Chapter 423: The Kind-Hearted Princess Ailin

Twilight City was filled with panic, just like the gloomy sunset on the horizon.

And in contrast, Lei Ming City, located along the coast of the Vortex Sea, was a beautiful sight, a scene of prosperity.

Especially the emerging industrial zone in the suburbs, which used to be a dirty and messy refugee camp, but now towering chimneys have replaced dilapidated tents, and the tireless roar of steam has drowned out the groans and cries of the past.

And all of this must be thanked to the beautiful and kind-hearted Princess Ailin Campbell.

Her friendship with Prince Kelin became the most reliable source of momentum for this small principality to rush toward prosperity.

Saint Xisi is above, it would be even more perfect if the two families could be joined by marriage! Besides this, those who should also be thanked naturally must be the industrious and brave Campbell people.

Or to be more precise, Horace felt that this credit should belong to the industrious and brave himself.

It was precisely because of his extraordinary business acumen and tireless diligence that he had built this palace of wealth in this mud, and brought a better life to his family.

"... I don't want to eat dry bread."

At the breakfast table in the morning.

Horace's young son was poking the dry, hard bread on his plate with a distressed face, muttering complaints.

"Dad, now that our family is so rich, why do we still have to eat this every morning? Little Tang Mu told me that their family eats wheat cakes spread with honey at every meal..."

This mansion in Lei Ming City could be considered decent, but that was all. The furnishings inside were practical but completely devoid of aesthetic appeal; the cold walls were bare, and one couldn't see a single tapestry or decorative painting.

Even the vase on the dining table was empty, seemingly being used as a water jug.

Horace's wife had many complaints about this, but this shrewd businessman always had a way to convince her.

Including his own children.

Hearing his son's childish remark, Horace, who was reading the newspaper, curled his lips in disdain and said unhurriedly.

"... Coarse grains help digestion and are good for your body; I'm doing this for your own good. Also, frugality is a virtue passed down through our family for generations. Why are you comparing yourself with Tang Mu's family? Wait until the day that kid turns into a fat pig, and you will thank me for keeping your mouth in check."

Hearing this, the boy was like a deflated ball, no longer saying anything.

However, Horace didn't seem satisfied with this brat's retreat and continued to lecture him.

"Don't think Dad is stingy; I'm also doing this for this family. Now that we save one gold coin, we can buy one more share of the Kelin Group. Just you wait and see; when Prince Kelin returns from overseas, every share we hold will flip ten, or even twenty times! By then, our family will have endless money, and you will thank me."

A child obviously didn't understand what a share was, but he did know that 1 gold coin was approximately equal to 100 silver coins, and 1 silver coin was approximately equal to 100 copper coins.

Saint Xisi is above, if one relies on scrimping and saving to save money, how long would it take to save a gold coin? And he knew his old man would absolutely not sell those shares.

Because he remembered very clearly that last winter, the Kelin Group's shares seemed to be 10 gold coins. At that time, his old man hadn't sold a single one, but instead bought quite a few.

"Then... what if Prince Kelin doesn't come back?" he asked carefully.

"That's impossible," Horace laughed, looking at this ignorant brat, "He and our Princess Ailin have a relationship that isn't simple; he will definitely come back, every Campbell person knows it... Alright, stop talking nonsense, go to school after you finish eating, or do you want to become like those homeless poor wretches on the street?"

Although he knew in his heart that those poor wretches didn't end up on the street because they didn't study hard, but because the nobles outside joined forces to drive them off their land, which led to their situation.

However, this didn't prevent him from using these "negative examples" to educate his child, letting him understand the cruelty of competition from a young age.

And that there is only one kind of disease in this world.

That is poverty.

The boy sighed, thinking to himself, isn't it you who has been talking nonsense without stopping?

However, he was already used to silence, because talking back to his old man would only make the situation worse.

After finishing breakfast silently, he carried the plate to the kitchen and washed the dishes with his silent mother.

