Monopoly

"The Phoenix King asked me to pass on a message to you."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

The Dusk Moon Dynasty is Dragon Island Defense's largest client, and the two countries are strategic partners. The elves suffered a setback in Danfeng Lucerne, and the dragons lost a dragon there—all because of Kang De. When the Dragon Island envoy came to see Kang De, his first words were, "The Phoenix King asked me to convey a message to you..."

--It's an assassin! Aa...

The Sword Saint Cascading Snow immediately drew his sword. Although A Xing was slow-witted, his reaction was not slow at all. As soon as Hilmeria drew her sword, she was ready for battle. Tina and Stella stood in front of Kang De almost at the same time.

"--Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding!"

Santos was absolutely furious! This girl is something else!

He knew the Dragon Girl's words were highly misleading, and jumped out anxiously, gesturing wildly as he explained, "There are no elves! This visit was on the orders of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, and has nothing to do with elves! We were simply intercepted by the Phoenix King outside the city! We had no intention of seeing her, and we certainly don't want to see her!"

Dragon Girl tilted her head and explained blankly, "Oh, it's a misunderstanding. Phoenix King didn't mean any harm. She found me and thought I was here to kill you, Kang De, so she stopped me and wouldn't let me kill you. She said if I hurt you, even with just a small wound, she would wipe Dragon Island off the face of the earth."

"..."

"..."

Apart from A Xing, everyone's expressions shifted from shock and defensiveness to subtle awkwardness.

Their gazes involuntarily turned to Kang De.

They've heard all the gossip and rumors about Kang De and the Phoenix King these past few days.

Several days have passed, and the process and outcome of the final battle of the Goth-Moon War have rapidly exploded across the world. Everyone in the know is talking about the name Kang De, inquiring about his origins, discussing his power, speculating about his limits, assessing his threat, and gathering all information about him.

However, gossip is a natural instinct shared by intelligent races. In this miraculous victory, what everyone talked about most was the untold story of Kang De and the Phoenix King, which spread quickly, far, and in a rather sinister way.

It's normal. After all, the world has suffered under the elves for too long. These pointy-eared creatures rely on their wealth, fighting prowess, advanced magical technology, and flourishing culture to conquer the world through military might, fleets, colonization, and finance. Moreover, they are arrogant and consider themselves the chosen race, regarding everyone here as trash.

Everyone has been unhappy about this for a long time.

The fact that the elves suffered a setback at Goth was already a cause for celebration, but the fact that their arrogant and self-important king had developed an unspeakable and subtle relationship with an ordinary, insignificant human was truly big news worthy of being written about.

Despite the differences in social status, racial barriers, national hatred, and worldly obstacles, the love that blossoms amidst these numerous hurdles is enough to move the world. So much so that monarchs of various countries, heads of organizations, and even leaders of social circles such as nobles, artists, and spellcasters are all moved to tears.

They used their own money and mobilized their media network to voluntarily and freely praise and spread the great love of this couple, allowing more people to know about this interracial romance and offer their blessings.

Kang De thus gained great fame, and his reputation as a Casanova spread rapidly from the western coast of Goth to the eastern part of the empire, from the southern Sawada the northern barbarian wilderness, with all sorts of embellished rumors constantly growing.

While the emperors, monarchs, nobles, and lords wanted to take this opportunity to ridicule the elves, they didn't intend to advertise for Kang De. Therefore, the lower classes of other countries didn't know that Kang De was a powerful man capable of casting Forbidden Spell; they only knew that this guy had won the heart of the Elf Queen.

He also toyed with her and then abandoned her.

Of course, that's not the point. The point is that such rumors, once spread abroad, were re-imported back to Goth. After three people made a tiger out of a feather, it added a subtle and inexplicable sense of crisis to the Goth People —this Prince Kang De is Princess Tina's fiancé, and he's also flirting with the Elf Queen. Something seems a bit off.

This feeling wasn't unique to ordinary Goth People; it was shared by members of the Taidariel Family as well.

But now it seems...

--Kang De, you still say you didn't seduce her!

Kang De, on the Kang De hand, was bewildered and confused.

What's going on? Are you some kind of domineering CEO? I lost a piece of my skin, and you're going to wipe out the entire dragon race?

He instinctively didn't believe it. "Really?"

The Dragon Girl's tone was indifferent, her expression unwavering. "I am a dragon, I do not lie."

--It's just some necessary rhetorical exaggeration.

Kang De paused for a moment, then sighed.

He got along fairly well with Dairila, who was disguised as Duke of Tiling. The Elf Queen came with good intentions, reminding him that a powerful enemy from beyond the heavens was approaching and that she wanted to end the pointless war. However, the Council's ambitions rendered her efforts futile. The war continued, blood was shed in vain, and the ship of friendship capsized.

The helplessness of life and the unpredictability of fate can only be attributed to destiny.

If it weren't for his father's accident in Africa, which made Kang De dare not take any risks, and if it were only Goth's crisis, then after learning of the surprise attack on Danfeng Lucerne, Kang De might have gone directly to confront the Phoenix King... and then this matter might have ended in a more peaceful way.

