Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Count Casimir August, a rising star in the Central Empire's military, colonel of the Northern Army Group, and deputy director of the Noble House's intelligence agency, slowly stepped into the city gates of the war-torn city-state.

The all-pervasive House of Nobles had clearly extended its reach into the war-torn city-states long ago.

The House of Nobles has already arranged everything for Kazimir to renew the divine covenant, and the latter is currently on his way to the headquarters of the Church of War.

Kazimir's feelings were complex and heavy.

The broken "hammer of judgment" was not only his weapon, but also a symbol of his power and a vessel of his glory.

The humiliation of being utterly defeated by Cohen Corleone in the Silver Division was etched into his soul like a brand.

When he stepped into the spacious and towering main hall of the church headquarters, a middle-aged priest dressed in a blood-red robe was already waiting there quietly.

The red-robed priest's gaze was calm and unwavering as it fell upon Kazimir, as if examining an object about to undergo a sacred ceremony.

The sacrificial voice was low and flat:
"Kazimir August?"

Kazimir took a deep breath and straightened his back:

"Yes."

"follow me."

Without uttering any further words, the red-robed priest turned and walked towards the heavy stone door leading to the "Chamber of Divine Grace" deep within the main hall.

Pushing open the heavy stone door, a mixture of ancient bloody stench and an indescribable sacred pressure rushed towards you.

The Chamber of Divine Grace is not large. In the center is an altar built of black volcanic rock, with a crimson flame burning above it, symbolizing the flames of war.

Beside the altar, a figure stood quietly.

The figure's face was obscured, only a pair of eyes burning with crimson flames were seen, staring emotionlessly at Kazimir and the "hammer of judgment" in his hand.

Divine Servant!

A divine servant under Ares, the god of war, who wields "weapons and contracts"!
In the vast and boundless divine realm, amidst the magnificent tapestry of interwoven laws, the existence of divine servants is a unique creation situated between mortal faith and supreme divinity.

They are not born gods, nor are they pure elemental spirits, but rather beings born from the fusion of faith and divine grace.

Similar to the "Radiant Attendant" beside the goddess of light, Aetheril.

The vast majority of the divine servants under the God of War Ares were once the most devout, powerful, and meritorious high priests of the War Church or archbishops who held power over a diocese on the continent of Demon Tide.

These outstanding mortals, after devoting their entire lives to serving the God of War, or after making unparalleled contributions in a fierce holy war.

The soul and faith were recognized by the God of War.

When they grow old or retire after achieving their goals, Ares, the god of war, will bestow divine favor upon them.

They transformed their mortal bodies into divine servants composed of pure divine energy and an immortal will of faith.

They retained some of their memories and wisdom from their previous lives, but completely severed the ties of worldly desires and emotions.

Their existence is reduced to absolute loyalty to Ares, the god of war, and the instinct to carry out divine pronouncements.

Especially in recent years, the God of War has rarely descended in his avatar, and these divine servants have instead handled some affairs on the continent for him.

Like silent ghosts, they traverse the shadows of the continent, carrying out the will of the Throne of War.

They do not possess the earth-shattering power of gods, but they have an understanding and execution ability far beyond the mortal realm, as well as a trace of absolute authority derived from divinity.

As the divine servant's gaze swept over, a sense of awe and fear, stemming from the very essence of his soul, instantly gripped Kazimir.

He almost involuntarily knelt on one knee and raised the "hammer of judgment" high above his head.

The priest in red robes stepped aside, standing solemnly with his head bowed like a statue.

The divine attendant, shrouded in a halo, slowly raised his arm and gently touched the beacon fire on the altar.

Om-!
The flames on the altar suddenly surged, and a dark golden beam of light descended from the sky, precisely engulfing Kazimir and the "Hammer of Judgment" in his hand.

"Well……!"

Kazimir let out a suppressed groan.

He felt as if his soul had been plunged into a pool of scalding lava.

Countless scorching, violent runes of law, accompanied by the howling of war, frantically drilled into his limbs and bones.

The intense pain caused his muscles to spasm and his teeth to clench.

But at the same time, a long-lost, powerful and familiar sense of strength surged back from the depths of my soul like a tide.

He could clearly sense that the contract link deep within his soul, which had been forcibly severed by Cohen, was rapidly mending itself, enveloped by countless golden runes.

A more resilient force of contract is being rebuilt than before.

Become!

Kazimir was overjoyed; his lost power was returning.

