Let Distant Harbor Know Who I Am

Tina's second older sister, Stella Taidariel.

She and Kang De had, in a sense, weathered storms together.

The disappearance of the dragon delegation and the Paradox Element events occurred when the second daughter of the Grand Duke, as a representative of the Taidariel Family, traveled to the Azure Waves Province with Kang De.

Her role was to represent Goth's court, coordinate relations between Kang De and the Survey Corps, and even the Azure Waves Province, so that orders could be issued more smoothly and communication could proceed more effectively.

As a young and promising genius mage, she shared similar views with Kang De, believing that Paradox Element were Goth's hope for a resurgence and that Goth should use his own strength to maintain the dignity of the nation and the happiness of its people. Therefore, she sided with Tina and Kang De, believing that they should take the initiative.

However, she also had conflicts with Kang De.

During those agonizing and nerve-wracking days, she endured immense pressure for the sake of the country's future and for that terrifying secret that could potentially overturn the entire nation.

As a member of the Taidariel Family, she stood by the country to the very end, even when the situation was on the verge of complete collapse, determined to stay in Distant Harbor and face the final outcome.

Then she saw the gleam of victory, and the Knight Astolfo that cut through the waves, swept away the mutated dragons with unstoppable force, forcing the arrogant fleets of the nations to bow down.

But this series of events is far from over.

Kang De returned to Danfeng Lucerne, riding high on his victory, determined to investigate all acts of betrayal. To this end, he turned against almost the entire Goth aristocracy and even planned to use force to change the face of the country.

Therefore, at the suggestion of Tina and Hong San, he formulated the initial development strategy.

As the finest harbor on the west coast of the mainland, Distant Harbor boasts unparalleled advantages in maritime trade and a vibrant commercial atmosphere. The abundant resources of the underground world and even the Earth require such a port with a massive throughput to facilitate the dumping of goods into the entire alien world, so it is essential to control this place.

And he re-established a trade network that belonged to Kang De himself.

This is not a problem in terms of force; the Astolfo alone can secure control of the sea, not to mention the possibility of acquiring even better and more powerful ships in the future.

After all, the Afu is just a surface combat vessel primarily designed for air defense and escort. Moreover, it's a rather unambitious France warship built specifically to bully Black people, tailored to their national conditions. In interdimensional naval warfare, it's somewhat of a mismatch in expertise—judging from the quality of the fleets of various nations, they are still in the era of sailing battleships, with cutting-edge technology perhaps only reaching the ironclad warship category, and even then, it's still powered by sails.

Fishery patrol vessels are sufficient to deal with such a fleet.

You can also use icebreakers to play match-3 games.

Of course, these are things to be considered later. Kang De's primary task now is to establish initial authority in the Distant Harbor and reach a certain consensus with the ruling class there.

To do that, he first has to confront Stella.

Thinking of this, Kang De felt a little guilty.

He didn't know how to confront the second princess.

He turned against the Grand Duke, declared war on the nobles, monopolized the Paradox Element, and even invaded Distant Harbor.

He could be stern and ruthless when facing those stupid and wicked nobles, but Stella could not. She was not only Tina's sister, but also had a bond with him as they fought side by side. Amidst rumors and doubts from all sides, she always believed in Kang De. Although she wavered, she never backed down.

Kang De didn't know how Stella would respond after hearing Kang De words and actions.

This is not a simple matter.

But...

"Stella departed for Danfeng Lucerne an hour ago, taking only a small retinue and guards. Before leaving, she publicly announced that she was transferring full command of the Survey Corps to you."

The three spellcasters who crossed the sea brought this news.

Kang De stood silently, facing the sea breeze.

The messengers waited respectfully, secretly observing the details and features of the steel warship with the curiosity of spellcasters; the ship almost overturned their alchemical beliefs.

"She..." Kang De sighed, "Didn't she leave any message?"

The leading monk bowed slightly. "No."

Kang De was lost in thought.

After clearing out the mutated dragons and subduing the fleets of various nations, Kang De traveled to Distant Harbor and had a brief conversation with Stella, asking her to assist him with some tasks.

Stella had tried to persuade him to stay, begging him to return to Danfeng Lucerne later, saying she had sent a messenger to deliver the message to Danfeng Lucerne as quickly as possible.

She must have guessed what happened in Danfeng Lucerne.

Because there is also incitement and even riots in Distant Harbor.