Horace, who had given his son another lesson, felt refreshed, looked at the wall clock, estimated that the time was about right, and placed the newspaper he had finished reading on the table.

"I'm going to the factory for a while, I estimate I'll be back late, you don't have to wait for me."

After speaking, he walked to the door, took down a bright and decent formal suit, draped it over his old sweater with holes, and walked out the door with his head held high.

Although the factory was already on the right track, he still had to go there every day to take a look, to prevent anyone from slacking off and freeloading on his salary.

Passing by the bakery he often went to, Horace specifically took a look at the entrance.

Looking at the wooden sign hanging at the door, his heart was filled with joy.

Very good! The price of a loaf of bread was still four copper coins! After walking away with a calm expression, Horace clenched his fists excitedly and muttered to himself in a low voice.

"... It seems the price of grain has really dropped!"

Horace remembered very clearly that at this time a year ago, a loaf of bread still needed 5 copper coins, but now it had become 4 copper coins.

Before the nobles' horse-racing and land-enclosing outside Lei Ming City had just begun, some pretentious guys were talking nonsense in the newspaper, saying something about changing farmland to pasture would lead to a rise in grain prices, using this to spread the fear of famine.

However, the actual situation was the exact opposite.

It wasn't just the Campbell Duchy on the Aus Continent; although not everyone had a full stomach, the thing they lacked the least was grain.

Due to the prosperity of the import and export industry, the Royal Family took a portion of the industrial tax revenue to subsidize the dining tables of Lei Ming City's citizens, and the grain prices in Lei Ming City not only didn't rise, but became cheaper.

If you ask what this has to do with him? That relationship is too big! Not only because he could save one more copper coin, but also because he could gain greater bargaining chips in labor costs! If 400 copper coins could allow a person to live until next month, why would he pay an extra 500 copper coins as salary?

Lei Ming City lacked nothing more than people, especially those serfs who suddenly gained freedom overnight.

Those guys had nothing but strength, and there would always be someone who would accept lower wages just to exchange for a bit of stability.

Of course.

Horace was benevolent.

Considering that most families in the Campbell Duchy had two children, counting the wife who didn't work, it was four people, so 1600 copper coins would be more reasonable than last year's 1800 copper coins.

That was 400 loaves of bread.

They should be content.

Horace, who came to the textile factory, had been pondering this matter along the way; if he could save 2 silver coins from each person, one hundred people would be a net profit of two gold coins!

Operating a textile machine wasn't a complicated job; the vast majority of the physical labor was done by the machine, and he even felt that the several hundred employees in the factory were a bit redundant.

However, just as he was pondering how to make this group of mud-legged people willingly accept a pay cut, a harsh sound of metal friction suddenly caught his attention.

Not far away, a steam loom stopped, and his heart panicked instinctively, but immediately followed by joy.

I saw a young lad whose arm was rolled into the transmission device due to improper operation, half of his arm was already bloody and mangled, the white cotton yarn was stained bright red, and the scene was extremely miserable.

Those workers from the countryside were all stunned, and finally, several skilled textile workers reacted first, rushing over to stop the machine and lifting the lad who had lost his right hand out.

"Quick! Find a physician!"

"Hand me a piece of gauze! We must stop his bleeding first!"

"Oh, Saint Xisi is above..."

Saint Xisi is above—

This was an excellent opportunity!

Horace became excited, putting on an angry look and stepping forward, roaring at the foreman who was stunned on the side.

"Quick, get him away! Don't let his blood stick to the gears! You bunch of unlucky things, look at what you've done!"

Looking at the boss who suddenly appeared, the foreman who was scolded bloody-head-and-face instinctively trembled and stammered subconsciously.

"Si, sir, he is injured and needs treatment..."

"I naturally know he is injured, do you think I don't have eyes to see it myself! He is just injured, not dead; the healers of the Adventurer's Guild have plenty of ways to cure him!"

