"What on earth is going on here?"
"I can't believe he's actually leading the vassals' meeting himself, and he's even reading the documents we submitted?"
"He used to not care whether he came out drunk or from a woman's company."
The vassals were all wide-eyed, looking at Jared with astonished expressions. He had changed overnight. Completely, as if he was a different person. The first thing he showed the vassals was a stern reprimand. It was unprecedented.
"Glagas, do you take the task of maintaining the territory's security that I entrusted to you so lightly? And you show up to the vassals' meeting completely drunk? Are you in your right mind?"
"Lo, lo, lord. It's not like that. You see, I just... heehee."
Glagas, who was in charge of the territory's security, was slurring his words. Just as Jared said, he was on the verge of being completely out of it due to drunkenness.
"Do you not understand how serious it is to neglect the important duty entrusted to you by your lord as a vassal?"
"I'm, I'm sorry. But I just got my hands on some really rare wine, so I only had one glass! Just one glass! Hehehe, would you like a glass too, my lord?"
"Ha!"
"Don't be like that! You used to have a drink with me in the past, didn't you?"
"Crazy fool."
His inner thoughts burst out without any filter. He didn't even feel like holding back. Discipline was a mess.
"Heehee, ugh, I'm getting drunk."
Glagas staggered back and forth towards Jared several times. The fact that he was so unrestrained in showing such behavior meant this wasn't the first time.
"This won't do."
Wooong!
Jared created a grayish-white magical sphere above his right hand. The vassals, including Glagas, had no idea what kind of magic it was. Jared had hardly ever used magic in front of them, to the point that they forgot he was a magician.
'Paralyze.'
But Jared knew. This was a 4th-class paralysis spell called Paralyze. It numbs the body's senses as if frozen, leaving the mind clear. Except for blinking, one couldn't move at all. It was a spell that magicians used when carrying out interrogations.
Tap!
Jared flicked his fingers. In that instant, the Paralyze spell wrapped around Glagas's entire body. Even though Glagas was a large man, being the head of the security forces of the territory, the next moment...
"Ugh...!"
Glagas let out a dying scream and fell forward as if frozen. Thud! He hit the ground face-first without being able to scream properly. The shocking part was that he didn't even try to reach out with his hands during the fall, resulting in a direct faceplant.
"Did you enjoy wielding power in the name of the head of security, cutting off merchants' livelihoods, and filling your pockets with the money you extorted from them?"
Jared looked down at Glagas with eyes full of anger. But Glagas, already paralyzed, couldn't move a finger and could only blink his eyes rapidly.
"Because of your greed, the lives of many people in the territory have been ruined. They lost faith in their lord and had their hard-earned possessions taken away!"
Fwoosh.
This time, Jared used 20 units of magic power to create a 3rd-class spell, a Fireball. He brought it close to Glagas's face. Just a slight movement of his hand would have burned Glagas's face completely.
"Glagas, you should be thankful for my decision to strictly follow the procedures to enforce the territory's laws. Otherwise, this Fireball would have burned your face off."
Thunk!
"......!"
Jared slammed the Fireball onto Glagas's back. Fwoosh! Flames shot up instantly. Glagas's clothes burned away in an instant, and his back was left with severe burns, looking grotesque.
"......"
The office fell silent. No one dared to speak up. It was because of Jared's changed demeanor. All the vassals were shocked. This wasn't the Jared they were used to seeing. He used to sign documents without even looking at them and stagger out of the office first. But today, he was determined to punish Glagas without mercy. Although the other vassals didn't say it openly, they were all worried about Glagas's negligence. Especially his corruption. He was involved with criminal organizations, embezzling money through illegal means while managing the territory's security.
"Ugh...!"
Glagas kept moving his lips as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a single word.
"My lord!"
"Please forgive our negligence! Punish us severely!"
Without anyone prompting them, everyone kneeled and bowed their heads. They had underestimated Jared, who had never shown such authority before, but now they were wide awake.
Jared cast a 1st-class spell, Magic Missile, consuming 1 unit of magic power again. He nudged Glagas, who was lying face down, with his foot to make him lie flat. Then he spoke in a cold, stern voice.
"Glagas, as of today, you are stripped of your position, and all your corruption will be thoroughly investigated. Is there anyone outside?"
