Chapter 233: Lord

The carriage of the Partridge family slowly drove into Black Wind Fortress.

Seeing that familiar golden emblem, the Demon guards stationed at the town entrance hurriedly cleared a path.

Festin lifted the carriage curtain and gave instructions to the guards standing watch nearby.

"Go to the City Hall and tell the people there that the true master of this land, their Lord, has arrived."

"Yes!"

The Demon guard nodded quickly, swung onto his skeletal horse, and galloped toward the City Hall, not daring to pause for even a moment.

Festin sat back in the carriage and signaled the coachman to continue, heading directly for the Lord's Manor.

This Grandmaster-tier Shadow Demon gave plenty of face to the Demon King beside him, even though this Demon King was only Silver-tier.

Luo Yan accepted Mr. Festin's kindness, nodded in thanks, and then lifted a corner of the curtain. His gaze followed the carriage as it resumed its journey, sweeping over the thriving city and admiring this territory that belonged to him.

The situation here was truly incredible; such massive changes had occurred in just a few short months. Building a city on a wasteland—even though he had been mentally prepared, he was still slightly shocked by the scene before his eyes.

There is no sunlight in the Underworld; the magic crystal lamp pillars atop the magic crystal cannon factory emitted a faint glow as bright as moonlight, illuminating the entire city.

At this moment, the Underworld was welcoming the early morning. The factory bells echoed over the city, announcing the arrival of a new day. Goblin laborers dragged their weary bodies out of their homes, yawning as they surged along the paved roads toward the factory. Some old craftsmen were at the doors instructing young apprentices, and the merchants in the market were also busy organizing their goods.

Everything was orderly amidst the chaos, thriving and prosperous.

The corners of Luo Yan's mouth lifted slightly.

Although he could see that many unstable factors still lurked within Black Wind Fortress, at least it was no longer an isolated island with nothing to its name.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Lord's Manor.

It was a three-story villa with exterior walls built of dark stone bricks, solemn yet luxurious.

Especially the two stone statues at the entrance; one look told you they were worth a fortune.

Festin stepped out first, smiled slightly, and said, "This was built with your money."

Luo Yan stepped out of the carriage, looked up at the building, his expression complex.

"Too wasteful." His tone carried a hint of helplessness, "I can't even come back a few times a year."

"A Lord needs to maintain a certain level of dignity, otherwise his servants will forget his existence, or suspect you are drowning in debt. I have already saved as much money for you as possible, but what must be spent, must be spent." Festin smiled faintly, paused for a moment, and added, "Besides, Miss Miss Mi Ya hopes you will come back to see her more often."

Luo Yan was silent for a moment, then nodded gently and stepped forward.

The news of the Lord's visit grew wings and quickly spread throughout the city. The prominent figures of Black Wind Fortress gathered one after another before the Lord's Manor, waiting to see the master who truly controlled this land.

In the crowd were wealthy merchants from the Merchant Alliance, craftsmen from the Craftsman Association, leaders of mercenary groups, and citizens looking on. Among them were Goblins, Imps, Orcs, and the extremely rare humans like Luo Yan.

The former gathered beside the carriage, enthusiastically offering Luo Yan compliments and flattery; everything was just as it had been when Edward visited Thunder City. At times, Hell and the surface world were truly no different.

As for the citizens looking on, they crowded around, some stretching their necks to peer, others flying onto rooftops, their whispering discussions never ceasing.

The biggest difference between them and the citizens of Thunder City was probably that there were fewer of them, and the variety was far more diverse.

"Is that the legendary Demon King?"

"A vampire? Or a succubus? It couldn't possibly be a human... what race is he exactly?"

"He looks more composed than I imagined... I hope he can keep Black Wind Fortress prosperous."

"Why does the Partridge family support him so much? Is there some other deal?"

"Shh! Don't let him hear you..."

No matter where they are, Imps are used to having no filter.

Luo Yan listened to these discussions, his expression remaining indifferent.

He knew very well that his every move was under the watchful eyes of the many factions in Black Wind Fortress; they were guessing, evaluating... and he was secretly observing them as well.

Festin stood beside Luo Yan and said softly with a smile.

"If you want to understand your subjects, the easiest way is to call them in for a meeting."