But Kang De chose to refuse, a clear statement that foreshadowed his impending action. Tina's second sister, also a clever girl, could guess what Kang De was going to do.

That's probably why I chose to leave.

She even calculated the timing perfectly...

Overwhelmed with emotion, Kang De murmured, "What a clever girl."

By not mentioning a single word, and without any pleas or persuasion, Kang De's associations and sense of guilt can be maximized, causing him to subconsciously consider the mildest option to repay such trust and affection.

The monk didn't hear him clearly. "Your Highness?"

"I mean..." Kang De smiled, "This is the best outcome."

After a moment of stunned silence and a sigh, Kang De's gaze hardened again. He said, "The three of you, please return. Inform the true leaders of Distant Harbor to remain in place and await further orders. I will visit them. Order the Survey Corps to rest in place and await further instructions. I have a new mission for them."

"Yes, I will obey your command."

The three mages bowed deeply, their attitude extremely humble, at least more respectful than before, now bordering on awe—previously, while they held respect and gratitude for Kang De, it was merely gratitude for a pioneer who wielded forbidden Forbidden Spell and possessed superb alchemical skills.

Now, this ship is beyond what mere advanced alchemical craftsmanship can describe.

This is a qualitative change.

It represents a kind of chilling conjecture...

Kang De took in the subtle changes in their expressions and demeanor.

Watching the messengers leave, he murmured, "It's not that difficult, is it?"

Lily nodded and said, "Yes, as long as you don't have to deal with those troublesome women who are entangled with you and have ambiguous relationships, you always strike hard and are invincible."

"None of your business!" Kang De snapped. "Get ready, you're coming with me in a bit!"

"What are you doing?"

"To act as a bodyguard and maintain appearances!"

Kang De said proudly, "Now that I'm someone of status, I can't just fly around with a jetpack on my back. Although that's cool, these natives wouldn't appreciate the aesthetics of an exoskeleton suit. A simple and brutal ride on a dragon is much more intimidating—understand?"

Lily protested, "You're using a dragon for personal purposes! The employment contracts for Dragon Knight in Dragon Defense clearly state that their services are limited to the battlefield and cannot be used for the knight's private activities such as driving around, dueling, courtship, or showing off!"

Kang De glanced sideways and said, "Even adding money won't work?"

"What are you saying?!" Dragon Girl glared at her. "How could adding money be impossible?"

Kang De held up one finger. "0.1%, lifetime riding service."

"Dream on!" Lily shouted, "One year!"

"Ten years."

Three years!

"Five years," Kang De said impatiently. "If you don't agree, I'll go ask the survivors of the Dragon Legion and see if any dragon is willing to spend a month of my time showing off with a free Paradox Element cleansing service."

"..."

A buyer's market—how tragic.

"Deal, five years of riding," the Dragon Girl said reluctantly, "Dragon form only."

"..."

What a meticulous dragon! It's likely been tricked by the Dragon Emperor's contractual trap.

Kang De looked the Dragon Girl up and down, admiring her graceful curves. "And this..."

The dragon roared once more across the sea, "Fifty percent!"

"Alright, alright," Kang De chuckled. "Before heading to the Distant Harbor, I'll need your help to go and talk to those surviving dragons. As payment for clearing the Paradox Element from them, they must swear an oath in the name of the Dragon God to obey my commands and serve me until the Dragon Emperor arrives. I won't let them participate in the battle in principle; I only need them to serve as a deterrent—if they're willing, let them come over."

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "You'd better not be able to handle them."

Kang De smiled and said, "Isn't that what I'm looking for?"

The silver dragon grunted twice, then said nothing more, transformed, flapped its wings, and flew away into the distance.

Kang De gazed at her retreating figure, remaining silent.

"Father," Horus's voice rang out, "Keeping it a secret is wise... Dragons are almost a perfect race, their physical attributes and elemental affinity far surpassing any other race. However, through my observation and analysis of the infection situation in the fleets of various nations, I've found that the dragons, with their innately incomparably powerful physiques, are far less resistant to Paradox Element than humans and elves. This is very strange, but it is indeed something we can use."

"Clearly, the Paradox Element, unprocessed by Father, would have a tremendous special attack effect on dragons if used to enhance bullets—of course, this is just speculation, but it is a highly probable one."

Therefore, even if those dragons harbored ill intentions or even launched a sneak attack, Kang De could easily subdue them even without Lily's protection.

Of course, this is something that must be kept secret.

I can't even tell Lily.