The dormant "hammer of judgment" regained its scorching light in his perception.

He almost couldn't help but look up to the sky and roar.

However, just as the powerful soul contract was about to be fully solidified and imprinted on the core of the soul...

A sudden change occurred!

Without warning, a cold, domineering, and unfamiliar power of contract suddenly erupted.

It crashed into Kazimierz's unsuspecting soul core with overwhelming force.

"Uhhh-!!!"

Kazimir let out a heart-wrenching scream, feeling as if a red-hot iron had been plunged deep into the brain.

The cold and domineering contract left him no room for resistance.

There wasn't even time to react; it instantly pierced through the layers of defense in his soul.

Ignoring all his resistance, it precisely imprinted itself next to the newly repaired core contract with the "Judgment Hammer".

"What...what are you doing!"
What kind of contract is this?!

Kazimir suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.

His eyes were filled with hideous bloodshot veins from the excruciating pain and rage.

He stared intently at the divine attendant shrouded in a dark golden aura beside the altar, his voice hoarse, filled with unbelievable rage and fear.

He never dreamed of this.

At the sacred headquarters of the Church of War, in a solemn ceremony to receive the God of War's grace and renew the covenant.

The divine servant representing the will of the God of War would actually resort to such a treacherous and vicious underhanded attack against him.

The divine servant calmly said:

"This is a gift from our Lord."

"Kazimir August, will you refuse the gift of our Lord?"

Kazimir shuddered.

Refusing the blessings of the gods is tantamount to rebelling against God!

All his power, his glory, his status, and even the essence of his life stemmed from his faith in Ares, the god of war.

Every bit of magic within him comes from the power of faith, and the "Judgment Hammer" in his hand is an extension of the will of the God of War.

Once someone betrays the gods, the God of War can drain all the divine power from their body with just a thought.

This brought him back to reality, stripping him of his former high-ranking war priest status.

He became a mere mortal, powerless and helpless.

He will lose everything: status, power, glory, and even... his life!
This is a punishment more terrible than death.

Kazimir suppressed his emotions and closed his eyes tightly.

He allowed that cold and domineering power of the contract to be deeply engraved into the deepest part of his soul, like the most vicious brand.

He then collapsed to the spot, panting heavily, drenched in sweat, filled with fear and dread.

His eyes were empty and filled with despair, and his body was trembling violently and uncontrollably.

He couldn't wait... to delve into the depths of his consciousness to see what that damned contract actually contained.

however!
Just as he was struggling to concentrate.

squeak-

The heavy stone door of the Chamber of Divine Grace was slowly pushed open.

A tall, slender figure walked in slowly.

Cohen's gaze fell on the limp, disheveled Kazimir, and his smile deepened as he spoke gently:

"It's good to meet you again, Count Casimir August."

Kazimir's pupils shrank to almost a dot as he roared in disbelief:

"You...how did you get here!"

This is the headquarters of the Church of War, the Chamber of Divine Grace. Why was Cohen able to enter this place?
Why didn't the Pope stop it?

Divine Servant, yes, there is also a Divine Servant.

Cohen did not answer Kazimir's question immediately, but instead nodded slightly to the attendant beside him.

The latter remained calm, leaving behind the following words:
"My lord asked me to tell you that you must make time to go to the Divine Guard Training Camp a year from now."

Having said that, he stopped looking at Kazimir, who was lying paralyzed on the ground, and vanished from the spot in a flash.

Cohen slowly withdrew his gaze, fixing it once more on Kazimir's face, contorted with fear and shock, his smile still gentle:
How did I get here?

It's very simple. I've reached a friendly deal with your master, Ares Beacon, the God of War who wields the power of war and chaos.

And you, Count Casimir August, have clearly become part of this deal.

This sentence, like a chaotic thunderclap, exploded in Kazimir's already overburdened sea of ​​consciousness.

Kazimir's face was filled with horror and disbelief.

A mortal who has just broken through to the Gold rank claims to have made a deal with a god?
How can this be?

But the divine servant ignored his attitude, and the contract mark deep in his soul, which constantly exuded a chilling aura and a sense of being spied on, forced him to believe this absurd fact.

A deep fear and horror welled up in Casimir's heart. Clinging to his last glimmer of hope, he said in a trembling voice:
"Your Highness, I am a colonel and regimental commander of the Northern Army Group of the Central Empire."

I'm already your subordinate, so why are you using such methods to control me?

