Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 358 The Identities of Mavis and Melantha
The time spent discussing art with the pianist was always wonderful but fleeting.

Cohen had many things to take care of, so he had to say goodbye to Mavis for the time being and leave the Potions City.

Open the Book of Time and Space, and turn to the page marked with the spatial node of "Endless City".

A flash of light, and Cohen appeared in the Endless City residential area.

All the beauties in "Infinity Blade" were busy with their own things, leaving the living quarters empty except for Cohen.

Cohen didn't linger and went straight to the administration building in front.

He had already spoken to Ryder Gallo, who was currently in charge of the administration of the entire Endless Alliance, in advance.

Ryder Gallo, along with a group of high-ranking officials from the Endless City, waited early at the statue square directly in front of the administrative district.

The statue of the "Lord of Shadows" in the Statue Square has been replaced.

After Cohen's identity was exposed, the statue was replaced with one of Cohen himself, with a huge eagle emblem behind him, symbolizing the Corleone royal family.

Upon seeing Cohen, these leaders from various systems, who usually wielded considerable influence within the Endless Alliance, bowed in unison.

The strict etiquette was clearly something he had been trained in beforehand, giving Cohen the illusion that he was inspecting a city in Effie.

After offering a few words of encouragement, Cohen dismissed everyone and sent them back to their work stations.

The crowd dispersed, and Ryder quickly approached Cohen, whispering:

"Your Majesty, the governor of Candleburg would like to report a few things to you."

Cohen's gaze swept over a middle-aged official not far behind Ryder, and he replied:

"Okay, come to my office in ten minutes."

Cohen returned to his office and opened the information about Candleburg that was on his desk.

Candlehold is one of the first three advanced city-states and two floating islands of order that formed after the first ignition of the flame of order.

It occupies a large area, and even compared with the second batch of city-states and floating islands generated after the second ignition of the Flame of Order, Candlehold is among the top.

Over the years, it has developed into a high-order city-state that is another economic and political core of the "Lost Lands".

Furthermore, given that it is a newly restored Order Solidified Land, the probability of having Arcane Empire ruins is even higher.

Therefore, it attracts countless adventurers to explore every day.

When the Endless Alliance was first established, the ruler of Candlehold was Princess Grace.

After Grace and Cohen went to Scarlet Isle, Candlekeep was mainly managed by an experienced governor appointed by Grace.

This governor was appointed by Grace from the Eastern Empire, and is highly trusted by her; his personal abilities are beyond question.

She is one of the few people in the "Lost Lands" who knows Grace's true identity, and therefore, she is one of Cohen's "own people".

Having reviewed most of the documents, Ryder Gallo's voice rang out from outside the office:

"Your Majesty, Marshall Murphy, the Consul of Candleburg, has arrived."

Cohen responded, and Ryder walked in with a middle-aged official.

After giving a brief introduction, I left the office on my own.

Cohen rarely interfered in the affairs of the Endless Alliance, and this was the first time he had met the governors of the various city-states and floating islands below.

Marshall, the governor of Candleburg, was a typical old-fashioned nobleman, exuding the air of a high-ranking bureaucrat in every gesture.

He speaks with precision and authority, and is a very competent government official.

After bowing to Cohen, Marshall did not rush to report on his own affairs, but instead began his report with a chorus of praise.

This indicates that under the joint leadership of His Majesty Corleone and Princess Grace, Candlekeep is developing better and better, and its population, economy, and influence are no less than any high-order city-state in the Lost Lands.

The city-state has also achieved remarkable results in industry, commerce, and agriculture, especially attracting a steady stream of extraordinary individuals. Currently, the overall strength of Candleburg is among the top in the Endless Alliance.

Cohen listened for a while, then waved his hand to interrupt Marshall, saying:
"These achievements are also inseparable from your hard work. Now, tell me, what is there that you need me to coordinate and resolve?"

Marshall let out a subtle sigh of relief, his expression respectful, and began to explain the main purpose of his visit to Cohen:

"Since its establishment, Candlecastle has attracted more than 10,000 extraordinary individuals, including many high-level professionals and even some alien races, thanks to the protection of the Endless Alliance and His Majesty's far-reaching reputation."

This certainly propelled the development of Candleburg forward significantly, but it also brought some hidden dangers.

Marshall paused, his voice becoming much more serious:

"As the number of extraordinary individuals increased, many extraordinary groups were established within Candlecastle, making it almost like a small Lost Land."

The two largest superhuman groups are known as the "Brotherhood of Ashes" and the "Starry Sky School".

The two groups often clash over the discovery of historical sites and resources.

