Alz's brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed again a moment later.
He shook his head with a bitter smile and said softly, "I thought this day would come long, long ago."
"People ruled by emotion often lack reason."
"Greed is also an entirely natural instinct."
Zong Shen fell into thought at those words as well.
The man had a good mindset; at the very least, he could see certain truths about human nature.
Even the finest utopia would one day collapse.
Beautiful dreams would always come to an end.
Protector Alz certainly possessed immense talent and grand visions, but even he himself could not be immortal, let alone the ideals of that time.
Pol Free City now operated internally under a capital-first model.
Every major family within the city had its own vested interests.
Its overall structure was instead closer to the Goblins' consortium model.
Handicrafts were highly developed, trade circulated quickly, and signs of budding capitalism had already emerged.
The rising second class consisted mainly of Workshop owners, while the third class was made up of all kinds of artisans.
As for agriculture, its share of the economy had already been reduced to a very low level.
Zong Shen had once considered turning his territory into a prosperous trading city.
Possessing a trading city was no different from possessing a treasure trove.
But now, he had changed his mind.
Against the backdrop of massive expansion, the core territory had to be stable enough.
The more stable it was, the more favorable it would be for subsequent expansion and conquest. Otherwise, the pace of development would be greatly slowed.
"At least Pol Free City hasn't been destroyed, nor has it become someone's private territory."
Zong Shen offered a casual consolation.
Every major kingdom had free city-states to some extent.
These city-states