It is the residence and palace of General Jiaoyan, the nominal ruler of all Yug'groths, and is also an ultimate war fortress.
There is not only a powerful war magic siege tower, but also an academy dedicated to teaching strategic and tactical skills.
The Yug'groth officers who have won the most victories in bloody battles and have the most command experience will teach the younger generations here how to deal with demons and devils, and how to defeat their powerful legions and win.
Although in the eyes of many people, the presence of the Yug'groth in the bloody battle has never been very obvious.
But in fact they are the third largest participant in the longest, largest and most bloody war in the universe.
Although the size of its army is far less than the endless number of demons, and it also lacks the unity, discipline and efficiency of the devil's army, it can always create some astonishing records.
Basically, as long as the Yugoloths side with one side, the other side will inevitably suffer terrible casualties and failure.
Fortunately, these guys strictly adhere to the neutral camp and basically help whoever gives them the most benefits.
Once the overall balance is broken, they will immediately turn against the winning side and suppress it.
After all, only by keeping the strength of demons and devils similar can the Yugoloth mercenaries continue to earn generous commissions.
In addition, there are a large number of factories in the Crawling City that are producing the latest military equipment day and night. Some are used to arm themselves, and the rest are sold at high prices to both sides of the bloody battle.
The most important thing is that just by hearing the name "Crawling City", you can tell that it is not fixed in one place, but can move around like a floating city.
The only difference is that it doesn't fly, but crawls.
Beneath the entire huge city, there are thousands of extremely thick crab legs that look like the limbs of evil spirits.
Even if you encounter the steepest cliffs or the widest lava rivers, you can still cross them quickly as if you were walking on flat ground.
As for the direction of movement, according to the Yug'groth, it should all come from the will of General Jiao Yan.
No one knows how powerful General Jiao Yan is. To be exact, no one has ever seen him, not even the Yug'groth himself.
But some speculate that he is as powerful as the lords of the layers of Hell, while others think he is on par with the most powerful demigods.
But what is certain is that this person is undoubtedly a quasi-divine power.
It is said that the moment the Crawling City joins the bloody battle is when the outcome of the war will be decided.
Of course, as a great devil, Zuo Si had strong suspicion and contempt for the self-boasting behavior of the Yug'groth.
Just relying on the quasi-divine power of a demigod to end the bloody war? What a joke! Asmodeus, the Lord of Hell, did not dare to end the bloody war easily, but had to maintain it as much as possible, otherwise the current cosmic order would quickly collapse and cause a series of chaos and turmoil.
In fact, after arriving at the Scorching Hell, Zuo Si's first stop was the Crawling City, and he made a deal with the high-level Yugroth here, exchanging some junk that he had no use for the approximate location of the Kingdom of Baal.
You have to know that the outer plane is infinite, so it is quite difficult to find a kingdom of a god in such a place.
Unless the god opens his kingdom to the outside world and allows visitors from other places to come in and out freely, if he hides himself deliberately, it may take even one or two hundred years to find the god.
But now he visited this city again in order to retrieve the crystal pendant with the evil demon of lust beside him.
I have to say, it's a pretty good idea to save things in the Crawling City.
Because this is one of the very few places in the entire Jiaoyan Hell where powerful dragons dare not act recklessly.
The reason is very simple.
The Crawling City itself is actually equivalent to the territory of General Jiao Yan, who can not only gain power from the massive Yugroth demons, but also get the blessing of home advantage.
Even if the incarnation of God came, it would be difficult to gain any advantage, let alone a legendary dragon that didn't even have any divine power.
In order not to attract too much attention, Zuo Si has now transformed into the appearance of a horned demon instead of the human form or the big devil form, just like when he came not long ago.
In the Crawling City, horned devils, spiked devils, and bone devils are the most common types of devils.
Some of them serve as liaisons and represent a certain lord to hire the Yug'groth army to join the bloody battle, while others earn "extra money" here as free mercenaries.
However, it is unknown how many of the devils working as mercenaries are real mercenaries and how many are spies from Baator.