"Yes!"
At Jared's call, a guard immediately entered the office.
"Lock Glagas up in prison. I will personally investigate and hold him accountable for his negligence and corruption. I'll make sure he can't even think of escaping."
Swoosh!
Before he even finished speaking, Jared's Magic Missile flew directly at Glagas. Thud! Crack! The Magic Missile struck both of Glagas's knees, easily fracturing them. Even amidst the pain, Glagas, under the Paralyze spell, couldn't scream properly.
Jared looked down at Glagas with contempt and ordered the soldiers.
"Take him away."
"Yes, as you command!"
Glagas sent a pitiful look, but Jared didn't even glance at him. Everyone was amazed by Jared's authority and instinctively bowed their heads again. The vassals who had looked down on or ignored Jared like Glagas had changed their minds. Jared's decisive punishment was not something to be taken lightly.
Just then, Jared called out another name.
"Lakis."
"Yes, my lord."
The one who answered Jared's call was a man standing alone at the back among the vassals. Jared activated his Insight skill to assess Lakis's condition. He wanted to see how much it matched his initial judgment from reviewing the vassals' documents.
[Lakis – Lv. 14]
[Strength: 43]
[Stamina: 35]
[Magic: 2]
[Wisdom: 10]
[Agility: 11]
[Charm: 15]
[Physical Defense: 15]
[Magic Defense: 2]
[Special Traits: Orderly S / Justice C]
[General Traits: Loyalty, Peace]
"I had some hopes, but he's at the level of a C-rank warrior. This makes it difficult for him to hold a position higher than head of security. He might handle small-scale battles, but commanding large-scale wars is beyond him."
Jared looked disappointed. On paper, Lakis seemed like a veteran soldier with considerable martial talent, but his stats showed many shortcomings. With these stats, he would easily lose his life to a named warrior from a large territory.
"But with his special traits of Orderly and Justice, he's perfect for the head of security. It's almost a 100%, no, 1000% fit for the role!"
He wasn't a great talent for the future, but he was certainly effective for the current internal affairs of the territory. And...
[First Awakening: Your level increases significantly, and your stats rise sharply. You can surpass your limits.]
If he could guide Lakis to his first awakening, as the system message tooltip suggested, his usefulness would increase. It was entirely up to Jared to help him break through his limits.
At the same time, in the same place.
"Is he going to hold me accountable for neglecting weapon management? Did I miss something?"
Lakis was tense, fearing Jared's rebuke. He was a seasoned soldier with experience on the battlefield, but the power of the magic Jared had just shown was beyond imagination. Glagas, who had some strength despite his poor work, was taken down without a fight.
"What does he intend to do with me?"
In fact, when Lakis heard that Jared had called him to the vassals' meeting, he was puzzled. His position wasn't high enough to attend such meetings. So he thought he was summoned for reprimand, like Glagas. But what he heard was unexpected.
"I appoint you as the head of security for the Krivia territory. You will take over Glagas's position and duties, and you will be in charge of security."
"...What?"
Lakis asked in surprise. It was a promotion so shocking it could make him faint. Of course, Lakis was confident in his martial skills and ability to separate personal and public matters, which were the top priorities for the head of security. He was a veteran soldier with over 15 years in the territory's army and had the trust of the soldiers. But five years ago, after giving Jared honest advice to take care of the territory kindly, he fell out of favor and was sent to a minor post.
Still, Lakis didn't resent Jared. He believed he was sent to manage weapons because that was where he was needed. So even when others criticized and cursed Jared, Lakis defended him. He was deeply loyal, but the old Jared was harsh to him. But not anymore. Jared had completely changed.
"My lord, how could I..."
"It's an order from your lord. Do you need to say more?"
Lakis felt a shiver run through his body. It was like seeing the dignity of the late lord, Baron Barrett, whom he had served before Jared became lord. "Even though the sudden passing of the late lord shocked and confused him, the essence hasn't disappeared. He was a wise man who evaluated purely on merit, regardless of rank. Why didn't I remember that?"
Filled with respect, Lakis knelt. Indeed, no more words were needed for the lord's command. Obedience was absolute.
"I will follow your orders, my lord."
Right then, a new message appeared in Jared's territory information window. It was the good news he had been waiting for.