"I was just planning to do that."

Luo Yan stood still at the entrance of the Lord's Manor, his gaze sweeping over the people who had come to welcome him, and said in a resonant voice.

"Since everyone is here, let's go inside."

Those prominent upper-class figures looked at each other, suppressed the doubts in their hearts, and stepped into the Lord's Manor one by one.

As for the few citizens who had originally just come to watch, they were also confusedly invited in by the guards at the door because Luo Yan had pointed at them at random.

Miss Miss Mi Ya gently held Luo Yan's arm, following him inside with a smile, as if silently asserting her sovereignty, or perhaps showing the Partridge family's support.

Although Vivian kept a cold little face, she clearly saw that Miss Miss Mi Ya was trying her best to help her brother, so she didn't say anything, just squeezed to Luo Yan's other side with light steps.

Festin observed with a smile, his eyes full of interest, but he did not interfere.

Seeing this, the crowd whispered and discussed, wondering why the Prince Prince Kelin family was also getting involved.

However, thinking of Prince Prince Prince Kelin's status as Minister of War, and that the production of magic crystal cannons was a key project for the Ministry of War recently, they didn't find it too strange.

The only thing they couldn't understand was what exactly this little ancestor of the Prince Prince Kelin family was trying to do...

The conference room was on the first floor of the villa. Pushing open the heavy oak door, a huge long table and luxurious chairs came into view.

The indoor lighting was soft, candles flickered, casting deep shadows from the reliefs on the walls.

Luo Yan walked slowly toward the main seat, observing the people seated as he passed the long table.

Festin, Miss Miss Mi Ya, and Vivian sat in the guest seats, not interfering with the meeting's preparations, while the attending merchant representatives, craftsmen from the Craftsman Association, mercenary leaders, and citizen representatives waited with different expressions.

Some were full of anticipation, some were guarded, and others were looking around nervously.

Looking at the full conference table, Luo Yan tapped the table lightly, breaking the indoor silence.

"So—"

His gaze swept over everyone, his tone calm but carrying unquestionable dignity.

"Let's talk about the future of Black Wind Fortress."

The conference room was deathly silent.

The wealthy merchants of the Merchant Alliance looked at each other, no one speaking first. The craftsmen of the Craftsman Association whispered to each other, clearly weighing the pros and cons, unwilling to be the first to make a suggestion.

The two responsible for local security—one was a guard of the Partridge family, the other a mercenary—also remained silent.

By comparison, they were more used to following orders than actively expressing opinions.

The silence lasted for a moment, and unexpectedly, the first to speak was a citizen.

He was a Hell Dwarf named Baruk, clearly still hungover from last night, still carrying a faint scent of alcohol, his image appearing sloppy and casual.

Looking at this drunkard, Vivian frowned slightly, her eyes showing obvious disgust.

She already hated neckless dwarves, and a dwarf who had been drinking made even his blood smell unbearable.

Festin watched Luo Yan with interest, seemingly waiting to see how he would handle this sudden interlude.

"My Lord, the beer in Black Wind Fortress is too expensive, there's no way to drink to one's heart's content!" Baruk complained, smacking his tongue, "Hell Dwarves only work seriously when they've had a good drink, *hic*, of course I don't mean we don't work without alcohol, I mean—for the sake of your production efficiency, you should subsidize beer! The Lords in my hometown all do it this way!"

The conference room was silent for a moment, everyone nervously waiting to see how the Lord would respond to these words.

Luo Yan had a spring-breeze smile on his face, but his mouth spoke the coldest words.

"It seems the beer in Black Wind Fortress is too cheap. Starting today, a 25% tax will be levied on all alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content exceeding 10%, with the tax rate increasing progressively by 10% for every 5 degrees."

This sentence was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of Baruk and the other Hell Dwarves.

"You can't do this! This is killing us!" Baruk widened his eyes, shouting repeatedly, "If you really cared about us, you should tax the horse piss below 10 degrees, that would be reasonable!"

The liquor merchants present also showed pained expressions, seemingly already able to see their future losses.

They tried to argue, but Luo Yan just raised his hand slightly, signaling them to shut up.

