The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 318 The Demon King’s Court Meeting

The audience hall was silent, with only the slight crackling sound from the brazier echoing in the empty hall.

Luo Yan, sitting on the high throne, glanced down at the lizardman leaders crawling on the ground, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Among them were Zel Tua, the former high priest of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, who now ruled Assam, Urga Windhowl of Windhowl State, who had changed from an initial spectator to his loyal supporter, and Shul Redscale, the chief of Tide State, who had first met him at the North Coast Conference.

And now, they, above all others, have become his most loyal servants.

Luo Yan's gaze fell on Aesemata's face, and he spoke slowly in a gentle yet dignified voice.

"Aiselmata Hamaka, are you the chosen king chosen by the chiefs?"

"Yes, Your Majesty the Supreme Demon King."

Hearing the voice of the Demon King, Aethelmata raised her head slightly, and her gorgeous golden-green eyes revealed a light of piety and admiration.

Then she lowered her head gracefully and continued in a soft, low voice.

"Thanks to your grace, I am extremely honored to be entrusted by the chiefs to temporarily serve as the 'elected king' of the United Kingdom of Gutaf for a term of five years. In the next five years, I will report to you on all matters of the United Kingdom of Gutaf, and convey your supreme will to your subjects on your behalf."

Luo Yan nodded slightly, as a recognition of the king chosen by all.

In fact, he didn't find it strange at all that the leader of the Sand Ridge tribe was pushed to this position.

After all, when the big storm occurred, the twelve states that were split from the Ankylosaur tribe were basically relocated to the central desert for refuge.

According to the report of the acolytes of the cemetery, Aethelmata did a very good job in this matter. Not only did he treat the Ankylosaur civilians who accepted his shelter well, but he also restrained his people with his strong hands and did not wait for an opportunity to retaliate against these former enemies.

Naturally, the chiefs of the Ankylosaur tribe reciprocated the favor. The twelve chiefdoms meant twelve votes, covering 60% or even 70% of the population of the Janna continent.

In addition, Asemata's own prestige is not low, so she naturally became the popular choice.

Apart from her, the second strongest competitor is the chief of the Tide Tribe, followed by Urga of the Wind Howl Tribe.

The three tribes themselves are the largest ethnic groups on the Janna continent except for the Ankylosaurs.

Quietly observing the changes in the Demon King's expression, and seeing that the Lord on the throne had no objection, Aesemata paused for a moment and then continued.

"As for the Sand Ridge Tribe... I have entrusted it to my sister, Thea Hamaka. Thanks to your care, she has now grown into a leader who can stand on her own... Of course, if you need her to come back to assist you, I think she will definitely not refuse."

As Aethelmata finished her words, Thea nodded slightly, agreeing with her sister's words.

"A bird with lofty ambitions belongs in the vast sky... There is no need for it to come back to me. I think the Sand Ridge tribe needs it more than I do."

Luo Yan nodded slightly, shifted his gaze to Xia, who looked humble and reserved, and spoke seriously.

"Xia Hamaka, from today on, you are the chief of Sand Ridge State. I hope you can inherit your sister's ability and make your tribe stronger. Please remember not to disappoint your subjects and your relatives. I will always be watching you."

He would not interfere too much in the selection of the chiefs of the various states. As long as there was no political strongman who opposed him or demanded separation from the United Kingdom of Qutaf, it would not make much difference to the cemetery who became the chief.

As for the appointment, it's just a ceremony.

Xia lowered her head and said respectfully.

"As you command, Your Majesty the Demon King... I will definitely not let you and the Lady Mother down, bring long-term prosperity to the Sand Ridge Tribe, and contribute the power of the Sand Ridge Tribe to you, the Supreme Being."

Such a strong breath——

After saying this, Xia took a deep breath, and her taut scales trembled slightly.

She could clearly feel that this Demon Lord was even more powerful than the last time she saw him!
The aura contained in his shadow is as deep as the lake outside the city of Assam!

It was not only Xia who felt this way, but also Urga and many other chiefs who were standing not far behind her.

