Chapter 1018: Chapter 568: Ovando Operation II

"You’ve become sturdier, haven’t you!" Lance’s face lit up with delight upon seeing the newcomer, and he reached out to pat his arm. "Not bad! You look like someone important just at a glance."

Vick was equally excited. After being away from Hamlet for a while, he missed its stability, especially in contrast to the chaos of Ovando, and he was determined to work for that peace.

They exchanged some pleasantries quickly, and Lance asked a question.

"What’s the situation in Ovando City right now?"

"Chaos." Vick almost blurted out, then began to recount various outrageous situations.

To be honest, Lance had anticipated this, given that he frequently received related information, but the detailed account still left him speechless.

Are they really acting inhumanly?

"Have you gained control over the docks?"

"I’ve already taken over all the various gangs, and now I have more than two hundred core members at my disposal, along with quite a number of associates, totaling over a thousand, but they’re more watchers than fighters."

As he spoke, Vick expectantly asked a question.

"Are you finally going to take action, sir?"

Vick had been holding back for a long time; dealing with these people had made managing Ovando seem impossible.

"That’s why I’ve come." Lance appeared compassionate. "The people have suffered enough; it’s our duty to end this chaos."

"So what’s the plan? I reckon there are still over a thousand city defense forces in the city, not to mention the private army of the nobility..."

Walter had long anticipated this day, so he wasn’t surprised, though it seemed like the timeline had advanced significantly; it seems the Lord wasn’t fazed by the turmoil following Michelle’s death.

What happened behind the scenes remains unclear, but it’s likely that the forces behind Michelle no longer exert pressure on the Lord.

"There’s no plan; you just need to incite the populace and launch an uprising attack on the city defense force camp at dawn, taking control of the city gates."

Lance wasted no time on these matters and decisively issued the order.

"Which dawn are we talking about?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Ah!" The words stunned the two, considering it was already morning, leaving just one day.

Though they’ve been preparing, such a massive undertaking seems not simply absurd, but impossible.

If anyone other than the Lord spoke those words, they might have been cast aside.

Lance was indifferent to this.

"Just give me the details on the nobility and their armed forces. As for the over one thousand city defense forces, they’re your responsibility to handle. You need to worry about how to govern Ovando after taking control, and how to restore order."

"Yes! I’ll go back and make arrangements immediately; we’ll take action at dawn tomorrow." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

While Walter hesitated, Vick had already agreed, as the Lord’s command was his objective.

Loyalty!

"The information is with me, already collected as instructed." Walter was left with no choice but to agree as well.

As for any persuasion, it was unnecessary; he could sense that Lance’s attitude wasn’t arrogance, but nonchalance, a more profound mockery, as he simply didn’t regard those people.

Vick returned to prepare for the upcoming war, having gained experience and understanding the need for preemptive mobilization. He arranged for trusted personnel to stir emotions of pain and despair within Ovando City, laying the groundwork.

At the same time, he began taking internal action, selecting the main forces for the operation, but kept the real insiders in the dark about the situation, with no one aware of the Lord’s presence.

In the manor’s secret room, Lance continued to peruse the information collected, the result of their endeavors during this period.

This was also the reason Lance had Vick leave Hamlet; he needed his own eyes and ears, Hamlet required its own intelligence department, and he couldn’t rely solely on the Romani people.

Lance seemed naturally independent, possessing an inherent crisis awareness toward dependence.

It’s better to have something of your own rather than relying on others.

Meanwhile, Lance was able to multitask, discussing with Walter on how best to manage Ovando City after securing control.

Following Hamlet’s example wouldn’t work; it would be ruinous, as Walter lacks Lance’s strength and charisma, and the scale of a city differs from that of a town.

The best approach would be to secure the top level, clean out the middle, and reassure those below.

Now they needed to select a group of capable and reputable bureaucrats to retain.

Walter was familiar with Ovando, having interacted with many, an advantage of experience those younger lack.

This continued until night gradually fell.

"Ovando’s current purpose is to regulate Hamlet Region’s grain supply; we must control its outflow, leveraging Hamlet’s advantageous industry, especially in these turbulent times, where grain is more valuable than Gold Coin."

Lance concluded Walter’s forthcoming tasks with a single statement before standing up and leaving.

Walter did not ask, nor dared to inquire what the Lord intended to do, simply fulfilling his given duties.

He wasn’t a curious youth; the more one knows, the harder it is to detach, and he hopes for a safe retirement. Recently, his daughter wrote to say his brother seemed to have got himself a girlfriend, and he’s looking forward to becoming a grandfather.

Yet thinking of this gives Walter a headache—in an era when people married in their teens, his daughter had grown quite old, and if she delayed any further, she’d become an old maid.

But...

He couldn’t afford to provoke her; Walter simply couldn’t provoke Tiffany now. Let young people handle their own matters.

On Ovando City’s streets, desolation was evident; the tightly shut shops were clearly closed not just because of nightfall, but for a long period.

Debris and waste littered the entrance, indicating they’ve been there for some time.

During this time, food was monopolized, Gene and the others manipulated grain prices, causing them to skyrocket and pilfering the populace. The soaring grain prices depleted ordinary citizens’ savings, causing money to depreciate rapidly.

This disrupted the city’s production and living conditions, plunged countless people into unemployment, and fueled a vicious cycle.

If there weren’t turmoil outside, they might have fled, but with unrest outside, they couldn’t escape. External refugees encroached on some people’s living spaces, swiftly deteriorating public order and exacerbating the chaos.

If not for Lance continuously screening and extracting some refugees, coupled with Walter secretly distributing relief grain to stabilize conditions, the situation might have been much worse.

Building is arduous, relying on the decline of Hamlet, it took over a decade of effort to develop this place into a city, but mere days of destruction erased all hope, leaving despair to pervade this city.

Lance resembled a lone Traveller, wandering amidst surroundings where everything seemed out of place, oblivious to the covetous eyes lurking in the shadows, effortlessly crossing chaotic regions to enter the realm of the nobility.

Maybe due to worsening security, the once invisible sheriffs now congregated here.

Yet they merely guarded at several intersections, securing safety for the wealthy and nobility, driving away any approaching citizens.

However, behind these roadblocks, nobody discovered a figure had somehow already bypassed them.

Lance never follows the conventional path; he simply scaled the buildings and circumvented them.

Squatting on the rooftop, looking around, compared to outside’s desolation, it appeared lively; candlelights flickered within the manor houses.

In certain places, it seemed like banquets were ongoing, with lamplit carriages bustling through, exceedingly festive.

The difference between the two places was a matter of a few streets, yet the disparity was worlds apart, akin to the gap between individuals.

However, this suited Lance perfectly—with everyone gathered together, it made things even more efficient.

It’s hunting time...