A Free Ride

What else can the rulers of the Distant Harbor say?

They had no choice but to agree.

Because they sensed something extremely ominous in Kang De's words.

Everyone knows that the Dragon of Cathay intervened in the Goth-Moon War for Princess Tina's sake, which is a model of true love. He was willing to fight against the world's hegemon for the sake of his lover. What a beautiful love story.

And they won—that's already legendary.

Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence, whether from the Taidariel Family or the Goth political establishment, would know to treat this man with the utmost respect. And indeed, it seems that this is the case. Ever since the Dragon Clan crisis, the Azure Waves Province has felt the full support of the Goth court for this Forbidden Spell spellcaster.

The formation of the Survey Corps, the continuous supply of materials, the allocation of military equipment, and the order for all counties and regions along the way to fully cooperate were all expected. Both Goth People and foreigners believed that Teldrassil would do everything in his power to bind himself to Kang De and enjoy the protection of the Sword of Deterrence.

They subconsciously felt that this sweet honeymoon period would last a very, very long time.

They were still cheering and jumping for joy even when that godlike warship leaped out, swept away the dragons with lightning speed, and resolved the crisis in the Distant Harbor.

But now, they've realized a very serious problem.

Upon returning from Danfeng Lucerne, Kang De displayed a chilling hostility and a hardline attitude.

The rulers of these Distant Harbor were all political animals, which was related to their position; these old foxes keenly sensed something ominous.

Kang De was using this event to demonstrate his authoritarianism to the Distant Harbor.

As he said—let Distant Harbor know who I am.

This includes not only the foolish mobs, but also those in the upper echelons.

Throughout history, whenever authority has been displayed, what it seeks has invariably been power; there have been no exceptions.

He wants to control the Distant Harbor!

Retribution against the instigators and rioters was a trivial matter for these bigwigs—mere ants, whose deaths could be replaced by more. But Kang De's underlying intention, hidden beneath the orders, was the real turmoil: he wanted to seize power over Goth's largest port city on the west coast.

And he has the ability to do so.

That enormous warship, unlike anything seen before, could turn a Distant Harbor into a sea of fire, not to mention that Kang De had already drawn his sword—the very sword of those sailors from the three nations' fleets who had surrendered to him and were now filled with fear and unease.

These people come from the Empire, the Council, and the Elves, infected with an unknown substance. Kang De is their only savior, which is extremely terrifying because these crazed soldiers are not from Goth; they are foreigners and therefore have no psychological or moral burdens. If given Kang De's orders, they will obey without hesitation.

They will kill until Kang De is satisfied.

This is the reason why the important figures in the Distant Harbor had no choice but to agree immediately.

Because if Kang De really summoned the navies of the three nations to the Distant Harbor to carry out retaliation, then those who died would certainly not only be those foolish and ignorant ants and lowly commoners.

These nobles and bureaucrats had only one choice if they didn't want to die.

That is to fight for the navies of the three nations until Kang De is satisfied.

Watching their hurried retreating figures, Kang De stood silently in the quiet square.

Lily said calmly, "That's ruthless."

Kang De said, "I'm not going to kill them all, just punish them. Some things, if you do wrong, you have to pay for them; that's a self-evident principle."

"I ended the war and saved these people. I didn't expect them to be grateful and serve me like slaves from then on. But they actually turned around and questioned me, insulted me, and betrayed me. If I didn't kill them, others would see it and learn from it, knowing that betraying me would not come at a price. Then, with interests at stake, they would follow suit and even take more extreme actions, to the point that I would have to kill more people, and then even more people would die."

"So I'm killing these people now to warn more people that killing is for the sake of protecting life."

These words were so grand and dignified that even the eight dragons serving as the background couldn't help but glance at them sideways.

This powerful Forbidden Spell magician was so shameless that he changed the dragons' preconceived notions about humans. Amidst their hatred and fear, they even felt a sense of kinship.

Because they recognized the same dragon.

--Do you think I manipulate finance and create commercial traps and contract loopholes just to make money? You're wrong. I'm using my great and far-reaching wisdom to remind these pitiful, short-lived creatures of the flaws in their shallow and fragile financial and commercial systems, to awaken them, and to fix them early so they don't lose even more in future crises. I'm helping them!

Perhaps this is what it means to be in a position of power.

Lily clicked her tongue twice. "You said you don't plan to kill them all, so what are you going to do with them?"

