Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 353 Borrow a piece of clothing from your princess

Nactus was stunned by Gaius's voice; he truly hadn't expected the King of Ceylon to value a duchy's king so much.

With his limited intelligence, he naturally couldn't understand Gaius's perspective on the issue; some things cannot be judged by appearances alone.

When a person does something and accomplishes something, it means that this person possesses the will of the gods.

To make an enemy of this kind of person, you either have to surrender from the start or use all your resources and energy to deliver a fatal blow.

Gaius glanced at Nactus, whose eyes still held a hint of disdain, and suddenly felt bored, losing all interest in explaining himself to him.

He was secretly furious. How could the Third Tomb Master send such an idiot to deal with him?
He suppressed his emotions and said calmly:

"The plan to ambush the Windbring Kingdom's expeditionary force will be postponed until after the Noble Martial Arts Festival ends."

Nactus immediately panicked. He couldn't care less about that; his goal was to get Ceylon and the Kingdom of Serene to join forces and ambush the Kingdom of Windbreak.

This created favorable conditions for the three tomb masters to lead the Kingdom of Serene to invade the Kingdom of Windbreak.

Seeing that King Gaius was showing signs of backing down, he spoke without any politeness:
"The plan has been finalized, the mobilization of the tomb owner's army has begun, and word of it has surely spread."

"If we really have to wait until after the Noble Martial Arts Festival, who knows what changes might happen in between?"

Gaius said calmly:
"I will discuss this matter with Prince Thrann again."

"If Your Excellency has nothing else to attend to, I still have official business to attend to."

Naxtos paused for a moment, then snorted heavily and left the palace.

Gaius looked back at the intelligence report on the table, his expression becoming extremely solemn. He pressed the magic communication stone on the table and said in a deep voice:

"Summon the Prime Minister!"

Prime Minister Merrick had been waiting outside the door for a long time. Upon hearing the King's summons, he quickly entered the study.

The Prime Minister glanced at Gaius's expression and asked in a deep voice:

"They couldn't reach an agreement?"

Gaius's voice was laced with mockery:

"Why would the Third Tomb Master send such a foolish archmage to liaise with us?"
No wonder Black Tomb always fails against Cohen; it seems he really has no capable subordinates.

Prime Minister Merrick sighed softly:
"They still underestimated the threat posed by Effie. Compared to Effie, who has only been around for a few years, the Kingdom of Windbreak is clearly more to Black Tomb's liking."

They intend to take this opportunity to invade Windrise and establish the Windrise Kingdom as their base of operations.

Gaius waved his hand and said:
"I will discuss this matter directly with the higher-ups at Black Tomb. The initiative is now in our hands, and they will accept it."

We have more important things to deal with now.

Gaius glanced at the battle report on the desk, and Prime Minister Merrick immediately understood, saying:

"The battle report cannot be released like this, otherwise it will definitely cause a lot of chain reactions. The morale of the army, the people, and those wavering nobles in Quesaon will all develop in a direction that is not favorable to us."

The border defenses of the strongest kingdom in humankind, which had been cultivated for thousands of years, heavily fortified, and impregnable, were completely breached by a small principality in less than ten days.

Once this news gets out, before anyone else even attacks, Quisson himself will be thrown into chaos.

King Gaius's eyes showed admiration. Only when talking to his prime minister could he feel so relaxed, as the other party could understand his meaning with just a glance.

Naxos is such a fool, he has absolutely no talent. It's unfair of the gods to let someone like him become a legend.

Gaius affirmed Prime Minister Merrick's words, saying:

"I've called you here to discuss a suitable explanation so that the people won't be so panicked."

This is the detailed battle report. I can't think of any good solutions. Take a look.

Prime Minister Merrick took the battle report, read it for a while, and then looked at the intelligence report marked in red pen concerning the capture of Deputy Commander Obadiah, the head of Blackthorn Fortress, and the defection of his adjutant. A bitter smile appeared on his face.

With His Majesty's wisdom and decisiveness, how could he not come up with a suitable solution?

He clearly wanted me to bring up this idea, a very useful but utterly shameless method.

If His Majesty the King is unwilling to be this shameless person, then he will have to do it himself.

Prime Minister Merrick paused, then said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, a general's adjutant must be his trusted confidant. As far as I know, the adjutant of the deputy commander of Obadiah was cultivated step by step by him."

I find it hard to believe that someone like that would betray us.

Gaius's eyes lit up with admiration, and he followed up on Prime Minister Merrick's words by asking:
"what do you mean?"

Prime Minister Merrick's voice conveyed an unquestionable judgment:
"All of this adjutant's actions were at Obadiah's behest!"

