Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

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It's not fair to blame Manfred for not putting in his best effort.

Belmodie knew how attractive her looks were to men.

Especially in a chaotic and disorderly place like the "Lost Lands".

Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Belmody always hid her appearance in the early stages.

He was disfigured when he broke through to the Gold level and never showed his face to outsiders again.

It's not surprising that Manfred couldn't find it.

A cold glint flashed in Heisenberg's eyes:
"The more this is the case, the more it indicates that the other party has a secret."

The Legendary Group competition will determine the ownership of the Holy Radiance Academy, and it is also related to our plans in the Dragon Plane. Even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, we cannot let the people of Effie take the championship.

Since we can't find it by searching directly, let's search backwards.

Manfred paused for a moment, then asked:

"Investigate backwards?"

Heisenberg did not respond immediately, but instead took out an exquisite cigar from his pocket. Casimir, who was behind him, immediately stepped forward and respectfully lit the cigar with a lighter.

The small cluster of red light from the burning cigar flickered in the dim, gloomy light of the Rock Heart Hall.

Heisenberg slowly put the cigar into his mouth and took a deep drag.

The raw, pungent smoke penetrated his lungs, then he exhaled it, swirling in the air as if some indescribable pressure had materialized.

This action evoked strange emotions in everyone present.

The esteemed Chief has never used tobacco to relieve fatigue as frequently as he has recently—it is not merely a pastime, but an outlet for some invisible pressure.

Everyone realized that the king from the distant northwestern continent had brought real and heavy pressure to Chief Heisenberg.

Grayish-white smoke slowly escaped from the corner of his mouth, and Chief Heisenberg spoke:
"Investigate all women on the mainland who have had contact with Cohen, especially those who have not shown their faces much, or who have appeared infrequently and whose identities are mysterious."

Then we eliminated them one by one. The Legendary Group competition is approaching; we need to hurry, the sooner the better!

Manfred frowned and said softly:
“Sir, everything else is fine, but Cohen spent a long time in the ‘Lost Land,’ making it more difficult for us to investigate this place.”

Heisenberg Chief:
“I’ll figure out a way to deal with the ‘Lost Land’.”

"That's no problem."

Heisenberg stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray with a sharp hiss, as if announcing the end of one matter but also igniting the fuse for another.

Heisenberg's sharp, penetrating gaze suddenly shifted to Aureliano Buendía, the Chief Executive Officer—a high-ranking bureaucrat who controlled the lifeline of the "Constantine District" like a precision machine:
"The governors of the 'Golden Harvest District' and 'Thousand Streams Court' have already secretly arrived in Constantine, haven't they?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the entire "Yanxin Hall" changed, and everyone involuntarily perked up.

The lost divine weapon, the chaos in the lower-level competition, the threat from Cohen... all these troublesome issues pale in comparison to the matter Heisenberg brought up in front of him.

Granaries! Lifeline!
Governor Celine Carden held the empire's grain sacks, while Governor Torger Chambers controlled the empire's waterways.

The arrival of these two governors is of utmost importance!
Like the "Kuntandin Special District" and the "Northern Falcon District", the "Golden Harvest District" and the "Thousand Streams Garden" are also among the twelve administrative districts of the Empire, located in the southeast of the Empire.

The "Golden Harvest Zone" is the most fertile and abundant heart on the imperial map. As far as the eye can see within its territory, it is an endless ocean of gold and green.

Over 90 percent of the population in the entire district are devotees of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility.

Agriculture and crop cultivation were highly developed. The grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs and dairy products produced not only nourished the heart of the empire and its massive army, but were also an important pillar for exporting foreign exchange, earning it the reputation of being the granary of the empire.

If the "Golden Harvest District" is the root of the empire, then the "Thousand Streams Court" is the empire's busiest lifeline hub.

The "Thousand Streams Garden" is located in a low-lying area, and the dense network of rivers and wide man-made canals tightly connect the entire area.

In the various city-states and districts, waterways served as streets, and bridges crisscrossed like rainbows.

All sorts of ships—from luxurious magical merchant ships engraved with runes, brightly painted large cargo barges, nimble and swift small passenger boats, to ancient sampans gently rocking, fill every waterway, forming a series of ever-flowing, three-dimensional cities.

Thanks to its extensive waterway network, "Thousand Streams Pavilion" became the empire's most important trading heart and distribution center for goods.

Whether it's rice and grains from the upstream "Golden Ear Zone", timber and ore from the downstream "Rock Zone", or goods from all over the empire and even distant lands, they will all be transported to every corner of the empire via the "Thousand Streams Court".

Merchants, sailors, mercenaries, artisans, and adventurers from different races, regions, and social classes gathered here, making it a true commercial and trade center and the most dazzling economic jewel of the Central Empire.

