Damn Charm

Upon arriving at Shining Gold Town with his private soldiers, Raven finally understood Moxigan's words.

These "redeployed" villagers were the very epitome of the era's exploited and oppressed serfs.

Their messy hair, matted into bird's nests by sweat and dirt, their gaunt faces as black as the bottom of a pot, and their hollowed-out eyes, cloudy and vacant, hid within sunken sockets, appearing lost and numb.

Ragged scraps of cloth offered no real coverage, their emaciated bodies, covered in grime, dust, and bloodstains, exposed to the air. It was impossible to distinguish genders or ages, only height allowed for a rough differentiation between children and adults.

Their bodies were hunched, but it couldn't conceal the prominent brand marks on their chests: a circle with a square 'F' inside, signifying their status as serfs belonging to the Fox Family.

And to erase that identity, new X-shaped scars had been burned onto them.

Most striking were their hands, rough hemp ropes threaded through their palms, binding them together in groups of ten or twenty, stained with dark brown blood, where flies landed and took off incessantly.

Some had festering wounds on their hands, emitting a putrid stench, with maggots wriggling within.

Others had the centers of their palms rotted away entirely, revealing pale, withered palm bones.

And still others had their hands fused to the ropes, with fleshy growths sprouting and deformed blood vessels.

The sound of hooves drew Raven's attention. He turned his head to see a Knight urging his warhorse towards him.

Through the Eye of Truth, Raven could clearly see the flow of azure light within the Knight's body, its intensity comparable to Donald's from before, clearly indicating he was a second-tier Azure Wave Knight.

The man appeared to be under thirty, with prominent brow ridges and walnut-shaped eyes, a hint of innate arrogance on his lips. Despite his tired appearance, his enchanted plate armor was kept gleaming, forming a stark contrast with the villagers beside him.

Not only him, but even the three cavalrymen behind him, who were not superhumans, were all clad in full enchanted plate armor and carried enchanted weapons at their waists.

Enchanted weapons!

The combined equipment of these four individuals would be worth at least 5,000 gold coins.

A Baron's family truly was wealthy and powerful.

Raven couldn't help but tut inwardly.

"Tomsen." Despite his fatigue, the Knight struck his chest heavily with his left hand, giving a standard military salute, "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Baron!"

"Raven Ota Griffith." Raven returned the salute with a nod, smiling, "You've had a hard journey. Would you gentlemen like to rest in Shining Gold Town? It would be my pleasure to host you."

Tomsen's eyes flickered, clearly tempted, but he still shook his head, "I am on a mission, please allow me to decline your generous offer."

"Please settle the remaining payment, and we shall take our leave."

"What a pity." Raven feigned a regretful sigh, his hand swept across his belt, and a box appeared in his hand, which he passed to a private soldier beside him.

Taking the box from the private soldier, Tomsen asked, "Lord Baron, won't you count the goods?"

Raven shook his head, "I trust the Fox Family's reputation."

Tomsen nodded, opened the box, and counted meticulously. After confirming the gold coins were correct, he raised an eyebrow, "Lord of Eagle Territory, you are truly a noble Baron of integrity!"

Although Tomsen's words were eloquent, such an action was clearly somewhat impolite.

Raven smiled, "And you are a Knight of prudence."

Raven deliberately emphasized the word "prudence."

This behavior of "counting money in front of me, showing no trust," required Raven to express a hint of "displeasure."

Otherwise, he wouldn't be a "qualified" noble.

Because on the Middle Continent, only the lowest of the low would not care about their offended dignity.

But Tomsen, as a second-tier Knight from one of the only two Baronial families in the entire Nord Province, clearly didn't give much thought to Raven's feelings.

After all, the Griffith family was notoriously poor!

Handing the box over to his attendant to store, Tomsen said indifferently, "Thank you for your understanding. I shall take my leave now."

With that, he turned his horse and galloped away with his three cavalrymen in a cloud of dust.

This brief encounter left Tomsen quite surprised by Raven's demeanor, as his conduct was entirely contrary to the rumors.

More importantly, he had noticed a detail just now – Raven actually possessed a spatial belt!