Kang De strolled through the quiet square, where anyone who might appear had been shooed away beforehand. From here, Kang De could see most of the city, from pretty two-story buildings to low, dirty shacks.

Those who cause trouble are either stupid or malicious.

"The stupid ones are the blindly obedient and ignorant fools who need labor reform. From developing the underground world to building fortresses on the surface, and even road construction, mining, and camp building, it's a good opportunity for them to atone for their sins. It will also help them emerge from their ignorance and clearly recognize their past folly and shortsightedness. Once they have repaid their sins of betrayal with labor and sweat, and then sincerely repent to me and feel ashamed of their past selves, then I will have nothing to do with them."

"As for the bad ones, those scoundrels who take money to do things, they must die, and they must be executed publicly and their names displayed on the roof of the Yanyang Tower as a warning to others. That's the dividing line."

Kang De explained it clearly and plainly.

Lily nodded and said, "Then there's another problem. People who take money to do things aren't necessarily bad people. Maybe their whole family is starving and they want to..."

Kang De glanced at him. "If I hadn't ended this war, they wouldn't just be starving now. I don't care if they took the money to squander it or to support their mothers; what's done is done. They betrayed my kindness, so I'll take back what I gave them. Is there a problem?"

Lily lowered her eyes and shook her head, saying, "No problem. The victor has the right to do anything. Most people wouldn't be as clear-headed as you are; they'd just kill until they were satisfied—but..."

She glanced instinctively at her fellow dragons beside her. These dragons also showed disdain. Most dragons were born with contempt for weak, short-lived species, especially in this situation.

But the Fire Thief...

She couldn't mention this in front of the outsiders.

"I don't mean to compare you to others... Kang De, but..."

As a dragon, Lily didn't care much about the lives of some heartless or brainless humans, but she learned about the previous Fire Thief from her father's diary.

She felt she needed to do something... to prevent Kang De from repeating her mistakes.

Kang De glanced at her, then fell into a brief silence, as if remembering something.

Seeing this, Lily also fell silent.

She knew she couldn't say any more.

After a while, Kang De came to his senses and noticed three people standing at the edge of the square.

Further away, three smaller teams were waiting.

Looking from this angle, you can also see that their clothing styles and colors are quite different.

How long did they stand there?

"Ten minutes, sir."

A giant dragon preemptively offered a fawning remark before Lily could speak, "We don't want to disturb your thoughts."

Kang De nodded. "Please invite them over."

These three were the three fleet commanders summoned by Kang De to the Distant Harbor to personally accept the surrender. They were Kavilonsa, commander of the Goth Expeditionary Fleet of the Twilight Moon Royal Navy; Niola, the Seeker of the Azure Fleet of the Arcane Council; and a terrified bastard from the brother country.

The three groups present a stark contrast in their mental outlook.

Kavisalong was impeccably mannered, maintaining the dignity of the world's strongest naval commander while offering his respects. Mage Niola also upheld the pride of a spellcaster, but his panic and apprehension were still unconsciously revealed. After all, his fleet had lost more than half of its strength, and A Fu's cannons were truly awe-inspiring.

As for the remaining temporary commander of the Empire Fleet, he was now like a quail that had fallen into the water. After all, the Empire Fleet had suffered the most damage, with its flagship, the Black Pine Forest, and the entire fleet command being wiped out. The captains who took over the command were constantly dying in battle. It took four or five rounds before it was finally his turn, that of a spoiled rich kid who had come to gain experience.

Therefore, his bow was the most extensive and his attitude the most humble and subservient.

Beside the fountain in the center of the square, Kang De sat on the edge of the pool, casually scooping up some cool water. "Let's not go inside to discuss the details. We can settle things here so you can go back and prepare as soon as possible."

He pointed to the edge of the path around him. "Sit wherever you like."

The elf's gaze swept over them, and he frowned slightly.

This was somewhat improper, and it would be impossible to observe Kang De's facial expressions during the conversation, but standing and making Kang De look up at him seemed a bit disrespectful...

Before the thought had even left his mind, the Imperial man beside him had already half-knelt down, his back slightly bent, maintaining a height shorter than Kang De, and said with a smile, "Sir, may I do this?"

--Damn imperialists! Don't let me see your ships at sea again!

You've pulled down all the masts!

