Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

A marriage between two countries is no small matter.

No matter how much Shanis emphasizes that her engagement to Cohen is merely to appease various factions within the country.

The marriage between the two is an unchangeable fact.

Shanis also had to force herself to accept the fact that she would soon have another intimate partner.

Although Cohen felt a little strange about getting such a beautiful woman, who was also the emperor of the Central Empire, it wasn't a bad thing for Effin after all.

After understanding the whole story, Cohen did not show much resistance.

I've always had a close working relationship with Shanis, and she's a trustworthy person.

Now that a closer relationship has been established, future cooperation between the two sides will proceed more smoothly.

As for feelings... they can be cultivated slowly.

No man would refuse to cultivate a relationship with such a beautiful empress.

As the conversation deepened, the atmosphere in the study became much more relaxed.

Once the conversation started, the two of them were no longer as wary and awkward as when they first entered. Cohen used his powerful personal charm to speed up his conquest of Her Majesty the Empress.

Drawing on his past life experiences, he showered out all sorts of ambiguous and subtle romantic words, trying to accelerate the progress of his relationship with Shanis.

If I could really trick the emperor of the Central Empire into bed... ptooey, ptooey, and max out his favorability, wouldn't I be able to roam freely in the Demon Tide Continent from now on!

Unfortunately, although Shanis had never experienced romantic relationships, she still possessed a degree of vigilance and sensitivity.

Just as Cohen was working hard to win her over, Shanis suddenly asked in a serious tone:
Are you flirting with me?

Cohen opened his mouth, a look of embarrassment on his face, and forced a dry laugh:

"Your Majesty is my fiancée. Isn't it only natural for me to say a few sweet words to her?"

Shanis stared at Cohen and said, enunciating each word clearly:

"Don't treat me like one of those little women in your harem who you can just snap your fingers to sleep with."

I am the Emperor of the Central Empire, not your Queen.

Sweet talk won't work on me. If you help me acquire the Holy Radiance Academy sooner, you might earn me more favor.

Cohen sighed inwardly, realizing that a woman who is too assertive is indeed a problem.

After Shanis's interruption, Cohen lost interest in flirting.

There's a whole bunch of jealous people inside who need to be appeased, and then there's the Queen, who's far away in the Northwest Continent. If things aren't explained quickly, the palace could catch fire at any moment.

Seeing that Shanis had nothing else to say, Cohen got up to take his leave.

Shanis suddenly called out to Cohen, a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment on her face. After a brief hesitation, she said:
"Well, since you're already my fiancé..."

I won't concern myself with what happened before, and I'll let your past relationships go.

From now on, you must... um, maintain your integrity and not have any improper relationships with other women.

Cohen was taken aback and asked in return:
"Your Majesty, aren't you meddling too much?"
This is my private matter.

Shanis pursed her red lips and said in a low voice:
"The royal family has no private affairs."

You are now the imperial consort of the Central Empire, representing its image. If any more romantic escapades are exposed, I will be the one who loses face.

Do you want me to leave the impression on the entire nation that I can't even control my own man?

Cohen breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"That's no problem, I promise I won't let anyone else know."

Shanis nearly choked on Cohen's words.

What does it mean to guarantee that no one else will know?

Is this a question of knowing or not knowing?
Shanis's face flushed red and then turned pale, and she couldn't help but shout angrily:

"Cohen!"
Can't you control your lower body?

"How can you be so spineless, Adele, just letting yourself be like this!"

Cohen blinked, his eyes smiling.

He had almost figured out Her Majesty the Empress's personality.

She is assertive but slightly arrogant, and is both annoyed and subtly concerned about her own frivolous behavior.

Cohen deliberately raised his voice and asked:

"Your Majesty, are you perhaps jealous?"

Sanisi's chest swelled with anger, and she instinctively raised her leg to kick someone.

But remembering the thief's restless hands, he stopped, stomped his foot on the floor, and his eyes were filled with extreme anger.

"I don't care, even if you're my husband in name only, you can't betray me!"

Cohen's eyes darted around, and his tone was unmistakably perfunctory:
"Alright, Your Majesty, I promise I won't look for any other women."

Shanis's expression remained cold; Cohen's assurance was utterly unreliable.

She took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress her emotions, and her voice regained its calmness:

"I hope you can keep your word."

He then glanced at the desk and said casually:

"Take the things out of the first drawer on the left side of the desk."

Cohen went to the desk, opened the drawer, and found a belt inside.

The belt was covered with a layer of flowing, dark blue frost. The main body of the belt was rather strange, resembling the joints of the spine of some kind of creature strung together.

Each vertebra has a translucent, icy blue crystalline texture.

The joints are inlaid with diamond-shaped scales and covered with dark gold magic patterns like a spider web.

