Only His Highness Kang De Knows

You're doomed.

The thick layer of earth insulated the cold, damp air. The spacious underground bunker was brightly lit, and the fireless stove emitted a warm glow. Carpets were laid out, and the walls gleamed with the light of runes and magic patterns. The room was luxuriously furnished, a world apart from the bunkers and shacks of the soldiers on the front lines.

After all, this was the lounge of His Excellency Griffin, the Supreme Commander and Leader of the Arcane Council.

At this moment, the Grand Speaker was sitting behind his desk, wearing a monocle, reading something.

Compared to the time of the Battle of Tula Xiaye, his appearance has changed considerably—his hair has turned completely white, and the short few months have etched deeper lines on his face like the sharpest carving knife.

His cheeks became thinner, and his eyes sunken, but they still shone brightly. This made the legendary monk, renowned in his time, lose his kind and wise demeanor and become sinister and cold. The ambitious drive he had had in his early years when he fought for power had been revived and awakened in his aging body.

The military staff and officers saw these changes, but dared only turn a blind eye. Under the chilling gaze of the Grand Speaker, no one dared to question, oppose, or even suggest anything.

And now...

You're doomed.

Another sound came from the room, accompanied by satisfied chewing and swallowing sounds.

Griffin's expression turned sinister.

He tossed the papers in his hand onto the table with a stern face.

This is a flyer, yet it's as exquisite as a painting. The paper is tough, smooth to the touch, and even waterproof. Even an uncultured country bumpkin could recognize the value of this piece of paper—undoubtedly, this is one of Kang De's old tricks, filled with seductive words.

Every now and then, Kang De would throw these leaflets, along with various "surrender food" printed with the words "Please keep this box and lay down your weapons and surrender; we will guarantee your safety," everywhere.

These flyers come in a wide variety of styles and have diverse contents, and are even gradually showing a trend of developing into newspapers.

Some of the content is coercive, such as "anyone with a little common sense."

Some of the content is enticing, such as "If you defect on the battlefield, you'll each receive..." Pshaw, it's "A pack of Little Raccoon cigarettes every day."

Some of the content was incitement, and this part made Griffin frown the most. From the meaning of war to the righteousness of resistance, it was all perfectly self-consistent. What Kang De wrote even made the Grand Speaker feel a chill... Did this guy even know what he was writing?

--Isn't he afraid that these writings will fall into the hands of Distant Harbor?

Some are political news, intended to sway public opinion.

This type of content is rich in pictures and text, depicting destroyed supply wagons, looted military warehouses, and hordes of green-skinned soldiers wreaking havoc and creating panic throughout the northern counties of the Council via hyperspace mobility.

This not only greatly disrupted logistics, but also unsettled the soldiers—they saw green-skinned selfies against the backdrop of familiar hometown scenery on the leaflets, with every blade of grass and tree of their homeland contrasted with the terrifying, ferocious faces of the orcs with their protruding underbites and fangs. The impact on morale was obvious.

In particular, that despicable Kang De, imitating the wisdom of Emperor Gaozu of Han, uses a concert-level sound system to Council the North County's headquarters with his hometown folk songs from Beijun every day. Combined with these graphic leaflets, it's practically a coordinated effort.

But what Griffin and the Council's army found most unbearable was not this kind of political news.

It's a Fick twist.

That Kang De guy actually fabricated fake news...

The earliest victim was the governor of Entuman County, the mage Enutulas. Hundreds of copies of a photo of him shaking hands with the Doom Warriors in front of the county government were printed and scattered everywhere. In addition to the clear, large photo, the accompanying text stated unequivocally that the Distant Harbor Army had captured Entuman County and that the entire county had "abandoned darkness for light," which almost caused a mutiny and riot among the local troops.

Horus's skills, honed by his father, were so good that no one in the entire team, from Griffin Williams down, could tell the photo was photoshopped.

Fortunately, the Grand Great Wall was shrewd and composed, and the officer from En County managed to verify the intelligence, thus clearing up the misunderstanding and confirming that Kang De was spreading rumors; otherwise, things would have been much more complicated.

Griffin breathed a sigh of relief, but fear, rage, and shame slowly welled up inside him.

Because he recognized Kang De's arrogance and contempt!

--The tactic of spreading rumors could have been much more powerful!

