stjorthotic Chapter 58 It's All Yours
Chapter 58 It's All Yours
"well..."
Charles sighed deeply, looking at Richard with a helpless yet knowing expression.
"My lord, what do you desire this time?"
He wasn't stupid. The other party was just assuming a fighting stance but didn't attack immediately; they simply wanted to extort more money from him.
Otherwise, he absolutely did not believe that the other party would actually dare to attack a high priest.
Richard laughed heartily.
Viscount Brad's method of extorting money by relentlessly harassing others when he was in the right was indeed effective.
"The Preacher".
"You're saying that the Snow Rabbit tribe has already pledged allegiance to the Goddess of Light, so they're all citizens of the Empire, right?"
Upon hearing this, Charles's brows furrowed instantly, and his fingers tightened involuntarily around the cane.
In order to expand its influence among alien groups, the Holy See of Light went to great lengths to reach an agreement with the royal family that any alien who came into the goddess's arms could obtain the status of a citizen of the empire.
However, in the human world where bloodline is paramount, the lords who occupy a certain territory believe that other races are no different from domesticated livestock.
To resist this law.
They even openly acknowledged the legitimacy of the slave-catching teams, declaring that all captured foreigners, regardless of their previous status, would be reduced to slavery.
So when he heard the young lord mention the Snow Rabbit's identity, a possibility immediately came to mind.
If all of these thousands of snow rabbits were reduced to slavery and then sold in the capital, the sum would be astronomical!
Young snow rabbits with decent figures, regardless of gender, start at least at five gold coins, while those with a bit of good looks can fetch at least five to a dozen gold coins.
A girl with such exquisite looks and a beautiful figure as Xueyue could probably fetch a price of over a hundred.
There are thousands of Snow Rabbit tribesmen here, and they can be sold for at least tens of thousands of gold coins!
No wonder he was willing to spend a gold coin to help the serfs; it turns out he wasn't being kind, but had a more greedy, despicable, and cruel goal.
Thinking of this.
A surge of anger rushed to his head!
Charles suddenly slammed his wooden staff down, producing a muffled boom, and his entire body surged with luminous energy!
"My lord..."
"They are now citizens of the empire under the protection of the Goddess of Light, living beings, not commodities to be bought and sold!"
Charles's voice was icy cold, and his eyes blazed with intense anger.
"Are you sure you want to make an enemy of the Holy See for your own selfish desires?"
He was no ordinary preacher who couldn't even kill a chicken.
His ability to traverse the far northern wilderness alone and remain unharmed in the face of monster threats demonstrates his strength in self-preservation.
Although the opponent's Rock Armored Earth Dragon was troublesome, it was only a mere Star-level creature.
How dare you lay your hands on the lambs I've already led into the arms of my goddess? Do you really think I have no temper?!
...
The word "goods" exploded like a thunderclap over the heads of all the Snow Rabbit tribesmen.
The snow rabbits, who were already terrified, were now even more pale and trembling.
Being sold into slavery, or even reduced to sex slaves and playthings of human nobles, was an end they feared more than death!
Many snow hares tightly hugged their children and families, covering their faces and weeping bitterly; their desperate sobs spread across the wasteland.
Xueyue stood beside her parents, her snow-white rabbit ears drooping, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She had once thought Richard was a different kind of lord, but now it seemed he was no different from those greedy human nobles...
A deep sense of disappointment welled up inside me.
...
Richard was slightly taken aback when he saw Charles's furious expression.
goods?
What is this old charcoal maker imagining?
He raised an eyebrow.
He snorted coldly.
He pointed at the pale-faced Snow Rabbit Chieftain, his voice suddenly rising.
"Since you insist they are citizens of the Empire, then their homeland in the Rocky Forest should naturally be considered Imperial territory, right?"
"As long as they cede sovereignty over the land in the rocky forest to me, I can turn a blind eye, declare their crimes wiped clean, and let them leave in peace."