What is particularly eye-catching is the belt buckle, which is not made of traditional metal, but is an eyeball encased in a top-grade ice-attribute magic crystal.

Upon seeing the amber pupils that were enveloped in a protective barrier, Cohen was startled.

He already knew the origin of the belt in front of him—a magical weapon of holy artifact level, "Eternal Ring: Dragon Blood Pact".

The biological spinal joints on the main body of the belt are all the spine of a dragon, and the eyeball is also the eye of an adult dragon.

This belt has a very long history, originating from the ancient era of the war between gods and demons.

During the war between gods and demons, the dragon race also participated.

At that time, the dragon race was not called dragons, but black dragons.

Like most dragons, the Black Dragon Clan initially joined the ranks of the gods.

However, he was later seduced by Asmodeus, the king of hell, and betrayed the gods, joining the side of the demons.

The black dragon also transformed into a hellish demon dragon.

If they had simply stuck to their path with the demon god, that would have been one thing, but the Black Dragon Clan was known for its opportunism.

Seeing that the situation with the Demon God was becoming increasingly dire, the Black Dragon Clan had other ideas.

He secretly made contact with the gods, hoping to rejoin their ranks.

Before the communication was even finished, the demons discovered it.

Faced with this treacherous double agent, both the gods and the demons were somewhat terrified.

Everyone is worried that this force might suddenly emerge, rebel, and stab them in the back.

Thus, the two sides reached a rare consensus, with the Dragon King and the Hell King joining forces to banish the entire Black Dragon race to a sub-plane, exiling them permanently into the endless void.

It wasn't until later that a certain chief of the Central Empire's Noble Council found this dragon plane.

The "Eternal Ring: Dragon Pact" was forged by the Dragon King using the spine, scales, and dragon eyes of the Black Dragon Lord Irisham after he killed him.

At the same time, in order to prevent the hellish dragon from making a comeback, he and the forging god Ornn sealed Irisham's dragon soul into his belt.

This makes "Eternal Ring: Dragon Blood Pact" the most effective weapon to suppress the dragon.

When Cohen was preparing to enter the Dragon Plane to subdue the Dragon Clan, he had his eye on this holy artifact-level magical equipment.

Unfortunately, even in the previous game, the whereabouts of this equipment remained a mystery.

Many people speculate that this belt is still in the hands of the Dragon King, specifically to deal with the hellish dragon clan that may return.

Given Cohen's current strength and status, he is far from being able to go to Dragon Valley to ask the Dragon King for something.

But to his utter surprise, this precious belt was actually in the imperial palace of the Central Empire, in the hands of Her Majesty the Empress.

Seeing Cohen's expression, a barely perceptible joy welled up in Shanis's heart.

On the surface, he still feigned indifference and said:
"Although the people in the Noble Academy have agreed to offer the Dragon Plane as a reward for the champion of the Noble Martial Arts Festival, given their way of doing things, even if they send you into the Dragon Plane, it will definitely be a wasteland area where there are almost no dragons."

This belt is one of the sacred relics passed down from emperor to emperor of the Central Empire, and it can sense the location of the demonic dragon.

It can even effectively suppress the demonic dragon.

"Since you're so confident you can help me reclaim the Holy Radiance Academy, then this belt... is yours to be rewarded."

Cohen's expression became unusually solemn. The "Eternal Ring: Dragon Blood Pact" was a genuine holy artifact.

It was an ancient artifact jointly created by the God of Forging and the Dragon King.

It is much more precious than Effie's inherited sacred artifact, "Frost of Ice".

In addition, its ability to subdue dragons makes this gift extremely valuable.

Cohen said seriously:

"Your Majesty, this gift is far too precious."

I……"

Shanis waved her hand to interrupt Cohen, and said with a stern face:
"As I said before, as long as you cooperate well with me, I will give you appropriate compensation."

"What's a belt compared to what I can give you? It's beyond your wildest imagination."

Cohen gently stroked his belt, then suddenly smiled mischievously:
"Your Majesty, could this be a token of love?"

"You're even willing to give me the sacred artifacts; it seems His Majesty values ​​this 'formal marriage' more than he says!"

Shanis's ears turned red, and her voice was tinged with embarrassment and anger:
"Don't flatter yourself, I'm just borrowing you for a bit!"

"When you return from the Dragon Realm, return the belt to me!"

Cohen picked up the belt, slowly fastened it around his waist, and said with a smile:

"Alright, then I'll wait for Your Majesty to take it off and carry it away personally."

Shanis couldn't handle Cohen's risqué jokes and turned her face away, ignoring him.

Cohen fastened his belt, looked directly at Shanes, and said softly:

"I've heard that in ancient times, knights who accepted a belt as a gift from a lady were obligated to pledge their loyalty to the death."