Judging by how skillfully he used it, he had likely become a superhuman without anyone noticing.

This was a very important piece of information!

God-Given Potions were not cheap, and spatial equipment was practically priceless and unobtainable; it was not something a minor Baronial family in a remote town could afford.

Could it be... that the Griffiths had sided with the Slate Family?

Tomsen's mind was filled with doubts.

He had to report this intelligence to Count Monteril as soon as possible.

Raven, however, did not dwell on Tomsen. After he left, Raven immediately turned and ordered, "Send someone to bring the prepared food and water. Give these serfs something to eat first."

"Understood, my Lord." Moxigan turned and left, calling on the new recruits he was leading.

Eric, standing nearby, looked somewhat disgruntled. Seeing this, Raven teased, "What are you thinking about?"

Eric snapped back to attention and said seriously, "Lord Baron, that Tomsen was incredibly rude to you!"

"He didn't even dismount to salute, and then he worried you'd default on the payment!"

Unlike Eric's indignation, Raven, with two lifetimes of experience, had long since become jaded about such matters.

It was simply a case of judging people by their status, and there was no right or wrong to it.

If he had been a Viscount, or possessed strength above the third tier, then Thomson would have dismounted and bowed respectfully.

But who was he to be just a mere Baron?

Raven sighed first, then shook his head. "Eric, remember this: the first lesson in becoming a qualified noble is to learn 'endurance'!"

"As long as I am still a Baron, this kind of encounter will be unavoidable."

Eric felt a surge of determination in his heart. "Baron is just the beginning. You will become a Viscount sooner or later."

Hearing this, Raven glanced at his retainer with surprise. It seemed that their time together had led to Eric's genuine change of heart towards him.

"You seem quite confident in me," Raven said with a smile. "Becoming a Viscount isn't that easy, you know."

While the two were talking, the food was brought over.

These allocated villagers ate like starving wolves, and within a few minutes, they had devoured the black bread they were given, leaving not a crumb behind. The lifelessness in their eyes had also been replaced with a spark of vitality.

Putting his thoughts in order, Raven dismounted and stood on the temporarily erected platform. He cleared his throat a few times, drawing everyone's attention.

To become a Viscount, he still had to take things one step at a time, starting with what was in front of him.

Clearing his throat again, he announced loudly, "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Raven, Raven Ota Griffith, and starting today, I am your lord."

"I know that you have endured many hardships on your journey here, but I want to congratulate you for finally escaping the sea of suffering and arriving in my territory."

"The fact that you've made it this far shows your resilience and perseverance. By not abandoning your children, you've shown that you still hold onto hope for the future."

Raven paused slightly at this point.

He saw a subtle shift in the emotions of these serfs: disgust, disdain, and hostility.

Anyone who had gone through what they had would not hold any hope for nobles.

But Raven didn't care. As long as these people reacted, it meant they were still listening to his words:

"Welcome to Eagle Territory."

"There are many job opportunities here. As long as you're willing to work, you'll receive payment, food, clothing, and the most precious thing of all: dignity."

"This winter, you can help me build roads, construct houses, and collect ice. I hope that during this time, you can nourish yourselves and become plump and healthy, because it will be when spring arrives that your true efforts will be needed."

He glanced to the side, and Volkov quickly stepped forward, handing Raven a wooden board with parchment nailed to it.

Standing with the board propped up against his chest, Raven announced loudly, "This is the decree I am about to issue."

"Starting next January, I will distribute 500 mu of cultivated land and 3,000 mu of fallow and uncultivated land in Eagle Territory."

"Including yourselves, each man will be granted 2 mu of land, each woman 1 mu, and children and the elderly half that amount."

"As your lord, I will only take 40% of the harvest as land tax; the rest is yours to keep."

The serfs looked at each other. Some had a glint of interest in their eyes, but most were still filled with disdain and suspicion.

Nobles' words were always full of traps. How could anything truly beneficial fall upon them?

As if not noticing this, Raven continued, "What does it mean to be a person?"

"It means having food in your belly, clothes on your back, and ideally, a few silver and copper coins in your pocket."

"In Eagle Territory, as long as you work hard, you can all become such people and live a good life you've never dreamed of."

