Chapter 196: A Win-Win Solution
"So what about you now..." Han Ming glanced around at the simple, almost pitiful furnishings. Today, the little girl had resorted to stealing because she couldn''t afford the herbs to treat the old man''s illness.
The old man laughed heartily, his face brimming with pride as he said, "Donated!"
"Donated?" Han Ming asked in surprise.
"Yes! Donated! Donated to the Mont Empire!" The old man said this with a very resolute expression on his face.
"You wouldn''t believe it, would you? I''ve fought plenty of battles against the Mont Empire. And in the process, I developed feelings for them. I recently heard that those Mont guys got their country wiped out. It really made me think. Now I realize we''re better off. At least we have a place to live. But those Mont guys, who used to fight us so fiercely, don''t even have the chance to enjoy their old age. They''re all gone."
At this point, the old man couldn''t hold back his emotions and started sobbing quietly, covering his face with his hands.
"Grandpa..." The little girl hurried over, patting her grandfather''s back to help him catch his breath.
Han Ming felt a twinge in his nose and turned his head away.
"Young man, think about it. My comrades are gone. The Mont people I used to fight with are also gone! What do I have left, this old man? Nothing! What do I need money for? Of course, I donated it! Donated it to those Mont bastards! I can''t fight anymore, but my descendants will. Without those Mont bastards, who are we going to fight? Those stinky creatures that crawl out of the ground? I''d rather dirty my own hands!"
Han Ming knew that the "stinky creatures" the old man referred to must be demon soldiers.
Han Ming deeply admired the old man''s sentiments.
What kind of old man was this...
"So... what about that piece of farmland outside the village?" Han Ming finally mustered the courage to ask the key question.
Hearing this, the old man''s expression stiffened for a moment, then he shook his head and sighed, "I''ve fought all my life, and I know I''m just a rough man, but I''m not a fool who doesn''t understand reason. I know the Sodole family is building weapons for the country. If they want to build a weapons factory, I''d support them with both hands, and I''d do it for free, without a cent or a meal. But they... they want to build the weapons factory on our only piece of farmland. That''s our village''s lifeline. Without land, what do we eat? I don''t care, but what about the women and children in the village?"
Han Ming''s eyes darkened upon hearing this.
So that was it. How could the Sodole family be so heartless towards these heroes of the Rhine Empire? Even if building an armory is well-intentioned and for the country''s benefit, shouldn''t there be a better way to go about it? Isn''t this tantamount to driving these old soldiers into a corner?
"A while ago, we old folks in the village had a meeting. If the Sodole family was willing to give us some compensation, we would move out and not hinder their support for the country. But they refused, claiming a shortage of funds, saying they were selling weapons at a loss to the country. Forget it, forget it... I''ve devoted my life to my country; I don''t mind giving a little more. I was actually ready to mobilize the whole village to move out and donate the land. It''s just that I''ve had some leg problems recently, and I haven''t had the chance..."
"How could that be!" Han Ming was anxious, "Look at all of you, the elderly, the weak, women, and children. Where can you go? Relocate the entire village? Are you joking?"
The old man sighed, "There''s no helping it, the country needs us..."
Han Ming began to ponder.
The Sodole family''s expulsion of these old soldiers was indeed excessive. But the Sodole family''s weapons production for the Rhine Empire couldn''t be considered selfish. Han Ming had done some research at the Mercenary Guild before coming here and confirmed that the Sodole family was indeed selling weapons to the country at a loss.
But now, was there a perfect solution that could accommodate these old soldiers without delaying the Sodole family?
After much thought, Han Ming''s eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "Sir, there''s something I need to ask you, but you must tell me the truth!"
The old man nodded and said, "Ask away, young man."
Han Ming nodded and said, "Do you love your country? If I asked you to go to the battlefield now, would you be willing?"
The old man was taken aback, his eyes first gleaming with light, but then dimming as he self-deprecatingly said, "Of course, I would, but how is that possible? I''m so old now, I don''t have the strength to go to the battlefield and kill enemies."