Shanis turned her head to look directly at Cohen, and snorted coldly:
"Then remember this: your 'sworn allegiance' can only be to the Emperor of the Central Empire. If you dare wear it to flirt with other women..."

Cohen suddenly leaned closer, his forehead almost touching Shanis's nose, and whispered:
"Your Majesty, the expression you're wearing right now is just like a young wife nagging her husband not to have affairs..."

Before he could finish speaking, he quickly retreated to avoid the incoming golden light.

Shanis was furious and flustered:

"Get out! Now! Immediately!"

Cohen raised his hands in surrender and said softly:
"Just kidding. His Majesty gave me such a valuable gift, I should at least do something in return."

Shanis kept a straight face, and the shame and anger in her eyes lessened a bit.

Cohen thought for a moment and said to Shanis:

"I have some information to share about the major upheaval that will occur two years from now."

However, just in case, it's best to be cautious.

Shanis's voice was cool and clear:
"Even a saint cannot eavesdrop here, so don't worry."

Cohen shook his head:

"It's still not safe enough. The secrets I'm about to reveal concern the life and death of the mainland. You can't be too cautious."

Shanis frowned slightly and asked:

"how do you want to do it."

Cohen said with a smile:

"Isn't Your Majesty curious about which sub-plane my escape technique has taken me to?"

Shanis raised an eyebrow slightly, and her voice changed subtly:

"Are you trying to say this in a sub-plane?"

Cohen extended his hand and smiled slightly:
"Now that we are husband and wife, there is no need to hide anything from Your Majesty."

Shanis pursed her red lips and offered a reminder:
"No touching!"

After saying that, she placed her delicate hand in Cohen's palm.

Cohen held the soft, jade-like hand, his magic surging, and he vanished from the spot in an instant.

As Shanis stepped into the Shadow Dimension, a deep sense of astonishment appeared in her eyes.

Shanis was naturally aware of the Shadow Dimension's reputation, but she never expected that Cohen would use the most dangerous and mysterious sub-dimension to conceal his tracks.

Cohen's voice rang in Shanis's ear:

"Welcome to the Shadow Dimension."

Shanis gave Cohen a deep look, her expression somewhat unnatural.

The ability to freely enter and exit the Shadow Dimension is an absolutely enormous secret.

Cohen told himself this without reservation, and this feeling of being trusted made Shanis feel much better.

However, Shanis quickly noticed something was wrong and realized that her little hand was still being held by Cohen.

Just as he was about to pull it out, Cohen spoke up:
"Your Majesty would be better off staying closer to me."

Various shadowy creatures and traps can appear here at any time.

My current authority in the Shadow Plane is not high; I can only command some low-level Shadow creatures.

If I were to encounter a lord-level shadow creature, I'd have to run.

Shanis's eyes widened in disbelief, and she even forgot about Cohen's attempt to take advantage of her. Her voice rose involuntarily:

"Permissions?"
command?

"Can you control the creatures of the Shadow Plane?"

Cohen answered with action, his magic surging and an invisible wave spreading out.

The surrounding light suddenly distorted into a liquid state, and Xenias felt a chill run down her spine.

Suddenly, thick shadows seeped out in front of the two of them, and those shadows condensed in mid-air to form a human-shaped outline.

Shadow Hunter!

After upgrading to Tier 6, Cohen's rule skill "Mastering Shadows" was also enhanced.

"Mastering the Shadows": A rule-based skill, level three. Grants free access to the sub-plane—"The Shadow Plane"—and grants control over the "Shadow Plane," with authority equivalent to that of a "Shadow Priest." ("Shadow Priest" authority: Can bring ten people into the "Shadow Plane"; summons Bronze-tier Shadow Creatures "Shadow Phantoms" and Silver-tier Shadow Creatures "Shadow Hunters.")
When the Shadow Hunter's figure was fully revealed, the surrounding temperature dropped drastically.

This three-meter-tall creature had no physical form; its outline was composed of flowing black mist and shadow power.

Three burning, eerie green eyeballs floated above its face.

His right hand gripped a bone blade formed from the power of shadow, while his left hand held a bronze mirror engraved with demonic runes, in which distorted human faces and wailing souls constantly appeared.

The "Shadow Hunter" is at least a Silver-ranked individual.

Being able to emerge from the shadows and draw life force back to its host makes it far superior to the bronze-tier shadow creatures known as "Shadow Phantoms," which can only be sent out to scout.

Shanis was filled with shock at that moment.

What's going on? Why can Cohen not only freely enter and exit the Shadow Dimension, but also summon Shadow creatures of the same level as himself?

Could it be that he really is the "Lord of Shadows," just like the cringey nickname he gave himself?
Soon, the intuition and sensitivity cultivated by the knowledge education system of the most powerful human empire reminded Shanis of an explanation. She stepped forward, grabbed Cohen's arm, and asked urgently:

"This...this is the power of the rules!"

