Propaganda

When the carriage finally reached the village, the inhabitants all hid inside their homes and watched from afar.

The settlement was unnaturally quiet.

Dilapidated houses kept their doors and windows tightly shut.

Every now and then a villager would peer through a crack or a gap, eyes filled with wariness, fear, and a trace of curiosity—only to shrink back the instant they were noticed, as if terrified of any contact with these “important people” from the Demon Lord’s city.

The air was thick with silent resistance and unease.

Long before this day, the remnants of the old nobility had already spread rumors that the election was just Vivian’s trick to seize everyone’s land and grain.

No one was willing to cooperate.

Luna understood the situation perfectly.

Instead of rushing into speeches, she calmly had the students unload samples of mana-crystal fertilizer and the improved farming tools from the carriage.

The local cadres—who had been sent earlier but couldn’t get anything done—hurried forward to greet them.

Luna swept her gaze around the village.

Her eyes settled on a particularly rundown thatched hut nearby, its roof sagging crookedly.

She walked over slowly and knocked gently on the creaking wooden door.

“Excuse me, is anyone home?”

“We’re from Evernight City. We mean no harm—we just want to see if there’s anything we can help with.”

After a long pause, the door opened a finger’s width.

A wrinkled old demon peered out suspiciously.

Luna kept her smile gentle.

“Grandpa, we were passing by and noticed your roof needs fixing.”

“We happen to have tools with us. May we help reinforce it?”

“We also brought some new fertilizer and improved farm tools. We’d love for everyone to take a look.”

Her words were plain and sincere, without the slightest hint of superiority.

Behind her, the students pulled back the heavy cloth on the carriage, revealing several gleaming, clearly optimized hoes and plowshares, along with clay jars of dark fertilizer that gave off a strange earthy scent mixed with faint magical light.

A few bolder villagers—mostly elders and middle-aged men—watched from a distance.

When they saw that these visitors really didn’t look like tax collectors, they inched closer, still keeping their distance.

“…You’ll fix our houses for free?”

The old demon’s voice was hoarse with disbelief.

“Yes, completely free.”

Luna nodded firmly and signaled the students.

Two students skilled in carpentry and basic earth magic stepped forward at once.

They examined the roof and began reinforcing and patching it with practiced efficiency.

Another student picked up an improved hoe and demonstrated to the onlookers.

“Look, everyone—this blade uses a new alloy. It’s sharper and lasts longer.”

“The handle curve has been adjusted too, so it’s much easier on the back.”

He dug several effortless strokes into hard ground; the results were immediate and obvious.

A different student opened a fertilizer jar.

“This is the ‘mana-crystal fertilizer’ newly developed by Evernight City’s agronomy workshop.”

“It’s made from treated mana-crystal slag fermented with special herbs.”

“It nourishes the soil, makes crops stronger, and greatly increases disease resistance.”

“For the initial rollout, we’re giving it away free for everyone to try.”

Real, tangible help—things people could see and touch—was far more convincing than any empty slogan.

The villagers’ expressions began to change.

Suspicion and fear gradually gave way to curiosity and interest.

They whispered among themselves, edging nearer.

Some even dared to reach out and touch the brand-new tools.

“Actually, the reason Lord Demon Lord is holding elections is to make everyone’s lives better.”

“You’ll choose people you trust, so if there’s trouble in the future, someone will speak up for you right away.”

Luna explained gently, but the villagers remained half-dubious.

Years of hardship had taught them not to trust pretty promises easily.

Just then, a tiny figure slipped out from beside the carriage—Luna.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to several children around her age hiding behind a withered tree, peeking out curiously.

Luna couldn’t resist.

She ran over.

She remembered Mommy said not to use magic casually, but seeing the children’s shy eyes and the slightly tense atmosphere, an urge to do something welled up inside her.

She stretched out her small hand.

A cluster of soft gray light gathered in her palm.

The light shifted shape—first a bouncing little rabbit, then a flying bird, and finally a swarm of sparkling butterflies that fluttered around the children.

“Wow! So cool!”

The village children had never seen anything so magical and beautiful.

They instantly forgot their fear, exclaimed in wonder, and ran out from behind the tree, laughing and chasing the glowing butterflies.

Luna giggled and handed out the “magic toys” she had conjured.

The adults who had stayed indoors grew worried for their own children and finally stepped outside.

Luna seized the moment.

She walked forward with a smile.

“Everyone, please don’t be nervous.”

“This is Miss Luna, a child personally taken in by His Lordship the Demon Lord.”

“Just like little Luna here, she truly wishes every village will grow better and better, so all children can grow up safe and happy.”

“The election is exactly for that—to let everyone take part in managing the village.”

“Schools and workshops will be built little by little.”

“Your children will be able to read and write just like the kids in the city.”

“And if they have talent, they can even learn to safely control their mana.”

An elderly villager hesitated before asking, “The people we choose… will they really help us? Speak for us?”

“The old lords and their tax collectors only ever squeezed us dry. They never cared whether we lived or died…”

“They always said the taxes were for the Demon Lord’s great cause, and once Evernight grew strong we wouldn’t have to suffer anymore… but we never saw taxes go down…”

“Of course they will!”

Luna pulled out a resident handbook from Evernight City.

“Look—every residents’ committee in the city was elected by the people.”

“Now the roads are repaired, there are public bathhouses and markets—all built after the committees gathered everyone’s opinions.”

“If we do this here too, you’ll have the same things.”

“The entire election process is completely open.”

“All rules are written here in black and white—anyone can supervise.”

“If the person you choose does a bad job, you simply don’t vote for them next time!”

“Power comes from the people, so it naturally serves the people.”

“This is the new order Lord Demon Lord wants to bring to the whole territory.”

Luna spoke clearly and logically, backed by real examples from Evernight City.

More and more villagers began listening seriously, exchanging quiet opinions.

Meanwhile, Luna was still playing happily with the children.

Luna sensed the softening mood and inwardly sighed in relief.

She struck while the iron was hot, signaling the students with her eyes.

They began explaining the exact voting procedures and candidacy requirements in detail, smoothly steering the conversation back on track.