Abraham walked to Su Yue's side, looked at the soldiers resting and cooking in the distance, and said, "I can solve the problem of military expenses for you, but..."

"But what?"

"But we need a large number of Imperial cavalry to join the Devil's Cult. Once they join, I will ask them to refuse to accept your military expenses."

"..."

Su Yue sensed that this sixth brother had ill intentions, but he still found the 60,000 gold coins in military expenses every week somewhat troublesome.

"The second problem now is that the number of farmers is not enough to support these troops. The development of the territory is mainly about balance. After accepting these prisoners, we have become a bit too aggressive. The level of resources such as buildings, space, military reserves, and horses in the territory cannot keep up. Having too many troops will become a burden."

"You want to disband a portion of it?"

Su Yue shook his head: "I don't want to disband either."

Abraham said, "Tomorrow's refugee figures should give you a surprise."

"you mean?"

"Yes, the Imperial rebels of Gwof and Grujen were brutally burned and looted, leaving a large number of displaced people homeless. My subordinates, the Devil Cultists, currently estimate that at least 5,000 displaced people will join your territory tomorrow. After all, they have heard that you defeated their targets of hatred, the Imperial rebel leader David Felesev, and Osborn Haywood."

Su Yue asked, "How is Osborne Heywood? He didn't commit suicide, did he?"

"They've been captured."

The scouts of the Empire arrived with goodwill and respectfully said, "Your Excellency Su Yue, Lord of the White Horse, I convey the goodwill of Count Bartogar Rivers of the Bato Empire, and thank you for helping him defeat the Empire's rebels and blocking their way from the territory."

"..."

Su Yue understood that what came before was just polite talk, and the real main event was yet to come.

The fourth-tier cavalry scout said, "Count Bartogar Rivers wishes to appoint you as a mercenary lord under his territory and also wants to bestow upon you the title of Imperial Baron. I wonder if you agree?"

Su Yue asked hesitantly, "That batch of gold coins?"

The scouts were equally perplexed, and dared not make too many guarantees.

Abraham chuckled from the side, "My lord, agree to his request. After all, we are lords of territories under the human empire. Since Count Bartogar Rivers values ​​us, we certainly won't refuse."

Su Yue nodded and said, "Okay, I'm willing to join the Human Empire."

"Global Broadcast: Congratulations to Su Yue, a player from the Dragon Kingdom, for becoming the first noble baron in the Turin world. You have received: +10 free attribute points and 5 random Tier 4 units."

"???"

Random Tier 4 unit?

Su Yue's eyes lit up at the reward. Ten free attribute points were not bad; they were enough to allow his second attribute to break through 40 points, bringing him one step closer to becoming a perfect hexagonal warrior.

"You have acquired five Tier 4 Imperial Noble Cavalrymen."

Su Yue laughed.

Five fourth-tier cavalrymen in the distance, riding white horses, bore a striking resemblance to Su Yue's Sleipnir... Their expressions were extremely respectful, clearly indicating that they possessed maxed-out loyalty of 100, unlike the mentally unstable third-tier imperial cavalrymen who had surrendered earlier; nor did they resemble Walter Lawrence, the fifth-tier cavalry lord, who was a brutal imperial rebel.

It has the feel of a loyal elite force.

"Very good, the five of you will now join my Imperial Guard!"

The scout said, “From this day forward, your territory of Canaan will be incorporated into the human empire. Please pay close attention to the movements of the dwarves in the northern fortress. Lord Bartogar Rivers is a nephew of the Henry royal family, and in terms of resources and political connections, he can provide you with any assistance you need. Therefore, please help Lord Bartogar Rivers keep a close watch on the dwarves' movements in the north. In the event of war, you can always ask Lord Bartogar Rivers for help.”

Su Yue smiled with satisfaction.

Dwarves are indeed the enemy of the people.

He can't stand up to the human empire either! Wouldn't that give him another powerful backer from the human empire?

Currently, due to limited intelligence, he is unfamiliar with the territory and power of the human 'Barto' Empire, and also lacks information about Count Bartogel Rivers, who has not personally appeared. However, this does not affect Su Yue's favorable impression of him; after all, he has yet to meet the priests of the Holy Order of Saints in his territory.

I wonder how Jin Xiuer is doing with the development of her territory, and when she will be able to upgrade her territory to level four.

Four books have always been Su Yue's goal.