According to the rules of hell, every devil must have a master and an object of loyalty from the moment he is born. Zuo Si felt that these guys were all spies and detectives without exception.
Devils were not uncommon on the city's streets anyway, and the same was true of demons.
Even occasionally, celestial beings and visitors from other material planes and the outer planes can be seen.
After all, one of the biggest characteristics of the Yugoloth is profiteering.
As long as they are given enough benefits, it doesn't matter even if it means they go against their evil nature and do good things.
So even though the Yug'groth claims to be neutral, they are actually closer to lawful devils than chaotic demons, and never refuse any profitable deal.
This can be seen from the prosperous markets and shops of all sizes in the Crawling City.
There is no doubt that with Zuo Si's current identity, it is obviously impossible for him to stay in a relatively relaxed state while staying in another home of divine power.
The potential spiritual detection that is everywhere around us makes people feel uneasy and nervous all the time.
Even though he knew that this kind of detection could not see through his disguise and defense.
So he didn't say a word the whole time, just followed the evil demon of lust silently, behaving like a hired bodyguard.
As for the lustful demon Louise, she didn't dare to have any evil thoughts at this moment, as she had already seen Zuo Si's appearance in dragon form and the terrifying power he exuded.
She knew very well that if she dared to violate the signed contract, no one, not even General Jiao Yan himself, would be able to save her, so she cooperated very well from beginning to end.
About twenty minutes after entering the city, the two had already obtained the dark blue crystal pendant.
Looking at the worn, cloudy prismatic crystal in his hand, as well as the images and ancient text projected from the inside of the crystal under the light, Zuo Si asked with interest, "Where did you find this thing?"
The Evil Demon of Love shook his head slightly: “Sorry, I’m not sure either.
All we know is that the Power Dragon bought it from a dimensional merchant at a huge price.
And through a series of deductions and verifications from several ancient books and notes, it was confirmed that this was the location where the Dark Heart Gem was buried.
However, because the map was too vague and abstract, he was ultimately unable to find the marked location.
I took a huge risk to steal it, just to sell it for a good price."
"So everything is just a guess that a dragon has yet to confirm?"
Zuo Si raised his eyebrows and showed an expression of disbelief.
It seems that after all the effort, what I got in the end is most likely a "fake".
"Almost. But in any case, this pendant is quite old, and it is very likely that a huge treasure or artifact is buried there."
The devil of love spread out his hands with an innocent look.
At this point, no matter what secrets were hidden in the crystal pendant, it had nothing to do with her.
“Well, I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.
How could the clue to a powerful artifact like the Heart of Darkness be obtained by a power dragon for no reason?
No, that's not right.
To be precise, if the Heart of Darkness gem can really drive away the power of chaos and order as rumored, it is 100% impossible that it was made by Jiao Yan's general uniform.
Because judging from the power possessed by the Crawling City, his power level is obviously far from this level.
In other words, at least it takes great divine power to create items of this level."
Zuo Si complained a few words with a twitching mouth, then put the crystal pendant away and prepared to take it back to study it carefully some time.
He didn't know much about the history of Gehenna and the birth of the Yug'groth, so he planned to find an opportunity to look up information in the library of Oghma, the god of knowledge, or ask Asmodeus, the lord of Hell.
Anyway, there are not many records of this in the memory of the Abyss Will.
Of course, if this thing really records the burial location of the Dark Heart Gem, it would be a typical pie in the sky.
Instead of feeling fortunate or happy, Zuo Si needed to be more vigilant as to whether there were enemies secretly plotting against him, or whether this matter itself was a huge trap.
Having experienced all kinds of scams, tricks and sales in modern society, he doesn't believe deep down that the so-called "lucky prize" will fall on him.
Normally, if something good happens suddenly, the sensitive nerve in the brain will be immediately triggered into a state of alert.
"The contract I signed ends here, right?" the devil of love cautiously tested.
"Yes, you have fulfilled the terms of the contract. Now we are even."
