Kael smiled as his gaze swept across every face in the crowd, missing no one.
He knew this was a golden opportunity—a chance to engage directly with the people. Moreover, with the celestial phenomenon still lingering overhead, Kael stood bathed in its radiance, appearing almost godlike in the eyes of the commoners, his figure towering and majestic.
The crowd was still reeling from his earlier announcement. That this young man—barely older than many of their own children—was their newly appointed lord left them utterly astounded.
"This celestial phenomenon was caused by me," Kael declared, dropping yet another bombshell. The people gasped, their eyes widening in shock.
But Kael gave them no time to dwell on their astonishment. With a faint smile, he unleashed a surge of immense mana, waves of power rolling outward like a tide.
Terrifying mana shot into the sky as Kael fully expanded his Arcane Domain. The only power he withheld was his lightning energy—ordinary mana was more than enough to awe the crowd, while his thunderous abilities might prove too overwhelming.
Yet even this display of his eighth-tier mysteries was enough to leave the people utterly spellbound.
"Eighth tier! By the gods, our lord is a great eighth-tier archmage!"
"Not just an eighth-tier archmage, but so young... Does this mean Lefay City is saved?"
"And the celestial phenomenon! To trigger such an event upon advancing to the eighth tier—Lord Kael's future is limitless. He's destined to become a supreme powerhouse of the continent!"
The crowd buzzed with excitement and admiration. Only now did they truly believe this young man was their new lord. Smiles bloomed across their faces, mingled with genuine reverence—not just for his title, but for his overwhelming strength.
The strong prey on the weak; power commands respect!
For the first time, Kael felt the truth of these words resonate within him. Behind him, Jett stood at attention, wholly obedient to Kael's orders. His heart now belonged entirely to the young count. This man's potential is boundless, but his foundation is still new—he'll need trusted aides. Perhaps I can rise alongside him... Jett mused silently.
In just a short time, Kael had subtly tamed Jett—the military leader of Lefay Plains—through sheer power alone.
Kael's gaze swept over the crowd once more. After his words, the expressions of the people shifted dramatically, their eyes alight with newfound hope—clearly, they were now pinning all their expectations on him.
"My people, from this day forward, I will live on this land just as you do. Here—this will also become my home!" Kael began with an impassioned declaration before raising his voice even louder. "I know many of you place your hopes in me, expecting that I alone can change your lives, lift you from hardship and poverty. But I must tell you—you are wrong!"
A heavy silence fell over the square. People exchanged bewildered glances, confusion flickering in their eyes once more.
Kael's burning gaze locked onto every face as he pressed on urgently, "The ones who can truly save you are none other than yourselves! This land is where we all live together—every blade of grass, every drop of water, every grain of sand is our shared home! And you—you are its true masters! To restore Lefay Plains to its former glory, I, Kael, cannot do it alone! Only by joining forces, with all tens of thousands of Lefay's people united, can we change our fate!"
His words rang out with resounding force, amplified by a trace of mana to etch them deep into the hearts of the crowd. Instantly, the people's eyes brightened.
Where their gazes had once been hollow and lost, now a spark of clarity ignited. Their expressions sharpened, as though they had finally found their anchor.
The crowd stirred with excitement. None had ever imagined a noble—let alone their lord—speaking to them this way. In their experience, nobles were lofty, untouchable figures. Yet here was their lord proclaiming that they, the common folk, were the true masters of Lefay!
When had any noble ever shown them such respect? His words set their blood boiling, shaking them from their numbness and despair.
"This celestial phenomenon was summoned by me. Any cultivators among you may enter the lord's manor to train!" Kael added. The seven-colored radiance still lingered, meaning the mana here remained dense—cultivating here would significantly accelerate their progress.
Kael wasn't just rallying the commoners—he also sought to win over the few cultivators in the city.
Every city and territory on the continent attracts cultivators to some extent. These individuals usually keep a low profile, but in critical moments, they step forward to lend their aid. Winning them over would bring Kael considerable advantages.
Jett observed Kael's series of maneuvers and couldn't help but silently admire his skill—with just a few words, he had rallied the majority of the city's populace.
What Jett didn't realize, however, was that Kael's words were largely sincere. As a transmigrator, Kael understood well that in any territory—or even a nation—it was often the common folk who played the decisive role in shaping its fate. He was fundamentally different from the so-called "noble" aristocrats of this continent.
At that moment, a soldier hurried over, whispering urgently into Jett's ear. Jett's expression shifted slightly before he leaned closer to Kael and said in a low voice, "Lord Count, we have a problem. The Lefay River outside the city is swelling dangerously—the levees may collapse!"
Kael's heart tightened. This was terrible news.
The already dilapidated Lefay City would face unimaginable devastation if the riverbanks gave way now. It would be a disaster piled atop existing hardships.
After a brief consideration, Kael decided to address the people openly. "I must announce something to all of you! The Lefay River is currently at risk of flooding—its levees may breach at any moment... My people, what should we do?"
The moment these words left his mouth, many in the crowd paled. River floods and levee breaches had long been a recurring calamity for Lefay Plains. They knew all too well what this meant.
"Lord, tell us what to do!"
"Yes, we'll follow your lead!"
"Lord Kael, give the order!"
After a momentary pause, the crowd erupted, their eyes blazing as they chanted Kael's name.
Above them, rain began to fall—heavy droplets pattered down, soaking the earth in moments, turning the ground to mud. The torrential downpour only deepened Kael's grim expression. In such恶劣 weather, his fears of the levees collapsing grew even stronger.
"From this moment onward, I will stand with you to defend our home! My people, take up your tools—let us fortify the levees together!" Kael raised his fist, his magically amplified voice cutting through the storm, imprinting his words into every heart.
As he shouted, he strode forward, leading the charge himself.
And somewhere in the crowd, figures began to fall in silently behind him.
One, two, three... More and more people joined Kael's ranks until, finally, nearly the entire crowd had fallen in behind him. The scene was nothing short of spectacular—Kael's procession swelled with every step. Unnoticed by many, some of the commoners even wiped at their damp eyes. By setting an example, Kael had utterly won their trust. Who could have imagined that a lord of his stature would personally lead the charge against the flood?
The previous rulers of Lefay Plains—had any of them ever been anything but aloof and imperious?
Amelia, too, smiled faintly as she quietly followed Kael. A trace of contentment curved her lips. To her, the place didn't matter—only the person she was with.
Clearly, she relished every moment at Kael's side. Like this, it was more than enough.
Guided by Jett, Kael led almost the entire population of Lefay City to the levees of the Lefay River...