You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 353 Screw Your Politics
Princess Stainless Steel did not come alone.

The White Knight, the Black Knight, and the Oak Soldiers accompanied her to the City of Abundance.

The oak tree shares the same lineage as the tree and is referred to as the 'Sacred Wood Forest'.

They believed that the tree possessed immortal divinity, and during the seedling's growth, they would hum epic songs and use secret methods to enhance the oak's spirituality, ultimately obtaining a tough and extremely strong timber that was far superior to ordinary trees.

The final product has the strength of steel, but weighs only one-tenth as much.

The Oak Duke's elite soldiers generally possess equipment made of that material, and they are the only extraordinary armed force among the three dukes that can be deployed on a large scale, with three to five thousand Oak Duke soldiers on the surface.

It is said that the Oak Elite soldiers have pointed ears, good looks, and agile movements.

Because their bloodline is extraordinary, possessing some characteristics of the children of the forest, and their physical abilities are stronger than ordinary people, each elite soldier generally possesses the qualities of a second-tier knight.

This was a meeting, and Roman had to come and receive them in person.

The White Steel Princess was not well-known in the past, her brilliance overshadowed by the Black Iron Crown. Now, her sharpness is revealed, astonishing the world—of course, there are many stronger than her, but there are only two Black Iron Princesses.

Now, she calls herself the Queen of the Iron, with the blood of Ionus flowing in her veins. She is strong and beautiful, with deep features, hair like a red river, and hair like white stones from a high mountain.

Roman was dressed in magnificent noble attire, looking very formal. Tashina, dressed in white military uniform, arrived travel-worn, riding the divine steed named 'Shadowbreaker'.

He said to her, "Your Highness, we have done our best, but unfortunately we could not prevent His Majesty's departure."

“What needs to be mourned has already been mourned,” Tasina said. “Lord Roman, I need your help.”

She was very straightforward and stated her purpose in her very first sentence.

Roman shook his head and said, "Your Highness, I would be very happy if you came here as a guest, but if you're here to recruit followers, then you should go back to where you came from."

Tashina frowned, and a handsome blond man behind her said, "Lord Roman, I think you should show more respect to the Iron King."

Roman turned to look at him: "Who are you?"

“Enya, son of Ryan Oak. In the ancient Elven language, it means ‘emerald’…”

Upon learning that Enya was the son of the Duke of Oak and the First Marshal of the Oak Elite Army, Roman said, "Alright, little gem, I'll listen to you. But I have a Black Iron King standing before me, and Blackburg also has a Black Iron King. Which one do you want me to respect?"

Upon hearing this, Enya retorted angrily, "I think you should be able to tell which one is the true king."

"I am the true king." Roman glanced at Enya; elven blood was quite rare.

He had blond hair and blue eyes, long and slender limbs, and his appearance and figure were otherworldly, comparable to Shasta and Neliel.

“I’m not denying that! I mean…” Enya was a bit impetuous with her youth. But Roman ignored her and said, “Let’s go into the castle first.”

He led everyone into the Abundant Castle. Enya was surprised to see that the castle was neither spacious nor aesthetically pleasing, and exclaimed, "Is this the kind of place your palace is?"

He thought it was some kind of outpost or fortress.

Compared to the white tower of Oak Ridge, the Earl of Conde's castle was like a country village.

The Pale Tower is built entirely of pure white stone, making it cool in summer and warm in winter. Its noble beauty is second only to the Holy City of the Papacy.

Roman didn't care what others said, and simply said, "We have limited resources, so let's make do."

The castle hall serves as his office area and can also be used as a reception area. Next to the fireplace, the firewood is burning brightly, radiating warmth and dispelling the cold air.

Enya, like a chatterbox, kept talking: "Why don't you build a taller and stronger castle? That's not befitting of a true king."

Roman said, "I don't have enough manpower."

"Then where did your people go?"

"I sent them to build military fortifications."

Roman's labor costs for renovating and expanding the Rich Castle were equivalent to those for a military fortress; he would never do such a losing business.

Enya said hesitantly, "It seems the Vatican has put a lot of pressure on you, but that's also why we're here."

Princess Stainless Steel also said, "We're here to support you."

Black Castle, Dragon Castle, and White Tower are all equidistant from Origin City.

The White Pagoda is located at the southernmost tip of the continent, while the Origin Basin is in the middle of the continent, making it not an easy trip for them.

