A different world game? A different world game!

Hearing Raymond's words, Alfred paused for a moment, then frowned and began to think.

But forgive him; among the nobility, he was already considered to have great vision, and within the noble community, he was considered to be very enlightened.

Even so, even at this moment, he did not have a sudden flash of inspiration to quickly figure out the problem.

If given enough time, such as a whole night to think it over carefully, he might be able to keenly discern the clues. But at this very moment, with his mind still somewhat muddled from receiving the information, he couldn't quickly figure out the problem.

It can only be said that under Raymond's patient guidance, he vaguely found something, but he had not yet accurately grasped that spark of inspiration and clearly connected the problems.

Seeing the confused and thoughtful expression on Alfred's face, Raymond knew what the other was thinking and, without waiting, continued speaking.

"You're absolutely right about the Night's Watch using newspapers to provide accurate information. But have you ever looked into how they got these people to believe that the information was accurate?"

Without waiting for a reply, Raymond quickened his pace, speaking with an urgent sense of wanting to reveal the truth.

"The newspapers do contain information about pioneering, but more importantly, they subtly and continuously instill a specific kind of teaching."

"It praises the sacrifice and courage of the pioneers, that's true. But at the same time, it spares no effort in portraying the Night's Watch as the only saviors, the ultimate maintainers of order, and the only righteous beings."

"It depicts the horrors of the Void and emphasizes the necessity of uniting under the Night's Watch, which is true. But at the same time, it subtly and consistently denigrates all forces that attempt to maintain the old order or question the authority of the Night's Watch—such as the kingdom's aristocratic system."

"It tells the story of the concerns and attempts to check the Night's Watch in the capital through a variety of seemingly lighthearted but actually sharp little stories... I'm not saying it's wrong, but it can't be made so obvious to everyone, you know?"

These short stories are interesting, funny, and very, very straightforward.

It was something that the nobility considered worthless, something to be enjoyed only in the latrine.

But it's just right for ordinary people.

Moreover, the Night's Watch hid something truly extraordinary within their gifts.

This was something Raymond himself hadn't even paid attention to.

On the contrary, it was Kana who put in a lot of effort to make a wish, which was created amidst the changes in data.

All those who made promises and became digitized entities miraculously became literate.

The panel data is presented in a way that I can understand.

In other words, humans see their language and script, while elves see the language and script they are most familiar with.

Even if you know multiple languages ​​and scripts, what it reveals will only be what you are most familiar with and most able to understand.

This is the most fundamental capability that existed from the very beginning of datafication.

Cana later deepened and amplified this ability, firmly engraving it into data. At that time, the Night's Watch members came from all over the world, with almost all races in the world participating.

In other words, it possesses almost all written and spoken languages, and naturally, this data was also recorded within it.

Those who are illiterate will automatically learn a writing system based on the language they speak and the form and region of their place of residence.

This is the very beginning, the most fundamental foundation, the foreshadowing that Cana had already habitually laid before he had even figured out how to do it.

And these foundations are now blossoming into magnificent flowers.

The articles were straightforward enough, and the stories were insightful enough.

Even ordinary people can understand it and find enjoyment and simple truths in it.

The most basic and simple moral values ​​and concepts of good and evil are enough to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong in a story.

There may be some debate.

But these debates were deliberately planted and set up by the Night's Watch after careful consideration within the story.

Only through debate and exchange can certain ideas blossom and truly take root in the mind.

These were things Raymond hadn't expected, but he had already vaguely glimpsed a glimpse of them.

Raymond took a deep breath and delivered the most crucial and resounding warning of his trip.

"Lord Alfred, have you ever considered what the civilians, soldiers, and low-ranking adventurers who have read these newspapers are thinking right now?"

"Your swearing allegiance to you and fighting for you on the battlefield, your seventh-rank guards, in the intervals between battles, in the taverns of the Adventurers' House, read the Night's Watch newspapers and listen to the adventurers passionately discussing the Night's Watch's legendary deeds and ideals day after day."

"Do you really believe that in their hearts, there is no one more prestigious than you, Earl, or the Kingdom of Oran?"

