Chapter 141 - 141. Beauty World = Booty Whirl, New Bandits Established (1/2)
”From this day, your robbing days are over. Do you hear me? I don't want to see any of you robbing others for your own sake or livelihood. Don't tell me that's the only way for you to survive?” I quipped as I took a long stick and prodded one of the robber's chest like a cattle.
”Boo Hoo Hoo... My cutlass has been cut in two pieces. What can I do right now? There's no such thing as compensation if our weapons got lost or damaged... The recruitment form does not state anything like that.” cried the newly recruited highway robber.
I glanced at the road and saw that there are two roads that separate the path, one is heading towards the town and one was coming from it. The distance between towns was clearly marked out as 5 km between one another.
”How many of you were stationed on each border? You mentioned there 145 of you and that makes up a total of 435 highway robbers and not including those who were deployed as snatch thieves, burglars and extortionist right?” I inquired and took out my notepad. This notepad is going to be my ultimate weapon and a solution provider for these highway robbers.
”I want all of you to turn face towards me. It is just too bad that you had robbed the wrong person right now. Do you know who I am? For your knowledge, I am called 'Night Ryder' and these are my finest who are with me now and we are called 'Booty Whirl'.
”Let me tell you if you turn the face towards me and my cause and save your flat assets right now. Are you interested or not? The Army of Aermagh would not touch you one bit of you listened to me and follow my direct instructions.” I used Bluff, Insight and Diplomacy with them and it worked perfectly just as I thought it would be.
”First of all, I want all 400+ to disband from the 'Rusty Blades' and pledge your allegiance to 'Booty Whirl'. Not only you won't be captured and tortured, but you would love a more luxurious and relaxed living from this moment on.”
I continued and one of the robbers raised his hands and asked me, ”I like the idea of not being captured and tortured. What are the benefits because the 20% we earned and shared among the 5 of us would not be sufficient even to buy bread for three meals a day.”
”Now you know where you stand right? If you pledge your allegiance to me, 'Night Ryder' and to 'Booty Whirl' you not only gain 100% profit but you would also earn a steady livelihood and good reputations. Not only that, you would get a new set of uniforms and weapons to fight against your old 'Rusty Blade' gang.”
”Joining 'Booty Whirl' is not without a cause or smooth sailing. You'd expect storms and trouble brewing from your old gang. Are you going to put up with it?” I enticed them with some bluff and diplomacy and these words really sank into these poor sods.
”What should we be doing sir, to enjoy the full benefits? I have never heard of 'Night Ryder' or 'Booty Whirl' before but an organisation is able to provide arms and uniforms and a new livelihood would sound too good to be true.” replied another as I've finished prodding him and prodded another one.
”Simple, first, I want you to fill up those potholes that you had dug up before. Then set up two barriers here on both sides of the roads. Each passing caravan would be allowed to pass and they need to pay 20 credits for using this road, that you are going to refer to as 'Road Tax'.”
”Identify yourself as 'Booty Whirl' that repairs the roads and ensure a smooth journey and collect 20 credits per caravan that ply on both sides of the roads. I am sure that there are more than 20 caravans that would be passing through here every day, right? 20 on each road is already 40 trips. Each day all of you would have a share of 800 credits and 160 shares equally between the 5 of you.”
The robbers were looking at each other and were thinking it was the sweetest deal they had hard in several months. 100% profit and no cuts.
Just a mere 20 credits to be collected per caravan and ensure the roads are useable and had no potholes et cetera.
Sounds like Land Traffic Authorities to them but hell yeah, no one ones these roads and merely maintaining them would be nothing to it.
The robbers were busy chatting with one another and Patricia pulled me aside and pointed out, ”Dear, your Bluff, Diplomacy and Insight are the tops right now. You could even ask them to turn face and pledge allegiance to a non-existent group and our company name do sound alike to the group you had mentioned earlier.”
”No one would take notice and they thought that it's just another branch of our company but under a different name that's all,” I replied quickly and turned back to the robbers.
”What say you? It is a nay or an aye? It's its a nay, I'd get my two Assassins here to kill you right here and now so that you won't need to worry about your next meal. If it's an aye, raise your hands and we'd untie you and get to work as soon as possible.”
”Aye Night Ryder... We pledge our lives and allegiances to Booty Whirl and would do as per instructed and no more than that. Please untie us sir and we get back to work as soon as possible.” I used Insight on the robber that had pledged his allegiance and saw that he was talking the truth and I got the two adventurers to untie them.