Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 342 Melantha's Restless Feet
As the two were talking, Melanie rubbed her eyes and came downstairs wearing a thin, semi-transparent nightgown:

"It smells so good! Is this a special breakfast for the elves?"

Cohen clapped his hands and said:
"Melansha is coming down right now, let's eat and talk."

The three sat down at the table, and Cohen continued what he had been saying:

"The high-level transcendents sent by the Starburst Clan to provide support have arrived in Ceylon. They went directly to the City of Crowns. Please receive them for me."

Ada and Asuna had previously told Windsordale and Melantha about Cohen's secret alliance with the Starfolk, but they hadn't told them about Cohen's true identity within the Starfolk.

Windsordler asked:

"Speaking of which, I was just about to ask you, when did you start getting involved with the Starburst Clan again?"

Cohen immediately protested:
"Windsor, that's a really impolite way to use the word 'flirt'."

Windsordler snorted:
"Don't try to fool me. The history of the Elven race is also very long. As far as I know, the highest ruler of the Starry Race is the Starry Race Saintess. Do you dare to say you've never seen their Saintess?"

Seeing that Windsordler was about to reveal the truth, Cohen looked slightly flustered and quickly changed the subject:

"I have no interest in a saint who is hundreds of years old."

Alright, the Star Clan has sent a total of five Star Envoys this time, all of whom are here for the Ceylon Civil War.

After you receive the people, arrange for them to be taken directly to a small town outside Guimian City.

This is a token and a code. The leader is a woman; she should recognize you.

Compared to Melantha, who has always been hidden in the Black Tomb, Windsordler, as a candidate for Elf Queen and Grand Chancellor of the Central Empire, is very well-known on the continent.

Oh, and now there's another title: Princess of Windsor, Alfie.

Star Envoys are equivalent to legendary-level superhumans. The Star Clan sent five Star Envoys this time, indicating their intention to establish roots in Ceylon.

Windsordler took the token and the code, and said:

"Are you going to Guimian City today to help Freya deal with the Lorthermar family?"

Cohen nodded and said:

"Freya's forces are still too weak. It's a rare opportunity to take advantage of this and see if we can subdue the Lorthermar family."

Windsordler's eyes flickered, and her tone became much more intriguing:

"Perhaps she doesn't need your help. Why don't you observe this little princess secretly for a while?"

Cohen was slightly surprised, and Melanie, who was enjoying her meal, looked up and said:

"I agree with Windsor's words. Don't treat Freya like a child. My sister's students can easily deal with a viscount family in the kingdom."

Besides, her sister also said that Freya is definitely the most talented girl she has ever met.

Her older sister's assessment was that Freya would eventually become a qualified queen.

Cohen was genuinely surprised; Mavis had given Freya such high praise.

Mavis was Freya's main instructor during her training in the "Lost Land".

As a veteran intelligence agent serving the Lord of Sequences and having been the lord of the Potions City-State in the Chaotic Demon Continent for many years, Mavis has an incredibly rich experience in combat.

For her to make such a comment, it seems I underestimated Freya before.

Indeed, the daughter of a military genius, how could her personal abilities be lacking?

Since Windsordale and Melantha had both said so, Cohen changed his mind and decided not to show himself this time.

Entrusting the Lorthermar family entirely to Freya was also a test for her.

Let's see how she plans to win over a hereditary viscount family that has been deeply rooted in the Kingdom of Ceylon for many years.

The three continued eating when Cohen suddenly remembered something and said to the other two:
"By the way, are you two going to participate in this year's Noble Martial Arts Festival?"

Windsor is at Tier 9, and Melantha, you're already halfway to Legend; both of you can participate in the Gold Group main tournament.

Each country can send five players per group. Why don't you represent Effie in the competition?

Windsordler rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, and asked:
"I'm an elf, can I participate in your human 'Noble Martial Arts Festival'?"

Furthermore, according to the age group, only those under forty years old can apply for the Gold Tier, so I definitely don't qualify.

Cohen said:

"Why not? You are now the queen of the human king and the son of the gods, of course you are qualified to participate."

As for age, the ages of elves and humans cannot be generalized. According to our human age system, you are at most twenty-five years old.

Windsordler then said:

"There's nothing wrong with me."

Melantha raised her hand and said:
"If I were to participate, under what identity would I use?"

Cohen said directly:

"I will also bestow upon you the title of noble, the same as the Lord of the Sequence...."

She has been made the Emerald Grand Duchess of Effie, and I will make you the Marquis of the Rose, how about that?"

Melantha didn't care much about these things and casually said:
"You can figure it out."