"Bu, but... even a healer can't make the regrown bones return to exactly the same as before—"

"How? Are his bones worth a lot of money? Or are you saying you want me to compensate him? Stop dreaming, it's already good that I'm not asking him for money for damaging the machine!"

Horace glanced at the young man who had already fainted with disgust and said fiercely.

"Get up, stop pretending to be dead! You clumsy waste, you're fired! Go to the accountant's office to collect your wages for this month, and then get out of here!"

This sentence was like a basin of cold water, pouring over everyone's heads, and also making those numb or blank faces show expressions of anger.

The heavy labor all day had already accumulated a belly of fire in them, and now, someone had poured another basin of oil on them.

The surrounding workers stopped their work in unison, the roar of the machines gradually subsided, and the entire workshop fell into a terrible silence.

"What? Do you want to rebel?"

Horace, seeing this, didn't feel the slightest fear, but instead raised his eyebrows as if he were interested, and waved his hand to summon the textile factory's security guards over.

Two burly men walked over holding cudgels, standing on the left and right beside their boss.

With helpers to back him up, Horace raised his chin even more arrogantly and said in a mean voice.

"I'm telling you, if you don't want to work, get out; Lei Ming City lacks nothing more than people like you! I think I've been too good to you usually; from today on, everyone's salary is reduced to 1600 copper coins! If there's another time, let me see you stop to slack off, and you can just wait to starve!"

1600 copper coins!

The moment Horace's words fell, everyone present, except for the security guards, was in an uproar.

A year ago, their wages were still 2000 copper coins, and later they were reduced to 1800 copper coins.

For the sake of the children waiting to be fed at home, they swallowed this anger.

However, they didn't expect that their tolerance would be met with this stingy ghost's inching forward; in less than a year, he had actually stretched his greedy hand into their pockets again!

"1600 copper coins!? Are you kidding, this money isn't enough for us to live on!"

"You're going too far!"

"You might as well let us work for you for free!"

Looking at the people who were filled with righteous indignation, Horace didn't realize the danger approaching at all, and was still speaking eloquently.

"Stop pretending to be pitiful, I've been to the market, the 5-copper-coin bread now only sells for 4 copper coins! 1600 copper coins is more than enough to live on!"

Seeming to feel that his words were a bit mean, his eyeballs rolled, and he added another sentence at the end.

"Of course, this pay cut is only temporary; after all, hiring a group of guys who don't even know how to operate machines with 100% wages is too unfair to me! Unless you prove that you can handle this job, then I will naturally raise your wages back—"

"Go fuck your mother!" Before Horace's words had even fallen, a wrench was thrown at him.

Startled by this sudden wrench, he hurriedly dodged backward, while calling for his two bodyguards to come forward.

"What do you want to do! Who threw the wrench! I'm going to fire him—"

"This bastard!"

"Brothers! Fuck him!"

Horace's speech completely ignited the anger that the workers had accumulated for a long time. I don't know who made the first roar, and then the entire workshop boiled over, almost being overwhelmed by the angry crowd.

The textile workers surged toward Horace like a tide; the two bodyguards had never seen this scene, were scared into retreating repeatedly, and finally fled into the office on the third floor with their boss, locking the door tightly.

The thumping sound of pounding on the door fell on the door like raindrops, as if the thin iron door could be crushed at any time.

Horace, who pushed over a cabinet to block the door, was scared pale and soul-lost, just like seeing a ghost.

When did this group of mud-legged people become so capable of making trouble? He clearly remembered that half a year ago, he used the same trick, and those people only dared to lower their heads and remain silent, not even daring to breathe.

Did they eat gunpowder?!

Feeling the surging impact behind the door, he called for help out the window with a desperate voice.

"Help!"

"Come here, go call the guards! This group of mud-legged people is crazy!"

That pig-slaughtering scream finally caught the attention of people outside, and the mounted police in the new industrial zone arrived first, but panicked when looking at the crowd of thousands.

