"I am the Clan Leader of the Saintlight Vampires and also the City Lord of Dawn City."
"You may call me Lord Kachar."
Li De did not intend to use the name Li De, as he was still hiding in Green City. Even the smallest risk had to be avoided.
Kachar was a surname in the Nolan Empire. Though not very common, there were quite a few families with this name. There were even two Kachar families in Green City, so it wouldn't expose anything.
"You may still be confused, still afraid."
"But I can tell you without reservation,"
"The Saintlight Vampires are not the evil vampires you know. We are the descendants of the gods."
"We will lead you to glory!"
"Do you see this city you are standing in?"
"A hundred years ago, humans and vampires worked together here to build it."
"You will receive the protection of the Saintlight Vampires here, you will receive land, jobs, and everything you desire."
"And all I ask for is your hard work."
"You must be curious why the Saintlight Vampires brought you back to Dawn City from thousands of miles away."
Rekel looked at the circular high platform in the center of the square, immediately captivated by the words of this vampire clan leader.
"Is it to raise you as livestock for food as the legends say?
Is it to plunder your property?
Or is it to cruelly kill you?"
The blunt words plunged everyone below into an inexplicable mood. Brought here against their will to this strange vampire castle, fear had always lingered deep within them.
It was only the powerful vampires that kept them from expressing it.
Upon hearing Li De's words, the atmosphere among the crowd immediately began to shift.
"Lord City Master, is that not the case?!"
A voice hidden in the crowd shouted out what everyone wanted to ask.
Li De nodded appreciatively in the direction of the voice.
"Well asked.
I can guarantee with my life that it is not the case.
The Saintlight Vampires mean no harm to you.
We are the Saintlight Vampires, descendants of the gods. Humans were once companions of our ancestors, and they will continue to be our companions now and in the future.
Within Dawn City, as long as you do not break the law, no vampire will harm any human.
Your lives are protected by the Saintlight Vampires, your private property is protected by the Saintlight Vampires, and everything you have will be protected by the Saintlight Vampires."
These words immediately caused a stir. No one expected this vampire clan leader to say such things.
Humans were once companions of the ancestors of these vampires? This was simply too astonishing.
And this vampire promised not to harm them but to protect their private property, which completely overturned all their preconceived notions.
Even Rekel was no exception. He was deeply shaken by the figure on the high platform.
"Many of you may still harbor doubts, even thinking this is just a trick by the vampires."
The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of every human.
Most humans guiltily turned their heads pretending not to care, as the reputation of vampires had long been ruined among humans. It was somewhat unrealistic to expect them to believe quickly.
"It doesn't matter. You can think that way."
Unexpectedly, there was no defense, no reprimand, just an outright agreement.
This made Rekel even more curious. Could this Saintlight Vampire really be different?
Not just him, all the humans were surprised. Even noble lords couldn't tolerate outsiders defaming them. Why were these vampires so different?
Li De's face seemed to glow with a divine light, his tone modulated with confident charm.
"Why do I say this? Because the Saintlight Vampires are destined to be your protectors.
We have plenty of time, and you can take your time to get to know the Saintlight Vampires.
Moreover, with the current strength of the Saintlight Vampires, we don't need to explain these things to you. If we had evil intentions, we could achieve our goals through threats alone.
But, the Saintlight Vampires are not the evil vampires you imagine.
We are the descendants of the gods, a sacred race that once lived under the sun and were companions of humans.
The ones you usually encounter are vampires, evil and terrifying vampires, not the Saintlight Vampires."
"Just like the races of humans—Northlanders, Nolans, Highlanders, Blue-skins, etc.—vampires are divided into many races.
Are we Nolans the same as the Blue-skins?"
Human nature is like a parrot; lies repeated a hundred times become truth.
Under Li De's continuous propagation of the idea that the Saintlight Vampires are different from evil vampires, even the most stubborn people would begin to question.
And with various examples provided as evidence, many humans couldn't help but believe a little.
Even Rekel, a Level 7 warrior with extensive mercenary experience, fell into deep thought after listening to Li De's words.
He didn't know whether Li De's words were true or false, but he was certain that if the Saintlight Vampires had any evil intentions, they wouldn't need to do this because they possessed invincible power.
Power is truth—the maxim of the God of Justice.
"Therefore, my subjects, you are the first residents of Dawn City. You should feel honored.
Dawn City is far from the threat of war and the invasion of magical beasts. It is a legendary haven mentioned within the Temple of the Goddess of Life.
You can live peacefully here, without famine, without plague, without Beastmen, without extortion by nobles.
As long as you work hard, you can support yourselves and your families."
Li De's expression was serious, his tone imbued with a force that made people instinctively believe.
"When you registered, I believe each of you heard that adults would receive ten acres of land." His tone paused, and his piercing gaze swept across the crowd below.
He keenly felt their breathing quicken slightly.
For commoners, land was the root of everything. No matter how much suspicion they harbored, they couldn't help but hope.
"Now I confirm that all promises made by the Saintlight Vampires are valid.
Each adult will be allocated ten acres of land!!"
Whoosh~
A wave of excitement erupted. Many civilians who had spent their entire lives on the borderlands farming for others nearly jumped with joy upon hearing this.
Ten acres of land! That was enough to support a family, and every adult would receive it.
Goddess of Life above, if what this City Lord said was true, what reason did they have to refuse living here?!
"Is it true? Can I also be allocated ten acres?"
"Kanier, your family has four adults, meaning you'll receive forty acres of land! Goddess above, you're going to get rich!!"
"This, this is really possible? Everyone can receive land?"
After waiting for the excited murmurs of the crowd below to subside slightly, Li De dropped an even more explosive piece of information.
"And in the near future, the Saintlight Vampires will build mage towers and schools within the city.
Any resident of Dawn City, regardless of birth, background, or family, your descendants can study knowledge and magic here."
Li De's final words sent the humans below into an unprecedented restlessness.
Study knowledge and magic!!
In a world where knowledge and magic were monopolized by nobles, this was undoubtedly the most precious thing.
Could all of this be true?
Though many people's rationality told them it was impossible, they couldn't help but entertain the thought.
What if it was true? If they could learn knowledge and magic, it would be worth any price.
"Goddess of Life above, if my boy can learn magic, I will regard the Saintlight Vampires as family."
"This, how is this possible? We can learn magic? We are commoners!"
"Incredible Saintlight Vampires."
Rekel watched the crowd around him fall into an inexplicable fervor, shaking his head helplessly.
Whether the Saintlight Vampires were good or bad, they had already achieved their goal.
The goodwill of these people towards the Saintlight Vampires had increased countless times, and their initial vigilance had mostly disappeared.
However, Rekel said nothing. The words of that vampire clan leader not only moved the surrounding crowd but even gave him an impulse to stay here.
The ability to let his descendants study knowledge and magic was a temptation he simply couldn't refuse.
If he hadn't left home to join a mercenary band and become a mercenary brushing shoulders with death every day, he would still be farming in Eric Town.
Knowledge and magic represented status and honor, representing the ability to become a noble lord high above others in this world.
No one could resist this temptation.
Seeing the fear and suspicion in the eyes of the crowd below turn into hope and anticipation, seeing those hateful gazes transform into respect and flattery,
Li De laughed inwardly.
This was a success.