After saying that, Zuo Si showed a friendly smile, then activated the teleportation magic and disappeared without a trace.
The lustful demon heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing this, and sat down on the ground exhausted. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and cheeks with the back of his hand, his eyes revealing an unconcealable fear.
Just when her tense nerves were about to relax and she wanted to get up and find a tavern or hotel to celebrate her survival, the air behind her suddenly flashed with a strange and inexplicable distortion.
The next second...
A devil who was over three meters tall and extremely thin suddenly appeared out of nowhere. With lightning speed, he grabbed the slender and sexy neck of the evil demon with his sharp claws.
“Wuwuwu…”
The pain and strong feeling of suffocation caused by the huge external force on her tibia immediately made Louise struggle desperately, trying to fight back with her equally sharp claws.
But unfortunately, before her claws could touch the opponent's body, they were immediately blocked by an invisible force field.
What is even more unbelievable is that the Evil Demon of Lust used several innate spell-like abilities one after another, but each one was forcibly countered just before it was released halfway.
The worst thing was that when the opponent counterattacked, he neither chanted any spells nor cast any spells. He just stared at him with those creepy eyes.
"Ah! What a beautiful face! Dear, I want to use your soul to make a new mask. What do you think?"
The devil raised his head to reveal a human face that was extremely inconsistent with his body, and the corners of his mouth were wildly raised, giving people a hysterical and crazy feeling.
But it was obvious that the devil of lust, whose neck was stuck tightly, had no way of speaking. He could only try his best to shake the claw that looked very thin but was actually very powerful and as motionless as an iron clamp.
Then, under the influence of a terrifying brute force, her neck began to bend downward uncontrollably, and a crisp sound similar to that of broken bones was heard.
Snap!
The entire spine broke into two sections on the spot.
The intense pain caused the lustful demon to groan and growl in pain from his nostrils and throat.
Although for mortals, a violently broken neck like this can be classified as a fatal injury.
If you don't get timely treatment, you will definitely die.
But for the evil demon, as long as its head is not pulled off completely, it will not die easily.
The strange devil grabbed the head that had been completely broken off and was at the mercy of others like a rag doll, pulled it down hard and pretended to nod, then raised his voice to imitate the voice of the evil devil of lust and said to himself: "Okay! I am very happy to be made into a mask by you."
moment!
The evil demon of love felt unprecedented fear.
This fear does not come from the struggle against death, but from the morbidity and distortion shown by the other party.
Unfortunately, she could neither make any sound nor speak. She could only watch as the devil used his sharp nails to scratch bloody marks on her beautiful face. Then he suddenly tore off the bloody skin at an extremely fast speed, held it in his hands and stroked it gently, as if it were some precious treasure.
After a long while, the guy reluctantly let go of the bloody face, turned around and stared at the lustful demon who no longer looked beautiful and seductive, and asked with a half-smile: "I think you must want to know why you became the target of hunting before you die, right?"
“…”
The lustful demon lay there motionless, unable to even blink.
Because even the eyelids were completely peeled off, leaving only two protruding eyeballs that could still barely rotate.
“The answer is actually very simple.
My master didn't want anyone to know that he had the crystal pendant.
If one wants to keep secrets in this universe filled with powerful magic and divine power, one must cleanse oneself from body to soul all at once.
I happened to have this ability, so I was sent here.
Please remember, next time when you sign a contract with a devil, especially a big devil like the master, it is best to read every clause carefully and hire an expert who can read the true words.
Otherwise it would be impossible for you to spot the deliberate loopholes.
Oh, I almost forgot, you don’t have a next chance.”
As the last word came out of his mouth, the devil released a kind of black and red mist, which wrapped the evil demon of love from head to toe.
During this process, the latter's body and even soul began to dissolve at an extremely fast speed, and finally turned into invisible energy and was sucked into the bloody mask.
In the blink of an eye, the entire mask became as smooth as new, without any trace of blood or dirt.
Not only that, a faint blue light would flash in the empty eye sockets from time to time.
