Kang De's Deadlines

Five days have passed since the Cathay mission arrived in the east.

After initial unease and surprise, the guests from the East gradually integrated into the city. Wearing personal terminals modified from Little Genius smartwatches, they joined various departments as trainees based on their individual strengths.

The news that Kang De had been granted a dukedom by the Empress of Cathay spread throughout the continent.

The Dusk Moon Dynasty was the first to send diplomatic congratulations, followed by Dragon Island, and then the Brotherhood, the Battle God City, the Dwarf Kingdom, and other major powers... This signifies recognition, acceptance of Kang De's ducal status.

Conversely, those who don't offer congratulations are showing a lack of approval.

The Council's silence was understandable, given that the two sides had become increasingly tense over the past three months, with constant conflicts of all sizes, and war seemed imminent.

It's not surprising that the empire remained silent. Ever since Kang De rejected the emperor's proposal to marry him and establish a kingdom during the sea monster incident, relations between the two sides had plummeted to a freezing point—the emperor had probably realized Kang De's deep-seated and unforgettable hostility.

The fact that Goth's court remained completely silent was quite telling.

"The nobles of Goth have a deep-seated prejudice against me," Kang De said, shaking his head. "I asked the Sword Saint Cascading Snow to convey my message to the Grand Duke... but it seems pointless and utterly useless."

Princess Tina remained composed, glancing only at Kang De before calmly stating, "Father has officially lifted the ban on the Prime Minister. The two of them have rejoined forces and are beginning to gradually consolidate power and unite the nobility."

Kang De was slightly taken aback.

"Ah..." he murmured, "Prime Minister Xide."

His gaze shifted to Tina, and a barely perceptible sadness flickered in the princess's pure, azure eyes.

Kang De smiled slightly, "It's been a long time since I've heard that name."

Battle of Danfeng Lucerne, Kang De, who remained in the capital, only enjoyed a brief honeymoon period with the Goth People before relations deteriorated rapidly. Xide, the then-Prime Minister, harbored considerable hostility towards Kang De and was even dismissed from his post and confined to his home on suspicion of involvement in an attack against Kang De.

The attack was completely inexplicable and extremely strange. Despite extensive investigations, no results were found. Prime Xide was a prime suspect, and if Kang De had given him a free rein to interrogate him, he might have been able to uncover some clues. However, Kang De did not do so, even though the Fire Thief's secret method of Extraction souls was the best way to torture them.

Because Prime Minister Xide was Cleveland's father.

After that attack, the mastermind and all the clues vanished without a trace. Iron Son's injuries were later repaired one by one with better enchanted components and Dragonblood Armor. Later, Kang De became involved in a series of events and even went to Far Distant Harbor to establish himself. Many trivial matters came one after another, and the investigation in Distant Harbor made no progress at all. The matter at the time had long become a mess.

But despite the confusion, the Grand Duke's lifting of the ban and reinstatement of Prime Minister Xide, along with his use of the Prime Minister's prestige and connections to unite the nobility and accumulate power, were likely not well-intentioned.

"Anyway..."

Kang De calmly stated, "After winning the Council and opening up the situation, we will proceed to take over power and control Goth. If Grand Duke Reknos still fails to grasp the situation, then Tina will have no choice but to succeed him."

The senior retainers of the Shogunate looked at each other, speechless.

This was Goth's internal affair, and even more so Kang De's family matter; they didn't want to comment further.

Tina sighed softly, "Hopefully they won't do anything too foolish."

Kang De reached out and took her hand, smiling gently. "I always give them a little more patience... as long as they don't cross my line. I've already sent someone to warn them."

Tina returned the handshake, their palms mingling, and they smiled at each other.

Tensions Distant Harbor and the Council escalating, and war is drawing ever closer.

At this juncture, Archduke Goth began to consolidate power and actively prepare, with the nobles eagerly cooperating. So, what was their purpose?

Is it an enthusiastic preparation to fight alongside Kang De?

Should we do something while Kang De is preoccupied with the world's powers and unable to spare any attention?

Both conjectures are possible, but as thorough pessimists and skeptics, Kang De and Tina would lean towards the second possibility... and prepare for it.

