Chapter 524 The Emperor's New Clothes
The greedy Edward Campbell forgot his noble honor and lent money to his people at exorbitant interest rates. The poor Campbells will need a hundred years to pay off their debts.
The Third Estate Council passed the Currency Optimization Act. The head of the Stonemasons' Guild stated that this measure was intended to address the shortage of copper coins in the market. It would help nobles increase the supply of copper coins and resolve the increasingly serious debt problem, undoubtedly a great boon for the citizens of Roland City and the Kingdom of Ryan.
[—Roland City Times]
...
In the early morning in Roland, before the mist had completely dissipated, the crisp and excited cries of newsboys echoed along the wet cobblestone streets.
The sound pierced through the gloom of dawn, attempting to awaken the city, mired in grievances, from its slumber.
"Breaking news! Breaking news! The three-level meeting was a complete success!"
"A great reconciliation! With the priests as witnesses, His Majesty the King and the nobles have shaken hands in reconciliation! The prosperous era of Roland City is about to begin!"
A lightly dressed newsboy, waving a copy of the Rowland Times still smelling of ink, tirelessly weaved through the streets and alleys.
People with pale faces rushed to buy.
Having just left the Summer Palace and returned to His Majesty's city, Newcastle stood in front of a roadside bakery, casually took out some change, bought a pastry, and stopped to watch.
However, he burst out laughing after just one glance.
Who says the knights of the land of knights don't understand humor?
Isn't that quite humorous?
The report claimed that after two days of “friendly and cordial consultations,” His Majesty Theodore deeply appreciated the difficulties faced by the Second Estate citizens in maintaining order in their territories, and reached an epic “great understanding” with the nobles in order to overcome the difficulties of the time together.
He permitted lords with the right to mint coins to "adjust" the fineness and weight of copper coins to a certain extent according to the actual conditions in each region, and the minting of copper coins in principle required the presence of copper.
In exchange, the nobles, grateful for the king's favor, generously agreed to waive half of the interest on the royal family's existing debts.
This is practically turning robbery into poetry.
As one of the spectators at the circus, Newcastle could only sigh to himself that he wished he had a baronial title.
In that case, why would he need to sell fire extinguishers? Wouldn't it be faster to carve them out of wood?
However, he still didn't expect that the tense meeting could end so cleverly, even though those jackals were almost fighting.
It seems that Baron Wickton does have some skill.
Even the king, sitting outside the theater watching the play, probably already knew who would ultimately foot the bill for the stage set up in the summer palace.
His gaze continued downwards, landing on a profile interview titled "Voices of the Citizens".
The accompanying photo shows the stonemasons' guild president sitting to his right at the meeting, a member of parliament who usually prides himself on being a spokesperson for the interests of the citizens.
Although Newcastle couldn't recall whether the gentleman had spoken during the meeting, he was quite eloquent once he left His Majesty's palace.
More money means more transactions, which means that the wallets of our citizens will soon swell up like dough rising from the earth.
In the interview, he confidently stated that increasing the supply of copper coins would greatly improve market liquidity and was a win-win act of goodwill.
"I'm pretty good at judging people, aren't I? He really is a Border Collie, a smart sheepdog." Newcastle muttered to himself, handing the newspaper he had just finished reading to the penniless man who was scavenging for scraps.
The young man standing behind him didn't understand the intricacies of the conversation, but being a curious person, he asked out of curiosity.
"Sir, what does this mean?"
"It means you're getting a cheaper price, which is a good thing."
Newcastle chuckled and patted the young man on the shoulder, but after the joke, he felt it was immoral to joke about the weak, so he added a comment afterward.
"I was just kidding. How about I pay you your salary in silver pounds next month?"
His sudden change of heart wasn't because he had a conscience, but simply because he valued his own life.
As Mr. Andes of Thunder City once said, "No ragged beggar has ever been willing to give his life to defend the rich man's treasury."
That gentleman was his idol.
