Chapter 157

Viscount Klot could not refuse.

The methods he had just witnessed had made him realize that if the other side wanted, they could light a fire on the city wall at any time, turning them into so-called firewood to light the way.

Clenching his fists, Clot weakly said to the terrified soldiers beside him, "Open the city gates..."

The soldier was dazed for a moment before realizing what Klot had said. He wanted to say that the woman below was definitely not someone who had simply come in to rest; he could tell from her words that she was no pushover. But... he couldn't refuse.

He wasn't the only one who was afraid; even the East Ridge City army behind Necrass were terrified by Necrass methods.

But... more than anything, it was awe and inflated ambition.

Although they knew of the existence of Imperial Arms User, they had little understanding of Imperial Arms User power. Necrass's godlike ability to single-handedly resist a thousand troops truly shocked and inspired them.

The desire to admire the strong is something everyone has in this era, and being called a 'fellow traveler' by Necrass, as one of the first generals to follow Necrass, might lead to greater promotion and a better life.

This was already evident in Necrass's drastic increase in military pay.

Following a courageous and invincible leader, their lives will surely improve.

Yes, under the empire's extremely high taxes, even East Ridge City, governed by Eugene, could not be considered a place of peace and prosperity. In recent years, many people have starved to death or lived in constant fear of starvation. This is one of the reasons why Eugene had to go to the capital.

It wasn't just that he couldn't bear to watch anymore and didn't want to live in seclusion; it was also because he couldn't live in seclusion any longer—the people in the city were starving to death.

Currently, the food and money needed to motivate the army and boost its ambitions are often only available as a one-off resource.

After this month's paycheck is paid, next month, let alone making a living, it will be difficult to even afford a meal.

But this is something that only Necrass and Eugene know. As long as Necrass replenishes supplies quickly enough, it won't be a problem.

Even in the worst-case scenario, Amber would still be there to support them from the rear. If things really don't go well, Necrass could conjure up military funds out of thin air.

Two minutes later, the city gates opened completely, Necrass rode in with thousands of soldiers. The servants who had been resurrected by the Death Fire were left on and inside the city walls, under the pretext that "the Viscount is short-handed, and my soldiers can help."

This aggressive attitude, even after gaining an advantage, made Clotte feel incredibly frustrated, but ultimately she said nothing.

Knowing all along that the Dragon Woman in front of him was not someone to be trifled with, he was now even more afraid of her controlling nature.

After having the soldiers settled, Clot took her back to his office and personally brewed a pot of tea for her.

This was not only out of fear, but also because the other party was the daughter of Earl, and even if she was not his superior Earl, he should still show respect.

"Thank you so much for your help, Miss. Everyone in Mecha City is extremely grateful."

Seeing that the girl remained silent and only drank her tea, Clot felt pressured and had to take the initiative to speak.

"Don't panic, Viscount."

Necrass then put down her teacup and gave a seemingly gentle smile, "You can vaguely guess why I'm here, but you should also know that we are not adversaries."

She was referring to Clotte's wavering stance.

But Claude just tugged at the corners of his mouth and forced a smile.

Yes, the opposing sides have all become firewood; how can they be opposing each other now?

He only took it as a threat.

Chapter Eight: As long as there is war, everything will be alright.

"May I ask... what is the stance you're referring to...?"

Even knowing he might not have a choice, he still wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Viscount Klot, what do you think of the Empire now?"

Instead of answering immediately, Necrass asked a question.

But this issue alone is enough to demonstrate her dissatisfaction with the empire.

Clott twitched his lips and honestly replied, "Internal and external troubles."

"That's right. Even an empire that has existed for thousands of years will eventually decay. Its excessively long lifespan has allowed the nobles to accumulate wealth, connections, and a sense of security that they shouldn't have accumulated."

Necrass's smile sent a chill down Clot's spine. He wanted to avoid her gaze, but he worried that it would make him appear too cowardly.

But he himself knew that his reaction was insignificant.

"Wealth can make people greedy, connections can make nobles lose their desire to check and balance each other, and a sense of security can make them complacent and only live off what they have inherited."

Clot dared not reply, nor did he know how to reply, because he also knew that Necrass was right.

"Viscount Klot, being on the border of the empire, far from the center of power, you should be more aware than most of the changes that have taken place in the empire over the years."

Unlike the slow, gradual change experienced by those in the capital, many policies have already been revised and "optimized" several times by the time they reach the border, resulting in significant changes each time.

