thefictionvixens Chapter 36 How to divide
Chapter 36 How to divide
"Calvin asked a good question," he said, his tone steady.
Jules' voice wasn't loud, but when he spoke, everyone automatically quieted down.
"This land is in my name, Jules Maud, on the deed. By law, it is mine. I can easily enclose it and make it the inheritance of my Maud family for my sons and grandsons. Then, like the lords of Westeros, I can grant the land to some of you and make you my knights, my vassals."
He paused, letting his words settle in everyone's hearts. A burning passion ignited in some people's eyes.
But almost everyone, including Calvin, held their breath, waiting for that "but".
They knew their boss's habits; he wouldn't rashly offer his ideas.
"But," Jules' voice suddenly rose, carrying a metallic clang, "in that case, the 'White Legion' would be dead! I'm able to sit here today, to accept Lisandro's commission, to be called 'The Keeper of Faith,' and you can go to Lisandro's perfume garden, where those young women practically want to melt into your arms—what is the reason for all this? It's because we have over a thousand battle-hardened brothers standing behind us! It's because of the resounding reputation our White Legion has earned in this hellish place of contention!"
His gaze was like lightning, fixed on Calvin, who dared not look at him.
"Calvin, you said mercenaries are mercenaries until they die. That's right! We mercenaries may seem glamorous, but we brothers know the real hardships: the employers' strange demands, no pay if we don't meet the standards; skimped pay with holes punched in the edges; and that doesn't even include the fact that if we're defeated, we'll literally be sending ourselves to our deaths on the battlefield!"
"Blood Sword" Deli, what a glorious era! At its peak, the Blood Sword Mercenary Group had nearly eight thousand members, and no one in the entire Controversial Lands dared to confront them alone. And what happened? Where is "Blood Sword" now? He's in a casino, living off the casino owner's annuity, and sometimes he even has to pawn some jewelry to buy medicine!"
"Sodis, the 'Silver Hand.' The second-in-command of the Hand of War Legion. Brothers, you all know our old sage. Back then, who didn't know the story of Sodis breaking twenty spears in a single tournament and taking down ten knights in one day? Legendary? Absolutely legendary! And what happened? In the 96AC border war, I personally witnessed him being pointed at by more than a dozen crossbowmen and shot to death in the mud with a rapid-fire crossbow. His head was chopped off, and his body was devoured by some starving wild dog!"
"You say you want land, and I want land too! I dream of becoming a wealthy landowner, a carefree landlord who collects rent every day while drinking wine!"
"But the more this is the case, the less this land can be divided!" Jules slammed his sword into the ground with a loud thud!
"Think about it, what would happen if the land were divided up? Everyone would immediately abandon their responsibilities and go back to their own homes. That would certainly be comfortable, but what would the result be?"
Jules' gaze slowly swept over everyone present.
"Don't forget, our White Legion has risen to this position through sheer bloodshed, with countless enemies on our hands! Aren't there many who are hostile to us? When they come seeking revenge, and the White Legion has disbanded, what will we use to resist them?"
After those words were spoken, almost everyone fell silent.
Who doesn't have enemies in this line of work?
"Fine, even if they don't seek revenge, they can still disgust us! The land that Lisanzhuo gave us, as Vito just explained, you all know the general situation—it's not some fertile black soil, the yield is just so-so!"
"Think about it yourselves. What if our enemies bribe their merchants and refuse to buy our wheat, olive oil, and linen? What if they bribe our tax collectors and impose even more exorbitant taxes? If the legion collapses, the land you hold will be nothing more than meat on someone else's chopping block!"
"Calvin, I ask you, can you do accounting? Leon, I ask you, what taxes do tax collectors collect?"
Jules's continuous questioning left everyone speechless, and their minds, which had been clouded by the land, gradually cooled down.
Jules noticed the change in their expressions and his tone finally softened.
"However, I won't make things difficult for the brothers who have risked their lives with me... Everyone here today has crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood with me, Jules. Some of you I saved, and some of you have saved my life. The Ironmen say they earn 'iron money,' but I say the brothers earn blood money. So, I won't mistreat anyone."
He finally announced: "This land, and those slaves, I will naturally share with everyone present! But—"
He deliberately drew out his words, making sure everyone heard his final conclusion:
"The distribution of this land will be based on your merits and positions. You will be allocated corresponding 'land share' income and slave ownership to ensure that you and your families can live a decent life, far more prosperous than ordinary mercenaries."
"But this reward is tied to your responsibilities and achievements within the legion! Want more? Sure! You can earn it with enemy heads and the legion's merits! Don't think you can just rest on your laurels and collect rent without lifting a finger! As long as the White Legion exists, everyone's wealth and security will remain!"
"So—" he said, enunciating each word clearly, "after allocating the land and slaves to you, these three estates, along with all the slaves there, will be incorporated into the White Legion's public account! They do not belong to me, Jules Maud, personally; they belong to every brother in the White Legion!"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, followed by an even deeper silence, as if people couldn't believe it.
Jules continued, his tone softening but becoming more resolute: "The profits from these industries, after deducting necessary operating costs, taxes, and the portion paid to Lisandro, will be divided proportionally into three parts. One part will serve as the legion's reserve fund for purchasing equipment and horses; another part will be distributed as bonuses to everyone according to rank and years of service, ensuring that everyone benefits from the legion's growth; and the final part will be used to establish a special pension fund to ensure that the brothers who died or were seriously wounded, and their families, have support for the rest of their lives! So that I won't have to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates to repay the pensions later."
He finally looked at the captains: "The specific management regulations, profit distribution ratios, and compensation standards will be jointly discussed and drafted by Vito, myself, and all of you captains, and then announced to all brothers. What we want to establish are rules that can be passed down!"
After Jules finished speaking, he sat back down in his chair, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said nothing more.
After a brief silence, Old Tom was the first to react. He slapped his thigh, his voice hoarse with excitement: "Boss! This is fair! I accept it!"
Vito let out a long sigh of relief, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He nodded vigorously, "That's right! This is the long-term solution!"
Red-haired Calvin paused for a moment, then grinned, scratched his messy red hair, and chuckled somewhat sheepishly, "Boss, I misunderstood! You're right, this is good! This way, the brothers will have even more motivation, for the White Legion!"