The black sun hangs high

Chapter 378 Longing
The Baron has a bad temper, he's very suspicious, and he's a perfectionist when it comes to interacting with others...

Such strange information was already common knowledge among the members of the "Sharp-Beaked Owl" archer battalion, especially among their officers. These private army leaders, recruited by Fiorlando himself and who had followed him for nearly ten years, had long since become the Baron's confidants. It's no joke that they even participated in some of Fiorlando's "absurd activities" in his earlier years for free, which had become a well-known "tale" in certain remote towns of St. Steel.

Hugh didn't know why he always managed to get involved in these strange and romantic affairs, as if these things had already been written into the script of fate.

As far as he knows, even now, despite the fact that Hugh Ernst has been hailed as a hero and a legend, people still prefer to talk about his past works and his so-called "romantic past" in the public eye.

Although in reality the poor baron never had any spare money to frequent any brothels, those who could prove his pure intentions have all vanished along with the city of Seren.

Thinking about it carefully, Hughes still felt a little sad, but then he thought that if this could ensure that the tragic city that had once been forgotten would be remembered for a long time, then he wouldn't care how others "used" his name.

Even if it's just as a joke or a topic of conversation, he can accept it completely.

However, even though Hugh was "well-informed" and possessed far greater patience and acceptance than ordinary people, he was still inevitably shocked when he glimpsed the astonishing "play" in Baron Fiorento's memories.

Perhaps it was because the baron's past life was too repressive, or perhaps it was because his joining the Black Sun Society and changing his beliefs had seriously affected his mind. In any case, some of Fiorent's quirks and habits could even make Hugh feel extremely uncomfortable.

"How could anyone satisfy their desires through such a process?"

Hugh felt disgusted and confused by this.

What disgusted him even more was that the private soldiers who had followed Fiorlando for so long seemed to have developed similar tastes in him—they were extremely keen to inflict painful and vicious punishments on those poor “Nightingales” in order to satisfy themselves, and the price of this practice was often bloodshed, injury, or even death.

After refusing a private and malicious invitation from an officer under the pretext of "important association affairs," Hugh felt a deep disgust for the face he was currently wearing. If he had known that Fiorlando had such hobbies, he should have used the Touch of Calron to pierce the guy from every angle and let him enjoy these terrible punishments himself!

Like most mercenaries and private soldiers in Vaan, the "Sharp-Beaked Owl" archer battalion is actually a group of bullies and bandits in so-called military uniforms. Although they obey the orders of their commanders, their daily behavior is extremely unrestrained.

Within just a few days, they caused quite a bit of trouble inside and around the Yanhu Mine, including but not limited to fighting with the soldiers inside the mine, attempting to smuggle two truckloads of illicit liquor into the mine, and soliciting prostitutes.

Some of them would even try to harass the new servants the baron had just "bought," even if both were men; they would still do it, and their attitude was frighteningly serious.

Of course, such behavior would never end well. In terms of combat power alone, dozens of soldiers like them together might not be a match for a magic spy. Not to mention that Hugh had long been on guard against these things. With the cover of the Fate Roots race, these harassers would often have their memories erased after being given a good beating, which gave the healing mages and alchemists in the Archer Camp a great headache.

They really couldn't understand why so many idiots had come out these past few days who had seriously injured themselves while working. Were these guys so useless that they couldn't even do simple tasks like shoveling dirt, moving stones, and building fortifications properly?

The ruthless Baron was not going to let the idiots in the army and the lazybones who tried to use injuries to avoid work go unpunished. So Hughes seized the opportunity to drag these guys, who had just been beaten up by the spies, out of the wounded soldiers' camp and gave them another beating in front of everyone.

Not only are they beaten, but they are beaten twice. After they are healed, they are thrown into the camp to work. This is the punishment that Hugh inflicts on these "sharp-beaked owls".

Their companions had no objections whatsoever; they were merely gloating. After all, this was exactly the kind of thing Baron Fiorentino would do, something that had happened countless times before. They never imagined that someone would use such a foolish method to shirk their duties.

Of course, Hugh didn't abuse his current status.

Although the Baron’s past disgusted him, he did not intend to give up such an important position that he had gained the trust of the Black Sun Society in the short term. Therefore, he also gave the “Sharp-Beaked Owls” some benefits and conveniences.

bootlegging, food, money...

He was very generous with such rewards, especially to the officers who commanded these private soldiers, who naturally received the lion's share of the rewards.

While admiring the Baron's generosity, these officers were also very dissatisfied with the "traitor" who had previously sabotaged the Rock Lake Mine. It was because of this guy that they now had money but nowhere to spend it. After all, spies and infiltrators were being hunted down everywhere, and even stray dogs walking by the roadside would be arrested and questioned by the Society. Not to mention the Nightingales, who couldn't even leave their homes, let alone come to the mine to "serve".

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

With the addition of a large number of people, the camp at Rock Lake Mine has finally changed its appearance. It now looks like an army garrison, with all kinds of defensive facilities in place, and even some new models of crystal cannons. These were sent by the Black Sun Society to help their "loyal believers" rebuild their stronghold.