"Admit it, the empire is dead. It may appear to exist, but it has lost the right to rule this land. A senile lion cannot contend with a dragon in its prime."

You mean the Revolutionary Army?

Clot mistakenly believed that Necrass was a traitor who had defected to the Revolutionary Army.

"Revolutionary Army?"

However, Necrass laughed, "The Revolutionary Army has never amounted to anything, nor has it ever been qualified to contend with the Empire. The reason they are growing stronger is not because they are powerful enough, but because it further proves that the Empire is dead."

"Fresh blood is being squeezed out by ancient and clogged blood vessels, and its heart is already on the verge of stopping."

Necrass raised her forearm slightly. "And the Revolutionary Army is nothing more than flies trying to suck the life out of this enormous giant's corpse."

So, who is the one Necrass says is in his prime and capable of suppressing the lion?

From those calm, green eyes, Claude got the answer.

"... You believe you can simultaneously shake both the Empire and the Revolutionary Army?"

What makes you think you're the dragon you claim to be, instead of a fly like the Revolutionary Army?

"It's easy to conquer an empire, but the difficult part is what comes after that."

Necrass answered Clot's question lightly, seemingly without even considering the possibility of failure.

This attitude left Clot speechless. He didn't want to get on the ship, but he seemed to have no other choice.

"This is treason and rebellion..."

He couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart.

"The empire is dead, Viscount."

Necrass reminded her again.

Seeing that Claude was still pale, Necrass stood up abruptly. Although she was still smiling, her coldness was even greater than before. "Viscount, you don't need to do anything. Just show yourself to everyone as a coerced person. I assure you that when the new world arrives, you will still have everything you have now."

Clot understood what she meant.

Whether he joins or not, his territory will become her spoils.

Will the soldiers be willing to listen to her? Just look at the foreign tribes standing on the city walls now.

The dilemma faced by civil servants during power transitions? There are countless people who curry favor with the powerful; this is the power that comes with strength, requiring no legitimacy whatsoever.

At the same time, after Necrass's success, although he can keep everything he has, he will not be able to get anything more. He will also be labeled as 'unreliable' by the new emperor who may take the throne, and not only him, but also his future children.

"..."

Clott's breath hitched, and he managed to say with difficulty, "Wait... a minute."

Necrass, who was about to leave the room, stopped and turned back to look at him with interest.

Clot untied the rope around his neck, then walked up to her and handed her the badge hanging on his chest.

"This is the token of Mecha City, and also a talisman. As long as you have it, no one will stop you from going anywhere."

"This will be of great use to me, Viscount Klot."

Necrass accepted the badge, which was no bigger than the palm of her hand, but she wasn't referring to the badge; she was referring to Clotte.

That night, the Revolutionary Army informant dressed in black left the city overnight. Necrass watched him leave without trying to stop him.

In just one night, Necrass had seen the situation in Mecha City. Compared to East Ridge City Mecha City was undoubtedly much smaller, but its resources and food were far more abundant. The reason for this was that in the eyes of the Empire, Klot was a weapon they were willing to use, so they were willing to give Klot more support to let him attack the alien races.

This influx of supplies gave Necrass more funds to pay her troops, and the operation also increased her force of 1,000 men to 4,500. If a call to action were issued within the city, she could add another 1,000 men to the army.

But that's not what Necrass needs. To her, the army is not a force for war, but a tool for self-promotion. In terms of real effectiveness, it would be better to send all the troops into the fields to work.

It wasn't that there wasn't enough food; in fact, there was always enough to be self-sufficient, even with a surplus. The reason people starved to death was entirely due to taxes. For every 100 jin of harvest, 90 jin had to be handed over. It would be strange if people didn't starve.

Necrass didn't want the food to eat; she wanted to sell it to the Revolutionary Army in order to gain their friendship.

She needs connections within the Revolutionary Army to help her select a list of suitable "tools."

As for whether the foreign tribes would ignore the Revolutionary Army's wishes and retaliate against East Ridge City... there's really no need to worry. It was precisely because she was worried about the safety of East Ridge City that she only brought a thousand people out and left the Three Beasts there. With those three people and five thousand soldiers who were somewhat weak but could still defend the city, she would have plenty of time to rush back after the attack.

However, this also made Necrass somewhat annoyed.

Although she wasn't capable of handling everything personally, the lack of high-end combat power was a fact. While the Three Beasts were not weak, they couldn't be considered top-tier experts.