Windsordler coughed lightly, glanced at Melantha, and said in a low voice:
"Didn't you have enough fun last night?"
We're all superhumans; who can you expect to hide your little tricks from?

Cohen shuddered, an embarrassed look on his face.

Melanie seemed unconcerned, slowly retracting her delicate foot from under the table and nonchalantly saying:

"You're always with him and you're well-fed, but I only get to see him once in a long while."

Melantha's bold remarks caught Cohen off guard. He thought to himself, "No wonder she's from the Lost Lands. She dares to say anything. She really has the personality of a little witch."

Windsordler blushed deeply at Melantha's words and glared fiercely at Cohen.

Cohen said helplessly:
"What does this have to do with me? She has legs, and I can't control her... Alright, it's getting late. We're still quite a distance from Guimian City. You should go and come back soon."

Melanie stood up gracefully, took out a tissue to wipe the marks on her toes, and went upstairs to change her clothes in her high heels.

Windsordler punched Cohen, venting his frustration.

After finishing tidying up, the three parted ways at the front door of their house.

Freya's palace was not far from where Cohen lived, so he slipped into the shadows and secretly infiltrated it.

……

When Malfoy Lorthermar regained consciousness, he felt a burning pain all over his body. After realizing his predicament, he felt a chill run down his spine.

The princess, who should have been captured by Greg, was staring at him with great interest, her eyes displaying the indifference of a hunter observing its prey, leaving Malfoy with no time to appreciate Freya's stunning beauty.

A ridiculous guess arose in his mind—

The plans of the Lorthermar family and Greg have failed!

How can this be?

Greg is a prince of the Southern Empire and the first in line to the throne. How could he not even be able to deal with a princess who has no power at all?
As Malfoy was filled with fear, Freya's voice rang out:

“Your father must be nearby. Call him here.”

Malfoy's face turned pale instantly.

His father, Viscount Alexei Losemaar, now a count, was indeed in the city of Breiburg.

Given the magnitude of Gregor's coup attempt, it was impossible for the head of House Lorthemar to be absent.

However, Alexei was a cunning old fox. He did not show himself and instead sent his son to the front while he secretly observed the situation from within the city.

Malfoy swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice:
"Your Highness... I didn't understand what Your Highness said."

And why did Your Highness treat me like this…

A hint of impatience flashed in Freya's eyes as she coldly said:

"Gregor has been captured, and no one can save you now."

"You are not qualified to have me negotiate with you. Tell me where your father is staying in Breiburg."

Malfoy wanted to resist again, but Freya's next words immediately extinguished that thought:
"Of course, if you don't want to talk about it, your father will come sooner or later, because he has to collect his son's body."

You have one minute to think about it.

As it turns out, most people, especially the pampered nobles who were used to living a life of luxury, simply did not have the courage to face death.

Without a moment's hesitation, Malfoy gave an address, not even a second, let alone a minute.

……

In a small town near Fort Bray, Alexei Losemaar stared at the intelligence he had gathered, his mind in turmoil.

He had naturally witnessed the legendary battle last night. At first, he thought it was the princess's guards resisting, but he soon realized something was wrong.

The quantity is incorrect.

There were a total of nine legendary-level fighters clashing. It's impossible for Her Highness to have that many by her side. Greg only brought three with him. So where did the rest come from?

Lord Lorthermar didn't sleep a wink all night, and with no word from Malfoy, he had a bad feeling.

It wasn't until this morning, when I received the intelligence gathered by my subordinates, that my suspicions were confirmed.

Gregor and his plan failed as expected; the Central Empire and the Eastern Empire, which were even more powerful than the Southern Empire, were the ones who made the move.

It was hard to imagine why these two great empires would appear in the Breiburg region. Count Lorthermar had a vague feeling that there was an invisible hand controlling everything behind the scenes.

We can't stay here any longer. Since Gregor's plan has failed, the princess will find out sooner or later that it's all related to the Lor'themar family. We have to leave!
As for Malfoy, we'll have to figure that out once we get back to our territory.

After making his decision, Earl Lorthermar acted swiftly, quickly packing up and preparing to leave. But the moment he stepped outside, the scene before him made his heart sink.

A well-equipped guard had surrounded his residence without him even noticing.

The general leading the group, Earl Lorthermar, was a familiar figure; he was the captain of the princess's guard, a powerful ninth-tier peak transcendent.

Earl Lorthermar felt a chill run through him. The appearance of the princess's guards meant that his son had not only been captured, but had also given away his whereabouts before the night was over.

