Noan looked around and noticed quite a few people perched on the high branches surrounding him. Their expressions held a hint of disdain mixed with arrogance.

    If Noan wasn''t mistaken, those people were likely part of the same group as Hawke, and they were overseeing those present.

    In this area, he could roughly count more than 120 Lords. While this number wasn''t overwhelmingly large, it wasn''t insignificant either.

    Moreover, new Lords would appear every now and then, suggesting that the number of Lords in this region would only continue to grow.

    "Line up!" Suddenly, a young man''s voice rang out.

    GRAOO!!!

    Along with the shout, a familiar roar echoed through the air.

    Noan turned toward the source of the sound and immediately saw Hawke''s subordinates walking ahead. Hawke followed behind them, riding atop a monstrous creature resembling a rhinoceros, its single horn ablaze with fire.

    Seated upon the beast, Hawke exuded an overwhelming arrogance, as if the entire world were mere dogs while he alone was the only human.

    His gaze swept across the crowd before finally landing on Noan.

    The moment Hawke''s eyes met his, even though it lasted only a second before Hawke looked away, it was enough to make Noan uncomfortable.

    He knew what Hawke was likely thinking. However, today was different from yesterday.

    Now, Noan had the strength and the beasts necessary to stand against Hawke. Even so, he wasn''t in a rush to make a move—he wanted to ensure a 100% chance of victory.

    He didn''t want any mistakes or unexpected situations to arise.

    In his previous life, back on Earth, Noan had read countless novels.

    The protagonists in those stories were always full of pride, constantly challenging those far beyond their level despite their own weaknesses.

    Of course, the protagonist always won—but the battles were always brutal. Even in victory, they paid a steep price.

    After that, the protagonist would inevitably be hunted down by the survivors or encounter even greater troubles.

    Noan, despite being isekai''d into this world, possessed an SSS-rank talent. He was, without a doubt, the protagonist of this world.

    However, he was not an idiot, nor did he have an IQ in the negatives. Even a protagonist had to be cautious with every action—if one became too arrogant, not even God could save them.

    Hawke, of course, did not stare at Noan for too long. His gaze shifted toward Raito, then to Caleb.

    Standing amidst the crowd, Caleb looked worried and terrified, like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a wolf.

    However, when he realized Hawke was looking at him, he slightly nodded.

    Seeing Caleb nod, Hawke no longer paid him attention and ordered his subordinates, "Take roll. Check the numbers."

    "Listen up!" Hawke''s voice suddenly interrupted Noan''s thoughts. "I know you''re all starving. That''s why I''ll allow you to go to the nearby river and the safe zones of the forest."

    "After all, we''re all in the same area—I don''t want to see you die."

    The crowd reacted with disbelief, followed by overwhelming joy.

    In the modern world, food is the easiest thing to come by.

    People had access to it so effortlessly that they had forgotten its importance.

    Now, in this new territory, they were faced with hunger—something they had never expected to endure in their lifetimes.

    Hunger clouded their judgment, and their minds instantly shifted when Hawke mentioned food.

    Instead of anger or resentment, the crowd''s emotions shifted into gratitude.

    "However..." Hawke noticed their hopeful expressions and sneered internally. "I will divide you into groups so that you can take turns searching for food."

    "Of course, no group can have more than five people. The entry fee for a group will be twice that of an individual."

    "Additionally, you must pay a tax—half of the food you collect. Understood?"

    Upon hearing this, the crowd became ecstatic and repeatedly thanked Hawke.

    At that moment, Noan realized that Hawke had successfully taken control of the Lords'' mindset.

    Yet, he did not feel particularly upset about Hawke''s methods. After all, this was a world without laws. Here, the strong dictated the rules.

    The weak had no choice but to wait for the mercy of the powerful.

    On the surface, Hawke seemed excessive. After all, resources in this area should be free for anyone to exploit.

    But they were so weak that Hawke''s group wrapped them around their fingers, treating them like a pack of dogs to be toyed with.

    After enduring constant oppression, even the smallest favor could make them feel grateful and relieved.

    Noan noticed that a few individuals who had initially harbored rebellious intentions—those whose eyes had been filled with hostility—began to waver.

    Their eyes flickered with hesitation as if they were unsure if resisting was the right choice.

    Caleb''s gaze fixated on Noan through the sea of people, filled with confusion.

    After all, no matter how strong someone''s mind is, they will still be affected by the "FOMO effect" to some degree.

    But when Caleb saw Noan''s expression—completely devoid of emotion, with only a hint of skepticism—he finally realized that Noan was far from ordinary.

    ''Tsk!'' Caleb clicked his tongue inwardly. ''No matter how stable your mindset is, you''re still just an F-rank Lord.''