Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Torg's voice was clear and powerful, his military posture as upright as a flagpole, and his features as sharp as if carved by a knife and axe.

He displayed to the fullest the iron-blooded style that had been honed and tempered by decades of military service and power, a style that had long been ingrained in his bones.

Cohen calmly looked at Torger and nodded slightly, as if in response to the other's previous compliments.

Both sides tacitly skipped the pointless formalities and got straight to the point.

Torger's gaze shifted to Grace beside Cohen, and the confident smile of a seasoned politician returned to his face.
"The gift I had Rochester deliver to Her Highness last time, Her Highness must have already verified its authenticity."

Governor-General Torger refers to the four administrative districts in the southeastern region of the Central Empire under Prince Xiazuo Tang: "Qianliuting", "Panshi District", "Liuhuo District" and "Fujiguanze"—the hidden assets, infiltrated factions, and spies he had cultivated.

Grace's voice carried the dignity and majesty of a princess:
"It has been confirmed. The Governor is very kind."

Thorger's smile became even more confident, even carrying a hint of composure as if he were in complete control.

He straightened his back and looked intently at the two young men in front of him.

Although the other party was of noble status, in terms of political skills, they were still too inexperienced in front of me.

His voice rose a few decibels as he threw out another bombshell:
"Not only that!"

Torg paused deliberately for a moment, then said:

"I also have information about your cousin, His Highness Prince Xiazuo Tang, in other regions of the Central Empire... an even larger and more deadly network..."

Cohen suddenly interrupted Torger, raising his chin slightly.

His eyes, like two tangible beams of light imbued with the chill of the abyss, locked onto Torger without warning as he prepared to throw out the bait.

Cohen spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but like a low growl crashing down like a ton of ocean water, each word carrying immense weight, striking Torger's heart hard:
"I verified some of those documents, and they are indeed true."

"Qianliuting" is, after all, your territory, and every move it makes is under your control.

As for the remaining three administrative divisions...

If I remember correctly, Baron Harris, the governor of the Rock District, has been working with one of your nephews to smuggle mineral veins!

It's perfectly reasonable for him to provide you with information!

The smile on Torger's face froze instantly, as if frozen by ice.

A look of disbelief and horror flashed in his eyes.

This matter was kept extremely secret; even his closest confidants knew very little about it.

How would the other party know?
How do you know such specific details?

Cohen gave him no chance to catch his breath; his voice, like the tolling of a judgment bell, continued to ring:

"The mercenary group known as the 'Desert Scorpions' under Governor Calvin Freeman of the 'Blazing Fire Zone'... and the 'Red Sand Bandits' who specialize in robbing Imperial caravans..."

The biggest financial backer behind them seems to also be surnamed Chambers.

As for Governor Fischer Rostock of "Vine Crown Marsh," those magical monsters and alien races raised beneath the marsh.

His pride and joy, his intimidation, lay in the depths of the 'Corrupted Swamp' with its horde of 'Light-Eating Water Lizards' and 'Shadow Nagas'...

The origin of these magical monsters and alien offspring seems to be that the Governor also used your extensive network of connections cultivated over many years in the 'Shenzhen-Hong Kong Black Market'.

He bought it for him from slave traders in the Forgotten Islands at an exorbitant price.

With each word Cohen spoke, Governor Torg's confident smile faded a little, until he finally finished speaking.

He had completely lost his smile.

The expression on his face changed from initial confidence and composure to freezing and stiffness.

A deep shock welled up inside me—how could the other party know so much about my information?

Could there be a traitor among us?
Or does the other side also possess some kind of intelligence organization?
Regardless of the possibility, it gave Torg an unprecedented chill, as if he were falling into an endless abyss.

The long, deep silence, like a frozen ocean, seemed especially heavy amidst the crackling of the fireplace flames.

Finally, Governor Torgue slowly raised his head, his once sharp, hawk-like eyes now showing hesitation and confusion.

He then suppressed his emotions, stared at Cohen in the main seat, and said in a low, hoarse voice:

"As expected of the Pirate King!"

Cohen adjusted his posture slightly, his fingers, which were casually resting on the armrest, began to tap rhythmically again, and he chuckled softly:

"I am not familiar with Her Majesty the Empress of your Central Empire."

I have no interest in, nor any intention to, get involved in, the power games of your Central Empire... whether they are rife with undercurrents or bloodshed.

So Your Excellency can rest assured that your little secrets will be buried forever in the silent darkness, like a shipwreck sinking into the endless sea.