"Oh?" Roman was somewhat surprised. He belatedly realized that Princess White Steel had brought three hundred Oak Elite Soldiers, over a hundred Black Iron Soldiers, and a dozen White Knights, which was a formidable force—but he had thought it was an envoy.

"Are you here to help me defend the city?"

Enya generously replied, "That's right! Her Highness the Princess and I persuaded Lord Oak."

“Lord Ryan does not want to send troops,” Tashina said, “because their mission is not here.”

The conquerors had the Oak family seal the gap in the earth, blocking the Nether Sea to the south and the Black Iron Lands to the north. The terrain was so enclosed that it was impossible to imagine two wars in the past hundred years, one in Silent Valley and the other in Blackburg.

It was no easy task to persuade them to send troops, but Princess White Steel eventually convinced the duke.

Because the Oak bloodline still reveres the Black Iron King, they only acknowledge Iotahina and not the false king supported by the Duke of Ragewave in Blackhold.

Roman understood after a moment's thought.

Oak is anti-papal, and so is Origin City.

Princess White Steel believes that seeking cooperation is a necessary step for both sides, at the very least they cannot stand by and watch the King of the Valley bear the pressure.

This force has its strengths and weaknesses. The weakness lies in the fact that they only obey Tahithina, the Black Iron Queen.

But Roman thought the benefits outweighed the drawbacks, so he accepted the reinforcements.

After all, we have come.

This also serves as a good opportunity to test the combat strength of the Oak Elite Soldiers, which is also beneficial to the River Valley Army.

Some people with special bloodlines generally have physical qualities that are higher than ordinary people, and Oak Elite Soldiers are such people.

Roman believes this is a genetic issue.

When he first arrived in Sig Town, he encountered the notorious bandit Borg, who at his peak possessed strength at the fourth or fifth rank, a strength inseparable from his superior bloodline. Borg had the blood of the North Ice, and the people of the Black Iron Lands had another name for the North Ice people—'North Ice Barbarians'.

That's right, barbarians are also a kind of alien race.

But the Egos were too close, and the Elves were too far away. Nine out of ten residents of the Kingdom of Iceland were of Ego descent, and over time, no one regarded the Egos as a foreign race.

Similarly, there are also the highland barbarians and the forest barbarians, etc.

These are the future enemies of the River Valley Army; it won't hurt to get to know them better.

By evening.

Roman settled them in, hosted a dinner party, and welcomed them as the host.

The food at Plenty Castle was quite good, at least it was an eye-opener for the guests from Oakshire.

After a banquet that could be considered a pleasant affair for both host and guests, Roman had just left when he noticed that Princess White Steel had followed him.

Roman turned around and said, "Your Highness, the room I arranged for you is not here."

She said, "I'm here to talk to you alone."

Roman agreed, instructing Shasta and Margaret to guard both sides of the passage.

"Please feel free to tell me what's on your mind."

Princess White Steel cut to the chase: "I asked Lord Ryan to send troops to retake Blackburg for me, but he refused, saying that his mission lay elsewhere." She repeated that statement.

"It seems our Lord Oak is all talk and no action," Roman said.

Whether or not it can be recaptured is secondary, but the Duke of Oak's attitude is very clear: he is only willing to live in a corner and is unwilling to get involved in the situation on the ground—this may also be related to the closed terrain of Oak Territory.

Princess White Steel was helpless. Duke Oak was extremely independent, and even if Iolion were still alive, he couldn't mobilize him. It was already quite good that Duke Oak could send troops to defend the king.

“That’s why I need your help,” she repeated.

"I can't, Your Highness," Roman replied just as readily.

Iotashina's face showed a look of confusion. She found Roman to be an extremely difficult person to understand. She could see the true nature of everyone, but Roman was wearing amber, and all she could see was that he wasn't lying.

She never learned to test or hesitate, and asked directly, "Why? We'll become in-laws. You stay here, and I'll lead your army to fight and reclaim the Black Iron Lands. In return, you can have my throne."

The Conqueror Dynasty ruled the Iron Lands for over a century. If the plan succeeds, the Iron Lands will then be ruled by the Roman Dynasty.

She asked herself if this was a temptation that no one could resist.

Roman chuckled softly: "Then what would you like, Your Highness?"

"I only want war! But other armies are no good, they can't meet my needs. Only your army is the best..." She had seen with her own eyes that every soldier was basically no less than the Iron Guard, and the Iron Guard was only loyal to Blackburg, while the number of Black Iron Guards and White Knights was very small.

Roman dismissed Tashina's joke, thinking that military power shouldn't be given away so easily.