There's nothing we can do about it. There's always a shortage of talent and resources in the early stages of starting a business. But don't worry too much. As long as you take the next city and get in touch with the Revolutionary Army, everything will be fine.

After instructing the servants transformed by the Death Fire to return to their respective territories and bring back the supplies they had been given, Necrass finally had time to lie down.

Now all we need to do is wait.

Chapter Nine: Night Raid Visit.

Necrass never intended to continue paying taxes to the Empire. Neither East Ridge City nor Mecha City paid any taxes they were supposed to. Mecha City was questioned by the Marquis, while East Ridge City, as Earl's territory, was directly accused by the Empire.

Even if the Empire reacted slowly, it was clear that its assassination attempt had failed, and Eugene must have also learned of the Empire's assassination attempt. Coupled with Necrass's order to refuse to pay taxes, these circumstances meant that the Empire no longer needed to maintain a facade of benevolence.

However, Necrass's response was also quite simple.

She pierced the tax officials who came to collect taxes with a spear and hung them on a gallows that could be seen by the general public.

This further angered the empire, which then sent a declaration of war to East Ridge City.

Mecha City naturally did not escape either. Upon discovering that the adopted daughter of the lord of East Ridge City had moved into the viscount's mansion in Mecha City, even a marquis who was merely sitting on his laurels could realize what had happened and quickly responded to the empire's call to send troops to Mecha City.

However, this army of about six thousand men met its end in less than five minutes on the battlefield. A small portion of the six thousand men became servants whose bodies were engulfed in purple flames, while the rest either died under the trampling of the Dublinn troops or surrendered when they realized they could not turn the tide.

Necrass, leading the Dublinn troops, arrived at the Marquis Melville's territory that evening, hung the Marquis Melville's body at the city gate, opened his warehouse, gave a small portion to the soldiers who followed her, and entrusted the rest to Eugene for management.

This battle once again shocked the world. What was most shocking was not Necrass's destructive power, but that after killing those people, she could make all the dead soldiers work for her, including the Three Beasts.

Countless people recalled the legendary Dragon Duke.

Necrass was not used to this cruelty, but she also knew the benefits of doing so.

It is extremely easy for powerful people to gain favor and be courted.

One person extinguished two thousand soldiers in one minute. This was an exaggerated feat that could only be heard of from Esdeath in the past, and it is still unknown whether this feat was the limit for the person involved.

The Revolutionary Army could not abandon such a person who was clearly at odds with the empire and whose strength was extraordinary.

However... Necrass is extremely powerful, but her personality is also clearly very strong, so even if the Revolutionary Army wanted to make contact with her, they would not dare to do so rashly.

Just then, Abrahina was in Melville, so the Revolutionary Army immediately sent someone to contact Count Eugene, who was in East Ridge City in the rear.

They have extended numerous invitations to Count Eugene, a former minister who is capable enough and well-regarded among loyal officials. Gaining Count Eugene's support and joining them would not only provide them with a powerful domestic affairs officer, but more importantly, it would allow them to win over more ambitious individuals who dislike the empire.

Even though he disliked the Revolutionary Army's methods, Count Eugene, who knew they would come, still put on a welcoming act.

The Revolutionary Army weren't surprised. After all, the Empire had assassinated Eugene, and even the most stubborn old man couldn't possibly stick with the Empire anymore. His dramatic change in attitude was quite reasonable.

Only after Eugene nodded in agreement that Necrass was indeed willing to establish contact with the Revolutionary Army did the Revolutionary Army finally feel reassured and decide to send people to make contact with her.

Although Eugene is still the same Eugene, it's clear to everyone that the current Eugene is led by Necrass, and the reason they are so eager to come here is because of Necrass's fighting power, which seems to be able to rival Esdeath.

However, despite the contact, Necrass was too dangerous, and safety had to be ensured even for the first contact. So... they entrusted this task to Nadjeshda.

Seeing the Order state of the city's inhabitants despite their unease, Nadjeshda nodded slightly in approval upon arriving.

"Akame, what do these residents look like?"

She asked the black-haired Akame girl beside her.

"They all look like they've eaten their fill."

Akame's face was expressionless, and her answer sounded somewhat confused, but Nadjeshda understood what she meant and then smiled, "You've eaten your fill... Indeed, although everyone looks a little lost and uneasy, no one shows any signs of despair or numbness."

"BOSS..."

A look of worry appeared on Akame's face.

"I know this doesn't necessarily mean the other person is a good person, but isn't that why I brought you here?"