Chapter 552, The Old King Is Dead
"I thought it was already morning!"
"A new type of lighting tool? They're actually placing such things outside."
"They've been putting up these poles for days—I thought they were for banners, but it turns out it was for this."
"Just how many new inventions does this new Island Lord have?"
"Roasted broad beans, Gale horse milk candy, dried fish, beer, champagne…"
The people outside gradually gathered, drawn by the lights.
Large groups of skeletons patrolled the area, forcing some restless individuals who had climbed up to slide back down obediently.
The crowd marveled at the effect of the lights, surprised that Gold-Silver Island would place such devices outside for public use.
Lighting tools weren't rare.
But they remained scarce, typically reserved for the elite and nobility.
Meanwhile, the merchant representatives living in the central district mansions analyzed the type of magical tool being used and speculated about Gold-Silver Island's future developments.
Steward's Residence, Second-Floor Window.
Sheila Grey, dressed in a loose nightgown, stood by the window, gazing at the brightly lit street outside.
She now understood the purpose of the poles that had been erected along the streets earlier.
"This is truly unexpected. Even the Elven King's City isn't this spectacular," Shiyali said softly as she approached from behind, sighing in admiration.
Sheila Grey glanced sideways at her sister and said, "If you had seen him bomb hundreds of pirate ships, you wouldn't find lighting up a street so surprising."
"You knew he was setting up such devices in the central district?" Shiyali asked, puzzled.
"No, he's the Island Lord. He doesn't need to consult me about island construction." Sheila Grey answered flatly.
Shiyali smiled and wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulder. "If you don't keep an eye on him, what if someone else swoops in first?"
"I think you should just go find a man and get married," Sheila Grey shrugged off her sister's arm.
"Seriously though, I think he's way beyond Level 12. At his age, being appointed as an Island Lord by the guild is already a rare feat among humans. Plus, higher levels extend lifespan. The only downside is, when he gets old, he won't look as good." Shiyali muttered to herself.
Sheila Grey widened her eyes, looking at her in disbelief.
She hadn't expected her sister to think so far ahead.
Was she seriously planning to hand her over to Wu Heng?
Noticing her gaze, Shiyali said, "Why are you looking at me? If you don't take the initiative, what will you do if someone else gets to him first? You can't just be his bedside maid like those little slave girls, can you?"
"Are you serious? You've only known him for a few days."
Shiyali shrugged. "Can't help it. A life-saving favor… and you're the only sister I have who's worth offering."
"Why don't you offer yourself to him instead? Why push me?"
"Would you really be okay with that? You'd just end up crying and fighting me over it. I'm not dealing with that."
Sheila Grey fell silent for a moment, then turned and started putting on her armor.
"What are you doing in the middle of the night?" Shiyali asked.
"Going on patrol. I can't keep up with this conversation," Sheila Grey said.
"I'll come with you. It seems lively outside." Shiyali also donned her armor.
The two continued their quiet bickering as they left the residence.
...…
The Next Day, Lighthouse Street.
A bard stood on a wooden crate by the street, holding up a notice as he spoke loudly.
"The streetlights in the central district have been officially completed. These streetlights provide illumination, improve traffic flow, facilitate night patrols, and reduce nighttime crime."
The crowd whispered among themselves, realizing that those devices were called streetlights.
The name was simple and easy to remember.
The bard continued announcing loudly.
"These streetlights are not just exclusive to the noble lords of the central district. The Island Lord has promised that Lighthouse Street and other residential areas will also receive them in due time, so that all residents may enjoy the convenience of these magical tools."
"Additionally, patrols across the island will be strengthened to prevent any potential violent incidents. Anyone who threatens the safety of islanders or their property will be targeted for arrest or elimination by the security forces."
"Lastly, regarding island development and trade route security—Gold-Silver Island will form an escort fleet to provide safe passage for all merchant convoys traveling to the island, ensuring a stable business environment."
"May we all work together to build a prosperous and happy home."
When he finished speaking, the crowd remained silent.
These magical tools… were going to be made available to ordinary residents?
The Island Lord had written a public report for commoners?
This…
This felt different from before.
"The Island Lord said we're building our home together!"
Whoosh!
The entire crowd erupted into excited discussion.