Cohen's lips curled into a subtle smile, his voice low: "Count, use your clever brain to think carefully about what would happen if you were just a colonel in the military."

Do you deserve my intervention to use methods that involve bargaining with the gods against you?

These words shattered the last shred of hope in Casimir's heart.

An invisible fear gripped Casimir's heart, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in his heart.

Cohen straightened up, his gaze sweeping over his subjects like that of a king:

"Cassimir August."

Deputy Director of the Imperial Noble Academy Intelligence Agency.

As my subordinate, your first task is to give me a list of all the intelligence agency spies you have!

Casimir instinctively wanted to refuse, wanting to uphold his last professional ethics as the deputy head of the intelligence agency and his loyalty to Heisenberg.

However, the moment this thought arose, the cold contract mark deep within his soul erupted with a sharp, needle-like pain.

This is pain that directly affects the very essence of the soul.

He was completely unable to resist!
Just as a priest in the realm of war cannot resist the oracle from Ares, the god of war.

Now, the mark deep within his soul clearly equates Cohen Corleone's will with the will of the God of War.

Cohen's orders were like divine pronouncements to him, not to be questioned!
Cohen paused slightly, his gaze becoming deep.

"You should feel honored. Without me, you would never have been qualified to participate in matters related to gods in your life."

To tell you the truth, this was a joint plan between me and Ares the God of War.

Everything you are doing now is for me, and also for the God of War you have believed in all your life.

He took a step forward, and an invisible pressure, like a mountain, pressed down on Casimir:

"The choice is to remain loyal to Heisenberg Wertheimer, to become a shameful traitor, whose soul will forever be scorched by the flames of war, and to suffer the scorn and curses of millions of believers."

Ultimately, they vanished completely in despair and pain.

Or remain loyal to the God of War who bestowed upon you all glory, power, and status, and to his most reliable allies.

Count Casimir August, you can make your own choice!

Casimir lowered his head in anguish; he had absolutely no other choice.

From the moment he first knelt before the blood-stained altar of the God of War on the war-torn northern frontier when he was young, devoutly offering his faith and soul in exchange for war magic powerful enough to tear apart enemy lines.

His fate was already inextricably linked with that of Ares, the god of war.

Faith is both a source of strength and the heaviest shackle.

Rebellion against God?

It's not just about losing power and becoming a mortal; it's about the complete annihilation of the soul.

It is a betrayal of one's lifelong beliefs, an eternal torment a thousand times more cruel than death.

He, a war priest who had reaped countless lives on the battlefield in the name of the God of War, could never possibly bear the divine punishment from the source of his faith.

Kazimir said in a hoarse voice:

"I am not the only deputy director of the intelligence agency. I am the youngest and least experienced among them."

Heisenberg appointed me simply to better win over the military and balance the power structure within the intelligence agency.

I was never truly at the core.

Most of the spies I have are of lower or middle rank.

The truly core 'messenger' level spies were controlled by Heisenberg and Manfred.

The intelligence agency's secret agents are divided into five levels based on their authority and capabilities.

The lowest rank, "Flying Feather," typically consists of new recruits or apprentices recruited by the Noble House's intelligence agency, who are undergoing rigorous training and initial screening.

They are considered reserve agents for the intelligence agency, mainly undergoing loyalty assessments and learning basic knowledge of intelligence networks.

They have extremely limited access, with access to peripheral, public, or low-value information, and all their actions are subject to full supervision by senior agents.

Secondly, there are the official members of the intelligence agency, the "White Dove" level secret agents.

These types of spies are already capable of independently carrying out tasks of relatively low difficulty, such as long-term surveillance of low-security targets, disseminating or retrieving information in specific areas, and contacting subordinate informants.
They have access to some internal briefings and more detailed regional intelligence, and can apply for a small amount of operational funding and field personnel.

Then there are the core members of the organization, the largest in number, who are also the true force that built the Noble Council's intelligence network across the continent: the "Wasp"-level secret agents.

They are key members of various intelligence nodes within the intelligence agency or heads of operations in a particular region. They are typically successful businessmen, well-known mercenary group leaders, and mid-level officials.

They are now able to independently establish and manage an intelligence network within a region, coordinate information between superiors and subordinates, independently recruit and train subordinates, and plan and execute medium-sized operations.

And possess at least one highly credible, long-term disguised identity that can withstand investigation.

