I was a priest in the city-state era

Chapter 360 Transforming nobles into capitalists

A slave is like a talking tool, life and death are completely controlled by the slave owner, so the slave cannot resist the order of the slave owner at all.

The square outside the Temple of Metis.

clang clang clang-

Two slaves fought fiercely at the master's request, and both wanted to kill each other to be free.

The guests of the ruling class watched the fight with great interest, and even bet on which slave would survive.

After a fierce fight, the battle between the two slaves was finally decided, and the shorter slave was knocked to the ground by his opponent.

Seeing this scene, the guests who won the bet burst into applause.

The victorious slave walked up to the defeated slave and was about to kill the defeated slave with the blade of his spear when the defeated slave suddenly cried and begged.

"Please don't kill me, I don't want to die yet."

The triumphant slave looked at his master questioningly.

Before the masters of the two slaves, the former city-state king of Naxos, could speak, the guests shouted loudly.

"Kill him—kill him—kill him—"

Being able to please these guests with the death of a slave, the former city-state king certainly would not let go of such an opportunity.

"kill him!"

Hearing the master's order, the victorious slave pointed his spear blade at the defeated slave and whispered.

"I can't disobey the master's order... When I am free, I will pray to the gods, so that your soul can be redeemed by the god of the underworld..."

Just when the victorious slave was about to kill the defeated slave, Roy suddenly said loudly.

"Shut up all of them! I have already enacted the slave law. The slave owner cannot harm the life of the slave, and the slave must be released after five years of work."

After Roy finished speaking, everyone fell silent for an instant. Even the victorious slaves stopped their spears and did not kill the defeated slaves.

After a moment.

The original city-state king couldn't help but said.

"Your Majesty the King of Athens! Although you enact slave laws, we are vassals of the Kingdom of Athens, not part of the Kingdom of Athens, so your laws do not bind us."

"I didn't treat you as vassals."

Roy looked at every guest and said.

"I used to make a law. Except for the royal family with me as the core, everyone in the Kingdom of Athens is a commoner. In those areas I conquered by force, the ruling class as nobles has been eliminated by me. But when joining Athens in a peaceful way In the areas of the Kingdom—especially the islands in the South Aegean Sea that are vassals of the Kingdom of Athens, the nobles still exist as the ruling class. Now I formally propose to you, asking you to give up your status as a nobleman and become a commoner. If you refuse my request, I will use Eliminate you by force, deprive you of all your property, and reduce you and your family to lifelong slaves."

Roy actually asked them to give up their status as nobles——

Losing the status of nobility means losing the power of nobility.

Without the power of the nobles, how will they obtain wealth from the common people to support their families in the future?

The guests said in dissatisfaction.

"Your Majesty the King of Athens, your request is too much. We have all given our loyalty to become your subjects, yet you still want to take away our identity, power and wealth."

"I want to give up my vassal status, and my city-state will no longer be a vassal of the Kingdom of Athens."

"Please think again, how can my family continue to survive after being deprived of your identity, power and wealth?"

"Give me all peace!"

After Roy shouted and told all the guests to shut up, Roy continued.

"If you feel that you have the strength to fight against the army of the Kingdom of Athens, you can choose to use force against me."

After Roy finished speaking, the guests continued to remain silent.

Because even if these guests add up, they don't have the force to fight against the Kingdom of Athens.

Seeing the reactions of the guests, Roy continued.

"It seems that you all know that you are powerless to fight against my army. If you choose to fight against me, your whole family will become lifelong slaves. I am not giving you a way to live. As compensation for giving up your noble status and power, I I can let you become an agent and let you operate salt and iron shops in the area I have divided. Although these shops can’t make you rich, they can also make you richer than ordinary people. As long as you pay taxes according to law, you can still become Fourth-class citizens, third-class citizens, second-class citizens, and first-class citizens above the common people."

After hearing what Roy said, the eyes of the guests lit up.

Someone couldn't help but say.

"Your Majesty the King of Athens! Do first-class citizens of the highest rank have the same rights as nobles?"

"no!"

Roy shook his head and said.

"Even if you are a first-class citizen, you don't have any special powers beyond the common people. But you can enjoy the benefits of the corresponding level if you become a citizen. For example, if you become a first-class citizen by paying taxes, you can enjoy the treatment of associating with the royal family."

Being able to make friends with the royal family——

This is the treatment that ordinary nobles do not have.

A guest who didn't have the courage to confront Roy said immediately.

"His Majesty the King of Athens! I am willing to become your agent and give up my aristocratic status and power."

Another guest followed suit.

"If I become your agent, the wealth I get will allow me to support the entire family, and I am willing to give up my noble status."

Roy said with a satisfied smile.

"I can guarantee that even if your family has more than 20 people, the wealth you get as an agent will be able to live comfortably. But I also want to warn you, if you dare to evade taxes, I will demote your whole family to lifelong mines." Slaves, serfs."

The wealth that can make more than 20 people worry about food and clothing——

Even if there are ten people in his family, he can continue to support more than a dozen slaves and enjoy the life of being served.

It's just that the guests of ordinary nobles said one after another.

"I accept the arrangement of His Majesty the King of Athens, and I want to be your agent."

"I am also willing to accept."

"I believe in the wealth His Majesty the King of Athens has promised us."

Although ordinary nobles have special powers, their wealth may not be comparable to being agents of Roy.

Those great nobles—especially the former city-state kings—all frowned and did not express their views immediately.

Because the wealth they have now can make hundreds of people live comfortably.

Accepting Lowy's arrangement is equivalent to reducing their wealth by three-quarters or four-fifths.

Seeing that neither the great nobles nor the original city-state king expressed their views, Roy also said to them.

"The agents I mentioned will also be divided into levels. Ordinary nobles can only become low-level agents, great nobles can become middle-level agents, and top-level nobles and city-state kings can become high-level agents. I have tried my best to ensure that you have similar levels as in the past. Wealth, if you still can’t accept it, then I can only destroy you and send your whole family to be slaves for life.”

A carrot on one side and a stick on the other.

Under Roy's coercion and lure, the great nobles and the former city-state king expressed their willingness to give up their status as nobles.

Roy chose to transform these nobles into capitalists of the Kingdom of Athens, and it was a helpless move for them to promote the commercial development of the Kingdom of Athens.

Because civilians simply don't have the capital to become capitalists.

(End of this chapter)