Residents Who Had Found Hope Again

Loren came downstairs from his room to the main hall, where Fiana and Butler Bohr were already waiting.

"Good morning, my lord."

White-haired Bohr immediately placed a hand to his chest and bowed, every movement brimming with aristocratic elegance.

The cool and aloof Fiana gave a slight nod but said nothing.

Loren didn't mind. He smiled at Butler Bohr.

"Morning, Bohr."

Then he looked around. "Where are Deen and Ariel?"

Butler Bohr replied, "My lord, Mr. Deen has already gone to gather the territory's residents. He said he would try to complete the census you assigned today.

"Miss Ariel is assisting him."

Loren laughed despite himself.

"The deputy speaker of City Hall is helping her assistant?"

"Bring Ariel back. Since when has Deen been qualified to order my aide around?

"Tell him that if he doesn't finish the task today, he can go manage the stables in the back. When I passed by yesterday, I noticed there was still plenty of horse manure that hadn't been cleared out. Perhaps he'd make a decent laborer."

Butler Bohr smiled. "My lord, it's true that Ariel is helping Mr. Deen, but she's also looking for suitable officials for City Hall. After all, we have far too few capable people."

So few, in fact, that they could only search for talent among slaves who couldn't even read.

At the mention of this, Loren furrowed his brow.

"After this Bloody Day, I'll make another trip to Decker City. I'll find a way to address the population problem."

The population was a major problem. He had already realized that it would continue to plague Gray Eagle Territory in the future.

Without people, everything was just empty talk.

Gray Eagle Territory had fewer than five hundred people in all. On Earth, that was only half the population of an elementary school.

Pitifully few.

More importantly, Gray Eagle Territory lay deep within the Endless Wasteland, making it impossible to recruit commoners. For the time being, they could only acquire people through Decker City.

Butler Bohr nodded. "My lord, perhaps there's no need to be so anxious.

"After all, even Decker City, the most powerful city in the North, took three hundred years to build. We still have time."

Loren shook his head.

Bloody Day was the greatest source of instability. Even Decker City didn't dare take the Bloody Polluters hidden in the dimensional planes lightly.

And the Demon Overlord whose divine core he had stolen was still searching for him.

Although the system had already devoured the divine core, the Archdemon Bloodline within him wouldn't disappear. The danger remained. He couldn't afford to be careless.

He had to make Gray Eagle Territory stronger as soon as possible, and the City of Brilliant Moon had to be truly built—not remain nothing more than an empty slogan.

"Come on. Let's see how the census is going."

Without saying more on the subject, Loren turned and headed out.

Butler Bohr immediately followed behind him.

They left the manor, crossed the yellowing grass ahead, and arrived at the street where the residents lived.

From a distance, they saw a large crowd gathered in an open area, lined up in two rows. Two wooden tables had been neatly set out, and several shabbily dressed residents sat behind them, questioning the people standing across from them one by one.

Bearded Deen and Ariel watched from the side, pulling aside anyone who seemed promising to ask them more questions.

Guard Officer Kool was maintaining order with more than twenty Human Soldiers. The scene was somewhat noisy, but everything was under control, and nothing was out of place.

When the residents in line saw Loren approaching, their eyes immediately grew tense. They lowered their heads one after another, not even daring to look him in the eye.

Seeing the timid, weak-willed slaves with their lifeless eyes, Loren frowned.

But he didn't say anything. Even if he wanted to change the territory's character, that couldn't be done in a day or two.

It would all take time.

"Good morning, Lord Loren."

"My lord, welcome!"

Loren gave Deen and Ariel a slight nod.

"How is the census going?"

Deen, whose thick black beard made him look like a dwarf, answered cautiously.

"My lord, we've surveyed more than fifty people so far, but only three can read."

He gestured toward the people seated behind the tables.

"Ariel has already assigned them to the Department of Civil Affairs."

After speaking, he stole a few glances at Loren, seeming afraid that he might be blamed.

Three people who could read?

Loren looked at the long line of people still waiting and was momentarily speechless.

At this rate, they might not even find ten literate people among more than a hundred and seventy.

There was something he wasn't sure he should say.

"Are there any people with construction experience?"

Loren looked at Ariel.

Other matters could wait, but rebuilding the Arrow Tower was urgent. He couldn't wait until his next trip to Decker City to buy slaves.

"My lord, thirty-two people have volunteered that they have experience building houses. Another three have helped build Arrow Towers and city walls in other cities.

"They don't have a great deal of experience, but it should be enough to repair the Arrow Tower in the City of Brilliant Moon."

Ariel's timid words made Loren breathe a sigh of relief.

He looked toward the area the girl had indicated. On the other side of the line, more than thirty people had gathered together, separate from those still waiting.

"Assign all of them to the Department of Construction.

"Building the Arrow Tower will be a test. Whoever performs the best will earn the position of head of the Department of Construction.

"The others who perform well can also be hired by the Department of Construction as City Hall employees.

"Once hired, they'll automatically receive third-class resident status, and City Hall will pay them a regular salary.

"I think they'll work hard."

Ariel's eyes lit up. Being hired meant they could escape their slave status? That was a tremendous incentive!

Those enslaved residents would surely show more enthusiasm than ever before.

"My lord, perhaps the results would be even better if we told them of your kindness."

Loren glanced at Deen, who had spoken, then nodded slowly.

"Ariel, go make the announcement."

Deen had been protecting Ariel too much. This girl with unlimited potential clearly needed more opportunities to learn and grow.

Deen watched Ariel smile, his beard twitching as his heart grew more sour. My lord, why didn't you ask me?

With each passing day, he felt that his daughter was moving farther away from him.

Seeing the encouragement in Loren's eyes, Ariel immediately found her courage. She turned and headed toward the dozens of people nearby.

A moment later, as the girl spoke in her somewhat timid voice, the crowd that had been so anxious just before suddenly erupted into fervent cries.

"Praise our lord!"

"We can really become City Hall employees? And receive a generous salary?"

"Goddess above! This—this is simply unbelievable!"

"Miss Ariel, are you an angel sent by the Goddess? Praise you!"

Although most people didn't know what it meant to be a third-class resident, it was still better than being a slave.

And to become a City Hall employee and receive a regular salary—it was beyond anything they could have imagined.

In an instant, the residents' goodwill toward Ariel and Loren shot up. Hope began to reappear in their previously lifeless eyes.

The residents nearby were filled with envy when they heard about the construction workers' treatment. Without even realizing it, they began to feel hopeful too.

If City Hall was willing to hire slaves of low status and grant them third-class resident status,

then perhaps the great lord would treat them the same way too.

At the thought, many people's eyes gradually began to brighten.

Without Loren even realizing it, the once listless enslaved residents had regained a measure of vitality.