My territory is filled with block creations.

Chapter 25 Raymond found a shortcut in life

Feeling this long-lost sense of being respected like a superior person, Raymond suddenly became less anxious to complete the task.

This feeling is invaluable to someone like him who doesn't usually feel respected in his daily life.

Since this place offers him ample respect, why rush to complete the task? Wouldn't it be better to stay a little longer?

"Shall we go back to the village now?" Thorne held up his umbrella, letting the rain soak his shoulders. These were minor issues; making money wasn't shameful. The important thing was that if this businessman was moved by his sincerity and the price, it could bring the village a near-constant stream of economic income.

These earnings can then be exchanged for other things, such as starting by classifying the villagers' basic needs for survival.

The most direct improvement that the economy can bring to villages today is that it provides villagers with more comprehensive nutrition, including meat, eggs, dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits, and a variety of seasonings and flavors.

Besides that, what's needed are decent clothes and shelter that can truly protect you from the wind and cold.

The next step is to make the village safe, fight against the so-called undead calamity of the future, make the village clean, rid it of possible diseases, and even if it is affected, have the ability to hire doctors and buy medicine.

Further up is relatively far for the village now, and talking about it now is just a meaningless pipe dream; we can only lay the foundation first.

The prerequisite for laying this foundation is not only Lester and Doug, who have already gone out to purchase supplies, but also Raymond, who is right in front of us. These are reliable partners who need to be respected and valued and can help the village develop.

Seeing the respectful look in Thorne's eyes, Raymond was momentarily stunned, then nodded: "Okay, let's go back to the village. Perhaps we can find a quiet room to talk things over."

Thorne nodded, then very subtly leaned half a body length behind Raymond and gently dragged the umbrella forward. What's that called again? Necessary respect for the client.

Raymond, who was walking in front, sensed this strange attention and straightened his chest, which had sunken in Autumn Wind Town.

How can this feeling be so...pleasant?

Raymond, still savoring the experience, walked back into the village. Then, he suddenly felt something strange under his feet. It had been raining, after all; the ground should have felt soft, muddy, and strangely elastic.

But now it feels very solid, like walking on the stone slabs of the main road in Qiufeng Town.

He subconsciously looked down and realized that his feeling was not an illusion, but that he had actually stepped on the stone pavement.

Oh, so this village has stone-paved roads. Wait a minute!

Stone pavement?

Where did the stone slab road come from?

Raymond suddenly recalled the scene he had witnessed when he first arrived in the village not long ago.

Perhaps because the rain had just stopped, the whole village was filled with a desolate atmosphere.

People were doing their own work on the muddy roads, either building city walls or digging in the mud.

It's exactly the same as any other half-dead village around Qiufeng Town.

At that time, I didn't see any stone slab road at all, and I didn't even see any stone materials.

As a result, he followed Thorne to the edge of the woods and cut down two trees. The whole process, including cutting the trees and the journey, took no more than 30 minutes. During those 30 minutes, the village was suddenly paved with stone slabs.

Moreover, it doesn't appear to be the kind of main stone road that only connects to the village chief's house or is just for show; rather, it's a stone-paved road that connects every house in the village.

Okay, although there are only a few houses in the village, making road construction relatively simple and connecting them not difficult, that's no excuse for finishing in 30 minutes.

"Mr. Thorne, may I ask for directions?" Raymond asked after a moment's thought.

"A stone-paved road, after all, it gets muddy and inconvenient every time it rains, so I planned this road." After Thorne finished speaking, Raymond quickly shook his head and continued to ask.

"No, no, no, what I mean is, why was this road built so quickly?"

"Oh, it's a special kind of alchemical magic." After Thorne finished speaking, he bent down and forcefully picked up a cubic meter of raw stone from the stone slab on the ground, then circled it around his fingertips.

After showing it to Raymond, the original stone was then re-set into the empty space.

Thorne's sincere gaze seemed to convey some kind of message to Raymond.

