Chapter 50 The Auxiliary Troop System

The Imperial Religious Inquisition is responsible for handling all supernatural affairs across the four borders of the Imperial Capital, including but not limited to vampires, werewolves, the undead, demons, devils, necromancers, heretics, and mages, sorcerers, druids, etc., who cast spells in public without a license.

Of course, legally speaking, if these high-threat targets endanger the public safety and stability of the capital, the Imperial Capital Garrison also has the right and responsibility to deal with them.

The scopes of responsibility of both parties overlap. Should a conflict arise, there are no existing regulations on how to resolve it, so it mostly comes down to whose subordinates can fight better and who has stronger backing.

Considering that the Inquisition's witch hunters deal with highly dangerous alien enemies, while the Capital Garrison usually handles ruffians, scoundrels, and drunkards, the latter are usually no match for the former.

However, the individuals standing opposite clearly underestimated Elrina's martial prowess.

After just a few rounds of exchange, the two hunters were knocked flat to the ground by the staff. The leading inquisitor successfully managed to parry a couple of attacks with some sword skills, but his defense was subsequently shattered by the tip of Elrina's spear, the sharp blade coming to rest right against his throat.

Unable to move.

A bead of cold sweat slowly trickled down the inquisitor's cheek, and his heart was filled with shock and uncertainty: When on earth did such a powerful High Elf join the Capital Garrison?

Reyn looked at him with an amused expression.

The serial murders in the South District did not just happen recently; they had been going on for several months.

These fellows from the Inquisition had previously delayed launching an investigation, yet insisted on intervening abruptly this time. It is hard to believe that this is merely a coincidence.

A more reasonable deduction is that the former commander of the Capital Garrison was a good-for-nothing interested only in lining his pockets, while the newly appointed Reyn Fahel is decisive and swift in his methods. Consequently, certain people hurriedly instructed the Inquisition to take over the case to prevent him from actually uncovering anything.

If that is the case...

"Magnus!" Reyn suddenly shouted sternly, "If you're not dead, crawl in here!"

Magnus, who had been playing dead outside the door, hurriedly rushed in with his men in a panic, wielding a long sword, his helmet tilted sideways, and bruises and bloodstains at the corner of his mouth, shouting, "Protect the Lord Commander!"

Reyn was utterly speechless regarding these guards. Spending all day dealing with local ruffians, they possessed only the hefty physical builds nourished by wine and meat, yet they did not even know how to fight.

He would have Elrina train them upon their return.

"These people actually dared to impersonate inquisitors from the Religious Inquisition; they are no longer ordinary fraudsters!" Reyn pointed at the subdued inquisitor and witch hunters, shouting, "Arrest them all and take them away!"

Magnus was instantly dumbfounded, screaming "Gods above" in his heart.

Are these people impersonators? They are the genuine article, real inquisitors and witch hunters! My men were taken down by them the moment they crossed paths!

Of course, all that habitual shouting of "Loyalty!" was not for nothing.

To preserve his own vocal cords, Magnus's subconscious instinct was to resolutely execute Reyn's order:

"Take them away!"

The battered and bruised capital guards filed into the room from outside, venting their frustration as they tightly bound the inquisitors and witch hunters, escorting them back to the dungeon of the Capital Garrison barracks.

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Beneath every barracks of the Capital Garrison lie corresponding dungeons and cells, used for detaining various types of public security criminals.

These prisons are likewise the legacy of the ancestral Elven Empire, and there are even rumors that underground passageways crisscross the depths, connecting the capital's sewers, dungeons, and even the basements of many private residences all together.

These rumors are true.

Even with the players' mobility and information-sharing capabilities, they had failed to fully explore the massive network of tunnels beneath the capital; a dozen new ones would appear out of thin air with every version update.

Before thoroughly gaining control of the Capital Garrison, Reyn had no intention of exploring the underground network of the capital. He merely had Magnus arrange for guards to keep watch in the prison, demanding that at least two people be on duty 24 hours a day to prevent these inquisitors and witch hunters from "suddenly disappearing."

Reyn remained in the garrison commander's office, continuing to summon the captains for a meeting.

"I am very dissatisfied with your practical combat performance today," he said with a gloomy expression and a raspy tone. "The elite of the Imperial Capital Garrison should be the military armed force protecting the capital, yet you were easily brought down by mere witch hunters. Do you still deserve to wear the garrison uniforms on your backs?"

The captains kept their silence one after another, lowering their heads to take the reprimand.

It was normal for the combat effectiveness of the Capital Garrison to be low, seeing as they spent most of their time dealing with scoundrels and drunkards. Of course, explaining this to Lord Commander would only earn them a scolding.

"Not a word from anyone?" Reyn asked coldly. "Good, next I am going to implement an auxiliary soldier system within the garrison."

"Starting today, I will divide the garrison members into 'regular soldiers' and 'auxiliary soldiers,' specifically determined by the outcomes of actual combat. The number of regular soldier slots will be half that of the auxiliary soldiers, and each regular will receive twice the current salary, while the auxiliary soldiers' salary will be reduced by half."

The captains hurriedly tried to dissuade him one after another:

"Lord Commander! If the auxiliary soldiers' income is halved, everyone won't have enough to eat..."

"If you don't have enough to eat, get lost!" Reyn slammed his hand on the desk in great fury, cutting off everyone's voices with a loud bang. "Without even the courage to compete for a regular soldier position, the Imperial Capital Garrison does not have any use for trash who just hang around for a free meal!"

The captains were dumbstruck, and could only helplessly murmur their compliance.

Leaving the commander's office, the crowd began to whisper and discuss among themselves.

"It won't come to starving," Magnus sighed. "Our salary is actually just a small portion; our main income still comes from the public security taxes and sanitation taxes we collect normally. Having our salary cut in half will sting a bit at most—we'll just have to visit the tavern less often after work."

"Magnus, have you guys already prepared to be auxiliary soldiers?" someone opposite him mocked. It was former captain Fyezi, whose position had been usurped by him. "Fine then, when the time comes, while we're eating meat, you guys can tag along behind wagging your tails and begging for some soup to sip, hahahahaha!"

Magnus's expression darkened instantly.

Back then, when Reyn came to establish his authority, he stripped Fyezi of his captaincy and gave it to him. While Magnus had chosen brothers who were normally on good terms with him, the rest naturally went over to Fyezi.

If incomes were to plummet next, it was hard to guarantee that his brothers wouldn't harbor resentment toward him. Fyezi, however, cared not a whit about this, because those around him were the "Anti-Magnus Faction" to begin with, lacking any emotional foundation.

No, he still had to go back, organize his brothers, and start military training as soon as possible!

In the office, watching Reyn not spend a single penny, but simply readjust and redistribute everyone's salaries to successfully motivate their enthusiasm for improving their strength, Elrina was deeply astonished.

Could a naturally evil necromancer actually resort to such dirty tactics as money? One day...

"Elrina," Reyn instructed, "you have nothing else to do during this period, so come to the barracks every day to supervise their training progress."

"I am not going," Elrina refused. "Daya is not here, and you have no way to threaten me."

"Hmm—" Reyn looked at her maliciously and suddenly said, "I heard that the skeletal remains of Mariana, daughter of Duke Oklang of the ancestral Elven Empire, are buried somewhere in the West District's Municipal Garden..."

"Enough, I'll go," Elrina stood up, gritting her teeth as she said. "You are not allowed to desecrate her remains!"