In guarding against conspiracies and executing traitors, Tina was far more ruthless than Kang De.

Kang De said calmly, "To be fair, the fact that I have gradually taken over and controlled Distant Harbor and even the entire Azure Waves Province is a disgrace to any monarch. It is only natural and understandable that the Grand Duke is furious and wants to regain face and maintain his dignity, and will take any measures."

"As for the Goth nobles, they had suffered considerable losses at my hands and had their faces repeatedly slapped by me, realizing my hostility towards the entire noble class. I had brought Goth a lot of danger and trouble, which they resented. I lumped commoners and nobles together, which enraged them. My goods were destroying their incomes, which made them grit their teeth. My agricultural mechanization made them even more apprehensive..."

His tone was neither happy nor angry, showing neither dissatisfaction nor hatred, as if he were talking about an ordinary matter.

"Therefore, conflict is inevitable, and clashes are bound to occur. They realize that I have designs on the whole of Goth, and they fear ending up like the nobles of the Distant Harbor. So it is only natural that they will be hostile and rebellious against me at all costs, and it is only natural that I will defeat them."

"This time they might take advantage of the chaos to rebel, and I will crush them, tame them, and reform them. This is part of the new replacing the old. Of course, I won't indiscriminately kill them all and take everything from them, but I will draw a line for them beforehand. Don't give me a reason to kill their whole family."

Leona listened with a chill running down her spine; as a "progressive noblewoman," she was still somewhat uneasy.

She asked, "What deadline?"

Kang De glanced at her but did not answer.

Danfeng Lucerne.

Goth's court.

National affairs should not be discussed with the masses, but a ceremonial collective meeting is still needed to satisfy the sense of participation of the fools. The nobles gathered here, making a ruckus and loudly plotting.

"War is imminent!"

"We've been sanctioned by the Council for three months!"

Goth did nothing wrong! Why should he be treated like this?!

"Is it all because of Kang De —is he going to drag us back into the war?"

"He has effectively occupied and controlled Distant Harbor and even the entire Azure Waves Province! This is aggression!"

"And Valentan..."

They spoke, they accused, they denounced, but their shifty eyes silently scanned the room, and no one dared to voice their true thoughts.

Even though they had already entertained mysterious visitors these days.

Let's take this opportunity to do something!

--To free Goth from the Shadow of this schemer!

The nobles dared not openly voice their thoughts, for they were still terrified of the madman-like ferocity and ruthlessness of the Dragon of Cathay, but they could offer their suggestions indirectly.

"The Council on the verge of war with Kang De. Because of their conflict with Kang De, Goth has also been greatly affected. The Council's trade sanctions against Distant Harbor have even extended to Goth as a whole, impacting the import of many goods, causing prices to rise, and the people to suffer greatly..."

An old nobleman said slowly, "I'm not advising you to make any drastic decision, but Your Highness, you are responsible for the entire nation of Goth. The brave citizens of this country cannot be dragged into another war of annihilation because of the ambition of one person. If Distant Harbor and the Council to war, we must ensure that Goth is not attacked."

The hall fell silent, and the Grand Duke on his throne raised his eyes. "What suggestions do you have?"

"As long as the two sides go to war, Council's forces do not enter Goth's territory under our control, then we have succeeded," the nobleman said calmly. "To make the Council think twice, Goth needs a powerful ally."

A soft murmur followed.

The Arcane Council was one of the world's greatest powers. To make such a powerful nation learn to restrain its military might, it was necessary to have an equal level of military force to support Goth.

The elves do not consider those with comparable military strength in the present world, leaving only one answer.

"I heard that a few months ago, His Majesty the Emperor sought a marriage alliance with Stella for one of his princes, hoping it would be an opportunity to mend relations between the two countries... but Kang De intervened and vetoed it."

The old nobleman knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and said, "We are grateful to Kang De, but we cannot rely on Kang De alone. His actions have proven his ambition, and his interests are not entirely Goth's interests. Therefore, besides Kang De, we need another powerful ally or sovereign... Please consider this carefully."