Rather than the defeat of the six armies, rather than countless casualties, rather than a relationship that is beyond repair.

Now, we can't be friends anymore.

He recalled the stunning beauty residing atop the phoenix outside the city of Danfeng Lucerne. She lacked the domineering aura and majesty of a king; he saw the fragility and tears of the Twilight Moon Queen, even if only for a brief moment.

I wanted to say that those who are not of my kind are bound to have different hearts, but she was just too beautiful.

He noticed that Stella and Tina were looking at him. Being stared at by the twin beauties at the same time, the second princess's eyes were full of scrutiny, while Tina's were amused and half-smiling.

Kang De immediately explained, "Don't panic, it's normal. She's just returning a favor. She's a very principled person; I spared tens of thousands of her subordinates a few days ago. It's perfectly normal for her to do this..."

The Dragon Girl glanced at Kang De.

That's exactly what the Phoenix King said, except Princess Dairila's words were just a stubborn excuse, trying to hide her true feelings, while you...

You're such a dumb idiot.

She scribbled a few lines on the paper, then said quietly, "That's not how it is."

Several women turned their gazes toward them again.

The Dragon Girl said calmly, "Her Dairila asked me to tell you not to forget her."

The air grew tense again.

This is not a lie; this is revenge for three members of my clan.

Grass.

What's the meaning?

Surely not?

In a flash, under Tina's gentle gaze and the pressure of the hatchet's domain, a thought flashed through Kang De's mind, and he broke through his limits—he guessed the girl's thoughts correctly!

He used a verbal attack!

"What utter bullshit!" Kang De shouted. "Why would she send you to relay such embarrassing words?"

Despite the danger, the Dragon Girl remained calm and composed, her tone even and her expression serene. "You seem to know Her Majesty Dairila very well."

"..."

The dragon girl added insult to injury, looking at Tina and saying, "Perhaps that's true, but perhaps Her Majesty Dairila foresaw the current situation, which is why she asked me to say it."

"..."

The Dragon Girl bowed and said, "I've finished speaking."

Oh my god, you bastard!

Besides Kang De, Santos was also internally screaming with rage.

He had repeatedly warned this young lady to be well-behaved and quiet, not to speak recklessly, not to act on her own, and not to interfere with His Majesty the Dragon Emperor's grand plan—all in vain!

He was tasked with a mission to salvage the Dragon Defense, while his teammates faltered on the sidelines.

Is there any chance it can ever get better?

She should have been more forceful in interrupting her earlier!

Santos was now in a state of bitterness, unable to express his grievances. He couldn't very well say that the Dragon Girl was talking nonsense, as that would only further anger Kang De... He could only grit his teeth and continue.

But in the current situation, even with his quick wit, he didn't know how to smooth things over.

After racking his brains and thinking hard, Santos could only manage a dry laugh, "Hahaha, we..."

Tina suddenly spoke, her tone calm and gentle. "Thank you for the message from this dragon lord. Kang De and I have indeed heard it. In the past few days, Kang De has received countless love letters from Danfeng Lucerne, but he hasn't read a single one and has handed them all over to me to handle. His Majesty the Phoenix King is quite considerate, asking you to say it to my face, so that Kang De won't have to tell me afterwards."

She smiled gently, "Alright, everyone, please have a seat. Today we're going to talk about dragons, not elves, and certainly not that little cat secretly writing love letters to Kang De... Let's get down to business."

Sharp.

Santos silently praised him.

Regardless of what one thinks in their heart, at least on the surface, the way they handled things was impeccable and magnanimous.

There are plenty of cats and dogs who have designs on my man, how can I get angry at them all?

He immediately looked at the Dragon Girl. This time, the young lady finally didn't cause any trouble. She sat down with the assistants who were also present, in the classic negotiation table format, with the host on one side and the guests on the other.

Separated by vases, fruit, and decorations, Kang De and Santos exchanged a glance.

They both saw the sigh in each other's eyes that seemed to say, "Let's get the troublesome old women out of the way and get this over with quickly," and then they discovered a consensus, a feeling of pleasant surprise.

He's a comrade.

Santos, fearing his teammates might cause further trouble, immediately clarified the negotiating parties and the highest authority.

He said, "Your Highness Kang De, Princesses, I, bearing the Dragon Emperor's token and fully appointed by the Dragon Defense Board, have traveled to Goth to meet with Your Highness Kang De, to retrieve the remains of the fallen dragons, and to deliver the ransom."

"In accordance with our company's Compensation Law, Emergency Battlefield Regulations, and the Dragon Blood Declaration, individuals, armies, organizations, and nations that kill or wound our participating dragons during a state of war will not be subject to the hostility or pursuit of the dragon race. In return, they must return their wounded, prisoners, and corpses to their own race for compensation."

"The returned prisoners and wounded will be taken directly into the hands of the Dragon Clan and will no longer participate in the war. The returning party will receive a huge ransom and reward from the Dragon Clan, which will be used for shelter, treatment, and compensation for losses."

He took a gold plate that shimmered with Magic Power luster from a box and handed it to Kang De with both hands.

"This is a memorandum, written in Dragon Language, the Continental Common Language, and the Zhendan Language. If there are no problems, Your Highness, please sign it, and this matter can be concluded."