When used at the right time, combined with Kang De's ability to manipulate people's hearts and spread fear, it is easy to use intensive propaganda and intelligence hints to make soldiers believe that the northern counties have completely fallen! This can cause the complete collapse of the battle line, achieve a resounding victory, and leave Griffin with no chance!

But Kang De didn't!

Instead, he treated it merely as a means of seeking amusement, casually tossing it out as if it were just for fun, which, for Griffin, was the greatest contempt.

--I can do whatever I want to you.

Griffin, realizing this, remained outwardly calm, but his inner shame, anger, and rage were beyond words.

Although he is "unperturbed by honor or disgrace," he still has emotions and desires, and is ultimately just a human being. His so-called shrewdness is nothing more than a product of his long-term high position. For example, if a nobody insults him to his face, he will just laugh it off, because to him, that person is nothing more than a dog. To lower oneself to his level would only make one appear petty.

But if the person who humiliates him is Kang De, someone he considers to be on the same level as himself, then the other party's contempt and mockery will make him, like an ordinary person, bang his head on the ground and become furious.

But the key point is...

He still has no solution to this.

Tactics are useless, weapons are useless, military strategy is useless.

The peerless artifact obtained from the Star Palace was so ingeniously designed that it could change the course of war across the entire continent. Yet, when faced with Kang De's steel torrent, it could only manage a stalemate, barely holding on.

Despite their painstakingly devised trench tactics, their special attack on Kang De's magical artifacts and operational strategies, and the accumulated wisdom and institutional strength of the Arcane Council over hundreds of years, they still couldn't gain any advantage against Kant's unpreparedness.

Kang De always found a way to cope; he seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of pieces. In fact, the longer the game dragged on, the more new tricks he would come up with. Even with Griffin's strong mind, he dared not ponder the reasons behind this in detail... Only when the night was deep and quiet, and he tossed and turned in bed, would he sigh softly with regret.

--Isn't this just common sense?

If the Fire Thief could make God of the Star Palace like Phaethon, so arrogant and haughty, treat him with such utmost respect, even to the point of showing the slightest disrespect in his words, then the Fire Thief must be no weakling.

"It smells so good!"

He heard the exclamation and looked up.

The person on the sofa tore open the silvery-white wrapping paper and pulled out a long, dagger-sized strip of meat with solidified fat and a golden-brown surface. His right hand glowed red, and the heat forced the meat to melt and drip down. The golden-brown skin peeled away with a crackling sound, and the aroma spread.

Even Griffin had to admit that it smelled really good—roasted meat wasn't anything special, but the army cooks couldn't replicate the flavor at all. He specifically asked the famous cook, who honestly told him that it was probably due to a complete difference in cooking utensils, spices, and varieties.

The man tore open the seasoning packet on the table, sprinkled the bright red powder on the meat, and then opened his mouth to chew. His teeth crunched on the crispy skin, and the rich meat juices overflowed from between his teeth. As he ate, he made satisfied sighs. In a short while, he had finished off the pound or so of meat strips.

"OK!"

Phaethon sucked the grease off his fingers, nodded with satisfaction, and gave the highest praise from the Star Palace.

"Such delicious food is worth a dedicated harvest!"

Griffin scoffed upon hearing this, saying calmly, "Kang De occasionally hides teleportation beacons in the food drops. If soldiers accidentally eat them, they'll be captured. Sometimes he'll even teleport a giant alchemical bomb in the opposite direction... If you fall for it, don't blame me for not warning you."

Phaethon chewed on the last bits of juice and meat in his mouth, revealing a slightly ferocious smile.

He opened another box of egg yolk pastries, eating them one after another, crumbs flying everywhere.

"Did you hear what I just said?" the God of the Star Palace said between bites. "You're doomed."

Griffin stared at him with a sullen face.

"Mudbloods, you've always been like this, I've seen it all before."

Phaethon swept through the table full of "surrender food," and mumbled, "At first, everyone was indifferent, ignoring your warnings and only caring about their own interests. When the crisis came, they regretted it and began to trust you and obey your commands. When the war went badly, they became selfish, began to seek other ways out, and started to have different thoughts about you. Until the end..."

He pointed a finger at the Grand Speaker and gave a mocking smile.

