Lying on the hospital bed, Duke Galava stared blankly at the first ray of light coming across the window in the early morning. His pale face looked like he was just recovering from a serious illness.
He had been suffering from insomnia all night these days. Every time he closed his eyes, he would be awakened by nightmares and find himself covered in cold sweat.
He couldn't understand.
Why did the trump card that the Vaillant people helped them lose?
I can’t even understand how they lost to just over 500 people.
"...Technology?"
His heart was palpitating slightly, his lips were moving tremblingly, and there seemed to be a hint of enlightenment in his cloudy pupils.
Diseases that cannot be cured by palace doctors can be cured here. He vaguely heard someone say that it was because of technology and technology.
And the most astonishing thing is that not only the princes and nobles like him can get help here, but their medical resources are so rich that they can even install mechanical prostheses on those seemingly impoverished people.
I even heard from Niyang that they have also set up something called a homeless home. Some survivors who have lost their hands and feet can receive an unlimited sum of money to replace basic mechanical prostheses as long as they are willing to learn life skills and accept work arrangements.
interest loan.
After calming down, Duke Galawa felt his back was soaked with cold sweat again.
Only then did he gradually realize what kind of opponent they were provoking.
but……
This failed trial is not a bad thing.
At least he figured out how to make the empire stronger.
Relaxing his shoulders and neck and sinking the back of his head on the pillow, Duke Galava comforted himself in his heart and felt a little better.
"...We have to find a way to get some technology."
Just as he was thinking, there were footsteps outside the door.
He was startled when he thought the voice he read was being heard, and sweat broke out on his back. It wasn't until he saw that the person who appeared at the door was his confidant Niyang that he relaxed his tense shoulders a little.
"Sir, are you awake?!" Niyang stood at the door with a stack of papers in his hand, looking at Duke Jarawa who had opened his eyes in surprise.
Jarawa looked at him with a serious face, and was about to call him in, but when he saw the pile of papers in his hand, his heart suddenly tightened.
"Take the newspaper away!"
He didn't want to see this now.
Anyway, it is foreseeable that there is definitely no good news.
"This... is not a newspaper, sir, but a ceasefire agreement drafted by the alliance." Seeing the Duke's excited reaction, Niyang whispered honestly and honestly, "Do you need me to throw it away for you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Duke Galava jumped up from the bed as if he had touched a switch.
He didn't look like a patient at all. His bloodshot eyeballs seemed to fall out of their sockets. He stretched out his hand with all his strength.
"give it to me!"
"As you command, my lord."
Niyang nodded respectfully and walked forward with the draft, but a trace of imperceptible loss flashed across his face.
Pity.
The fire he poured out with all his strength should have caused the crumbling building blocks to collapse to the bottom, but was held down by an invisible hand.
If this war is carried out thoroughly to the end, and the bad blood that exudes the smell of corpses is drained out at once, and the insects that lie on the giant's body sucking blood are drowned, there may still be a glimmer of hope for nirvana in his hometown.
But now, he can only lament his bad luck...
…
The war is over.
At least for a while.
In the ruins in front of the Governor's Palace in Golden Gallen Harbor, the faint smell of blood cannot be washed away even if it rains several times.
A group of people in clothes knelt on the ground and prayed with their hands clasped together, thanking the guardian spirits for protecting them from death and disaster. Others in ragged clothes carried baskets and searched around on the rubble, throwing in all valuable things.
in the basket.
The corpses and the weapons lying next to them had long been taken away by the militiamen in the settlement, but there were still some things worth recycling left.
For example, some bullet casings dropped on the ground, or bullets embedded in the wall.
These orange-yellow metals are all good stuff. One pound can be exchanged for one or two beans. There are some businessmen near the port who are buying them.
At this time, someone suddenly picked up a leather belt with an ammunition bag hanging from under a pile of broken bricks. He immediately raised it over his head with joy and waved to the guard sitting not far away.
When the guard saw it, he yawned and stood up from his chair. He walked up to take the belt and looked through it for a while, then counted out a few bills and threw them to the man.
The scavenger bowed with a mocking smile.
"Thank you, Lord!"
The guard waved his hand and didn't even bother to reply. He picked up the leather belt and turned around to sit on the chair again.
Everyone cast envious glances at the lucky man and turned around to search even harder on the ruins.
