The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Under Vivian's painstaking filtering and Luo Yan's spot checks, a few nuggets of gold were indeed found among the pile of envelopes, which was like a mountain of excrement.

Three days later, in the afternoon, on the first floor of Colin Manor's side hall.

The afternoon sun streamed through the glass window, illuminating the eyelashes of a certain little ghost, making them appear snowy white.

Vivian was lying at a corner of the long table, swinging her feather pen lifelessly as she recorded in a thick notebook.

Piled beside her was a mountain of unread letters, her resentful gaze occasionally drifting towards her brother lounging in the main seat, leisurely flipping through a book.

These letters were impossible to finish reading because a deluge of letters arrived every day.

Is this the method of the Demon King?

It has some merit... indeed...

The only consolation was that the noticeable Adam's apple was truly enticing, causing the soon-to-be Vampire Prince to swallow their saliva.

Vivian had no idea that the Demon King's methods were not merely about "waiting games." They also included "haunted house scares," "Slime Hell," and other assembly-line fear energy harvesting programs... which the adventurers of Thunder City had deeply experienced.

The drained adventurers weren't wasted, as the Demon King would let them go, allowing them to spread the fame of the Thunder County Maze among the adventurers.

On one hand, they would be in awe of the demons of Thunder County, while on the other, they would worship the Campbell family that subdued the Demon King.

Meanwhile, in truth, both sides belonged to the Demon King.

It's just the difference between the left and right hands.

At this moment, a middle-aged gentleman named Locke was being guided into the side hall by the steward.

Hearing the footsteps at the entrance of the side hall, Luo Yan, seated in the main seat, finally closed the book that seemed endless and cast a scrutinizing gaze at the gentleman.

Locke's image was at odds with this luxurious manor, however, it matched perfectly with the letter he personally wrote, his handwriting reflective of his character.

He wore a gray coat, faded from washing, with two slightly darker patches on the elbows and worn cuffs, yet his pair of old leather shoes was polished bright.

Though impoverished, his spine was straight as a rod, and his bright eyes reminded Luo Yan of a young man he had met on the way to the Academic State.

The two were different kinds of idealists, one with the wild aggression of "rock-n-roll youth," and the other harboring ambitions beneath the reserved etiquette of a "poor scholar," with stubbornness hidden underneath.

Meeting the Imperial Prince, Locke did not react like other "petitioners" who either excitedly stammered or displayed excessive humility; instead, he offered a gentlemanly bow.

"Good day, revered Prince Colin. I am Locke, the one who wrote to you, and I thank you for giving me this opportunity to express my dreams."

"Please sit down, Mr. Locke. Additionally, there's no need to be formal; I hope you can treat this as an ordinary tea meeting, not an interview." Luo Yan nodded with a smile, indicating for him to sit, showing no disdain for his humble attire.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Locke looked at him gratefully and took a seat on the sofa. Before the nearby attendant could pour tea for him, he began concisely introducing himself.

He was born into a clockmaker's family in Glanton Castle and could have followed in his father's footsteps for a stable life, but he was unwilling to live routinely within the lord's castle. Thus, he registered as an adventurer with the adventurer guild and spent twenty years traveling through various countries along the Vortex Sea coast, solely to collect scattered knowledge from different places.

To prove he wasn't lying, Locke solemnly produced a stack of thick manuscripts from his worn briefcase and gently placed it on the table.

The yellowed paper edges curled, exuding the scent of ink and sea tide.

"Your Highness, this is what I want to present to you—the manuscript of the Encyclopedia."

Locke's voice brimmed with irrepressible enthusiasm as he continued, looking at the astonished Prince Colin.

"You are the prince of the empire, so you should know our empire has established a splendid civilization, possessing mountains of wealth! However, no one has ever compiled a catalog for our true treasure trove—our knowledge and wisdom."

"Craftsmen understand gear interlocking, farmers understand seasonal changes, scholars know the heavens above and the earth below. Yet, they are like isolated islands, not understanding each other's world. I want to compile a book that connects these scattered pieces."

He glanced at Miss Colin, who was idly biting a feather pen, and then at Mr. Colin, his eyes glistening with excitement.

"I dare say, this encyclopedia will greatly benefit the Thunder City University you are establishing!"

"Our newspapers can only tell us what happened yesterday, but they won't tell our children what major to choose, where to go in the future. But if the encyclopedia exists, they can find their interests within and stand on the shoulders of predecessors to continue unfinished endeavors!"

"Whether they want to become an adventurer or a clockmaker!"

After saying all this in one breath, Locke paused to observe the prince's expression. Seeing Luo Yan silent, he felt uneasy, thinking that the prince might not be interested.

Hence, he hurriedly added.

"Your Highness, I know this sounds boring. Compiling this book requires a massive amount of manpower and resources, visiting craftsmen and scholars across lands, and needing a vast supply of paper and printing costs. Unlike Magic, which can conjure storms, or the steam engine, which can create endless wealth, at least in the short term, it may yield no immediate returns."

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