He said in a deep voice, "For the future of this country, and for this hard-won peace, I urge Your Excellency to begin repairing and rebuilding the good relations with the Empire."

"We are an independent principality, and our diplomatic decisions should not be subject to the opinions or manipulation of outsiders. As a member of the human world, Goth's confrontation with the sovereign of mankind is not a good thing."

The hall was completely silent; no one uttered a word, but their silent gazes all conveyed a similar message... After all, humans are forgetful creatures.

They had forgotten the predicament of turning to the human sovereign for help when the elves besieged the city, only to be met with constant evasions from the empire. They also didn't care that a mission that had risked its life to be sent on a mission was wiped out inexplicably within the empire's borders. They now only missed the preferential treatment and courtesy they received from the empire as members of the human aristocracy within the entire aristocratic system.

Especially when Kang De was in a position of great power, the emperor's favor and glory were so precious.

Behind the door to the side room, Stella leaned against the door, looking up at the carvings on the ceiling.

Tina had clearly sided with Kang De, but what choice should she make?

A look of confusion flickered in her beautiful eyes. She sighed silently. The second princess understood Tina's position, but she also understood her father's good intentions—her soft-hearted father simply did not want Goth to be drawn back into the flames of war.

To be fair, making efforts to repair relations with the Empire is not a wrong thing to do.

Only...

--The sound of the door being kicked open could be heard clearly.

The second princess stared at the ceiling, a helpless smile on her face.

The sudden intrusion of the uninvited guest into the hall was like a spell of silence, silencing all the arguments and discussions. The nobles turned to look and were all instantly pale.

The visitor must be Kang De's messenger.

His clothing, weapons, and demeanor say it all.

"Doom Chapter, First Company, Company Commander Ulysses."

Even though he had become a key member of the warband, he was still willing to serve as a messenger, a messenger.

Ulysses was not wearing power armor; his curly hair fell casually over his shoulders, and the Paradox Crystals on the chest and joints of his combat suit glittered. He held an eagle staff and nodded to the crowd.

"I have brought with me an ultimatum from the Duke of Qin."

The nobles, regaining their senses, flew into a rage and shouted, "Outsiders! How long will you continue to humiliate Kang De's sacred tradition! You've barged into the meeting!"

Ulysses said calmly, "I walked in; you'd better not give me the chance to trespass."

He stepped forward, glanced around dismissively, tapped his cane on the ground, and said in a low, gentle tone, "I have been ordered to bring you Lord Kang De's advice. I will leave after I have finished speaking."

"His Excellency the Duke said that he is aware of your hostility and schemes, and that you will take hostile actions for your own interests. He is not interested in the details of your plots, but he understands your predicaments and reasons. He looks forward to a fair and square contest with you, and hopes that this contest will be a noble battle in which the loser will accept defeat, be reformed, and embrace the new era."

A low sneer rose, filled with disdain.

Ulysses glanced at him. "I hereby declare that the Eye of Horus has descended upon me, and your voices and appearances will be recorded. Even if you hide in a crowd, your disrespectful laughter will be detected. Please show the Dragon of Cathay the most basic respect, even if you have different stances, if he is the one who saved you."

The laughter immediately ceased.

In the ensuing silence, Ulysses uttered a faint "Heh."

Ignoring the flushed faces of the nobles, he continued, "His Highness has shown you mercy and tolerance; even if he defeats you, he will not exterminate you..."

Upon hearing this, one of the fearless nobles finally retorted, "What about that ancient, great family whose Distant Harbor was destroyed? What happened to Kang De's benevolence and tolerance?"

Ulysses raised his voice. "That's because they're manipulating grain prices, trying to starve the common people, and even inciting riots and attempting rebellion! This is the line His Highness has drawn for you! The common people are not worthless, not tools that conspirators can use at will. Anyone who manipulates the people, plots against them, and causes serious consequences will be thoroughly investigated by His Highness Kang De —remember this!"

Overwhelmed by this momentum, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Ulysses snorted, "There's a second death line, everyone listen carefully—this is His Highness Kang De's order! All Goth nobles are forbidden from siding with, pledging allegiance to, colluding with, or defecting to the Empire in any form! Anyone who does such a thing—will be executed along with their entire clan! Their entire family will be wiped out!"