I heard that no barges have docked at the inland river ports for a long time, and His Majesty ordered the downstream inland river ports to be blocked. No food will be shipped from the west anymore.
Looking at the rising bean prices, many people have already smelled the smell of famine.
They must make preparations for a rainy day...
There were some scavengers in the distance who wanted to come in, but they were stopped by a group of strong young men.
Those young men were wearing short shirts and carrying sticks in their hands. They were thin but fierce and bared their teeth like hyenas on the grassland.
"Go away! This is our home!"
"You cockroaches!"
"Either give me money! Or go somewhere else!"
Those ragged scavengers were obviously no match for this group of guys. Some of them took out two Xilan coins and handed them to these young men. Some of them really couldn't afford the money or felt it wasn't worth it, so they cursed.
Went somewhere else.
On the other side, decent people got up from the ground one after another after finishing their prayers, bidding farewell to this land where they had lived for many years for the last time.
When leaving the ruins, people nodded and thanked the young men who were guarding the ruins with sticks, thanking them for not charging them a penny for the sake of neighborly friendship.
And when looking at a certain rat tribe boy, what was written in those eyes was nothing but reverence and gratitude.
They should be the ones lying there picking up trash and begging for work.
If they had listened to the werewolf villain named Vikram and asked for more from the iron men, they would probably have nothing but a pile of rotten bricks now, and they might have to pay for a few pieces of garbage and a group of people from other neighborhoods.
The scavengers who wandered over started fighting.
Bathed in the admiring gazes of those pairs of people, Asin nodded gently towards them, but did not show too much enthusiasm.
He could probably feel that what was hidden behind those grateful eyes was not gratitude, but awe that they might not even realize, just like when they faced the gods.
It is difficult to be a great person, but it is not difficult to imitate a great being. He knows better than anyone else what kind of virtue these guys are.
He only needs to maintain a proper distance and dignity, and occasionally give some small favors, and they will praise his kindness and generosity.
This is so easy for him now, and it doesn't even cost money.
As a reward, when they return home, they will tell the children or younger brothers and sisters at home, asking them not only to be as careful as mice in the night, but also to learn from that good young man named Asin, like
He is also a promising guy.
After that, he doesn't even need to speak, their children will find him consciously, treat him like a real brother, and ask him for a job that will make them successful.
These people have become his strongest base.
Maybe he should think of a name for his family.
Watching the neighbors leave, Asin withdrew his gaze from their backs, looked at his most loyal servant and said.
"Kunal, we won this war."
Kunal was slightly stunned.
"us?"
Isn't this a war between Iron Man and the Empire?
He couldn't remember when he joined the war.
He spent those two days staying with his family, staying at Asin's request in the warehouse he bought in the port area.
Looking at Kunal who was puzzled, Asin nodded and spoke slowly.
"Yes, and not only did we win, but the survivors of the entire Golden Gallon Port won."
Kunal looked at him in confusion, his eyes full of confusion.
Knowing what he was confused about, Asin smiled lightly and said.
"Two weeks ago, could you believe that a rat tribe owner owned a two- to three-hundred-square-meter mansion on Tulip Street?"
The trace of high-spiritedness floating between his eyebrows was quite consistent with his age. After all, he was only a seventeen-year-old boy.
Kunal shook his head subconsciously, but soon came to his senses and realized that his boss was a member of the rat tribe, and quickly added carefully.
"I didn't mean to offend you..."
"I know," Asin didn't care, he just looked in the direction of the Governor's Mansion, narrowed his eyes, and continued, "Two weeks ago, it was impossible for a poor rat tribe man to be neighbors with the nobles there, and even paid for it.
I don’t even have the qualifications for money, but now at least I have money.”
He didn't feel sorry for the damaged Golden Gallon Harbor at all. This place had never been his home, but belonged to His Majesty.
It would be better to smash this broken jar so that they can use their own hands to build a new home on this ruins.
That is what belongs to them.
As for those high-ranking nobles and those citizens who cry for father and mother after eating a few meals of dirt, just let them cry. After all, they never gave him a coin when he was hungry, and he had no reason to do so.
To sympathize with them.
But to be honest, when he saw those people's reactions, he was actually a little surprised.
Especially when he discovered that those who had lost the most not only did not cry, but even changed their minds faster than himself who had nothing, it almost overturned his original impression of those guys.
