Chapter 571: Chapter 363: Things Change and Stars Shift (Part 2)

Let off the hook, Levi immediately bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Where are the cooks? Hurry up and get us a feast! After a month of dry rations, I think my mouth has forgotten what flavor is."

Expecting the Beastman Barbarians to be good cooks was as pointless as expecting Centaurs to sit in chairs. So, for the whole journey, they had subsisted on bread and milk.

While the meal was being prepared, Levi drank a cup of hot tea to soothe his throat and began to vividly recount his experiences in the Trial World.

Of course, the part about his own valor as their Lord was the main event, requiring countless words of embellishment to make him sound even more wise and heroic.

"What a vicious ritual! To use the resentment and flesh of a million people to become a Demigod!" Holding a cup of hot milk in her small hands, Ashiru turned pale at hearing such an inhumane story for the first time. She was so frightened that she even forgot to lick away the speck of milk at the corner of her mouth.

That was equivalent to sacrificing half the residents of Gonda City.

"It is," Levi said, rubbing her little head to comfort her, just like a friendly big brother.

He also thought of Kemisi and Kemini. Although he had only spent a very short time with the two siblings, they had left a deep impression on him. Yet, he could only watch helplessly as they were swept away by the torrent of resentment.

Afterward, Igo Saint had told him that this entire race of Divine Servants shared some of the Bloodline of the Fallen Divine Servant. The most crucial part of the ritual was this shared Bloodline, as the ritual itself was inscribed within it. Therefore, at that moment, there was absolutely no way to save them.

And that was indeed the case. Even though he had been holding Kemini thousands of steps away from the torrent of resentment, she had still dissolved into intangible resentment in his arms, flowing into the Tower of Sin to become fuel for the ascension.

"Now that the trouble is resolved, does that mean the Archbishops of the Holy Light Church can use this Trial World for their promotions?" Tina’s face was filled with curiosity.

After all, the Holy Light Church had a considerable number of Epic Level Priests. Besides the Pope, there were three Red-robed Archbishops.

If they all ascended to the Legendary rank, their power and status would rise accordingly.

"I’m not sure. In theory, the so-called trial requires them to become mortals, to fall into the dirt and experience life anew, demonstrating their inner character to earn the goddess’s approval. But now there isn’t a single living person in the Trial World, so how can they experience life?" Levi shook his head. He had basically used a backdoor; otherwise, the promotion ritual wouldn’t have been so easy.

"Right, nothing major happened at High Cliff Castle while I was away, did it?"

"Nothing major happened at High Cliff Castle, and what did happen was mostly good news." Tina smiled slightly and began to list them off, "Just a few days after you left, Clan Leader Ash arrived with all her people, honoring her agreement to become your vassals."

"Also, seven or eight members of the Model Race came to High Cliff Castle, saying they wanted to follow ’Duke Levi, the Dragon Knight’ and contribute their humble efforts."

"Where are they? Bring them to me at once!" Levi automatically ignored the part about Ash, his eyes lighting up as he focused his full attention on this group from the Model Race.

The Model Race, also known as the Turtle Race, is rare, but their long lifespans mean most of them are very knowledgeable.

The position of Civil Servant at High Cliff Castle had long been vacant. After all, expecting a bunch of barbarians who only knew how to wield blades to handle paperwork was asking too much. The arrival of these members of the Model Race solved an urgent problem.

As for why they had sought him out, Levi didn’t find it strange. As his fame grew, it was only natural that he would attract more talented people. It was just like the United States in his previous life, and it was also proof of High Cliff Castle’s prosperity and growth.

"The Model Race is more prone to drowsiness than most people. They’re probably still in bed."

Tina’s words deflated her Lord’s excitement. He plopped back down onto his chair. "Well, in that case, let them get their rest."

He wasn’t some inconsiderate, unscrupulous lord who would drag a few old men out of bed.

"Also, we’ve recruited all of the Old People from the Kas Mountain Range. There are about one hundred and fifty thousand of them, and they’ve all been settled in the High Cliff Castle Settler Area. I followed your instructions and divided them into two groups: one to help build High Cliff Castle, and the other to reclaim the wasteland."

"Mm," Levi grunted, nodding as he gnawed on a finally-ready roasted leg of lamb.

The number was larger than he had expected, but still within an acceptable range. Only by slowly integrating these people could High Cliff Castle truly have the confidence to call itself a castle in the Wilderness and become a provincial capital in the wastes.

"They joined High Cliff Castle because of your promise in the first place. When they arrived, they all wanted to see the legendary Lord of the Wilderness with their own eyes, but you had just left for the trial. There was a lot of unrest, which led to some bloody conflicts." Tina took out a handkerchief to wipe a grease stain from the corner of Levi’s clothes as she spoke. "I lost several pounds just from personally leading people to handle these matters every day. We had to kill quite a few people to finally calm things down. It’s a good thing you’re back, otherwise, I don’t know how many more we would have had to kill."

"My wife’s on the job, good as two men," Levi said, immediately giving her a thumbs-up.

"Ahem... actually, it was Zat and the others who were helping me the whole time." Tina’s face flushed red as she humbly waved her hands.

"I’m only good for swingin’ an axe and choppin’ people. Chief Steward Tina did most of the work," Zat added quickly, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.

’It was rare for the simpleton to be so modest.’

"Enough with the modesty. You’ve all worked hard while I was away." The Lord simply raised his cup and praised everyone.

The men raised their oaken mugs, the girls raised their teacups, and they all drank together. The hall buzzed with excitement at the Lord’s return.

"Besides all that, is there anything else?" Levi continued to ask.

"Do you remember the sea trading caravan you had Miriel put together with Mr. Mellenbu?"

"Of course, I remember," Levi nodded.

That was a large slave-trading vessel; its construction cost alone was unimaginable. He was counting on that ship to open up maritime trade for him.

After all, this venture was a huge source of potential income, no different from another Silk Road. The profits it could bring were simply unimaginable.

It was just that High Cliff Castle currently had next to nothing. Many things were still in their infancy. Even Mellenbu, the Dwarf captain, had been poached by Miriel.

But the first step is always the hardest. You can’t just not do something because it’s difficult. Once you start, everything will gradually begin to go smoothly.

"Not long after you left, Miriel and Mr. Mellenbu set sail for White Harbor in the Southern Territory with selected goods and enough men. But in the Aegean Sea, they encountered a rare ocean storm."

Tina’s first sentence sent a chill down her Lord’s spine. He clutched his chest to suppress the tsunami of pain within. ’Damn you, thieving heavens! That was a large slave-trading vessel packed with goods and elite Warriors! My beautiful Miriel... my little old Dwarf captain... my Warriors...’

But her next words brought him back from the dead, and he broke into a silly, non-stop grin— "But thankfully, Mr. Mellenbu is an experienced navigator. They only had to jettison some cheap cargo to reduce weight and escape the heart of the storm. They reached White Harbor shaken but unscathed, and they’re expected to return soon."

"Well done!" The Lord pumped his fist. If the little old Dwarf were here, he would probably have to grab him and plant a couple of kisses on his cheeks to be satisfied.

When it came to sea voyages, the greatest threat was undoubtedly ocean storms. A placid sea could erupt into monstrous waves the very next second, capable of burying everything. Only an experienced captain could predict and avoid the heart of a storm as if they were a prophet.

Without a doubt, Mellenbu was one of them.

"I can’t believe so much happened in the few months I was away. You all did a great job."

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