"When newspapers and the ubiquitous public discourse of adventurers' homes repeatedly indoctrinate them: nobility is a symbol of evil and a source of suffering."

"The kingdom's bureaucracy is synonymous with inefficiency and incompetence; those taxes and those powers seem to be born of original sin and should not exist."

"What do you think they will choose when, one day in the future, your orders clash even slightly with the Night's Watch's 'higher goals,' their newly awakened sense of justice, or even the Kingdom's much-criticized laws?"

Raymond's voice lowered, yet carried an immense, overwhelming force.

“They will not rebel, sir. The Night's Watch does not need them to rebel. They only need to be devoted to their cause.”

"All you need is a slight hesitation in your heart when carrying out orders, a strong sense of identification with the Night's Watch's 'higher goals,' and an instinctive resistance to what they consider unreasonable rights."

"This kind of ideological 'defection' is more thorough and more intractable than the rebellion of swords! Because it is silent and insidious, yet it has penetrated to the very marrow!"

Even someone as astute as Raymond, who had seen so many people, still didn't believe that the civilians would organize a large-scale rebellion.

It's not that they didn't think of it, but rather that they deeply believed there was no such possibility.

Because the Night's Watch does the same thing all the time.

This is what he was doing from the very beginning.

That is to protect civilians, to protect as many lives as possible.

Because these lives will later become a shield against the void.

Therefore, the Night's Watch has always done its best to preserve the population; otherwise, it would not have been able to save so many people during the time when the evil gods caused wars all over the world.

This is a consensus among everyone, and it's why the Night's Watch enjoys such high prestige among the common people. While it's not to say that everyone has been rescued, everyone's social circle extends outwards, and there are definitely people who have been rescued by the Night's Watch.

This prestige is immense, so immense that it is almost insurmountable.

This is why countries have been powerless to stop the construction of the Adventurers' Home.

Not only can they not beat them in a fight, they can't win arguments either, and their reputation is nowhere near as good.

In this world, rebellions by commoners against nobles are practically nonexistent, and even when they do occur, they are small-scale and easily dealt with bloodily.

This so-called judgment is more a reflection of the desire for power among the powerful, and it is not a genuine rebellion by ordinary people.

It is the action of ambitious individuals.

Moreover, if a rebellion were to break out, there would certainly be a lot of internal strife, leading to more deaths, which the Night's Watch would definitely want to avoid.

Therefore, all the nobles felt that this was impossible.

"The Adventurers' House and its newspaper are not simply quest posting points or information platforms. They are a vast, intricate crucible of thought, crafted by the Night Watchmen, that penetrates to the very soul."

"It is systematically, efficiently, and subtly reshaping the perceptions and loyalty of the vast majority of people in this world."

"This is the most chilling and terrifying part, Lord Alfred. The Night's Watch not only controls power and resources physically, but also, on a spiritual level, through this invisible network that covers every corner, they are waging an unprecedented and unstoppable 'silent conquest'."

"This conquest requires no bloodshed, only time. And we, including you and me, even Carol who left in anger, are merely pawns struggling helplessly in this giant web. The only difference lies in whether we are consciously aware of this, and... how we intend to deal with it." To be able to think of this was already a testament to Raymond's keen insight and rationality.

As for the common people seizing power, they launched a rebellion.

Haha, what are you talking about?
This was something that no nobleman could even imagine, because such a thing was simply impossible.

Humanity cannot be said to be the world's dominant species, but it has already gained absolute dominance and is distributed across all continents.

It was divided into all sorts of kingdoms.

Depending on the national conditions, there are various classifications.

A centralized state in which a single king or emperor holds absolute power.

A co-governed state with a council of elders or nobles sharing power with the king.

There were also commercial federations composed of large merchants.

But there will never be a force where ordinary people hold the dominant power.

Because before that, they would become nobles, or gain honor through their own abilities.

Merchants were simply nobles with special status.

Because this is an extraordinary world.

Before you can gain power, you must first have strength.

After Raymond finished speaking, he leaned back heavily in his chair, his gaze scrutinizing Alfred as he observed any change in his expression.