Building up territory is also a major theme in the world of Turin. Now that the Su-Yue campaign has been won and the gains are huge, with nearly 2,000 troops captured, they are preparing to return home to continue the pace of territory building.

Meanwhile, Abraham's handling of military expenses also stirred something in the Soviet Union and Vietnam.

The status of a baron in the empire.

This gave him another powerful human backer from the Bato Empire. Under these circumstances, Su Yue followed Europa and marched towards the territory.

Lord's Log: "The great devil Abraham transformed 1,000 corpses and seized their souls. You have gained 100,000 gold coins."

"..."

"If about 5,000 refugees join the territory tomorrow... the territory will usher in another small boom in development."

At this time, Su Yue and Sleipnir were already planning to meet with Idya.

He merely nodded in greeting.

The two teams of lords and heroes, both from Canaan, took turns fighting, and Su Yue then realized that Lady Idya had been watching the battle the whole time. He felt a pang of emotion; what a kind elder she was.

Sunlight shone on her long, chestnut-colored hair, which swayed and danced, making her look absolutely stunning.

Su Yue subconsciously reached out and touched her long hair.

Europa was immediately struck by a realization, and the moment he saw Su Yue, his eyes softened.

She was completely different from the valiant young girl who had previously charged and infiltrated the battlefield.

Like shimmering waves in water.

Absolutely stunning.

"It's a pity we don't have cell phones now. Europa, could you strike a pose?"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

I want to take a picture of you.

Su Yue thought that Europa already had a part of the aura of corruption on him. Once he was promoted to a fallen angel, his current pure white wings would probably be rarely seen. So he asked Europa to spread his angel wings.

With snow-white wings spread to the sides, the aloof girl, resembling a Valkyrie from Norse mythology, revealed her perfect angelic face to Su Yue.

"One, two, three, eggplant!"

"Smile."

The smiling girl was photographed by Su Yue, who then kept the photo.

...

When Su Yue was about to arrive in the Canaan territory, he found that the buildings in the territory had undergone another major change, as if new changes had appeared as soon as he looked away.

But the biggest change.

The message, still from the Lord's Log, reads: "Your pet, the Tier 1 beetle Gregory Samsa, has undergone a mutation due to the influence of the Shrine of the Gods, changing its life form and advancing to a Tier 1 Territory Hero."

"What?!!"

Su Yue was taken aback. Gregory had actually become a hero?

An ugly first-order beetle.

As a hotel employee, Gregory lived in a rigid and hopeless world where life gradually became stagnant and lifeless. In the end, he was supposed to die in a dark, windowless room filled with mold, dust, decay, and injuries, abandoned by his sister.

But now, it seems that signs of this spirit are being sensed.

A noble spirit.

Upon entering the territory of Su Yue, they were immediately captured by the Temple of the Gods.

Abraham stared in astonishment at the beetle in the distance!

"Did I misjudge him?"

"What?"

The beetle named Gregory, whose yellow sores and wounds on its right side had already been mostly healed by Europa, began to sharpen again.

Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, a human arm, splattering yellow slime, emerged from the beetle's body. The slime, mixed with mud, emitted a pungent, sulfurous stench.

Su Yue showed no sign of disdain for the other party.

"Has it emerged from its cocoon and become a butterfly?"

"Go for it, Gregory!!"

On the other hand, he thought, "Including Id Ya, what about Gregory? Wouldn't his territory become a second-tier power, operating on three fronts? And then there's Abraham, that sixth brother, always up to some unknown scheme within his territory. With the conflict with the Holy See and the Devil Cult under his control, this is practically a fourth-tier operation."

This is so awesome!

Gregory seemed to have been resurrected, awakening from the beetle's body. He was covered in foul-smelling slime, had thick black hair, and a gaunt, pale face, as if malnourished, but his eyes revealed nothing but 'desperate kindness'.

To some extent, extreme despair is kindness.

"If you give me a bite to eat, I will be willing to be loyal to you forever."

In Gregory's Metamorphosis, he sacrifices his life to feed his father, mother, and sister—three bloodsucking worms who drain his nutrients as if tubes were inserted into him. However, after the metamorphosis occurs, and Gregory transforms into a giant beetle, his family discards his altered body as worthless because it no longer brings them any benefit.

