Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 412 Old Land, New Lord: Unlimited Liability
The war that took place in the summer ultimately left a deep, bone-revealing scar on the White Deer Plain.

However, life always finds its own path amidst various difficulties and tenaciously survives.

The vast lands on both sides of the Huanyan River now present a unique scene after months of war.

The dark craters were filled with murky rainwater, like big eye bubbles. At the edge of the craters, clumps of unknown wild grass had already sprouted, their tender green shoots forcefully piercing through the scorched earth.

Between the ridges plowed by artillery fire, bold field mice cautiously peek out with their eyes. Once they've confirmed there's no danger, they dart out quietly, quickly snatch a piece of dry rations that have been left behind, and disappear into their burrows.

The abandoned orc camps, like the skeletons of dead beasts, lay scattered across the plains. Totem poles made of animal bones and wooden stakes still stood crookedly, and tattered flags fluttered gently in the summer breeze.

It was like playing a lament for the end of the orc era.

On a larger scale, the people of Bailu Plain welcomed their new rulers.

A multi-race, multi-national coalition army from the Starry Continent.

However, these guys who had just become the managers of this land, who should have been full of vigor, looked inexplicably tired at this moment.

Just recently, Hanhailing had conducted an intensive training program on execution capabilities for these administrative personnel from all over the country.

The learning intensity is extremely high, the information density is extremely high, and the course schedule is packed tightly.

During that time, whether intentionally or accidentally, something happened that sent chills down their spines.

That was an earthquake that triggered a collective "earthquake" in the management of Hanhai, which started as a regular fight.

The incident occurred in Xuanshui City, where the training was held.

As one of the earliest bases of the Summer Moon Alliance in the White Deer Plain, Xuan Shui City is well-managed and fully equipped. Only here can it accommodate thousands of "administrative" personnel for simultaneous training.

Because of its proximity to the swamp, the air here is slightly humid. The northern wind, passing through the excavated saltwater lake, carries a faint salty smell, drifting over the gray-white city walls and stirring up tiny dust swirls on the wide streets.

The original orc warlord's mansion in the center of the city has been transformed into a comprehensive council hall, and is now being used temporarily as the "First Pilot Administrative Management Personnel Training Center of Linhai County".

Although it's called a training center, it's actually equivalent to a university. More than 5,000 "administrative staff" from all over the country received pre-job guidance from Hanhailing here.

Well, because it involves pre-job assessment, the number of open recruitment positions will be more than 30% higher than the final number of hired positions. Chen Mo has already prepared for a one-third elimination rate.

Then, a fight broke out, which disqualified most of the reserve positions.

The incident originated from a report from Xuan Shui City.

[Report on the Handling of the Mass Brawl in the Third District of Xuanshui City]

Time: 11:00 AM, August 19th, Year 2 of Summer

Location: East entrance of the West Third District Free Trade Market.

Cause: Two human and beast tribes with old grudges got into a fight when their verbal sparring escalated. Both sides called on their own tribes for help, resulting in a large-scale brawl at the market entrance. The fight involved sticks, props, stones and other violent weapons, and a small number of professionals also participated.

Outcome: The incident resulted in six deaths (four humans and two orcs), and twenty-two injuries of varying degrees, seven of whom were seriously injured. A small number of stalls at the east entrance of the market were damaged, and some goods were trampled and looted.

When the matter was reported to this point, most of the trainees saw it as nothing more than an ordinary and insignificant local tribal conflict on this continent.

On this continent where different races coexist, and within each race are further divided into different tribes, and within each tribe into different families, it is perfectly common for conflicts and deaths to occur.

However, the Han Hai Territory, or rather the Xia Yue Alliance, took drastic measures to deal with this.

[The garrison commander of the West Third District failed to adequately anticipate potential ethnic conflicts within his jurisdiction, and his efforts to mediate were ineffective. His handling of the incident was slow and he failed to control the situation promptly and effectively. He is hereby dismissed from his post, given a major administrative demerit, transferred out of the Xuan Shui City management system, demoted to a third-level clerk, and placed on probation at the Beijun Mining Administrative Office.]

The regional security patrol captain, two security officers on duty that day, and twelve patrol members failed to arrive at the scene within the stipulated time after the incident, constituting serious dereliction of duty. They are all now in custody and imprisoned pending trial on charges of "dereliction of duty," to be tried and sentenced by the Linhai County Legal Affairs Office in accordance with the law.