The real traitor is our border corps deputy commander, General Obadiah!
General Marcus was also implicated by the traitor Obadiah. It was precisely this betrayal from the highest levels of the border legion that led to our border fortress being breached by Effiin in just ten days!

King Gaius's expression turned much colder:

"Pass on my order: immediately strip Obadiah of all his honors and medals, place his entire family under surveillance, and execute them on the spot if they make any unusual moves!"

"Yes!"

……

Inside the circular stone chamber, the walls and floor were made of dark gray stone covered with intricate golden magical patterns.

On each side was a dark blue fluorescent crystal band, and a cool halo shone on the tired, pale face of a middle-aged soldier.

Lieutenant General Obadiah, deputy commander of the border legion, sat with his back against the stone wall, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the empty hilt of his sword at his waist.

My gaze lingered on the two dark blue fluorescent crystal bands. The crystals' light flickered on and off, as if they were breathing, draining all the magic from the room.

Then he looked at the gray bracelet on his hand. The experienced General Obadiah could easily tell from the workmanship that it was a magic-reversing shackle specially made by a dwarven blacksmith.

The runes engraved on the surface were writhing at a frequency imperceptible to the naked eye, like living creatures parasitizing the skin, completely sealing the magical circuits within his body.

It has been more than ten days since he was captured after retreating to Whispering Woods.

He has been imprisoned here, and apart from being fed at fixed times every day, no one from the higher-ups of Effie has ever come to see him.

Obadiah pondered to himself, "That Grand Duchess is probably continuing her attack on the border, so she doesn't have time to deal with me?"

I wonder how things are going with Marcus. Having learned his lesson, Marcus will be more cautious about the people around him.

Moreover, the border fortress is far stronger and has more troops than the Blackthorn Fortress, so holding it for two or three months should not be a problem.

He is now more worried about his situation.

He would rather die on the battlefield than become a prisoner.

To be fair, Effie treated him rather politely, neither abusing him nor trying to persuade him to surrender.

Aside from the prohibition against using magic, the daily food and necessities provided in the place of imprisonment were in accordance with the standards of nobility.

He was given a considerable amount of dignity and respect.

However, he was still confused and puzzled. He couldn't understand why the adjutant he had personally trained would betray him.
Betrayal of Ceylon?

Did he really believe that a young king who had just emerged could defeat the strongest kingdom in human history?
Just as he was lost in thought, the sound of metal door hinges turning suddenly rang out.

Obadiah was tense and his eyes were sharp. It was not yet time to deliver the food. Could it be that someone had finally come to see him?
who can that be?

Obadiah speculated that it was most likely Asuna Iliad, the Red Dragon Duchess.

He had guessed the purpose: to persuade him to surrender and reveal the defense information of the border fortress.

It seems the attack on the border fortress was not going well.

Just as Obadiah was determined to persevere, the person who appeared before him took him by surprise.

He was half right; the stunningly beautiful Red Dragon Duchess did indeed come, but she was accompanied by another young and handsome man.

To his even greater surprise, the usually aloof and dignified Grand Duke Iliad actually took the initiative to link arms with the young man, clearly indicating that he was in charge.

Obadiah's eyes widened, and he quickly deduced the young man's true identity from his actions—

King Alfiein, Cohen Corleone!
Obadiah was even more shocked to realize this. According to domestic intelligence, the current King Efein should be on the side of the false princess. How could he suddenly appear here?

They were separated by a border fortress heavily guarded by General Marcus!

A chilling suspicion surfaced in his mind: could the border fortress already be...?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Obadiah shook his head, forced himself to stay alert, and stared intently at the two people opposite him.

Cohen stared at Obadiah with interest for a while, then tossed him a ring.

Upon seeing the ring, Obadiah was as if struck by lightning; his eyes widened in disbelief.

He was very familiar with the ring in front of him. It was not only the personal token of Marcus Adler, the commander of the border legion, but also a gift from His Majesty the King. He also had a ring of the same design on his hand.

The Oath of Ceylon, symbolizing the highest honor in Ceylon.

Cohen's voice rang in Obadiah's ears:

"General Marcus wasn't as lucky as you. Surrounded by five legendary-level warriors, his legendary domain was broken, and he died at the border fortress."

Obadiah staggered back two steps, as if he had been punched in the chest, and his energy and spirit vanished instantly.

Two tears of blood welled in his eyes, and his voice was filled with fierce determination:

"Don't expect to get any information about Ceylon from me. My biggest regret now is that I didn't die on the battlefield back then."

Cohen said calmly:

You overestimate yourself.

To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in you, a defeated general who was only a deputy commander of a military region.