Ultimately, Gregory died in the dark room. The alien insects scared away the tenants in the house. He longed for love and existence, for someone to accept him so that he could find some warmth in the despairing, cold, and dark world.

To cover up one's cold heart.

This moment.

Su Yue's kindness felt to him like the most dazzling diamond in the world, moving him deeply.

He clung to Su Yue's leg and wept bitterly...

In a short time.

The echoes of noble souls resounded throughout the entire Canaanite land.

Lord's Log: "You have gained the allegiance of 'The Noble' Gregory Samsa, a hero of absolute spiritual nobility and a saint. He can serve as a role model for the territory. If Gregory does not die, the probability of the host's territory's citizens rebelling will decrease by 5%, the fatigue of the territory's residents will decrease by 10%, and the endurance of the territory's residents will increase by 10%."

Holy crap!!!

Su Yue stared in shock at Gregory's attributes!

All-territory bonus?

A noble soul?

A new hero?

Which of these three conditions isn't incredibly powerful? He essentially added another member or advisor to the Tier 3 Mutant Council, the position of the god-level architect Jin Xiuer.

Moreover, they are all issues related to people's livelihood.

The -5% chance of territory citizens rebelling goes without saying, and the -10% fatigue means that the problem of farmers not working late at night, which Su Yue had always felt should be criticized, has also been partially resolved.

The fact that the territory's inhabitants have a 10% increase in resilience indicates that Gregory's numb mental state in a world of despair has enhanced the resilience of ordinary people, which strengthens the integration of the territory.

There have always been conflicts and contradictions between dwarves and humans.

With the current tolerance increased by 10%, the probability of racial conflicts within the Su Yue territory, including those between Cthulhu, humans, dwarves, and orcs, has also decreased.

This isn't a pet, it's practically created a councilor's seat for itself!

"That's awesome."

Gregory, a hero among the common people, a noble man.

I don't know his attributes or anything.

Su Yue clicked on it and took a look.

"Gregor Samsa, male, Tier 1 Zerg hero, Lord skills: None, Army strength: None. Hero traits: A-rank Noble: Host territory's civic defection probability -5%, territory resident fatigue -10%, territory resident endurance +10%;"

Zerg: This hero can transform into two forms: a beetle form and a human form (changing forms will consume a lot of stamina).

Recruitment fee: Weekly salary 0 gold coins (constantly 0 gold coins).

"!!!"

These stats are absolutely amazing!

All Su Yue can say is that Gregory is an incredibly cost-effective hero.

Weekly wage is 0?

Not only is it free work, but there's also the potential to become a saintly role model for the territory... Plus, with the lord bonus for the entire region, Su Yue would rather die himself than let Gregory die...

"That's amazing... It's like getting a hero commander for free..."

Su Yue still had some ideas about coyotes.

However, seeing Jin Xiuer and a large group of territory residents, as well as a priest from the Holy See with a gray beard, followed by members of the Holy Order of the Holy Order of Saint Georgies, Su Yue knew that it was time to enter a new stage of territory development!

"Owner!!"

...

Players in the world of Turin were once again bombarded with Su Yue's global broadcast.

It's just that everyone's emotions lack fluctuation.

It was as if it were perfectly normal for Su Yue to encounter any situation.

Zhou Zhuo looked at the screen and immediately opened the player's friend list to try and contact Su Yue, but it was all in vain!

"This big shot is completely ignoring everyone! Holy crap, he's hooked up with the human empire and become a baron, wow!! Isn't that way better than the dwarf players around here? They don't have any say in their clans..."

Zhou Zhuo made up his mind. Seeing that Long Qing and the guild members were urging him more and more, he decided to go to Su Yue's territory in person to pay his respects!

On the other hand, on the territory side.

A conflict between the Devil Cultists and the Holy Cultists is about to erupt within Su Yue's territory. The two groups dislike each other, and the Holy See also intends to seize control of Su Yue's territory, leading to an internal struggle that will soon erupt within the region!

The St. John's Brotherhood has always been committed to placing divine authority above, or even on par with, imperial authority.

And it established its prestige and power in the Bato Empire.

Pope Benedict IV successfully bound the Holy See to the Empire, making it the second largest power in the Empire after Emperor Henry VII.

Now that this force has entered Su Yue's territory, it is bound to wage a power struggle against Su Yue!

Abraham, the great devil, looked at the monks of the St. John's Brotherhood with an extremely dangerous glint in his eyes.