Fresh

I admit, Demon Lord, your current measures do seem to encourage the peasants, serfs, and slaves to work harder.

But in a few years, once you’ve turned all the serfs and slaves into freemen, it means they’ll only need to pay a fixed tax on the grain they grow!

No longer will the lord have the right to take everything they produce at will!

And you’ll have to pay wages to the freemen—from your own treasury!

My gods, this is like punching holes in your own dam of wealth!

What kind of noble lord would ever do something like this?!”

Luo Lu’s voice rose with disbelief, her delicate brows nearly flying off her face.

“Forgive my bluntness, Demon Lord, but at this rate, it won’t be long before even the rats have to move out of your treasury from starvation!”

She imagined a cavernous vault echoing with emptiness, her tone full of incredulous suspicion—‘Have you gone mad?’

“I don’t really have much of a treasury right now, anyway,” Vivian replied with a shrug.

“And besides, my Demon Lord’s throne got blown to bits by Lucia a long time ago.”

“All the more reason to tighten your belt and count every coin!”

Luo Lu looked like she was about to lock eyes with Vivian and never blink again. Her ice-blue eyes were full of a silent, anxious scream—‘How are you still not getting this?’

“You’re being so generous with the peasants, but with what you’ve got in your storage rooms, how many days can you keep burning through it like this?”

“Even the dumbest goblin knows you can’t just eat your way through a mountain!”

Faced with the Winter Messenger’s barrage of concerns, Vivian wasn’t offended in the slightest.

In fact, she just smiled gently.

“…But have you considered,” she said calmly, “that if they produce more, I collect more?”

She smiled as she spoke, thinking that she really should’ve invited Luo Lu to the same “lesson” she gave Aria and Lunai.

Then maybe she wouldn’t have to explain it all again now.

The more they sweat today, the more grain and materials they produce.

And the more they produce, the more I can tax in the future.

By offering just a bit of meat to stir their hunger, I ignite the long-suppressed desire within them—to live for themselves.

In the end, what I reap could be a far richer and stronger Evernight Territory—capable of sustaining more armies and more people than ever before.

Isn’t that a tremendously profitable bargain?

Besides, there’s a limit to how much any individual can consume.

The surplus is bound to flow back into the system.

And on that point, I have full confidence.

What I want is an Evernight Territory that is not only powerful, but prosperous in the years to come.

A gentle breeze swept through the camp.

It carried the rhythmic chants from the construction site… and the faint, soul-stirring aroma of simmering meat.

The scent was like an invisible hook.

It had the day-shift workers—just about to clock out—swallowing hard, their steps faltering as they glanced longingly in the direction of the smell.

Even the demons who’d just risen for the night shift were twitching their noses, greedily drinking in the meaty fragrance that seemed to pump straight into their blood.

Meanwhile, Luo Lu stood deep in thought, reflecting on everything Vivian had just said.

Efficiency? Circulation of wealth? Long-term development?

These concepts were entirely alien to her.

Everything she’d ever known about lords and wealth came from exploitation and plunder.

Vivian’s approach was not just different—it was the complete opposite.

She stared into Vivian’s crimson eyes.

And for the first time, she clearly realized: the path this Demon Lord was walking…

…might lead to a future she’d never imagined.

One full of uncertainty, yes—but also something quietly thrilling.

“…Alright, maybe I was being shallow,” Luo Lu admitted with a smile.

“Let’s see what your reforms really bring, Demon Lord.”

“Don’t worry,” Vivian said with utter confidence.
“You won’t be disappointed.”

Before long, Aria arrived with Vivian’s dinner in hand.

“Demon Lord, your supper.”

“Mm. Just set it down.”

Vivian nodded, ready to finally eat.

Compared to the early days—two servings of moonbeans, one bowl of vegetable soup, and a strip of dried meat—her current meal had something new.

Freshly harvested shadow mushrooms.

A small dish of grilled mushrooms, roasted to perfection and emitting a rich, smoky aroma.

And in her soup floated several thick, silky slices, soft and succulent.

When Vivian harvested the first batch of mushrooms, she couldn’t resist trying every method—grilling, steaming, boiling.

The result moved her in a way words couldn’t capture.

“…Finally, I don’t have to eat nothing but moonbeans every day.”

Gods, how did old Europeans survive on nothing but potatoes?

It seemed okay at first, but after a few days, she was already sick of them.

But with these shadow mushrooms?

There was only one word that came to mind—umami.

They were so flavorful.

With the mushrooms improving both taste and texture, meals no longer felt like a prison sentence.

Moonbeans had almost no flavor, and now that the mushrooms were being supplied to the soldiers as well, no one had to look at their bowls with despair anymore.

The craving for flavor was hardwired into all living beings.

A single bowl of rich soup flavored with mushrooms was enough to bring a hint of peace to even the most exhausted soldier’s face.

Of course, Luo Lu, as the Winter Messenger, was also entitled to the same treatment.

She even shared the table with Vivian.

“But I really must say, I do admire your decisions, Demon Lord.”

Luo Lu twirled a piece of grilled mushroom with her fork, admiring the unique marbled texture.

As a Frost Banshee, she didn’t need delicious food—the pleasure was more spiritual than physical.

Still, she elegantly brought the mushroom to her lips, savoring its unusual, slightly chewy bite.

“You repelled the crusade with minimal losses, rebuilt the territory, and even dared to try something completely different.”

“No wonder Lady Catherine speaks so highly of you.”

“She even said privately… if Evernight Territory truly becomes unsustainable, the gates of Winter Keep will always remain open to you and your loyal followers.”

“…Let’s not, thank you.”

Vivian didn’t even try to hide her eye-roll.

Images of the Winter Demon Lord Catherine’s domain flashed through her mind—that frozen wasteland, where breath turned to ice and the land lay under snow year-round.

Unless one needed rare magical materials or frost-dwelling beasts, no one wanted to live there.

It was practically inhospitable.

Once dinner was done, Vivian was about to step out and inspect the construction progress when suddenly—

Luo Lu burst into the room like a storm.

“D-Demon Lord! Urgent news!”