The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 424 All sorts of demons and monsters have arrived.
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Royal Command! Fight for Honor and Land!

Ms. Erin Campbell will lead 50,000 "Northern Rescue Army" troops to aid the Dusk Province!
Yesterday, Grand Duke Edward Campbell issued an emergency mobilization order, announcing the formation of a 50,000-strong force called the Northern Rescue Army, which aims to go to the Twilight Province, a royal domain currently in dire straits, to bring Campbell's order and glory to our neighbors who are mired in nightmares!

As we know, the dire situation in the Twilight Province is no secret!
The prolonged famine fueled the flames of rebellion. Bewitched by hell, the rebels burned villages and looted food, ravaging the land like a plague and displacing countless citizens of the Kingdom of Ryan!

The nobles of Ryan, who were supposed to protect their people, abandoned their sacred feudal obligations, either fleeing or hiding in their castles to protect themselves, leaving their people to die in despair!

"How can we just sit idly by and watch our neighbor's house catch fire?"

In his decree, His Majesty the Grand Duke declared, "We and the people of Twilight Province are all subjects of the Kingdom, and Campbell's prosperity cannot be built on the suffering of our fellow citizens!"

Two years ago, a large number of refugees flooded into our city like a tide, crossing valleys and plains. Although we generously accepted them, using teacups to fetch water to put out a burning carriage was not a solution!

For the sake of our kingdom, and for our own sake! We must send out our brave army to solve this problem once and for all!

For this expedition, His Majesty the Grand Duke has appointed the beloved Lady Erin Campbell as the supreme commander of the Northern Rescue Army!

Her mercy will be like a warm breeze blowing across a cold land, a sun shining on a land of despair, bringing solace to the suffering, and with the sword in her hand she will send the troublemakers to the gallows of judgment!
It is worth mentioning that the core of this mobilization is not only to fulfill our obligations to the Kingdom, but also to provide every Campbellian with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

The Grand Duke’s decree clearly stated that the chaos in Twilight Province was due to the dereliction of duty by the nobles, both high and low, within the province. They were no longer worthy to be vassals of King Theodore, and Baron Ellaric, the governor appointed by the king, shared this view!

At the request of the provincial governor, all the lands liberated by Campbell's reinforcements will be governed by the Principality of Campbell under a trusteeship!

Our esteemed Grand Duke hereby promises that all those who have rendered meritorious service in this suppression of the rebellion, regardless of their status or rank, will have the opportunity to be awarded a medal by His Majesty and thereby obtain a piece of land of their own in the Twilight Province!

What a generous decision! A brand new era is beckoning to us!
Hardworking farmers will have the opportunity to become estate owners with their own fields, and brave citizens will have the opportunity to become knights who conquer new territories! The moment to change our destiny is here!

Go forth, children of Campbell!
Your sweat and courage will be transformed into a wealth and glory that your descendants can inherit in this glorious march!

Use the fire and sword in your hands to win a new future for yourselves and for our duchy!

Glory will ultimately belong to us!

Victory too!!
— Thunder City Daily, published

】

Just as Grand Duke Edward had predicted, the entire Thunder City newspaper was abuzz with excitement on the very day the big news was published!
In the new town outside Thunder City, nestled among low shacks, sits a soup kitchen set up by Princess Eileen Campbell.

A group of ragged people are queuing here, waiting to receive their family's food rations.

Although the industrial boom created a large number of jobs, not everyone was able to find a suitable job.

It's just like bread.

When there's an abundance of bread in the market, bread becomes cheaper. And when there are more people, people naturally become cheaper.

However, people are ultimately different from bread.

Bread has no ambition, no worries about tomorrow; if it doesn't sell, it just gets moldy and rotten. But humans are creatures who live for tomorrow; even if their current life seems hopeless, they still need to find something to strive for tomorrow.

Unemployed migrants have become accustomed to waiting near soup kitchens to see which factories or docks need casual labor, hoping to earn a few coins to buy clothes for their children or to have a few drinks at a tavern.

However, today is different from the past.

Instead of the temporary workers they were waiting for, they were given a big job that cheered them all up.

Next to the porridge distribution point, a young man wearing a felt hat had nailed a newspaper to a wooden post.

A group of people gathered around, and after piecing together a few literate men, they read the contents of the newspaper aloud.

"Grand Duke Campbell has decided to mobilize 50,000 conscripts to aid the Twilight Province..."

"Whether noble or commoner, everyone has the opportunity to acquire a piece of land of their own?! Wait, am I seeing things? Is His Majesty the Grand Duke serious?!"

“No mistake, it has the royal seal on it! I recognize this seal, it's also on Princess Irene's flag!”

"...Oh, Saint Sith above, praise to His Majesty the Grand Duke! Praise to Irene!!"

Excited voices rose and fell among the crowd, and joy was on almost every face. For the first time, a glimmer of hope ignited in their eyes, which had been dulled by hardship.

land!

This word is like an addictive magic potion, capturing everyone's attention and heartbeat!

Especially for those serfs who had lost their land, they longed to have a piece of land of their own!
That would mean they would no longer go hungry, no longer have to drink that watery porridge, and no longer have to put up with a mean and stingy boss like Horace...