Han Ming smiled and said, "As long as you''re willing, it''s easy to arrange. You know, the Mont Empire has fallen. To be honest, I''m from Mont. And I know some influential figures in the military. You''ve fought all your life, right? In terms of experience, who can compare to you? The Mont Empire''s military strength has been severely damaged. They are currently in dire need of manpower. Ordinary soldiers... no problem, as long as they are not weak, with some training, they can go to the battlefield. But training soldiers requires experienced instructors, which can''t be cultivated in a short time. You''ve fought against both humans and magical beasts; your combat experience is perfect for training soldiers. You don''t need to go to the battlefield; you can help train soldiers in the rear. How about that? You''ve spent your life on the battlefield, and now you can support the army from the rear. Isn''t that a good thing?"
Stolen novel; please report.
The old man was clearly moved by Han Ming''s proposal and asked eagerly, "Is that possible? Look at my condition..."
"No problem! Don''t worry. It''s just training soldiers. You''ve seen countless young recruits; any soldier under your guidance would be trained to perfection. The Rhine Empire and the Cabo Empire don''t lack manpower right now and probably can''t take you in, but we in the Mont Empire do. What we lack most are talents like you! Don''t worry about being accused of treason. The three countries are now allied. As long as you join the human army, it''s considered a contribution to your homeland."
Han Ming hurriedly added fuel to the fire.
"If it really works, I would certainly agree. But... our entire village..." The old man still had some concerns.
"Everyone goes! I''ll take care of it!!" Han Ming said confidently.
"Little girl, go get some paper and pen!" Han Ming instructed.
Without hesitation, Han Ming wrote a letter of recommendation and signed his name at the bottom.
"Sir, you and your villagers wait here for a while. I''ll go back tomorrow and have Mont send troops to pick you up. Everyone, including the elderly, women, and children, will go! You won''t need to go to the battlefield; you''ll just train soldiers in the rear. And we''ll provide housing for the women and children. This way, your wishes are fulfilled, and the issue of farmland is resolved. Isn''t that a win-win situation?"
Han Ming said with a smile.
"Oh! That''s wonderful!!" The old man was so excited that he started dancing.
"Come here, young man, you''ve fulfilled one of my dreams! I thought we were too old to bother the country anymore. But now, with Mont fallen and in need of manpower, I have to say, I''m really good at this fighting business, and I''m not bragging..."
Han Ming smiled at the old man, finally feeling relieved.
The next morning, Han Ming got up early and repeatedly instructed the old man to take the letter of recommendation to Mr. Melron. Mr. Melron would naturally arrange everything for them.
The little girl got up even earlier than Han Ming and spread the good news to the entire village.
Han Ming smiled helplessly as he left the village, surrounded by the villagers.
"Big brother! Will I see you again?" the little girl asked, her big eyes sparkling with reluctance.
Han Ming smiled and ruffled the little girl''s hair affectionately, saying, "Of course! I believe we will!"
Wait!
Han Ming suddenly had a thought. He had never seriously examined the little girl''s body before, but now, on a whim, he probed slightly and discovered that she had a strong presence of fire-type magic energy.
Han Ming squatted down in shock, his face serious as he looked at the little girl, thinking to himself, I''ve never seen such intense fire-type magic energy before...
"Little one, would you like to become a magician?" Han Ming asked cautiously, marveling inwardly, Talent! This is talent!!
"Yes, of course, I would love to!!" The little girl was thrilled and jumped for joy.
"Sir, when you find Mr. Melron and show him the letter, ask him to find a man named Chilard. Tell that old ghost Chilard that it''s Han Ming speaking, and he must take the little girl under his wing. If not, I''ll make things difficult for him!"
After saying that, Han Ming felt he might have overstepped. With the little girl''s talent, even without his recommendation, Chilard would probably be overjoyed to take her in.
Han Ming finished his instructions, gave the little girl one last look, and gave her a four-word evaluation:
Boundless potential!
Leaving the village, Han Ming visited the Sodole family for the first time. After seeing the clan leader, he briefly explained the situation.
The clan leader laughed heartily. To be honest, he really didn''t want to trouble those old soldiers. Since Han Ming had the means to resolve the issue, it was certainly the best outcome.
Han Ming didn''t linger and immediately returned to Black Cloud City.
He rented a messenger beast and wrote another letter, instructing the beast to deliver it to Melron in Norad, detailing the situation.
With this matter settled, Han Ming finally smiled with satisfaction.
He felt that he had accomplished more than just completing a task.
After finishing these tasks, Han Ming went to the task handover point and submitted both of his tasks, receiving his well-earned commission. He also found a message from Gamory.
The message was brief, containing only a few words: "Quik in trouble, go and help!"