"Haha, what a beautiful mask. From now on, your memory, life and everything belongs to me."
After saying that, the devil quickly activated the teleportation magic and disappeared on the spot.
Just a second later, he appeared in front of Zuo Si, bowed gracefully, performed a standard elf salute, and presented the mask he had just made with both hands.
"Master, as you requested, I have dealt with the last hidden danger. No one knows that you have the crystal pendant anymore."
"Well done, Erinikas."
Zuo Si nodded with satisfaction.
As a cautious person, how could he leave such a huge hidden danger? Silencing him is simply a common thing.
Only when the evil demon of love and lust disappears completely can he feel truly at ease.
"It's my honor. If there are similar opportunities in the future, please let me handle them. Because I am eager to make and collect more masks to take away other people's memories and lives."
Erinikas, who had already been transformed into a great devil, smiled with excitement and anticipation.
Of course, strictly speaking his current name is no longer this, but a real name of the devil.
But considering that the real names of alien creatures such as demons and devils often have powerful magical effects, no fool would let outsiders know their real names, and they would always come up with a fake name for daily use.
In order to make it easier to pronounce, Zuo Si simply used the other person's name when he was a mortal.
But in fact, the Erinikas in front of him was completely different from the previous Erinikas.
Especially the ability to make and use masks, it's like a monster from a horror story.
Because as long as the mask is successfully made and given to him for use, this guy will be able to completely integrate into the role played by the new mask.
Regardless of race, gender, thinking, values, worldview and fighting style, they will be exactly the same as the unfortunate person who was originally made into a mask. Even the closest people will not be able to detect the slightest difference.
Moreover, the replacement of this mask only takes a moment, and it can be superimposed on his current mask.
"No problem. I will select suitable targets for you to collect and plunder as much as you want."
As Zuo Si spoke, he took the mask and then handed it back.
Because only after he hands it back can the other party use the mask, otherwise even if it is completed it can only be used as a decoration.
"Thank you so much!"
After being "given" the mask, Erinikas didn't wait even a second and immediately put the new toy on his face impatiently.
In the blink of an eye, she transformed from a tall and thin devil into a beautiful and charming lustful demon, and even posed in very seductive movements and postures.
Apparently, this is the power he gained by becoming the Archdemon.
Zuo Si even considered using the sparkling oil to complete Erinikas, and then make him a blue magic judge to control a subsidiary plane and become the lord.
But eventually the idea was abandoned.
The reason is simple. His strength and development potential are far from qualified to become the Demon Judge of blue mana in the ninth level of hell.
As his strength continued to grow, Zuo Si's vision inevitably became more and more discerning.
Just when he was about to continue searching for the location of the Kingdom of Baal, an inter-dimensional portal suddenly opened out of nowhere, and Gramir, the Devil of Pleasure who served as his personal secretary, walked over from the other side.
She first knelt on one knee and kissed the back of the loyal lord's hand affectionately, and then reported with a smile: "My lord, your plan was successful.
The cunning high yugoloth of Sigil has agreed to meet with us.
However, the place she chose was a little troublesome; it was the Chaos Sea, which was overwhelmingly disadvantageous to us.
I even suspect this guy might be connected to some slaad lords.
That’s why I want to use the other party’s power to ensure my personal safety.”
