Who taught him to restore his country like this?

She had no intention of trying to persuade Ron.

This man is a man of his word; even if she tries to persuade him, he won't listen.

Saying too much, or saying the wrong thing, could even lead to your death.

It would be better to remain silent, do your job as a mercenary, and once the mission is complete, immediately distance yourself from Ron.

Time passed slowly, and night fell silently.

Torches were lit in the square.

Finally, a magnificent carriage slowly drove into the square.

"Your Majesty Ron."

Aphrodite and Reggie stepped forward to greet them.

"Thank you for keeping you waiting so long." Ron stepped down from the carriage, wearing a purple swallowtail coat.

"It's my pleasure."

The two said in unison.

Having been left standing there for two or three hours, they were actually filled with resentment.

"Let's begin then."

Ron walked between the two men and onto the platform.

The once noisy square instantly fell silent.

Good evening, everyone.

He looked at the tense crowd in the center of the square and slowly said, "I suppose some of you don't know me. Here, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Ron Rhinet, the new lord of Gray Mist Territory and the king of the Kingdom of Lach."

After Ron finished introducing himself, a large portion of the crowd immediately knelt down, chanting his name.

Ron would have believed it if the reputation gain hadn't been zero.

He felt no anger at being deceived.

Under the oppression of the aristocratic system, the common people at the bottom of society had little to no human rights or dignity.

To survive, kneeling and submitting is the most normal thing to do.

"Everyone stand up."

The kneeling crowd kept their heads buried in the ground, not daring to get up.

“You don’t need to do this. I am not the kind of cruel and bloodthirsty tyrant. As long as they are not hostile to me and have not betrayed me, I will not easily take their lives.”

Ron is trying to salvage his image.

When he mentioned the word "betrayal," his gaze lingered on Avrae for a moment.

Avra felt that icy, piercing gaze and immediately lowered her head, sweating profusely.

She was certain that Ron had discovered her escape.

Ron accepted her submission without taking away her freedom, yet she chose to run away, which was already a betrayal.

Ron ignored Avley's reaction and continued, "I'm not some devil. On the contrary, I'm always very magnanimous. I can tolerate your small mistakes, and I can tolerate your criticism and double-dealing. As long as it doesn't touch on principles, I can tolerate a lot of things."

“You agree, Miss Avley,” Ron said with a smile, looking at Avley.

“Yes…yes, His Majesty Ron is a benevolent king,” Avrae said, forcing a smile.

She felt just as uneasy as the refugees below, fearing that Ron might suddenly change his attitude.

Fortunately, the kind look on Ron's face never disappeared.

Once everyone had stood up, Ron spoke again: "I'm sure you're all very curious about why I gathered you all here."

“My purpose is simple,” Ron, who had become the focus of everyone’s attention, chuckled softly and said slowly, “Grey Mist Territory now belongs to the Kingdom of Lah, and the Emerald Kingdom’s code of law is naturally invalid. I will formulate a new code of law here, and you will be the witnesses.”

Let a group of the lowest commoners, who are least protected by the law, witness the birth of the law.

What kind of hellish joke is that?

“This is not a joke. You will not only be witnesses to the birth of the code, but also participants.” Ron’s voice rose.

The crowd remained silent.

As long as you're happy.

It's nothing more than another legal code designed to protect the rights of the nobility.

"Before the code is published, I will do three things to prove that the new code is not a joke."

“The first thing,” Ron raised his hand and held up one finger, “is for a national celebration! Starting tomorrow morning, I will take out the stored grain from the warehouse and distribute it free of charge for a week. Every citizen can come here every morning and evening to collect a breakfast and dinner.”

"In addition, each person will receive a set of clothes to keep warm in the winter and a well-paid job."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the square perked up, their expressions revealing longing.

It is extremely difficult for refugees and the poor to have enough to eat and wear during times of war.

However, they soon realized that they were not citizens of the Gray Mist Territory, and that the benefits were irrelevant to them.

The glimmer of light that had just appeared in his eyes dimmed again.

"The second thing I want to do is to grant a general amnesty."

Ron took in their reactions and announced loudly, "To celebrate the rebirth of the Kingdom of Lah, I will pardon all the guilty, grant every person who wishes to remain in the Gray Mist Territory the status of a territory citizen, and liberate and restore the status of all slave territory citizens!"

After saying that, Ron clapped his hands lightly.

Behind the platform, more than a hundred slaves wearing collars walked up to the platform one after another.

Chapter 14 Melting Armor and Blades, Forging Pots and Hoes

“Raise your head.”

Ron spoke softly.

The slaves, filled with unease, slowly raised their heads.

They all heard what Ron said up there.

Their instincts told them this couldn't be true. After all, with so many of them released, how much money would the noble lord have to lose?

There is no shortage of kind noble lords in this world. After a lucky slave is bought, the noble lord will reward him with the job of a servant so that he can live for a long time.

Ultimately, they might even be able to regain their freedom.

Ron, however, returned freedom directly without exploiting the value of slaves—something they wouldn't even dare to dream of.

This must be a scam!

They kept reminding themselves of this.

But in their gazes toward Ron, there was a hint of hope that they themselves were unaware of.

"What's your name?"

Ron walked up to a slave and asked.

“Pike,” the slave being questioned replied respectfully.

“Pick,” Ron said, pulling out a contract from a stack of slave contracts and placing it in Pick’s hand. “Congratulations, you are free.”

Pique stared blankly at the contract in his hand, not yet able to react, when the contract burst into flames with a loud bang, quickly turning into a pile of ashes that scattered with the wind.

"Crack!"

The first collar fell to the ground with a crisp, pleasant sound, the metallic thud echoing across the square.

Pique remained rooted to the spot, seemingly still reeling from this sudden freedom.

"What's your name?"

“Gil”.

"Jill, you are free."

The second slave contract burned.

The second collar was placed on the ground.

Then came the third, fourth, fifth...

Ron's movements were clean and efficient, without any hesitation.

In less than three minutes, a groundbreaking feat was accomplished.

His determination was indeed conveyed.

He showed these people through his actions that what he promised was true.

"The third thing I want to do is to allocate resources fairly."

Ron returned to the front of the platform and continued, "In order to better promote the development of Gray Mist Territory, I have decided to reform production so that every resident has the opportunity to participate in production and achieve self-sufficiency."

"This reform will inevitably be difficult. In order to prevent those with ulterior motives from monopolizing production, I will ensure the fair allocation of resources and equality for all."

"From now on, not only the children of nobles and merchants will be able to go to school, but the children of commoners will also be able to go to school. Everyone has the right to acquire tools and knowledge, which will become your weapons to protect yourselves!"

Ron's voice was strong and clear.

The sight made the hearts of the civilians in and around the square race faster.

“Miss Avrae, have your guards remove their armor and weapons and place them here.”

Ron glanced at Avra, whose face was grim in the audience.

"Yes, Your Majesty Ron."

Everything Ron did was to bleed her dry, to suck the blood of Gray Mist Territory.

Generous with other people's money, and opening someone else's pocket.

Now this vampire is up to something again.

Despite her anger, Avley dared not disobey Ron's orders.

Ten minutes later, all the weapons and armor of the Gray Mist Territory's guards were piled up below the platform.