"Golden Harvest Zone" represents "foundation" and "stability", while "Thousand Streams Garden" represents "vitality" and "connection".

The empire relied on the "Golden Harvest Zone" for its survival and social stability, and depended on the "Thousand Streams Garden" for its wealth growth, the flow of goods, and its openness to the outside world.

Together, they constitute the basic framework for the empire's survival and development, and are the core lifeline for maintaining the empire's vast territory and complex system.

The destruction or loss of control over any of these districts would deal a near-devastating blow to the empire.

Therefore, the governors of these two places have always been the targets of various forces in the empire to pursue and win over.

Aureliano replied slowly:
"It's highly likely."

Their movements were very secretive; my men didn't see the two governors in person, but they did find out the whereabouts of the agricultural official of the "Golden Harvest District" and the director of the "Thousand Streams Court" water administration.

Offred continued:
"Then that must be it. Mark, the agricultural officer of the Golden Harvest District, is Governor Celine's nephew and her most important confidant and advisor."

Rochester, the Waterworks Director of "Thousand Streams Court," was one of Governor Torg's soldiers when he was a company commander.

Since the two of them are here, the two governors must also be here.

Heisenberg pondered for a moment and then said:
"Neither the House of Nobles nor the Cabinet received any news of the two governors coming to the capital. This time, they must have come on their own initiative."

Aureliano replied:
"Yes, but according to my investigation, their visit to Kuntandin has nothing to do with His Majesty."

After a brief silence, Heisenberg suddenly uttered a prediction that startled everyone present:

"If it has nothing to do with our emperor, could it be related to another emperor?"
"The mainland is about to descend into turmoil. Not only are we making moves in other countries, but other countries are also making moves in our country!"

The mainland is about to descend into chaos; the Central Empire is poaching people from their backyards.

Wouldn't others covet the heart and vitals of the Central Empire?
Under the guise of the martial arts festival, all sorts of evil spirits from various countries have come, making it the perfect opportunity for underground collusion.

Everyone present understood Chief Heisenberg's implication.

Manfred locked himself up tightly and said:
“Governor Celine Carden of the Golden Harvest District was a descendant of five generations of poor farmers.”

"Without the late emperor's favor, she couldn't have gotten to where she is now. I don't really believe she colluded with other countries."

Celine Carden, the only female governor of the twelve administrative districts of the Empire, has a legendary life story.

Celine's surname, Carden, means "saltland" in an old language.

This was a derogatory term used by the noble lords of the "Golden Harvest District" a century ago to refer to the barren land cultivated by Celine's ancestors.

Ultimately, this surname became something that forced all the nobles and landlords of the entire "Golden Harvest District" to bow down and submit.

Celine's family, spanning five generations, huddled in the "Gray Ridge" in the southwestern corner of the district, renting out saline-alkali soil that was almost impossible to produce.

Her childhood memories included moldy potato chunks, the straw mats where her younger siblings starved to death, her father's leg being broken by the tax collector, and her mother humming a song about the goddess Demeter eventually redeeming faithful believers.

As a child, Celine offered her only breadcrumb each day to a miniature shrine to the Earth Mother on the furrows of the field. She understood earlier than anyone else that before taking from the earth, one must first offer dignity and hope.

In the year of the severe drought when she was twelve, the Grey Ridge Land where the Celine family lived yielded no harvest.

Just as the tax collector's horse was about to trample her mother, a desperate Celine fell to her knees, her palms piercing the withered stems, her blood soaking into the soil—in an instant, crops within ten paces of her seemed to turn back time, sprouting new green ears, and heavy waves of wheat surged eerily in the scorched earth.

These scenes were witnessed by a pilgrim bishop of the "Agricultural Church" and were regarded as "miracles of God".

After that, Celine naturally joined the "Agricultural Church". As her extraordinary level rose, she gradually gained the attention of the imperial high command and eventually became the governor of the "Golden Harvest District".

Fyodor calmly added from the side, pointing out a cold reality:

"The late emperor used her because she had no powerful connections and could only be a loyal subject of the royal family."

After the Empress ascended the throne, Celine clung even more tightly to Her Majesty's side.

If she wants to climb higher, she'll have to see if there are any other branches that can accommodate her, a rootless duckweed.

Heisenberg calmly began:
"Cerine is a loyal subject, and she's probably quite honest."

Where is the old marshal?

He turned to the crowd before him, his gaze piercing:
"He guards the empire's 'purse strings,' and he's a former iron-blooded soldier. Do you think he can just be a house cat and behave himself?"

Governor Torg Chambers of "Thousand Streams Court" is a retired naval marshal of the Empire. Five years ago, he was transferred to the most prosperous administrative district of the Empire as governor for his meritorious service in eliminating pirates, becoming a powerful regional official.