And most importantly, they no longer have to helplessly watch their wives and children's faces grow thinner and thinner!
As for fighting...

That's not so scary after all.

The Campbells are a people sitting on a powder keg; they have been fighting the evil king since they opened their eyes, sometimes in the fields, sometimes in the labyrinth.

Especially those serfs who had once served the lord, when the bell rang they became soldiers, and every one of them knew how to use a musket!

They've even done evil deeds, so naturally they won't be afraid to fight another group of farmers!
On the contrary, the refugees who fled from the Twilight Province still had a trace of timidity on their longing faces.

Firstly, they had witnessed the terror of the Green Forest Army; secondly, their feelings about returning to fight against their fellow villagers were actually complicated.

An honest, unassuming man couldn't help but swallow hard and whispered something under his breath.

"But... people die in war."

His words had barely left his mouth when they were drowned out by the rising and falling laughter.

"Haha! Buddy! Isn't that obvious!"

A middle-aged man who hadn't shaved in a long time patted him hard on the shoulder and grinned, jokingly saying...

"Don't even mention that people will die in war, you could choke to death even when drinking water! If you're scared, you should go home and find your mother!"

Hearing the jeering laughter, the honest man blushed and stammered for a long time before finally managing to utter a single sentence.

“I’m not afraid of death! But I have two sons and a daughter… What will happen to them if I die?”

The middle-aged man grinned, his gaze returning to the newspaper nailed to the stake, and said with a piercing look.

"The benevolent Grand Duke has already considered your situation. All fallen soldiers will receive a pension, paid by the royal family, enough for your three children to live comfortably for a few years!"

Praise be to Archduke Campbell!
If the land reward only tempted him, then this compensation was what truly made him make up his mind!

If he could use his flesh to give the children a bright future, to give them money to go to school and learn to write, and to one day be able to leave this dilapidated slum... he would risk everything, even if he were to die once, or even be resurrected by a necromancer and die again!

His words resonated with many, and the last spark of fear was extinguished amidst the rising and falling waves of voices.

"You're right, buddy!"

"Death is a matter of a moment, but poverty is a matter of a lifetime!"

"Moreover, I read in the newspaper that all soldiers who die in battle receive a pension, and land acquired through war can be inherited by their children!"

"Damn it, I did it!"

"Count me in!"

"For Campbell! For the Kingdom!"

This was the first time ever that the poor people waiting in line for alms actually left their queue before the large pot of porridge even boiled.

They rushed to the recruitment point with great enthusiasm, afraid that if they arrived even a moment too late, all 50,000 slots would be snapped up.

When they arrived, they discovered that the line wasn't just made up of people like them who had nothing; there were also adventurers carrying greatswords, sailors adrift at sea, citizens wearing collared shirts, and even knights and nobles with their own armor and horses.

The last time they were this united was when the Dark Lord Dragon threatened to destroy Thunder City.

"By Saint Sith..." Seeing the Campbellians lining up to save their brethren in the Twilight Province, the ascetic passing by couldn't help but shed tears of emotion and offered them a devout prayer.

May the Holy Lord bless these devout people!

If Saint Sis were watching them, he might actually be moved by their unity.

The hardworking and courageous people of Campbell have never been more loyal than they are today...

The ascetic monks passing by were amazed by this bustling scene, as were the players who happened to be strolling around exploring the map in the outskirts of Thunder City.

Since the introduction of the "artificial human" character, the development team of "Cataclysm Online" has optimized the game content several times. Now, the players "grown" from Graywind are no different from real people. Therefore, there are always many "pseudo-humans" in Thunder County.

As the Demon King's loyal eyes and ears, they have always played the role of scouts, tirelessly bringing the latest news of Thunder City to the official website forum in order to attract people's attention.

To make it easier to transfer content, they even taught themselves the Ottoman language used in the game!
You could say they took it very seriously!

Unfortunately, it was all for naught.

Praise isn't so easily obtained.

As the map of "Cataclysm Online" has grown larger and larger, and the recent updates have taken Thunder City further and further away, there are now very few players left in the original "newbie village".

Especially those top-tier players who have already developed their skills, either went to play on the more expansive continent of Janna, or went to explore the "new continent" that is said to connect to the entrance to hell.

The former has lizardmen who do not discriminate against the undead, while the latter has vast enough land to explore freely.

As a result, Thunder City, once a newbie village, seems to have become a thing of the past, fading from the players' sight. The players who remained in Thunder City seem to have become lonely old people.

However, today's situation seems to be a bit different. This is the first time that [One Punch One Whimperer] has seen those Thunder City citizens who have gone crazy for stocks so enthusiastically participating in the war.

"War mobilization? Holy crap, what are they planning to do? Are they going to fight the Demon King?" Looking at the long line of people, [One Punch One Whimper] couldn't help but rub his hands together excitedly.

Do it quickly!
His broadsword was itching for a fight!

[Master Wang, the hairdresser at the village entrance] walked to the notice board at the edge of the square, stared at the notice posted on it, touched his chin, and showed a surprised expression.