This shameless bastard has put the elves and mages in an awkward position. Their pride wouldn't allow them to be so humble, but if this son of a bitch did it and they didn't, Kang De might be unhappy. Damn it, the Imperials are unreliable.

"... This is really troublesome."

Kang De waved his hand and said, "Don't kneel, sit on the ground."

The Imperial man immediately knelt down, sitting on his heels with his hands on his thighs.

A well-behaved and perfect ancient Cathay ritual.

The elf sat gracefully cross-legged.

The mage thought for a moment and then made a small stool using earth element.

Kang De was oblivious to their petty tricks and schemes; that's the advantage of being a victor, while the loser gets caught up in such things, whereas he can do whatever he wants.

And define the terms for the winner.

Let me introduce these dragons to you.

Kang De gestured to the circle of bodyguards around him. The dragons wore polite smiles and bowed slightly in greeting, but still maintained the arrogance that belonged to the dragon race.

This is also one of the expression management projects personally finalized by the Dragon Emperor. Its purpose is to make the employer feel the vanity and satisfaction of "the dragon I hired is arrogant, domineering, and looks down on all other creatures as ants, but only respects me. This is a real dragon! This money was well spent! It's so satisfying!"

Taking such a giant dragon out is more prestigious than taking three hundred stunningly beautiful women with you.

Kang De said, "They have sworn an oath to the Dragon God that they will serve me for a period of time before the Dragon Emperor takes them home, as a reward for me cleansing the Paradox Element from their bodies."

The three commanders were immediately moved.

The most profound impression left on them by this inexplicable yet terrifying battle was undoubtedly the corrosive influence of the extremely terrifying unknown substance. Corrupted dragons extended their foul-smelling tentacles, even able to corrupt and control warships. The crew members of the warships were infected by that terrifying Magic Creature; those severely affected lost all their sanity and became its minions, launching attacks against their former comrades...

Even more deadly was that although the warships infected and controlled by the Aberrant Dragon had been completely wiped out by Kang De, the survivors were more or less infected due to the close-quarters combat, and could even feel some terrible changes in their bodies... and they also witnessed the fate of their comrades.

In other words, what they are most hoping for now is to get rid of this foreign substance as soon as possible.

All three commanders came for this reason.

Hearing Kang De's hint, even the most elegant elf abandoned his composure.

They both asked, "What do we need to give in return?"

"Don't rush."

Kang De's single sentence silenced them both.

"You led your army to approach the Distant Harbor; you received the orders, and I won't hold you accountable for that. But..." The Fire Thief looked at the elven commander, "I'll start with you. I have a few questions for you."

Kavisalong's heart skipped a beat.

"Here it comes," he thought to himself.

As expected, Kang De asked, "When the infected Empire Fleet was about to attack the Distant Harbor, it was your fleet that deterred their slaughter with its deterrence. But after the appearance of the mutated dragon horde, when my son suggested that you join the war, you flatly refused and sailed away. Is that true?"

The elven commander, his expression unchanged, nodded and said, "Yes."

Kang De asked, "Do you regret it?"

Pointy-eared man nodded again. "Regret."

Kang De's face remained expressionless. "If I let you choose again, would you dare?"

Without hesitation, the elf replied, "If I had known that soon after the fleet set sail, more Aberrant Dragon would launch an indiscriminate attack against us, I would certainly have chosen to intervene in the battlefield. If I had known that after a hard-fought battle, your warships would sweep away the enemy with lightning speed, I would have ordered the fleet to intercept them before the Distant Harbor and focus on blocking the dragons attempting to attack it."

Kang De then asked, "What if you don't know?"

Kavisalong said decisively, "Then let's set sail and leave."

Upon hearing this, the Imperial soldiers and mages beside him glanced over discreetly, their expressions differing but conveying a similar meaning—"Idiot with pointed ears, his brain is indeed made of wood."

Kang De asked with great interest, "Why?"

The elf calmly replied, "Stopping the Empire Fleet from indiscriminately killing innocent people was an order from the Queen to control the situation, and we obeyed. However, subsequent events exceeded the Queen's expectations. I must consider the safety of my soldiers. This is not our war, and we have no obligation to..."

"I'm not asking why you did it, I'm asking why you told the truth," Kang De laughed. "Is it dignity? Do elves never lie?"

"No, sir, in fact, the elves lie, the elves deceive."

