Starting the Strategy from Frieren

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"How dare they make Lord Ivan go through so much trouble—"

Douglas, the leader of the Fierce Dog Gang, showed a fierce expression. "The Butcher Gang has no manners at all! They need to be taught a lesson!"

His bootlicking attitude had a reason behind it.

When Ivan first led his troops to exterminate the mountain bandits, Douglas had secretly followed with a few of his men. Initially, he thought the new lord was just a lucky rookie, but Ivan's ruthlessness far exceeded his expectations.

Generally, people believe that the dead should be respected. Even if someone was a heinous criminal in life, they would usually be buried humanely after death.

But Ivan was different. He didn't even spare the dead!!

Perhaps it was due to different local customs. As an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Ivan felt it was a waste to simply bury these evildoers.

Not only did he cut off their heads, pickle them with lime, and hang them on the city walls, but he also kindly used necromancy to detain their souls at the moment of death, turning them into zombies to mine in the most dangerous areas.

Tireless, fearless, and without protest, the most important thing was that they didn't need to be paid. Powered by magic batteries made from the corpses of high-ranking demons, a battery the size of a fingernail could power them for a year. Truly the perfect mining tools.

After Ivan left, Douglas went to observe the mining zombies. Although they had no heads, they could still move, albeit slowly. Despite lacking vocal organs, Douglas and his men could faintly hear wails of agony.

Even more terrifying, as they were leaving, Douglas felt a hand on his shoulder.

"The human soul, isn't it amazing? Even though they're dead, they can still control their bodies with magic."

Ivan, who should have already left, suddenly appeared behind him, scaring Douglas so much that his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

"L-Lord Ivan! I... I actually..."

"Hey~ No need to be so nervous." Ivan patted Douglas's broad shoulder again. "I'm someone who values laws and principles above all else. You haven't done anything wrong, so there's no need to fear me."

"Ah... yes, yes..."

Douglas nodded repeatedly, but his fear made his words stumble.

"For Leaf Fragment City, I'm just a newcomer. I don't know the ins and outs of this place as well as you locals do. So, I need a capable helper, understand?"

From that moment, Douglas knew he had to become the new lord's loyal dog.

"I won't let you down, Lord Ivan!"

"Look at you, still so nervous. What if your ugly, bitter face scares the children? Hurry up and smile for me."

"Yes..."

Douglas quickly recalled the happiest moments of his life, like a flashback, and soon a smile spread across his face.

Since it wasn't a forced smile, it looked particularly natural. Being able to smile so genuinely under such threatening circumstances raised Ivan's opinion of him. He was indeed a talented individual.

Back to the present.

After the Fierce Dog Gang eagerly pledged their loyalty, Huck, the leader of the Falcon Gang, also immediately declared his stance. "We are willing to follow Lord Ivan's arrangements!"

He had heard from Douglas about what happened during the bandit extermination. Whether or not the story was exaggerated, the row of heads on the city walls was undeniable proof. This new lord was nothing like the weak previous one.

The Butcher Gang, unaware of the changing tides, remained arrogant and domineering, destined to be dealt with.

From Ivan's perspective, the gang problem had to be resolved—it was non-negotiable! If these troublemakers disrupted his plans during his efforts to develop the city, it would not only be disgusting but also significantly delay progress.

So, he needed to bring some under his control, eliminate others, and gradually reform the system.

"Good, I can feel your loyalty." Ivan pulled out a large pile of headbands from his spatial ring, which glowed faintly in the dim light.

"Later, have your gang members wear these to distinguish friend from foe. Let me show you how to tie them."

Wait... is this really necessary?

As if sensing Huck's confusion, Ivan explained, "Don't always think of yourself as just a gang leader. People must always look forward and have dreams. Tying this headband will be your first step onto the right path."

That night, the Butcher Gang's base saw intense fighting. Not only did the Falcon Gang and Fierce Dog Gang join in, but the city defense forces also participated.

The clashing of blades, angry shouts, wails of pain, and the crackling of flames continued until dawn.

Later, when compiling historical records, some residents who witnessed parts of the event recalled that countless glowing lights gathered in the night, surging like heavenly fire.

From then on, the gangs began to reform. Incidents of robbery, theft, and violent clashes gradually decreased, and the overall crime rate dropped significantly.

Another snowfall began to drift down.

On the first day, the snow wasn't heavy, accumulating only as deep as the back of a hand. Some blackened, rotten wheat stubble still pierced through the thin layer of snow.

On the second day, the snow reached ankle height.

On the third day, it rose past the knees.

The weather, which had been warming up, began to cool down at an alarming rate, seemingly racing toward the lowest temperature on record.

Frieren, who hated the cold, had become inseparable from the fireplace, even sleeping wrapped in a blanket next to it.

"Frieren, you're blocking the way sleeping here. Go back to your room."

"No."

Frieren refused outright.

She claimed the bed was as cold as a stone and threatened to tell Flamme that Ivan was abusing her if he forced her to sleep in her bed.

"Abuse?"

Ivan was speechless. He silently walked to the bed, grabbed a handful of snow, and said, "Frieren, it seems you have no idea what real abuse is~"

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