The young man looked at Mr. Newcastle with a bewildered expression.
He didn't actually understand his boss's joke until Newcastle said the second half of the sentence, at which point he instantly realized what the real joke was and became alert.
"Campbell's scrap paper? Sir, you must be kidding me. I don't want that kind of thing!"
The way the food was guarded as if facing a formidable enemy caught Newcastle off guard. He was momentarily at a loss for what to do, and finally took a step back, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"I was just kidding, never mind."
He has to retract his previous statement.
The knights of the House of Knights are not without humor.
They were all seriously trying to be funny.
...
The St. Roland Fitz Church College, with its lush green vines climbing all over the red brick walls, acts like a magical barrier, isolating it from the hustle and bustle of Roland City.
However, it could not stop the roar that came from within.
"That's... utter nonsense!"
Looking at the piece of paper filled with lies in his hand, the over-fifty-year-old scholar could no longer suppress his anger and tore it into pieces.
The swirling scraps of paper, like white snowflakes, could not conceal the desolation in the room.
Looking at the shredded paper scattered on the floor, Professor Ferguson slumped into his chair, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.
Lind Isaac probably never imagined that the newspaper he invented to spread the torch of truth would be turned into shackles on the feet of the Rhine people by the descendants of the Dvalo dynasty.
Many people have forgotten the name, especially the Ryans, but Professor Ferguson, who has read the actual history, does remember it.
And it was precisely because of this that he felt the helplessness of fate. Of the once-glorious Isaac dynasty, it seemed that only the steam engine and playing cards remained.
Theodore successfully broke the spine of the intelligent man with fear and profit, and now he can slaughter his cattle and sheep without any scruples.
Everyone in this city was seething with anger, and they were unleashing that pent-up rage on the weaker among them. The illiterate were shouting, "I want to eat shit!" while the educated were immediately saying, "Hey, brother, I'll give you a good turd right now."
There's no problem when everyone can eat their fill, but what happens when sheep can't survive and start eating people?
The Estates-General, which brought together the most powerful people in the entire kingdom, had not seen a single nobleman or priest seriously consider the matter.
When he tried to put out the flames, everyone except the disheveled Baron Wickton made him a laughingstock.
Perhaps they relied on their extraordinary powers and felt they didn't need to care about the opinions of ordinary people. However, they seemed to have forgotten that arrogance is the breeding ground for the corruption of chaos, and the Twilight Province had already reminded them of what was to come.
Ferguson closed his eyes wearily.
After a long while, he opened his eyes again, his gaze falling on a letter in the corner of the desk.
That was a letter he received a few days ago.
The letter was from an old friend he had met once before. The down-on-his-luck gentleman enthusiastically mentioned in the letter that he was fortunate to have met a generous prince.
The prince was very interested in his encyclopedia project and prepared a library for all the learned scholars on the continent of Os, commissioning them to compile a collection of human wisdom and create a catalog of knowledge for future generations.
Although now is not the time to do this, the exhausted Ferguson felt that this might be the only thing he could do after trying everything else.
"...Roland City is like a secret room filled with gunpowder now. Perhaps it's time to leave."
Ferguson looked out the window, where the spires of the Upper Town were faintly visible in the mist, surrounding the majestic royal court.
He deeply loved the land beneath his feet, but he also had a painful premonition that a great fire was about to come, which would indiscriminately burn away all propriety and shame, forcing everything to start anew.
Perhaps this is the punishment that Saint Sith has brought upon them, and it is impossible to stop it now.
But at least someone should remember what happened in the historic city of Roland in the winter of 1053 and the following spring.
He had to preserve a spark for the Ryan people.
The Isaac dynasty left behind at least steam engines and playing cards.
They can't leave behind just a collection of jokes.
...
When the "cowardly" Professor Ferguson threw down a resignation letter and left Rowland without a word, the esteemed Newcastle MP was still selling his fire extinguishers in Rowland, a town filled with gunpowder.