"Guards, drag this idiot out to sober up," Luo Yan waved his hand casually, his tone still flat, "If you call me again, I'll issue a prohibition order, and no one will be allowed to drink anymore!"

The air in the conference room froze instantly, no one dared to speak again, and those who had originally opened their mouths closed them back up.

A prohibition order!

Even just looking at the literal meaning, they understood what that was.

Although there had never been a similar precedent, their Lord undoubtedly had the power to do so.

If they were dissatisfied, they could only go to the higher-ups to complain.

Miss Miss Mi Ya looked at Luo Yan in surprise; she didn't expect him to be quite tough when he needed to be.

Vivian's mouth lifted slightly, her eyes shining.

As expected of her brother!

It was simply too domineering!

Festin nodded in appreciation and said softly.

"Black Wind Fortress is a military stronghold; moderate management of alcohol consumption is indeed necessary."

This didn't count as interfering with Black Wind Fortress's Lord's meeting, but it undoubtedly struck those who were dissatisfied—

The Demon Capital's stance on this matter was on the Lord's side, and even if they complained to the higher-ups, there would be no result.

Luo Yan nodded slightly, not saying much more, just flicked his magic wand lightly. A quill flew out from under the table, and he immediately signed the administrative order and stamped it with wax; the decree took effect immediately.

The reason he let that drunken dwarf into the meeting was to take the opportunity to deal with this problem, but he didn't expect the other party to jump out and serve as the perfect opening statement.

He didn't object to these Hell Dwarf craftsmen drinking, but the premise was that it shouldn't affect their work.

The butler of the Lord's Manor hurried over, took the administrative order, and left in a hurry, heading toward the City Hall.

Luo Yan looked around the conference table and said kindly.

"Speak your minds, don't be polite, say whatever comes to mind, everything can be discussed."

The conference room was silent, everyone looked at each other nervously; they hadn't dared to speak in the first place, and now they closed their mouths even tighter.

Luo Yan wasn't in a hurry either, just sitting there calmly.

Not speaking?

Then that meant it wasn't urgent enough, they could still endure it, so they could just keep holding it in; anyway, it wasn't his business that was being hindered.

Finally, someone seemed unable to hold back.

A small, thin Goblin stood up tremblingly and said in a shrill voice.

"My, my Lord... my name is Snik, our community environment is too terrible, we can endure anything else, but being soaked in water all the time is really making us miserable."

Luo Yan raised an eyebrow, looked at the Goblin, and said.

"Soaked in water? Tell me in detail."

Water resources in the Underworld are not cheap; wasting them like this is simply unreasonable!

Snik continued tremblingly.

"It's the water pump for the groundwater, maybe it was used too frequently, and it broke... we wanted to fix it ourselves, but we didn't have the tools, so, so we could only leave it alone."

The little guy finally finished a whole sentence, so scared he was almost crying.

Tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, Luo Yan thought for a moment and said slowly.

"From now on, all communities where laborers live must establish a neighborhood committee. It's not just the water pump that's broken; all faults in living facilities should be reported to the neighborhood committee, and then summarized by the neighborhood committee to the City Hall. In addition, I will establish a maintenance fund at the City Hall, specifically responsible for the maintenance of living facilities; this should solve your problems."

"As for the water pump, let the maintenance team of the magic crystal cannon factory solve it first. I don't care what method you use, I hope there will be a result within today."

While saying this, Luo Yan stared at the person in charge of the magic crystal cannon factory.

The latter stood up quickly, startled.

"I'll go do it right away!"

After saying this, the Demon didn't dare to stay for even a moment, trotting out of the conference room to contact people.

Snik was moved to tears, wishing he could kneel on the ground and kowtow to the Demon King.

"My Lord... you are truly..."

"No need for polite words, sit down." Luo Yan nodded slightly, signaling the Goblin, who was covered in snot and tears, to sit down, continued to look around, and said.

"Anything else? As long as it's a reasonable problem, it can be solved. If you don't say it, I'll assume you have no problems."

A burst of whispering spread across the conference table; at least it wasn't the silence of death anymore.

The representatives of the Merchant Alliance and the Craftsman Association gradually realized that Luo Yan was not a stubborn person; reasonable suggestions would be taken seriously, and even if they weren't adopted, it wouldn't bring negative consequences.