"In the end, you will die, your body will die, your soul will die, your honor will die, everything will be destroyed, your corpse will be spat on and trampled... and those who betrayed you will not escape with their lives because of their groveling, they will also die, all of it, all resistance, will be meaningless."

Griffin's expression turned calm as he said softly, "Is this the fate of every generation of Fire Thief?"

Phaethon nodded readily. "Of course."

"Is this Fire Thief no exception?"

"Must."

The Grand Speaker let out a sneer, leaning forward to look at the arrogant god.

"So, every time the Star Palace wipes out the Mortal World, it first gets terrified by a beam of light that pierces through the starry sky, and then has to send one or two unpopular cannon fodder to the Mortal World realm to find a dying head of state to buy time, so that they can all be beaten to a pulp by the Fire Thief?"

Phaethon was hit in the lung and jumped up abruptly.

Their eyes met, locked in a tense standoff.

There's no such thing as being shrewd and inscrutable; it's just that some people are high above others and disdain showing their joys and sorrows to ordinary people.

After a while, Phaethon slowly sat down.

He tore open a large bag of potato chips, grabbed a handful, and stuffed them into his mouth.

The God of the Star Palace had been in the Mortal World for several months. Although he still maintained his arrogant demeanor, he had gradually come to understand some of the ways of the world through his surroundings. He slowly asked, "What do you want?"

Griffin said calmly, "You said I'm about to be finished, so what do you want now?"

I want to help you.

"Don't say such hypocritical things."

I want to help both of us.

How can I help?

The God of the Star Palace tossed the potato chips onto the table and said solemnly, "Make your soldiers and your subjects more loyal and fearless."

We've discussed this topic more than once.

Griffin replied firmly, "I refuse."

Phaethon frowned and said, "Alex..."

"He's just a laughable piece of trash who provoked the Cathayan and made the Empire and Kang De mortal enemies. Like Archduke Goth, who had a huge falling out with his son-in-law and almost became his enemy, he's a laughingstock of the entire continent! Only a desperate fool would believe your nonsense!"

The Grand Speaker raised his voice. "I don't care what he does, but it's unacceptable here!"

"Why are you so stubborn? This is the best solution!" Phaethon exclaimed. "You've come to this point because your people and soldiers were merely pawns you manipulated at will. What difference does it make?"

Let me tell you the difference!

Griffin slammed his fist on the table, making a loud crash. His face was grim as he said, "The world's strongest nation! The Empress of the Dusk Moon Dynasty is Kang De's lover! According to Alex, the old emperor of the empire is also seeking reconciliation with Kang De! As for Cathay, there's no need to even mention it, and the Dragon Emperor? Unless Dragon Island has the ability to devour Kang De whole, bone and all, that money-grubbing old dragon really wouldn't shamelessly acknowledge Kang De as his brother!"

"The rest of the countries and powers are all opportunists. They're all silent now, and might even be secretly supporting us, simply because they haven't given up and want to see us and Kang De fight to the death! Do you think that if I agree to your foolish proposal and turn our soldiers and even our citizens into mindless puppets, Kang De will be driven back by us? Do you think we'll win?"

"Wrong!"

He roared angrily, "Kang De always seizes the high ground of public opinion first! I guarantee that the relevant pictures, videos, and witnesses will be on the desks of monarchs around the world within a day, ensuring those opportunists will hastily reach a consensus and come together to wipe us out! That idiot Alex is cornered and destined to die anyway, which is why he believed your nonsense. Do you think I would do the same?"

Having said all that, Phaethon said helplessly, "Don't forget..."

"And let me not forget, you were the ones who ultimately won."

Griffin sneered, "It's been so long! Your aid has indeed arrived, but Kang De's new equipment is getting more and more damn abundant! It's really fucking weird, as if his world has already completed its war mobilization and begun to fully support him! I can't even defeat the coalition of nations in the Mortal World, and you expect me to fight another world as well? You say you can eventually win, but what if I die before you win?"

Phaethon was speechless, then finally shook his head and said, "What do you want?"

Griffin said in a deep voice, "The defeat is already evident. The longer it drags on, the stronger Kang De will become, and the more dangerous it will be for me. You promised me before that if you won, I would also have a place in the Star Palace, but now it seems that promise was really unrealistic. I doubt I can last until you win."

"So?"

