Starting with the defeated female knight

This raised their questions again.

"Is there something wrong with this painting? We see tentacles everywhere outside..."

Upon hearing this, the muscle mages realized that they hadn't yet been told the most important thing, and their expressions gradually became serious.

"What, what's wrong?"

The monk thought he had said something wrong.

The muscular mages were silent for a moment, then the man with the giant hammer raised his head and spoke in an extremely serious and earnest tone.

"Once you leave this room, no one is allowed to mention what just happened, and especially not that painting."

"otherwise......"

"What...what will happen?"

The man with the giant hammer was silent for a moment, then spoke seriously.

"It will turn everyone into a spinning top."

"The kind that can't stop for a whole month."

------

PS: 15,000 words completed, will continue tomorrow.

Volume 1: Chapter 87: If only it had been sooner...

The new monks were accepted.

Strangely, those seemingly kind, muscular mages didn't let them join the work immediately, or even let them assist.

"Your priority is to eat first, then rest, and then go out for exercise with us tomorrow morning after you wake up."

"You can't do research without good health, and even doing odd jobs isn't safe."

"Believe me, this really works. Not only is it more resistant to explosions, but it also makes it easier to be whipped around like a top by tentacles?"

"What does it mean to be spun around like a top by tentacles? It's okay, it's alright if you don't understand. You'll understand once you experience it."

"Believe me, everyone who's been into this lab has been tested. It's just a matter of time before it happens to you too."

"Alright, stop babbling and go eat."

"I heard that the cafeteria is having roasted giant feather beast wings today. If you go too late, you won't be able to get any."

And so, the muscular mages led the newly arrived chicks toward the canteen.

The nobles toured the industrial area and sought advice from Green on how to build factories.

The monks went to the dining hall and ate the best meal they had in over a decade.

They were all happy and had bright futures ahead of them.

But not everyone is happy.

For example, the merchants of some large caravans in Dawn City right now.

In fact, long before they set out, the original investigation team members had warned them that they should only bring various materials and not any finished products from the capital.

However, although the nobles in the original investigation team were elites within their families, they couldn't manage everything.

Especially the matter of forming large caravans, because it was obvious that there was plenty of profit to be made, and basically everyone wanted to participate.

Among them, there will naturally be those who don't like to listen to advice, are stubborn and self-willed, or simply have a bad relationship with the nobles of the original investigation team.

Then, naturally, they either felt that products from the capital were desirable enough for those border trash, or they felt that the investigation team's statements were deliberately misleading them. In any case, in the end, they didn't listen to the members of the investigation team.

They brought the finished products instead of the materials.

As for the result?

Given the large number and diverse composition of the caravan members, even with the presence of surveillance agents, releasing them into the city would likely cause chaos.

So after they arrived, Green designated a special area near the Dawn City commercial district for them to do business with the residents of Dawn City.

At first, the residents of Dawn City were very excited when they heard that the merchants were from the capital. After all, as border migrants, it would be impossible for them not to yearn for and fantasize about the capital.

Especially after the arrival of the investigation team, the powerful nobles, the wise mages, and the approachable church priests all left a very good impression on them, giving them the illusion that "this is what people in the capital should be like" and "things in the capital are indeed good."

Although the members of the investigation team had told them that they were the odd ones out in the capital, and that things weren't that good there, etc.

Even so, it didn't have much effect.

After the arrival of the large caravan, the residents of Dawn City, having memories of the past, naturally went to the trading area designated by Green with great enthusiasm, and it was bustling with activity for a time.

Then......

"Is this... something from the capital?"

"Ugh, the quality is really bad..."

"A gemstone? Isn't this just a glass bead? Are you kidding me?"

"This outfit looks alright... How much is it?!"

It turns out that things in the capital city are either expensive, rubbish, or both.

While there are good goods, they all go to the border. Who's going to supply you with truly good products?

What good things have those barbarians on the border ever seen? They'll just make do with whatever they can find.

Moreover, the facts proved that the investigation team's earlier statement about the amount of garbage in the capital was not an understatement. The moment this group of people set up their stall, they shattered the residents of Dawn City's beautiful illusions about the capital.

There were people who discriminated against others, used foul language, committed fraud, didn't shower and smelled terrible, and some even got into fights while arguing...

Their clothes weren't even as nice as those of the people in Dawn City, and their behavior was a complete mess. They couldn't even maintain the most basic order; it wasn't this chaotic, not even when people were fighting for food in Dawn City's cafeteria...

"Is this really a merchant caravan from the capital?"

The residents of Dawn City looked at the nobles from the original survey team they recognized in the arena who hadn't gone to the industrial zone.

The latter remained silent for a moment, then covered his face and said sadly.

"Yes."

Thus, the filter of the capital city was completely shattered.

As for those goods, after a brief period of excitement, they quickly became unwanted.