In other words, as long as I fight him within the village, the stone-paved streets will, in a sense, become his means of attacking me.

"And what about the houses?" Raymond quickly pressed. "Are the houses made in the same way?"

Thorne waved his hand: "Of course not the houses, those are all traditional crafts of the villagers."

Raymond was relieved. Since that was the case, as long as he entered the house, he still had a good chance of winning. He just needed to subdue Thorne inside the house and prevent him from touching the stone pavement outside.

Soon, Thorne personally handed him the opportunity, leading him into a room that was relatively larger.

The room was extremely simply furnished, or rather, practically empty. There was only a bed and a worktable, and nothing else.

"I'm quite hygienic, so please sit on my bed. I hope you won't mind," Thorne said, pointing to the bed in the room.

After Raymond sat down, he was somewhat surprised to realize that the two of them sitting on the same bed talking about things was an extremely awkward situation.

However, Thorne's next action effectively avoided this awkward situation; he simply sat down on the worktable in the room.

"Is that place comfortable?" Raymond asked instinctively.

"As long as you're comfortable, that's enough." Thorne said as he opened the door and greeted a villager, "Could you please bake some bread for us and bring it in? Make sure it's baked well."

As Thorne's somewhat sarcastic words fell, Raymond instantly felt a surge of exhilarating respect.

Then, as the bread was brought in, Thorne, like a short man picking the tallest among the breads that were baked to a mixed standard, picked out the one that looked the best and handed it to himself.

This respect, emanating from within and from top to bottom, truly made Raymond feel incredibly good.

They all had the idea of ​​abandoning the mission, taking Thorne and that mechanical church nun far away, and building a huge business elsewhere.

Huh? Wait a minute? This plan actually seems feasible! The Mechanical Church and the Alchemy Association are the technical side, while the Adventurers' Guild is the administrative side.

This can be considered a kind of all-around domination, as long as I can really win over the alchemist in front of me, as well as the mechanical nun outside the room.

So my job-hopping plan seems to be very feasible. After all, who would want to be a tool under Mr. Loren who is not respected at all, when they can be their own boss with dignity?

Moreover, after being drenched in the rain, his confused thoughts gradually cleared, and he now understood why an alchemist and a nun of a higher order would appear in this remote village.

Most of them were exiled for committing crimes in the capital. Those who were exiled for committing crimes were usually stripped of all their rights in the kingdom.

Once the verdict is handed down, it's already the countdown to the end of life or becoming a savage.

No town or organization under the kingdom's jurisdiction allowed individuals to accept them, let alone trade with them. This explains why the two of them were huddled in such a small village.

Clearly, the kingdom's clerk made a mistake; the exile ground, which should have been empty, was ironically left with only a few living people.

This matter is also very easy to resolve. There is not just one kingdom on the continent. There are four major kingdoms in the east, west, south, and north. The Kingdom of Loren only occupies the north, leaving three kingdoms that are not under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Loren.

Once you get out there, you'll be free to roam as the sea lets fish leap and the sky lets birds fly, no longer bound by any constraints.

Before that, he needs to clear away all the obstacles to his plan.

For example, the biggest obstacle is the villagers of this village. Only they know the true background of the two people in front of them, which is the biggest obstacle and hidden danger for Run's future expansion.

Thorne probably thinks the same way. After all, who would willingly let their life be locked up if the kingdom's alchemist suddenly became a miserable village chief with no way to advance?

The villagers before him were less his subjects and more his shackles. He probably longed to get rid of these ignorant, cage-like people as soon as possible.

This is a good thing!

Thinking about this, he seemed to have realized a shortcut in life, and said directly, "Mr. Thorne, I have a plan, would you like to hear it?"

Thorne nodded. "I'd like to hear more."

Raymond couldn't help but reveal a mysterious smile: "I know a slave trader, and I have an idea: let's sell all the villagers in this village!"