"Therefore, I need two things," the Grand Speaker stated frankly, "A way out, and trust."

Phaethon said earnestly, "We won't let you die."

"Of course I believe that; you need any force capable of opposing Kang De." Griffin simply smiled. "But you haven't been honest with me enough."

How so?

"Aid... your aid is still somewhat reserved; it's not enough to fight Kang De," Griffin said coldly, "Not even to make him bleed."

"We have done everything we can," Phaethon said sincerely, "Until the Starry Firmament Bridge is repaired..."

Griffin interrupted him, "Didn't you leave any more contingency plans in the Mortal World?"

Phaethon shut his mouth.

"A plan you've kept as a backup must have been set up for a crucial moment... Isn't now a crucial moment?" Griffin pressed. "If you don't use it now, are you going to wait until Kang De defeats me, subdues the Council, and gains authority that commands the entire continent before using it for meaningless waste?"

Phaethon visibly wavered; his eyes flickered, and he finally said, "I want to ask Apophis."

"You still won't believe me."

"This is different."

"And that's why Kang De beat us like dogs, that's why I'll be utterly disgraced and die in the near future," Griffin sneered. "And that's why you'll be captured and executed by Kang De, dying like a maggot..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you terrified of being killed by Kang De... no, by the Fire Thief?"

Phaethon's lungs were punctured again, and he almost jumped up, then swept across half the spacious study like a whirlwind, arriving at Griffin's desk and stirring up a violent gust of air.

He pressed down on the table with a tiger-like stance, staring at Griffin with the ravenous look of a hungry wolf.

The two men froze like statues, but time did not stand still, for the various flyers on Griffin's table were whipped up by the air currents, fluttering and scattering in all directions—

And it reveals high-resolution images of "welfare girls" printed on the back of the flyer.

This is what's giving Griffin and his officers the biggest headache.

The erotic illustrations printed on the back of the leaflets made the leaflet collection work extremely difficult. After all, the sexual frustration of thousands of strong men who had served in the military for a long time and fought for months was hard to describe in words. Their thirst for spellcasting materials even surpassed that for food, so they were unwilling to hand over these good things.

Besides, what country bumpkin soldiers conscripted from the North County countryside have ever seen such a spectacle of glamorous, high-class entertainment? The camerawork has evolved, the movements and poses have been honed to perfection, the expressions are captivating, the costumes and backgrounds are exquisitely detailed, and they're even photoshopped! Even worldly mages and nobles would drool over it, let alone ordinary soldiers. They would do everything they could to hide these flyers!

This thing could even be passed down as a family heirloom!

The tactic of printing obscene images on the back of the leaflets had an effect far exceeding Griffin's expectations. Even the entire decision-making body of the Council's army did not anticipate the malicious scheme and good intentions behind this action.

After all, they don't understand at all.

The newly established staff department at the Distant Harbor didn't understand either. It wasn't until Marshal Horus explained it that people suddenly realized its significance and listed it as a classic case of propaganda and psychological warfare.

The staff members were full of admiration and respect for His Highness Kang De's foresight and meticulous planning.

In the words of Marshal Horus...

"Only His Highness Kang De knows that virgins who lack sexual resources and experience will project their idealized fantasies about women onto objects like paper, and enjoy using the beautiful, false images depicted by others as their fantasies, thus eagerly engaging in related acts of release."

"Only Kang De Highness Kant knew that such venting only brought a brief and pathetic pleasure, so much so that after it ended, the caster would fall into a period of self-loathing calm, experiencing doubled disappointment and frustration with their situation, such as the lack of real resources, and becoming even calmer and more rational."

"Only His Highness Kang De knows that after the aforementioned pathetic virgin completes a spell, he will find the erotic picture in his hand uninteresting and will turn his attention to more realistic and rational things. At this time, the promotional material on the back of the erotic picture will attract his attention, take effect, and leave a deeper and more reinforced impression during his 'brilliant moment,' forming a correct and rational conditioned reflex and definite association."

"Only His Highness Kang De knows..."

Upon hearing this well-reasoned explanation, the staff officers were full of praise and applause. They didn't really understand this, as they didn't have much relevant experience.

Although a few people vaguely felt that Marshal Horus's statement seemed a bit strange... but who cares.

The God of the Star Palace and the Grand Speaker turned a blind eye to the obscene images flying everywhere.

