By now, dozens of muskets were being assembled daily within the walls of City of Gath, then transported to the warehouse by a dedicated squad of bio-mimetic skeletons, who also oversaw the security of the nearby area.
Murphy held modest expectations for these obedient skeletal guards. With the city now free of gangs, any riffraff couldn't possibly challenge the warehouse. However, if a high-level adversary came knocking, he felt these skeletons and slimes wouldn’t stand much of a chance.
In his mind, Murphy reserved a singular thought for them: it was fortunate that the skeletons and slimes had surpassed level five. If disaster struck, he could resurrect them once again, though they would emerge less sharp, their cleared heads clouding once more into chaos.
Addressing Alaric's gaze, mixed with anxiety and a thirst for knowledge, Murphy smiled and inquired, "Ever heard of 'product iteration'?"
The term was of course foreign to this otherworldly marketplace, and Murphy watched Alaric's puzzled expression deepen as he searched for a translation into the common tongue.
Murphy patiently explained, "Weapons and tools, they're all evolving, slowly but surely. Muskets are no exception."
"The advent of new flintlocks doesn't spell instant obsolescence for matchlocks; instead, it showcases our armaments industry's professionalism."
"When we've sold all the matchlocks, that's when we'll launch the new generation. The advantages of flintlocks are undeniable, too tempting for anyone to refuse."
"By then, no matter how much buyers might cry foul, all complaints must be swallowed, for if they don't buy, someone else surely will."
Seeing a look of realization dawning on the Guild Master's face, Murphy knew that this shrewd businessman had picked up a new trick.
Walking back to Clyster Street Number Two, a sense of anticipation grew within Murphy: "I wonder when this world's gunpowder will become granulated…"
---
Time flashed forward, bringing October of Pioneering Historys882. For Murphy, it was a rare moment of respite, his daily rhythm so well-established that it bred a conventional circadian rhythm.
The increasingly crisp weather and a manageable workload meant he could afford to sleep until ten each morning before following a familiar routine. Activities ranged from leveraging his vast otherworldly knowledge to tutor his apprentice or armor himself against Lambert's culinary experiments, to finding work for idle demonic kin.
The loyalty of the demonic race was beyond question. With many already slotted into positions befitting their species, those demons not yet assigned a specific task felt uneasy. Several demon lords, in a frequency of every three to five days, would send Murphy one-use crystal messages laden with sentiments along the lines of, "Your Majesty, pray remember us too..." and so on.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
In fact, Murphy harbored some concerns in this respect. Life for most demons had long been a tightrope walk barely above the edge of starvation, and assigning tasks was difficult when filled bellies were an uncertainty.
So, under Murphy's continuous adjustments, the entire demonic race had, by now, completely escaped the clutches of hunger, a paragon of poverty eradication.
Under the incessant transportation led by Alaric's underlings, foodstuffs purchased at high costs flowed to the demonic realm, nourishing creatures starved for decades—ogres realized they could indeed be herbivores. Additionally, the Western Territory enclave entered its final handover phase. From next year on, the entire viscounty, along with the Happy Plantation and enclave, would be self-sufficient in feeding all humans and demons alike.
Even vampires were faring quite well lately. After Murphy added another investment inflow, encouraging those who farmed livestock to relocate their pastures and ranches to the buffer zone between the demon realm and the human kingdom.
With the inherently reclusive nature of vampires, they wouldn't hunt for themselves, but their vampire bats now had a reliable diner, and the vampires were well-fed.
The only issue? The livestock breeders at the ranches and farms started to notice their pigs and sheep looking a little undernourished…
Upon learning this news, Murphy, not wanting the breeders to up and leave, quickly introduced a subsidy to soothe his own restless conscience.
In short, once everyone was well-fed, the Demon King Murphy truly garnered the heartfelt reverence and respect of every sentient demon, enabling him to assign tasks with confidence and authority.
Embracing the ethos of not feeding idle mouths, Murphy tailored many jobs fitting for demonic traits. By now, the division of labor amongst the demonic race was as follows:
Slimes and skeletons, having formed a tight-knit and harmonious relationship, were sent to the mines for labor. Once their minds cleared, they would learn human disguises and musket handling before joining Byron and Brue's bio-mimetic skeleton army.
Goblins and the undead worked diligently in the trial fields and forges. Goblins, short in stature, had a natural edge in farming, although crop growth on demonic soil remained a tad sluggish. Bart was contemplating organizing a squad to pioneer new fields in the buffer zone.
Bacon's undead, more tolerant of flames, tirelessly transformed iron ore into ingots. Although some had learned basic blacksmith work, crafting even slightly complex components was still quite the hurdle.
Gargoyles continued delving into the bedrock, not just filling their stomachs with diverse stone types but also churning out prime building material for the robust ogres tasked with infrastructure maintenance.
At Murphy's behest, Ghost Lord Wirt initiated history's first intelligence unit comprised solely of specters, penetrating the outskirts near the Gloomy Forest. Their innate invisibility made them acutely sensitive to human eyes—save for the inconvenient truth that information harvested by day was scant compared to that at night…
Succubi persistently honed their craft in magical item creation and idol group practice. Vampires, creatures of the night, mingled with their favorite elixirs deep within sunless castles.
The werewolves, who dwelled in lands far-removed from human realms, started to train various high-level magical beasts within their territory, thoroughly preparing for whatever lies ahead.
Thus, the entire demon race was like a long-dormant car that, after years of inactivity, finally hit the road again. Despite a touch of wobbliness, Murphy deemed it a significant step forward.
---
Today's mini-setting:
Among the demonic creatures, only goblins, ogres, and werewolves require proper meals, and as the higher-tier demon populations dwindle, their ranks flourish. So, rest assured, they are well-fed, and no demon was harmed in these proceedings—they all live without worry.