Not to mention the Dragon Emperor.

"But... Father, why is that?"

Faced with the Iron Son's question, Kang De pondered for a moment and shook his head.

"It's just a guess... I don't yet know the full picture of the Space-Time Flashback scheme, just as I don't know who used Space-Time Flashback to instigate Cuixisi to slaughter her own kind as a sacrifice, and who, as the final offering, came with me to the Paradox Engine."

"But I don't think that's who I'll be in the future."

"It's not my style to incite innocent dragons to kill each other for no reason."

"If it wasn't me, then it must have been Yasha and the others."

Kang De sighed at this point, "They gave everything, sacrificed everything, just to pass on the last Spark of Civilization to my hands. Having paid such a high price and witnessed so many sacrifices, how could they care about the lives of a few dragons?"

"And most importantly..."

The Fire Thief said softly, "The Long Yi was the only one to escape the Great Cataclysm in the previous era. Yasha and the others must have very complex feelings towards the dragons."

"Don't even mention them. If I saw the world ending, and wealthy Middle East tycoons buying tickets to the Ark while I, a penniless and powerless commoner, was left to die outside, and then God suddenly gave me a chance to drag a few of the wealthy people who boarded the ship down with me, I certainly wouldn't just take ninety-nine if I could take a hundred."

What's with all this talk about racial continuation, about how the Ark was only completed because of these people's financial contributions? What kind of logic is this? It's the end of the world, and you're telling me this?

Yasha and her companions faced an even heavier destiny. They fought and struggled to continue their Civilization, witnessing countless hardships and sacrifices. All their struggles and resistance ultimately failed, only to learn that the powerful dragon race, who had always been high above, had somehow escaped the Great Cataclysm that swept the globe... How could they not feel resentment and hatred?

Using several dragons as sacrifices and bait to deliver the Spark would certainly be something they wouldn't feel guilty about.

Kang De briefly discussed this topic with Horus.

"Therefore, we also have an answer to the question of why the dragons have extremely low resistance to Paradox Element. Even without Yasha and the others' secret adjustments, this logic still makes sense. Paradox Element were rampant during the Great Cataclysm of the previous era and were used by the surviving races and beings, which must be consistent with the life forms of the previous era. As a species from the previous era, it is quite normal that the dragons have no resistance to them..."

The Fire Thief shrugged. "Perhaps."

After a while, the dragon's long roar came from afar, booming like thunder.

Lily overestimated the pride and will of her kin. They were indeed terrified. This Dragon Legion had only eight members left, suffering heavy casualties. More importantly, they had developed a strong fear. Fighting their mutated kin was no pleasant experience.

One by one, the familiar comrades-in-arms of the past turned into terrifying monsters, their scales pierced by thick tentacles, infused with, mutated, and grotesque, one after another. Lily had witnessed the so-called ascension ceremony and was quite frightened, but the scenes these dragons experienced were even more explosive.

They all readily agreed to Kang De's proposal.

Bowing to the strong is not shameful. As a Forbidden Spell spellcaster and alchemy master, Kang De possesses the power to annihilate a dozen Aberrant Dragon and destroy the fleets of three kingdoms in an instant. Serving him is a great honor.

--Just by running errands and putting on a show, without even having to fight, you can get the benefit of completely eliminating that terrible mutated substance. It's an absolute steal!

For similar injuries, the damned medical department at Dragon Island Defense would deduct at least 30% of the gold coins earned from a single trip. In comparison, how merciful His Highness Kang De is!

Under the psychological Shadow, the near-free medical care, and the overwhelming power, the eight dragons' opinion of Kang De instantly changed. They had previously wanted to teach this lowly human who dared to tarnish the glory of the dragon race a lesson, but now their thoughts had turned to, "That wretched dragon Lily is truly blessed."

Tsk, sold it cheap.

The eight dragons were all wounded to varying degrees, with Paradox Element invading their bodies, but for Kang De, extracting them was not difficult at all.

Each dragon could feel the strange, unsettling parts of its body rapidly disappearing.

The dragon's formidable healing power was also rapidly taking effect.

Since Kang De kept his promise, they too must fulfill their oath.

In fact, even without an oath sworn to the Dragon God, they would obey, because for some reason, the humans before them instilled in them a sense of unease and fear that came from the depths of their souls.

Three giant dragons soared into the sky and flew toward the fleets of the Empire, the Council, and the Elves.

They carried a message from Kang De.