[Amu, the Chief Administrator of the Provisional Control Area of ​​Bailu Plain and Acting City Lord of Xuanshui City, has failed in his supervisory duties and bears overall leadership responsibility. He is hereby given a region-wide public reprimand, a six-month salary deduction, and is barred from participating in any rank promotion evaluation for two years.]

[IV. All individuals involved in the fight have been arrested and are being dealt with swiftly and severely by the Xuan Shui City Legal Affairs Office in accordance with the "Provisional Regulations on Public Security Management and Criminal Punishment of the Xia Yue Alliance," distinguishing between primary and secondary offenders and the severity of the offense.]

Upon seeing the announcement, the students, who had been in the spacious and bright hall just a moment ago filled with curiosity and anticipation, instantly erupted into chaos.

Shock, confusion, anger...

"How could the deaths of a few scoundrels and lowly commoners implicate the town garrison and the city lord?"

"How can this not make sense? How can it not make sense!"

"If this rule is followed, wouldn't local officials have to live in constant fear? How can they possibly accomplish anything?"

"Exactly, that's right. Street brawls and brutes killing each other are common occurrences. Does the local governor have to do nothing but watch over them all day?"

"By the Seven-Eyed God, this is utterly absurd!"

"This is outrageous! Absurd!"

Is it absurd? Perhaps it is a little.

Even more absurdly, the reason why the security team leader and his subordinates did not arrive at the scene in time was not because they were slacking off or having fun, but because they were providing security for a large-scale personnel training program.

In other words, they were protecting these "big shots," and then, because of a slight oversight regarding the lower-class people, they were thrown into prison.

Even the orcs couldn't stand it anymore.

Although both sides were dealt with equally in this incident, the fact that almost all the punished individuals were human officials led many to believe that this signaled favoritism towards the orcs.

However, some intelligent orcs had already sensed immense malice.

Given the severity of this announcement, haven't the orcs offended everyone from the White Deer Chief Executive to the grassroots patrolmen? How are they supposed to live from now on?
In addition, how do the orcs manage their own internal affairs?
"So, if any lowly slave freezes to death in the wilderness or falls into a ditch, wouldn't our beastman chieftain be held responsible?"

The entire training center was filled with indignation.

What is this? Is it a show of force, made to intimidate others?
However, that's not actually the case.

Insiders quickly obtained accurate information and found that throughout Hanhai, such unexpected incidents at the grassroots level leading to the downfall of high-ranking officials were common occurrences, and were not isolated cases at any particular time or place.

This is the norm for management at HanHai.

After the initial shock cooled everyone down, the instructor immediately used this fresh case to point out a fact to all the trainees.

Officials in the Han Hai Territory practice a system called—unlimited liability.

This management model is not only an isolated case in the Starry Sky world, but even on Earth, it is only preserved and implemented by a very few countries.

In contrast to unlimited liability, there is naturally the limited liability system, or even no liability system, practiced by a number of "civilized" countries.

On the surface, limited liability, as a product of the rule of law and a symbol of civilized society, seems perfect in that it defines boundaries and clarifies rights and responsibilities.

However, in reality, no matter how the system is designed, the harsh reality remains unchanged: limited liability only protects the wealthy and powerful. The common people, on the other hand, are not entitled to "limited liability."

Because when people at the bottom are held accountable, even if you have fulfilled your limited liability according to the law, they will still find a hundred or a thousand ways to squeeze you dry.

When those in power need to take responsibility, they only need to raise the banner of "limited liability," and the law becomes their shield.

Only those in positions of power have the authority to hold those in lower positions accountable. Any regulations that weaken accountability are essentially protecting those in positions of power. For a simple example, the tradition in Dongxia for thousands of years was that murderers should pay with their lives, and debtors should repay their debts.

However, if murder is no longer punishable by death, then sorry, this right to commit murder will never fall on ordinary people. If you dare to break the law, even if you are not sentenced to death, you will only suffer a fate worse than death.

The same applies to debts that don't require mandatory repayment. If a tycoon owes you money, you'll never be able to collect it. Even if your assets are frozen, they can still receive hundreds of thousands of yuan a month in living expenses. But if you owe a tycoon a small amount, you'll lose everything you should enjoy in life.

