The Explosive News

The news of the fall of "Black Wind Territory" spread like wildfire throughout all human territories in a very short time, causing a huge uproar.

With the Radiant Kingdom enjoying its current booming development, no one expected that someone would actually dare to provoke City of Radiance and conquer a territory!

Thanks to the active efforts of various intelligence brokers, detailed intelligence was quickly transmitted to various major powers.

Just a few hours later, a detailed intelligence report was delivered to Emperor Dracula XIX of the Xid Empire.

Upon seeing this information, the old vampire, who had lived for hundreds of years, could hardly believe his eyes.

"Black Wind Territory has fallen? How is that possible!"

Dracula XIX stared at the intelligence report in his hand, as if he were witnessing something unbelievable, and exclaimed in shock, "The information has been confirmed?"

Even if he had heard that Omar had suddenly fallen into internal strife and split apart, he wouldn't have been as shocked as he is now.

Because, Omar could split into two.

But rationally, he knew that the information in this intelligence was simply impossible!

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The intelligence officer solemnly pulled out several parchment scrolls, which contained several other versions of intelligence.

He said, "Our intelligence department received eight intelligence reports from different sources in the past half hour. The content was largely the same, and the information that is basically confirmed is what Your Majesty is seeing. Our intelligence department's Nightingale organization, Omar's Blackwater Platform organization, as well as intelligence dealers of all sizes and the Scavenger Guild, have all confirmed this information."

Upon hearing this, Dracula XIX solemnly examined the intelligence reports.

After a long while, he finally believed that the intelligence was correct.

Someone has actually conquered a large territory of the "Radiant Kingdom"?

But how is that possible?

Although this is something he really wanted to do.

Now that "City of Radiance" has been established, Sid has also attracted a large number of hunters and commoners to go there. The Established Nobles have long been itching to get rid of it, but they are completely helpless.

After all, City of Radiance reigns supreme west of the Alkolon Mountain Range.

The two great empires of Sid and Omar are too far away to reach them, so who else can cause them trouble?

But the truth is, not only did someone cause trouble, but City of Radiance also paid a heavy price.

The intelligence officer reported, "Our intelligence department previously discovered from clues that the auction in 'Black Wind Territory' was likely a trap set by City of Radiance. It was probably aimed at the wanted [White Wolf] Bazel and the remnants of the barbarians. All indications suggest that Radiant City should have ambushed a large number of powerful individuals within the territory on the day of the auction."

"."

As Dracula XIX listened to the intelligence officers' summary, he became increasingly shocked.

With such a powerful lineup, even if it were Sid's side attacking the city, they would definitely not fare well. Regardless of victory or defeat, the final outcome would absolutely be a lose-lose situation.

To conquer a Mechanical City defended by top-tier warriors, one must first breach the city Mechanical City with at least equal, or even greater, firepower, and then engage in melee combat inside.

However, the intelligence report described it as follows, "[Thousands of dragons descended from the sky, and the Black Dragon City side suffered only minor losses, achieving a crushing victory.]"

These few simple words left Dracula XIX completely dumbfounded.

He was the mighty Emperor Sid; what grand occasions hadn't he seen?

But the scene described in the intelligence report was simply unheard of!

Wyvern Riders at our face?

What kind of tactic is this?

Do dragons still exist in this world?

If barbarians had this ability, why didn't we see it at all during the initial resource raiding wars?

Of course, what concerned him even more were the top-notch intelligence officers who had been killed in action.

Dracula XIX looked at the intelligence report, his hands clenching in shock, and asked, "The 'Black Witch' Dia Banella of the 'Ten Great Legends' has been killed, and the 'Frost Moon Sword Master' Carlo Gracey has also perished in battle?"

Both of them were from Sid, and although they did not serve the royal family, they had a close relationship.

These legendary experts are so powerful that even three or five strong opponents of the same level might not be able to kill them, and they can easily escape from an army of tens of thousands. They die just like that.

Just how strong are those barbarians?

The intelligence officer responded, "Yes, Your Majesty. According to intelligence, the witch Dia died at the hands of [White Wolf] Bazel and some barbarians. And the one who fought Carlo was Guy Verias, the [Sword of Justice] from back then. There's also intelligence that Master Cavo made an appearance."

The firsthand information we've gathered so far isn't very detailed; it only tells us the outcome, not the process.

Dracula XIX didn't bother to ask further questions.

Then, he became puzzled again by the "Black Dragon City" specifically marked in the intelligence report.

The siege was not carried out by barbarians, but by an entire organization?

Dracula XIX asked, "Is this 'Black Dragon City' Omar's city? I don't recall having such a territory."

"No, Your Majesty. As far as I know, Omar does not have this city either."