But those businessmen also had their own unspoken grievances.

Although the initial idea was to use these products from the capital to broaden the horizons of the barbarians on the border and make a fortune along the way.

But with Tentacles' permission, they were allowed to take a tour of the Dawn City market as representatives, and they realized that the advice of the investigation team members was absolutely reliable.

It's not that they don't want to lower prices, but the problem is that even if they lower the price of these products to half of the cost, it's still higher than the price charged by Shuguang City.

Even if the price is reduced, the quality is still completely inferior.

Under Green's focus on strengthening the foundation of people's livelihood, the things they brought were so bad that if they were thrown on the ground, people would stop them and tell them not to litter.

If you can't sell them, you'll be held accountable; but if you sell them and the price doesn't even cover the cost, you'll still be punished.

Therefore, from time to time, some businessmen attempt to take the risk and engage in fraudulent activities, claiming that products from the capital city are superior, and that their own product is a special variety with miraculous effects, and so on...

But after six months of basic education and literacy work, the residents of Shuguang City just looked at them with the eyes of someone looking at idiots, and silently labeled them as 'there are many mentally challenged liars in the capital'.

And even if what they say is true, so what?

Are all the effects they mentioned combined comparable to the effects of bowing to a single tentacle?

Once they calmed down, the residents of Dawn City turned their attention away from the goods from the capital and towards the basic materials.

Then they discovered that, compared to those swindlers in the capital who sold junk, these people selling seemingly insignificant goods were not only easier to talk to, but their seemingly ordinary goods were also relatively good value for money—at least they could afford to buy something new.

The reason is also very simple.

Because the people who can sell this kind of thing are either close confidants of the investigation team members or close confidants of their friends.

Even setting aside the concept of servants following their masters, people who are generally good at listening to advice, coupled with the repeated instructions from the nobles in the original investigation team, will naturally perform quite well.

As for the goods, although they are called materials, they are basically all collected from within the family's territory. There is an oversupply, and they can't use them all, so they can only be thrown away or left to rot.

Of course, it wasn't that they didn't bring any high-value items.

But the investigation team knew very well who the real 'buyer' of this place was.

Upon arrival, he immediately notified the tentacles and, without even asking the price, had them take everything away.

As for the remaining miscellaneous items, they are basically just extras.

If we can sell them, great. If we can't, we'll just keep them and give them to Green. Then we'll use the empty car to buy and pack up Dawn City's specialties.

This is where the real money is made.

As for the individuals themselves, after touring the industrial area, they went straight to the Tentacle Dungeon without any hesitation.

After checking the 'save' they had been longing for, they immediately rushed in and played a game after a long time.

—Then he was quickly sent out.

The long period of inactivity, coupled with the repair and improvement of the dungeon mechanics, and the fact that only some members of the original investigation team came this time, and the teammates were not the ones who usually cooperated.

In the end, we let them go in excitedly.

Then, about ten minutes later, he was thrown out.

Even so, even though the power in my body has been completely drained.

Lying on the grass outside the dungeon, watching the clouds drifting in the sky, and listening to the familiar noise around me.

For some reason, their pent-up emotions, which had been suppressed in the capital, suddenly lifted.

The air in Dawn City is not sweet.

But compared to the capital, it does have a sweeter taste.

But they also knew very well that this place did not belong to them, and they did not belong here.

"Then why not try to make the capital, or even the empire, a better place?"

Suddenly someone whispered.

No one responded.

Because that's what everyone thinks.

Especially after visiting the industrial area, I strolled around Dawn City and saw the differences between the caravan and the residents of Dawn City. I also learned a lot from Green.

They increasingly sensed something and gradually discovered that most things in Dawn City were not so magical or strange, and could even be replicated by human effort.

Perhaps not as fast as Green, perhaps not as good as Green, perhaps it will take time, perhaps there will be some difficulties.

But it is absolutely feasible, doable, and can bring benefits to the family, or even change the capital and the empire.

Moreover, they are of superior bloodline, born rulers, and it is only right that they do so.

but......

You are all good kids, you're family, so I don't want to lie to you.

[If you want, I can give you all the relevant information and even provide ongoing assistance to help you make a change.]

[But this can hardly be called benevolent help; it's more like pushing you into a fire pit.]

Having grown accustomed to the anthropomorphic creatures of the capital, it's quite a contrast to the vibrant young people before me.

Even the tentacles couldn't help but sigh, thinking to themselves that the difference between people is even greater than that between people and dogs.

It was obvious, however, that the children didn't understand his advice.

They could tell that Green was genuinely worried about them, but they couldn't understand why he was so concerned.

"You don't go out often, so you may not know, but the empire is in a terrible state right now, and the capital is even worse... indescribable."

"Of course we know this could fail, but even if it fails, things can't get any worse than they are now."

"Moreover, we are all nobles, and the elite among nobles."