The captain of the guards said in a deep voice:

“Count Alexei Losermar, His Highness requests that you come to the palace to discuss matters. Please come in.”

Count Lorthermar took a deep breath, showing no intention of resistance.

He has already betrayed Gaius's side; he can't betray Guimiancheng as well.

The count's expression gradually returned to calm, and he said in a composed tone:
"Alright, I'll go with you to see His Highness!"

……

This was, in fact, the second time Earl Lorthermar had met Her Highness the Princess.

The only previous instance was after the victory in the Battle of Twin Towers, when Count Lorthermar decisively abandoned Gaius's faction and joined the side of the City of Crowns.

As a representative of House Lorthemar, he went to pay homage to the princess along with the other lords.

Apart from that one occasion, the cunning Earl of Lorthermar only allowed Malfoy to represent the Lorthermar family in external affairs, while he himself remained in his territory, observing the situation.

Upon seeing Freya, Count Lorthermar couldn't help but sigh inwardly. No wonder this princess could bewitch so many noble young men in Ceylon.

Her aloof demeanor, stunning beauty, and noble status certainly captivated the hearts of many men.

Earl Lorthermar composed himself, performed a proper bow, and said respectfully:

“Your Highness, Alexei Losemaar has been summoned to an audience.”

Freya gently waved her hand, gesturing for the other person to sit down, and then they began their conversation in a friendly atmosphere.

The conversation revolved around Gui Miancheng's recent political work, making no mention of what happened the previous night.

Earl Lorthermar felt a sense of unease, wondering what the princess was really up to.

As the conversation progressed, Freya still showed no sign of mentioning anything related to the events of the previous night.

Count Lorthermar grew increasingly impatient. This feeling of knowing a knife was hanging over his head but not knowing when it would fall, this constant fear, was an invisible torment.

Since he was going to be stabbed sooner or later anyway, Earl Lorthermar simply laid it out plainly:
"Your Highness, there is a small matter I would like to ask you."

Freya stopped speaking and said:

“Please speak, Earl.”

Earl Lorthermar said softly:

"Malfoy took one of our distant relatives to see His Highness yesterday, but he hasn't returned all night. Has something happened?"

Freya said calmly:
"Count, what is the full name of your distant relative?"

Count Lorthermar hesitated for a moment, then remained silent.

Freya's voice suddenly became much lower:

"Is his name Greg Yalves?"

Earl Lorthermar paused slightly, then quickly said:
"Your Highness, you already know about this?"

Freya remained expressionless and replied calmly:

"Which matter is the Earl referring to?"

Count Lorthermar's expression changed slightly. Unsure of Freya's temperament, he could only explain in a low voice their relationship with Gregor:
"Your Highness, the royal family of the Southern Empire has a deep connection with our Lorthermar family ancestors. Prince Grego recently approached us, hoping to cooperate with Your Highness to help you restore your kingdom."

In order to avoid leaks, I did not inform His Highness in advance, thinking it would be better to have Prince Greg meet and talk with His Highness directly.

Therefore, last night Malfoy brought Prince Gregor to meet His Highness under the guise of a distant relative.

Did something unpleasant happen during last night's negotiations, causing you to misunderstand us?

Freya's red lips parted slightly, and the words she uttered made Count Lorthermar's heart skip a beat:
"Does the deep connection refer to the fact that the ancestors of the Lorthermar family were once pirates supported by the royal family of the Southern Empire?"

Count Lorthermar was filled with shock. He hadn't expected Freya to have uncovered such a deep secret. He immediately realized that the other party must be in control of a powerful secret intelligence agency.

Before the other party could respond, Freya continued by asking:

"Count, has your Prince Gregor told you what his purpose is in coming to Breiburg this time?"

Earl Lorthermar composed himself and replied in a low voice:
"It's about discussing cooperation with His Highness to jointly deal with Gaius's usurpation and help His Highness restore the kingdom."

Freya's lips curled into a cold smile, and her words filled Count Lorthermar with dread:
"is it?
But what Greg did was quite different from what you described.

Last night, he attempted to kidnap Prince Xiazuo of the Eastern Empire and Baron Qiaolun of the Central Empire.

The legendary-class war was triggered by this.

The people of the Central Empire and the Eastern Empire have arrived in Guimian City, demanding that we immediately hand over the murderers who conspired with Greg to kill their prince and baron. Earl, what do you say, should I hand them over or not?

Earl Lorthermar's eyes widened, as if he had been struck on the head, and he became completely dazed.

Greg actually wants to kidnap Shazo and Joren?
More importantly, his own son was involved?

