donate my money to her!"
"Me too! We all believe in the Viscount!"
The people below all placed their money onto the platform. Copper coins and silver coins quickly piled into a small hill, while more and more people brought their savings from home and added them to it.
The nobles below grinned so broadly that their gums showed. Sure enough, those foolish peasants had been tricked into handing over all their money themselves!
Claire, however, felt a little guilty standing on the stage. Though she was only deceiving them temporarily, she still felt bad about it. But there was no other way. If she did not do this, she would never be able to fool those nobles.
The fundraiser continued until sunset. Aside from the gold coins donated by the nobles, the people voluntarily contributed nearly twenty thousand gold coins' worth of money. It was not just commoners who donated; some middle-class families gave quite a lot as well. Altogether, nearly everyone had donated more than ten silver coins.
The knights carried the gold coins from the platform onto carriages and transported them back to the Baronial Manor. Inside one of the carriages, Tax Official Robin calculated the total amount collected from the ledger.
"At dawn tomorrow, the Knight Squad will depart to suppress the bandits!" Claire announced in the final second before the sun's afterglow vanished.
Before the sun had risen, the main street of Nafu City was already packed with people. They crouched there holding fruit and flowers, waiting.
"Clop, clop, clop!"
The sound of orderly hoofbeats approached, and everyone turned to look.
Knight Captain Hant rode a warhorse at the very front of the formation. Every knight wore heavy armor, their silver armor gleaming brilliantly. More than sixty knights rode their warhorses forward slowly like a torrent of steel.
Their presence was beyond words. Everyone waiting there froze at once. They had never seen knights with such imposing bearing before. And these knights belonged to their viscount's territory, heading out to suppress bandits for them. A surge of pride rose from their hearts.
The horses carried the knights down the main street and all the way to the city gate. The people followed them there, where Claire had already been waiting for some time.
"Dismount!" Hant ordered.
The sixty knights immediately swung down from their warhorses in perfect unison.
Hant walked before Claire and dropped to one knee, shouting, "My lord, your Knight Squad has assembled!" The knights behind him also knelt on one knee along with him.
Claire accepted the flowers handed over by the people and gave them to Hant, who was kneeling before her. "Rise."
"Yes, my lord!"
The knights sprang to their feet, their armor scraping together with a piercing sound. Yet no one found it unpleasant. They only thought it looked incredibly impressive and wished they were the ones wearing armor.
Claire glanced at the excited people gathered nearby, then smiled and waved. Understanding her meaning, the people hurried over and stuffed the gifts they had prepared into the knights' hands.
The young men looked at the items in their hands, at a loss for what to do. Even Hant was somewhat overwhelmed. He had never seen anything like this before.
Back when he was a knight, the people had feared knights as though they were tigers. Forget giving them gifts—if people did not spit behind their backs after they passed, that was already considered good.
Claire said, "Take them. These gifts represent their feelings. Don't feel embarrassed. You are not fighting for me alone; you are fighting for them as well!" Claire was telling the truth. Although they were not actually going out to suppress bandits this time and were borrowing that name, what they were doing would benefit the people.
"Yes!" Looking at the fruit and flowers in their hands, the young men felt a different kind of excitement rise within them. So being knights could earn them the support of the people.
Claire drew the sword at her waist and tapped Hant on both shoulders and the head, completing the ceremony.
Then she pointed the sword toward the city gate and shouted, "Depart!"
The knights immediately mounted their horses, saluted Claire with their gazes, and then rode their warhorses out of the city!
Thanks to "You Hua Bu Zhi Shuo" for the 1,500-point donation and two monthly tickets!!!!! And thanks to "Ye Shen Bu Xiang Shui" for the 100-point donation!!!!!
Before you continue