...…
Tavern Private Room.
"What? He's setting up streetlights in Lighthouse Street and the port?" A merchant representative paused mid-action, looking toward the person who had just entered.
"Yes! The announcement came this morning, issued directly by the Island Lord's residence." Another representative raised a flyer.
"Seriously?"
"It's clearly written in the notice. Bards have been publicly reading it out loud. The word is already out—how could it be false?" The man took a sip of his drink and continued, "It also mentions forming an escort fleet to safeguard trade routes and improve maritime commerce."
This…
Last night, the central district had been as bright as daylight, and the illumination lasted all night.
By morning, the lights had disappeared.
People marveled at the Island Lord's ambition and the incredible new magical tools.
But today, the announcement stated that Lighthouse Street and the port would also be equipped with these tools, alongside the establishment of a trade escort fleet.
This was different from last night.
If such measures were fully implemented, the island would never experience total darkness again. Merchant convoys could even dock safely at night.
The room fell into silence as the men repeatedly examined the flyer.
One of them stood up. "I have some matters to attend to. Let's meet again tomorrow."
With that, he turned and left.
Another man also got up. "I need to inform my trading group about this. Let's talk next time."
As they spoke, the others began reacting as well.
One by one, they left the tavern.
...…
Guild.
Shiyali frowned at her sister.
"Did he really come from a small place? Could he be lying to you?"
Sheila Grey set the flyer aside. "The guild records have all the dates and local steward signatures. How could it be fake?"
"Then where did he get all these strange magical tools?"
Sheila Grey suddenly recalled something. "He once said they were from his homeland. Some upheaval forced him to come here."
Shiyali sat down, resting her chin on her hand, deep in thought. "Then he's definitely from a royal or noble lineage. His speech and leadership don't resemble an ordinary person. Keep an eye on him."
Sheila Grey shot her a glare, then picked up the flyer and read it again.
...…
Island Lord's Manor.
The announcement had been distributed early in the morning.
Wu Heng watched as his reputation steadily grew.
[Reputation: Level 18 (9117/48000)]
Since the streetlights turned on last night, Wu Heng's reputation had steadily increased, reaching over 9,100 by midday.
It had risen by nearly 2,000 points, and it was still climbing.
Every resident of Gold-Silver Island now knew he was the Island Lord.
Yet, his reputation continued to grow.
It seemed that reputation wasn't just about being known by everyone—acceptance and recognition likely played a role as well.
This was good news for Wu Heng.
By improving the management of locations in both worlds, he could continuously gain reputation points.
"Gold-Silver Island is developing toward modernization. More public announcements should be issued to accumulate reputation," Wu Heng thought.
If notices were effective, then newspapers would certainly work too. When the time came to sell them, the price shouldn't be too high—everyone should be able to afford one.
The content couldn't be too dull either. It should mainly promote Gold-Silver Island and himself, while also serializing comics and novels to make them a must-buy.
"One Piece won't do. It's just like Yuli—after reading it, people will want to become pirates. I'll ask Minnie and the others what kind of comics they like."
Eventually, newspapers would be distributed to different regions via merchant convoys. There was no way his reputation wouldn't rise.
"No way—I have to reach the reputation threshold and become a hero."
With his plan settled, Wu Heng got up and left his room.
...…
"Minnie!" Wu Heng called as he descended the stairs.
In the courtyard, Minnie and two other maids were feeding the wyverns inside their iron cages.
The wyverns, which had once been critically injured, had fully recovered. They even looked noticeably plumper.
The Island Lord's mansion had truly…
Even feeding them anything would fatten them up.
Minnie handed her feeding tray to Annette, wiped her hands, and quickly ran inside. "Master, do you want something to eat?"
"No, I can't keep eating all the time." Wu Heng sat down nearby and said, "I'm thinking of setting up a newspaper. Do you think it's better to serialize comics or novels?"
"What's a newspaper?" Minnie blinked in confusion.
"It's a publication that's distributed publicly, featuring reports on events and global affairs. In one corner, there will be serialized comics or novels."
Minnie thought for a moment before saying softly, "Master, comics have a lot of dialogue and story elements per page, which take up space. I think novels would be more suitable."
Hmm, Minnie had a point.
Serialized stories needed continuity and a strong narrative.