“选在混沌海？让史拉蟾领主来保障人身安全？你确定这不是在开玩笑？”
饶是左思见过不少大场面，也还是被舍米莎卡的骚操作惊到了。
他简直不敢相信对方竟然这么“勇”。
尤其是作为这个宇宙终极混乱的位面——混沌海，可是号称什么事情都有可能遇到。
即便不提那些拥有类神力、行为根本没有规律与逻辑、可能上一秒才答应的事情下一秒就会立刻反悔的强大史拉蟾领主，以及体型大到能把巨龙一口吞下的超级巨蟾，光是极度恶劣的环境就足以让神明望而却步。
邪恶混乱的神祇基本不是待在无底深渊建立国度，就是选择毁灭与绝望荒原，亦或是充斥着歇斯底里疯狂的喧嚣空隧。
而混乱善良的神祇则往往会选择极乐境和奔放之野。
至于混乱中立……
基本要么是自己单独建立国度，要么是也住在喧嚣空隧位面。
反正真正敢去混沌海的没几个。
因为这破地方有一种其他位面没有的特性，那就是压根无法被神力永久性的塑造。
即便暂时控制住并塑造完成，也必须花费大量时间、精力和神力进行维持。
不然的话建立的国度就会在极短的时间内崩溃瓦解。
另外在混沌海的一切魔法力量都会产生类似狂乱法师的波动，并引发完全不可控的未知效果。
这也是为何左思迄今为止都没有去过混沌海的原因。
而且作为守序阵营的类神力，他还会受到整个位面力量的压制，不光各项基础属性会遭到大幅度削弱，同时大魔鬼的类神力也同样会失去超过百分之七十。
要是倒霉点再碰到史拉蟾领主，估计一场恶战肯定少不了。
总之，左思完全想不通舍米莎卡选在混沌海究竟是出于什么考虑。
格拉米尔颇为无奈的叹了口气回应道：“我也希望这是一个玩笑。但很遗憾，它就是事实。我建议您最好多做几手准备，并且让至少四个精锐军团处于随时待命的状态。”
可左思却轻轻摇了摇头：“不，不用那么麻烦，我一个人就等同于十个最精锐的魔鬼军团。不管舍米莎卡在玩什么把戏，她这一次都再劫难逃。”
“您要亲自出手？”
格拉米尔瞪大眼睛试探道。
“没错。
只有我亲自出手，才能把这个狡诈的高等尤格罗斯魔捏在手心里。
对于印记城，我已经有了一个全面的规划。
更何况神明非神会那些家伙还欠我一笔债没还呢。”
在说这番话的时候，左思眼睛里闪过一抹冰冷的寒光。
他可不会忘记，那群神明非神会的成员想要把阿斯卡特拉神殿去整个炸上天的疯狂计划。
那个威力惊人的魔法装置到现在还没从下水道里找到呢。
等找出来，左思会第一时间安排人手把它送还给该组织，直接将总部炸掉作为报复。
“好吧，我这就去安排。”
尽管格拉米尔觉得自家领主这样做有些冒险，但还是乖乖选择了服从。
毕竟服从上级下达的命令可是深深地刻在每一名魔鬼骨子里。
无论他们对于命令有多么的愤怒、不满和仇恨，也必须竭尽所能的完成。
不然的话面临的可能就是充满屈辱的降级。
愉悦魔前脚刚走，左思就与自己的王牌间谍，拥有十五个截然不同人格的法罗取得了联系，并且获知了最近一段时间舍米莎卡的动向。
不过法罗也无法获知这个尤格罗斯魔的所有底牌。
但好消息是他会以另外一个身份跟随队伍前往混沌海。
就这样，一场针对舍米莎卡的陷阱终于来到了临近收尾的阶段。
最多两天之后，左思就能与这位印记城的黑道女王面对面进行交流。
在此之前，他的目标仍旧是找到巴尔的国度并将其彻底摧毁。
……
与此同时，远在费伦大陆的东边，与塞尔隔海相望的阿劳尔行省两座岛屿，在经过一段时间的砸钱、经营和大量解放奴隶，终于恢复了往日的生气。
人口也从原本的只剩下几千人，慢慢增长到六万左右。
尤其是西海岸帝国大量最紧俏的货物被源源不断运送过来，然后再低价批发给本地商人，让他们带回自己的国家或城邦去倾销，为港口城市带来了惊人的税收。
钢铁公主雅卢赛尔甚至召集工匠把原本废弃的干船坞又一次利用起来，开始承接建造和修复船只的订单，以便让那些商人们可以扩大自己的船队，能够一次性购买和运送更多的货物。
更小一些的则是用来脱网的渔船，主要满足港口城市居民对于肉类和蛋白质的需求。