After thinking about it, he realized that apart from status, bloodline and pampered living habits, the only difference between himself and those people seemed to be education.
Those guys who wear clothes and eat white bread are all literate and have read a few books. He has everything now, except this one thing that he can't catch up with them.
And this also made him determined to hire a teacher for his young brother and sister, or simply send them to Shuguang City to study.
besides--
Be sure to find them a sister-in-law who has studied!
However, Kunal did not fully understand what he said, or in other words, he only heard the word money.
Money is indeed a good thing.
I used to have a lot of respect when I followed Vikram, but the most I could do was make those poor people bow their heads. The citizens wearing clothes would not look at him twice because of his identity as a wolf tribe member, and would only dislike him for doing so.
Hanging out with a bunch of bad people, you even have to look down upon yourself.
But everything has changed now. Since he has money in his pocket, even the girls in skirts will look at him more and even hold his hand to talk about poetry and dreams. The girl promised him that as long as he
She would do anything to help her buy a ferry ticket to Silver Moon Bay.
"Boss, you are right... we have to find a way to get more money," Kunal said in a muffled voice, "It is too slow to collect the management fees from those scavengers. If we save coin by coin, we will not be able to save it in our lifetime.
Get a boat down."
Asin was stunned for a moment, not knowing why this fool wanted to buy a boat, but he still agreed with the first half of his sentence.
They really need money.
And there are many, many...
"Kunal, my friend, of course we can't make a fortune from the scavengers' money, but don't underestimate the sale of these coins. Of course, there are people who do value the money that we don't value."
He pointed to the young men carrying sticks with his chin and continued.
"Not only do we need to get ahead, they also need to be the pride of their families. We give them the power to collect management fees here, and they get dignity and money from us. When we need to deal with those guys who are not convenient for us to deal with,
, they will take action for us."
A hint of surprise appeared on Kunal's face, and something clicked in his mind, but he quickly continued to ask.
"What about us?"
"We are doing bigger business." Asin glanced at the ruins in front of him and narrowed his eyes slightly, "This is right next to the Governor's Mansion. If a building is built here, how much do you think it will be sold for?"
Kunal was stunned for a moment. He didn't think about the money issue, but asked nervously.
"But what if the people from the empire come back?"
Moreover, this is the shooting buffer zone for the iron men. Those people paid them to move away. How could they be allowed to move back?!
Asin curled his lips.
"You mean the empire? Impossible. They have been frightened. If they still plan to come back, they will not retreat so far. And even if they come back, the battlefield will not be here, but those outside the settlement.
trenches.”
Regarding this matter, he had already consulted the adult called "family" yesterday.
Those iron men were not happy to see such a large piece of land abandoned, especially one so close to the port area.
They are completely different from the Governor. They seem not to see people living too hard a life. This may be related to the big-antlered deer god they believe in.
But no matter what they want to do or want, he will serve these masters well.
What's more, he is also optimistic about the potential of this land.
During this time, both the poor and the rich wanted to live closer to those iron men. If a house was built on these ruins, it would surely be sold for a lot of money.
It just so happened that he also had some capital on hand.
Therefore, when he proposed to contract this land, the adult named "Family" was just surprised, then slapped him on the shoulder with a playful smile and agreed, only mentioning the land tax and transaction tax.
.
However, there is no need to worry about these things until the house is built, or even before the house is sold. This may change in the future, but at least for now, their most urgent hope is to build the building as soon as possible instead of selling it.
How much.
Although that adult has a weird temperament, he is a good person.
Asin could feel that he was different from a rotten person like himself. He really wanted to do good things, and he even declined the kickback from his filial piety.
It was precisely because of this that he swore to that "family member" that he would live up to his expectations and cultivation of himself and handle this matter beautifully.
In order to allow smooth and safe construction on this land, we first need to eliminate troubles such as undetonated duds or explosives.
So, he asked the young men who used to live on a street to spread the word that there were many treasures here that the strong men looked down upon.
Not only that, he also deliberately arranged for a few "sitters" to pick up some "treasures" hidden under the bricks from time to time, show them off in front of the scavengers, and exchange them for money from the guards.
As expected, the scavengers who were coaxed here by the rumors turned into red-eyed vultures one by one, eager to dig up the ground.
