Chapter 1236

"All are blessings from the Goddess!"

They did not understand the principles of science and technology, only knowing these were gifts bestowed by the Goddess, and their loyalty to the Tianyuan Empire grew stronger.

Gruman labored all day, happily heading home.

"This year we harvested thirty thousand jin of grain—we can eat well for many years!" Gruman had once been a slave, but now he held free status and was fanatical about accumulating wealth.

"Too bad the Goddess only takes a tiny bit of tax—if not, I'd give much more, to add bricks and tiles to the Empire!"

Gruman deeply supported the Emperor who abolished slavery.

"Gruman, you're back from farming again?"

"Mm." Gruman beamed, standing tall and proud. "I've got a lot of grain this year, Brother Green—come eat at my place? My treat!"

Opposite him stood a boar-man, immensely muscular, two meters tall, with a waist like a barrel, moving like a mountain of flesh.

Green laughed: "If you're treating me, I'll tell you—I've got a huge appetite!"

"Hehe, I'm not afraid you'll bankrupt me!" Gruman didn't care at all, beaming with pride. "I've got more than enough grain."

So.

That night.

The two men of different races sat together, biting into large flatbreads.

The method of making flatbread was also passed down by the Goddess; though it had no spices or meats, just plain dough, the people of this world still found it quite delicious.

"Life is truly good now!"

"Yes. I never imagined a boar-man like me would get to live outside the Imperial City, with endless food!"

"Me too. I used to be a slave, just hoping to get enough to eat. I never thought I'd have so much grain now."

"All thanks to the Goddess!"

"Green, do you miss your homeland? That thing called the Beastmon Empire?"

Green was speechless, his large boar eyes filled with disbelief, staring at Gruman like he was an idiot: "Would you miss being a slave?"

"Impossible!" Gruman was speechless, waving his hands frantically. "Slavery meant whips, hunger, exhaustion—I'd never miss that life."

Green sighed: "Same with me. Back then, the Beastmon Empire may have been a beast-people empire, but ordinary beast-people like us lived just as hard—forced to farm for nobles, perform corvée labor, no better off than slaves. The Beastmon Empire was the nobles' empire—what did it have to do with an ordinary beast-man like me?"

Serving in all kinds of corvée labor, he was no better off than a slave. The Beast Empire? That was the empire of nobles—what did it have to do with me, a common beastman?

"Gruman, have you ever thought of studying to become an official?" Green asked.

Gruman was stunned: "But I was just a slave!"

"You're not a slave anymore," Green shook his head. "The Goddess granted you free status—you have the same right as anyone else to study and become an official."

"You're no longer a slave," Green shook his head. "The Goddess has granted you freedom; you may now enjoy the same rights as others—to study and become an official."

Could someone like him become an official?

After thinking, he looked at Green and said: "Brother Green, let's go study together? Even if we don't become officials, learning to read won't hurt."

After thinking for a moment, he looked at Green and said, "Big Brother Green, let's go study together? Even if we can't become officials, at least we can learn to read—there's no harm in that."

Green froze.

In truth, he was even more insecure than Gruman.

The Goddess had declared racial equality.

But he still felt deep shame over his boar-man race.

In strength, he wasn't as strong as the Ox-Horn tribe.

In wisdom, he wasn't as sharp as the Fox tribe.

In appearance, he couldn't match the Merfolk.

In short, boar-men were a race with no virtues except a huge appetite.

Even among beast-people, boar-men were the lowest caste—not just unfit for office, even as soldiers they were cannon fodder.

But seeing Gruman's burning gaze, he couldn't help but nod.

At that moment, he felt a flame blazing fiercely in his chest.

He could not betray the human before him, nor the rights granted by the Goddess.

He could not betray the human before him, nor could he betray the rights granted by the Goddess.

The two set off together; after walking only a short distance, they heard a commotion.

They drew closer and saw a handsome minstrel recounting the legendary tale of the Queen, the crowd below deeply stirred, cheering at times and tossing copper coins.

"For tens of thousands of years of continental history, Your Majesty is the undisputed first Emperor. No one before has matched Your Majesty, and no one after ever will! Let us all cheer for Your Majesty!"

As he spoke, the atmosphere reached its peak.

Whether human, elf, or beast-people, all shouted loudly.

The fervor was overwhelming.

This was devotion to the Tianyuan Empire!

This was devotion to the Empire's founding Emperor!

At the very center of the Imperial City, Anlieta gazed at heaven and earth, feeling the power of faith surge ever stronger.

In her mind-sea, the illusory divine core solidified into reality.

At this moment, she had become a Lesser Deity.

At the very center of the imperial city, Anlieta gazed at heaven and earth, feeling the force of faith grow ever more turbulent.

Within her consciousness sea, that illusory divine core solidified into a tangible form.

At this moment, she had become a lesser deity!