Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

Chapter 89 A New Home

However, one figure in the crowd remained quiet throughout, even excessively so.

That was Eleanor Lannister, who was disguised as the mute boy "Allen".

While others were surprised and uneasy at the sight of goblins, she simply watched the working goblins calmly, her light blue eyes, like deep lakes, gleaming with a light of observation and analysis.

As the heir to the Lannister family, she received the most orthodox education in magic and alchemy from a young age. Although she didn't have much affection for goblins, she also didn't have much fear of them.

The only thing that could cause her to have emotional fluctuations was the behavior of those goblins.

She also has some knowledge of summoning magic, elemental creatures, and constructs.

But the fact that a group of chaotic goblins could work in such an orderly, well-organized, and coordinated manner was indeed quite surprising to her.

In theory, summoned creatures can be controlled to complete certain tasks, but most of them are single-objective, unified actions, or behaviors that originate from the creature's instincts, such as killing or destruction.

These goblins before us seem to each have their own thoughts, yet they cooperate and divide tasks according to some kind of order, which is quite incredible.

Moreover, it was a summoned creature like a goblin; she couldn't fathom how Prince Matthew had managed it.

It seemed that Prince Matthew was definitely not just a destitute illegitimate child who had been exiled, as the rumors suggested. A strong sense of curiosity and unease began to grow in her heart.

This place may be more than just a temporary hiding place for her.

It's more likely a place that would expose her to unprecedented knowledge, or even—offer a glimmer of hope for revenge for her family.

However, as they passed the city wall at the entrance to the territory, Eleanor's gaze inadvertently swept over a newly laid stone joint on the base, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

The color and the solidification state of the plaster—something's not right!

Ordinary lime mortar has absolutely no color or texture like this!

It seems that some kind of hydraulic mineral powder has been mixed in?

As a young lady from a family of alchemists, she immediately thought of a long-lost ancient cement recipe recorded in her family's ancient books.

This discovery made her heart race.

If her guess is true, it means that Emberstone Ridge not only possesses mysterious summoning power, but also has mastered some kind of extremely advanced material processing technology.

"Brother Allen, don't be afraid. Lord Conrad said that those goblins won't hurt us." Lina, who was standing next to him, noticed that the "boy" was tense. She gently patted his thin shoulder and comforted him in a low voice.

Eleanor stiffened slightly, quickly lowered her head to conceal the sharp glint in her eyes, and reverted to the timid and silent boy, simply nodding vaguely.

She must continue to maintain the facade and not reveal herself until she has fully ascertained the details of this territory and its lord.

The procession slowly passed through the unfinished city gate in a silence imbued with anticipation, awe, and curiosity.

The city was not prosperous; in fact, it was somewhat simple and dilapidated. However, the smooth roads and drainage ditches on both sides, along with the clanging of blacksmiths, sawing wood, shouts, and the gurgling of waterwheels, all blended together to create a vibrant and lively scene. Just like a gifted young man, he may be ragged and penniless, but his future is full of infinite possibilities, making people look forward to it.

This is exactly the scene and atmosphere that these refugees yearn for most. Compared to their hometown, which makes them feel hopeless and oppressed, this place seems like paradise.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We've arrived! Welcome to Emberstone Ridge, Baron Matthew's territory, and your future home!"

His gaze swept over the excited, fearful, and expectant faces.

"I know you still have many questions and anxieties. But I can tell you that here, as long as you are willing to work hard and follow the rules, you can gain protection, food and clothing, and even—you can win dignity and a future!"

Soon, the group was led to the open space in front of the city lord's mansion.

At this moment, Matthew, having received the news, walked out of the lord's manor accompanied by Will.

At the signal from Conrad and old Sam, all the newly arrived refugees knelt down and bowed their heads deeply.

Looking at the sea of ​​people kneeling below the stage, Matthew was filled with joy. These people were the future of Emberstone Ridge, and their arrival would inject new blood into Emberstone Ridge, further enhancing its construction and development.

Moreover, with these people around, I have even more things to do next.

"Get up, all of you!" Matthew said, his face remaining calm and authoritative.

The refugees hesitated, but at Conrad's signal, they dared to stand up, though they still kept their heads down and dared not utter a sound.

Matthew's gaze slowly swept over the crowd as he continued, "My name is Matthew, and I am the lord of this land. I welcome you to Emberstone Ridge."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power.

"I know you come from the White Forest, from suffering and despair. But here, you will find food, new life, and even a home and land!"

A suppressed but excited voice rose from the crowd.

"But once you're here, you must abide by the rules of Emberstone Ridge!" Matthew's tone turned serious. "Emberstone Ridge doesn't tolerate lazybones or wicked people! Everything here requires hard work and sweat!"

"Your primary task next is to study the 'Civil Registration Regulations' of Emberstone Ridge. Scholar Will will explain it to you in detail, and everyone needs to understand and memorize it clearly." Matthew said, looking at Will beside him.

Will stepped forward and began to read aloud in a loud voice: "All newly arrived refugees shall be recorded as temporary residents!"

Temporary residents will be provided with accommodation and meals by the territory. They must unconditionally complete all construction work assigned by the territory and may not shirk or neglect their duties for any reason!

"Temporary residents accumulate work points through labor!" Completing basic workload earns 1 work point. Those who exceed targets, demonstrate special skills, or make outstanding contributions will receive additional work points at the discretion of the authorities. Work points can be used to exchange for better food, clothing, and, most importantly—resident status!

Those who have accumulated 30 work points, have no record of violations, and pass the basic review can apply to become official citizens!

"Upon becoming a formal resident, one shall enjoy the following rights: 1. The right to rent or exchange work points for standard housing built on the territory at a preferential price; 2. The right to apply for arable land, with the first 30% of the harvest belonging to oneself, and subsequent land taxes paid proportionally; 3. The right for one's offspring to participate in literacy and arithmetic education organized by the territory; 4. The right to enjoy the protection of the territory's laws and to have the right to appeal —"

Will read them out one by one; the terms were clear and the rewards and punishments were well-defined.

Although the conditions for becoming a formal citizen are not easy, they provide a clear and visible path to a stable life.

This is a thousand times better than the hopeless despair of the White Forest.

Most importantly, they were finally able to eat and survive.

Ella held her daughter's hand tightly, her eyes shining.

She could read, so she understood even better.

Although the system is strict, it is incredibly fair; as long as you work hard, there is hope.

What surprised her most was that the lord was willing to allow commoners to receive education and learn to read and write, a privilege that was originally reserved for nobles in their territory.

Eloi, Mick, and the others had their eyes shining with excitement. They had thought they would just be exchanging their labor for food to survive, but they never expected that they could not only exchange for food, but also potentially obtain land and houses and become the people of this place.

They knew that from this moment on, they were no longer refugees to be trampled on, but could live with dignity like human beings and had the right to pursue a better life.

Matthew handed over the arrangements to Will and Conrad, then returned to his study to practice his Wizard Hand technique.

After a period of repeated practice, his control over magic and his use of the Wizard's Hand have improved rapidly. He can now manipulate a small file to perform fine polishing and shaping of metal parts.

The benefits of this exquisite control over power are obvious.

Not only could he perform preliminary processing of some precision parts more efficiently, but more importantly, this "microscopic" level of control deepened his understanding of the nature of magic, laying a solid foundation for him to learn more complex spells in the future.

He even began to try to use the mage's hand to simultaneously control two tools for collaborative work. Although he was still very unfamiliar with them, he had already shown great potential.

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