After the cotton cloth bag was torn open, jingling sounds rang out~
Silver Pucks scattered everywhere.
The scene fell into a brief silence.
Li De was utterly speechless. So it was just a few dozen Silver Pucks??
Augustine awkwardly scratched his nose.
Hedgehog's face had turned ashen.
He knew the ways of these noble lords. No matter the amount, if they discovered it, it would be seized.
This was his life savings, which he had thought to hide in the wheat for safety, but he never expected it to be exposed.
His heart filled with indescribable anguish. This money was meant for buying seeds and farming tools after the Beastmen left next year. Without it, he truly couldn't go on.
Turning to look at his wife and child's hopeful expressions, he ruthlessly turned his face away.
"My lord, this is my savings. If... if you want it, I'm willing to offer it to you."
Li De shook his head at Hedgehog's anguished expression.
"Take it back. In Dawn City, private property is protected. Even the Saintlight Vampires cannot unjustly seize your belongings."
Huh?
Hedgehog felt as though he had been reborn, staring at Li De in disbelief.
"What... what did you say?"
Seeing this reaction, Li De didn't know what to say. The conduct of nobles in this world could be seen clearly from this situation.
"In Dawn City, no one can seize private property. Your private property is protected by the Saintlight Vampires.
Whether Saintlight Vampires or Humans, anyone who robs you of your property within Dawn City will be punished by the Saintlight Vampires.
You are safe here."
"Thank you, Lord! Thank you!"
After Hedgehog stuffed the cloth bag into his clothes, his previous fear had vanished, replaced with gratitude and a slowly growing trust.
Yes, he trusted the Vampire.
Perhaps here, as they said, he really could find a new life.
The desire for a stable environment among civilians living through war was unimaginable to outsiders.
"Wait, I'm not finished."
Hedgehog's expression froze, stammering.
"L-Lord please continue."
Li De said impatiently, "Don't look at me like that. No one is interested in your paltry sum.
According to Dawn City's regulations, any commoner who joins Dawn City will be allocated land upon reaching adulthood.
Although there are three of you, only two are adults, so you'll be allocated twenty acres of land.
Take this slip of paper. It will serve as your sole proof when the land is distributed in a few days. Don't lose it; if you do, you won't get any land."
Hedgehog dumbly took the voucher in his hand, his mind buzzing.
Twenty acres of land? Not only was the other party not taking his Silver Pucks, but they were also giving him land?
Most of the land in Eric Town belonged to the town mayor, Marcus. He didn't own an inch of land and relied solely on working Marcus' fields for meager earnings.
But now, what had he heard? In this city, he could be allocated twenty acres of land.
Goddess above, he must be dreaming.
When this family of three received their identity papers, their earlier panic and unease had been thrown to the back of their minds, replaced with anticipation shining in their eyes.
A family of three could be allocated twenty acres of land.
Twenty acres! He swore that if the respected Mage Lord truly granted him so much land, he would willingly give everything he had.
After Li De finished processing Hedgehog's identity papers, he stopped, waving his hand to let the nearby vampires handle the rest.
"Augustine, Harrison, do you understand?"
The two had been standing beside Li De, watching him process Hedgehog's paperwork and witnessing the dramatic shift in the latter's attitude.
"Clan Leader, I think I understand why you initiated this plan.
Humans will not always hate us."
Harrison's somewhat effeminate voice carried infinite emotion. Originally, he believed that even if humans weren't afraid of vampires, it would take a long time for them to truly accept vampires.
But he hadn't expected such a dramatic change in someone who had been full of hostility and fear in just ten minutes.
Goddess of Night above, the wisdom of our Clan Leader must have been bestowed by the Creator.
"Indeed, the enmity between humans and vampires isn't irreconcilable. More humans will join Dawn City in the future.
These beings, weak individually, will unleash unimaginable power when they reach sufficient numbers.
The future of vampires cannot be separated from humans. Therefore, I hope you truly understand how to manage humans and interact with them.
The Saintlight Vampires are a new breed of vampires. Do not view this matter through outdated and decaying perspectives."
Li De seized the opportunity to instill ideas into the vampires around him. Judging by the current results, it seemed to be going well.
The second-generation bloodline descendants were changing.
The remaining third-generation bloodline descendants would need to be taught by the second generation. Although they weren't doing it yet, Li De believed that in the near future, it would become a spontaneous action.
Especially when vampires discovered the latent power of humans.
Being able to occupy most of the fertile lands on the main plane, where dozens of powerful races existed, spoke volumes about human potential.
As Whispering Bats continued to land, more and more people gathered in the square.
Over 400 Whispering Bats carried slightly over 700 humans—just one trip to transport them all.
What remained were some belongings and food supplies.
After experiencing the earlier scene, Li De had completely lost interest in these things and didn't bother checking what was inside the backpacks.
Although there were ten registration points operating simultaneously, the process wasn't fast.
By the time these hundreds of people were registered, a streak of light had already appeared in the sky.
The Goddess of Night lifted her skirt, and dawn arrived.
With the completion of the last human's registration, the first group of humans taken by force officially joined Dawn City.
Though it would take a long time for these people to truly integrate, at least there was a good start.
Under everyone's gaze, Li De ascended to the high platform in the center of the square.
This was the highest point in the square, designed by the humans who once built the ancient castle because certain nobles liked to stand high and look down on commoners while making nauseating speeches.
But today's scene was destined to be different, perhaps becoming an unforgettable memory for everyone present.
"My subjects, welcome to your new home—Dawn City."
Li De stood on the high platform, looking down below. Today, he wore a blue mage robe embroidered with silver thread patterns, his tall figure exuding extraordinary heroism.
The ancient noble aura was like a twenty-year-old wine, evoking admiration.
His features were like a masterpiece carved by the God of Craftsmen, possessing all the handsomeness that the opposite sex could desire.
His striking appearance instantly captured everyone's attention.
Looking at the hostile, suspicious, fearful, and uneasy gazes below, Li De smiled inwardly.
At that moment, those people's eyes held only fear and suspicion, but half a Sun-hour later, they would become my subordinates entirely because I've decided to tell a lie.
Although I've told countless lies in my life, this one, I believe, is the most perfect.