To sum up this governor, who spent half his life on the battlefield, in one sentence: a staunch defender of order and a trade protectionist.

Governor Torg believed that the prosperity of the "Thousand Streams" must be built on "iron-fisted rule and absolute safety of the waterways".

He had an extreme aversion to smuggling and the gray market, and implemented militarized control over some important wharves in the district, establishing river patrol teams and cargo inspection guards.

Frequent and rigorous searches often resulted in merchant ships being stranded, causing varying degrees of losses to major chambers of commerce.

In just five years in office, he had already caused widespread discontent within the entire "Qianliuting" Chamber of Commerce.

Rumors circulated that he even privately maintained an armed naval police force equipped with heavy armored vessels for secret missions, using violence to suppress unruly tycoons and businessmen.

The "Thousand Streams Court" merchants once banded together to campaign in Juntandin, hoping to transfer Governor Torg away.

However, Marshal Torg had deep roots in the military and was highly regarded by Prince Heinz, so the transfer ultimately fell through.

Aureliano replied: “Governor Torg has not shown up, but his Director of Waterworks, Rochester, has been very active.”

Although he concealed his appearance and identity, we still have control over his whereabouts.

Within a month of arriving in King's Landing, he visited several factions—oh, here's a detailed list.

By the way, he comes and goes under the guise of being the chairman's assistant at "Qianliu Shipbuilding Company," and so far, apart from us, no one has figured out his true identity.

Heisenberg took the list, glanced at it, and a deep look of seriousness appeared in his eyes:

“I can understand their contact with the people of the Southern Empire. The Thousand Streams Court has always wanted to open a passage to the Endless Sea. When Torg was the Admiral of the Navy, he also had a lot of exchanges with the Navy of the Southern Empire.”

But why did they contact the people of the Eastern Empire, and specifically request Princess Grace?

Kazimir, who had been silent all along, finally spoke:
"Could it be because of the 'Flaming Red Lips' trading company behind the Princess?"
As the empire's economic and trade center, it's reasonable for Qianliuting to consult with the head of the continent's premier luxury goods trading company.

Manfred was the first to deny it, stating with certainty:

"Impossible. If it's just for business, they could come openly and honestly."

Moreover, Rochester was the Director of the Waterworks of the "Thousand Streams Court," and his duties included sluice gates, gunboats, and river patrols.

Which of these items has anything to do with the cosmetics, jewelry, and precious stones of aristocratic ladies?
To put it another way, if they really wanted to do business, all the people of the Pale Wings were in King's Tower. Wouldn't it be more convenient to go directly to the number one trading company on the continent?
Rochester must have ulterior motives in seeking out the eldest princess of the Eastern Empire.

Kazimir continued:

"Princess Grace Tang of the Eastern Empire has no real power in the country. What other purpose could Rochester have in seeking her out besides business?"
It couldn't be that she's fallen for him, could it? Her Highness the Princess already has a fiancé…

Before Kazimir could finish speaking, he suddenly jolted, as if burned by his own thoughts.

He quickly turned to look at Manfred, whose expression had become much more serious.

Chief Heisenberg closed his eyes and slowly uttered a name:
"The son-in-law of the Eastern Empire, the Pirate King Yan Hughes!"

For the first time, a clear change appeared on Aureliano's face, and he exclaimed:
"What does he want to do?!"

Casimir's voice also carried an almost absurd sense of horror:

"Ghost ship?"

The old marshal wouldn't be thinking of building a ghost ship fleet on the "Thousand Streams Pavilion," the waterway vital to the empire's survival, would he?

Manfred's expression immediately became much more serious, and after a brief silence, he looked at Chief Heisenberg:

"Sir, do you think that Governor Torg's move was at the behest of Prince Heinz, who has all the power behind him?"

still……"

His tone shifted, becoming chillingly cold:

"Is this old marshal planning to pull off a big heist to secure his own future?"

Heisenberg slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint appearing deep within them:

"Either of these points is enough to make us cautious!"

"So how should we handle this?"

Report to His Majesty or…

A cold glint flashed in Manfred's eyes. Without a doubt, Governor Torg's sending his trusted men to secretly contact the fiancée of Pirate King Yann Hughes must have been done behind His Majesty's back.

Once we poke it in, we can take the opportunity to get rid of this eyesore, Torge.

The House of Nobles could then reach out to the incredibly wealthy "Thousand Streams Court," a veritable juicy piece of meat!
Heisenberg pondered for a moment, then looked at Aureliano and asked a question that went straight to the point:

"Did Rochester see Grace?"

If he were merely an assistant to the chairman of a shipping company, it wouldn't be so easy for him to meet an imperial princess.