岛上为数不多适合耕种的地方，也都已经租给平民从事农业、畜牧业和养殖业。
如果非要用一句话来形容，那就是百业待兴一派欣欣向荣的景色。
要不是亲眼见过这里当初被海盗洗劫过后的惨状，恐怕不会有人相信它是在遭到毁灭破坏之后短时间内恢复过来的。
成千上万重获自由的奴隶，对于这块西海岸帝国从红袍法师手里夺来的岛屿，可以说是忠诚度与归属感直接拉满。
就连海盗们也将这里视作自己的老巢和母港。
每次抢劫成功回来之后，都会前往市集进行售卖，然后找一家酒馆大吃大喝作为庆祝。
现如今整个阿兰勃内海及其周边沿岸，基本已经被霍霍完了。
穆尔霍兰德帝国甚至不得不紧急发布命令，将所有沿海村落与城镇往内陆迁徙。
恩瑟的奴隶主们也同样被吓得尿了裤子，纷纷开始举家逃亡，不敢在海边、河边五十公里范围内居住。
因为一旦被抓住，对于奴隶来说意味着翻身农奴把歌唱，而对于这些习惯了高高在上的奴隶主们则意味着他们会变成奴隶。
是的，你没看错。
就是把奴隶主及其家属、亲戚全部贬为奴隶，然后作为高质量奴隶卖给塞尔。
紧跟着再拿着赚到的钱去买便宜的普通奴隶带回来。
这一进一出，不仅能狠狠地赚上一笔，还起码让获取到的劳动力数量翻上好几倍。
毕竟奴隶这种商品，其价格往往由许多方面的因素决定。
其中长相、健康程度、接受过什么样的教育等，都会成为交易时的加分项。
而富有的奴隶主及其家人，不用问也知道都是妥妥的高级货色。
出售他们的价格往往可以买回十个乃至更多的普通奴隶。
这些普通奴隶会被总督府出面收购，然后再重新赋予其自由民的身份。
如此一来，所有被释放的奴隶就会对西海岸帝国充满感激。
相比之下那些被卖到塞尔的奴隶主及其家人就惨了。
等待他们的将会是漫长的折磨与苦难。
毕竟这些人对于西海岸帝国必定心存怨恨，完全就是一个巨大的隐患跟定时炸弹。
与其留下来等他们搞事情，亦或是重新获得自由之后出来翻倒清算，还不如打包扔给塞尔来的省心。
最重要的是，在这一系列的非法奴隶交易过程中，全部都是海盗们在干。
总督府从头到尾都没有参与其中，仅仅是在最后出面收买人心。
此时此刻，雅卢赛尔正站在才建成不久的华丽府邸阳台上，居高临下看着下方城市喧嚣忙碌的景色，头也不回的问：“到目前为止，我们第一阶段的重建计划已经完成多少了？”
“差不多百分之九十的样子。目前只差恢复粮食储备和实现收支平衡两项。”
身为财政大臣的薇拉坐在桌子前悠闲的品着热茶给出了准确的答复。
不用问也知道，眼下这两座岛屿的繁荣跟她脱不了关系。
确切的说就是她在手把手教原本只会打仗的钢铁公主，如何治理一片领地乃至整个国家。
毕竟想要做到让一个国家富足、繁荣和安定，无非就是掌握好军事、政治和经济三驾马车。
通过孜孜不倦的学习实践，薇拉已经搞懂了现代国家的组织架构跟运作原理。
即便放在地球上当个小国的领导人也绰绰有余。
“我们的粮食消耗量一直在提升，照这个样子下去达到储备指标还不知道要多久呢。
我不明白，索斯为什么总是坚持要花费大笔金钱，在所有的城镇修建公立学校？
难道把这笔钱省下来用在其他地方不好吗？
更何况让那些平民和奴隶读书识字又有什么用呢？ 他们既没有足够的才能也没有广阔的见识，这完全就是在浪费时间和金钱。”
听语气就知道，雅卢赛尔对于开办公立学校教授平民读书写字的意见很大。
或者说整个旧贵族阶级对于这项举措都充满了抗拒。
因为在此之前，费伦大陆西海岸地区的知识是被贵族和富商，也就是有钱人阶级所垄断的。
Commoners want to learn to read, write and do basic arithmetic? Sorry, please pay fifty gold coins to go to the academy or find a private tutor to teach for a few months.