I saw more than a thousand people gathered outside the small factory, some protesting, some throwing stones, and some taking advantage of the chaos... They simply couldn't believe that this kind of thing happened in Lei Ming City, which was illuminated by holy light!

"Are these poor ghosts crazy..." An old guard muttered, looking blankly at the scene before him.

He had lived in Lei Ming City for a lifetime, and it was the first time he had seen such a battle.

The mounted police captain made a decisive decision, knowing that the matter was no longer something he could handle, so while gathering the guards beside him to maintain order, he sent a mounted policeman to the nearby barracks to ask for reinforcements.

Soon, the flag of the Campbell family appeared at the entrance of the industrial zone, and with the arrival of a fully armed cavalry, the small fry who were taking advantage of the chaos were finally deterred.

However, the crowd didn't all disperse, and a large number of workers still remained at the entrance of the factory.

They were the textile workers of Horace's textile factory.

Facing the flag of Campbell, they looked silently at those tall and big cavalrymen, their faces filled with anger, fear, and confusion.

Just as Horace didn't expect the workers to be so angry, the people who made trouble didn't expect things to develop like this.

For the flag of the Campbell family, these farmers from the fields still feared from the bottom of their hearts.

Many people had already begun to retreat.

If it weren't for a factory building and a wall blocking them from behind, most people would probably have run away already.

At this moment, a young cavalryman paced to the front of the formation, suddenly took off his helmet, revealing a head of golden hair and a delicate face.

"Your Highness?!"

Seeing that face, everyone showed expressions of astonishment, and the next second they all knelt on the ground.

"What are you doing, please get up!"

Looking at the crowd suddenly kneeling, Ailin hurriedly turned off her horse and stepped forward to support the textile worker closest to her.

That person retreated two steps in embarrassment, but didn't continue to kneel, just still lowered his head timidly, not daring to look at her eyes, and even less daring to look at the light of transmission at her waist.

Theresa stood silently behind Ailin, vigilant against the danger in the crowd.

Although Ailin no longer needed her protection, as a squire knight, she still faithfully performed her duties.

"Please tell me what happened here? I swear by my family name, I will seek justice for you!" Ailin looked into his eyes, her voice sincere and gentle, without the slightest arrogance of a superior.

At first, everyone was silent, but perhaps moved by her sincerity, an older textile worker finally couldn't help but open his mouth, muttering indignantly.

"... It's Horace!"

Ailin looked at the person and asked.

"Who is he? What did he do?"

Hearing that Her Royal Highness actually responded to them, voices of chattering spread in the crowd, saying one sentence after another.

"He is the factory manager here! Alan's arm was twisted off by the machine; not only did he not help at all, but he also wanted to fire him!"

"That's right, he also wants to deduct our wages!"

"What right does he have to do this! We work for him as soon as we open our eyes, but he still feels it's not enough; what does he want us to do!"

"We want an explanation!"

"Raise wages!"

Ailin listened to what they said calmly, and only then did she suddenly realize that there was a wounded person lying in the factory, and hurriedly sent a healer among her entourage to handle the wound for the lad.

Under the illumination of holy light, the pale lad's face finally regained a trace of blood color, and his bloody arm finally regained a bit of its original appearance.

Although it hadn't completely recovered as before, at least he wouldn't die.

"... Can only be handled temporarily. He is too seriously injured, I'm afraid only a healing spell above Gold Tier will work." The healer returned to Ailin's side, his expression heavy.

The Kingdom of Lain was, after all, a land of knights, not a land of healers; these knights also only knew a little about healing magic, couldn't talk about proficiency, and had never tried to treat this kind of strange injury.

In comparison, sword wounds or gunshot wounds were easier to handle, and their own resistance could also block part of the damage.

Ailin nodded after understanding, her expression serious.

"I know, I will find a way afterward."

Although the injured person was just a commoner, she wouldn't leave her people alone.

Theresa looked at the guard captain who walked over and pointed at the crowd at the door with her chin.

"Does this textile factory have so many workers?"