At this moment, the intelligence officer pulled out another intelligence report and said, "We just received a new report from the 'Black Gold Merchant Guild,' but it's unconfirmed. According to the report, 'Black Dragon City' should be located west of the Alkolon Mountain Range, in a place called the 'Karatva Basin.'"

"It's there!"

After hearing the report, Dracula XIX became very complicated, his eyes flickering. "Besides the 'Howling Wind Pass' leading to City of Radiance, there's another pass spanning the Alkolon Mountain Range? And it's within our Sid territory? And... you mean, in that basin, a large territory capable of withstanding hordes of zombies and Beast Tide has already been built?"

Intelligence Officer: "Yes, Your Majesty. According to the available intelligence, the city lord is a young man named 'Rein Hermes.' He was formerly an underling of Princess Oma. Therefore, our intelligence department analyzes that Black Dragon City is very likely the territory of Ymir Spurglin. And the earliest information we can find related to Rein is the black market Wanted Order issued by Prince William in Omar."

"William has issued a warrant for that Rein?"

"Yes."

"."

Once the intelligence was gathered, the whole story gradually became clear.

A "Black Dragon City" suddenly appeared and launched a surprise attack on one of City of Radiance's territories.

Intelligence officer. "Your Majesty, I think there's something even more troublesome now."

Dracula XIX's expression hardened. "Hmm???"

At this moment, the intelligence officer added, "The Black Gold Merchant Guild is spreading this intelligence through its various channels. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, by sunrise tomorrow morning, not only our empire, but also the Oma Empire and all human territories of City of Radiance should know the location of 'Black Dragon City'."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Dracula XIX's expression changed drastically!

Although he was shocked by the information he had heard before, it was, after all, "Someone else's story."

He was happy to see City of Radiance get beaten up, since it didn't concern him personally.

Right now, the intelligence officer's report was like a cigarette butt burning his finger, startling him instantly.

As the emperor, how could he not understand the potential impact of this intelligence?

The purpose of the "Black Gold Merchant Guild" in spreading this information is obvious: to attract refugees and hunters!

Another one trying to poach our employees!

City of Radiance is already such a headache, and now there's "Black Dragon City" too?

Based on this, he was certain that the intelligence was probably true.

Dracula XIX was somewhat resentful; why wasn't this pass discovered by Sid?

Originally, if a new pass had been discovered leading through the Alkolon Mountain Range, even if someone wanted to establish Mechanical City there, the Xid Empire would have nipped it in the bud. This could have been achieved by controlling the city's resources or by directly sending troops to attack.

Such a strategically important location could only be controlled by the Sid royal family.

But now, it's too late to stop it?

Because that "Black Dragon City" has already been built?

How did those guys manage that?

Barbarians + Princess Oma + Black Gold Merchant Guild

It felt like a mountain was pressing down on him, and Dracula XIX instantly realized that something terrible was about to happen.

"Summon the ministers immediately!"

If this matter is not handled properly, it could even shake the very foundation of Sid!

Almost at the same time.

Oma Imperial Capital Wussenbar.

Emperor Spurglin XV is critically ill and bedridden, and Crown Quentin has died unexpectedly. Now, the Omar court is embroiled in a heated debate over the successor to the Imperial Throne.

The Established Nobles group was no longer a monolithic entity, but had split into three interest groups led by the Second Prince, Fourth Prince, and Eighth Prince, who had the opportunity to ascend the Imperial Throne.

But the Old Emperor did not die, and the famous empress temporarily took charge of some of the government affairs.

First-hand information from Blackwater Platform was also delivered to Empress Tess Lopez.

Inside the Queen's council chamber, the heads of several long-established families, led by the Lopez Family behind the Queen, gathered together.

Upon seeing the intelligence in their hands, these Established Nobles all gasped in shock.

The setback suffered by City of Radiance is a minor matter.

They were more concerned about news of the Princess.

After all, with the Imperial Throne still undecided, some voices in the court already wanted to recall this virtuous and talented Princess to take control of the government.

"What! That bitch actually established a new territory, west of the Alkolon Mountain Range?"

"This is terrible."

"I don't know where she got her luck from, finding such a narrow pass. With the Black Tide erupting now, and so many innate advantages, that 'Black Dragon City' will probably soon become the second 'Radiant Kingdom'."

"Upon hearing this news, those Reformists in the court will likely rise again. If we don't think of a way, 'Black Dragon City' will surely become a major threat to Omar in the future."

"."

Upon hearing this news, the faces of the Established Nobles turned grim.

They were the ones who single-handedly pushed Ymir out of Omar's high-level political circle.

I never expected that Ymir would disappear for half a year and then suddenly reappear, causing such a huge commotion.

How do they feel now that they see their former "discarded children" growing big?

Moreover, they also saw the serious implications behind this intelligence.

The emergence of this "Black Dragon City" will inevitably exacerbate the population loss within the Oma Empire.