Next came the high-ranking secret agents of the intelligence agency, the "Dark Raven" level agents.

Within the intelligence agency, "Dark Raven" level agents are positioned as strategic intelligence officers, senior operations planners, and regional commanders.

Typically, this person is the chief intelligence officer for a major city, province, or specific field.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of all information in the entire region, conduct in-depth strategic analysis, and plan and implement actions that can influence the situation.

Examples include instigating defections within the military, funding rebellions, guiding monsters to attack enemy countries, and manipulating political groups to attack each other.

"Secret agents" at this level possess legitimate identities in high positions, such as wealthy barons, senior officials, or renowned scholars.

They control a vast intelligence network and have the authority to mobilize all human, financial, and material resources within their jurisdiction.

The three "Dark Raven" level detectives were the ones who discovered the true identities of Belmody and Melantha in the "Lost Land".

Finally, there are the "messenger" level secret agents, whom even the deputy director of the intelligence agency cannot access.

True top-secret strategic agents, the core of the organization, are usually lurking around important figures.

They basically have no contact with the organization in any form, and sometimes they may never pass on a single piece of intelligence to the intelligence agency in their entire lives.

But once they decide to release intelligence, that intelligence often leads to dramatic changes in the geopolitical landscape.

Cohen was satisfied with Kazimir's attitude toward cooperation and said with a faint smile:

"Mid-to-lower-level spies are fine, specifically those at the 'Dark Raven' and 'Wasp' levels."

Besides, you should be able to develop your own spies, right?

When Kazimir understood the meaning behind Cohen's words, he was slightly moved, and his eyes showed shock.

He finally understood the grand scheme hidden in Cohen's words.

Cohen's goal was to cultivate an independent intelligence network belonging to him within the Empire's intelligence agency.

They parasitize the towering tree of the House of Nobles' intelligence agency, using the funds, connections, and power provided by the House of Nobles to turn against the House of Nobles itself.

Casimir was stunned by Cohen's audacious idea.

Cohen smiled and said:

“I’ll give you a list of people; find an opportunity to develop them into ‘Dark Raven’ level spies.”

Kazimir's voice was hoarse:

"It's not that simple. 'Dark Raven' level spies must undergo the most rigorous background checks, be tested over a long period of time, and make significant contributions that can shake up the situation..."

Cohen interrupted Kazimir:

"You don't need to worry about these things. I can win you over, the vice president."

Are you still worried about these things?

Kazimir remained silent.

Cohen handed Kazimir a military communications stone and said with a smile:

"In a few days, your Empress will appoint me as the Minister of the Logistics Department of the Northern Army Group. From now on, I will be in charge of the food, weapons, medicine and everything that is related to the life and death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the North."

Kazimir looked up abruptly, incredulous.

Cohen met his gaze and continued:
"You are a colonel and regimental commander in the Northern Army Group."

No one will doubt that you can communicate with me at any time and in any place.

I even think that your Chief Heisenberg will let you take this opportunity to get close to me and find out everything about me.

This makes our communication more reasonable..."

……

In the Empress's palace, a flash of light appeared, and Cohen emerged from the "Book of Time and Space".

Sanise, who had been waiting, looked at Cohen as he returned and asked:

"how is the situation?"

Cohen smiled and said:

"It went very smoothly."

You will become the first emperor in the history of the Klein dynasty to have a spy planted within the core decision-making level of the House of Lords' intelligence agency.

Cohen then handed a list to Shanis:
"These are some spies planted by the intelligence agency within Constantine, the most key of whom should be Aureliano Buendía, the administrative director of the 'Constantine Special District'!"

Sunny's pupils contracted slightly, her stunningly beautiful face unable to conceal her shock:
"Aureliano is also a member of the Noble House Intelligence Agency?"

Cohen nodded slowly:

"That's right, he's said to be a core decision-maker, and Heisenberg relies on him a lot."

Shanis frowned and said in a deep voice:

"This person worked his way up from a low-level civil servant and has a very good reputation among the people and the minor nobility."

He didn't have any powerful backers, so he could be considered an outstanding commoner official.

His father often used him as an example to inspire the empire's officials.

I never expected that he was a member of the House of Nobles.

I don't know if they were like that from the beginning, or if they were later turned.

Cohen said slowly:

"Regardless of how he got into the House of Nobles, from now on we must find a way to keep him away from Constantine."

Having such a figure lurking in the heart is extremely detrimental to our future plans! (End of Chapter)