This is the reality!

Therefore, in many places on Earth, you can see that those who neglect their duties apologize, those who are corrupt are transferred to another position, those who commit fraud bow back, and those who do evil pay some money, and then they can turn around and continue to live a carefree life.

Some companies fabricated data within the national military-industrial complex, covering almost all underwater combat submarines. As a result, they were suspended from bidding for two and a half months. Of course, there were no bidding projects during those two and a half months.

A wildfire raged across the land of a certain country, causing immense suffering and displacement. Meanwhile, officials throughout the state continued their lavish lifestyles, indulging in their usual eating, drinking, and merrymaking. Their greatest contribution to the wildfire came from the spittle spewed by their political opponents and the angry populace.

Even in Dongxia, there have always been a large number of "progressive" people who have been pursuing this, constantly pushing for the so-called rule of law and human rights in order to obtain the same superior environment for themselves.

Therefore, following the earnest advice of Dongxia's think tank, Lord Chen Mo readily accepted the suggestion and implemented an unlimited liability system for all members of the territory on the lands managed by Han Hai.

Xia Yuanfeng, who was in charge of presenting this course, tapped the blackboard with a serious expression.

"Therefore, if any of you engage in corruption and embezzlement in the Han Hai region, seizing national funds, regardless of your identity or status, you will be forcibly stripped of all rights and property, and then sent to the mines to mine and pay off your debts until they are all paid off!"

"Similarly, since you have taken on the role of the head of the territory, you bear inescapable responsibility if any problems arise in the area you are in charge of!"

"Don't be defiant!"

"In this fight, it appeared to be an accident caused by a verbal altercation. But can't officials at all levels really find ways to prevent such incidents from happening?"

"Was there any foresight or advance warning regarding this possibility? Have you been properly coordinating tribal relations and mediating disputes on a regular basis? Are the daily patrols and security teams adequate? Did you respond and intervene immediately after the incident occurred?"

"Since none of them did it, let it serve as a warning to those who come after. At least they've made some contribution!"

"Everyone!"

The students present all turned serious.

Xia Yuanfeng raised his voice: "If you don't use the power we give you to do things, is it just so you can seize profits and act arrogantly?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

These chilling, endlessly accountable regulations gave these future "administrative officials" of the territory their first profound understanding of the way Han Hai operated.

Next, after passing the initial assessment and signing the relevant performance agreement in the presence of priests from several different deities, the tasks assigned to them by Han Hai Ling plunged the entire management team into another deep silence.

This time, the silence was mixed with other emotions—surprise, doubt, fear, and unease!
Complete abolition of slavery? Slavery relations must not be obstructed, delayed, or preserved in any disguised form for any reason.

A unified new script will be implemented across the entire region, a universal system of weights and measures will be adopted, and a new calendar and new regulations will be enforced.
All resources, including farmland, forests, water areas, and mining areas, will be thoroughly cleared and brought under the alliance's control. These resources will then be distributed to households in an orderly and compensated manner according to the "Interim Measures for Land Allocation." Private land sales are strictly prohibited.

What did we see?
It was too late to do anything. Once the treaty was signed, trying to back out would not only offend the lord but also all the gods.

A few days later, a special working group stationed in the village, carrying simple luggage, heavy documents, and several boxes of supplies, including a batch of emergency medicines, basic farm tools, teaching supplies, and simultaneous interpretation equipment, headed east toward their destination—Shiquan Village in Linhai County.

The village is situated on a low, gentle hillside, backed by a sparse grove of trees, with a murky stream running in front of it.

The village is called Shiquan (Stone Spring), but in reality, it is just mud during the dry season and floods at any time during the rainy season. Every year, mudslides roll down the river, swallowing many lives each time and forcing the village to keep moving outward.

However, it cannot be moved too far, otherwise it will be inconvenient to go up the mountain to chop firewood, and it will also be difficult to hide when the bandits attack.

This is a typical "no man's land". To the north is a vast wilderness and no man's land, where wild animals and small bandit gangs used to roam. The nearest town is fifty miles to the south. To the west is the hunting ground of the orc tribe that used to manage this area. Now it is abandoned and the grass has grown to waist height.

It is a truly impoverished and remote place.

