Chapter 47 Loyalty

To bring subordinates to heel quickly, the most effective methods are bestowing favor and establishing authority.
If forced to choose between the two, considering that some ungrateful wretches might mistake kindness for weakness, establishing authority is undoubtedly the more suitable option.
Reyn sat calmly in his chair, leisurely reviewing the duty logs of the Imperial Capital Garrison.
The guards were sprawled all over the ground, every single one of them wearing expressions of terror, exchanging nervous and uncertain glances.
"Hmm." Reyn tossed the duty log aside and said, "Right now, I need someone to give me a general overview of the garrison's situation—and this person, I will permit him to stand before me."
Before his voice had even faded, an imperial guard scrambled up from the floor in a flurry, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Respected Lord Commander! Your loyal Magus is at your service!"
The remaining guards were stunned for a moment, soon revealing expressions of deep regret: *Why didn't I react sooner?*
"Oh?" Reyn propped his chin on one hand, scrutinizing the man who looked to be in his early thirties, "You call yourself loyal?"
"Yes!" Guard Magus knew he had no retreat, so he threw his pride to the wind and yelled, "You are the newly appointed Commander of the Imperial Capital Garrison! As a member of the garrison, I must bear one hundred percent loyalty toward you!"
"Would someone truly loyal speak in such a soft voice?" Reyn suddenly bellowed, "Speak louder!"
"Loyalty!" Magus raised his volume.
"I can't hear you! Did you not eat today?!" Reyn scolded angrily.
"Loyalty!!!" Magus shouted with all his might, his voice cracking with strain.
"Still can't hear you! When I say I can't hear you, I mean I can't hear you!"
"Loy—alty!!!" Magus had no choice but to break the word down into syllables, roaring out each one with every ounce of strength he possessed.
………………
"Very well," Reyn said. "I believe in your loyalty."
"Who is the squad leader in charge of the troops stationed at this barracks?"
After a brief silence in the room, someone lying on the ground raised a hand:
"It is me, My Lord."
"As a squad leader, your loyalty to the commander falls short even of Magus's," Reyn said with a cold snort. "Your position as squad leader is hereby transferred to Magus as of today. Do you have any objections?!"
"…None, My Lord."
As for Magus, he was ecstatic! *Good grief, shouting loudly actually comes with such perks? It seems the Commander-in-Chief particularly favors subordinates with booming voices!*
"Magus," Reyn continued giving orders, "take a look at these people lying on the ground. Are there any among them who are as loyal to me as you are?"
Magus was stunned for a moment, his joy turning into double joy: *This is an open invitation for me to build my own faction!*
"Melowyn! Dogolat! Kratlov…" He rattled off a long list of names, then said with oily, flattering servility, "My Lord, these people are very close to me. I can guarantee that their loyalty to yours ranks right below my own!"
Upon hearing this, the imperial guards lying on the ground nearly vomited.
*Damn it, you literally just met this commander at the exact same time we did! Where the hell does your loyalty come from?!*
"Those whose names were just called, stand up!" Reyn commanded.
The summoned guards scrambled up one after another, consciously forming a neat line. They stood ramrod straight, gazing straight ahead, their faces plastered with the resolute expression of *my heart beats only for the Commander*.
Elrina hugged her long spear and watched silently, secretly astonished by Reyn's knack for whipping subordinates into shape.
Barely half an hour since they first met, these imperial guards had already been tamed into loyal hounds… As expected of a naturally evil necromancer!
"Come now," Reyn crossed his legs, speaking lazily, "each of you will have one chance to express your loyalty to me."
Following that, a series of overlapping roars echoed through the barracks:
"Loy—alty!"
"Loy—alty!!"
"Loy—alty!!!"
Only after everyone had finished swearing their oaths did Reyn leisurely clap his hands, sighing with emotion:
"Who would have thought that within the Imperial Capital Garrison, there are still so many guards who remain loyal to the imperial family and to me?"
"That goes without saying," the standing guards chimed in all at once, "our loyalty to you is irreplaceable!"
The guards still lying on the ground glared bitterly at their shameless compatriots.
