Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 322 The trendsetters of the times!

Windsordler was groggily awakened by the alarm, loosened her arms from around Cohen's neck, and reached out to brush the hair that had fallen across her cheek.

"What time is it? Why is it so noisy outside?"

Windsordler's voice was somewhat hoarse from lingering passion.

Cohen stroked Windsordler's alluring face:
"It must be that he saw the letter I left for His Majesty Gaius, and now he's probably searching for me everywhere."

Windsordale climbed barefoot onto Cohen's thigh, her emerald eyes still misty, her red lips slightly curved:

"Gaius probably couldn't have imagined, even if he racked his brains, that his most hated enemy was laughing and joking with him during the day!"

Cohen gave a mischievous smile and toyed with the wonderfully tactile feel of the doll.
"He probably has no idea that I'm currently enjoying the ultimate bliss with a beautiful woman in my arms!"

Windsordler's lips turned even redder from the unconscious biting, and she was slightly dazed. She reached out to block Cohen's mischievous hand.

When do you plan to leave?

Cohen stopped what he was doing and said:
"Tomorrow, let's go and communicate with the Church of Prophecy in advance, and also send Duke Gavin back to Gavin Territory."

"Go and come back soon, don't hang out with that succubus, otherwise... mmm..."

……

It was late at night, but the Ceylon Royal Palace was still brightly lit. The atmosphere in the King's office was extremely solemn, with all three princes, cabinet ministers, and senior military officers gathered there.

He stared silently at Gaius Cromwell, the King of Ceylon, not far away.

Gaius sat motionless in his chair, like a statue, staring at a letter in his hand.

The letter was written on unusual paper; it wasn't ordinary parchment, but rather a sheet of paper from the Ceylon Evening Post dated today.

The letter was written in the blank space of the evening paper, the handwriting extremely elegant, clearly the work of a young man. The content was very simple, only three lines long:
"The Duke of Gavin was a loyal subject of the legitimate royal family of Ceylon and should not have died in prison."

I have rescued the person. I hope Your Majesty can relinquish your obsession and atone for the sins committed by your grandfather.

Furthermore, I must remind Your Majesty that I have been watching you closely. Do not easily trust anyone around you; they could all be my eyes and ears!

Aside from those three lines, what Gaius found most unacceptable was the signature at the end of the letter—

King Cohen Corleone of Effie.

Beside Gaius lay a stack of documents, copies of some of the documents signed by Corleone that Gaius had just had collected, bearing Corleone's handwriting.

After careful comparison, Gaius confirmed that the letter published in today's Ceylon Evening Post was indeed written by Cohen Corleone.

This means that the supreme ruler of the enemy country swaggered into the most heavily guarded royal prison and rescued the biggest traitor!
Once this matter gets out, how can the Kingdom of Ceylon still claim to be the first kingdom under the five great empires?

In fact, this matter could no longer be covered up. Since Cohen had the ability to come and go freely in the Royal City Prison, he certainly had the ability to spread all of this.

Undoubtedly, this is another heavy blow to Ceylon's prestige.

Gaius meticulously studied every word left by Cohen; this was his first encounter with the renowned King of Effie.

Besides mocking the Ceylon Kingdom's ineffective defenses, the letter Cohen left behind was more importantly intended to sow discord.

Although Gaius knew perfectly well that Cohen's last words were a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the Ceylonian monarch and his subjects, he still couldn't help but suspect those around him.

Why was it that just as he was about to make a move against Duke Gavin, the other party happened to rescue him beforehand?

Furthermore, how did the other party manage to bypass the tight surveillance and guards and quietly rescue such a living person?

Without the help of an inside traitor, it's hard to believe the other side could have accomplished all this.

And no one knew all of this except for Prime Minister Yod Merrick, whom he trusted most.

How could Yud possibly betray him?
He was a trusted confidant whom he had personally cultivated and supported. He was the one who had promoted him step by step from a low-level government official to the prime minister of a country. How could he possibly betray him?
Another voice uncontrollably echoed in Gaius's mind: even the devil of hell, the saint-level Garcia, could be bewitched by him to betray the Black Tomb, so what is Yud compared to them?

No, if Yud really was turned by him, why would he leave such a letter? Wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting defeat?
Is Yud framed? Is he innocent?
No, that's not right. What if he left this letter so that I would think that way?
With Gavin rescued, he would definitely suspect that there was a traitor among his own people, and Prime Minister Merrick was undoubtedly the prime suspect. Did Cohen leave this letter to deliberately clear Prime Minister Merrick of suspicion?
Still, something's not right. What if he staged this whole thing just to frame Youde...?