The village is home to about four hundred people, a mixed bag of people. Sixty percent are White Deer people, who were originally slaves of the local orc chieftain and are now anxiously awaiting their new masters' orders. Thirty percent are various orc laborers and orc hybrids, mostly cat, fox, and dog people. The remaining ten percent are scattered half-orcs, goblins, and a few dwarves who have wandered here.

The only decent building in the center of the village is a stone house left by the orc lord in the past. Now, a newly polished wooden sign hangs at the door, with crooked Xia script and orc language that reads: Stone Spring Village Office.

In the late August afternoon, the sun was particularly scorching, and the village office was as stuffy as a steamer. The only small window was open, but hardly any breeze could get in.

The man wearing the badge that read "Acting Village Chief of Shiquan Village, Linhai County" on his chest is Zhou Wen, the village chief from the Sky Empire. He is a distant nephew of a county magistrate in the Sky Empire, and his family has some kinship with the Chen family of Sky Empire. This time, he came to this unfamiliar land in response to Chen Ye's call, despite the hardships.

This slightly plump, fair-skinned middle-aged man, dressed in a silk shirt in the style of the sky and an ill-fitting Han Hai civil servant uniform, was holding a leaf and fanning himself idly, while sweat kept dripping down his forehead.

"Investigator Xia, what's wrong with this room? It only has such a small window, you can't even stick your head out. What's the point of it?"

The person he called Investigator Xia was a former village cadre from the Han Hai Territory, a disabled human veteran. Because he had lost an eye, he was once seen by the lord and given the name Xiahou Dun.

Veteran Xiahou Dun was also drenched in sweat. He kept wiping his sweat with a yellowed towel draped over his shoulder while introducing the situation to the new members of the work group.

"The conditions here are poor, and there aren't many usable houses. The lord has a rule that we cannot occupy the private residences of ordinary people. This orc's house is considered a decent office space."

"However, the orcs who lived here in the past did too many bad things. They were afraid that someone would sneak in from the outside at night and cut off their heads, so the windows were opened this big, so that even the rat tribe laborers couldn't squeeze in!"

The village office remained silent for a brief moment.

"Let's talk about the situation on our end!"

Zhou Wen introduced the team members to Xiahou Dun.

The deputy village chief and sheriff, Asog Chaser, from the Elven race; the treasurer and teacher, Lydes, from the Stream Moon tribe; the healer and broadcaster, Zane, from the Mist Moon Divine Court; along with village chief Zhou Wen and the Vast Ocean investigator Xiahou Dun, this is the complete leadership team for Stone Spring Village.

Xiahou Dun nodded, his one eye scanning each person, thus recognizing them.

"After the establishment of the six prefectures, the prefectures were short-handed and couldn't pay much attention to this place for a while. My job here is to coordinate some affairs and report the situation to the prefectures. I have only made some progress on the basic work."

"He led the villagers to build a gravel road from the village outwards, which barely connected to the G205 national highway in Linhai County."

"A dual power station, one solar and one hand-cranked, was built, connecting us to the county's communications network, and also supplying electricity to the radio station."

"We've conducted a preliminary census of the village, and the data has been reported to the county. You all came from the county, so I'm sure you already have a clear understanding of the situation."

"We have asked the National Defense Army to send troops to sweep the area several times. There are no large bandit gangs or herds of animals within a radius of several dozen kilometers, but there are still some small thieves scattered around."

"I've set up a militia platoon here, and I've put a few clever little guys on guard outside. The village's safety shouldn't be a big problem for now! I'll hand it over to the sheriff in a bit."

"..."

Xiahou Dun narrated in a plain tone, and with each point he made, the eyelids of the others couldn't help but twitch.

You call this a little bit of work?

Several young men from aristocratic families glanced sideways at the old soldier with his head tilted and the scars on his face quite noticeable, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

In our area, managing a village, let alone a town or city, isn't this troublesome!
As long as you maintain good relationships with the bigwigs and established local figures, and keep a respectable facade, the rest will naturally be handled by the clan leaders and local powerful figures.

With the current approach taken by the Han Hai Territory, where is there any room for clan leaders and powerful figures to survive?
No wonder the elders in the family repeatedly urged me that this was a rare opportunity to train, and that I should try my best to stick with it no matter what.

The village chief took a deep breath, placed the notebook on his lap, and began to take notes diligently.

(End of this chapter)