Without a doubt, he was a born firefighter, and it's no wonder that this guy was able to thrive in a fire.
On the other side, in the not-so-distant Duchy of Campbell, a completely different scene unfolded.
The afternoon sun lazily filtered through the gauze curtains in the side hall, casting dappled shadows on the tea table. A faint aroma of tea filled the air, broken only occasionally by the rustling of turning pages.
Sitting on the sofa in the side room, Luo Yan held a thick stack of manuscripts in his hands. It was the first draft of the first volume of the Encyclopedia, which Locke had sent overnight. It mainly covered the definitions of terms related to political and social structures.
This scholar, a former adventurer, certainly lived up to expectations; the sharpness of his writing was in no way inferior to the bayonet on the "Rocksey 1053 Rifle".
Just then, a sweet fragrance wafted by, and a softly shaped chin passed over Luo Yan's shoulder, while long pink hair cascaded down beside his arm.
"What's this?"
Mia's eyes widened with curiosity as she examined the dense text with great interest, her heart-shaped tail swaying behind her.
The chief investigator of the Hell Intelligence Bureau, stationed on the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea, is gathering intelligence on the human world.
Since there were no guests visiting today, she did not use the magic of the subspace to hide her succubus features and could wander around freely.
She had wanted to play with Luo Yan, but he was reading a book instead.
By Bayeri, what's so interesting about that thing?!
The investigator decided to get to the bottom of it!
Instead of chasing away Mia, who was gathering information everywhere, Luo Yan smiled faintly and said casually in a gentle tone.
"This is the first draft of the first volume of the Encyclopedia. Locke is trying to redefine the world as we know it."
"Define...the world as we know it?"
Mia tilted her head, her eyes filled with suspicion, and continued speaking.
What's the point of this?
In her mind, a magic crystal is a magic crystal, and magma is magma. What's there to define?
Can a few words really turn stone into gold? Or make black into white?
Luo Yan smiled faintly, without repeating the theory he had discussed with Edward to Miss Padridge.
Hell doesn't need that kind of thing; it's an invention of the human world.
He casually flipped through a few pages of the first draft in his hand, found the word "king," and gently covered the definition behind the entry with his index finger.
"Then let me test you. What is a king?"
“Is there even a question? Of course, it’s the king!” Mia answered without hesitation. “To put it more complicatedly, it’s someone who has been granted authority by the divine, or someone of noble blood… This applies to both Hell and the Empire. Is there any doubt about that?”
“No problem, but that’s the problem. The reason why nobles can maintain their authority is that their nobility is as indisputable as the sun shining, and as innate as the blood flowing in their veins.”
Seeing Mia's confused expression, Luo Yan casually said something that only confused her more.
It might seem a little strange to discuss this with the eldest daughter of the Padridge family, but it's really nothing to worry about.
He and Edward often joked about Saint Sith, but truly noble people are less reserved, especially when talking behind closed doors.
Castration is the job of a eunuch.
"...So, by writing the king's name in the encyclopedia, does he cease to exist?"
"Of course not."
Luo Yan smiled and moved his index finger away, revealing the answer from the encyclopedia to Mia.
"In Locke's book, it is written that a king is a title for a head of state whose power does not come from divine right, but from the state as the subject of power. He is usually responsible for administrative and military functions and is the executor of the social contract."
"The subject of power?" Mia blinked. "And what is that?"
"When such doubts arise in your mind, the authority bestowed by God is no longer so authoritative, and this is precisely the significance of the Encyclopedia. It does not convey any particular ideology, nor does it seek to overthrow any monarch, but rather to spread common sense. Coincidentally, however, common sense is the foundation of republic and the poison of feudalism."
Luo Yan smiled faintly and patiently guided her gaze to another line in the book, about the definition of feudalism.
Locke defines feudalism as "a contractual relationship of loyalty and submission between lord and vassal, local and central, master and servant, based on land."
