Chapter 396: One Move, Many Gains
That night, at the Lord's Manor.
In the spacious reception hall, Matthew sat at the head of the table, with the Bay Territory members on the right and the church members on the left.
Every person's table was filled with food.
The abundance made Mira feel quite pressured.
She wanted to eat everything, but she didn't dare.
If she tried a bit of everything, it felt like such a waste.
Just as she was feeling conflicted, the gluttonous Yaya crawled over and whispered in her ear:
"Hey! Why aren't you eating? No need to feel troubled; I'll take care of all the leftovers."
Mira was initially skeptical, but seeing Yaya polish off two drumsticks in no time and then reach for the glossy pork knuckle, she suddenly realized:
"Don't eat so fast, save some for me."
Soon, the two foodies were competing over the dishes.
Mira's diet plan had already failed before it even began.
Feeling the faint threat coming from Yaya, Sun Sheng, who was nearby, had already guessed her identity, and his doubts deepened.
"What exactly is the goddess's purpose in sending us here?"
"Could it really just be to let Mira grow more easily?"
No matter how he pondered, Sun Sheng couldn't figure it out.
At the welcome banquet, everyone ate happily.
An hour later, the banquet ended.
The Bay Territory members returned to their respective jobs, though they were all quietly pondering.
Was the lord's grand welcome for the church members meant to remind everyone of something?
Mira, full and slightly flushed, looked at Yaya patting her belly beside her and barely resisted mimicking her.
She had to be ladylike!
Matthew made a gesture of invitation, his expression relaxed, seemingly unbothered by Sun Sheng being a high-level paladin.
"Please sit. I hope the Bay Territory's cuisine was to your liking?"
"Very good, even better than the food at my home."
Sun Sheng nodded, seemingly satisfied, while secretly observing the layout of the study.
He wanted to discern some clues about what kind of person Matthew was.
However, there wasn't much to discover—just a simple, typical arcanist's arrangement.
Seeing how calm Sun Sheng remained, Matthew decided not to continue playing word games and got straight to the point:
"I invited the Goddess Church of Magic into the Bay Territory because I have a few unavoidable requests that require the church's help."
Here it comes!
The hidden dagger revealed itself!
On the surface, Sun Sheng looked troubled, but inwardly he heightened his vigilance, reminding himself repeatedly not to make promises that would violate his creed just for a meal.
As Sun Sheng focused and listened, Matthew sighed softly, then said in a helpless tone:
"Don't be fooled by the rapid development of the Bay Territory; there are still several major shortcomings, one of the most severe being the population issue!"
Population issue?
Sun Sheng was stunned. What kind of problem was that?
He had never heard of a lord complaining about having too few people.
Wasn't the issue always too many people?
Not enough land to go around?
Before Sun Sheng could figure it out, Matthew continued:
"If possible, I'd like the church to help us take in some refugees to fill the population gap in the territory."
"Moreover, as long as they meet the criteria, after working for a few months and passing the assessment, they can officially join the Bay Territory."
"They will receive their own house, those who help open new land will get their own plots, though they cannot be traded..."
"All children will receive a unified education. Even if they don't have the talent for a profession, they can still learn knowledge and skills."
"They can find suitable jobs in various factories in the Bay Territory..."
As Matthew spoke, Sun Sheng, full of doubts, seriously wondered whether this arcanist lord was teasing him.
If conditions were really this good, why recruit refugees?
Just spread the word to the surrounding territories, and they'd come running!
However, Sun Sheng quickly came to his senses.
There was no need for Matthew to lie about something so easily debunked.
Yet he still found it hard to believe!
Would life in the Bay Territory really be that comfortable?
Or was there some hidden trick involved?
Weighing his thoughts, Sun Sheng looked at Matthew's earnest gaze and carefully replied:
"In that case, we'll first inspect the Bay Territory tomorrow. If it meets the conditions, we can notify the churches in various regions..."
The conditions must be met!
Sun Sheng told himself firmly!
Meanwhile, Matthew was overjoyed inside—he hadn't expected the first step to get the church to work for him to go so smoothly.
Population issue, solved!
With the church backing them, not only would the Bay Territory avoid "jealousy," but they could also attract a large population to meet the needs of more work.
Seeing Sun Sheng being so agreeable, Matthew, who had long prepared, wasn't going to let him off so easily.
"The second issue is education."
Education!
Sun Sheng, who had just relaxed, was immediately on edge again.
The church might not interfere with education, but they certainly wouldn't allow it to be twisted.
"In the Bay Territory, we want every child of the right age to have schooling and books to read."
"We can find enough teachers for basic education."
"But for those with the talent to be wizards, priests, or paladins, we lack adequate instructors."
"So we hope the church can assist in teaching and training in this area."
"Of course, we wouldn't expect the church to do this for free. For every professional trained, the Bay Territory will donate 10 gold coins to the goddess."
"Though it may not compare to your efforts, it's a token of appreciation. I hope the church will help our territory."
This...
"Is he complaining that we're not teaching enough? Wants us to teach more?"
Seeing Matthew's sincere eyes, Sun Sheng tentatively nodded. After seeing Matthew's joy, he quickly added:
"Only for students with professional talents in this regard..."
Matthew was overjoyed and immediately decided:
"Of course! On behalf of the over 300 children in the territory, thank you, church..."
Fearing the church might worry about overextending themselves, leading to difficulties in teaching and affecting their intentions, Matthew quickly added:
"Rest assured, all resources for child training will be fully supported by the territory..."
Matthew hurried to capitalize on the moment. With Sun Sheng in a slightly dazed state, he entrusted even more tasks.
"Charity potions for adventurers..."
"'Blood-Spitting Sale' magic equipment for adventurers..."
"Clearing potential cultists in the territory..."
"Helping deal with the followers of dangerous evil gods..."
"..."
A whole slew of tasks were entrusted to Sun Sheng.
Watching his swaying figure leave, Matthew displayed a bright smile.
"Thank goodness the church delivered itself to our doorstep..."
One move, many gains!
Hahaha!