Fifty gold coins is an astronomical figure that ordinary people cannot afford.
Some lucky families who have never suffered from natural disasters or man-made tragedies in their lifetime, don’t know if they can come up with that much money.
But what about now?
As long as you are willing to learn, whether you are a child or an adult, you can study in a public college for free.
Although the level of teachers and the quality of lectures vary greatly, at least there is a way to learn.
After all, only by learning to read and write the common language can a person understand the knowledge in books and acquire the ability of self-learning.
This directly broke the upper class's monopoly on knowledge.
The reason why it did not cause a strong backlash was, on the one hand, the vested interest groups were afraid of Zuo Si, a powerful tyrant, and on the other hand, the nobles of Tethyr, Calimshan and Baldur's Gate had already been purged, and the nobles of Amn had long been tortured to death by the Extension of Favor, and did not dare to jump out and cause trouble for fear of being blacklisted.
"What do you think public education is? Some kind of whimsical charity? Or do you think you're smarter than the Emperor?"
Vera put down the teacup in her hand and showed a playful expression.
Yalusel turned around and stared into the other person's eyes, and asked in an uncertain tone: "What do you mean..."
Vera explained meaningfully: “His Majesty Soth once said that public education is a tool of rule.
Its function is to domesticate free people into the labor force and population resources needed by society.
At the same time, establish a strong sense of group identity and values.
Only when consensus is established and all subjects recognize that they are part of the empire will the West Coast Empire become a true country.
Before that, it was just a symbol and a flag that was forcibly put together.
Look at the people in the port cities who are so grateful to the Empire that they voluntarily work more than five hours of overtime every day.
Do you think they are really free? The answer is obviously no.
They have merely passed from a more crude form of slavery to a more subtle form of slavery.
Moreover, this implicit state of slavery has greatly increased labor enthusiasm.
No one noticed that after these former slaves gained their freedom, the wealth they created not only did not decrease, but instead increased by at least two times.
All we pay is a tiny reward, less than one-tenth of the wealth they create.
However, instead of complaining, getting angry, resenting or slacking off about this high-intensity labor as they did before, they smiled with happiness and satisfaction.
Do you know why? "
"Why? Because we paid for it?"
The Iron Princess was instantly confused.
Vera held out a finger in front of her and shook it gently: "No, no, no, many places also pay wages, but why do the workers there still slack off? This has nothing to do with payment.
Because they have been tamed by the officials we assigned to manage them and some subtle brainwashing.
No one realizes how much value they create through their labor.
It is already a great happiness to mistakenly believe that I was a slave and did not even get paid before, but now I can earn money to support my family through labor and live a normal life.
By comparing their current life with the miserable days in the past, they feel that their current life is good enough, which gives them a sense of happiness and satisfaction.
The feeling of being able to earn rewards through labor makes all those who have been slaves addicted.
By the same token, His Majesty Soth actually had the same purpose in mind when he established public education.
But he did not focus on these petty gains, but instead set his sights on higher places.
He wants to build a true thousand-year empire, a ten-thousand-year empire that can rise from the ashes like a phoenix again and again even if it collapses or is destroyed."
"I see! I think I understand a little bit..."
There was a strange light in Yalusel's eyes, and he was extremely shocked and unbelievable about Zuo Si's grand vision and ambition.
At this moment, she realized how fundamentally different the West Coast Empire was from other traditional countries on the continent of Faerun.
In addition, the turmoil in her heart, which had finally calmed down, began to make the Iron Princess miss the tense and exciting feeling of being with someone, and she subconsciously clamped her legs together.