In his annotations, Luo Yan added a bit of juicy information from the "encyclopedic faction" of the revolutionary old area in another world—
It was a master-servant relationship based on land ownership, built on personal dependence. It did not originate from the public interest, but was based on the lord's private control over land and people, and was opposed to "republic".
In fact, Prince Colin, who is skilled in studying the virtual realm, has not yet shown his full strength. If we delay the progress bar by fifty years, there is an even more ruthless medicine waiting for him.
However, doing this much is enough for now.
Mia's face still showed confusion.
feudal?
poison?
Although I don't know what the Demon King is doing, he seems very powerful.
Just then, a sneaky little head peeked out from behind the sofa armrest, like a little eggplant sprouting from a vine, followed by a mocking "Kukuku".
"...How foolish! Did the vixen in the Padridge family convert all her nutrients into fat?"
"This is my elder brother's grand conspiracy to subvert the human world from its very core! As long as those humans realize that their king is not holy and that the holy light is just a lie, they will immediately stop kneeling and even take up arms to fight those crowned pigs... Kukuku, this is much more sophisticated than chanting a few spells!"
Mia was about to realize something, but when she saw Vivian's undisguised mockery, her brows twitched and her fists hardened.
This brat...
However, she was, after all, the eldest daughter of the Padridge family, and wouldn't easily break down her defenses.
Striving to maintain her elegance, she straightened up, deliberately shook the fat that the vampires hated, and said with a smile.
"I can't pretend I didn't hear that. I'm a top student who graduated from the Demon King Academy, unlike some shut-in vampire who just clings to his brother all day and now doesn't even go to school... Tsk tsk tsk, he's really out of his mind. Now he's completely become a lowly vampire."
Luo Yan wanted to say something.
However, the swaying fat was on his shoulder, and any direction other than downwards would be undignified, so he could only tactically lower his head to drink his tea.
Seeing the arrogant and swaggering Padridge, Vivian flew into a rage, grinding her fangs and flashing a fierce light in her scarlet eyes.
"What did you say!"
Mia didn't tolerate her bad habits at all and stuck out her tongue fiercely.
"A lowly vampire!"
"No, the sentence before that!"
"...?"
"What's wrong with someone so obsessed with their older brother?!"
"How dare you ask that???"
A terrifying atmosphere brewed in the side hall, and purple sparks seemed to fly in the air.
Seeing the Demon King's empty teacup, the fox-eared maid trembled and wanted to refill the cup, but her aggressive aura made her too afraid to approach.
Finally, she bowed tremblingly, placed the teapot on the cabinet by the door, and hurriedly ran away.
Vivian was eager to teach the vixen from the Padridge family a lesson.
However, just as she was about to use the clever idea she had just come up with, a casual glance made her shoulders tremble involuntarily, and her fierce attitude was instantly softened by her aggrieved emotions.
That biased guy...
Before Mia came here, her brother doted on her quite a bit, but in the blink of an eye, he was completely captivated.
Unfortunately, Luo Yan couldn't guess what Vivian was thinking either, otherwise he would definitely ask her where she got the idea that he was spoiling her.
He will definitely change next time.
"Tch... What's so great about it? I'll just have Professor Adonia give me a diploma later," Vivian said softly.
Seeing that Vivian's momentum had subsided, Mia's attitude also softened, but she was still speechless at Vivian's outrageous remarks.
"You really have no shame at all..."
"What are you ashamed of?" Vivian raised her head fiercely, flashing her fangs again. "Is your academic background genuine?"
Mia's face immediately turned red.
"Then I'm better off than you!"
"The Succubus Chef!"
Luo Yan: "..."
Well, this brat is resorting to personal attacks again.
According to Prince Colin's research, these are typical symptoms of the Colin family vampires breaking down: if they can't win an argument, they start cursing; if they can't win an argument, they start fighting; if they can't hit someone, they get anxious; and if they lose a fight, they get even more anxious.