"If it weren't for the Grand Duke constantly saying you have some special value, I would have sent you to the North to dig potatoes with those barbarians long ago."

Obadiah's eyes flashed with a cold sternness. He snorted and turned his face away, making his non-cooperative attitude very clear.

Cohen had anticipated Obadiah's reaction, and his tone remained calm, but his words sent a chill down Obadiah's spine:

"I have some bad news for you. You have been labeled a traitor by your King Gaius."

According to the latest battle report released by Quesaon:
The fall of Blackthorn Fortress was the result of your conspiracy with me.

The breach of the border fortress defenses was also due to the intelligence you provided.

Your family has been stripped of its noble titles because of you, and your wife, three sons, and one daughter are all being watched by Gaius's men.

Even if I let you go back now, your only option is to go to the guillotine!

Obadiah suddenly stepped forward two paces and said angrily:

"Ridiculous, ridiculous! Don't think you can force me to cooperate with you by fabricating these false rumors. You have no idea about my relationship with His Majesty the King."

My family has been guarding the northwestern border of Ceylon for five hundred years.

My loyalty to Ceylon is evident to His Majesty the King!

Cohen nodded in agreement and said:

"Of course, Gaius must believe from the bottom of his heart that you would not betray me. In fact, I don't believe he would entrust the important task of guarding the border to someone he doesn't trust."

However, his thoughts and actions do not necessarily have to be consistent.

General Obadiah, you are a smart man; you should be able to understand what I'm saying.

Obadiah's body gradually grew cold, and an invisible fear spread through his heart.

Cohen's cold voice continued:
"Gaius needed an excuse, an excuse to explain why the northwestern border defenses, which he had painstakingly built up over a hundred years, were breached in just ten days."

General Obadiah, your very existence is a perfect excuse.

Although it is cruel, I must tell you that the Obadiah family has been nailed to the pillar of historical shame by Gaius.

All the glory and dignity of your family in the past, the blood, sweat and blood shed for Ceylon, and the sacrifices made, have been reduced to nothing.

You are now a traitor despised by everyone!

Cohen's indifferent words were like sharp arrows, relentlessly piercing Obadiah's defenses.

He can disregard his own life and death, and his own honor and disgrace.

But he couldn't ignore the honor of his family; he was not only a general, but also a nobleman.

He simply could not accept that the Obadiah family, which had been passed down for hundreds of years, would be branded as traitors under his leadership.

Cohen smiled faintly:
"However... there is still room to salvage this situation."

Obadiah regained some color in his face and quickly understood what Cohen meant.

Cohen continued:

“Gaius himself was a usurper. You did not betray him, but rather corrected the wrongs in time.”

"Once Princess Freya successfully restores her kingdom, you and your family will remain loyal subjects of Ceylon!"

Obadiah was caught in a deep dilemma.

Cohen said calmly:

"General, I have other matters to attend to. You have five minutes to think about it."

He had just reunited with Asuna today and was preparing to enjoy the submissive service of the Red Dragon Duchess when she pulled him up to persuade the captured Obadiah to surrender.

He was already reluctant, so he spoke very harshly.

Obadiah pressed her lips tightly together, her fists clenched hard. Under Cohen's increasingly impatient gaze, she lowered her head heavily, her voice losing its strength:
What do you want from me?

Cohen said directly:

“There are still some remaining forces along the border, most of whom are still quite hidden, making them rather troublesome to deal with.”

Your family has guarded the northwestern border for generations; you should know how to deal with them.

Obadiah's face showed no surprise as he replied:

"Where are my family?"

Cohen said calmly:

"As long as you cooperate honestly, you will be able to see them in a month."

"I want a personal promise from Her Highness the Princess!"

You will get it!

After saying that, Cohen didn't linger any longer and left the prison with Asuna.

Windsordler and Melantha each led their armies to wipe out the remaining forces, while Cohen took Asuna and headed towards his residence.

Asuna blushed slightly and said softly:

"Mr. Valan Colt, the First Star Envoy of the Star Clan, has also arrived. He has something to discuss with you and wishes to see you. Perhaps we should wait..."

Cohen said without even thinking:
"Let him wait. A part of my body is a little hot right now and needs to be cooled down inside you!"

Asuna lightly punched Cohen's chest and spat out:

"He's getting more and more indecent."

Cohen grabbed Asuna's hand and bit her ear:

"The even more indecent ones are walking at the back!"

……

……

……

Males always have a strong desire to conquer, especially females of noble status or beautiful appearance, which are more likely to arouse a man's sense of conquest.