The pupils that were secretly looking at the Demon King were all filled with astonishment, and the stiff tails were slightly curled against the floor tiles.

What a terrifying power!

As expected, he is a strong man who can lift the Dragon Temple to the sky and smash it hard to the ground...

Just by making eye contact with his shadow, they felt as if the blood in their veins had frozen!
The only one who stood out was Aethelmata.

The Lizardman Queen was closer to the Demon King's throne and observed more carefully. The more she observed, the more she noticed that Luo Yan's temperament had undergone subtle changes.

It was not just the strength, but also a throbbing from the depths of her soul - making it difficult for her to calm down.

A hint of barely perceptible intoxication flashed across those golden-green pupils, and the slender tongue rubbed along the edge of the lips.

A strong male!
like--

It’s not impossible for humans, right?

The so-called becoming a lizardman is the tradition of the Janna continent. It only took Aesemata a moment to convince herself.

Luo Yan didn't notice the fiery look in Aethelmata's eyes as she wanted to lay eggs. After all, the bloodline between lizardmen and humans was still too far apart, even greater than the gap between little demons and humans...

These creatures were completely created by Tafu using the hard work of the Zeta Empire.

As for how much of the original DNA that Taffy had used, the kid herself probably couldn't tell. After all, a thousand years had passed, and most of the sophisticated instruments on her spaceship had broken down, except for the lights that could still be turned on.

That can't be fixed by just chanting a few spells.

After confirming the personnel arrangements of the chiefdoms one by one, Luo Yan, sitting on the throne, looked down at the leaders of various tribes and announced in a commanding tone.

"This is the first court meeting since the establishment of the United Kingdom of Gutaf. I hope that on the first Sunday of every quarter, you will all be here like today and discuss state affairs according to today's agenda...regardless of whether I am sitting in this chair or not."

The leaders were all cheered up upon hearing this and took note of the matter seriously.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Luo Yan paused for a moment and continued in a gentle tone.

"Now, please stand up and tell me what you have done during this period, how these tasks have been completed, or what problems you have encountered. Don't be shy, you can say anything as long as it is related to your own interests."

After saying this, Luo Yan turned his gaze to Aesemata who was already prepared.

The pair of golden-green pupils flickered slightly, and Aesemata stood up first, bowed, and then spoke.

"Reporting to His Majesty the Demon King, the storm caused by the collapse of the Great Barrier has now completely ended, order in each state has been restored, and the people of each tribe are living in their own territories... My work in recent times has mainly focused on this matter, and it is progressing smoothly. The only problem is that this storm has completely changed the topography of the Janna continent, and the map we have been using is not accurate, so there are many disputes over land among the people of each tribe."

Luo Yan looked at her with appreciation.

"It's good that you noticed this problem. I will ask my servants to assist you in drawing more accurate maps, and let my acolytes go deep into the grassroots to help you complete the land survey and property registration, as well as arbitrate any disputed land issues."

Aesemata was slightly stunned, and only understood half of the Demon Lord's decision.

“Property registration is…”

Luo Yan tried to speak in a concise tone.

"To put it simply, each piece of land will have a corresponding certificate, and the owner will enjoy all the rights granted by the kingdom on the land except sovereignty... In return, they need to pay a certain amount of taxes to the local chiefdom. As for the form and proportion of the tax, it will be agreed upon in the subsequent agenda."

Aethelmata's eyes lit up. She was a smart person and immediately saw the benefits behind this rule.

If this policy can really be implemented, the noble families holding land within each chiefdom will no longer be a secret for the chiefs, and the land tax will become a powerful tool for the chiefs to suppress the power of local noble families!
"The Demon King is wise!"

Luo Yan smiled faintly, nodded slightly, and didn't say anything.

It's too early to praise his wisdom now.

It is still difficult to implement this policy, which seems simple but is actually extremely complex.

However, considering the extraordinary obedience shown by the Lizardmen after being conquered, they even automatically gave themselves the title of "Holy King" and helped heat up his cold throne... This task should not be too difficult.

