The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Chapter 1694 - 477: City of Mire

The black smoke spewing from the chimneys finally filled the glowing dusk, and Thunder City, which had been busy all day, finally welcomed its night.

In the suburb's new industrial zone, the last batch of artisans and laborers whistled, arms around each other's shoulders, and left the factory, flooding into the taverns along the street.

The maids in linen skirts darted quickly through the bustling crowds. Their arms were as thick as iron clamps, eager to grab all the kitchen's wine glasses with both hands. And those customers urging for wine seemed to have smoke rising from their throats, just waiting for that sip to quench the fire.

The air was filled with the smell of sweat and coal ash, prompting all the fastidious priests to unconsciously steer clear of this blasphemous place.

But complaints were rare; more people loved this excitement and the atmosphere of fireworks.

Otherwise, people wouldn't have willingly come here, staying day after day until late at night, before leaving despondently.

Since Duke Edward took the throne, the pace of the city has become increasingly busy, like those chefs laboring in the back kitchen.

In the taverns, the crowd was lively, with everyone excitedly discussing the city's rapid changes and that promising future.

The new textile factory in the East District had started recruiting again, and the Andes Chamber of Commerce at the port received a big order from Wulan Port. Rumor has it that soon, the wages of all the staff will rise again, though it's unclear when Parliament will pass Princess Erin's "No. 6 Law."

Though unpleasant things occasionally happened, overall, people were satisfied with their current lives. Even if peasants occasionally reminisced about the past, gazing at the foam in their beer glasses, they didn't miss it as much.

Just wait a bit longer; reminisce when the money runs out!

At least for now, everyone firmly believes—

Under Duke Edward and Princess Erin's leadership, an unprecedented golden age is unfolding before them!

At this moment, a City Hall clerk with an armband squeezed through the crowd, heading to the notice board not far from the tavern door.

This guy was evidently one of those fastidious types, frowning as he entered but still pinching his nose as he completed the task previously assigned to him.

He took out a roll of pulp paper from his satchel, pinned it to the notice board with four thumbtacks, then patted his hands and hurried away.

The paper was stamped with the Campbell family's fire wax seal, seemingly an official document of a new law passage, quickly catching many people's attention.

Everyone thought it was news about the No. 6 Law, and crowded closer to take a look.

"Duke Campbell... Edward... edict..." A literate blacksmith struggled to read the beginning of the decree, " ...hereby decide to formally name Thunder County's Southwest Swamp... uh, Mire City? What the heck?"

The blacksmith's voice abruptly stopped, displaying a shocked expression on his face.

"Where did a city come from in the Southwest Swamp? Isn't this just Campbell's southwesternmost city?" A puzzled apprentice beside him asked, craning his neck, "Did the guy writing the notice have too much to drink?"

"Keep reading!" someone in the crowd urged, as not everyone was literate, let alone understood those bureaucratic papers.

The blacksmith swallowed and continued reading.

"...and grant its full development rights entirely to the messenger from the Gutaf United Kingdom, Mr. Sak Jifeng, representing the 'Wind Roar Tribe'."

The content of the decree was short, but its weight was substantial.

After a brief silence, the tavern erupted, with a drunk miner being the first to shout.

"What?! Giving that wasteland to a bunch of Lizardmen? Wait... Southwest Swamp? Let me think—"

"Is the mayor crazy?! That cursed place has nothing but poisonous insects and man-eating monsters!"

"Are you stupid! How could the mayor be the one to decide? That guy's just a mascot; surely the Governor came up with this idea!"

"You're all drunk! Isn't the real question why anyone would actually want that damn place?"

Confusion quickly spread among the crowd.

In the eyes of Thunder City residents, the Southwest Swamp was undoubtedly a cursed wasteland, even scoffed at by the greedy Baron Ges.

Granting it to Campbell's ally was an operation many couldn't fathom. What was more puzzling was the distant ally accepting it?

But that confusion didn't last long.

Among the crowd, there were still "smart" people, who quickly offered a seemingly logical explanation.

"I think this matter isn't simple," a man resembling a small merchant said mysteriously, "Did you forget the identity of Mr. Sak? He's a guest of Prince Colin! I think this must be Prince Colin's intention!"

This explanation immediately gained the agreement of numerous people.

If it was the Empire's prince, everything seemed to make sense.

Praise the loyal Thunder City citizens, who would rather guess the source of this bizarre incident was related to the far-off Empire's prince, than believe it was their wise Duke Edward's decision.

However, that clever fellow didn't guess wrong; although this was a story between the Gutaf Kingdom and Campbell Duchy, it wasn't without the shadow of the Demon King.

It's just...

Why does Prince Colin want that piece of land?

Simplifying complex problems hasn't really resolved the confusion in people's hearts; instead, one confusion has turned into many.