The loss of population means that these Established Nobles are the ones who suffer the most.

On ordinary days, ordinary people seem like a bunch of lowly people, and human life is worthless.

But once the population of the territory is greatly lost, there will be no one to cultivate the land, no one to work, no one to hire cheap craftsmen, and no one to exploit for high taxes.

Without the commoners and lowly hunters in their territory, what makes the nobles noble, and who are they more prestigious than?

In the past, commoners had nowhere to go because all nobles were the same.

But now a "City of Radiance" has appeared where you can get rich, and another "Black Dragon City" has also appeared.

This is going to sever their very foundation.

Just as some dukes and marquises were filled with worry, someone else made another suggestion.

"Gentlemen, I think this is good news for us. Since it is a territory established by Ymir, it is naturally also the territory of Omar! In the royal family, we can just find an excuse to recall Ymir and send another member of the royal family to take charge. Wouldn't Black Dragon City then be ours for the taking?"

These words seemed to open the door to a new world.

A greedy green light, like that of a wolf, gleamed in the eyes of the Established Nobles.

"Hey, that's right! Ymir, after all, a member of the royal family. Isn't her territory the same as our Omar's territory? This 'Black Dragon City' is not a threat to us at all; on the contrary, it's fantastic news! If we hold it in our hands, wouldn't we also control the endless resources west of the Alkolon Mountain Range?"

"But the lord of Black Dragon City isn't Ymir at all. He's supposed to be a guy named 'Rein Hermes'?"

"Ha~ How could that be! Ymir has the noble blood of royalty flowing through her veins. Who else could she be but a lord? Even if she were willing to agree, would her people agree? I've seen the intelligence. That guy named Rein is just a nobody, with absolutely no foundation. He's probably just a puppet used as a shield. Ignore him."

"However, the most important thing to do if we want to take Black Dragon City is to bring Ymir back to the capital first."

"She's been outmaneuvered by us so many times before, and now she's been enfeoffed as a queen and established a new territory. She certainly won't risk her life to return to the capital. It won't be easy to bring her back."

"."

Just when everyone thought the conversation had reached a dead end and they were at a loss, the beautiful Her Majesty the Empress had an idea and confidently said, "It's not entirely impossible."

A moment later, upon hearing the Empress's words, the faces of the schemers suddenly brightened.

They've even started discussing how to distribute the profits after they get their hands on "Black Dragon City."

Almost simultaneously with the Queen receiving the intelligence, in the secret prison of the Oma Imperial Palace, a squinty-eyed fellow was listlessly reading a newly delivered intelligence report.

Although he was imprisoned, this guy seemed quite relaxed.

After he finished reading the entire intelligence report, his expression became quite interesting.

After a while, he squinted and muttered to himself, "Tsk tsk. This is getting interesting. I was wondering why that guy named 'Rein' was able to draw my ' Joker Card. Turns out he was the most uncertain card."

He put down the intelligence report and tapped his fingers on the wooden table, making a rhythmic tapping sound.

He seemed to be deep in thought.

Suddenly, a mocking smile crept across Metternich's lips as he muttered to himself, "Tsk tsk, Her Majesty the Empress is probably eyeing Black Dragon City right now. Heh heh, without bringing Ymir back to the capital, those guys' plans won't work. Let me think, what reason could I possibly have to bring her back?"

After a long pause, he seemed to have figured something out and showed a bored expression. "However, it seems that the Princess's return will allow her to witness the final show before Omar's collapse."

The royal families of the two great empires were among the first to receive the intelligence.

Not long after, intelligence merchants, guilds, taverns, hunters, unions, and even underground gangs in almost all human territories of Sid, Omar, and City of Radiance obtained detailed intelligence.

Everyone knew about the battle in "Black Wind Territory" and also about the existence of "Black Dragon City".

"What! The hunting tax rate in 'Black Dragon City' is only around 10%? Even in the most resource-poor territories, the hunting tax rate reaches 50%, and in the major cities of the Radiant Kingdom, it's even higher at 80% or 90%. How is this 10% possible?"

"The children of permanent residents also enjoy benefits such as free education, affordable healthcare, and basic magic potions? Aren't those rights only enjoyed by noble lords?"

"No nobles? Everyone has a chance to run for 'official'?"

"Also, the [Black Mist Antidote Potion] that was rumored to be able to solve the aftereffects of the poisonous fog is a specialty of 'Black Dragon City,' and it's very cheap."

"Could it be fake?"

"Whether it's fake or not, they've already drawn a map, why don't we go and take a look?"

"."

Because Canossa had made preparations in advance, and with the help of the "Black Gold Merchant Guild's " extensive business network and intelligence system covering various human territories, the various welfare policies of "Black Dragon City" quickly spread.

Overnight, it became a household name.

This is the real "bombshell"!

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