With so many people, the factory was almost full; she found it hard to imagine they were all employees here.

The guard captain scratched his beard and said awkwardly.

"This... I don't know either, only Mr. Horace himself knows."

However, based on his experience, there should be some who were taking advantage of the chaos, and as a result, they ran too slowly when the army arrived, so they simply mixed in with this group of textile workers.

Theresa nodded and was about to say something more, but was interrupted by Ailin.

"Theresa, their identity is not important; their voices are the truly important thing."

Looking at her loyal knight, Ailin said in a serious voice.

"I have heard their demands, now I need you to bring Horace over."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Theresa respectfully accepted the order, without the slightest hesitation, and took two guards through the crowd and into the factory.

The crowd consciously made a path, and no one dared to block them.

Theresa, who stepped into the factory, went straight to the third floor, came to a crooked iron door, and waved her hand.

A guard stepped forward, smashed the door twice with the hilt of his sword, and shouted loudly.

"Horace, Her Royal Highness asks you to go over!"

Having already seen the situation outside while lying by the window, Horace crawled to the door and opened it, squeezing out a smile of being saved on his pale face.

"Tha, thank you! Saint Xisi is above, you finally came! I thought I was dead!"

If it weren't for the female knight's gaze being too sharp, he probably wouldn't have been able to help but hug her thigh.

The two bodyguards following him were the same; two extraordinary people suspected of having Black Iron Tier strength were scared like dogs.

Theresa didn't talk much nonsense, signaled him to follow with her eyes, and then took him through the crowd to Ailin Campbell.

"Your Highness, I have brought the person you wanted."

Ailin nodded looking at Theresa.

"Very good, Theresa, step back."

"Yes."

Theresa respectfully nodded, then left Horace's side and retreated into the ranks.

With no one around, Horace glanced at the angry textile workers around him, couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva, his previously arrogant momentum gone.

Seeing Her Highness looking at himself, he once again squeezed a smile from his face, pretending to be generous and clearing his throat, saying.

"Praise Saint Xisi, praise the glory of the Campbell family! Your Highness, your beauty is still so—"

Ailin coughed lightly.

Horace's shoulders shivered, and he hurriedly changed his words, speaking the compromise he had originally held back in his throat.

"Alright, I've changed my mind! You win! The wages will still be 1800 copper coins—"

"1800 copper coins?" Ailin stared at Horace with sharp eyes, interrupting his words, "How did I hear that the average wage here is 2000? Are my administrative officer and you right?"

"Of, of course both are right..."

Horace nervously wiped his sweat, explaining tremblingly, "Last year it was indeed 2000, but you know, business this year hasn't been very good... The cashmere products we produced far exceeded market demand, so, so..."

Ailin raised her hand to interrupt his excuse, continuing in a calm voice.

"Mr. Horace, no one knows the price of wool on the market better than I do, and whether your business is good or not... do you know what lying to the Campbell family means."

"I, I, I don't dare!" Horace was so scared his legs went soft, crying and saying.

Ailin looked at him expressionlessly, not moved at all, and issued an order in a majestic voice.

"I order you in the name of the Campbell family, you must swear to my flag that you will not punish any of the troublemakers today under the pretext of today's events, you will not reduce the workers' wages in any form or pretext, and you must pay full compensation to the injured workers and bear all their treatment costs!"

The moment the words fell, cheers and whistles erupted around, and the workers who had originally looked like dead ashes regained a glimmer of hope on their faces, as if they had seen the hope of life.

However, in contrast, the cold sweat on Horace's forehead burst out, just like rain.

The majesty of the Duchy's Royal Family was indeed terrifying.

But to make him accept these unequal conditions, it would be better to chop him down with a knife!

That originally bent spine straightened up again, and he was like a drake whose neck was pinched, letting out a hoarse howl.

"Yo, Your Highness! Your order does not comply with the laws of the Duchy! I am his employer, I have the right to decide the wages of our employees and whether to continue employing them!"

