"My subjects, I am the Clan Leader of the Saintlight Vampires, the master of Dawn City, and your City Lord—Kachar.
Many of you call me Lord Kachar."
"I believe many of you are meeting me for the first time, and some may not even wish to see me."
Li De’s tone was calm yet resolute, exuding an undeniable sense of conviction.
"Why do I say this? Because in the eyes of many, I am an evil vampire!
But let me reiterate, the Saintlight Vampires are descendants of the gods, a race of light that yearns for justice. We are not the evil vampires of human legend."
The power of repetition and propaganda had long been proven effective in the modern world.
The initial residents of Eric Town had already fallen under its influence, and without the rumors spread by the Wild Wolf Gang, most of the later arrivals would have succumbed as well.
"Calling all of you to gather in the square so late at night must have left many of you feeling uneasy.
You might be wondering, what nefarious plot do these accursed vampires have? Are they planning to kill us? Drain our blood and hang us?"
Li De’s blunt words voiced the inner fears of many. At that moment, quite a few people instinctively averted their gaze, afraid that the vampires might read their thoughts.
"It doesn’t matter. You’re free to think whatever you like."
Once again, contrary to expectations, this great figure of the Saintlight Vampires openly accepted their rebellious thoughts.
Seeing the crowd’s mouths agape with disbelief, many of the Eric Town residents exchanged knowing smiles.
How foolish, a bunch of idiots. How could you possibly fathom the magnanimity of Lord Kachar?
They felt an inexplicable pride swelling within them, holding their heads higher than usual.
In the back of the crowd, Rekel quietly recalled that night when this very man’s confident words had won over everyone, including himself.
This captain of the Logistics Team had developed deep trust in the Saintlight Vampires.
"Though I don’t mind your thoughts, I must reiterate: the Saintlight Vampires are your protectors. As long as you abide by the laws of Dawn City, no one will harm you.
Here, you won’t suffer oppression from nobles, endless extortion from underground forces, or invasions by magical beasts."
Li De’s piercing gaze swept across the crowd, pausing briefly before continuing after ten seconds of silence.
"Many of you still harbor doubts.
But I need not explain myself; time will prove everything.
The great Saintlight Vampires will be your steadfast protectors. Fear not, my subjects.
We live on the same land, speak the same language, and share the same ideals.
Though many of you may not yet identify as residents of Dawn City, it doesn’t matter. I believe one day you will feel honored and proud to call yourselves citizens of Dawn City."
Many below were unimpressed. Who would want to be a resident of a city ruled by vampires?
But for the first batch of Eric Town residents, these words deeply moved them. Half a month ago, this lord had said the same to them.
And everything he promised was coming true. In this city, no one oppressed them. They were given housing, daily food rations, and even earned Silver Pucks through work.
For those who had once lived in constant fear of Beastmen attacks, this place was akin to a worry-free paradise.
Though rumors had circulated recently, the Eric Town residents never believed them, instead refuting these absurd claims.
They believed that the great Lord Kachar would fulfill every promise he made.
This was why Dawn City remained stable despite the rumors. The Eric Town residents never participated in the unrest, actively countering those newcomers.
"You’ve all been wondering why the land distribution has been delayed. Do you know why?"
Li De’s sudden question caught everyone’s attention. Aside from the stable environment, the most attractive aspect of Dawn City was undoubtedly the land distribution.
Though promised immediately, the previously measured lands had stalled, which fueled the rumors.
If the land had been distributed, even the Wild Wolf Gang’s provocations wouldn’t have garnered such widespread response.
"It’s because Dawn City lacks all necessary tools. We don’t even have farming implements, not even a single hoe."
"How can we cultivate the land without tools? My subjects, I must consider more for your sake."
"I went out during this time to prepare farming tools for everyone in Dawn City. I worked for your future."
These words left the crowd stunned. Was this true?
Others were fine, but many in the Security Squad and Logistics Team felt deeply moved looking at Li De’s figure.
Lord Kachar had done so much for them.
Especially the Eric Town residents—many had tears welling up in their eyes. When had they ever felt cared for by a noble above them?
But here, in Dawn City, they felt it for the first time.
"But while I was out, while I was purchasing supplies for all of us,
Dawn City saw the rise of despicable thieves and robbers, as well as those spreading rumors to destabilize the city."
Li De’s tone suddenly rose, filled with anguish.
"You have disappointed me greatly.
Dawn City is the root of all of us. Anyone seeking to destroy it is opposing everyone, yet many of you wished to join them!"
These words instantly reddened many faces. They wanted to defend themselves but couldn’t find the words.
"The existence of these people has deeply hurt me. Therefore, I have decided to revise the land distribution system."
These words caused an uproar.
Had the great Lord Kachar decided to cancel the land distribution?
Fear, unease, anxiety, panic, and other negative emotions instantly enveloped the crowd below.
At the same time, everyone harbored deep hatred for those who had caused trouble recently.
"These damned bastards should be hanged one by one on the gallows!!"
"Fools, complete fools! How dare you anger Lord Kachar!"
"If I find out who the idiot is, I’ll personally hang him."
Many guiltily lowered their heads, unable to meet others’ eyes, regretting their actions deeply. If only they had known the truth, they wouldn’t have acted so foolishly.
Damn that cursed Wild Wolf Gang!!!
After the crowd vented their frustrations, Li De continued in a somber tone.
"Someone suggested to me that we stop distributing land, as those causing trouble don’t deserve such generosity and aren’t worthy of receiving land.
I also thought this was appropriate."
At his final words, the air fell into a deathly silence.
The hope they had clung to during this time now sank like stones into water, despair almost consuming them.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Li De. Many were lost, wondering if it was truly over.
Some even teared up as their hopes were shattered.
After allowing the atmosphere below to ferment to a certain degree, Li De’s tone suddenly became impassioned.
"Though some indeed don’t deserve land!
Most of my subjects are supporters of the Saintlight Vampires. You deserve land!!
I consulted everyone in the Saintlight Vampires, and they all agreed to continue distributing land!!
My subjects, you should thank the vampires standing guard beside you.
They stood up at a critical moment, fought for you, and protected your interests!!"
These words instantly lifted the crowd’s mood from hell to heaven.
The overwhelming joy made each person genuinely exuberant.
"Hail!! Long live the Saintlight Vampires!!"
"Praise the Goddess, praise the great Lord Kachar!!"
"By the Goddess of Life above, the Saintlight Vampires are the greatest beings. Praise you!"
The feeling of regaining something lost skyrocketed the humans’ favor toward the vampires to an extreme height.
A faint smile flickered across Li De’s lips before quickly fading.
"The land will still be distributed. But to prevent such incidents from happening again, I have decided to implement a point system in Dawn City!"
The ultimate scheme had officially begun.
From today onward, the lifelong goal of all residents of Dawn City would shift from Gold Pucks to points.