Raven's gaze swept across the crowd, and he raised his right index finger. "One gold coin."

"This is the price I paid to buy you. And whoever among you can give me one gold coin will have their freedom restored."

"Your descendants will no longer have to be branded as lowly slaves from birth!"

"Work hard and earn money, even if it's for your own children."

Soon, Raven finished his speech. There was no applause, no cheers, only pairs of confused and vacant eyes.

Raven didn't even look at them. He turned, mounted his Blood-Eyed Warhorse, and rode away.

Shortly after he left, private soldiers came forward and presented the serfs with sets of cleanly washed old clothes, informing them that each piece of clothing was valued at 50 copper coins.

Looking at the clothes in their hands, they stared in disbelief in the direction Raven had gone.

The fact that the clothes were being sold, and that money was involved, dispelled the serfs' doubts.

But it also gave them the first taste of human dignity.

He... seemed to be quite different from other lords!

Seeing this, a flicker of surprise flashed in Laxus's eyes, and she looked towards the direction Raven had departed with a newfound appreciation.

Eagle Town had no physicians, so Raven had asked her to provide simple medical treatment for these serfs, mainly preparing herbal decoctions and cleaning wounds to prevent suppuration and infection.

She hadn't expected to hear Raven's words as soon as she arrived.

How could she describe Raven's speech just now?

It could be called nothing less than a successful "oration"!

History was filled with many famous speeches: the accession speech of Keynes I, the pre-war mobilization of Keynes VI, and the address by Frederick, the "Mad King" of the Insar Empire, before the execution of the Orc king.

Just like those ancient nobles, Raven's speech was simple, clear, and straight to the point.

There was no excessive hype, nor the redundant and flowery language common among nobles today... and no mindless self-praise!

With just a few simple sentences, he explained his policies clearly and planted a seed of "stability" in the hearts of the uneasy serfs.

"He truly is an anomaly among nobles today," Laxus thought to herself.

At the same time, another woman was also thinking about Raven.

"That damn scoundrel!" Nancy sat heavily on the bed, pounding the soft mattress with her small fists. A crystal with sharp angles slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

It was called an [Imprint Crystal]. Although it was only a first-tier magic item, it was quite valuable, usually costing over two hundred gold coins each. It could store up to 30 minutes of video and audio.

Nancy had brought it to catch Raven's misdeeds.

The serfs transported this time were half-dead, barely able to breathe, clearly incapable of doing any work.

Since Raven had dared to do such an outrageous thing to her last time, she wouldn't meekly accept those serfs this time either.

Once he clashed with the knights responsible for escorting them, Nancy could perfectly record the scene as evidence.

But to Nancy's surprise, Raven had acted so calmly!

That detestable dog!

Why had he suddenly become so good at enduring things?!

"Miss, please don't be angry," Jenny picked up the crystal from the floor and placed it on the dressing table. "He's just a petty baron; he's not worth you worrying so much about."

"If only it were that simple. Have you ever seen a baron dare to, dare to..." Nancy's face flushed red as she spoke.

"Spank your butt?" Jenny prompted.

"It's not like I've forgotten!" Nancy shrieked, both embarrassed and angry. "Say it one more time, and I'll spank your butt until it's even more swollen than mine!"

Tucking her messy hair behind her back with her fair fingers, Nancy pouted, puffed out her cheeks, and furrowed her brows in a wronged manner. "Raven, you wretched, stupid pig, you groundhog in a cesspit, you slug in the mud, why can't I catch you doing anything wrong?"

Seeing this, Jenny, wanting to salvage her image in her mistress's eyes, chimed in, "That's right, he's scum, a hoodlum, a low-class scoundrel, dried cow dung..."

"Who allowed you to insult him?" Nancy's voice interrupted Jenny.

The latter froze, standing there helplessly, not knowing what mistake she had made.

"Sigh... Why did I choose someone as stupid as you?" Nancy sighed. "What he said today practically trampled our Fox Family's dignity into the mud."

"If you describe him so poorly, then what does that make our Fox Family?"

Jenny's expression turned startled. "Ah? I didn't hear that. He didn't mention the Fox Family at all!"

