I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 85 Difficulties
The beef stewed with carrots, onions, and celery was tender and fragrant. A little red wine was added during cooking to remove the beef's gaminess and add a unique meaty aroma. But seeing the paladin girl waving her hand, DuPont had no choice but to put down his knife and fork and nod to her.

Then she came over.

"You came to see me, huh?" Whether it was his naturally outgoing nature or overly optimistic, the paladin's words left DuPont somewhat speechless. However, DuPont was not one to let the conversation die down: "I came to try out some contract quests, and of course, seeing some beauties along the way would be a nice thing too."

"Hehe." Deva tossed a silver coin to the innkeeper, asking for the same dish and a glass of water. Her tone was full of concern: "What about your last fainting spell? Were you really too exhausted?"

“Yes, I haven’t been getting much rest lately either, it’s all all at once.” DuPont looked into the Paladin’s brown eyes and joked, “But my classmates and teachers say you seem to be planning to do some things that only adults can do to me while I’m unconscious, is that really true?”

The paladin blushed immediately upon hearing the mention of this, and he dared not meet DuPont's gaze: "Nonsense! I was just checking to see where you were injured."

"Oh, really? But I heard that if the coachman hadn't stopped you, you would have done that to me."

“Rumors, absolutely rumors.” Deva crossed her arms to stop DuPont’s teasing. “Alright, alright, I’ll cover your food and lodging expenses here. I’ll also take you to the Adventurers’ Guild later to try and get your team a good mission.”

DuPont picked up his glass and took a sip: "That's a small matter. But you've just started working here, don't you need to focus on your job?"

"Nobody here really likes me." The paladin girl's mood was somewhat low, and her expression was listless as she spoke. "The original captain has been recuperating at home, and the affairs here have always been handled by the vice-captain. I came here as the acting captain. Although he didn't say anything nasty, nobody listens to me. On the contrary, the vice-captain tells me what to do, and nobody pays attention to me during meetings. They treat me like I'm invisible. DuPont, can you give me some advice?"

The girl took out her money pouch as she spoke, but this time DuPont didn't wave her hand: "Forget it, there's basically no way to solve this for you, giving me money won't help."

"Is it that serious?"

DuPont pointed to the table, and soon a mist appeared on it. He drew a circle on the table with his finger, switching the call to a message: "Everyone has a social circle. There might be his family and friends in there, you understand?"

"Hmm, and then?"

"It's very difficult for anyone to integrate into someone else's circle in a short period of time. Even if someone is very skilled at social maneuvering, it still takes time. Especially for guards, some of their missions are directly related to life and death. Without time to verify, if they blindly trust an outsider, at best their information will be spread everywhere, and at worst, they could be killed."

“You are now in a different circle.” DuPont drew another circle next to the original one, the two circles intersecting by only one point: “You are an outsider, while most of the guards in this town were locals. The town of 8000 people was enough for them to be familiar with every street and every family, even if they couldn’t remember their names, they could still recognize them. So their job was very simple, they just needed to manage outsiders.”

"The smaller the place, the more isolated the information. If something happens in the east in the morning, the west will know by noon. If a local commits a crime, the guards can find out the specific information with just a few inquiries, making it very easy to solve the case."

But since they're all from the same village, as long as it's not a matter of principle or a major case, they can resolve minor issues in their own way, instead of the cold law and prisons. They live in this efficient way that also elevates their status, so you could say they're inherently incompatible with you paladins; you simply can't get along.

Deva was incredulous when she heard this: "But that's not right. Obeying the law is an obligation that every citizen should abide by."

“You’re right, but even in Harua, the illiteracy rate is very high. Many people can only write their own names and have to ask someone to write a letter for them. What you’re talking about is beyond the comprehension of most of the residents here.”

"For ordinary fights, as long as they're not serious, they probably won't even ask for medical expenses. Unless it's a robbery or other serious crime, they generally won't call the guards because they have their own understanding and rules. The laws you're familiar with might only mean that murderers die and robbers go to jail; everything else is negotiable." DuPont said, swirling the ale in his glass, watching the white foam dance in the air. "In a small town like this with a permanent population of less than 10,000, 10 guards would normally be enough to maintain everything. I remember the guard unit has 30 people, right? That's completely unnecessary; it's basically set up for wartime and the limits of transient populations."

"Under these circumstances, there is basically no problem with a lack of guards in Beer Town. The guards are familiar with most people, which means that even if they don't need you as the captain, as long as there are no high-level professionals causing trouble, they can basically handle it."

"Your strength may be greater than that of an ordinary guard, but you're not high-ranking enough to command respect. Your arrival here has threatened the locals' power, indirectly showing that they're worthless in the eyes of White Stone City's leadership. And now you're trying to seize command? It would be strange if they treated you well; they'd be lucky if they didn't set a trap and smear you."

"Huh?" The paladin girl covered her head after hearing this, clearly overwhelmed: "It's one thing for them to disobey my leadership now, but they also want to find ways to smear me? Are these people really that bad? Are you talking nonsense?"

"Of course it's not 100% possible, but you're obviously very dissatisfied with the reality of being sidelined. Normally, no one would be completely devoted to a leader who suddenly appears, so it's better to ruin your reputation here and get out of here."

"Huh? You can do that??"

“That’s very simple. As long as you’re shameless, even if you’re blind, they can frame you for peeping at top-secret information. The point is to get people.” DuPont said, stretching out his palm and pressing down a stick after each sentence: “For example, if your private life is very immoral, and you’re in a hurry to hire male prostitutes and have fun as soon as you arrive here, neglecting your duties.”

Or perhaps they embezzle police force assets, stealing pickled vegetables and wine from their quarters, or misappropriating the guards' horses for personal use without paying. Or perhaps they indulge in frivolous pursuits, neglecting their duties and spending their days hunting and playing, thus hindering work efficiency. Of course, they can also directly assign you things that will inevitably draw criticism, making it incredibly easy to ruin your reputation.

"Wait a minute." As the food was served, Deva interrupted DuPont, and after thinking for a moment, said, "I have no interest in male prostitution or embezzlement. They can't pin that on me. I just work honestly every day, what can they do to me?"

"If you're willing to delegate authority, that's fine; otherwise..."

Before DuPont could finish speaking, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the door, followed by someone crying out.

Upon hearing this, Deva immediately forgot their conversation and got up to walk towards the door, causing DuPont to shake his head repeatedly.

This girl is so young.

When Deva went outside, she saw an old woman sitting on the ground wailing, her cries so heart-wrenching that they drew attention. What was even more striking was that she was clinging to the arm of a tall man, whose face was flushed with anger and fury, and who looked ready to strike, but was held back by several companions.

Deva took out her guard medal and went to the scene: "What happened?"

"They hit me, and I feel like my legs are going to break!" As the person responsible walked away, a cunning glint flashed in the old woman's eyes, but her voice was filled with pitiful pain: "But they won't admit it!"

Deva was immediately shocked upon hearing this: "Is that so?"

(End of this chapter)