Aureliano nodded and said:

"That's right. Rochester was turned away the first time he came, but the second time he found a way through the Central Empire. It was because of this way that the intelligence agency found out his movements."

According to intelligence, he will visit again in three days.

After much deliberation, Kazimir spoke:
"Ghost ships are too big to be true; they could change the naval power of a country."

Even if Governor Torg really wanted to make this deal, would Grace agree?
"The relationship between their Eastern Empire and our Central Empire is far from being at the point where they can trade such strategic weapons!"

Manfred leaned forward, his tone chilling, and with the instinct of an intelligence chief capable of seeing into the darker aspects of human nature, he answered Kazimir's question:

"Don't forget Grace's current situation; she's been pushed to the brink."

Although Xia Zuo has suffered repeated setbacks in recent years, his core support base remains quite stable.

The noble families of the Eastern Empire generally preferred that a male inherit the throne.

Grace faced immense pressure to survive, as evidenced by her willingness to marry a pirate.

She was absolutely unwilling to hand over the throne to someone else.

The full support of the governor of the most powerful and wealthiest administrative district in the most powerful empire in human history was enough to make a desperate princess caught in the meat grinder of power turn her eyes red.

This has nothing to do with reason; it's the naked law of survival.

Heisenberg tapped the table lightly. The sound was soft, but it seemed to drown out all the heated arguments that had just taken place, instantly silencing the "Rockheart Hall."
"We certainly can't place anyone with the Princess of the Eastern Empire. As for Governor Torger's actions in Kuntandin, that's the end of it."

Keep this matter to yourself, pretend nothing happened, so as not to let His Majesty or anyone else find out.

Don't forget, there's also Effie's Military Intelligence Bureau!

I'm almost certain that there's a Kuomintang intelligence station within our ranks!"

Chief Heisenberg glanced around, his gaze as cold as a star in a winter night:

"After leaving Constantine, we'll find another opportunity to make our move. At the very least, we need to find out the specifics of the deal and whether Torger's actions were his own idea, authorized by Prince Heinz, or simply that other forces were involved."

Everyone nodded slightly, and after a moment, Manfred asked again:

"At Governor Celine's place..."

Heisenberg closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice:

"Let's find the person first. If a legendary priest is determined to hide his whereabouts, there's nothing we can do."

Compared to a fleet of ghost ships that could suddenly appear from the interconnected waterways, a bunch of peasants who only know how to farm are a much smaller threat.

Let's deal with the most critical matters first.

……

The conspiracy in the Rock Heart Hall, like its location, is buried deep underground and has no chance of leaking to the surface.

Even Samuel Jones, the personal secretary Cohen had placed next to Heisenberg, had no idea about this.

It's not about trust or distrust, but rather the working mechanism that has been passed down through generations in the House of Nobles.

Samuel Jones's authority was limited to the official documents that circulated on Chief Heisenberg's desk and were covered with the imperial seal.

As for those "dirty jobs" that skirt the edge of the law and are filled with the smell of rust and gunpowder, Manfred was in charge of them.

Their work does not overlap.

In fact, Samuel knew very little about the House of Lords' intelligence agency.

All he knew was that the head of the intelligence agency was Manfred; as for the true identity of the deputy director, Kazimierz, it was Cohen who told him.

Coincidentally, while Chief Heisenberg was discussing the matter of Governor Thorg Chambers of "Thousand Streams Court" with his trusted aides, Cohen was also talking about something similar with someone.

This person is naturally one of the key figures in the matter: Princess Grace Tang of the Eastern Empire.

Cohen was still a little apprehensive about Grace asking him out in the middle of the night.

Just a few days ago, Her Majesty the Empress instructed him not to do anything that would "damage the image of the imperial family," but she herself turned around and went to have a late-night rendezvous with the eldest princess of the Eastern Region Empire, with whom she was already engaged.

If this were discovered and exposed, Cohen felt that Her Majesty the Queen would tear him apart.

Therefore, he was extremely careful and cautious, and directly entered the Shadow Dimension from his room to go to his residence in the Eastern Empire.

After they met, Grace said with a strange expression:

"I haven't had a chance to ask you yet, what's the situation between you and Shanies?"
"How did she suddenly become your fiancée?"

Cohen looked around furtively and whispered:

Is it safe here?
"How about we talk in the Shadow Dimension?"

Grace gave Cohen a charming eye roll:

“It’s too dark there, I’m not going.”

"Don't worry, no one dares to spy on an imperial princess. I have a magical ornament given to me by my father; even a saint couldn't silently eavesdrop on our conversation."

Cohen was relieved and quietly told Grace the whole story of his relationship with Shanies... (End of Chapter)