The few who had originally held skeptical attitudes exchanged glances, and finally someone spoke up.

A craftsman stood up and said nervously: "My Lord, we hope to establish a special Craftsman Arbitration Court to resolve labor disputes between craftsmen and merchant guilds more quickly. I know Black Wind Fortress has a court, but many merchant guilds use our inability to delay for long to force us to compromise on unfair conditions. If there is no specialized agency to handle these cases, our rights simply cannot be guaranteed..."

While saying this, he carefully looked at a few merchants he had grievances with, fearing he would cause the latter's displeasure.

But he was overthinking it.

In front of the Lord, how would a few merchants dare to let out a fart? They didn't even dare to look at him.

Those who dared to fart had to be at least at the level of a merchant guild president.

Luo Yan nodded: "This proposal is good. I will consider establishing a special arbitration court on the basis of the original court, ensuring fairness while handling specialized cases specifically."

【Note: The text here is a garbled anti-piracy placeholder.】

Hearing his approval, the craftsman representative's face finally showed a relieved expression.

The Lord cares about them!

It seems this Demon King is not as unreasonable as the rumors say!

Immediately after, the representative of the magic appliance workshop also stood up and proposed solemnly: "We suggest establishing a magic research institute, specifically to study magic equipment and industrial magic, to improve the development of Black Wind Fortress's alchemy industry."

Luo Yan smiled slightly and nodded gently: "This is a good idea, I had this intention myself."

He raised his magic wand slightly, and the quill floating to the side recorded the content of the meeting discussion on paper.

Seeing the quill recording away, everyone present also took it seriously, knowing that their Lord wasn't just trying to give them a warning, but had truly come to solve problems.

The atmosphere in the conference room gradually became lively, and those who had originally been watching from the sidelines also participated in the discussion.

Frank, one of the members of the Merchant Alliance, cleared his throat, raised his withered claw to signal, and then stood up.

"My Lord, we hope to build a new ore transport road, directly connecting to Gray Stone Territory, instead of detouring through the Demon Capital. The current situation is that all our ore must be transported to the Demon Capital first, and then transported back, which greatly increases transport costs and time consumption. If we could go directly to Gray Stone Territory, our economic benefits would be significantly improved."

His proposal resonated with many merchant members, who nodded in agreement.

Luo Yan smiled slightly and said with a steady gaze: "Building a new transport route is indeed necessary, but just building a road isn't good enough. To improve the efficiency of logistics, I am considering—building a railway."

The conference room was silent.

Festin couldn't help but interject with a question.

"A railway?"

Luo Yan smiled slightly and said slowly.

"A brand-new mode of transport that can greatly improve freight efficiency and reduce labor consumption; I've already used it in the Great Graveyard. It's too troublesome to explain; you will naturally understand its advantages after it's built."

Everyone whispered to each other; although they didn't fully understand, they were clearly full of interest in this new concept.

Festin also raised his eyebrows with interest, looking at Luo Yan twice more in surprise.

If this thing was really as easy to use as he said, he would like to prepare a set for the Partridge family's territory as well.

Feeling the ice-breaking atmosphere in the conference room, Grok, the president of the Sawtooth Merchant Guild, gradually couldn't sit still.

He found that his "allies" were becoming fewer and fewer, and more and more people were defecting to the new Lord, forgetting their original vow of unity for a little bit of petty profit!

To show his prestige, and also to win over the wavering allies in the Merchant Alliance, he had to do something.

"... Respected Lord, the prosperity of Black Wind Fortress is obvious to all, and we all know that this is inseparable from the unremitting efforts of the Merchant Alliance. To promote the further prosperity of Black Wind Fortress, I have prepared three proposals, hoping that you, my Lord, will consider them carefully... This is not just for us, but also for your own interests."

After obtaining the qualification to speak, this Goblin merchant stood up slowly, deliberately adjusting his lapels, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone steady but hiding sharpness.

"First, we hope you will allow the merchant guilds to expand their private armed forces to protect merchant caravans and ensure the smooth flow of trade routes."