The brigadier looked back at Kang De: "But we also know that telling a lie that can be seen through at a glance will only provoke the victor's resentment and contempt."

"That makes sense," Kang De nodded. "I'll treat you first."

Kavisalong's face showed heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness... May I ask, what can we do to repay your kindness and benevolence?"

A barely perceptible smile flickered in Kang De's eyes.

He waved his hand casually. "No need, the elves will repay this favor."

An elf will come to repay the debt.

Who is it?

The elven commodore was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was happening.

Who is it!?

How will you repay it!?

His handsome face flushed red instantly.

He had the face of someone who had imagined something and was extremely unwilling to accept it.

His usual elegance and composure vanished; his voice rose slightly with emotion, and he even lowered his noble head. "Kang De Highness, please ensure that all officers and men of my fleet repay your kindness and courtesy with the utmost effort and dedication! I implore you!"

Even though the lives of the entire fleet were in Kang De's hands, even though the infection of the Paradox Element had indeed occurred, even though he came here as a defeated soldier, the elf did not utter a single word of pleading.

Kang De stroked his chin and sighed, "Oh dear, this is a bit difficult..."

Upon hearing this, Lily, who was sitting next to Kang De, suddenly turned her face away.

The dragons, who had been watching the negotiations with great interest, suddenly shuddered, as if they had recalled some unpleasant past events.

Kang De said, "There's nothing you elves can do right now. After all, you just fought a battle with Goth, and it's not suitable for you to come to the Distant Harbor to carry out a mission; it would cause unrest among the local residents..."

The elf abruptly rose to his feet, then knelt on one knee, saying without hesitation, "I implore you once again, Your Highness Kang De! As long as we do not antagonize Twilight Moon, and as long as we do not tarnish the honor of the Royal Navy, our fleet officers and men are willing to do anything for you! Defeat is already a great disgrace; at least let us do something in exchange for medical treatment for the prisoners! This is our most earnest request!"

His eyes were bloodshot. "Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to atone with our deaths!"

"Alas, why must it be like this? Why must it be like this? It's really just a small matter, truly a small matter." Kang De reached out to help the elf up. "Me and you women... alas, you know, really, there's no need to make a fuss, no need to make a fuss..."

The cry was like a cuckoo's lament, "Your Highness Kang De!"

"Alright, alright, go and bring your men here, just near my ship. I'll heal you first, then I'll think about what kind of work I can find for you..."

"Please don't give us some trivial task! Kang De Highness! It must be a mission comparable to the great favor of healing the entire fleet!"

"Okay, okay, okay, don't worry, go ahead."

As the elf watched Kavisalong leave, he kept turning back, his back view filled with a sense of tragic grandeur.

When he turned around, the dragons looked at him with very strange eyes.

The fear was tinged with a lingering apprehension, like that of someone with PTSD.

He asked, puzzled, "... What's wrong?"

The dragon he was questioning chuckled dryly, "Nothing, I just suddenly have more respect for you."

Kang De shook his head and pointed at Niola: "The second one will deal with you."

The seeker rose and bowed. "Please give your orders, Your Highness."

Kang De said, "I've long heard of the reputation of the Arcane Council. I've also seen your ships; they're quite impressive. I've heard that your army has a particularly high rate of mage deployment?"

A hint of pride flashed across Niola's face. "Yes, thanks to Arcane Council advanced..."

"Alright, alright," Kang De said. "I need you to organize the entire fleet of mages to do something for me. I just ordered the Governor of Distant Harbor to conduct a city-wide manhunt for criminals who incite riots. You will act as a special investigative department to investigate whether there are any cases of injustice or abuse of power."

"Utilizing the mages' special skills, including interrogation techniques, mental manipulation, and even the ability to control fear, your task is not only to determine the guilt of the suspects, but also to assess the severity of their crimes and whether any major criminals have escaped."

"I know that most of those instigating the riots have ties to your Arcane Council, so I will involve Imperial and Elven mages in this oversight department, listen to the opinions of Distant Harbor mages, directly appoint reviewers to oversee the overall situation, and personally review and verify the final reports."

"When it comes to spies from our own country, I allow you to stay out of it and hand them over to mages from other countries to deal with. But if you want to cover it up, you'd better consider the consequences if things are exposed."

Kang De glanced at the remaining two, and they immediately lowered their heads.

He asked, "Any questions?"