"Yes, we don't completely trust you yet."

Phaethon said coldly, "You're still a Mudblood, and you still see things from a Mudblood's perspective. How can we consider you one of our own?"

Griffin retorted, "So, that idiot Alex can be one of your own?"

"He's a dog, but if we want, even a dog can be a human emperor."

Phaethon said coldly, "Don't get me wrong, Mudbloods are not qualified to join us. We can give you whatever you want, power or position, but if you want to become one of us, there is only one way... kill Kang De! As long as you kill Kang De, the master can even personally promote you."

"I can't do it," Griffin said without hesitation. "You've witnessed the battle firsthand; you know better than anyone how difficult it is to kill Kang De."

The God of the Star Palace remained silent.

"However, I have a better suggestion... or rather, a better way."

Attracting Phaethon's attention, Griffin took a map and drew a few lines on it. "Your primary predicament now is not that you cannot kill Kang De, but that you cannot stop his expansion, cannot stop his unification of the Mortal World... Before you repair that so-called Starry Firmament Bridge and officially enter the war, Kang De will have already begun to integrate the forces of the Mortal World, which should cause you a lot of trouble."

Phaethon snorted but remained silent.

"So, regarding this point, I have a proposal that can solve this problem," Griffin said calmly. "Solve my problem, solve your problem, solve the deepest thorn in the side of the Mortal World realms..."

He glanced at the other man and deliberately said, "Of all the kings and nobles of the Mortal World, none are willing to relinquish their power, none agree with Kang De's radical political views, and none are willing to bow down to a black-haired man... After all, he is always an outsider."

The God of the Star Palace was moved and pressed for an answer, "What?"

Griffin smiled. "In exchange, I need to know your bottom line, I need your promises, I need to discuss this with Apophis personally... then we can trust each other."

The lights were bright, shining on Phaethon's face.

He frowned and asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Your Star Palace has been far removed from the mortal world for too long, and the Mortal World has its Mortal World rules. If your force is insufficient to kill Kang De for the time being... then we will have to use the methods we are most proficient in."

That night, the sky trembled, and an unsettling fiery aurora streaked across the sky, making the entire world clearly visible. The phenomenon lasted for an hour, as if foreshadowing the imminent arrival of some kind of power.

In the night wind, Kang De gazed at the swirling clouds on the horizon, frowned for a moment, unfolded the letter sent by Griffin Williams, stared at it intently, and remained silent for a long time.

"Damn it, can these stupid [beep--] mages please stop writing in fancy fonts?"

Despite receiving special tutoring from Teacher Tina, Kang De, whose cultural level in this other world had advanced to that of a junior high school student, still couldn't understand the fancy handwriting of the pretentious Frenchmen. He raised his hand speechlessly.

Horus recognized the font file and began reading the letter with intonation and rhythm.

"I have proposed this to the Star Palace, and they have agreed to my strategy—which will also be Star Palace's strategic proposition for the foreseeable future."

"The Star Palace will proclaim the coming of war and annihilation to Mortal World nations and display its power. The Star Palace's pawns, hidden within these nations, will also exert their influence and influence to lobby."

"My demand is only one thing."

"You, Kang De, if you leave the Mortal World, return to your homeland, and never return, then the Star Palace will cease its war and stop annihilating the Mortal World. After all, the tolling of the Doomsday Clock was just a misunderstanding, stemming from your appearance... Once you leave, everything can return to normal."

"The nations will sign a blood pact, forever supporting Taidariel Family's rule over Goth. The catastrophe that struck Cathay will cease, the plague will disappear, the barbarians will march north, twisted desires will be quelled, and despicable plots will end. You will no longer have to participate in wars that are not yours, nor will you have to face the fate of defeat."

All you need to do is go back to your home and live the life you want.

"There will certainly be no treacherous Goth People there, nor any nobles you despise. You will not be betrayed or criticized. I have been trying to guess where you come from, but your hometown must be prosperous and abundant, much better than this Mortal World. The images of beautiful women there are all different. That must be the place you love. Why be out of place in this Mortal World, hated and feared by everyone?"

"To turn things back to the way they were before, that's what everyone wants, and it would be good for the whole world."

Horus's voice took on a slightly solemn tone.

"You and I both know..."

"They would definitely agree."