After Being Sold Out By The Empire, I Decide To Assist The Demon King
Chapter 144 - 13 Offerings to the One-eyed Giant

Barring any unexpected circumstances, it required 4 to 6 hours to solidify, but this could take even longer due to the influences of temperature and weather.

If the experiment succeeded, the cement would need curing—covering it with wet paper towels or occasionally sprinkling water on it to ensure it would not crack later—though Yila wasn’t sure of the exact reasons; this was just the right thing to do.

Next, she had to consider the ratio of the Forbidden Magic Stone Powder to be added to the cement to guarantee its quality and to some extent prevent detection magic... In this aspect, Yila wasn’t very knowledgeable and left it to Vera.

Yila then needed to check on Wolf’s situation as the Magic Armor designed for the swordfish was another crucial part of the trade plan.

In Yila’s conception, sea trade security heavily depended on the swordfish, as their unique combat style could be devastating for the current wooden ships that would leak massive amounts of water if a hole appeared in the hull.

Considering all this, Yila felt it was necessary to check on Wolf and the werewolves, but on the way, he saw some carts heading towards the Demon King Territory, and the carts were pulled by two massive demon creatures.

He recognized these as One-eyed Giants, their entire bodies grayish-blue, with wrinkled skin and only one eye. They had left a deep impression on the Governor because absorbing their mana was a complete waste of time and World Spell.

Except for the fourth wing column, which could shatter and condense into a giant club, the other wing columns were useless... Their attack power wasn’t significant, making their use unnecessary.

So, although the One-eyed Giants often appeared on the battlefield, their casualties were relatively low... The Governor would only casually target them with a few spells when he was about to return to rest after nearly using up his World Spells.

*Otherwise, it was really easy to run out of words amidst the dispersed mana of a bunch of One-eyed Giants... Some colleagues would absorb mana randomly, and if they suddenly absorbed a One-eyed Giant’s wing, they might be at a loss for words, too.*

Other demons’ mana, such as the healing abilities of High-level Demons like the Sorrowful Angel, the Crimson Dragon with its formidable presence supported solely by Yila’s performance, and the Dimension Demon, known for its large-area control abilities for immobilizing enemies, were well-known for their strength and usefulness.

The One-eyed Giants and their few unfortunate brethren were uniquely special... *one couldn’t tell whether to feel sorry for them or consider them lucky.*

It appeared they were about to deliver taxes, suggesting that the One-eyed Giants were indeed among the demons that had planned to rebel earlier but ultimately decided to continue serving due to intimidation.

Yila judged this as he thought about a few things while following behind the wagon... Honestly, he didn’t hide his presence, so the One-eyed Giants clearly saw him.

The two massive giants visibly stiffened, hesitating to speak to Yila, and their already slow movements became sluggish, fearing that Yila might kill them both.

Evidently, many demons had some misunderstandings about Yila... Or rather, not just demons, but many empire people—whether nobles or civilians—often considered Yila as someone who killed demons for fun.

There were even those who went to great lengths to capture demons and present them to the Elkaras Mansion, hoping to please Yila... Could you imagine Yila during his vacation, being mysteriously told, "Lord Yila, I have a gift for you," only to see a severely injured demon?

Yila was at a loss for words right then.

Due to his status, he couldn’t send the demon back to the Demon Control Area, so he had to secretly keep it at the Elkaras Mansion to work for him... Indeed, there was a risk of being discovered, but Yila couldn’t bring himself to kill a non-combatant demon.

Killing was never the objective; however cruel the slaughter, it was always a means to an end... The Governors were very clear on this, as it was something Yila taught them in his courses.

Yila followed the One-eyed Giants until they reached the farmland area. Under the watchful eyes of goblins and Little Demons, they cautiously made their way between the fields due to their large size, making it impossible for them to reach the outskirts of the Demon King City normally.

Fortunately, soon enough, the elegantly dressed Senata, holding a large, beautiful parasol in red and black with lace edges, emerged from the Demon King City with Youyou... It seemed that all previous tributes, quantity statistics, and suppliers’ records were managed by them.

"Tribute."

The One-eyed Giants, not being very eloquent, simply said this and shamefully bowed their heads... Perhaps out of guilt for their prior betrayal, or more likely due to Yila’s presence and the unexpectedly strong and resolute Demon King Territory.

Then Youyou and Senata began to take inventory of the cart’s contents: roughly estimating whether the number of gold coins and produced goods inside the cart matched the expected tax amount calculated by Senata’s subordinates in the various Demon Territories.

The rule in the Demon King Territory followed the classic one-twentieth tax system; products such as mined iron ore, logged trees, and food produced in these territories required a tribute of one-twentieth to the Demon King Territory.

If the food barely sufficed for their consumption with no surplus for tribute, they would need to use copper or silver coins to make up the tax, a flexible system.

Apparently, there were no issues with the numbers. Under Youyou and Senata’s inexplicable sighs, the One-eyed Giants, having unloaded the tribute, drove the empty cart back... Seeing the tribute unloaded, Yila understood the reason for their expressions.

The tribute in the huge cart consisted solely of a pile of wind-dried meat to prevent spoilage. Although it formed a small mound, it wasn’t much.

This suggested that the One-eyed Giants’ previous refusal to pay tribute was likely due to laziness and the sheer distance to transport the goods, rather than unwillingness. In essence, the real problem was the long journey.

It was indeed necessary to expedite road construction. After that, Yila would need to devise more convenient methods to ensure swift movement between territories... Trains were out of the question as they were too slow.

The Transcendent world required transcendental methods of travel, but what that answer was, Yila still needed time to ponder.