"You," Reyn pointed once more at the former squad leader, "do you now understand where you went wrong?"
The former squad leader froze for a moment, then suddenly cried out:
"I was wrong! Respected Lord Commander, please grant me a chance to re-express my loyalty to you!"
Seeing this, Elrina already understood what he was trying to do.
He had taken the old imperial guards, who might have otherwise huddled together in solidarity, and ruthlessly cleaved them into two distinct factions:
The capitulationist faction led by Magus, whose members were all handpicked by him and would inevitably band closely around him.
The remaining marginalized guards, who would naturally rally around the former squad leader to oppose Magus and his crew.
In this way, they would be utterly incapable of uniting to resist their superior, Reyn.
Just as she had anticipated, Reyn appointed the former squad leader as the deputy squad leader to assist Captain Magus in his duties.
Considering that Magus's captaincy had been wrested directly from this very deputy… the two sides were bound to have plenty of conflict.
Next, Reyn took Elrina to visit the remaining garrison posts across the capital, effortlessly establishing his dominance over all the guards in one fell swoop.
Finally, Reyn summoned all the squad leaders of the imperial garrison outside the city walls, had them stand in neat rows, and began his lecture:
"As for why the previous Commander of the Imperial Capital Garrison was relieved of his post, I assume you all understand the reason.
"A mountain of wealth accumulated; not a single stroke of work done. The serial murders in the South District have left the citizens of the capital terrified, infuriating even His Majesty the Emperor to the point of stripping the former commander of his position!
"If you ask me, His Majesty was far too merciful, at least leaving the man's head attached to his neck so he could retire in glory with his riches.
"However, do not mistake the imperial family's benevolence for compromise, nor their patience for concession. If the upcoming performance of the Capital Garrison still fails to satisfy Their Majesties, then none of you need bother working anymore. I'll simply have the imperial guards from the outer-city garrison stationed right here in the capital, while every single one of you can lose your rice bowls and get lost, and I will personally go plead for forgiveness from Her Majesty the Empress!"
The various squad leaders looked upon him with newfound awe and reverence: *Gods above! This newly appointed commander of ours is actually a high-ranking noble with the ear of Her Majesty the Empress?!*
"Recently, we have two tasks to execute," Reyn continued, making his announcement. "First, the rectification of urban appearance and sanitation!
"It has been reported by the nobility that human and animal waste can be found everywhere within the city, causing a foul stench! Maintaining a clean urban landscape is also the duty of the Imperial Capital Garrison; otherwise, should the imperial family ever take a royal procession out, having to pinch their noses just to pass through the streets would constitute a severe dereliction of duty on our part!"
"But," a squad leader hesitated and said, "Lord Commander, hiring people to clean up waste is not impossible, but it costs money, and we…"
"Foolish!" Reyn said. "Will sweeping the streets clean not significantly boost the customer flow on both sides of the street? Since the shops reap the benefits, this expense should naturally be borne by the shops themselves. Let's call it the 'Urban Sanitation Fee'!"
The squad leaders looked at one another in dismay. Then, a flash of realization struck their minds, and their faces immediately lit up with unadulterated joy.
In other words, on top of the original security tax, they could squeeze an extra fee out of the shops?
Once collected, this sanitation fee obviously wouldn't be 100% funneled into hiring cleaners. It meant everyone could skim a little off the top—pure, cost-free extra profit! At this thought, all the squad leaders chorused in unison:
"We will strictly obey your commands!"
*This newly appointed Lord Commander not only manipulates people like dogs, but he also generously doles out the dog food!*
Amidst the reverent and adoring gazes of the squad leaders, Reyn continued his announcement:
"Second, I intend to thoroughly investigate the serial murders in the South District!
"Starting today, night patrols in the South District will be increased by one squad! Additionally, another separate squad will be detached to serve as a special action task force under my direct command, which I will personally oversee and direct!"
"Me!" Before anyone else could react, Magus was once again the first to leap forward and cry out, "Our squad is willing to join your task force!"
The other squad leaders inwardly cursed him for being a bootlicker, then hurriedly declared their own willingness to join, lest the commander suspect them of being "disloyal."