Granting the Title of Viscount

The situation is unforgiving; compared to one's own life, credit points are naturally more important.

Even though Powell was reluctant to spend the credits, he still agreed enthusiastically.

"I think it's great! It should be 300,000!"

"I'm willing to give it! I'll give it right now!"

As expected, this Dog Profiteer is incredibly wealthy; he gave away 300,000 credits without hesitation.

"I'll only give you one month to get the arm armor. I'll come and pick it up then."

"Of course, you can try running away, it just depends on whether you can hide."

"Sir, you're joking! Where could I possibly run to?"

"It's just a month for the arm armor, could you give me more... no... no need!"

Seeing the growing murderous intent emanating from Lister, Powell, despite his inner turmoil, quickly agreed.

I guarantee it will be completed within a month!

Since it's an upgrade of S-grade equipment, it would probably take him a month, working day and night to complete it.

After giving him a harsh blow, Lister still decided to give him some hope.

"As long as you do a good job, I'll keep this mission with the military region, and I might even be able to introduce you to some new clients in the future."

"Really? Sir! You can rest assured that you'll be satisfied with this arm guard!"

Powell didn't dare to think about introducing any new clients; after all, he wouldn't dare to cheat clients introduced by Lister.

But if the task that's been weighing on his mind can be put aside, that would be a good thing for him.

Even if it's just handed over to the military region or to this Lister in front of us, at least we won't be pursued by others.

As long as he is of value to Lister, he will never have to worry about his life.

As for running away, that's just a thought. Coming from a Level 3 civilization, he naturally knows about the Galactic Federation's information network.

Even newly emerging civilizations have dedicated observers watching them; it's no use him running around.

What has truly kept him alive until now is simply his origin in a level three civilization and his distance from prosperous areas, thus avoiding getting in the way of the Arcane Civilization.

After a while, Lister left satisfied with the credits he had received.

The pile of basic potions and the Time Crystal Bracers were left scattered across the ruins, which the already disheveled Powell cleaned up.

The former Parik Province has now been renamed the Duchy of Merrick.

The original provincial administration hall was converted into the principality administration hall.

Meanwhile, behind this governing hall, a brand-new, colossal castle rose from the ground and was completed in just one year.

Lister was currently inside the new castle, sipping red tea while listening to Tim recount the current situation of his family and the Lucian Empire.

"My lord, Emperor Hughes is currently preparing for war, and I've heard that the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty is doing the same..."

Several years have passed, and Tim's Class Holder level has now risen to level 13, entering the second tier.

It's probably because some shackles have been removed, and the overall strength is increasing.

The war between Lucian and the Great Chu was only temporarily halted because of the Alchemy Ruined City; the war between the rulers of the two continents was inevitable.

As the Duchy of Merrick, located on the border and closest to the Lost Lands, it was destined to become a battleground.

Fortunately, there is still time before war, and both sides are currently in a stalemate, conserving their strength.

How is our domestic economy?

"My lord, since the founding of our Duchy of Merrick, all industries have increased rapidly, and the economy has grown continuously for many years."

"Since last year, among the four duchies of the Lucian Empire, our Duchy of Merrick has been the strongest economically, and is currently the center of the entire Southern Territory."

"Only..."

"Just what? Don't worry, just tell me."

Lister only came back to inquire casually; he didn't actually care about the development within the duchy, since he couldn't offer any new assistance.

Of course, it's good that things are developing so well now, and it's probably largely due to the players' previous stay in the Parik Province.

Tim's current hesitation is what makes him more willing to speak up.

"There are some rumors circulating about you in the Empire right now."

"They say our Duchy of Merrick is actually a 'country without dukes'."

"There's also the rumor circulating among some of the lesser nobles in the Duchy of Bell recently, using our Duchy of Merrick as an example, saying that a duchy without a duke would develop better, and there are even rumors that they're secretly plotting to abolish the dukedom!"

Upon hearing this, Lister couldn't help but find it amusing.

In certain historical contexts, leaders can indeed be obstacles in oppressed groups; without leaders, everyone's lives would be better.

But this absolutely does not include the Duchy of Bell; they're just using the Duchy of Merrick as a front.

After all, even without a duke, there will still be provincial governors, and the same rule and governance will still exist.

It's highly likely that Hughes wanted to abolish the Duchy of Bell, which is why he caused this whole mess.

Early the next morning, in a plain area west of the main city of Parik Province.

A squad of about a hundred heavily armored guards in black had just finished assembling. The guard captain stepped forward excitedly and respectfully addressed the young man in front of him.

"Your Grace, the Heavy Black Armor Squad is ready for your inspection and command!"

The young man merely glanced at him and waved him aside to wait.

Seeing this, the captain of the guard said nothing and silently took two steps back to stand beside him.

He kept glancing at the young man with his eyes. As the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Merrick, it had been several years since he last appeared in the duchy.

Its sudden appearance has caused tension, excitement, and admiration among most officials and the military within the principality.

Everyone knows the story of what happened at Lucian's Palace back then, and how we got to where we are today.

Although Lister was only a Grand Duke, his personal strength was unparalleled. Even Emperor Hughes had to avoid his sharp edge and treated the entire Duchy of Merrick with special regard.

As nobles and rulers of the Duchy of Merrick, they shared in the honor.

At this moment, there were quite a few others waiting beside the captain of the guard.

The twelve governors of the Parik Province, along with a group of senior clerks, stood cautiously to one side.

They patiently waited for Lister to speak with Butler Tim.

Did you understand?

Lister held the blueprints in his hand; this was the third time he had explained the construction details of the teleportation array to Tim.

The actual construction couldn't possibly be done by Tim, as it's a Federation A-level skill, and building a teleportation array is quite difficult.

However, he will be responsible for some preparatory work, especially the construction of the general outline of the teleportation array.

"Sir, I understand what you've said, but... are you sure I should be in charge of the construction?"

After Tim finished speaking, he looked at the large group of people behind him.

In the end, he was just a butler; his usual honors all came from the Duke Merrick, and he dared to talk and negotiate with other nobles about matters within the Duke's castle.

But when it comes to directly commanding and giving orders, he has powerful nobles from the Duchy of Merrick behind him, and he doesn't have the guts to do that.

Upon hearing this, Lister didn't say much, but instead turned to face the crowd behind him.

Instantly, all the officials and guards turned to look at him, awaiting his orders.

There are two things I've called everyone here for today.

"Firstly, I will bestow the title of Viscount Tim in the name of the Duke Merrick, and we shall all be his witnesses today."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes quickly swept towards Tim.

The duke's steward could theoretically become a baron, but he is usually granted the title of life baron upon retirement in old age.

Tim, who appears to be only around thirty years old, was granted the title of viscount, which is obviously against the rules.

However, even Emperor Hughes dared not say anything to Grand Duke Merrick, let alone any objections from them.

Ultimately, it was just giving a lifelong viscount title to someone he trusted; his eyes, however, held more envy for Tim.

Tim suddenly straightened up, his mind going completely blank.

As if stunned by this sudden surprise, he stood there blankly, his eyes vacant.

Lister ignored his reactions and continued to give orders.

"Secondly, I need to construct a fortification, which will be overseen entirely by Viscount Tim, with the full cooperation of everyone present."

"This project must be completed within a month!"

Anyone with objections, please raise them now!

The scene was completely silent.

"Alright! Since everyone agrees, let's follow Viscount Tim's instructions and proceed with the construction!"