Return to the Duchy of Merrick

Lister then quietly gazed at Powell.

But I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, never expecting that our civilization had reached the point where unregistered people wanted to buy a spot to join.

A Level 2 civilization already holds a relatively high status within the Galactic Federation; most unregistered individuals might not be able to join even after accumulating credits their entire lives.

Not to mention the Merrick Civilization, a nascent Level 3 civilization, which is something most undocumented immigrants wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Only those with exceptional talent who are unregistered, and some promising life forms from lower-level civilizations that have not yet registered, have the opportunity to join a Level 3 civilization based on their talents.

With the existence of a 'Quasi-Hegemon', the Merrick Civilization has an even slimmer chance of advancing to a level four civilization in the future.

For any life form that desires to join a new civilization, this is an immense temptation!

In this context, the Merrick Civilization actually received far more attention from nearby civilizations than Lister had imagined.

The reason he couldn't feel it was simple.

On the one hand, news of Lister's own strength had not yet fully spread.

On the other hand, the Merrick Civilization never established a government, making it difficult for other civilizations to even contact it.

"Sir, why don't you name a price?"

"I only implore you to grant me one spot. That kid has considerable talent and will definitely contribute to the Merrick Civilization!"

Seeing that Lister remained silent, Powell himself began to lose his composure.

They took the initiative to plead for leniency and were willing to offer a higher price.

"Let's go for the market price; the spots won't be available for a while."

"I think you should know the actual situation of the Merrick Civilization. I've returned to deal with this matter."

"But that kid you mentioned who wants to Merrick Civilization... who is he to you?"

The situation of the Merrick Civilization is perhaps unknown to other civilizations.

However, the citizens of the nearby Yalan Civilization were well aware that the two civilizations had already established a friendship under Lister's instructions, but had not yet formally formed an alliance.

The teleportation array had already been built, and the actual situation of the Merrick Civilization was well known to some first and second level civilizations in the vicinity.

"Hey-hey!"

"Sir! As long as there are any spots available, there's no rush."

"With you by our side, everything else in the Merrick Civilization is just a matter of time."

Hearing Lister's agreement, Powell finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a major problem had been solved.

"As for that kid... actually... he's my son."

Upon hearing this, Lister raised an eyebrow.

He really never imagined that someone like Powell would have descendants?

I always thought he was a single, wanted criminal.

"When I was recruiting on Planet CX2989,... I accidentally... some of the kids..."

"My lord, you know my identity. We can't return to the Arcane Civilization, and there aren't many opportunities to recruit from other third-tier civilizations. He's in a rather reluctant position. Originally, we wanted to assign him to the Yalan Civilization..."

Planet CX2989 is the largest habitable planet in this star system.

There is certainly a civilization on it, but no advanced life forms have ever been born there; it's just an unregistered planet.

They were reduced to cheap labor needed for the construction of nearby civilized communities, or you could say they were the largest "slave market."

Even though Powell himself is wanted, he belongs to a Level 3 civilization, but the child doesn't have those rights and can't Arcane Civilization.

Other Tier 3 civilizations also have to wait for the right time to recruit, unless their own civilization is running out of resources or a new civilization is emerging.

Moreover, they generally require talented individuals; C-level combat power is barely enough to meet the standard, and the actual situation is really hard to say.

To have the opportunity to belong to the Merrick Civilization is truly a stroke of incredible luck!

By the time Lister left, his account had received an additional 6.6 million credits.

This is probably the culmination of Powell's accumulated wealth over the years.

Don't be fooled by the amount of credits; the actual 5 million is a fixed fee that will be transferred to the Galactic Federation later.

That's right, even in such a highly profitable business, the Galactic Federation actually takes the lion's share.

A flash of blue light.

Four or five people appeared together in the teleportation array of the Merrick Civilization.

This once barren area has been drastically changed.

The magnificent buildings rising from the ground and the wide, well-developed new streets left Lister himself somewhat dazed.

"Guests from other civilizations, please leave as soon as possible and do not obstruct the teleportation array."

A familiar squad of Black Armor Guards appeared before Lister.

They politely asked everyone to leave the teleportation array.

When one of the black-armored team members saw Lister on the field, he subconsciously swallowed.

Unable to resist, he quickened his pace and reported to the captain at the front.

"Captain! That... that... doesn't it look like Lord Lister?"

He kept his voice very low and didn't dare point his finger at Lister, only gesturing to the captain with his eyes.

The captain looked in the direction of the reminder and was momentarily stunned.

It wasn't until Lister slowly walked up to him that the captain finally reacted and shouted!

"Line up!"

The ten-person squad he led behind him, along with the dozen or so people guarding the teleportation array, immediately stood upright in Lister's direction.

This action caused the citizens of other civilizations who had arrived via the teleportation array to stop in their tracks, their eyes filled with curiosity as they looked at Lister.

"Grand Duke! Welcome back!"

"What! This is Grand Duke Merrick?"

"That real genius!?"

"Are you crazy?! Who are you and I to discuss the Hegemon?"

"Hurry up, let's go!"

Most of the life forms that came to the Merrick Civilization were from nearby level-one civilizations, and were members of the power structure within those civilizations; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to afford to use the teleportation array.

The situation of the newly emerged Level 2 civilization, the Merrick Civilization, is generally clear.

They knew this was a superpower that had not yet fully developed, a civilization on par with the Yalan Civilization.

New powers naturally bring new opportunities, and most of them are now setting up industries in the Merrick Civilization.

Lister Merrick also gained some understanding of the true core figures of the civilization through the Yalan Civilization.

Knowing that the other party was Hegemon, having served most of his time in the Arcane Civilization Army, he never expected to meet him today.

No one dared to greet Lister at that moment; most simply smiled and exchanged polite greetings before quickly leaving.

Lister ignored these citizens from foreign civilizations and instead looked at the squad leader of the Black Armor Guard in front of him.

Have you seen me before?

"Your Highness, I am the captain of the fourth squad of the seventh company of the First Black Armor Guard of the Duchy of Merrick!"

"I was one of the members who built the teleportation array, and I had the honor of meeting you, sir."

The squad leader's face was filled with respect and surprise, and his eyes shone brightly.

His voice was loud and Steadfast, but it still trembled slightly, indicating some nervousness.

"Your Highness! Should I inform Viscount Adrian now?"

"Yes, go and inform all officials of the principality that they must assemble in the council hall in three days."

"Yes!"

The squad leader gave a salute, then excitedly left quickly to deliver the message.

Lister walked slowly toward Merrick Castle, which he remembered.

All the land along the way was either under construction or already fully developed.

The buildings are diverse in style, including both residential and commercial areas, and there is a rich exchange of goods from various civilizations.

The currencies used for transactions were very limited: gold coins minted by the Duchy of Merrick, Azure Coins from the Yalan Civilization, and Federal Credits.

At first glance, it seems that the Azure Coin of the Yalan Civilization is the most widely used.

The barren grasslands and woodlands outside the main city of the Duchy of Merrick have now been completely developed and constructed.

The changes to the main city itself are even greater. The civilian areas of the outer city have disappeared, replaced by various factions from the eastern and western continents, such as the Adventurers' Guild, the Apothecary Guild, and so on, as well as the official outposts of other civilizations.

The buildings are increasingly exaggerated and bizarre, and the level of prosperity is beyond question. The technology of the outer city seems to have skipped a level.

Even public transportation in the outer city is already using the brand-new flight cabins.

However, once inside the inner city, everything was different; everything remained the same.

All the buildings of the Duchy of Merrick have been completely preserved, especially Merrick Castle, which remains the most prominent landmark in the inner city.