No one else will know!

Torg's tense nerves seemed to relax slightly because of Cohen's promise, and the imposing aura of an old-school, iron-blooded officer around him dissipated as much as the tide receded.

After giving the other party a brief warning, Cohen continued to control the pace of the negotiations:
"The Governor just said that in addition to these four administrative districts, you also have control over Xia Zuo's other arrangements in the Central Continent."

I am not questioning the Governor's ability or credibility, but Xia Zuo is, after all, the first prince of the continent and the first in line to inherit the throne of the Eastern Empire.

His henchmen are spread all over the continent, and his eyes and ears are infiltrated in every aspect of life.

Is his intelligence so easy to obtain?

Thorger instantly understood Cohen's intention; Cohen was forcing him to reveal his trump card.

Force him to expose the core source of his intelligence network, and force him to prove that he is not bluffing, but truly possesses the channels and means to spy on the core secrets of the Imperial Prince.

A strong sense of resentment burned within Torger's chest like a poisonous fire.

I should have been the one leading the negotiations, and I should have been the one using these bargaining chips to gain the ghost ship's assistance!

Why has it turned out that... I've been completely seen through!
My secret was used against me, and I was forced to reveal my deepest cards to prove my worth!
The immense psychological gap and sense of defeat almost overwhelmed him. He felt like a puppet being manipulated by invisible threads, with every step he took precisely predicted and every action under the other party's control!

However, reality is as cold as iron.

He knew he had no way out.

If he doesn't reveal his hand, he will not only fail to achieve any of his goals today, but may even be unable to escape unscathed.

The secrets the other party possesses are enough to bring him to his doom!

Torg closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, the turmoil and resentment in them were replaced by absolute rationality and calmness.

He made a decision:

“I can vouch for Your Highness and Mr. Ya'en.”

But in exchange, Mr. Yann, you must tell me your sources of information.

Cohen snapped his fingers crisply, his voice deep and decisive:
"make a deal!"

Governor Thorger Chambers straightened his back, which had been slightly hunched from the immense pressure he had just endured, and deliberately lowered his voice:

Seven years ago, Xia Zuo plotted against the Golden Wing family, hoping to use the Kingdom of Ceylon and the country of Efein to seize control of the Golden Wing family by overthrowing the regimes of these two countries.

He forced Jin Yi's daughter to marry him, thus placing an even greater bet on his succession bid.

Torger's gaze swept over Cohen and Grace. He paused, his voice carrying a hint of cold mockery:

"However……

This seemingly secret marriage scheme was personally planned by an imperial prince.

In fact, even when it was just beginning to take shape, and perhaps even before Prince Xiazuo himself had fully finalized the details, our Central Empire had already discovered it!

Cohen's eyes flickered slightly, and a cold name instantly flashed through his mind—the Noble House Intelligence Agency!
He knew the answer when Torg recounted what Heisenberg had planned seven years earlier.

Only that organization, which looms like a shadow over the core of the empire's power and weaves an invisible web, could possess such terrifying intelligence infiltration capabilities.

He was able to bring an imperial prince's secret plot under his control in its nascent stage.

The key question now is whether Torger himself is a formal member of the intelligence agency?
Or... was it simply that a very high-ranking informant was planted within the intelligence agency?
Torger seemed to sense the sudden surge of oppressive force in Cohen's gaze. Without further hesitation, as if revealing his final trump card, he uttered in a deep voice the name that struck fear into the hearts of those in the Central Empire:
"The House of Nobles!"

My intelligence source is the House of Nobles Intelligence Agency!

Sure enough!

A playful smile curved Cohen's lips.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Torger, his voice carrying an enigmatic meaning:
"Oh?

Who knew Governor Torg was also a member of the 'intelligence agency'?

"So……"

His gaze seemed to pierce through Tolger:
"Where are your three good friends, the governor?"

"Are they also from the intelligence agency?"

Torg answered very firmly:
"I can't tell you about my relationship with the intelligence agency!"

He took a deep breath, then changed the subject, dropping a more significant piece of information:

"However, I can tell you something."

The intelligence agency has developed detailed 'observation' and 'intervention' plans for every empire on the continent.

It's like weaving an invisible giant net that covers the entire continent!

And at every crucial node of this network... especially around those heirs to the empire..."

Torger's voice carried the complex tone characteristic of an intelligence broker, a mixture of awe and a sense of control:
"Countless 'eyes' and 'ears' have already been planted!"