"Have you grasped the power of the 'Shadow' rules?"

The power of rules is a power that can only be comprehended when one becomes a legendary transcendent.

Only within their own legendary domain can they wield their power with complete ease.

The reason why legendary-level transcendents can crush transcendents below the ninth level is because of the power of rules, which is higher than the level of ordinary magic power.

The difference in combat power between legendary ranks also depends on the level of the power of rules and the degree of understanding of those rules.

But what level is Cohen at now?

Even though they're not at the Gold Rank, they can still wield the power of rules.

The shock Shanis felt was unimaginable.

Cohen smiled jokingly and replied:

"How about it? Don't you feel like you've gotten such a great husband for free? You've struck it lucky!"

Shanis released her hands and spat lightly:
"You can't stay in the sub-plane for too long, hurry up and tell me."

Cohen composed himself, and even though they were in a secondary dimension, he still lowered his voice:
"Two years later, the gods will descend to earth and jointly establish a covenant."

I can't go into too much detail about the contents of the alliance, but I can tell you that once this alliance is established, all the countries on the continent will instantly become hostile to each other.

In other words, whether forced or voluntary, humanity will be plunged into an unprecedented world war that will sweep across every corner of the continent.

Shanis's pupils suddenly contracted, her fingertips unconsciously digging into Cohen's arm. After a brief moment of distraction, she snapped back to reality and abruptly released him.

Despite having already made some predictions about the grim situation ahead, hearing from Cohen that the entire continent would be engulfed in war in two years still sent shockwaves through Shanis's heart.

This is not only because of the future war situation, but also because once the empire is plunged into war, the entire empire's situation will become uncontrollable.

Her ascension to the throne as a woman was the result of compromise and weighing of various forces.

In peacetime, as long as the country continues to develop and the interests of all parties are guaranteed, this balance will not be easily broken.

But once caught in a chaotic state of life and death, war and chaos, can he still sit securely on the throne?

Various factions within the empire have industries across the continent, and many countries are even secretly supported by certain forces within the central empire.

With the mainland engulfed in war, these industries are bound to be affected.

Once their vital interests are threatened, their imperial power will certainly be challenged.

Shanis took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, and gently nodded:
"I understand, thank you."

What Shanes could think of, Cohen could naturally think of as well.

He had long foreseen Shanies' predicament, and indeed he had.

According to the game's development in the previous life, in the middle and later stages of the Warring States period, more than half of the empire's nobles, led by Chief Heisenberg of the House of Nobles, united to put pressure on the royal family.

They demanded that the empire send troops to various parts of the continent to protect its own interests.

Sanes, of course, refused such a request; she would never use the public resources of the state to protect the private interests of these nobles.

However, these people then proposed to recruit their own troops, develop military power, and go abroad to protect their own interests.

Faced with this dilemma, Xenice had no choice but to agree.

Once the gates were opened, the power of various factions within the empire expanded rapidly, until Heisenberg raised the banner of rebellion, and the Central Empire, the strongest empire in human history, began to split.

In the end, Xenias could only unite with some nobles loyal to the royal family to hold onto the central region where the capital was located and some surrounding city-states, barely managing to survive.

If it weren't for Xenia discovering Asuna, the dragon-riding warrior, at the Noble Martial Arts Festival and forming a giant dragon army,

It seems that Shanis won't even be able to hold onto her last piece of land.

Cohen collected his thoughts, reached out and took Shanis's withdrawn hands, his voice softening considerably:

"I know you have concerns, but don't worry, there's still time."

When Cohen held Shanes' hands, her fingertips trembled slightly, but this time she did not break free.

She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her fair, flawless face, and her voice unusually revealed a hint of weariness and vulnerability:

"The Empire is now like a ship filled with exploding crystals."

Those old foxes in the House of Nobles had already dug a hole below deck, just waiting for the storm to come so they could legitimately steal the helm.

Indeed, the Klein royal family does have certain information channels among the gods, but they haven't explained it in detail.

I anticipated a grim future, but a war engulfing the entire continent and all of humanity still far exceeded my expectations!

At this point, Shanes was more like a young woman in her twenties than the aloof and detached emperor of the empire.

Cohen could feel the cold sweat seeping from Shanis's palms and said softly:
"It's not too late, I'll help you."

After a brief silence, Xenia withdrew her hands, a sharp smile curving her lips, and a stubborn flame burning in her golden eyes.

The sound has returned to calm:
"I won't let them succeed, even if it means blowing the whole ship up with my own hands—"

Cohen looked at the stubborn woman in front of him, and a strange feeling rose in his heart.

If it weren't for his interference, Shanis would have done just that.

The division of the Central Empire in the previous life was largely orchestrated by Shanis in secret.

She would rather the entire empire fall apart than relinquish the throne! (End of Chapter)