Gaius pondered on and on, layer upon layer, repeatedly affirming his own answer only to overturn it again and again, falling into an endless chain of suspicion.

Suddenly, a chill ran through his chest, and Gaius realized something.

Cohen left this letter not to sow discord between the monarch and his ministers or to clear Prime Minister Merrick of suspicion, but to trap himself in this logical vicious cycle from which he could not escape.

He has achieved his goal; he has successfully erected an invisible barrier between himself and Yud.

After this incident, I will never again be able to unconditionally trust the prime minister I personally cultivated and anyone around me!
Gaius felt a strange sense of unease. Before they had even officially faced off, he had already fallen so far behind. He began to feel pessimistic about the future.

Gaius took a deep breath; at least for now, he couldn't show that emotion.

He had summoned his ministers intending to have them study the letter left by Cohen together, to create a psychological portrait of this mysterious and enigmatic monarch through a few words, but now he could no longer do so.

Once he publishes the letter, not only will he be unable to trust the ministers around him in the future.

These ministers will no longer trust their ruler.

Suspicion is relative. Once ministers know that they are no longer trusted, how can they be expected to be unconditionally loyal to them?

Gaius reached out and put the letter away, then looked up at the upright-sitting crowd. His gaze swept over his three sons standing at the front, and suddenly, an inexplicable guess, one that even he couldn't accept, popped into his mind—

Could it be that one of my three sons has betrayed me?
Back when Effie was in turmoil, the second son of the Gaunt family, the former Grand Dukes of the Southern Territory, betrayed his father!
Gaius's eyes suddenly deepened, and he forced himself to conceal all his emotions as he looked at the crowd and slowly spoke:
"The letter was left by King Cohen Corleone of Effie!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the conference room.

The eldest prince, Orlando Cromwell, was in charge of the defense of the entire palace and Quessarion, and the prison where the Duke of Gavin was held was also within his jurisdiction.

He suddenly stood up and said loudly:

"Father, how is this possible?"

Gaius's voice was very indifferent:

"The letter paper is today's Ceylon Evening Post. I just compared the handwriting, and it is his own handwriting."

He did this as a demonstration, a provocation and mockery of our entire defense force in Ceylon!

Prince Orlando's expression changed repeatedly, his heart filled with confusion. He couldn't imagine how the other party had broken through the tight defenses and rescued Duke Gavin all by himself.

Prime Minister Merrick frowned and said:

"Your Majesty, King Efein possesses a skill that allows him to enter a sub-plane. Did he use this skill to rescue Gavin?"

Before Gaius could answer, someone immediately responded:
"Prime Minister, your extraordinary level is not high, so you may not know enough about things like the sub-dimensions."

The reason a sub-plane is called a sub-plane is because its rules are incomplete and unsuitable for human survival.

Moreover, the secondary plane and the primary plane are separated by a plane barrier that can only be broken by those at the Saint level.

The fact that King Efein can move freely between the primary and secondary planes suggests that he may have lived in this secondary plane for a period of time. Not only was he not corrupted by the rules of the secondary plane, but he also carried a trace of its imprint.

This allows him to move freely between the two dimensions, but just because he can do this doesn't mean others can.

I simply cannot believe that a transcendent being of only the Silver rank could lead outsiders to freely traverse between two planes.

The one who spoke was none other than Prince Moro, who possessed the rank of a saint.

Most people present knew very little about the relationship between the primary and secondary planes; such matters could only be accessed by extraordinary individuals who had reached a certain level.

After hearing Prince Moro's words, everyone fell silent.

Everything proved impossible, yet it still happened. Could this King Efein really be the incarnation of the gods walking on the human continent?
Gaius waved his hand slightly to stop the murmurs, and said in a deep voice:

"It's certain that Cohen Corleone is currently in the royal city, and Antoine Gavin is also there; they haven't gone far either."

I hereby declare martial law in the city. Search every house and every home, even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find these two people!
Furthermore, all persons leaving the city must be thoroughly searched; not a single suspicious trace should be overlooked!

Gaius's determination made everyone's expressions tense. The royal city was placed under martial law, and the entire city was searched. Once this operation was launched, the impact would be enormous.

Moreover, this scandal could no longer be concealed.

However, looking at Gaius's cold and stern face, no one dared to voice any objections at this moment.

……

[Cohen Corleone, the letter you left for King Gaius Cromwell of the Kingdom of Ceylon has led to the second time in history that the capital of the First Kingdom of the continent has been placed under martial law.]

