Daniel stared at the system notification, a flicker of surprise crossing his mind.
But he quickly composed himself.
Being promoted to Viscount was indeed unexpected, yet it was far from enough. His ambitions reached far beyond that.
"Lord of the City," he said, lifting his gaze to et Augusta’s eyes. "I want to continue advancing my noble rank."
Augusta raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And which rank do you wish to attain?"
"Count."
"Count?!"
A hint of surprise flashed across Augusta’s eyes. "From Viscount to Count is just one step. All you need is to make a bit more contribution to the Empire, and the promotion will go through smoothly. Are you sure you’re willing to pay the extra price to rise further?"
"I’m sure."
Daniel nodded. "How many gold coins will it cost?"
Augusta was silent for a few seconds before smiling. "Looks like soone isn’t short on money."
He returned to his seat and began calculating.
"Under normal circumstances, to rise from no title to Count, you would need to et the following conditions:"
"Contribution Points: over 50,000, proof of achievents, and... 50 million gold coins."
"But since you already hold the rank of Viscount, your Contribution Points are slightly lacking, yet you possess the Second-Level Honor dal. Your proofs of achievent can also be substituted through the teleportation network."
She looked up at Daniel. "So all you need to do is pay 30 million gold coins to beco a Count!"
Without hesitation, Daniel opened the transaction interface.
[You have transferred 30,000,000 gold coins to the official Luminara account!]
Augusta’s pupils constricted slightly as she watched the number settle.
Thirty million gold coins... just like that?
If she rembered correctly, Daniel had just yesterday bought up all the comrcial properties across the nine main cities.
This adventurer... how rich was he, exactly?
Yet she didn’t ask further, simply nodding.
"Very well. From this mont onward, Lord Daniel, you are a Count of the Empire!"
A burst of golden light erupted from Daniel.
[Ding! Congratulations on your promotion to Count!]
[You have obtained the following privileges:]
[1. Immunity: Within human territories, certain cris can be pardoned, and in so cases, even if you yourself break certain laws, partial immunity may apply (except for high cris such as treason or murder).]
[2. Decree Power: You may issue corresponding quests for players or NPCs to undertake.]
[3. Domain Rights: You may purchase territories, levy taxes, manage industries, and recruit troops within your domain.]
[4. Priority Privileges: Receive a 20% discount at NPC stores and have priority access to quests.]
[6. Political Participation: You may attend the Imperial Assembly and vote on major decisions.]
[Contribution Points 20,000]
[Gold Coins 100,000]
Daniel’s lips curled into a slight smile as he scanned the long list of privileges. These were exactly what he had wanted.
The simplest advantage: should he ever get a red na in the city—kill another player—his Count status could help mitigate punishnt.
And even the punishnt itself would be adjudicated jointly by City Lord Augusta and the Chief Justice!
Honestly, if not for the complications and enormous costs of promoting to Marquis, Duke, or Grand Duke, he would have moved up without hesitation.
Alas, beyond Count, unless one had enormous achievents and royal blood, further promotions were simply unimaginable.
As for Duke or Grand Duke, the costs players would need to pay were beyond comprehension.
Take City Lord Augusta, for example. As the lord of one of the nine main cities, he was a Grand Duke with royal blood, a status of unmatched prestige.
"Now that you are a Count, it’s ti to consider your domain, isn’t it?" Augusta asked with a smile. "Would you like to recomnd so good locations?"
Daniel nodded with a smile.
A domain of his own—this was exactly what he needed.
He waved his hand, and a massive light-and-shadow map unfolded before him, detailing the entire Empire.
Daniel scanned the map, which was densely labeled with countless place nas, each region marked in a different color.
"Before that, I need to explain the Empire’s territory grading system," Augusta said, tapping lightly. Lines of text appeared next to the map.
"According to Article 12, Volu III of the Imperial Code, all Imperial territories are divided into seven grades, each corresponding to specific specifications, privileges, and purchase conditions."
"Level One is the village, the lowest-level territorial unit, primarily agricultural production... Then cos the town, larger in size, with more population, and equipped with systematic agriculture and industry..."
After that co basic city, interdiate city, advanced city, the nine main cities, and at the center, the Imperial Capital.
As a Count, Daniel could currently manage territories up to the basic city level.
Hearing the explanation, Daniel quickly decided what he needed.
"I want a territory of basic city grade."
Augusta smiled knowingly, pointing to a blue patch on the map.
"Here, see this? The Erald Plains to the east of Luminara. Fertile land, rich resources—perfect for agricultural developnt."
"Then there’s the Erald Coast to the south. Beautiful scenery, abundant pearls and corals, great for tourism."
"Or here, the Ironspine Mountains to the west. Rich in minerals, ideal for mining."
She explained each territory, all pri locations brimming with potential.
No one would believe that Augusta had no personal motives in making such recomndations.
In truth, Augusta had noticed Daniel’s talent and also had imnse confidence in his potential.
In just a few days, he had reached level 100, held the title of legendary-grade engineer, and even had a juvenile dragon as a pet...
Any one of these alone would attract attention.
These wealthy territories were like fat sheep, with extrely high annual tax revenue. Even if Daniel contributed nothing, the taxes alone would greatly increase his rit.
If Daniel could make a few more contributions to the Empire and govern his domain effectively, a promotion to Marquis within a few years would be entirely possible.
Territories were usually tightly held, yet Augusta was willing to allocate so to Daniel—it was, essentially, an investnt in him.
He saw limitless potential in Daniel.
But Daniel paid no attention to these fertile lands. His gaze fell on the northernmost region of the map, a gray area marked with small letters:
[Polaris City – Adjacent to the Otherworld Abyss, Danger Level: S]
"Polaris City?"
Daniel pointed at the location.
Augusta’s smile stiffened.
"It’s close to the Abyss, and occasionally small-scale demon incursions occur... You don’t intend to go there, do you?"
"Mm."
"You’re sure?"
Augusta’s expression turned serious. "That’s not a good choice. Being adjacent to the Otherworld Abyss, even if the attacks are minor for now, Polaris City will be the first to bear the brunt."
"Moreover, the climate is harsh, the soil barren, almost no production. Becoming the lord there... forget profit, just surviving will be a challenge."
She fixed her gaze on Daniel and asked in a deep voice, "Are you certain you want to go there?"
Daniel nodded again. "I’m sure."
Augusta fell silent for a few seconds before suddenly smiling.
"I see..."
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