Niola asked, "When we interrogate or detect a big fish, can we just capture it?"

Kang De nodded and said, "Yes."

"Does that mean the use of lethal force is permitted?"

"The principle is to capture them alive if possible. Some are guilty but not deserving of death, while others cannot be so easily killed," Kang De said calmly. "But if the other party resists fiercely, then let him die a painful death."

"Yes."

Niola then asked, "Regarding the identification of crimes, please advise on which regulations to follow."

Kang De stated. "The instigators of the uprising are divided into three levels: the highest level, responsible for bribery and giving instructions; the next level, the big bosses who take money to do things; the lower-level bosses who take money; and the next level, who are organized according to their status, subjective purpose, and the amount of money involved."

Oh, right.

He said, "Pay attention to the criminals' backgrounds, especially those who take Xiao Qian of money. Inquire about their family circumstances, personal character, and where the money went. For example, do they have elderly, weak, women, or children to support? What is their reputation like? Did they gamble away the money or use it all to support their family, or did they squander some and leave the rest for their family? Are they usually a scoundrel or an honest man? Find out all of this, register it all, and show it to me."

"And all those incited mobs must be thoroughly investigated, especially those who take advantage of the chaos to loot, rob, or even engage in fighting and violence; they must all be apprehended."

Niola listened intently, deep in thought.

Finally, he said, "I understand completely, Your Highness."

"This matter will be handled by you, the elf, and me. I'll explain some of the details to him later, and you two can explain the rest. Also, please inform the Distant Harbor authorities of this principle."

Why not let Kavisalong stay here and listen to the rest?

Of course, the goal is to create the feeling of "I'm reluctantly giving you a small task; I wasn't originally planning to use you elves for this kind of intelligence and interrogation work, but you can do it too!"

"Learn."

Niola and the second-generation empire's heir exchanged a glance, knowing the other was unreliable, so Niora asked himself, "One last question, Your Highness. This mission requires cooperation with Distant Harbor, coordination among the three of us, and the Distant Harbor need to be informed. Under what pretext should we proceed?"

The issue of legitimacy is indeed very important, both for Kang De and for the three-nation fleet. As the navy of their own country, they certainly cannot serve Kang De as soldiers of their own country.

And Kang De's authority, of course, also needed to make its voice heard.

Kang De thought for a moment, then smiled slightly.

"Belonging to the Inquisition," he replied, "the Traitor Suppression Society."

After the two fleet commanders left, Kang De remained seated with his legs crossed.

Suddenly, Lily's smiling face came from the side.

Kang De asked dismissively, "What are you laughing at?"

The Dragon Girl smiled and said, "Why did you change your mind? Do my words carry that much weight?"

Upon hearing this, Kang De looked away. "No, it's just that I suddenly remembered an old woman's bloody hole on her face... Back then, I was powerless and could only choose what I thought was the right choice, but now I can do something else, so why not? Anyway, there are plenty of people to run errands and do the work for me."

He seemed unwilling to talk much.

So the Dragon Girl exclaimed dramatically, "Huh! It's not because of me? Disappointing!"

"No, it's partly your fault too."

Kang De turned his head and met the Dragon Girl's eyes.

Lily was startled.

Meeting the Dragon Girl's somewhat evasive gaze, Kang De said, "One-hundredth."

"... ah?"

"Take away 0.1% of the shares in exchange for my agreement to your suggestion to carefully examine the specific composition of those rioting idiots and give some not-too-hopeful scum a chance..."

The next moment, the little dragon roared, "No way! What right do you have! Let all those ants die! Their worthless lives aren't worth this much, even if you added ten thousand more!"

"I did not agree! This violates the spirit of the contract!"

You're not kidding, are you?!

Waaaaaah, you're bullying me!

"I'd have to be ridden by you for five years to earn even 0.1% of that..."

Amidst this feigned crying and laughter, Kang De's mood eased somewhat.

Yes, it's possible.

Even without subordinates, even isolated and helpless, even facing the hostility of an entire city, the ever-changing political landscape of Goth, and even the gaze of the whole world, I, alone, can still take over the Distant Harbor.

Even without henchmen, I can still get things for free.

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: 7,000 words!

PS2: Damn, after all these years of criticizing Public Intellectual and pro-American elements, only today, seeing that beautiful sight, do I have to sincerely admit that when it comes to freedom, America is still stronger. I've lost.