"Shut up," Theresa glared at him and shouted sharply, "You ignorant guy, don't you see that Her Highness is saving you!"

Horace: "I'm very safe!"

Theresa: "..."

This fool who forgot the pain after the scar healed.

She wished she could grab his neck, throw him back into that shabby office, and watch him howl like a piglet.

Of course, she also knew this wasn't a solution.

Her Royal Highness came here to solve problems, not to create new trouble.

"Enough, Theresa."

Looking at her subordinate who still wanted to say something, Ailin raised her hand to stop her, then looked at Horace calmly and said, "You just reminded me, my approach was indeed a bit inappropriate."

Horace was stunned at first, not expecting Her Respected Highness to admit her mistake, and then an expression of ecstasy appeared on his face.

However, before he could be happy for long, Ailin paused for a moment and continued.

"A Highness once suggested to me that a king should solve everyone's problems, not one person's or one factory's problems. I once proposed solving this problem to my brother, but he, who has always been decisive, was very hesitant only on this matter, thinking the time was not yet ripe..."

"But I want to say, now is the time to do this; if we drag it out any longer, more and more people like you will sell their souls to the devil."

"Se, sell to the devil?!" Horace's face turned as white as paper, his lips trembling.

This was an incredible accusation.

And...

Is it worth it? Ailin's expression told him, it is.

The vast majority of Campbell people lived in their own one-third of an acre, not knowing what tragic things were happening in the neighboring Twilight Province.

No Demon King's corruption, no Chaos invasion, yet everyone there seemed to have become a devil, slaughtering each other in the cruelest way and devouring each other.

The Campbell Duchy must take it as a warning.

The land guarded by the soul of the late King must never be tainted by turbid blood!

That young face was written with unprecedented firmness; Ailin paused and announced in a majestic voice.

"From today on, Lei Ming County will implement a minimum wage standard. All employers in Lei Ming City must not hire employees with a salary lower than 2000 copper coins per month, and no employer may arbitrarily dismiss workers without their consent and without major negligence. If they must be dismissed, compensation must be paid according to the length of work."

"Secondly, all employers in Lei Ming City must take one-tenth of their monthly income and deposit it into a public account supervised by the City Hall as a worker protection fund. Workers who lose their jobs can receive life relief for up to three months based on this. Workers who cannot continue to work due to work-related injuries will also receive medical compensation from this fund."

"The relevant details will be announced tomorrow, and it will serve as the 6th Act of the New Industrial Zone."

"Or rather, the Labor Law."

Since the establishment of the new industrial zone in Lei Ming City, most of Lei Ming City's citizens had lived a good life, and she didn't doubt at all that she had done the right thing and was proud of it.

However, she also clearly knew that a considerable number of people were still living in dire straits, struggling below the survival line.

Especially those farmers who lost their land because of the nobles' horse-racing and land-enclosing.

They didn't gain freedom voluntarily, but were forced to leave the land where they had lived for generations, and were roughly driven away by their lords with whips.

She had once fallen into deep self-blame for this and had been depressed for a long time.

Fortunately, during her low point, the letters sent by Mr. Kelin from afar had always accompanied her, opening up her troubles and pointing her to a bright path—

It wasn't money, nor the scepter, nor stupidity, shortsightedness, or anything else that lured people into selling their souls to the devil.

It was unrestrained desire.

And power!

She was doing exactly this now.

She would, in the name of the Campbell family, lock that unrestrained desire and power into a cage called order!

Horace only felt a thunderclap explode in his mind, as if the light of transmission had slashed his forehead with a sword.

Looking at the soldiers returning home and the crowd gradually dispersing, he screamed in despair.

"You might as well kill me! If you really intend to do that, my textile factory will have to close tomorrow!"

"Then close it!"

Ailin, who was riding on her horse, didn't look back, just coldly threw down a sentence with her back to Horace.

"I absolutely do not allow anyone to bully my people under my nose." ===== CHAPTER 424 =====