Chapter 513
Chapter 513 - 493: Conflict
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8 min read
The Schlei Domain is not large, with the religious district, administrative district, and commercial district being the core of the Western City, a rare prosperous area in the territory...however, it still only has a population of around 20,000 to 30,000 people.
The so-called "city-states" in this era are vastly different from the cities that most people are familiar with.
In a feudal, agrarian society, most people are trapped in their farmland, and small towns or even villages are the primary social forms where 99% of the population resides.
A city-state? In truth, the small city of an ordinary lord is merely a slightly larger "rural market."
𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Villagers, farmers, and townspeople only go to the city to sell vegetables or buy some necessities when necessary, and the frequency of replacing living materials is mostly calculated on an annual basis.
The core area of the Schlei Domain is probably only a little more populated than the "towns" that the visitors are familiar with.
Prosperity? Going shopping? How is that possible? Everyone struggles to survive, so how could they have the spare money to go shopping and buy all sorts of things?
Only the large nobles’ domains and the royal capital have luxuries such as shopping streets, malls, and theaters. The commercial district here can only be considered a slightly larger agricultural and living goods market at most.
Productive forces limit social relations, as well as people. In this rural domain, the things one can be exposed to by merely staying in the "town" are extremely limited.
"...Form your groups freely. Use the Schlei Domain as a boundary and explore freely. Gather here within a month; if there’s any information that requires reinforcements, you can come back early and ask for my help..."
On the third day of their return, Lu Ping’an sent out most of the team members.
At most, they could only stay here for two or three months. Instead of having everyone wait together, it’s better to cast a wide net and perhaps encounter some unexpected gains.
But at this moment, there was a small problem...
"By the way, is there really no one willing to team up with Xue En? To be honest, he’s quite useful, especially in this needle-in-a-haystack situation. He’s perfect as an event trigger..."
The one he had the highest expectations for was Xue En. In the current situation with limited time, he should be able to encounter some things... No matter good or bad, it’s better than nothing happening.
However, he received a unanimous shake of the head.
No one is a fool. In this world heading towards its end with doomsday everywhere, carrying a disaster generator will surely have consequences.
No matter how good the opportunities or how rich the resources, enjoying them also requires good fortune.
"Forget it, Brother Xue En, you can just team up with me. That’s okay, right?"
"No problem." Even though he was shunned by everyone, he remained calm on the surface, his round face still looking a bit simple.
His condition was great; he inexplicably became much stronger, and his entire demeanor became unusually Buddhist in style... For some reason, there always seemed to be female companions loitering around him recently, even trying to feed him various snacks.
Well, to be honest, there were also quite a few male companions sneaking a peek... The black and white bear, no matter its strength, was indeed very popular.
Even Lu Ping’an sometimes wanted to give it a few rubs... At such times, he would try hard to recall the terrifying dark circles and dead fish eyes and then contentedly rub Meow a few times to satisfy himself.
"What are you doing, Meow!" Consequently, he was bitten by Meow.
As the only "Luck Emperor" in the team, the reason for his success led to many speculations.
"...Could it be that so many dark circles triggered a certain compatibility?" Some people speculated.
Unexpectedly, someone actually tried it... The result was still the four main armies.
In this day and age, metaphysics isn’t reliable; it’s only by being strong that you can find a way out. Take the super random approach... Of course, due to limited funds, no one can afford to gamble now, but there are quite a few people who still hang around the entrance, learning the path of the beast warriors.
Ahem, returning to the main topic, based on compatibility, Lu Ping’an divided the teams, considering both the volunteers and their strength.
The overall combat power was very unbalanced, like the mercenaries remaining a group, and they had no intention of taking on new recruits.
It’s no big deal; different teams have different ways of playing. If they really took new recruits to high-risk areas, they would likely die.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Ping’an communicated with the Knight Corps privately... Then, there were a few more escort knights following the new recruits and weaker groups.
Some of them set out together, while others came to help when ordered.
By the way, Lu Ping’an had been very obvious about it, but the lord still laughed and showed no hint of anger...he had learned of the Red Sand Thieves’ and Evil Bone Gang’s destruction and confirmed the strength of Lu Ping’an’s group, becoming even more friendly.
Lu Ping’an didn’t take the initiative to see him. It was the lord who brought his feeble body over for a second visit, bringing along a concubine and an illegitimate child... Lu Ping’an knew that they were probably the most important people to save.
By the way, there was an unexpected gain after this battle.
"Can you tell me why you betrayed me?"
Old lord Weite asked with a smile, looking at the trembling Shepherd Silver.
He was Lu Ping’an’s spoils of war, or more accurately, Zhi Xi and Meow’s spoils.
During that battle, as a living "compass", he was left in a storage room guarded by a few Evil Bone Gang thieves.
The two thieves in charge of looting had no reason to let them go, so, in the end, he was brought to the surface by Meow, which also counted as amazing luck... Perhaps it was heaven’s way of taking care of this last Shepherd Silver person.
Now, the kind and gentle old lord was asking with a smile why this foreigner had betrayed him, even though he didn’t really care.
"...Intelligent beings have the right to know the truth. It is their natural human right..."
"Even if it only brings panic? Even if it only brings despair and mutual annihilation? Even if it leads to the collapse of the entire society in advance? And even if it possibly results in those who were originally saved losing their opportunity for salvation?"
The elderly man, who is considered incompetent by outsiders, isn’t foolish at all during this time.
He just calmly asks and talks about it... He doesn’t care about the other party’s answer or their betrayal.
So, who is he asking? No, even the amused Lu Ping’an, who was watching from the side, could see that he was asking himself.
Perhaps, in the shadows, he was also hesitant, wasting time, and even regretful.
"It’s a right! Everyone has the right to make choices!"
"Even when it only brings about useless fear and destruction?"
"Of course! This is a right that every intelligent being possesses! Even if they are destined to die, they should know their own death!"
The Shepherd Silver person, who repeatedly screamed about "rights," made the old man shake his head first, then laugh.
This is like a chicken talking to a duck; they are not walking the same path from the very beginning... When the fundamental viewpoints, morals, and laws that make up one’s beliefs differ, it’s only natural that they can’t agree, and even more so when there is no answer to this question in the first place.
"Lord Lu, I apologize for showing my naivety," the old man said, still calm.
Lu Ping’an smiled and didn’t say anything.
Perhaps, in Lu Ping’an’s malicious speculation, this man simply wanted to explain his "inaction" in this way, slightly increasing the foreigner’s goodwill.
But in a sense, he did achieve it... At least the Xia Qin lady behind Lu Ping’an looked a bit better.
Having a companion who is easily affected like this is, in a sense, a bad thing. Their team’s style and attitude are easily leaked, but from another perspective, a team leaning towards the "Order of Good" is more likely to gain the trust of the local people.
At least, based on their actions and style during the journey, the lord was very satisfied with Lu Ping’an’s group and sought to add further investment.
— End of Chapter 513 —