Marrying the Elf Princess, orchestrating the internal strife in Ceylon, supporting the princess who restored the kingdom, and single-handedly storming the enemy's royal court to rescue Duke Gavin from prison—your name is mentioned again by everyone.

The rulers of the five great empires have begun to pay attention to you, the lords of the strongest kingdoms are afraid of you, and you have opened the curtain on a war of nations vying for supremacy.

Cohen Corleone, you are a trendsetter of this era!
Legendary status, +50

As Cohen was working diligently, he heard a emotionless mechanical voice. His expression shifted slightly. The legend had finally increased again, and this time the increase surprised him.

Last time, conquering two duchies only increased my legend points by ten. This time, I haven't done anything yet, and I've already gained fifty. It seems the difference between nations truly cannot be measured by numbers.

Cohen speculated that the main reason he was able to gain such a high level of legendary status was because all his actions were directed against Ceylon, the strongest human kingdom.

What also bothered Cohen was the line, "The rulers of the five great empires have begun to cast their gazes toward you."

The one in power naturally refers to His Majesty the Emperor.

The Central Empire and the Western Regions Empire were understandable, as they had long been paying attention to his every move. However, the remaining three empires were somewhat unexpected for Cohen.

Prince Xia Zuo of the Eastern Empire has always paid more attention to him, but Emperor Eberron of the Divine Dragon Empire has not heard much from Grace about his evaluation.

Then there are the Northern Empire and the Southern Empire, whose emperors are even more unfamiliar.

This comment served as a reminder to Cohen that he had now come under the watchful eyes of the emperors of the five great empires.

Although I don't know which of my actions will attract their attention, the higher my legend level is, the more beneficial it will be for me to break through to the legendary rank in the future.

As Cohen was pondering, he heard Windsordler's plaintive voice from beneath him:

"Which woman are you thinking about now? You're daydreaming while doing this kind of thing. Believe me, I won't let you sleep with me anymore."

Cohen snapped out of his daze, leaned down and kissed the somewhat irritable Windsordler, and continued with the harmonious exercise.

……

Dragon City, Eastern Empire.

Emperor Eberron frowned slightly as he looked at the intelligence report in his hand. He then glanced at Prime Minister Tiberio Hawke beside him and asked:

"Is the intelligence reliable?"

A king of a nation, alone, broke into the capital of the most powerful kingdom in humankind, rescued a criminal from a heavily guarded prison, and even brazenly left behind a letter.

How absurd does this seem to me?
Gaius isn't the kind of person who would be such a coward!

Prime Minister Tiberius smiled wryly:

"Your Majesty, when I received this intelligence, I had the same thought as you, but after confirming it repeatedly, I can confirm that every word in this intelligence is true."

Quessaon was placed under martial law last night, the second time in history.

The last time martial law was declared was when Gaius's grandfather was plotting to usurp the throne.

Emperor Eberron's brow furrowed even deeper, and his gaze grew increasingly somber.

Several military officers passed around the intelligence given to them by Emperor Eberron, and their faces gradually showed shock.

One of the military aircraft said:
"Your Majesty, isn't the Eldest Princess still in Quesaon? Should we contact her and ask about the specific situation there?"

Aberon shook his head directly and said:

"It's rare for her to find someone she loves, so let's not bother her with these official matters. Let her have some fun with her fiancé for a few days."

After speaking, he looked at Prince Xiazuo, whose face had remained gloomy:
"Xia Zuo, you have had the most dealings with this King Efein. What do you think of this matter?"

Xia Zuo snapped out of his reverie and replied respectfully:
“I’m sure Cohen did it; he’s always been that arrogant and self-righteous.”

A subtle glint flashed in Eberron's eyes as he asked:

"How did he do that?"

Xia Zuo replied in a deep voice:

"Sub-dimensions, he possesses the ability to enter sub-dimensions, he must have used this ability to rescue Gavin."

One of the military intelligence officers, a Saint-level figure, spoke up in rebuttal:

"Impossible! A Silver-rank cultivator couldn't possibly allow outsiders to freely enter and exit the sub-plane!"

This Saint-level military strategist made the same judgment as Prince Moro before him.

Prince Xiazuo paused for a moment, then said:

"My extraordinary level is not high enough, so I don't know about the dimensional rules you're talking about. All I know is that King Efein cannot be predicted by common sense."

He holds an ancient and mysterious profession that exists only in ancient books. He possesses monstrous abilities similar to those of a god of prophecy and controls all sorts of terrifying secrets. It is not unimaginable for such a person to break through your so-called dimensional rules.

I'm pretty sure Gaius's citywide curfew is pointless. Knowing Cohen as I do, he's probably hiding somewhere right now, watching the chaos unfold in Quesaon with amusement.

