When selecting loyal warriors, the most important point is loyalty.
A certain great general once said:
“The second floor must be built on top of the first floor!”
As the saying goes, you need legs to walk, a mouth to eat, and water when you’re thirsty.
Do you think this is a joke?
There are too many strange things in this world.
It’s not that Raphael is being overly cautious; if he didn’t repeatedly emphasize such things, who knows what trouble might arise.
How is loyalty obtained?
Only select those from good families.
Soldiers trained this way are good soldiers.
The Empire’s current military system is like this.
The army is downsized, a screening mechanism is established, and their social background is investigated before enlistment, using it as a basis for recruitment decisions.
As a result, military expenditure has greatly decreased, while troop quality has significantly improved.
Compared with the armies of the old conscription system, combat effectiveness has not diminished but increased.
Raphael had no way to investigate the social backgrounds of these hybrids.
But he had an even more incredible ability: to see the Sin Level on the prisoners.
Now, there were about 800 hybrids left in the prison, and he only needed to select 20 hybrids with a Sin Level below 10.
Soon, Tina gathered the hybrids and had them line up in two rows.
Raphael and Tina then reviewed them one by one.
Raphael could not directly step forward and designate people.
Therefore, if he fancied a candidate, he would give Tina a look, and Tina would keep that person.
After a thorough investigation.
[Name: Angelina]
[Sin Level: 9]
[Execution Reward: Spicy Crayfish 1 jin * 5]
[Name: Rodrika]
[Sin Level: 7]
[Execution Reward: Bouncing Bomb * 1]
[Name: Alessia]
[Sin Level: 0]
[Execution Reward: Premium Catnip * 1]
…
18 hybrid girls, plus Tina and Liliya, 20 in total.
Among them, 7 were the half-orcs who had moved the steam engine with Xiugu that day.
Raphael had wanted to accept them all, but according to Alessia, the others had died in yesterday’s riot.
Alessia was the girl who had stood up for Raphael last night.
Her bloodline had been greatly diluted; only a pair of furry ears gave away that she was a half-orc.
Her short brown fluffy hair just reached below her neck.
The skin on her face was dark, but the parts covered by rags were fair, likely tanned from labor outside.
The two different skin tones were separated by her half-covered coarse linen robe, drawing a distinct soft curve where the shadows divided.
Her figure was thin, a common ailment among the remaining hybrids in the prison.
However, unlike other hybrids, her eyes were bright.
Pure and white, they seemed out of place in this prison filled with filth and grime.
It was precisely because of this that she had been brave enough to step forward yesterday, to be that “first bird.”
Even if her abilities were insufficient, Raphael would treat such a person well.
“Alessia?” Raphael crouched down and patted the little one’s head.
“Umm… yeah.” Alessia shyly lowered her head.
“Thank you for speaking up for me yesterday.”
Raphael’s tone was gentle, and the hand stroking Alessia’s head gradually became softer.
Hearing this, the girl pinched her rag robe with one hand, clenched the other into a fist hanging in front of her stomach, twisted her bare feet on the ground, and smacked her lips twice:
“Because… because Lord Raphael let me eat meat… I ate such a big piece of meat for the first time. No gamey smell, no stench, covered in sauce. One bite and my mouth was full of the meat’s fragrance, piping hot, soft and tender, as if I could swallow the whole piece without chewing…”
As she spoke, Alessia’s stomach let out a growl.
“Umm… ah!”
Next to her, another half-orc who knew her well, Rodrika, laughed, showing two sharp canine teeth:
“Alessia, didn’t you just have breakfast?!”
Alessia blushed and muttered quietly:
“I… I didn’t eat enough (⋟﹏⋞)”
Watching their comical scene, Raphael couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Truly, peaceful times.”
Yes, he had devised so many plans and taken various risks. If it were just for his own gratification, that would be too dull and uninteresting.
Of course, gratification was also important.
Looking at the 19 people gathered around Raphael, the other hybrids were either envious, blessed, or indifferent.
But one person’s eyes gradually grew resolute.
“My lords, may I ask why I was not selected?”
Safitiya had been eliminated by Raphael at first sight.
The reason was simple:
[Name: Safitiya]
[Sin Level: 27]
[Execution Reward: My Struggle * 1]
To be honest, regardless of the Sin Level issue.
Just based on this one’s Execution Reward, Raphael dared not mess with such a person.
What does it mean that your Execution Reward is the autobiography of a certain mustachioed man?
Of course, it was not Raphael who needed to consider how to answer, but Tina.
“As a warrior,” Tina stepped forward, “the most important thing is a strong physical constitution.”
“Your broken horn prevents you from serving on the front lines, but you can still shine in the rear. Being a warrior is no nobler than being a worker.”
Hearing this, Safitiya’s mind went blank.
If she disagreed with these words, it would mean warriors are nobler than workers… That felt weird, and it didn’t align with her values.
But if she agreed, it would mean she couldn’t join this unit and couldn’t fight alongside the girl before her.
Ugh, so hard to answer…
But after only a moment’s hesitation, Safitiya spoke:
“Indeed, as you say, everyone can shine in a position that suits them.”
“Therefore, I humbly ask to demonstrate my strengths, in hopes of contributing to the prison to the fullest extent.”
After she finished, Safitiya bowed slightly, as if waiting for their approval.
Tina glanced at Raphael, who was stroking his chin, deep in thought.
Safitiya…
The way this woman spoke was completely unlike the illiterate hybrids.
Faced with Tina’s watertight defense, she used Tina’s own words as a springboard, shifting the topic from “whether to choose her” to “why choose her.”
Subsequently, without the other realizing it, she guided them into the trap she had set.
At the same time, she imitated Tina by using the phrase “contributing to the prison,” binding herself to the collective interest of the prison.
Quick-witted and sharp-tongued, Raphael had to admit she was a talent worth cultivating.
Tina could be explained by natural talent, but what about Safitiya? Could this one also be blessed with great fortune?
Good heavens, two top talents from one prison, treating this prison like a talent market, huh!
After a moment, Raphael nodded, and Tina immediately said, “Alright, show us your strengths.”
Receiving permission, Safitiya stepped forward.
“Calling them strengths may not be entirely accurate.”
“My lords, I have a way to solve the prison’s debt problem.”