After becoming a Grand Duchess, Asuna's every move exuded an air of majesty, further arousing the desire deep within Cohen's heart.

Asuna broke free from Cohen's embrace, her bare feet treading across the disheveled clothes, and opened the wardrobe in the room, asking:

"Your clothes are all torn to shreds. I'll borrow one of your princess's clothes. She shouldn't mind, right?"

Melantha's wardrobe was also in the room, and Cohen wisely refrained from asking why Asuna didn't look for Melantha's clothes.

It's very simple, Melantha's figure is too unfair, Asuna simply can't find anything that fits her.

Cohen gazed at Asuna's radiant white body and said with a smile:

"Take whatever you want. I bet Windsor doesn't even know how many clothes she has."

Asuna raised her eyebrows slightly, stood in front of the open wardrobe, her fingertips brushing over a row of exquisite dresses, her gaze finally settling on a dark red velvet dress.

Perhaps because of her contract with the red dragon, Asuna has a preference for red clothing.

I fell in love with this red dress from Windsordler at first sight, tried it on only once, and then put it away.

Elves don't really suit such vibrant colors.

Asuna lifted her skirt, held it up in front of the mirror, and changed into the dress.

Cohen's gaze was fixed on Asuna's back. The moment the long dress clung to her waistline, the heavy feel of the velvet contrasted sharply with her snow-white skin.

After Asuna finished dressing, she said to Cohen:

"By the way, the Queen asked me the other day if I wanted to participate in the [Noble Martial Arts Festival]. What do you think?"

Cohen suppressed the flutter in his heart and said while putting on his clothes:
"That's also possible. In addition to the four group champions, each participant in the Noble Martial Arts Festival is also ranked."

Individual rankings affect a country's final ranking.

With your current skills, and teaming up with Kona, getting into the top three shouldn't be a problem.

With the contracted dragon as a monstrous cultivation accelerator, Asuna's cultivation speed was second only to Cohen's, and in just three years, she also reached the peak of the sixth rank.

Asuna adjusted Cohen's tie and replied firmly:
"Well, I'll try my best!"

Cohen cupped Asuna's face in his hands, gave her a long, deep kiss, gently patted her shapely bottom, and whispered:
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, just do your best."

Alright, now it's time for us to meet the First Star Envoy of the Star Clan!

……

When Galin's teacher, the first Star Envoy of the Star Clan, and a legendary high-level transcendent, Valan Colt, saw Cohen and Asuna walk in intimately, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Although he knew Cohen's reputation as a "womanizer," he was still shocked to see his holy son appearing so intimately with a beautiful woman in front of him.

As Jialin's elder, Valan still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Cohen chuckled and said to Valan:
"I'm so sorry, I was busy talking to His Highness the Grand Duke and it took up some time."

By the way, the Grand Duke was just praising you. Mr. Valan's army also played a huge role in the offensive and defensive battles.

In particular, Mr. Varan personally captured Obadiah, the deputy commander of the Ceylon Border Regiment, which greatly helped our next steps.

Since the other party started with kind words, Mr. Varan couldn't show his emotions on his face and responded with a smile:

"It's all thanks to the people His Majesty sent to train the army that they are so capable. If anyone should express gratitude, it should be me who expresses it to His Majesty."

Valan was truly sincere about it.

When news of his army breaking through the border of the strongest human kingdom reached the tribe, several elders were overjoyed.

For many years, they had longed to build their own army, and now that wish had finally come true.

Many clansmen even suggested that the Holy Maiden should hurry up and marry the Holy Son, and preferably have one or two offspring, so that the Holy Son's heart would be firmly tied to the Starry Clan.

When the clamor reached Jialin, it left her both amused and exasperated.

Cohen, naturally unaware of the events unfolding among the Starbringers, then spoke to Valan:
"I heard from the Grand Duke that you have something you want to discuss with me?"

Valan snapped out of his daze, glanced at Asuna, and looked at her with a strange expression.

Cohen said with a smile:

"Grand Duke Iliad is a very close person to me, Mr. Varan, please speak frankly."

Valan then slowly spoke:
"Your Majesty, it's about the matter you discussed with the Holy Maiden before, regarding the allocation of a portion of territory for us in Ceylon."

Now our army is growing larger and larger, and we also need a certain amount of land and population to support our army.

In addition, members of the clan also want to gradually move out of the clan's territory...

Cohen understood Valan's purpose and nodded, saying:
"That's no problem. In fact, I was just working on that for you."

These border provinces are temporarily under your control, and the Obadiah general you captured has agreed to cooperate.

"You work with him to clear out the remaining rebels on the border, and once the situation stabilizes, you can move."

(End of this chapter)