This Lich is a Better Landlord Chapter 61

Starlight used a mix of coercion and bribery to demand three hundred militia members from several minor lords, including the Porcupine Knight.

It wasn't a willing contribution, but they didn't have a choice.

Otherwise, if these ten Paladins went crazy, they could chop everyone down and leave calmly.

Don't talk to Starlight about mercy and rules. Black Knights are the most unprincipled people when necessary. How else could the Ryan Empire have conquered such a vast territory relying only on those ascetics and saintly Paladins?

The Porcupine Knight sent out eighty men with great heartache. Although Starlight gave a lot of money, the territory couldn't run on cash alone; the most important thing was the population. A great war had already killed many people, and now sending away dozens of young, strong men made the Porcupine Knight worry about next year's farming.

He just treated these people as already dead. After all, they were going to fight that terrifying Lich. Perhaps they would only serve as cannon fodder to deplete the Lich's mana.

Due to a certain peculiar hobby of the Creator God, in the vast majority of situations on this continent, individual might was superior to the power of the group.

The stories that circulated widely were all heroic epics, not stories of people uniting to achieve victory.

Therefore, in many high-end wars, the role of soldiers was negligible. In most cases, they only served as an atmosphere group or a background setting before the strong exploded with power.

In the last crusade against the Lich, the fate of the militia from various territories proved this point very well.

But the Ryan Empire was somewhat different.

Thanks to the traditions left by the founding emperor, they placed the interests of humanity in an extremely high position, almost equal to their faith. The Ryan Empire had a population of hundreds of millions; they couldn't rely on a small number of strong individuals to protect so many mortals.

How to allow ordinary humans to also play a role was a question that generations of Ryan people had been pondering.

Different cultural traditions create different social civilizations. While others were desperately thinking about how to upgrade individuals, the Ryan Empire had already developed a method that allowed commoners to threaten the strong.

Starlight rode his Celestial Warhorse, standing in front of this group of sallow and emaciated militia.

The people were indeed given, and although they weren't old, the lords had chosen the weakest ones, even using serfs to make up the numbers.

Starlight didn't mind, because in his view, there wasn't much difference between well-trained militia and starving serfs.

He deployed his [Aura of Vitality], allowing these suffering people to feel a rare comfort.

Starlight rode his Celestial Warhorse, slowly circling the outside of the crowd, speaking as he went: "You should already know that I bought you from various lords this time to deal with that Lich. The same terrible undead you encountered before and were utterly defeated by."

Mentioning that desperate scene, many people's legs went soft. If not for the support of the [Aura of Vitality], they would have knelt long ago.

"Very good. It seems I don't need to waste time explaining the horror of the undead to you. But what do you have to be afraid of? In your life's experience, what is the difference between dying a little earlier or a little later? Heavy labor, long-term hunger, pain repeated every day... you are not much different from livestock.

"You have never lived as true humans. Your lives are meaningless. To this continent, the area you can plow is not even comparable to an ox."

Starlight's words seemed to carry a strange magic. It wasn't a beating or a curse, but a few light sentences filled the numb people with anger.

But they just kept their mouths shut tight, lowered their heads, and dared not look at Starlight with those angry eyes.

"Keep your anger, my compatriots. Humans should not live like this. And today, what I give you is the chance to become human again. As long as you can survive the war, you can become citizens of the Ryan Empire. I make a promise in the name of the Holy Light that you will obtain your own land, your own houses, and your own lives."

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but raise their heads and look at this Paladin bathed in the Holy Light.

If other nobles said they would give land and houses, they certainly wouldn't believe it.

But the Paladin just swore by the Holy Light!

How to judge if a Black Knight is lying? The simplest way is to question him: "Do you dare to swear by the Holy Light?!"

Of course, doing so would very likely cause the Black Knight to directly use [Divine Smite].

And Starlight clearly swore to the Holy Light just now, which meant this was very likely true!

Seeing the glowing eyes of these suffering people, Starlight finally revealed a smile. His goal had been achieved. As long as hope was born in their hearts, they could provide him with assistance.

And Starlight didn't lie. A Paladin dares not have the slightest falsehood when swearing to the Holy Light, otherwise divine punishment would descend immediately.

If they could really survive the upcoming war, Starlight would definitely take them back to the Ryan Empire and give them the promised land.

Starlight spoke again: "Now, everyone follow me into the city. You must eat your fill first, then rest well."

Within the crowd, a frail young man stood up and said excitedly, "Rest? Lord Paladin, shouldn't we start training? If we go to the battlefield like this, won't we be a burden?"

Starlight looked at this young man with surprise. Although the emotions of this group had been influenced by him, for someone to dare express an objection to him, that courage was not simple.

Starlight asked, "Young man, what is your name?"

"Geronimo."

The boy pronounced a name that was very awkward to read, unlike common human names.

Starlight recalled for a moment and said in surprise, "A name from the era of the Demon Dragon's rule... Are you a remnant of the Pre-Civilization?"

Before the founding of the Ryan Empire, the continent was ruled by the brutal Demon Dragon. Eventually, the founding emperor of the Ryan Empire beheaded the Demon Dragon and expelled all dragonkind, liberating the various races.

And the corpse of the Demon Dragon was made into the national artifact of the Ryan Empire.

Because the social and human environment during the Demon Dragon's rule was completely different from the current Nine Great Kingdoms, the period of the Demon Dragon's rule was occasionally referred to as the Pre-Civilization.

Although humans lived miserably in that era, a very small branch of humans still missed the era when dragons were supreme, maintaining many cultures of that time. For example, the worship and sacrifice to giant dragons, or [Draconic] and dragon script, and so on.

This boy's name had a slight intonation of [Draconic], which a learned Paladin like Starlight could distinguish upon hearing.

Perhaps because they were the victor nation, the Ryan Empire adopted a tolerant attitude towards these remnants of the Pre-Civilization. After all, the dragons had been driven away, and these were human compatriots; they would be assimilated sooner or later.

Over a thousand years, the number of these dragon remnants had indeed become fewer and fewer. He didn't expect to meet one here.

However, when Starlight carefully asked about Geronimo's background, he found that the child knew nothing about the dragon race. Apart from leaving this name, his parents hadn't taught him any knowledge related to dragons.

As for Geronimo's question, Starlight explained, "The first sentence I learned was to praise the Holy Light. I underwent strict training starting from age seven, and until now, twenty years later, I am considered to have officially become a Paladin. It is impossible for you to be reborn in just a few days. But you don't need to worry. I won't let you be cannon fodder. Obey my commands, and I will let you display your due value on the battlefield."

Starlight kindly lifted Geronimo onto his mount, leading this boy and a group of serfs who had just gained hope toward the City of Alchemy.

At this moment, a thick cloud drifted past in the distance, casting a shadow that made Starlight raise his head.

The weather these past few days hadn't been very good. There were always thick dark clouds, giving Starlight a not-so-good premonition.

And precisely because of this bad premonition, Starlight constantly reminded himself that he must be more cautious and more thoroughly prepared.

However, today's harvest should be enough. These three hundred people would become his strongest trump card.