You want me to be king, and you want to be the regent? No way! Only I can be the regent, and I'll seize control of your government.

“Your Highness, why don’t you go to Pirate King Alex? He’d be happy to get the legal status of the Black Iron King. Besides, the pirate world is rising. You should know that Cassandra is helping the pirates with the dragons. In the future, the pirates will be the main force against the world of the gods.”

Princess Bai Gang's face immediately turned icy: "I am a descendant of royalty, do you expect me to dance with those wild dragons?"

Clearly, this suggestion did not satisfy her at all.

She said coldly, "If your surname weren't Liejia, why would I even look at you?"

In fact, she felt that they were the same kind of people. He himself had the right to inherit the Duke of the Cracked Armor, was a king, and was also a conqueror lord. He was of noble status and a real big shot, far superior to ordinary people. Having only martial power was not enough. Even a dragon rider like Cassandra was scolded by her. She mocked that the filthy witch was not even as good as a court jester. How dare a lowly commoner like her lay her hands on the Black Iron Throne?

Even if Payne Rage supported a false king to the throne, it was her younger brother who was being supported. Her elder brother, Ionos, was kind and upright, a more legitimate and capable heir to the throne than she was. He died young when she was only thirteen, and her younger siblings had all shown poor behavior during their upbringing. She firmly believed that the throne was hers to restore the glory of the conquerors, and her father had no objections, having already made a will—it's just that the situation has now developed to the point where even producing the will is useless.

Her good-for-nothing brother had become a puppet to be manipulated by others, which was a disgrace to the Conqueror's family. She wanted to angrily rebuke him for not being able to submit to the Church and the Raging Tide, thus disgracing the family. He deserved to die!

Roman realized that Princess White Steel valued lineage and ability—which, of course, wasn't a fault.

In this land, kings and generals are considered powerful, and she was one of the most powerful.

During the War of the Kings, she raided enemy camps and charged into battle, leading the White Knights and Black Knights across the battlefield. She herself was at least a fifth-tier knight.

She was only twenty-five years old, yet she had already reached the threshold of becoming a high-ranking knight. This level of martial prowess cannot be built up simply through extraordinary resources.

Others took it for granted, after all, the White Steel Princess had the blood of conquerors flowing in her veins. Her bloodline was unbelievably pure; according to Sanna, it had a kind of atavistic feel to it.

Roman was the same; he possessed the bloodline of the Cracked Armor, and his physical development was excellent—some people with bad genes, no matter how much nutrition they had in childhood, would still not grow tall.

Even if he adds points to the apostles, those with poor foundations and bad genes will still be stuck at the low level.

This is an objective difference.

The Igor barbarians are born berserkers; there's no reasoning with that.

Princess White Steel said, "I'll fight on the front lines, and you'll support me from the rear. I promise you that all the land we conquer will be yours. You will be the future Iron King. You'll get the throne, and you'll get me too. Don't you think I'm beautiful?"

Roman glanced at her. Iotashina was dressed in white, nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a full figure and incredibly healthy. Her arms and thighs were strong, and her muscles really looked like steel.

More importantly, as she said, her features are exceptionally beautiful.

Perhaps men who prefer pale, thin women wouldn't appreciate this kind of strong beauty, but Roman didn't dislike a woman as fresh as a winter morning.

It was midwinter, and the temperature inside the castle was low, but she didn't feel cold. Dressed in royal attire, she attended the banquet, her chest held high. During the war, she had been bound by white cloth, but now she stood tall before Roman, her slight forward bow revealing a deep cleavage that possessed immense allure, radiating a silent seduction.

Don't you want to touch it?

Iotashina grabbed Roman's hand, guiding him to grab it, but Roman waved his hand, interrupting the action.

Princess White Steel certainly hadn't learned any honey traps. With her expression unchanged, she said, "Before Blackburg fell, my father smuggled the wealth of the Black Iron Treasury out of the city. Although he didn't take it all, chests of gold coins, gems, and knowledge—he said those rare treasures, skilled craftsmen, and black and white knights were all part of my dowry, priceless. I brought them to Oak Territory, and if you agree, I can bring them to you."

But Roman said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but I am the sole and supreme ruler of this land. No one can surpass my will, and no one can stand shoulder to shoulder with me, because I feel that none of you are worthy..."

He said, “Don’t look at me like that. If you want to reclaim the Black Iron Lands, I can support you and help you, but not through marriage—as long as you kneel before me, I will help you and give those traitors a good punch! What do you think?”

(End of this chapter)