The dragon race has always been generous with ransoms, and the amounts are enormous.

--Anyway, no matter how much money is involved, it will ultimately be paid for by the employing country through insurance, welfare benefits, and contractual provisions, so it doesn't hurt to spend any more money.

This is to reassure the employees and make the captured dragons feel honored. Moreover, the ransom for a living dragon is vastly different from that for a dead dragon, which maximizes the safety of the mercenary dragons. Even if they are in danger, the enemy will prefer to capture them alive rather than kill them outright.

Who knew I'd run into Kang De, who's so unreasonable?

Moreover, the ransom amount this time is extremely high. Even though the three dragons were killed, the ransom amount is almost the same as capturing them alive without injury. It's the highest standard and shows great sincerity. As a businessman, Santos knows the principle of giving and receiving. He has made a good impression and settled this matter so that he can start talking about the next thing. Compared to the three dead dragons, the company's explosive financial report is the most critical issue.

Kang De examined the gold memorandum closely; it was very dragon-like.

He was almost in tears.

What a kind and thoughtful person! The user experience is fantastic!

They even wrote it again in the Cathay script.

Finally, my illiteracy won't be exposed anymore.

He read it once, and then showed it to Tina and Stella.

The ransom amount is staggering. Converted into gold, it can be used to buy air-to-air missiles on Earth, which can then be used to kill even more dragons, creating a virtuous cycle. Fighting the dragons is fucking awesome!

--Of course not.

He knew perfectly well that dragons in novels were always incredibly arrogant, overflowing with a sense of superiority and extremely proud, and would never bow down to humans. This time, for the sake of money, they said it was really good, but dragons doing business are still dragons, not grandsons. This money was more like protection money than compensation.

If we attack again, they'll really unleash hundreds of dragons for a massive bombardment of Danfeng Lucerne.

However, there is a rather awkward problem here.

There were three dead dragons, but only two corpses.

The third dragon corpse was actively Extraction by the Power of the Fire Thief — Kang De didn't even have to lift a finger; the Power of the Fire Thief activated on its own and devoured the dragon.

Not even a bone fragment was left; it was eaten even more cleanly than Dragonborn.

This matter must absolutely not be known to the dragon, otherwise the Dragon Emperor will not care about companies or business; he will definitely send all his forces to attack, and it will be a fight to the death.

What to do, what to do, what to do?

First of all, don't panic, don't panic, stay calm.

He looked at Santos across from him, his face showing neither joy nor displeasure.

Santos asked, "Your Highness, what are your thoughts on the ransom amount?"

Kang De said with a half-smile, "I have no idea. I'm not interested in money. Although this amount is a lot, I don't know if it will be enough to compensate the families of the soldiers and civilians killed by the dragon..."

--Damn it, so that's not enough? Compensating the families? That sounds nice, but one gold coin per family is enough. A batch dies and another batch grows back next year, just like weeds by the roadside.

These words, to Santos's ears, meant continued extortion. He was furious and gritted his teeth inwardly, but still said, "If Your Highness is not satisfied with this amount, we can discuss it further..."

"I have no complaints. I don't handle money, I'm not interested in money. Even if this money arrives in the account, it's still for Tina to handle," Kang De laughed. "As for me, I just wanted to ask something unrelated..."

"Your Highness, please speak."

Kang De tapped the table and pondered, "It seems your company has a well-established and mature procedure for rescuing and even burying dragon mercenaries who have been killed, wounded, or captured in battle..."

Santos nodded smugly. He had personally drafted many of the company's rules and regulations, which were professional and well-organized. This was the foundation for the company's growth and success, and he was proud of it.

Kang De then asked, "So, I would like to ask, does this process succeed every time?"

Santos frowned. "What does Your Highness mean?"

"What I mean is, are you able to redeem the corpses of fallen dragons every time? I've heard that dragon blood, scales, bones, flesh, and even hearts are extremely valuable materials, and the slain dragon itself is a fine and boastful trophy. Is there really no one who wouldn't want to return a dragon's corpse?"

Kang De said with a smile.

Santos's expression changed.

He understood.

The other party doesn't want to return the dragon corpse.

That's understandable.

Kang De single-handedly repelled the elven army and slew three dragons, all thanks to an extremely terrifying alchemical weapon. According to the company's intelligence department, he was an extremely powerful alchemist.

For an alchemist, materials such as dragon scales, dragon blood, dragon bones, and dragon wings are rare treasures that money cannot buy. They can only be obtained by paying exorbitant prices in extremely secretive black markets, the most confidential auctions, and the top exhibitions of certain major merchant guilds.

No one understood the scarcity, high price, and market demand for these materials better than Santos.

After all, that was another monopolistic export product of Dragon Defense Company, generating foreign exchange.

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PS1: Ah, let me explain. I had insomnia last night and didn't fall asleep until 5 or 6 am. I woke up around 8 am and was so sleepy in the afternoon that I went to a hotel to sleep. When I woke up in the evening, I was exhausted, so I'm writing this now.

PS2: Time to head to the hotel to sleep. Goodnight everyone.