"Your Majesty, please forgive me. These wines were my personal belongings when I moved here…
If I have offended you in any way, I am willing to offer both the wines and the tavern as tribute.
I only ask that you spare the lives of myself and my staff…" the tavern's female owner said in a trembling voice, bowing her head low, unable to meet Rynar's gaze.
"Oh? Your own?" Rynar was momentarily stunned. Refugees possessing wealth? And this much alcohol, no less!
"System! What's going on here? Refugees actually have assets now?" Rynar muttered in confusion.
He vividly recalled the first time he encountered refugees; their abject poverty had left him utterly speechless.
Beyond their tattered clothing and a meager amount of food, they barely had anything to their name—not even a few copper coins, let alone gold or silver.
"Please review the territory information page on your own," the system responded in its usual smug tone.
"What kind of garbage system is this?" Rynar grumbled. Other systems went above and beyond to serve their hosts, but his? A manual mode? It wouldn't reveal anything unless asked?
"Fine. Display the territory information…" Rynar ordered.
After carefully perusing the territory's info panel, Rynar couldn't help but vent his frustration.
"System, what's even different here? I can't see any changes at all!" Apart from the addition of 50 Lordaeron Rangers, everything else looked the same as before.
"Ding…" The system interface began to flicker rapidly before a new message surfaced in front of Rynar.
Abilities:
As the sole territory of the Zaltarion Empire in Middle-earth, it will attract remnants of Zaltarion's citizens.
Each day, the system will guide a wave of wandering Zaltarion civilians to your territory. Take care to settle them properly. Note: There is a chance that citizens will arrive!
These individuals may bring various assets with them as they seek refuge under your rule. You are permitted to recruit and train Rapid Infantry from the local population.
"Suggestion: Host should consider seeing a sage about their eyesight.
If not needed, please donate your eyes to someone who can use them. Thank you for your time." The system's cold and mocking voice echoed.
"Am I… being disrespected by a program?" Rynar exclaimed in disbelief.
"System, explain yourself! What do you mean by 'donate my eyes'?" Rynar snapped, his anger rising.
"Host, please remain calm. Anger is bad for your eyes. Detecting near blindness in the host's vision. Recommendation: consider transitioning to a career in divination training."
"You—! Bah!" Rynar growled, tearing down the holographic interface before him, his nostrils flaring with fury.
"Now then, these wines… they're your personal property?"
Calming himself, Rynar turned his attention back to the tavern's female owner.
By now, she had resumed kneeling on the floor, visibly shaken by the intense aura Rynar had emanated moments ago.
"Rise. I will not hold this against you. These are your possessions, and you have the right to decide how to use them.
Furthermore, as long as you pay taxes, you are entitled to the protection of the Zaltarion Empire!" Rynar extended a hand to help the woman up.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy!"
The woman was overcome with gratitude, bowing repeatedly. Her low-cut dress revealed a deep cleavage that proved hard to ignore.
Rynar felt his nose grow warm.
"Oh no!" Realizing the situation, Rynar quickly averted his gaze.
"What's your name?" Rynar asked, noticing for the first time that the attractive tavern owner possessed a second-tier level of combat aura. It piqued his curiosity about her profession.
"Your Majesty, my name is Lorece. I am a second-tier rogue…" Lorece replied, blushing deeply.
Rogues were not a respectable profession in most societies, living as they did in the shadows. Exposure to the light could be their undoing.
"A rogue?" Rynar's interest deepened. It wasn't often that he came across a rogue. While his forces were short on talent in this area, Lorece didn't seem fit for a key position.
He'd need someone more specialized.
"What are you staring at? Is being a rogue so strange? It's just a rarer profession!" Rynar raised his voice, silencing the odd looks others in the room were giving Lorece.
In his eyes, as long as a profession didn't violate his rules or laws, everyone deserved respect. Moreover, rogues could be quite formidable.
The rogue profession was fascinating. From a first-tier apprentice rogue to a second-tier rogue, and third-tier thief, the progression branched into two main paths at the fourth tier.
One led to Master Thieves, Divine Thieves, and eventually Chivalrous Thieves.
The other specialized in assassination, progressing through Assassin, Elite Assassin, and finally Creed Assassin. Both top-tier classes were nightmares for any light-armored combatants.
Even an unarmored Creed Assassin could stealthily eliminate an unarmored sage, while a Chivalrous Thief could duel an unarmored ranger for hours. (Heroes and overlords? Better prepare coffins…)
"Whew… whew…" As soon as Rynar departed, Lorece collapsed onto the floor. His mere presence had been suffocating, like a dormant dragon exuding an overwhelming aura.
"What a pity! If only I had more rogues!" Rynar lamented as he walked away.
Middle-earth was rife with treacherous places. Rogues were ideal for scouting such areas, their survival rates far surpassing those of other professions thanks to their initial skill, Void Sight, which allowed them to detect traps and mechanisms.
"Huh… How did I forget to grab a mug of ale?" Rynar groaned.
Middle-earth's ale, with its pitifully low alcohol content, was no stronger than beer to him. He had been craving a drink to ease his frustrations.
"Forget it. No point going back now," Rynar convinced himself. If he returned, the atmosphere in the tavern would be entirely off—no one would dare to drink!
"Well, at least I learned something valuable. Refugees can include citizens now!"
Rynar smirked. Citizens were a boon, bringing wealth and resources that could enrich the life of Riverguard.
"Lorece is well-off, huh?" Rynar mused, noticing the several rune-laden packhorses and wagons tied near the tavern's banner as he stepped outside.
"She's quite well-off for Riverguard," a nearby knight remarked, indicating he had likely been here for a drink before.
"I noticed she only has one large cask of ale left. It might last a week, but she'll run out soon…"
Rynar recalled the scene inside. Lorece's inventory of liquor was running low, and the tavern would likely face shortages soon.
Shaking off the thought, Rynar reminded himself, "What happens to her tavern isn't my concern. As long as Riverguard stands strong, that's all that matters."
"Guards! Conduct a covert investigation. I want a headcount of all citizens in Riverguard, along with detailed information about them!" Rynar instructed his nearby guards.
"At once, Your Majesty!"
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