Although many traditions of the cemetery are inherited from Hell, its organizational structure is fundamentally different from that of Hell.

This has nothing to do with the player, but is his consistent decision - to build temples on every street!

He never required his believers to go to the temple to pray every Sunday. Instead, he asked his acolytes to select believers who would come to pray every Sunday, and use the power of the temple to help them become the nuclei of each block.

Starting from Beifeng City, most of these "condensation nuclei" scattered at the grassroots level have received favors from the temple.

They are both the reserve force of the acolyte army and the hands and eyes of the necropolis' temple that reach deep into the grassroots.

This is a weapon that most feudal dynasties did not possess, let alone imagine.

He built a strong organizational system based on faith itself!

Although the church systems of Hell and the Empire were also well developed, they had only developed to the level of the late Renaissance on Earth. Compared with this system that was ahead of its time, it was simply a draft.

In this strong organizational system, his acolytes will not only play the role of traditional clergy, but also play a role similar to "godfather".

And those believers who are influenced by the "Godfathers" naturally possess attributes far beyond those of ordinary believers.

During his rule over the United Kingdom of Gutaf, he would continue to test this system and gradually improve its loopholes.

Land reform may be a good opportunity.

Luo Yan then turned his gaze to the chieftain of the Sand Ridge State, Xia Hamaka, and motioned for her to speak.

"My Lord Demon King," Xia bowed respectfully and continued, "As Queen Aesmata said, our current work is mainly focused on the relocation of the affected people. At present, order in the central desert has been basically restored, and the members of the Sand Ridge tribe are returning to their respective pastures... In addition, according to your instructions, we plan to establish our state capital in the oasis near the Twin Tail Rift Valley. Preparations are also underway for the construction of water conservancy facilities."

"Very good." Luo Yan's voice was calm and full of dignity. "It seems that you have long-term plans for the future. I am very pleased."

Hearing the words of praise, Xia raised her head slightly, her nervousness eased a little, and a sincere smile appeared on her face.

When it came to the next work report, Zer Tua of Assam, the former high priest had already integrated into his new identity and planned the reconstruction of Assam city in an orderly manner.

Luo Yan saw everything he said, so he didn't ask too many questions.

With the help of the players, the problems faced by this holy city, which was hit hardest by the disaster, are actually the smallest.

It won't be long before the Holy Lake returns to its former prosperity.

The next person to speak was the Tide State Chieftain Shul Redscale. This lizardman with gills and fins had a calm demeanor, but his face was filled with excitement and gratitude that could not be concealed.

"My Lord Demon King, the Tide Clan has resumed fishing, and thanks to the strong support of the Wind Roaring Nation and the lifting of the Great Barrier, we have hunted more fish in the past month than in the past six months!" When the Great Barrier existed in the past, many schools of fish that entered the territorial waters of the Gana continent from the open ocean would leave with the ocean currents after laying eggs, making it difficult to find their traces. Even the most experienced fishermen could only sigh in despair.

But now, with the help of wind lizards, they can not only accurately locate schools of fish, but also chase them into the deep sea hundreds of kilometers away!

As a result, the Tide Tribe's catch of fish has become so abundant that it is not only enough for their own consumption, but after distributing a portion to the Wind Howl Tribe, they can also take it to other tribes or Deadwood Harbor to exchange for some game or rare items on land.

They had never dared to imagine such a good life before!
Luo Yan smiled when he heard this.

“I am happy to see that the cooperation between Tide State and Wind Howl State is going so smoothly. However, I would also like to remind you to remember to exercise restraint and avoid overfishing, so that your prosperity can last for a long time.”

Xiuer Chilin nodded solemnly in response.

"I will follow your instructions and strictly discipline my people."

Luo Yan nodded and gave an instruction.

"There's no need to be afraid of a disaster. Just make the mesh of the fishing net a little bigger."

He believed that they would pay attention to such little things even without him telling them.

But...if I don't say it myself, how can I show my importance? How can I show my care for all ethnic groups?

After all, this was the first court meeting of the United Kingdom of Qutaf, and its practical and symbolic significance were equally important.