Meanwhile, the replenishment of miners is also ongoing.

With the help of the mysterious rituals mastered by the Baron, many refugees scattered in the surrounding area were forcibly "recruited" and ruthlessly incorporated into the ranks of miners. Surprisingly, a considerable number of them had previously worked in mines.

Moreover, the Baron was "lucky" enough to find a qualified mine manager, a thin, hunched old man who was very experienced in managing miners and mines. With his help, the Rock Lake Mine resumed operations at an extremely fast pace. Although production declined, it was at least able to meet the output targets under the pre-war conditions.

Of course, more importantly, with the help of this new supervisor, the "sharp-beaked owls" were finally able to start operating around the mine. Spending all day near the mine, they all felt like they were about to become miners.

During this process, the officers of "Sharp-Beaked Owl" also welcomed a new comrade. That was the young officer who had survived in the mine.

The baron greatly admired him and, with a wave of his hand, freed him from his original fate, successfully placing him in his private army. Some astute observers pointed out that the baron definitely wanted to cultivate this young officer into his right-hand man—his frequent departures from the barracks to receive private orders from the baron were a very clear indication of this.

Fortunately, the young man was also very "sensible". He was humble and generous, and was willing to share some of the benefits and important information he had gained with everyone. He even helped everyone avoid punishment several times because of the Baron's trust in him.

"Quickly, go and ask the Baron what he thinks, whether this can be done?"

Within a few days, the officers had already gotten used to treating their new comrade this way, and they couldn't wait for him to stay with the Baron a little longer and bring back more important news.

"What, have they gotten used to you asking them questions?"

"I think so."

The young officer looked up at the face of Baron Fiorlando, his eyes filled with intense admiration.

The day before he joined the "Sharp-Beaked Owl," the mysterious "Baron" finally revealed his true identity to him, and his body trembled uncontrollably when he heard the name "Shug Ernst" and received the strange metal badge from him.

Yes.

He had long heard of Hugh Ernst, the city of Seren and the Dawn Society.

What sustained him and kept him from succumbing to the Black Sun Society were his love for his homeland and his unwavering faith in the Flame of Life. These two things were what made the young man believe that there were still many people in Vaan who could continue to fight against that terrible society and the terrifying deity behind it through their own abilities.

And now, these fantasies have actually come true.

That excitement ignited all the passion in his body in an instant. He felt like he had become a burning torch, with endless hope and possibility contained in every drop of blood, every bone, and every breath.

He had rubbed the badge countless times at night. It was magical; it always revealed different patterns from different angles and under different lighting, yet everything in the badge always formed a perfect whole.

Yes, that's how they should be, supporting and helping each other...

Unfortunately, he cannot wear it yet. As a new member of the Dawn Society and a direct participant in this important plan, he must be patient and carry out each of his tasks to the best of his ability.

"Don't look at me like that. You need to calm down, calm down even more."

Hughes sensed the emotional fluctuations in the young man before him, so he raised his hand and gently patted the man's shoulder twice: "You don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. Just follow our previous plan and become one with this group of private soldiers and officers... It doesn't matter what you do in private, but in front of them, you not only need to show fear and distrust of me, but you also need to join them in cursing the name 'Fiorlando'."

"I'll proactively shift some of the work and tasks at the mine to you, and you can take the initiative to complete them. In short, you need to cover for the others as much as possible and not let those guys become suspicious of the current situation. If you feel that any of them are acting strangely, you can tell me in advance."

After the young officer had written everything down, Hugh picked up a magical letter from the table beside him and said, “Theoretically, we are safe now, but that is only theoretical. I am worried that the Black Sun Society may use some strange methods to place its own spies within various armies. Therefore, we need to be transparent enough in some matters.”

"This is a notice requiring all members of the society to go to Watchtower City in three days for a society meeting... Tell those guys that I am preparing to go to Watchtower City, remind them to compile a report on the number of people and weapons in the archer battalion, and just say that I need to take this report to the society to ask for support."

"I see."

The officer nodded seriously, but then he looked at Hugh with concern: "But... sir, are you really going to attend the society's meeting? That could be very dangerous."

"Yes, of course. After all, it's a gathering of the Black Sun Society. They wouldn't invite their members to dinner together for no reason."

Hugh smiled, his eyes narrowed. This gesture, combined with Baron Fiorento's face, made him appear particularly sinister. The officer then heard him say, "But there's nothing to worry about. After all, it's not my first time attending their gathering... Maybe this time, I'll even see some of my 'old friends.' I wonder if his eyes have been healed yet?"

When he said those words, there was a hint of mockery in Hughes's voice, but they sounded particularly startling to the officer.

His intuition told him that if the Black Sun Society were to successfully infiltrate such a figure, it would likely have a significant impact on the entire society and even the current Kingdom of Saint Steel, especially considering the external allies that were accumulating strength and waiting for their opportunity…

"Perhaps this Mr. Ernst is truly an envoy sent by the God of Life and the Goddess Mel to redeem Vaan? Could it be... could it be that they can really save my homeland from those villains?"

In this bleak and hopeless country, his heart was full of longing.

(End of this chapter)