His gaze shifted to Grace, seemingly trying to ease the tension, and he added:
"Hmm...Please rest assured, Your Highness Grace."

"There aren't any with you at the moment..."

However, before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly became somewhat unnatural, as if he realized he had said something wrong. The lazy, playful smile on Grace's lips vanished instantly, replaced by an anger of being belittled, ignored, and even humiliated.

Cohen's lips twitched slightly involuntarily.

Thorger was simply adding fuel to the fire for the proud Princess Grace.

This undoubtedly confirms the extreme pessimism and disdain that the Central Imperial Noble Council, or rather the mainstream forces on the continent, have for Grace's chances of inheriting the throne.

They don't even have the qualifications to plant spies.

After a brief, suffocating silence, Torger seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn.

He coughed somewhat awkwardly, forcibly concealing his emotions, and quickly steered the conversation back to Xia Zuo, attempting to divert attention with more significant information:
“Especially Xia Zuo Tang, the heir to the Eastern Empire!”

"this person……"

Torger's voice carried the calmness characteristic of an intelligence analyst, tinged with a barely perceptible hint of disdain:

"His ambitions are at their highest, his desires are at their most intense, and his actions are at their most flamboyant and domineering!"
He was too ambitious and eager to prove himself.

He did indeed do a lot, but precisely because of that…

A glint of light flashed in Torger's eyes:
"He also revealed the most flaws!"

The number and rank of the 'eyes' and 'ears' planted by the intelligence agency around him far exceed those of other imperial heirs!

"His movements within the Central Empire were almost entirely under the control of the intelligence agency."

We're just waiting for the right opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to this 'First Prince of the Continent.'

As soon as he finished speaking, Torger seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength. He leaned back in his chair, looking at Cohen with a complicated expression, waiting for the other's response.

He has confessed his biggest secret—his deep connection with the House of Nobles' intelligence agency.

Now, it's the other side's turn.

Cohen sat up slightly and said calmly:

"I do have an intelligence team in various parts of the mainland, but I didn't create it; I just inherited it."

Or rather, this intelligence team was an assistant prepared for me.

I wonder if Governor Torg will understand what I'm saying?

Torger's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill emanating from the deepest part of his soul, along with an indescribable awe, instantly permeated his entire body like ice water!

Yes.

How could he have forgotten this?
The other party is not only the controller of the ghost ship, but also a descendant of a god with the blood of a demon god flowing through his veins.

An intelligence force with deep and intricate roots throughout the mainland.

For an ordinary but ambitious person, this might be an achievement that is difficult to attain in a lifetime.

But for an ancient demon god who has looked down upon the mortal world and wielded the power of the abyss for countless years.

It was nothing more than a trivial tool casually bestowed upon his descendants.

Torg didn't dwell on the matter anymore; after all, his initiative to come to their door today had already revealed his disloyalty to the Central Empire.

They didn't care if the other party had a few more pieces of leverage over them.

He got straight to the point:

“Mr. Yann, we have now been completely frank with each other, so let’s talk about the ghost ship.”

Is there any possibility of cooperation between "Thousand Streams Court" and your Crimson Raiders?

Cohen smiled slightly and said:

"Of course, but I'm afraid it's not possible right now."

You should know that I'm currently working with the Kingdom of Ceylon on the construction of a ghost ship, and I can't spare the time."

Upon hearing this, Torg showed no disappointment whatsoever. Instead, a more intense flame ignited in his slightly dim eagle eyes.

He leaned forward slightly, his voice filled with an barely suppressed urgency and unprecedented enthusiasm:
"That's no problem at all. There's no rush. You can come to the Central Empire to find me after you've finished dealing with the Kingdom of Ceylon."

On behalf of the Thousand Streams Court, Torger Chambers hereby promises that you are always welcome to the Central Empire, to the Thousand Streams Court!

He could almost see the ghost ship docked at the Thousand Streams Deepwater Harbor.

That fervor temporarily dispelled the weariness and dejection on his face.

Looking at the undisguised longing in Torger's eyes, Cohen leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a perfectly measured, allied concern and worry:

"I wonder what the Central Empire thinks of the war between the Kingdom of Ceylon and Efein."
"I'm now considered an ally of the Kingdom of Ceylon, and I've invested so much. If they were to be defeated, it wouldn't be good."

The eagerness on Torger's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold and objective sharpness characteristic of an intelligence analyst.

He paused for a moment, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest, as if reviewing strategic maps and intelligence files in his mind.