These coolies who don't spend any money and even pay him will lick this battlefield clean, leaving no trace of residue behind.
Then, he can recruit people to work here.
"...Kunal, I have thought about it. Unity is very important, maybe even a little more important than the knowledge we don't have. The reason why the empire's lackeys are vulnerable is because they are not united enough. They have offended this settlement.
We must not make the same mistakes as all the people on earth who can offend, whether they are knowledgeable or ignorant."
That slightly young face had a maturity that belied his age, and Kunal suddenly felt that he was a little strange for a moment.
Looking at the servant who nodded blankly, Assin paused and continued.
"So I'm going to let everyone live together."
Kunal asked in confusion.
"Living together?"
Asin did not answer directly.
"For a long time in the future, I'm afraid only places close to those iron men will be safe, and a lot of dirty things will come out. Don't look at the ruins in front of you. Only scavengers are interested. Wait until there are a lot of buildings built there.
Buildings, all the rich people in the city will rush here like them. I can bet you that in the future, a brick here can buy their entire wardrobe, even their brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren."
Kunal held his breath, as if he was shocked by this shocking fact, and it took him a long time to say a word.
"But...the Iron Men prohibit human trafficking."
"Why are you as stupid as a pig? Did I say you want to do human trafficking?"
Asin hated him and kicked him, but seeing the aggrieved look on the servant's face, he still grabbed his shoulder and patted him.
"Listen Kunal, you are the first person to stand on my side. Although you are my servant to the outside world, I have always regarded you as a friend and as a family member...I am not telling you all this.
I am showing off how rich I will be in the future, but I am telling you that you will also have the things here, and it will be a whole house!"
"One, a whole building?!" Kunal was stunned, and his voice stuttered for a moment.
"Yes, they can only be allocated one apartment, but you can be allocated a whole building," Asin pointed to the young men in the distance and patted Kunal's shoulder, who was breathing rapidly, "So I said
You have to listen to every word he says. From now on, as long as they are everyone on the same street, they are our family. No matter what they did to me, you or others in the past, don't go to them to settle accounts.
Be polite to them, but of course you don’t have to be too nice. Only by winning over them and their relatives can we turn our fists outward, and others will not dare to bully us."
Kunal swallowed hastily and nodded nervously. He wanted to shut up, but he couldn't help but ask one more question.
"Okay boss...can I ask you another question?"
Asin let go of his shoulder and gave him a casual look.
"go ahead."
Kunal asked cautiously.
"What exactly do you want to do..."
After hearing these words, there was a rare moment of confusion in those stern eyes, but it was only for a moment.
He quickly replied.
"I haven't thought about it yet. Maybe I will think about it in the future. At least now I just want to make money and protect my family."
He has no ambition to become an emperor. It is somewhat unrealistic for a rat tribesman to do this. Moreover, he has already obtained wealth that he could not imagine in his life, and he is satisfied both spiritually and materially.
His only thought now is to keep it.
But it's not easy.
For this he needs matching power.
He knew very well that the reason why those iron men cooperated with him was not because of how strong he was or how rich he was. Those things happened to be something he didn't have.
The reason they really chose him was because he could convince some people to do things for them that were inconvenient for them to do or even say.
In order not to lose everything he has now, he must continue to roll the snowball in his arms, and he can only keep rolling.
If you don’t want to be eaten as fat by other hyenas in the wasteland...
…
Asin was not the only one who was confused about the future. Lacy, who had just won a battle, was also confused.
Looking at the murderous dagger that brought the ceasefire notice, he felt a breath held in his chest, filling his stomach with flames.
Unable to bear the fire of ambition that burned his soul, he shouted loudly for the first time to the iron man wearing the exoskeleton.
"Why the ceasefire? The emperor's army is completely vulnerable! With your help, we can definitely break into Tiandu! Then the treasures, palaces, everything there will be yours, and we only want the blood of those people!
Don’t want anything!”
As long as he cleanses those hybrids with the blood of the Japanese and Ox tribes, he can rebuild the dynasty belonging to the Yue tribe!
He will become the new emperor and correct the mistakes of the past. When the liquidation is over, he will also inject a little alliance into the theory of thousands of races and gods, such as unity, equality and abolition of slavery, just like the desert kings
They're all doing the same thing.