The flickering firelight from the fireplace danced in his eyes, reflecting deep anxiety and an eager anticipation of his allies' response.

The only sounds in the restaurant were the crackling of burning firewood and the increasingly howling mountain wind outside the window; the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

Alfred's knuckles turned slightly white as he held the wine glass. The scene Raymond described was like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, which was still feverish and even excited by the battlefield victory and his admiration for the Night's Watch.

Alfred may have been inclined toward the Night's Watch, but he was still a nobleman.

He was contemplating what such a future would mean for him, for his territory, and for his country.

This requires considerable time and effort to think about, even if it's just the most basic consideration.

So Raymond patiently did not disturb him.

However, during this moment of silence, Alfred thought of something else.

"Lord Raymond, what is the ultimate significance of this matter?"

This is something Alfred couldn't understand.

What can they do?

Compared to the behemoth that is the Night's Watch, even Raymond's massive trading company is nothing more than an insignificant ant.

Whenever the Night's Watch needs it, their merchant guild can easily and instantly destroy Raymond's guild using only the most normal means of business competition.

After all, the Raymond Merchant Guild has developed to this extent because it is also a Night Watchman's guild, and it has only provided certain conveniences to the other party.

We can take back this convenience at any time, then compete head-on with them, completely crush and destroy them.

It's very easy.

The idea that two tiny ants are trying to kill an elephant or something is absurd.

Raymond smiled, took a sip of his drink, and calmly put down his glass.

“Our two families can cooperate in all aspects and in all directions.”

This is Raymond's core objective.

Before coming, he carefully selected all the nobles in the country, and then carefully chose Alfred.

Who knew that upon arrival they would encounter Alfred's territory, the Void Rift that appeared, and witness him fighting alongside the Night's Watch.

This is simply the perfect fit.

So he decided to stay and wait.

"Cooperation? Cooperate on what? And why cooperate?"

There has to be a clear reason.

"Cooperation leads to development, and cooperation brings the Night's Watch closer together."

Once the Night's Watch achieves what I described earlier, those incompetent and foolish nobles will be ruthlessly abandoned.

But who can truly see through the Night's Watch's thoughts?

What if the kingdom has too many fools, causing the Night's Watch to develop a negative view of the entire kingdom's nobility, or even become disillusioned with them?

Wouldn't we then suffer an unexpected and undeserved disaster?
Therefore, before this happens, we need to establish closer and more strategic ties with the Night's Watch.

In this way, we might be able to obtain more resources and support, and perhaps even higher power and positions, as well as additional assistance from the Night's Watch.

In any case, such a choice must be made by a relatively wise and generous nobleman.

A nobleman who is relatively friendly to commoners, does not arbitrarily increase taxes, and ensures a relatively prosperous life for the people within his territory.

Although he did not fully understand the Night's Watch's thoughts, his actions were indeed in line with their path and correct.

Because he inadvertently grasped the most crucial point.

The night watch needs more people, and better people.

Those nobles who arbitrarily increase taxes, causing their territories to suffer and wail, are foolish and useless.

However, the Night's Watch needs force, since they have to fight against the apocalypse.

Although Alfred's territory is on the border, the other party's territory has a very good reputation among the common people.

Raymond gathered a great deal of intelligence about Alfred's territory, including all of Alfred's tax policies.

As a lord and a border lord, Alfred had considerable military needs, and the taxes he collected were still within a reasonable range. In fact, he would spend a considerable amount of money each year to purchase food from outside in order to support the population of his territory.

This also brought him closer to the Night's Watch, and he also learned that there were more adventurers in Alfred's territory, and that they were of good quality.

All things considered, this is simply the most ideal partner.

While Raymond treated the common people under his jurisdiction fairly well, he was ultimately less approachable than Alfred.

He was, after all, a traditional aristocrat and a profit-driven businessman.

Alfred nodded thoughtfully, but he did not immediately agree. He needed more time to carefully consider the pros and cons and their far-reaching impact.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but this is not something that can be decided immediately. Please give me some more time."

"Of course, of course, if we are to become truly close friends, we must think it over carefully." (End of Chapter)