"Second, we suggest reducing the defense forces of Black Wind Fortress. After all, Black Wind Fortress is close to the Demon Capital, and logically speaking, it doesn't need so many soldiers, unless... you, my Lord, have bigger plans."

"Third, it's about the magic crystal cannon factory." Grok nodded slightly, his tone probing calmly, "For the sake of the front line in Hell, we must increase the production of magic crystal cannons and develop larger and better war equipment... I want to know, is the Lord willing to consider relaxing the monopoly on the military industry for the sake of the overall interests of Hell, in order to improve production efficiency?"

The atmosphere in the conference room seemed to freeze, silence permeated the room, and pairs of eyes drifted toward Luo Yan intentionally or unintentionally, only to quickly look away.

Luo Yan sat upright in the main seat, his fingertips tapping the table lightly, his gaze sweeping slowly among the crowd.

There was not the slightest emotional fluctuation on his face, as if he were truly pondering Grok's proposal.

Miss Miss Mi Ya's expression was somewhat anxious, signaling Luo Yan with her eyes, fearing he would agree on a whim.

Festin didn't make any moves, just observing Luo Yan's reaction with interest.

Vivian yawned, playing with her fingernails, having no interest in what the ants sitting at the conference table were saying.

This guy talked too much nonsense; she hoped to skip directly to her dear brother speaking.

Grok didn't rush to urge him; he sat steadily in his original seat, maintaining a calm and confident posture, but his heart was gradually beating like a drum.

An invisible pressure hung over his head, making sweat seep from his forehead, yet he couldn't retreat.

This was a probe.

If Luo Yan made concessions, it would mean his authority had cracks, and the Merchant Alliance could further infiltrate the core of power in Black Wind Fortress. And if Luo Yan refused, he would have the opportunity to reunite those wavering allies.

Although the Partridge family had put considerable pressure on him, he was not without cards in his hand.

"Private armed forces, reduced defense, open military industry."

Luo Yan recited these three proposals softly, his voice neither fast nor slow, but carrying a dignity that was hard to ignore.

He slowly raised his eyes, looking directly at Grok, and then revealed a faint, almost non-existent smile.

"Your proposal is very interesting."

The nerves of everyone in the conference room tightened slightly, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Luo Yan's next response.

"But I'm afraid you haven't found your place."

Luo Yan leaned forward slowly, looking at Grok, who was holding his breath, and said with full oppressive force, "The prosperity of Black Wind Fortress is because of magic crystal cannon technology, because I took this land from a group of losers, not because of you doing a few small trades or peddling a few ridiculous toys under my nose... understand?"

The air suddenly became even heavier.

Several merchant representatives looked at each other secretly, trying to find the answer in each other's expressions.

Vivian raised her eyebrows, cooperating with her brother to put on a fierce expression, although she didn't understand what had happened at all, she could feel that her brother was angry.

Grok's brow twitched.

He had expected Luo Yan wouldn't agree so easily, but he didn't expect this guy to bring him such strong pressure right from the start.

He bit the bullet, his lips trembling as he said.

"The Lord naturally has overall considerations, but the safety of our merchant caravans is also part of Black Wind Fortress's economic stability. I just suggested... to make Black Wind Fortress more commercially competitive, we could reduce some unnecessary defense expenditures and use the resources for development... after all, you and I both know that Black Wind Fortress is located in the hinterland of Hell, close to the Demon Capital. This is not your territory on the front line, there are no humans to guard against..."

Hearing this high-sounding reason, Luo Yan smiled, leaned back in his chair, and continued slowly.

"You guys, you think I can't see anything, right."

"I wouldn't dare..." Grok lowered his head, saying nervously.

"Is there anything you wouldn't dare to do?" Luo Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, saying with a smile that wasn't a smile, "You are legal merchants within the territory of Black Wind Fortress, but once you reach the 'three-no' areas, you are robbers and bandits; you don't even need to reach the 'three-no' areas, as long as I close my eyes just a little, you will take advantage of my inattention to persecute law-abiding citizens and merchants. You know these problems, yet you want me to relax the control of private armed forces, or even reduce the defense budget? I'd like to ask what your intentions are."

Grok's heart skipped a beat; clearly, his thoughts had been guessed, and he explained in a panic.