Furthermore, I can confidently assert that Gaius's prayer mission will also fail without exception. His most sensible course of action now is to directly declare war on Effiin, using the strength of the continent's strongest kingdom to wage a war of attrition against Effiin—a war to the death!

Prince Xia Zuo's unusually serious and cold words surprised everyone present.

An eerie silence fell over the meeting room. Xia Zuo also felt his emotions getting agitated, but he still couldn't control his urge to speak.

He had to make the high-ranking officials of the Eastern Empire realize how terrifying this man was. Of course, whether he was making excuses for his failure in Florence was something only he knew.

Prime Minister Tiberio broke the deadlock:
"A war that threatens the very existence of a nation is too early to discuss. As one of the five great empires, we cannot possibly encourage such a war between two countries. I understand His Highness's feelings."

However… based on my many years of experience, Effin is no match for the Kingdom of Ceylon. Your Highness should not underestimate His Majesty Gaius Cromwell.”

Prince Shazor was about to speak when Emperor Eberon interrupted:

“These things are not important. The reason I am curious about him is simply because I suspect one thing.”

Eberron turned his gaze to the Saint-level military aircraft that had spoken earlier, Saul Preston.

Saint Thor's expression became much more subtle, and he said slowly:
"Does Your Majesty suspect that he is the root cause of the future turmoil?"

Emperor Eberron nodded and said:

"Indeed, in just a few years, there have been several battles involving saints and legends related to him, which have even led to the fall of saints."

Now he's about to instigate a war that could destroy a nation. Coupled with the Cobalt Soul Academy's ambiguous attitude back then, one can't help but wonder if he'll be the protagonist who ignites the great upheaval to come!

A hint of jealousy surfaced on Prince Xiazuo's face. In his view, he was the one who should be the one to ride the wave of that magnificent event in the future.

In order to gain an advantage in future turmoil, he began to lay out his plans across the continent early on. His initial plans in Efein and the Kingdom of Ceylon were aimed at successfully subduing the Golden Wing family, marrying the Golden Wing's daughter, and paving the way for his future career.

However, it was completely ruined by Cohen, who appeared out of nowhere.

Now that his emperor uncle had given him such high praise and affirmation, a feeling of jealousy began to grow in his heart.

Besides Prince Shazor, Eberron's words also surprised everyone else, but upon reflection, they found the speculation to be quite logical.

There was one thing they couldn't accept emotionally: why would someone of this caliber appear in a small, remote country? Someone who could dominate the course of an era should at least have come from one of the five great empires.

Saint Thor sighed and said:

"The gods have bestowed their favor upon you?"
Perhaps he is the one chosen by the gods of this era.

Emperor Eberron was silent for a moment, then said:
"The sons of the gods, no matter how weak or barren Efein may be, are still signatories to the divine and demonic charter, and the King of Efein is also a son of the gods."

It is not surprising that the King of Efein is favored by the gods, but this does not mean that he will always receive their favor.

If he fails enough times, the gods will abandon him, and his position and role will naturally be taken by someone else.

Upon hearing this, Prince Xia Zuo's eyes lit up, and he looked at Emperor Eberon with anticipation.

Eberon seemed to notice Shazo's subtle movements and let out a faint laugh:

"Xia Zuo, I saw in the intelligence that your people are also involved in the internal strife in Ceylon?"

Xia Zuo did not deny it, and said:
“My original plan was to use the elimination of the Gavin family to put the third prince of Ceylon, Saxon, on the throne and have him help us deal with Effie.”

Eberron gave Shazo a deep look:
"It seems your obsession with Effie is quite deep!"

Xia Zuo answered very frankly:

"The secrets he possesses are very useful to us. Whether it's the orc legion or the divine and demonic equipment that doesn't belong to the five great empires, these are of great significance to our Eastern Empire."

Emperor Eberon did not pursue the matter further, and calmly said what Xia Zuo most wanted to hear:
"You just concluded that Gaius's prayer ritual would not succeed, is that right?"

Xia Zuo's tone was extremely firm:
“If it were successful, Cohen wouldn’t have supported such a puppet princess. Knowing him as I do, he would never have launched this plan unless he was absolutely certain.”

Emperor Eberron then said:

"So, this internal strife in Ceylon is destined to be impossible to end in the short term?"

Xia Zuo's answer was resounding:
"Not only will it not end quickly, but it may even gradually turn into a major civil war that sweeps across the entire Kingdom of Ceylon!"
If I'm not mistaken, Ceylon, the most powerful kingdom, is very likely to be divided in two!

(End of this chapter)