The "Ash Brotherhood" is particularly noteworthy, as most of its members are hardened criminals wanted by the five oases. They act recklessly and without regard for consequences, making them impossible for regular city-state security forces to suppress.

"And the 'Starry Sky School' is no small force either, making it difficult to suppress them by force..."

Then, lowering his voice, he continued:

"Before the princess left, she also introduced some targeted policies."

The situation was initially somewhat alleviated, but as the city-states developed, both sides replenished their forces significantly, rendering the previous policies less effective.

Especially recently, the scale and frequency of conflicts have become increasingly intense compared to the past.

Cohen's eyes became much deeper.

When the Endless Alliance was first established, in order to attract adventurers and extraordinary individuals from the Lost Lands, Cohen set up a very lenient settlement policy, which gave many criminals who could not survive in the five oases an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

The Lost Lands are home to many hardened criminals wanted by the human continent, and these individuals are also wanted by the five major oases of the Lost Lands, which gives you an idea of ​​how vicious and ruthless they are.

It's really asking too much of them to manage things with the usual security teams.

At this point, Marshall paused, glanced up at Cohen, and seeing that the latter's expression remained calm, continued:

"There are also some high-level superhumans who consider themselves to have 'power equals privilege,' refuse to pay taxes, seize land, and even openly defy His Majesty's Code of Order."

In particular, last month, a seventh-tier necromancer, under the pretext of 'experimentation,' arbitrarily converted a cemetery into a necromancer workshop.

This caused extremely negative consequences and public panic.

Cohen interrupted Marshall:

"Wait a minute, where did this seventh-tier necromancer come from?"

Marshall immediately took out a document and said in a low voice:

"They came from the Chaotic Demon Continent next door."

This kid was once arrested by the Black Magic Touch for conducting illegal experiments in the Chaotic Demon Continent; he was someone the Chaotic Demon Lord specifically ordered to be dealt with.

He was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment.

Somehow, the kid managed to escape.

He initially lived in seclusion in Candlehold under an assumed name, until this incident exposed his true identity.

Escape from the chaotic Demon Continent?
It was even added to the list of the Chaos Demon Lord.

That's quite impressive.

Cohen immediately became interested and took the documents Marshall handed him to read.

To Cohen's surprise, the person in the file did not seem like a necromancer who would conduct any forbidden experiments.

The man's name was Bennett Rogers. He looked very young, probably not even thirty years old, the kind of ordinary young man you would see on the street.

However, a necromancer's age cannot be determined by their appearance.

Cohen glanced down at his age and said in a low voice:

"A thirty-five-year-old Gold Rank cultivator, with considerable talent."

Did Bennett cause any serious consequences?

Marshall paused for a moment, then said:

"As for serious consequences... there really aren't any."

However, his digging up of the city-state cemetery aroused the indignation of many people.

The necromancer workshop is still operating in the cemetery, and Candlekeep has no personnel capable of handling this kind of magic.

Therefore, this area can only be temporarily placed under control.

Cohen asked:

"Is it that Bennett refuses to cooperate?"

Marshall smiled wryly:

"That's the crux of the problem."

The experiments this kid has conducted are so horrifying that he himself has admitted that he can no longer control the entire workshop.

I sent several high-level transcendents in to investigate. Based on their findings, this necromancer workshop has begun to independently mass-produce silver-tier undead creatures.

If the operation is abruptly halted, it could very well cause the workshop to self-destruct, resulting in even greater losses.

In fact, if he had been able to control the workshop, his misdeeds would likely still be hidden.

Cohen's interest deepened. This kid was truly talented. He thought for a moment and then said:
"You don't need to worry about this for now. Just escort the person to the Endless City."

As for that necromancy workshop, I will send professionals to handle it later.

Marshall responded in response:
"Yes, Your Majesty."

Cohen continued:

"As for the conflicts between various forces within a city-state, other city-states also have similar situations."

The Lost Lands were originally a product of chaos and evil, so it's normal for them to be a bit chaotic.

However, even chaos must have its limits; it cannot escape the control of the alliance.

"As the consul, you have a more comprehensive view. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Marshall had clearly considered this matter beforehand, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, I hope to establish a 'Supernatural Oversight Bureau' within the Alliance and form a dedicated law enforcement team to safeguard order within the city-state."

In addition, two bills were added to the Order Code: the 'Wartime Conscription Order for Extraordinary Individuals' and the 'Registration Order for High-Risk Abilities'.

The Inspectorate will monitor these high-risk superhumans, which will allow them to utilize their abilities to the fullest extent.

Last but not least, I hope Your Majesty will personally convene an alliance conference.

Ideally, we should deal with a group of unruly superhumans to intimidate the Alliance and restore their sense of awe.