This was the point that angered Nancy the most.

She suspected Raven of wrongdoing, but she had no evidence.

Raven was truly a born noble.

The unique aristocratic art of veiled sarcasm, subtle mockery, and that hypocritical, cunning nature were all embodied in him.

When he spoke, he clearly insinuated that the Fox Family was too harsh on their people, yet there wasn't a single piece of concrete evidence, making it impossible to catch him.

One couldn't exactly say he was too good to these serfs, could they?!

To make an issue out of that would only make the Fox Family seem overly sensitive.

Looking at the younger generation in the Nord Province, few possessed such a level of skill.

Nancy's three older brothers were all second-generation heirs who only knew how to indulge in debauchery and spend their days around women. While their personal strength might surpass Raven's, their handling of affairs was nowhere near his level.

The Slate Family, another count's family, wasn't much better. They had many children, but only Minsk had achieved anything, and he was already 33 years old.

As for Hyde, whom her father had asked her to interact with this time—he was only comparable to Raven in looks.

If he could truly contend with Raven, Hyde wouldn't have slunk away in defeat.

Nancy's delicate toes pushed aside the soft fur of the carpet, and she muttered to herself, both confused and annoyed, "This guy, he's really, really..."

Thinking of Raven on the high platform today, recalling his handsome face and magnetic voice, Jenny blurted out, "Really... charming?"

"Yes, charming!" Nancy said, hitting her left palm with her right hand, biting her lip.

"It's this damn charm!"

Raven was like a succubus in human skin, capable of making everyone around him believe his lies wherever he went.

Although she might not inwardly agree or like him... she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

He was always so confident!

The citizens of Eagle Town, the merchant guilds of Shining Gold Town, and even the serfs from the Fox Family this time all validated this point.

Especially those serfs, who had looked like walking dead, but after Raven's "speech," they seemed to have come back to life, with a glimmer of "hope" in their eyes.

The Fox Family had supported them their entire lives, and they had never seen them like this before.

"Don't just stand there, help me brainstorm," Nancy said, getting more and more annoyed. "Last time you told me to sneak into the workshop, but that wall was a full five meters high, more than three times my height. I couldn't get in at all."

"I keep you around all day, is it just for you to give me such terrible ideas?"

Jenny felt so wronged. Climbing the wall was Nancy's own idea.

Besides, she was just a maid. Maids weren't supposed to be strategists.

Miss Nancy certainly wouldn't listen to any excuses, but perhaps she could make Miss Nancy realize it herself.

With that thought, her eyes darted around. "You're a second-tier mage, and there's no one stronger in all of Eagle Town. Why don't you personally charge in...?"

This was undoubtedly a stupid idea. Jenny had already planned to use this opportunity to have Miss Nancy scold her thoroughly. That way, she definitely wouldn't ask Jenny for advice anymore!

But Nancy's eyes suddenly lit up. "That's right! There is such a way!"

"I am the daughter of the Fox Family, so I can completely use the family's name to visit him and stay at Eagle Fortress. This way, no matter what secrets he has, he won't be able to hide them from me!"

Jenny was stunned.

Was that what I meant?

However, since Miss Nancy was happy, it could be. Anyway, living there directly was much safer than climbing the workshop's walls.

She also wouldn't have to be Nancy's ladder every day while practicing climbing walls...

"It's decided, and it's a happy decision!" Nancy shook her head proudly. "Jenny, you do have a bit of a brain after all. After this matter is settled, there will be a generous reward!"

Jenny's expression was a little strange, and she wanted to say something but didn't dare.

Miss Nancy, you were originally trying to catch Raven because you were worried about your reputation being damaged.

But if you move into Eagle Fortress...

"Since we're going, we must make a grand display! We absolutely cannot disgrace our Fox Family! Jenny, go prepare. I want eight... no, ten carriages!"

"I'm going to thoroughly crush this scoundrel's arrogance!"

"Let him understand from the bottom of his heart! The dignity of an Earl's family is not something a mere Baron's family can offend!"

Seeing her young lady's excitement, Jenny didn't dare to dampen her spirits and could only steel herself to reply:

"Yes, Miss Nancy!"