The highest-ranking commanders of each fleet were ordered to proceed to Distant Harbor to receive specific surrender and resettlement instructions.

The dragon gave the order and left immediately, without any pleasantries or exchanges. This gesture reminded the fleet commanders of one fact: they had no room for negotiation.

There's none in Distant Harbor either.

Even without these dragons, that terrifying steel warship floated on the sea, proclaiming absolute control with its unparalleled presence. The lingering smoke of battle revealed the ironclad fact that a vast area spanning tens of kilometers in both land, sea, and air was within its strike range, capable of destroying anything it detected.

Three dragons, acting as messengers, returned, and then eight dragons soared into the sky, escorting the beautiful silver dragon as it headed towards the Distant Harbor. The sky echoed with dragon roars, stirring up the clouds and thunder. The dragons approached the beautiful city built by the sea from the air, and the terrified people watched as the dragons descended in front of the city hall.

The dragon transformed into human form, and eight handsome dragons bowed slightly to show their respect. Etiquette training was also part of the on-the-job training courses at Dragon Island Defense, because the Dragon Emperor had long understood the biggest need of his clients and potential clients—hiring dragons was mainly for the purpose of showing off.

Therefore, providing relevant training can satisfy customers' vanity to the greatest extent.

The silver dragon landed last, and with a dazzling light, it transformed into a beautiful woman, standing shoulder to shoulder with the black-haired Cathayan. Not far in front of them, the true rulers of Distant Harbor came to greet them.

The governor, generals, local nobles, and chief mages are the most influential people in the city, and they have many exchanges and entanglements of interests among themselves. As for the so-called wealthy merchants, gang leaders, mercenary group leaders, and the like, they are all dogs kept by the city and do not even have the right to be here.

Let's say it here.

In the clean and spacious square in front of the city hall, Kang De faced a dozen pairs of eyes filled with awe and docility, his expression calm; their enthusiastic performance was meaningless.

The key question is whether they are willing to do the work.

He turned his gaze to the governor. "I will assume you are their plenipotentiary representative for now. I will tell you what I want next. As for the captured personnel of the three-nation fleet, I want you to clear an area for them as quickly as possible and make all the necessary preparations. I know that the Distant Harbor has been ravaged by war and there may be a shortage of various supplies. Just tell me what you need, whether it's money, food, or any other problems."

"The only requirement is that you do your best."

"Although I don't know the situation regarding supplies in Distant Harbor, I can be sure of one thing: you definitely don't lack manpower."

"Therefore, I need you to provide manpower and effort; whatever I say, you must do."

The governor bowed and said, "Yes, we will do our best to meet your requirements."

Kang De said calmly, "Don't rush. There's another matter that needs to be addressed at the same time. I heard there was a riot in this city. Immediately send men to arrest all the spies and agents from various countries who instigated the unrest, as well as those they bribed and instigated, and publicly execute them. If any of you gentlemen here have done the same, then I'll trouble the others to kill their entire family and then help me organize my new businesses."

"Furthermore, those who take advantage of the chaos and loot the city should be dealt with severely and strictly. I'd love to see more of them killed, but it needs to be done cleanly and without any injustices. I trust your abilities. Since you are the true rulers of this city, let me see your control over it."

People's expressions changed slightly.

The governor whispered, "Your Highness, the situation in the Distant Harbor is chaotic, and the people's hearts are still unsettled. They need to be appeased, not suppressed, and besides..."

"It's your job to appease them. I just want Distant Harbor to know who I am."

"Your Highness..."

"Alright, Governor, you can respect your position and your thoughts. You can choose to carry it out or not. To be honest, I don't intend to let the Survey Corps do this. My troops are in Danfeng Lucerne, and Valentan. In other words, I don't have enough manpower right now to carry out retaliatory and punitive operations against traitors in a major city. So I want you to help me with this."

"You can also choose not to help."

Kang De remained calm, pointing to the turbulent sea in the distance. "But I also tell you, there are fleets from three nations there. They are all my prisoners. Many of them are infected with the Paradox Element and tormented by fear. I am the only one who can heal them. I believe they are willing to do anything and will have no psychological or moral concerns or burdens. Have you thought it through?"

The governor's expression changed completely.

He stared at Kang De in disbelief.

"Surprised?" Kang De said calmly. "I've said it before, I only want Distant Harbor to know who I am."

Distant Harbor, of course, includes you.

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PS1: Kaleidoscope! Kaleidoscope! Kaleidoscope!