This statement caused an uproar.

The nobles were furious, ignoring even Kang De's threats. One of them shouted, "Kang De is meddling too much! We are loyal to the Duke, and even more so to the Lord of mankind. Why can't we?"

"Have no idea!"

Ulysses retorted sharply, "But if His Highness Kang De says no, then no! His Highness Kang De says that whether one sides with the Elves or surrenders to the Council, the judgment Council made accordingly. No Goth People has the right to bow down to the Empire. Anyone who dares to do so will have their entire family killed!"

These words were spoken with murderous intent; even through the words of Ulysses, the narrator, one could hear Kang De's unwavering killing intent and determination, which stirred the hearts and minds of everyone present.

"Exterminate the entire clan," the Doom Warriors said coldly. "It means that if your clan has ten thousand members, His Highness won't just kill nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine. The Dragon of Cathay will uphold its oath. Please think it over carefully."

Amidst the buzzing noise and various questions and roars, Ulysses stared at the Grand Duke for five seconds, and seeing that Goth's ruler had not commented, he turned and left.

Behind them, the nobles roared and vented their anger in exasperation.

After a long silence, someone whispered, "He's out of options... he can only resort to threats like this!"

But the weakness and unease in his tone were clear to everyone.

In the midst of the fierce chaos, the Grand Duke turned his head and met the gaze of the silent Prime Minister Xide.

"Ah... the message has been delivered."

During the Shogunate meeting, Kang De tilted his head and said, "I hope these nobles can be a little more rational... They and their forces are valuable human resources; killing them all wouldn't be good."

Of course, he was serious.

Even if a million Goth People wanted to kneel before the Empire, he wouldn't spare a single one.

I'd rather surrender to the Star Palace than to the Empire.

"Let's consider the war first." Leona looked at the photos in her hand, intelligence gathered from reconnaissance aircraft. "My intelligence network has also transmitted similar reports. The Council conducting a large-scale troop movement; their army is approaching the border between the two countries..."

"But at the same time..."

Tina, who was in charge of foreign affairs, said, "The Arcane Council has formally initiated negotiations, a monarchical meeting between the Grand Speaker and Kang De... Is mobilizing the army a demonstration?"

Leona said, "Perhaps they want to lull us into a false sense of security through these talks, and then launch a surprise attack with the army."

Kang De shook his head and said, "Unlikely... We've already analyzed it. Even if the Council launches a war, it won't adopt a large-scale army approach. Under the attack of Forbidden Spell, what's the difference between that and sending them to their deaths? It's most likely just a feint or a smokescreen. If I'm not mistaken, the form of this war might be quite interesting."

That being said...

Dong Tianming frowned and said, "I have never seen such a bizarre situation or state in my entire life. I really can't guess what reason this war will break out or how it will be carried out."

"I can't think of anything else, so I can only deal with things as they come and make full preparations."

Kang De smiled slightly, "Moreover, how a war breaks out and how it proceeds is not important; what matters is how it ends... and we are confident about that."

The Imperial Tutor stroked his beard and said, "Oh?"

"The laws of victory have been confirmed." Kang De's eyes gleamed. "Dairila reminded us that it's almost certain the Council is replicating our weapons, and might even use their magical technology to create some rather amazing contraptions, enhancing our effectiveness and power in land combat..."

But all this effort will inevitably be in vain.

The war system on Earth has become increasingly boring since the modern era.

Romantic land battles, large-scale military clashes, steel torrents, and the roar of cannons... Thousands of years of history, the iron-blooded romance of the evolution from cold weapons to firearms, have ultimately faded under the glory of the sky. The air force, as a branch of the military, has completely reduced asymmetric warfare to a boring state.

During these three months, time also passed on Earth. In order to prepare for the battle with the Council, air force became the key development target during this period.

"I'll give the Council a big surprise."

Meanwhile, in Tula Xiaye, the Grand Speaker of the Starry Sky Council is now under heavy attack.

"It's been three months—sanctions have been imposed, the military has been expanded, when are you finally going to negotiate with Kang De!?"