While comics had great visual appeal, their combination of images and text might not fit in the small corner of a newspaper.
He couldn't just publish a single page from a manga—it wouldn't form a complete story.
"You make a good point," Wu Heng agreed.
Minnie smiled. "That's just my opinion. It's up to you to decide what works best."
"If it's a novel, what kind do you think would be most popular?" Wu Heng asked again.
Minnie hadn't read modern-world novels.
She was more familiar with comics since they relied on visuals, and she had also taught herself some Chinese characters.
But novels, which were densely packed with text, were much harder for her to understand.
Minnie furrowed her brow, thinking. "Women like stories about princes and princesses or romances between nobles. The most popular ones are adventure stories about guild-commissioned teams."
That wasn't too different from modern novels.
The female market leaned toward romance, while men preferred action and adventure.
Wu Heng nodded. "Got it. I'll make a selection."
"Mhm!"
They chatted a while about the newspaper.
Minnie went back to feeding the wyverns with the others, while Wu Heng took some skeletons to check on the power plant.
The entire facility resembled a heavily fortified stronghold.
Skeleton guards stood atop the walls, armed with rifles and machine guns.
Inside the compound, trained skeleton engineers managed the plant's operations.
Technically, a power plant didn't need such strict security.
But in this world, electricity was a new and mysterious thing. Without protection, overly curious individuals would definitely try to tamper with it.
Just last night, quite a few people had been caught trying to climb the poles to see what made them glow.
After confirming everything was running smoothly, Wu Heng returned home.
...…
By the time he got back to the manor, it was already noon.
He checked his reputation again.
[Reputation: Level 18 (12217/48000)]
The effect of the public announcements had been quite good. In just one morning, his reputation had surpassed 10,000.
Now, the growth rate didn't seem that slow anymore.
With newspapers being distributed across various regions and more self-promotion, the results would surely be even better.
As Wu Heng frowned in thought—
Minnie came down the stairs. "Master, there's a message for you on the radio. Wen Mansa has responded."
"Alright." Wu Heng got up and headed upstairs.
The last time he had contacted her was just after returning from Rentam City.
He climbed to the third floor and entered the radio room.
Picking up Wen Mansa's transmission log, he glanced at it.
The ink hadn't dried yet—it had just been written down.
「With the coordination of the orc shamans, the mining agreements have been settled with various tribes. Extraction will begin soon.」
「Promising more job opportunities for the orcs has also become quite popular. I've heard that many tribal chiefs have approached the shamans—some even sent me high-quality pelts and gemstones. People say orcs are straightforward, but they clearly understand bribery and gift-giving just fine.」
「Recently, a large influx of Ekow Kingdom residents has entered Rentam City. At first, I thought they might be enemy agents, but after investigation, they seem to be just regular citizens, along with merchants and nobles who have brought their wealth to Rentam City and purchased property, as if planning to settle down.」
Wu Heng noted that the mining deal had finally been settled—an arrangement he had discussed with the orc shamans in Rentam City.
It had taken this long to finalize, meaning it wasn't as simple as originally expected.
Rentam City was now filled with Ekow Kingdom residents.
Meanwhile, in the Ekow Kingdom, Netare City's port had already been shut down.
Picking up the radio receiver, Wu Heng spoke. "Wen Mansa, can you hear me?"
A slightly excited voice responded from the other end. "Master, I can hear you."
Hearing her voice, Wu Heng felt a pang of longing. "How are you? How's the baby?"
Wen Mansa replied with a laugh. "We're both fine, don't worry. It's just… I have a lot of milk these days, and you're not here."
"What kind of thing is that to say? It's like you're implying I'd be the one drinking it."
"Once the baby arrives, they'll be the one drinking it instead of you."
"As if I'd compete with a baby."
"Hehe!" Wen Mansa chuckled softly.
Wu Heng continued, "Why have so many Ekow Kingdom citizens moved to Rentam City?"
Wen Mansa's voice turned serious. "The nobles are fine—they brought their wealth and bought homes and businesses. But the rest have formed several new gangs, fighting with the local factions over territory. Many people have died."
"Have you found out why they're gathering in Rentam City?"
Wen Mansa hesitated before replying, "It seems… the old king is dead."