"I’m not going to kill you." Ethan’s voice echoed firmly through the camp, his breath fogging in the icy air.

"I have no interest in that, nor in any hatred between our races, much less in the extermination of any people."

Well, any people—ignoring goblins and any other race that actively devoured humans.

As for those, he had every interest in their extermination.

"A few dozen kilometers from here, there’s an elven city. Maybe some of you are from there. Honestly, I don’t care."

"If you want to leave, you’re on your own. You won’t be able to stay in the camp where we’ll spend the night, and with your mana and aura reserves depleted, you won’t even be able to warm your bodies."

"The most I’ll do is point you in a direction, but I guarantee, every one of you will die before reaching halfway through the journey."

Ethan stretched his arm toward the horizon, where snow fell in thin veils and the trees stood dry and skeletal against the gray sky.

In that instant, he activated the lord’s aura, though he did not press it against anyone.

He simply let the golden light wash over him, as if the setting sun on the horizon existed for him alone.

He held a dignified posture, his eyes and face filled with a nobility and power that barely seemed human.

Even the normally arrogant elves gazed at him as if they were seeing a demigod walking among mortals.

"If you do not wish to leave, I will welcome you as my people. You will receive the same dignity given to the humans in my settlement. You will have work, food, and shelter."

"If a human discriminates against you, that human will be punished. If you discriminate against a human, you will be punished."

"I swear, in the name of Goldenveil, that every race in this world deserves, in my eyes, both the life and the dignity of humans."

’Every race except green skins. Green skins deserved nothing but a terrible death!’

"Bow down to me, or leave this place and die in this cruel winter."

There was silence. Even Evelyn and Alice watched with eyes overflowing with shock at that speech.

A leader preaching equality among races, in a world where mutual hatred between them was basically the norm. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Honestly, Ethan wasn’t doing this just because he had a pure heart. His heart was far from the kindest.

He was doing it because dwarf blacksmiths were badass and because female elves were hot as fuck.

Well, partly.

Elves, even those who weren’t mana users, possessed nature magic and were basically perfect farmers, botanists, and biologists.

Dwarves knew steel better than any other race, had sturdy bodies and, like the elves, could live for centuries even without being awakened.

They were far too useful to be killed over some idiotic medieval logic.

The guards behind Ethan, even those who harbored deep contempt for elves and dwarves, cast that feeling aside the moment they heard those words.

Everyone there was mortally loyal to their Lord, and if he said all races were equal, with the exception of the greenskins, then all races were equal!

Many might consider him a crazy, xenophobic racist for hating goblins, orcs, and kobolds so deeply, and he would wear that title with pride.

Honestly, his hatred wasn’t even blind.

It was simply that integrating such creatures into society was impossible. The very foundation of their nature was explosiveness and violence.

They were made by the god of war, in the image of the god of war, and for nothing but war.

They killed and fought for pleasure alone. The peace Ethan wanted for his people went directly against the very foundation of their existence.

He didn’t kill them because they were ugly, or smelly, or stupid.

He killed them because they consumed humans like cattle, because they embodied war itself, and because they died with pride for what they represented.

For them, living in peace was no worse than death was for a human.

With a sigh, Ethan simply waited.

One of the elven elders slowly rose to his feet, his heart pounding hard in his chest as he exchanged a lingering glance with his wife.

The other elves stood shortly after, and when the elder knelt, every elf followed suit.

Not as captured prisoners, but as citizens of Goldenveil.

Garrick clenched his teeth, casting a glance at the five dwarves behind him.

Bearded, muscular, and hairy men, worthy of being called bears in the form of mini-humans.

They were Garrick’s little boys.

For his own pride, he would march through that hellish cold and die without hesitation. But not his boys!

With a determined look, he did the same.

The guards also knelt, and the human prisoners, recently recovered, bowed along with them.

[Elves, dwarves, and humans have all bowed to your greatness!

+20 Prestige]

[You have earned a title: Master of All Races (Rank A)]

[Title: Master of All Races

Description: Members of at least three races have recognized you as a worthy and just Lord, pledging their eternal loyalty to you.

Effect: +10 Prestige, +50% racial acceptance in dominated territories. Races present in your territory, even if not native, will arrive weekly in Goldenveil.]

[Elves will begin appearing in Goldenveil

Obtain a Tree of Life to increase the number of elves arriving in Goldenveil]

[Dwarves will begin to appear in Goldenveil

Build a divine forge to increase the number of dwarves arriving in Goldenveil]

Seeing those countless system notifications, Ethan nearly jumped for joy, but he kept his composure, gesturing for everyone to rise.

Soon, the guard dispersed.

The cruel glances they had previously cast toward the elves and dwarves vanished, and before long, they were even chatting animatedly while feeding the newcomers to Goldenveil.

They would camp there that night and, the following morning, march back home.

With this, the village’s population reached 4,240, and Ethan was already planning to expand the guard again to five hundred men, in addition to at least a thousand militiamen.