Chapter 360: Transforming the Aristocracy Into Capitalists

Slaves are like talking tools. Life and death are completely controlled by the slave owner, so the slave cannot resist the slave owner's orders at all.

The square outside the Temple of Metis.

Clang Clang Clang——

The two slaves fought fiercely at the request of their master, both wanting to kill the other to gain freedom.

As the guests of the ruling class, they watched the fight with great interest and even made bets on which slave would survive.

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

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

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

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

The victorious slave looked at his master questioningly.

Before the owner of the two slaves, the former king of the city-state of Naxos, could speak, the guests started shouting.

"Kill him—kill him—kill him—"

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

"kill him!"

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

"I cannot disobey my master's orders... When I am free, I will pray to the gods so that your soul can be redeemed by Hades in the underworld..."

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

"Shut up, everyone! I have already made slave laws. Slave owners cannot harm slaves' lives, and slaves must be released after five years of work."

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

After a while.

The former city-state king couldn't help but say.

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

"I don't treat you as vassals."

Roy looked at each guest and said.

"I once made laws. Except for the royal family with me as the core, everyone else in the Kingdom of Athens is a civilian. In those areas that I conquered with force, the ruling class as aristocrats have been eliminated by me. But after joining Athens in a peaceful way In the areas of the kingdom - especially the islands in the South Aegean Sea that are vassalized by the Kingdom of Athens, the nobles still exist as the ruling class. Now I formally ask you to give up your noble status and become commoners. If you refuse my request, I will use it. We will destroy you by force, deprive you of all your property, and reduce you and your family to lifelong slavery.”

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

Losing noble status also means losing the power of the nobles.

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 dissatisfiedly.

"Your Majesty, King of Athens, your demands are too much. We have all devoted our loyalty to become your subjects, and you actually want to take away our identity, power and wealth."

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

"Please think again. How can my family continue to survive if you take away its identity, power and wealth?"

"Everyone, please be quiet!"

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

"If you feel 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 were added together, they did not have the force to confront the Kingdom of Athens.

Seeing the reactions of the guests, Roy continued.

"It seems that you all know that you are unable to fight against my army. If you choose to fight against me, the result will be that your whole family will become slaves for life. It is not that I will not give you a way to survive. As compensation for giving up your noble status and power, I I can let you become agents and run salt and iron shops in the areas I have divided. Although these shops will not make you as rich as the country, they can also make you richer than ordinary people. As long as you pay taxes in accordance with the law, you can still become one. Fourth-class citizens, third-class citizens, second-class citizens, and first-class citizens above the common people.”

After hearing Roy's words, the guests' eyes lit up.

Someone couldn't help but say.

"Your Majesty the King of Athens! Does the highest level of first-class citizens have the same power as nobles?"

"No!"

Roy shook his head and said.

"Even first-class citizens do not have special rights beyond civilians. But becoming a citizen can enjoy the benefits of the corresponding level. For example, becoming a first-class citizen by paying taxes can enjoy the treatment of interacting with the royal family."

Being able to associate with the royal family and become friends——

This is a treatment that ordinary nobles do not have.

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

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

Another guest followed.

"If I become your agent and the wealth I gain allows me to support the entire family, I will also be willing to give up my aristocratic 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 can make you worry-free. But I also want to warn you that if you dare to evade taxes, I will demote your whole family to lifelong miners and serfs."

Wealth that can make more than 20 people worry-free -

Even if your family has ten people, you can continue to support more than a dozen slaves and enjoy the life of being served.

Just 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 willing to accept it."

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

Although ordinary nobles have special powers, their wealth may not be comparable to becoming the agent Roy said.

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

Because the wealth they now have can make hundreds of people worry-free.

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

Seeing that the great nobles and the former city-state kings did not express their opinions, Roy also said to them.

"The agents I mentioned will also be divided into different levels. Ordinary nobles can only become low-level agents, great nobles can become middle-level agents, and top nobles and city-state kings can become high-level agents. I have tried my best to ensure that you have the same wealth as before. If you still cannot accept it, then I can only eliminate you and send your whole family to be lifelong slaves."

On one side is the carrot, and on the other side is the stick.

Under Roy's coercion and inducement, the great nobles and the former city-state kings expressed their willingness to give up their noble status.

Roy's choice to transform these nobles into capitalists of the Kingdom of Athens and let them promote the commercial development of the Kingdom of Athens is a helpless move.

Because civilians simply do not have the capital to become capitalists.