As they were talking, the recorder in the audience hall was taking notes with a feather pen.

Every word he says now will be written into a book in the future.

After a brief pause, Xiuer Chilin hesitated for a moment, then spoke again:
"Master Demon, there is one more thing I need to report to you... although you may already know it."

Luo Yan guessed what he wanted to say and said it casually.

"Is it about the human fleet?"

Xiuer nodded and said solemnly.

"Exactly..."

They were huge monsters that he had never seen before. Each ship was as big as a deep-sea behemoth, and on both sides of the hull stood metal tubes as dense as teeth. They could not only spray lightning, but also make earth-shaking noises.

In terms of power alone, it seems to be on par with the Demon King's army's "rocket bombs"!
Looking at Xiuer's solemn expression, Luo Yan didn't care. He just smiled faintly and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Don't worry about these fleets. The corrosion of the Great Cemetery has already spread to their interior. However, it will take some time to wait for the corrosion to spread. You'd better not provoke them in the next two years. Just keep your distance from them as I ordered."

Seeing that the Demon King said so, Xuer's expression calmed down a little and he felt a little relieved.

Although I don't know where the Demon King's confidence comes from, I think that with the power that can lift the Dragon Temple above the clouds, he would not be afraid of just a few warships.

After all, the former is the power of gods, while the latter can only be regarded as extraordinary.

At this time, the chief of the Lieyang tribe, who had been waiting silently, suddenly looked up and said anxiously.

"Master Demon King, I have something important to report... Although we have moved back to our ancestral land, our herds have suffered heavy losses, and our remaining food is very little! Without the support of other tribes, we may not be able to survive the next few days on our own."

Having said that, he swallowed, looked sheepishly at the Tide Tribe Chief next to him, and said with a shy smile.

"Since you have caught so many fish... can you lend us some first? When the kid we raise grows up next year, we will definitely pay you back!"

As the chief of the Fiery Sun Tribe finished speaking, Xuer's expression froze slightly, and the scales between his eyebrows couldn't help but twitch.

It is true that they have surplus food, but if they were to give it away to support another tribe... I don't think his people would be obedient.

As for the fact that he would definitely pay it back next year, he didn't take it to heart at all.

As we all know, there is no such thing as borrowing and repaying between tribes.

Either you pay the money and get the goods, or why should you pay back what you borrowed with your own ability?

What's more, it's not just the Lieyang tribe that is facing food shortages. If I act like a good person, wouldn't the little dried fish that the tribesmen have saved with great difficulty be divided up?

Seeing that Xuer ignored him, the chief of the Lieyang tribe showed a disappointed expression, and then looked at the chief of Assam with envy, trying to beg for alms from this "big shot".

As the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. As the head of a clan, he knows very well how huge the food reserves of those Ankylosaurs who can farm are!
Seeing all the lizardmen looking at him, Chief Zell of Assam also twitched his mouth.

After a long silence, he sighed and spoke to Luo Yan.

"Master Demon King, the storm caused by the collapse of the Great Barrier not only destroyed the granary in Assam City, but also destroyed a large area of ​​farmland around the Holy Lake... You have seen the situation here. We can barely protect ourselves, and I am afraid it will be difficult to squeeze out extra food to support other tribes."

The hall suddenly fell into a brief silence, and the atmosphere seemed a little solemn.

The fragile United Kingdom faced a huge test just as it seemed to be getting on track.

What these lizardmen didn't know was that this respected Demon Lord was even thinking about squeezing out some of the surplus food from their pockets and selling it to the generals of the empire as a favor.

But now it seems that there really isn't much that can be squeezed out of these lizardmen.

Perhaps the Ankylosaurs did have huge food reserves before, but after this strong wind and flood, most of the food reserves would probably be gone.

It's not just their planting techniques that are backward; their food storage techniques are equally primitive.

After all, under the protection of the great barrier, they don't need to consider the impact of extreme weather at all.

no way.

General Hamelton's grain can only be converted from spot goods to futures goods.