After a moment, he raised his eyes, looked directly at Cohen, and spoke in a steady and calm voice:
"Judging from the comprehensive national strength, military equipment level, and... international environment of the two countries, Effie has an absolute advantage."

Firstly, the elite orc legion under King Cohen Corleone of Efein is incredibly powerful.

Even our Baron Joren and his army under Shazo were defeated by these uncivilized orcs, let alone Ceylon.

On the front lines, these orcs are enough to crush any legion of the Kingdom of Ceylon!
Secondly, the Kingdom of Ceylon is not a monolithic entity!

Several ancient families, including the Gavin family, the Eisenheir family, and the Veritas family, sided with Effie.

They are constantly creating chaos within Ceylon, tying down the military and energy of the Gaius dynasty!

Thirdly: The Kingdom of Wind and Breath.

This archenemy of Ceylon will never miss an opportunity to kick someone when they're down.

They were like a persistent, invasive disease, constantly harassing and hindering Gaius along Ceylon's long border, leaving him unable to attend to both ends!

Fourthly: The ongoing Noble Martial Arts Festival!

Princess Freya, whom Effie supported in restoring her kingdom, swept through the Bronze Group and became the 'Strongest Bronze'.

This honor, like a most conspicuous flag, made all the observing and fence-sitters in the country see the potential and brilliance of this princess.

Countless opportunists will therefore completely side with Guimiancheng.

Torger paused, his gaze sweeping over Cohen, before adding a very significant piece of evidence:

Fifthly: The current King Alfein has another identity!
He is Her Majesty the Empress's fiancé, and Her Majesty Klein will not stand by and watch her husband fail!

In conclusion, Gaius Cromwell and his kingdom were in dire straits.

Mr. Yann…

Torger's gaze held a hint of solemnity, almost like admonition:

"As a potential partner, I must remind you that it's time... to start making plans!"

Don't tie all your investments to Gaius, this sinking behemoth, lest you be dragged into an abyss of no return.

However, just as Cohen seemed to be deep in thought, and Thorger thought his advice had worked.

The governor, however, seemed to remember something, his brow furrowing slightly, his voice lowered, and he added with a heavy and wary tone:

"However, the Ceylon royal family does have several saints after all."

These beings are normally bound by the 'saintly prohibition' of the Continental Convention and cannot easily interfere in mortal wars.

but……"

A deep sense of apprehension flashed in his eyes:

"If it really comes to the point of life and death, when the kingdom is overthrown and the bloodline is cut off."

Who can guarantee that these ancient saints, who have long transcended the mundane and regard the royal bloodline as a continuation, will continue to abide by that prohibition?

Even Her Majesty Klein, who could secretly support her husband, couldn't act arbitrarily when it came to those at the Saint level.

Cohen's attention lingered for a moment on Torg's analysis of the situation in Ceylon.

Then, as if casually, or as if in small talk, he posed another question:
"Now, Effie, including His Majesty Corleone, seems to have earned the attention of the intelligence agency."

I wonder how much valuable intelligence the intelligence agency possesses about Effie's top management, especially its core decision-making circle?

I'm very interested in this.

Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Torger's eyes.

The other party had suffered a great loss at Cohen's hands before, so he naturally regarded Cohen's questioning at this moment as an investigation into his enemy.

He replied:
"Indeed, Effie, including His Majesty Corleone, has long been elevated to the highest level in the intelligence agency's 'potential threat assessment sequence,' on par with the five great empires!"
Moreover, His Majesty Corleone displayed terrifying combat power that defied expectations during this Noble Martial Arts Festival.

This level needs to be raised further.

only……"

However, his next words were tinged with a helpless, bitter smile:
"The intelligence agency has very little information about the top echelons of Effie."

It's almost a blank slate.

Commander Yaen, don't forget, the other party is the Child of Prophecy. You should understand what that means.

It is very difficult for us to place long-term, effective intelligence agents who can reach the core under the nose of a prophet.

Effie previously had a group of intelligence agents, but they were all inexplicably eliminated.

The intelligence agency's top brass suspects that His Majesty Corleone's status as the prophesied son is at play.

At this point, Torg's expression became somewhat strange, a mixture of absurdity and a hint of unspeakable embarrassment:

"The only reliable information we can confirm about His Majesty at the moment is that he has a penchant for collecting beauties from across the continent!"
Rather than calling it a hobby, it's more accurate to say that His Majesty Corleone is simply too promiscuous; he's practically taken all the famous beauties of the continent into his harem! (End of Chapter)