These words were spoken.
The entire room fell silent!
...
The group of people looked at each other, their eyes filled with bewilderment.
The Stone Forest was even more desolate than the Chiffon Wasteland, with jagged rocks everywhere and even wild grasses couldn't grow well.
The Arctic Ocean is still freezing cold, so why did the lord go to such lengths to demand this barren land?
Karl had been holding it in for a long time, but he couldn't hold it in any longer.
He quietly moved closer to Anthony.
They whispered to themselves.
"What would the master want with that wretched place? It would be better to have the Holy See pay some gold coins in compensation..."
As they were talking.
A strong smell of garlic assaulted Anthony's face.
He rolled his eyes, held his breath, and shook his head. Although he didn't understand it either, he believed that the lord's decision must have a deeper meaning.
The Snow Rabbit Clan was completely dumbfounded!
Xueyue, who had just been crying her heart out, had a string of snot bubbles hanging from the tip of her nose, but she didn't bother to wipe them away, staring straight at the imposing young lord.
Although they had only been in the rocky forest for a few years, they knew that the place was of almost no value except for sheltering from the wind and rain.
He actually wants that piece of broken land?
What were you thinking?
The Snow Rabbit Chieftain was the first to react, and his face lit up with ecstatic joy!
He nodded quickly.
His voice was trembling.
"Of course, of course! If Your Lordship desires it, the Rocky Forest is yours!"
"I am the chieftain of the Snow Rabbit Clan, and on behalf of the entire Snow Rabbit Clan, I offer you the entire land of the Chaotic Stone Forest without any compensation!"
In his view, exchanging a piece of useless wasteland for the lives of the entire clan was an incredibly good deal!
result...
...
Richard glanced at him impatiently, his disdain undisguised.
"Go play somewhere else."
That's all.
His gaze returned to Charles.
"Charles."
"I want you to write me a certificate of merit in your capacity as the High Priest of the Holy See of Light, clearly stating in black and white that you witnessed my legitimate occupation of the Rocky Forest."
"As long as you're willing to write, I'll release the Snow Rabbit Clan immediately; where they go is none of my business."
"how?"
Charles was completely stunned.
He originally thought Richard either wanted to extort gold coins or wanted to capture the Snow Rabbit tribe for sale.
But to his utter surprise, the other party only wanted a desolate, rocky forest, and also legal recognition.
The young lord's thought process was truly beyond his expectations.
Charles scrutinized Richard and saw that his eyes were open and honest, not feigning anything, which gradually dispelled his doubts.
He coughed lightly to cover up the embarrassment caused by the misunderstanding.
"My lord."
"The rocky forest is barren and desolate, unsuitable for farming or human habitation. What use is it to you?"
Richard smiled.
His tone carried a sense of entitlement.
"Imperial law stipulates that lords have the right to explore unclaimed lands. Now that they have voluntarily offered them up, I naturally have no reason not to accept them."
This response completely avoided the core of the problem, but he was too lazy to explain, and there was no way he could explain it.
The reason why Chiffon Wasteland can activate the system farm attribute is because it is a legal territory recognized by the empire.
If he wants to incorporate the Rocky Forest into Chiffon's territory and also create a farm, he must obtain legal legitimacy.
Besides the Earl of Strombard, who was granted the title directly, the royal family could also do so.
The Holy See, of course, had no right to grant it, but they could act as witnesses and acknowledge Richard's achievement in occupying the unclaimed land, thus gaining legal legitimacy.
Ordinary priests won't do; only high priests are qualified. Charles was already thinking about this when he cast the Great Light Healing spell.
The reason he wanted the Stone Forest was because it was near the Arctic Ocean, and in the game, the ocean could produce a lot of treasures.
With system enhancement.
Easily obtain lobsters as thick as thighs, crabs the size of washbasins, and delicious sea cucumbers and squid...
Richard's mouth was practically watering just thinking about it.