We are now in the first phase.
According to the usual script, Mia should have already lost her temper and gone berserk by this time, and I should be about to start mediating the fight.
However, things took an unexpected turn, both for Luo Yan and for the vampire who had initiated the provocation.
Mia wasn't angry.
Instead, she gracefully raised her hand, gave a lazy yawn, and her face exuded the composure and elegance of a mature woman.
"Is that all you know? Honestly, I'm sick of hearing it. Why don't you look up a couple of more aggressive new words in the encyclopedia before you challenge me again... 'small fry vampire'."
Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Mia hadn't taken the wrong medicine.
According to the research of the "true outstanding graduates" of the Demon King Academy, whenever the word "small fish" appears in the mouth of the succubus Padrich, it means that the latter is not unharmed.
Mia is currently in the "first stage," which is still a closely contested battle.
However, Vivian was still a bit narrow-minded, lacking the Demon King's vision and the ability to see through appearances to the essence of things.
Seeing Mia's calm and composed demeanor, her heart skipped a beat.
This guy... isn't afraid anymore?
In the past, whenever she mentioned "chef succubus", Mia would jump up and down as if her tail had been stepped on, desperately trying to explain that "not eating" did not mean "not eating", saying a lot of incomprehensible things to make people laugh, and then biting her own tongue.
However, she now exudes an inner composure, much like a wildcat that has just caught and eaten its fill of sparrows.
After eliminating all the wrong options, a terrifying thought gradually surfaced in Vivian's mind, and the imagery grew stronger and stronger.
Could it be that...
While she was taking a nap, this vixen from the Padridge family had already been eaten?!
Vivian's face turned deathly pale instantly. She looked at her brother with trembling hands, then at Mia, who looked completely at ease. She felt as if the sky was about to fall.
"That……"
Mia was slightly taken aback when she saw Vivian suddenly shrink to a smaller size. She wondered what had gotten into her again, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"That?"
Vivian's two lips, pressed together, moved softly. In despair, she took a step back, like a wilted eggplant.
"No to that kind of thing... please."
Mia: "...?"
This was the first time Luo Yan had seen the same weak and helpless expression on Vivian's face as Nanfu's—the despair of having all her toys taken away.
Unfortunately, before the Demon King could fully appreciate the aura of despair, the invincible Little Tyrant of Shanghai vanished in a blur, fleeing with a "whoosh."
Mia stared blankly at the porch outside the side hall, completely bewildered as to what had just happened and even less understanding of what she had said that had caused Vivian to break down.
Could it be that phrase, "small fry vampire"?
But... this isn't right?
As she had just said, Vivian hadn't reacted at all. But seeing how much this guy cared, she felt a pang of guilt.
She didn't really want to hurt Vivian.
Deep down, she still considered Luo Yan's sister as her own.
"Did I... go too far?" Mia whispered, looking at Luo Yan, who hadn't said a word the whole time.
Luo Yan had intended to say a few words of platitudes, until he "saw" the vanished afterimage rush into his bedroom, throw himself onto the covers, and take a deep breath.
Vampires have an amazing sense of smell, just as dwarves do; they can sense everything just by poking their little noses at vampires.
Sure enough, that wicked little face revealed a wicked grin that seemed to be energized, and there wasn't a trace of vulnerability left.
She started rolling around with her pillow, then rolled from the bedding onto the carpet, drew a circle on the floor, and slipped back to the stool at the foot of the bed.
Jumping onto the bed without taking off his shoes—for Prince Colin, who was somewhat of a germaphobe, there was probably nothing more shameful than that.
It seems he really needs to control this guy.
"No..."
Luo Yan gently placed the teacup back onto the ceramic tray, making a crisp sound. At the same time, the blue butterfly perched in the bedroom display case window fluttered its wings slightly.
"Next time, please go even further and make sure she breaks down completely."
Mia: "...?"
(End of this chapter)
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