Cohen's eyes gleamed with admiration. As expected of Grace's carefully chosen successor, the solution he provided was direct, effective, and could even form a long-term mechanism. It seemed that Grace had quite a few capable people under her command.

Cohen highly approved of Marshall's proposal and asked with great interest:
"What position did Mr. Marshall hold in the Eastern Empire before?"
What kind of work do you do?

Marshall bowed slightly and said softly:

"Before I left my post, I was the Security Affairs Commissioner of the Eastern Empire, mainly responsible for coordinating the management of superhumans and the maintenance of public order."

Cohen said with a smile:

"Grace, it's really a waste of your talents to transfer you from the position of security commissioner to here as a minor city-state governor."

Marshall replied:
"Your Majesty flatters me."

In fact, my work experience in Candlehold over the past two years has been more challenging than my time in the Eastern Empire. The extraordinary individuals here are far more..."

Marshall gave a mysterious smile and then said:

"It's much more interesting than those in the Empire."

Cohen nodded slightly and said:
"Do as you say. Also, you should select someone to succeed you as soon as possible."

It's a waste for someone like you to stay in a city-state. Go work for the Alliance. Weren't you going to establish the 'Supernatural Inspection Bureau'?

You will be appointed as the director of this department!

A flicker of excitement crossed Marshall's eyes, and he bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your cultivation!"

After seeing Marshall off, Cohen summoned Ryder Gallo and asked him directly:

Are the situations Marshall described serious in other city-states and floating islands?

Before reporting to Cohen, Marshall would definitely communicate with this core member of the Endless Alliance's management team in advance.

Ryder replied in response:

"The Endless City is better; the others have similar problems to varying degrees."

Cohen then asked:

"Did Marshall mention the solution he proposed to you? What do you think of it?"

Ryder carefully observed Cohen's attitude.

To be fair, he did not quite agree with Marshall's suggestion; to be precise, it was absolutely unnecessary.

He was a veteran intelligence officer in the Lost Lands, and the chaos and evil there were commonplace in his eyes.

It's just that it's a bit more chaotic than other places, but he doesn't think that's a problem.

Only a bureaucrat like Marshall, who came from a human empire, would be unable to accept this level of chaos.

However, he needs to figure out Cohen's true thoughts, and he also needs to be careful about Marshall's identity.

Ryder knew Grace's true identity, and he also knew about the close relationship between this princess of the Eastern Empire and his lord.

And since Marshall was the governor personally appointed by Grace, Ryder knew exactly how to answer Cohen's question.

He bowed and answered:

"I think it's highly feasible. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that it involves too much and requires His Majesty's approval, I would already be ready to implement it."

Cohen gave Ryder a half-smile and said:

"Mr. Ryder has lived in the Lost Lands for so long, does he really think that this level of chaos requires such a great deal of effort to clean up?"

Ryder paused, an awkward expression appearing on his face.

Clearly, nothing could be hidden from his young lord.

Cohen smiled and said:

"There's no need to flatter me or the people around me. Just say what you mean."

Don't forget, you're mine too!

Ryder felt a surge of emotion. Having lived in the "Lost Land" for a long time and become accustomed to betrayal and exploitation, Cohen's words truly comforted him.

Ryder suppressed his emotions and spoke his true thoughts:
“Your Majesty is right. In my personal experience, Marshall’s reaction was indeed a bit excessive. This has always been the case in the Lost Lands.”

Cohen smiled faintly:
“You’re right, but Marshall’s proposal should still be implemented.”

This isn't because of Grace, but because the order of the Lost Lands must change, at least starting with the Endless Alliance!

Ryder Gallo's pupils contracted slightly; Cohen's words somewhat overturned his expectations.

Can the order of the Lost Lands be changed?

The Lost Lands have existed for thousands of years, and even the five great empires have had difficulty interfering with their order. Cohen's idea is perhaps a bit too unrealistic.

Cohen was not surprised by Ryder's reaction, and instead asked:
"Have those forces and families that have had in-depth cooperation with our Endless Alliance been trying to meet with me recently?"

Ryder immediately realized that Cohen was referring to Manager Morrow and others who had secretly controlled the Farmers' City-State with him.

Although I don't know why Cohen suddenly brought this up, I still replied:
"Yes, Manager Morrow, as the president of Unicorn Trading Company and Sebastian Conrad's special envoy, has been in the Endless City."

Cohen said slowly:

Do you know what they're going to talk about?

Ryder shook his head and said:
"I don't know, I haven't received any information about that."

Cohen's tone lowered considerably, his voice carrying a hint of mystery:
"In the foreseeable future, the lost lands will establish a nation!"