"My Lord... I didn't mean that, the Sawtooth Merchant Guild is absolutely law-abiding! I, I really haven't heard of the situations you mentioned, and I didn't expect other merchant guilds to be so bad!"

The nature of Goblins is like this; even if they have money, it's hard to change bad habits.

There weren't many true words in his mouth, and once he felt threatened, he immediately betrayed other Goblins without hesitation.

There was an uproar at the conference table.

"What do you mean!"

"Our Luo Ke Merchant Guild is also law-abiding! I, I dare to swear to the Demon God!"

"Exactly! Don't you dare frame us! Don't pin what you've done on us!"

Looking at this group of noisy guys, Luo Yan just gave a cold laugh, and then continued unhurriedly.

"What you do outside has nothing to do with me, but my territory must absolutely not become a paradise for private armed forces. I don't want to see gangs everywhere on the streets of Black Wind Fortress, with everyone fearing for their lives... My subjects can only be loyal to one Lord, and that is me."

The noisy merchant bosses stopped talking, all holding their breath and looking at the Lord sitting in the main seat.

And those ordinary citizens of Black Wind Fortress were excited, their faces glowing, their eyes full of hope, just like that young Goblin named Snik.

They were not afraid of a tyrant.

In fact, it was the opposite; they longed for a powerful Nobby to hold a whip and lash those who truly bullied them.

If there wasn't a powerful Nobby, other demons or humans would do too!

This world is just that absurd.

Even not just the citizens of Black Wind Fortress, even Vivian, who had nothing to do with it, looked at Luo Yan with shining eyes, her breathing rapid, her knees pressed together, even her eyes were moist.

Miss Miss Mi Ya glanced at Vivian alertly, and couldn't help but glance again after a while.

Her attention was no longer on Luo Yan, but completely attracted by this guy.

Is this guy really his sister?

The succubus's sixth sense told her not to underestimate this vampire with a brain problem...

"As for the magic crystal cannon..." Luo Yan suddenly softened his tone, "Its strategic significance is indeed beyond words, and improving production efficiency is indeed very critical."

Hope ignited in Grok's eyes, but not two seconds later, that newly ignited flame was doused by a basin of cold water splashed in his face.

"... But have you ever thought that once I open up production permits and let guys like you participate, the human nations on the surface will master this technology in minutes."

Grok's face changed instantly, and he cried out.

"That's impossible! My loyalty to His Majesty the Demon God—"

"Then do you dare to guarantee it, guarantee it with the lives of everyone present," Luo Yan's mouth curled into a cold smile, and he continued, "that none of you present will leak the core technology of the magic crystal cannon for your own selfish interests... I'll put it here, do you believe it yourselves?"

The conference room was deathly silent.

Everyone's expressions changed slightly, and even Festin's expression became solemn, starting to think about the pros and cons.

The representatives of the Merchant Alliance had originally been watching from the sidelines, but now their gazes carried a sense of scrutiny.

Grok wiped the sweat from his forehead subconsciously, a chill rising in his heart.

As expected of the ruthless guy who made the Dragon family stumble!

This Lord was even harder to deal with than he had imagined...

At least it was unwise to continue making trouble here; he had to plan for the long term!

Grok's thoughts turned rapidly, and he said in a panic: "I... I was indeed inconsiderate. But please believe me, I did all this for you, for His Majesty the Demon God, for the prosperity of Hell..."

Luo Yan looked at him, his expression indifferent.

"Then think clearly before you speak."

"Yes..." Grok sat back, covered in sweat.

Seeing Grok defeated, the people of the Merchant Alliance couldn't help but feel complex emotions. They had originally hoped that Grok could show the influence of the merchant guild in front of the new Lord, but at this moment, he had been easily suppressed by the other party.

Loss, wavering, and even a hint of fear... intertwined in their eyes.

And the new Lord, Luo Yan, was like an indestructible rock, invisibly establishing an unshakable dignity before their eyes.

Festin watched Luo Yan with a smile, nodded slightly, and a flash of appreciation passed through his eyes.

He really hadn't misjudged.

This guy was simply a born Demon King; no wonder he could solve problems that even Reggie Dragon was helpless against.

The young man was indeed a talent!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 234 =====