The reincarnation that cursed this land will end completely at his hands!
And the empire reborn from the ashes will be more stable and united than before!
To be honest, Murderous Dagger doesn't particularly like this guy, although many people on the forum like this NPC.
This is normal. Even if we are all fun-loving people, not everyone has the same fun.
For example, Brother Mosquito wants to see explosions, Ah Wei wants to give cute girls a home, and the guy with big eyes in debt does the same, but the direction of his force is different.
But it is undeniable that compared to those slaves who only have hot blood, there is something in him.
"Calm down."
Looking at this guy with a red face and a thick neck, Murderous Dagger didn't even move his shoulders and just said calmly.
"You should know whose help you relied on to defeat the Gray Wolf Army with overwhelming force. We do not deny your contribution in the battle, but you have to recognize yourself. You and your men are not the Alaya at all.
As easy as it is for us to crush our opponents to death, it will be as easy for them to crush you to death."
Laci looked at him in astonishment.
"Aren't we friends?"
Knowing that the astonished expression was just a show of cunning, Murderous Dagger simply ignored it and continued speaking calmly.
"Yes, but they also have their own friends, just a little further to the west... Those big noses are even closer than us by boat. Do you understand what I mean? If the fight continues
, it is a full-scale war. Not only do we have to spend hundreds of millions of silver coins, but we may also give more dangerous enemies an opportunity. Ask yourself, are you worth the money we spend now? "
It's not just about money.
The attitude of the camp BOSS is more important than money. They must always consider whether their actions are in line with the overall interests of the alliance.
But there is no need to tell this guy this.
Realizing her rudeness from the sharp tone, Lacy took a deep breath and tried to control her excitement.
He didn't know what the greater threat was, but he still wanted to try to make a last-ditch effort for the people on this land.
Looking at the instructor, he said sincerely.
"Please let me meet Mr. Fang Chang!"
Murderous Dagger said seriously.
"This is Fang Chang's idea, and of course it is also the result of our joint discussion."
Laci was completely desperate.
No--
It can't be considered despair.
It's just possible that the fire called ambition burning in my heart was extinguished a little by a basin of cold water.
He realized that it was unrealistic to rely on the strength of outsiders to become emperor. No one would be so generous that he would risk everything for their own good.
And his own strength is too small to match his ambition.
perhaps--
He should be more practical, such as starting from a warlord or similar existence, and the throne can be gradually gained.
His Adam's apple moved and he continued.
"What about those gray wolves? They are the captured ones. What do you plan to do with them?"
Murderous Dagger looked at him strangely, wondering why he suddenly asked this.
However, he was quite satisfied that this guy did not continue to struggle with the previous issue, so he said in a gentle tone.
"We plan to let them build prisoner-of-war camps outside the city. It is our consistent practice there to use labor to reform those who need reform."
Laxi was stunned for a moment and asked subconsciously.
"Why not put them in Camp Lowell? We can go and live in that camp for them!"
Killing Dagger stared blankly at this guy who suddenly lost his temper, and for a moment he couldn't figure out who was Killing Dagger.
"That's a prisoner of war camp, are you crazy?"
Lacy spread her arms and took two steps back, then clasped her hands together and begged.
"Please, I promised my men, I said I would put those beasts in a cage... at least let them feel what we have experienced and the anger of us slaves towards them!"
He needs to improve his prestige among his subordinates by humiliating those guys.
His request was not high, at least let them stay there for a few days!
Not knowing what this guy was carrying in his stomach, Murderous Dagger seriously considered his request for a while.
Although he thought about telling these people that it was unreasonable to vent his anger on those compatriots who were also deceived and lame, he soon thought of what Fang Chang said to him before -
Some things are too advanced for them.
Thinking of this, Murderous Dagger spoke.
"This demand is reasonable. I will ask other people's opinions, but it can only delay it for a week at most. Our demand for those captives is not just punishment, but we also hope to use their labor force to rebuild the Golden Gallon Port. Construction is the current No. 1
First priority.”
Lacy was overjoyed when she heard this and said quickly.
"Thank you! It doesn't take that long, three days is enough!"
Murderous Dagger nodded.
"Wait for my news."
After saying that, he got on the armored off-road vehicle parked at the entrance of the camp and drove towards the port under the respectful watch of Lacy...