"Grand Duke Campbell has decided to send troops to support Twilight Province... Good heavens, is this a new event?"

Upon hearing that a new event was coming, the players gathered in front of the notice board immediately became excited.

After much effort and a flurry of discussion, they finally managed to put together a semi-translator and understand the contents of the notice board.

Once they understood, everyone couldn't help but exclaim "Holy crap!"

"Damn! The mission rewards... a knight's title and land!?"

"Holy crap! There's even a compensation package for dying in action?! Is this for real?!"

Even fighting for the Demon King isn't this satisfying!

As everyone knows, there is a price to pay for loyalty to the Demon King. Unless it is a special in-game event, dying will not only deduct contribution points but also money!
Although they deducted ghost money, it was still money they earned through hard work doing tasks!
Seeing such generous rewards, the onlookers couldn't help but show their excitement.

"One punch, one crybaby," he swallowed hard and said eagerly.

"Why don't we try it out too?"

These words immediately resonated with countless players, who hadn't stirred things up in far too long!
This is an opportunity you can't miss!

"good idea!"

"Let's give it a try! From today onwards, I'm a true Campbell's man!"

"Oh, oh, oh! For the Grand Duke! For Her Highness the Princess!"

"Damn it, you bunch of traitors! Do you even remember you're the Demon King's lackeys... Wait, count me in!"

Everyone readily agreed and excitedly squeezed into the registration line.

Since the Principality of Campbell didn't have any concept of identity verification, the officer in charge of recruitment didn't carefully check their identities and actually let them walk to the registration desk.

The conscription officer in charge of registration was so busy that he didn't even look up. When he saw someone walking over, he asked.

"Name! Special skills!"

"ID... cough! Crybaby!" [One punch, one crybaby] patted his chest and said in broken Imperial English, "Specialty, my special skill is..."

The conscription officer, who was writing on the form, almost broke his quill pen in one go.

What is a person's special talent?
He looked up in annoyance, wanting to see which fool was causing trouble, only to see a burly man, 1.8 meters tall, staring intently at him.

Compared to the malnourished peasants around him, this guy was truly outstanding.

Sturdy, strong, and... quite long indeed!

This is a promising talent for filling in the blanks!
In Campbell's army, there was a special branch of the military called grenadiers, and they needed tall, strong young men like these.

They would advance through a hail of bullets from both friendly and enemy forces, and when they were within 60 paces, they would smash earthenware pots filled with gunpowder into the enemy's formation!
The recruiting officer's eyes shone as if they were shining, like he had found a treasure. No wonder he didn't answer his questions honestly; instead, he wrote his name on the form with a big smile.

"A whiny girl... right? What a strange name. Are you really from Campbell?"

"I...I...I..." [One punch, one whiny guy] couldn't help but stutter. He wasn't very familiar with the common language. He had memorized the previous sentence beforehand, but he couldn't even understand this sentence, so naturally he didn't know how to answer.

Just as he was sweating profusely with anxiety, the conscription officer seemed even more anxious than him, as if afraid that he would change his mind, and grabbed his hand to press his fingerprint on the registration book.

"It's okay, buddy. No matter where you're from before, whether you're literate, stutter, or not—from today onwards, you're a Campbell man! Congratulations, soldier! Take your badge and uniform and report for duty!"

The recruiting officer stood up, grasped his right hand, and patted his sturdy shoulder forcefully.

Ok?
Why does it feel a bit soft?
Never mind, it’s no big deal!
[One punch, one crybaby] He gave the recruiting officer a simple, honest smile, and then, somewhat bewildered, took the soldier's badge and uniform handed to him by a soldier next to him and went to the assembly point to report for duty.

Behind him, the conscription officer started pulling up another able-bodied man, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Next!"

"I me me!"

"Name! Special—"

"ID 'Professional Nuclear Submarine Repairer'! I'm a main DPS character, specializing in soloing Wild Boar Forest, and I've never failed! I can also tank, and I have my own healing potion..."

"Uh...uh uh, your name is...uh, Dragonfly, right? Very good, Private Dragonfly, from now on you are also a Campbellian."

"..."

"Dungeon! Dungeon! Ooooooo!"

"Fobo, is it? By Saint Sith... Finally, someone who can speak human language has arrived!"

The lines for conscription kept getting longer and longer.

What's even more incredible is that this batch of recruits is of surprisingly high quality. Not only are they physically robust, but many of them are actually superhumans with bronze-level strength!
At first, the recruiting officer was a little puzzled. Why didn't these people, who were so awesome, become adventurers?
However, his doubts were quickly dispelled when a burly man shouted "Land".

Even people with mental disabilities dream of having a piece of land of their own.

As he watched the group head to the recruit camp, he was moved and silently prayed for the Principality of Campbell.

Saint Sith above, please do not blame your people for their selfishness. I implore you to leave these dim-witted fellows forever in the Province of Twilight, to be used as fertilizer on the battlefield.

He simply couldn't imagine that these guys, who couldn't even speak properly, could achieve great feats on the battlefield, or even one day become knights or barons.

If that were to happen, he wasn't sure if he would despair...

(End of this chapter)