Count Reed's execution ability is quite astonishing, considering all he has to do is touch his upper lip to his lower lip.

After the count ordered the quick acquisition of thirty copies of "The Return of the Great Knight," even Seth found it a bit troublesome. The reason was simple – in a kingdom where literacy was a rare skill, not to mention writing, the task posed a challenge.

As it is well-known, when one cannot solve a problem, the best solution is to assign it to one's subordinates.

So, under Seth's meticulous assignments, several lowbrow writers in the tavern each received a copy of the manuscript and the task of transcribing five copies within three days.

These writers, who usually lingered in the commoner's district tavern, quickly realized the extraordinary nature of this book. Upon learning about the twenty gold coins reward from the count, their excitement soared.

In their eyes, it was like dozing off and waking up with a pillow under their heads. They were just wondering what Count Reed wanted to read, and Ready-made samples are delivered to his door.

Even a person with a poor memory would leave a deep impression after transcribing a book five times. So, after completing the transcription task, these lowbrow writers believed they had cracked the code to wealth and began a new round of creative writing.

The copies of "The Return of the Great Knight" quickly reached the hands of the upper-class individuals in the City of Gath. Although most of them could read, not everyone enjoyed reading.

However, under the count's coercion, everyone had to skim through it. After all, no one wanted to be speechless when this book was mentioned at future gatherings.

Unexpectedly, they couldn't put it down.

In just a few days, "The Return of the Great Knight" received widespread praise in the upper circles of the City of Gath.Everyone was attracted by the dense content and the character of the protagonist who must take revenge. Suddenly everyone remembered the great knight who turned up the corners of his mouth and smiled evilly when he disagreed with him, and then let people live in the doghouse.

"Count, sir," Seth respectfully stood by Count Reed's side, "the copies of that book have been circulating for three days, and the majority of people seem to love it."

"The majority? What about the minority?" The count seemed somewhat annoyed.

"Two people said they still prefer the plots of the previous readings."

"Traditional! This is art! It's the future! It's the trend! Hmph!" The count lamented for those who couldn't appreciate a thrilling narrative.

"Count, sir, I have a suggestion," Seth said. "We can mass-produce copies of this book and sell them in other territories, even in the capital. It could be a good source of income."

"Good idea, Seth. I leave this matter to you."

"At your command, sir, but there's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"When transcribing, whose name should the author write?"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Of course, it's my name. Since I've already spent twenty gold coins, the book is rightfully mine."

"At your command, Count Reed." Seth bowed and left, a subtle smirk on his lips.

Just as Murphy was unaware that the cultural essence of this otherworldly literature he introduced would be published under someone else's name, the popularity of "The Return of the Great Knight" continued to escalate. Its wide appeal made knights, the pinnacle of a commoner's life and coexisting with nobility, resonate with most people.

Even those who couldn't read still enjoyed the thrill of the narrative. In the past few days, many taverns in the southern district of the City of Gath had wandering bards narrating "The Return of the Great Knight," and a few of the early adopters even made a small fortune.

In the study at 2 Crest Street, Murphy was listening to the news brought by Sam. His embarrassment was overflowing. Were the people of this otherworld really lacking in entertainment? This was just one city; what if it spread to other cities...

Sam had become Murphy's exclusive messenger, delivering daily news from the city for a price of fifty silver coins per month.

"Oh, Sam, I have a question for you."

"Sir, feel free to ask. I'll tell you everything I know." Under the temptation of money, Sam had gradually lowered his guard against Murphy.

"Does Count Reed not have any heirs?"

Sam subconsciously looked around, and besides Murphy and him, there was only a little girl learning to write and a dog watching the girl write.

"Sir, this isn't a topic one can casually discuss."

"Count Reed is nearly forty, and it's said that he's not capable in that aspect. Despite having many women in his youth, there's no mention of any children. Countess Reed also has no offspring. Many believe that when the count is without an heir, the land will be reclaimed by His Majesty the King, and everyone looks forward to that day. It's said that the taxes collected by the king are less burdensome."

Murphy was surprised, not because the count had no children, but because commoners had such thoughts.

"Doesn't the Count's family have any distant relatives?"

"I haven't heard of any. The old folks say the methods the previous Count Reed used to seize power were quite ruthless, but they won't elaborate."

"I see..."

While Murphy and Sam were discussing the Count's infertility, Byron and Alaric were on their way back to the City of Gath.

Alaric had calculated the wealth he earned on this trip countless times in his mind. Every time he reached the desired result, the fat on his face piled up with happiness.

Perhaps other merchants thought that dealing with Alaric, such a nouveau riche, with two waves of assassins was enough. They encountered no attacks on their return journey.

With this money and the heavy losses suffered by other merchants who hired assassins, Alaric would likely become the wealthiest person in the entire Count Reed's territory, excluding Count Reed himself.

"Mr. Byron, may I ask if you'll be staying in the count's territory for a while?"

"Are you inquiring about my whereabouts?" Byron's gaze became sharp.

"I dare not, I'm just expressing a simple concern." Alaric broke into a cold sweat under Byron's intense stare.

"If our value to you is sufficient, we naturally have the opportunity to meet again."

"Yes, I understand."

Alaric and Byron entered the City of Gath, and soon, several sharp-eyed individuals scattered in various directions. For some, tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

Murphy was in the basement of the house, drawing a magic circle, with Pepe behind him taking notes with a charcoal pencil.

This magic circle, once activated, could directly teleport the user to the central location of the Demon King's palace or various demon territories. It was Murphy's contingency plan in case things took an unexpected turn. If needed, he could bring Pepe back to the demon realm.

A series of hurried but clear footsteps reached them, and Buster stood at the basement door, barking excitedly.

"Speak human," Murphy sighed.

"Byron is back."

"Oh, ask him to come down and see me." Byron's return was almost exactly as Murphy had estimated, indicating that there were no unexpected events.

Upon returning to his territory, Byron quickly removed the Slime "coat" and, along with Brue, reported the encounters they had on the road.

After hearing the two monsters' accounts, Murphy nodded, "Well done, everything is proceeding smoothly according to plan."

"As for Alaric, he's still useful. Keep protecting him for a while; it will be over soon."

"At your command." The skeleton and Slime saluted together.

"Byron, wait a moment. Give me some of your bone powder; I have a hypothesis to verify..."