Chapter 56 - 52: Hunger Marketing

Chapter 56: Chapter 52: Hunger Marketing

"All these benefits are available only to you. If outsiders want to enter Green Shade Territory and receive an Identity Card with the same protections, they will have to pay ten times the price...

"Oh, and by the way, only 100,000 of these Identity Cards have been released in the first batch. If you miss out today, you’ll have to wait a very long time..."

Sunlight bathed the young Lord of Green Shade Territory, making him seem to glow with Holy Light.

The combined effects of the [Master of Deceit] and [Lord] entries maximized the speech’s impact. Everyone was immersed in the wonderfully Platonic world Lian had painted for them—and what’s more, the number of spots available in this ideal world was limited!

The nobles believed they truly needed Golden Cards to display their status.

The middle class believed they truly needed Silver Cards to secure their status.

The commoners believed they truly needed Green Cards to ensure their personal safety.

Before the speech was even over, people had already started asking where they could pay to get their cards.

Lian had already instructed the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Finance to prepare registration points. A total of 30 temporary registration booths were set up around the square, a necessary measure given Green Shade Territory’s large population.

"You may now line up to register for your cards. May the God of Tiger watch over you. Green Shade Territory stands with you."

Lian concluded his speech with a smile.

Everyone surged toward the 30 designated registration points. Long lines quickly formed in front of nearly every booth, and the square was packed and buzzing with excitement.

The residents’ enthusiasm for the cards was unprecedented. After all, Green Shade Territory had a population of two million, but there were only 100,000 of these special Identity Cards.

Getting one was a bargain!

The pot-bellied Omari Hani was grinning from ear to ear, as if he could already see the territory’s coffers swelling.

This was the Green Shade Territory government’s first true revenue-generating initiative since Lian became Lord. Although it was essentially no different from collecting taxes, everyone was paying willingly, even joyfully.

The tax collectors, now serving as card registration clerks, watched as the same familiar faces that always tried desperately to evade taxes were now overcome with enthusiasm, scrambling to register and pay. In their hearts, they were in complete awe of Lian.

Omari Hani stood beside Lian and asked in a low voice,

"Lord Lian, are there really only 100,000 cards?"

"There are only 100,000 cards today. There will be another 100,000 tomorrow, and another 100,000 the day after."

Lian explained.

Omari Hani’s eyes widened in realization. ’So this is the art of language!’

’Having to wait a long time just meant having to wait until tomorrow!’

While the crowd was busy registering for cards, Lian had already quietly slipped into his carriage. His mission accomplished, he began the journey back to the Lord’s Mansion.

The point of issuing cards was to raise money. The point of raising money was to build a war chest. The point of a war chest was to wage war. And the point of war was to gain greater benefits.

Before waging war, he had to clear the Bone Forest. And before clearing the Bone Forest, he had to resolve his internal threats.

Eliminating all the spies—that was how he would resolve his internal threats.

Although the letter from Old Deng suggested that most of these spies were sent by His Majesty the King...

...Lian didn’t think so. Anna and Annie were the perfect examples.

They were both from the Rose Territory.

Furthermore, according to Anna, the spies from Rose Territory had no contact with one another; they all operated independently.

This ensured that if one spy was discovered, they couldn’t expose any of the others.

The fall of the Blue Moon Territory had also taught Lian a lesson: where there was one Heartless, there were likely countless others nearby.

Only by acting together could they have caused the Witch within the territory to spiral completely out of control.

To prevent such a situation from happening here, Lian absolutely could not let them be.

Lian returned to the Lord’s Mansion, took a comfortable hot bath, and lay in bed waiting for his entries to refresh.

During this time, he had worked tirelessly treating the sick among the people of Blue Moon Territory, accumulating another 62,000 Points.

He had thought a new entry might appear, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Since no better entries had appeared, Lian had no choice but to redeem [High Level Believers] and [Three-star Assassin].

[New entry acquired: High Level Believers]

[You have been chosen by the God of Tiger to become a High Level Believer. You have mastered the High Level Purification Technique and the creation of High Level Holy Water, as well as the standard Healing Technique.]

[Oh, you seem to carry the scent of a heretic. Be warned, the God of Tiger may occasionally cast his gaze upon you. You should probably seek the counsel of a senior heretic on how to avoid this, lest you arouse the God of Tiger’s displeasure.]

[New entry acquired: Three-star Assassin]

[Current Physique 56 (48+8), Swordsmanship 38 (38+0), Assassination Techniques 69 (37+32), Speed 95 (63+32), Power 53 (45+8), Shadow Bonus 20%]

[You have stepped into the domain of an Elite Assassin. Your Assassination Techniques and Speed have taken a quantum leap. You have also mastered Tracking Techniques. Your sense of smell is keener than a dog’s, your tongue more sensitive than a Komodo dragon’s. Probability of survival in the Bone Forest increased by 20%.]

Lian fused [Three-star Assassin] and [Three-star Knight] to obtain the new entry: [Three-star Assassin Knight].

[You have firmly set foot on the path of the Assassin Knight. You are the fastest among Knights, the strongest among Assassins. You have forged a path all your own.

Equipping this entry grants the following bonuses: Physique +10, Swordsmanship +10, Assassination Technique +10, Speed +10, Power +10.

Equipping this entry grants a Shadow Bonus. When you move in the darkness of night, all your abilities are enhanced by 30%.]

[Current Physique 66 (56+10), Swordsmanship 48 (38+10), Assassination Techniques 79 (69+10), Speed 105 (95+10), Power 63 (53+10), Shadow Bonus 30%]

After acquiring the new entry, Lian felt his physique grow even stronger. He took off his outer clothes and looked at his clearly defined muscles and his skin, which had become completely fair and translucent.

No wonder there was a saying in the Holy Empire that all women wanted to marry a Knight.

Knights were powerful and handsome, and they also possessed high social standing, fulfilling every woman’s fantasy.

At the same time, Lian’s nose picked up a variety of scents.

There was the faint scent of vanilla from Sophie, jasmine from Anna, and mugwort from Annie.

He had been completely unable to distinguish these scents before, but now it was as if he had become a master of aromatherapy; he could clearly identify every single one.

His own pillow and bedding smelled very similar to Anna, because she was the one who took care of them.

His clothes, on the other hand, had the faint scent of mugwort, because Annie had made them.

Lian stuck out his tongue and licked the back of his hand. It was salty, tasting of sweat, with a lingering trace of Catherine’s scent.

It was probably because he had held Catherine’s hand before leaving.

Lian got out of bed, dressed, and walked out of his room.

Anna followed behind him and asked gently,

"Lord Lian, where are you going?"