Fortunately, there are night elves in the cemetery, as well as fertilizers and tractors, so growing crops is not very difficult.

Luo Yan thought for a long time and then spoke.

"I already understand your problem. Food shortage is indeed a problem... and this is also one of the main reasons why I summoned you this time."

The chiefs all looked up, with a hint of expectation in their surprised eyes, waiting for His Majesty the Demon King to continue speaking.

Luo Yan didn't hesitate and spoke directly.

"In the past, most of you relied on extensive planting and nomadism as the main source of food, and this backward production method cannot withstand the natural disasters outside the great barrier. But it doesn't matter, we happen to have everything you lack, and can help you avoid many detours."

Luo Yan paused, looked at Aesemata, and continued.

"In addition to measuring the land and registering the property rights, I will instruct my servants to teach you advanced farming techniques. These include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, the life magic of the night elves, and tractors that replace livestock, etc."

As soon as he finished speaking, the chiefs looked confused and exchanged puzzled glances with each other.

Including Aysematta.

Although she had heard from Xia that the Demon King would help them transition from a nomadic society to an agricultural society, she was still confused about the specific details.

She did understand life-related spells. The continent of Janna also had similar "seal" spells that could accelerate growth, such as the Seal of Rejuvenating Vitality, which could not only help plants regain their vitality, but also help animals regain their vitality and accelerate the reproduction of herds.

However, these spells all have more or less problems, especially when used on fruit trees, the trees only grow but do not bear fruit.

It is a good use to accelerate the expansion of forage, but the cycle of converting forage into meat is still a bit long and cannot be achieved overnight.

Luo Yan ignored their doubts.

After all, it is too difficult for people with no basic knowledge to understand the role of fertilizers.

Even smart night elf girls like Shirley and Helen took some time to understand the mystery of life contained therein.

Skipping unnecessary explanations, Luo Yan made promises directly to the leaders of various tribes.

"With these technologies, your corn can be harvested five or six times a year. The United Kingdom of Gutaf will have more food than it can eat, and can export the surplus food to various ports in the New World, and even to the mainland of the empire, in exchange for wealth that you have never had and can never imagine."

"Of course, we won't provide you with these technologies for free. Apart from the expenses of each of your tribes, the surplus food produced by the technology provided by the Great Necropolis Temple must be sold to the Great Necropolis Temple. This is mainly to prevent disorderly competition. But you can rest assured that we will give you an absolutely reasonable price."

The chiefs were completely confused. Although none of them knew what fertilizer or tractors were, let alone what "export" meant...but since it was a promise from the Demon King, it must be very powerful.

As for other things, they don't really care. After all, they don't even have a basic concept of many things.

The chief of the Fiery Sun Tribe, who was in the most urgent situation, was the first to react. He said with gratitude: "Since the Lord Demon has made arrangements, our Fiery Sun Tribe will fully cooperate and follow your command!"

Chiefs of other tribes, including Queen Aiselmata, also expressed their agreement.

"Follow the Demon King's orders!"

Seeing that all the chiefs stood firmly on his side, Luo Yan nodded with a smile.

"Very good, since you are all so cooperative, then this matter will be happily decided."

After saying this he looked at Chief Zeer of Assam.

"I will leave the diffusion of technology to my people. This will be a long process. But now, I need to open up a piece of farmland immediately to solve the food shortage problem faced by the tribes... Assam city has ready-made irrigation canals, and I want to start from there."

Now?

Is it possible in such a short time?

Although Zel didn't quite believe that the Demon King could do it, he still nodded respectfully in agreement.

"I am willing to provide all assistance to Your Majesty... Just tell me what you need me to do."

At the same time, he added silently in his heart that whether it could be done was another matter.

After all, it was impossible for him to create food that didn't exist.

However, Luo Yan did not make it difficult for him to do such a thing, but only asked him to do a small task.

"Don't be so nervous. This is not a difficult task for you. I just need you to help me mobilize 30,000 workers and select 200,000 acres of usable farmland near the Holy Lake."

(End of this chapter)