Ryder's pupils contracted, and a look of horror appeared on his face.

Establishing a nation?

A lost land must establish a nation?
How can it be?

Cohen said calmly:

"That's why I'm establishing a basic order within the Endless Alliance first!"

Okay, just keep this to yourself, don't tell anyone else.

Ryder suppressed his shock and replied:

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Start working on the suggestions Marshall made."

The most important thing is the enforcement team of the 'Extraordinary Inspection Bureau'. You need to find suitable candidates, at least Silver rank.

In addition, I will provide you with an elite orc army to assist in law enforcement.

Ryder had no further objections and agreed.

Before leaving, Cohen remembered something else and gave him some instructions:

"I had Marshall send over a criminal named Bennett Rogers recently. You will receive him personally upon his arrival."

Do not allow anyone to contact it.

"it is good."

"Go ahead and have Manager Moro come over; he must be itching to come!"

……

Manager Morrow looks more prosperous than before, and his cooperation with the Endless Alliance has also elevated his status in the "Unicorn Firm".

He has now become the vice president of "Unicorn Business".

As an emerging force comparable to the Oasis of Order, the Endless Alliance quickly became the largest business client of "Unicorn Trading Company".

When Morrow saw Cohen, he wore a sweet smile and spoke with genuine humility:
"The Great King of Efein, Lord of Shadows, His Majesty Corleone!"

We've finally met again!

Cohen shook hands with Manager Morrow and said with a smile:

"I'm so sorry, I should have had a proper talk with Manager Moro last time."

As a result, the Lord of the Sequence suddenly had an urgent matter to discuss, and this delay caused him to forget about it.

"Oh, now I should call you President Moro."

After some polite small talk, Moro brought up the serious matter:

"Your Majesty, what are your thoughts on the future development of the Endless Alliance?"

Cohen replied with a faint smile:

"Of course, we will continue to work closely with Mr. Morrow and make joint efforts."

Moro smiled and said:

“Your Majesty Corleone, we’ve been working together for so long, we’re practically family, so I’ll just say what’s on my mind.”

Cohen remained calm and gestured for the other person to continue.

Moro paused, then lowered his voice:
"What are His Majesty Corleone's views on the future situation on the continent?"

Cohen squinted slightly and said slowly:

“I don’t understand what Mr. Moreau means.”

Moro's lips twitched slightly, and he decided to be blunt:
"Your Majesty, in two or three years, the human continent will inevitably face an unprecedented catastrophe."

This catastrophe will engulf all living beings on the continent of Demon Tide, including our 'Lost Lands'!

Cohen's face remained unchanged, and his calm smile made Morrow's teeth itch.

Moro sighed and said:
"Let's be frank, Your Majesty Corleone."

The people behind us have somehow learned the general reasons for the future turmoil.

And they found a way to safely weather the catastrophe.

A realization dawned on Cohen's mind: these people in the "Lost Land" indeed had secret dealings with the gods.

Cohen suppressed his emotions and asked:
"any solution?"

Moro said in a deep voice:

"Establish a nation!"

Cohen raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly:

"I don't quite understand."

Moro wasn't sure if the other person was genuinely confused or pretending. After hesitating for a moment, he said:
"Your Majesty is the Son of Prophecy, and should be more familiar with these situations than I am."

Based on our speculation.

In the turmoil of the future, only those who exist in the form of a nation will be qualified to sit at the table.

In this respect, the 'Lost Lands,' accustomed to disorder and chaos, have a natural disadvantage.

Cohen stared at Morrow and asked:
Why don't you go find the other oasis lords?

Their strength should be far greater than mine.

Morrow answered quickly:
"But none of them were ever kings."

I don't know how to govern a country.

Cohen let out a cryptic laugh:
"Isn't it true that I'm easier to control than them?"

Moro's smile froze for a moment, and he quickly said:

"How could His Majesty Corleone think that way?"
We are partners, so how can there be any talk of one controlling the other?
If we're talking about control, it's those of us who signed the soul contract who are controlled by His Majesty.

Cohen smiled and said:

“Establishing a nation is not a simple matter; I need you to show more sincerity.”

At least send someone of sufficient standing to negotiate.

Moro's eyes lit up with joy, and he hurriedly said:

"Absolutely."

Your Majesty, I have come here only to express our stance.

We are firmly on His Majesty's side.

As long as Your Majesty has the intention to cooperate, someone of sufficient authority will soon come to discuss the specific details of the cooperation with Your Majesty.

Cohen seized upon a key point in Morrow's words and asked:
"You are on my side, which means there is another side?"
I want to know which of the five oasis lords also wants to establish a nation in the 'Lost Lands'!

(End of this chapter)