Chapter 397: "Tempted" Church
When Sun Sheng relayed his conversation with Matthew to the rest of the church members.
Everyone's reaction was the same as his initial one—100% disbelief.
Then, following Mira's suggestion, they decided to see for themselves what Bay City was like in the evening and communicate with others.
"If Lord Matthew can keep his word, our church could indeed help with these matters..."
As the deacon, Mira made the decision, while visions of all the delicious food Yaya had mentioned floated in her mind.
The others also agreed with Mira's decision and disguised themselves.
Some pretended to be adventurers, others pretended to be merchants.
Some even appeared openly in their church attire.
Immediately, they began what would later be known as the historic survey tour.
"Excuse me, does every person working on reclamation get their own piece of land?
"Yes, of course! As long as they aren't the lazy ones who got fired, everyone gets their own land."
"And they don't even need to farm it themselves; the territory organizes the planting, and they just sit back and collect grain and money."
"Uh? Really? How much does each person get?"
"It's definitely true! At last year's year-end award ceremony, each reclamation worker received at least three acres, with some getting more than twenty, not including the team leaders who led the reclamation..."
"Can I go... cough, cough... Does everyone also get a house?"
"Of course, even those who haven't joined the territory but work steadily have their own place to live."
"Once they pass the assessment and officially join the territory, they receive a house automatically. In the future, each of our children will also get one when they become adults."
"Hmm... what kind of house? Are they different for different people?"
"Of course, those with higher contribution scores get better houses."
"If your contribution level increases, you can also move to a better house."
"Don't worry about housing. Everyone in the territory gets one. Want something better? Make more contributions!"
"The lord once said that houses are for living, and they aren't worth much compared to improving everyone's quality of life."
"Where can we get... *gulp*... how are refugees handled in the territory?"
"You've asked the right person—I was a refugee myself."
"In the past, refugees were sent directly into Bay City, where they were screened and trained in the reformation area."
"The territory would pick out those criminals and bring them to justice, setting an example!"
"Nowadays, refugees are trained in their local areas, and once qualified and willing, they are teleported to the territory..."
"If people knew how good it was, they'd all come here."
"Uh... what's the tax rate in the territory?"
"Tax? We don't have to pay taxes!"
"Oh, I remember now, the factories where we work pay taxes, merchants pay taxes, adventurers pay taxes, but everyone else doesn't!"
"No taxes? Really?"
"Of course, it's true. The lord once said that taxes are ostensibly for redistribution of wealth, but actually due to incomplete education and cultural development!"
"How do you mean?"
"Haha, everything in the territory belongs to the lord, and the lord says it belongs to all of us."
"When every child can receive a full education and isn't burdened by basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, or transportation..."
"They can strive for what they want rather than finding ways to rob or invade others."
"Then everyone can make the best contributions to the development of the territory..."
"Can that really be achieved?"
"Who knows... All we know is that following the lord has made our lives better, hasn't it?"
"Of course, as our lives improve, there will definitely be envious folks wanting to destroy our good life."
"So, what will we do then?"
"What do we do? The fruits of the territory's development belong to everyone. If anyone wants to take them, we will fight them together."
"The lord said that three-tenths of our development benefits are used to improve living conditions, while the remaining seven-tenths are for technological advancements and strengthening military power."
"If anyone dares to mess with us, we'll beat them to death."
"Uh... well said!"
"..."
The church members wandered around aimlessly, "roaming" the city.
They questioned people of different roles and positions.
Even the Q&A golems on the roadside were interrogated and recorded.
To avoid the saying "hearsay is unreliable," Sun Sheng and Mira personally sought out Steward Ralph.
They toured Bay Territory's factories, production workshops, reclamation operation areas, and centers for refugee training and transformation.
At midnight, the entire church group gathered again.
Looking at the compiled information, everyone had an incredulous expression.
Especially Sun Sheng, who was deeply moved.
He had once been a soldier, lived the life of an adventurer, even hunted orcs for a living, and traveled throughout all the kingdoms of the western continent.
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't find a single territory that could compare to Bay Territory.
Not even one that was slightly close!
Even in the great elven kingdoms, there was plenty of darkness.
Mira, still savoring the taste of the food, smiled and sighed:
"The people of Bay Territory may not be particularly wealthy, but there isn't a single true beggar or pauper—it's almost unbelievable."
The others agreed, repeatedly going over the various Q&A records, expressing their amazement.
"This must be what the divine kingdom would be like..."
Realizing this, Sun Sheng immediately called for a vote:
"If more than two-thirds agree, I will report the situation here to the Bloodmoon City division and notify the nearby church districts to assist together."
Mira raised her hand while nodding repeatedly, her eyes glinting with disbelief.
In no time, the proposal was unanimously approved.
Information from Bay Territory quickly spread to all the Goddess's church districts across the Eastern Province.
Needless to say, they too were "tempted."
They dispatched large numbers of people to support Bay Territory and began endorsing them.
Over the next few days.
Various "rumors," goods, and refugee recruitment efforts from Bay Territory began spreading from the Bloodmoon City area to the entire Eastern Province.
No one knew how this seemingly unremarkable rumor would stir up a storm within the Netheril Empire in the future.
In reality, Bay Territory was also facing its own troubles.
"How far is the troll army from us?"
"About 20 kilometers. We've delayed them for four days, completing the delay plan beyond expectations."
"Phew, the lord was right—rich rewards bring brave warriors. The adventurers did a great job this time!"
"Hehe, it's not just them who deserve credit."
"Pack up and prepare to find a hidden spot. Once the troll army passes, we'll have a good time with them."
"Understood..."
Similar conversations were echoed around the battlefield.
The mighty troll army was approaching Bull Fort.
The great battle was imminent!