No, it wasn't his own son. To outsiders, it was all orchestrated by the Lorthermar family behind the scenes.

Even Freya was able to uncover the connection between the Lorthermar family and the royal family of the Southern Region, let alone those imperial powers.

Count Lorthermar felt a constant chill in his chest, and immense fear nearly overwhelmed his consciousness.

The Central Empire, the strongest empire in human history.

The Eastern Empire is second only to the Central Empire in national strength.

The Lorthermar family has offended the two most powerful forces among humans; what chance do they have of surviving?
Earl Lorthermar forced himself to remain calm, and although he tried his best to control himself, his voice still trembled uncontrollably:
"Your Highness, is this...is this true?"

Freya tossed a confession to the other person and said calmly:
"Greg's kidnapping attempt failed, and instead, he was outmaneuvered by Prince Shazo and Young Master Joren."

This is the interrogation record they sent over this morning.

The signature and seal below should be familiar to you.

Count Lorthermar took the record, and its contents were exactly the same as Freya's. At the end, there was the signature and seal of the First Prince Greg.

They colluded with the prince of the Southern Empire to frame the nobles of the Central Empire and the prince of the Eastern Empire!
Upon seeing this irrefutable evidence, Earl Lorthermar nearly fainted. If this charge were proven, the Lorthermar family, which had been passed down for over a thousand years, would face its complete end in his hands.

Just as he was panicking and didn't know what to do, Freya's voice slowly rang out:

“Count, what you are doing not only brings disaster to your own family, but may even endanger the safety of Ceylon.”

What should we do now?

Count Lorthermar shuddered, suddenly realizing something.

If Her Highness were truly prepared to hand her over to the Central Empire and the Eastern Empire, she wouldn't waste so much time on these words, wouldn't seek her out for a meeting, and wouldn't ask her what to do. Instead, she would try her best to distance Guimian City from the Lorthermar family.

But since they've already done this, it means there's still room for maneuver.

Lorthermar suddenly realized what was happening, immediately composed himself, and spoke to Freya in an extremely earnest tone:
“Your Highness, the Lorthermar family has committed an unforgivable crime. We hope that you will consider the many years of service this family has given to Cromwell and show us a way out.”

Freya glanced at Earl Lorthermar and said calmly:
Do you know why Greg's plan failed?

Earl Lorthermar quickly asked:

"Your Highness, please explain clearly."

Freya said calmly:
"Because they knew about Greg's plan in advance, they had time to prepare."

And I was the one who told them this news.

Freya stopped speaking at this point and did not continue.

Lorthermar immediately understood what Freya meant. She had a favor to do for both empires, and she could use that favor to save the fate of the Lorthermar family.

The other party called me over today to discuss the price.

But what price could possibly be worth the favors of two great empires?
It wouldn't be worth selling Lor'themar, meaning Her Highness wouldn't waste this favor on an outsider.

If it's not for outsiders, then it can only be for our own people.

Count Lorthermar quickly realized the key point—only if the Lorthermar family became one of the princess's own could she possibly use the favors of the two great empires to secure the safety of the Lorthermar family.

A bitter look appeared on the count's face, which meant that his family had to be completely and absolutely subservient to Freya.

This decision was extremely difficult for a long-established nobleman who had been in charge of his family for decades.

The Lorthermar family dared to rebel even against Gaius's lineage, yet now they had to submit to a princess who was not even twenty years old. The count was plunged into intense mental turmoil.

Just then, Freya's indifferent voice rang out again:

"The people from both empires are still waiting outside the palace for Guimian City to give its explanation. Earl, have you made up your mind?"

Earl Lorthermar slowly closed his eyes, as if he had aged many years in an instant, and his voice became much weaker:

"From this day forward, Lor'themar will be loyal only to His Highness!"

……

The submission of a family cannot be achieved solely through the words of the leader.

Earl Lorthermar naturally knew that words alone would not convince the princess. In order to clear the Lorthermar family of the crime of "colluding with the Southern Empire to murder the Prince of the Eastern Region and the nobles of the Central Empire" as soon as possible, the earl acted quickly.

He immediately handed over the family crest, which allowed him to mobilize all military forces within the territory, and promised to transfer all of the Lorthermar family's account books to Lady Lucia, the chief steward of the princess, within three days.

However, this was clearly not enough to put Freya at ease. When Count Lorthermar saw the contract with a powerful curse that the princess had produced, he became quite alarmed.

A soul contract from one of the five oasis-level powers in the Lost Lands, the master of the Mysterious Continent, the Lord of Sequences, and a legendary cursed witch!
(End of this chapter)