Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

This move represents Heisenberg's absolute recognition of Casimir's abilities, and even more so, it represents Casimir August, the count who was once promoted in name only through military merit.

He was officially crowned as a member of the core decision-making body of the House of Nobles, and was qualified to participate in top-secret matters.

Everyone nodded slightly to Kazimir, expressing just the right amount of goodwill and congratulations.

There was no enthusiastic applause, no extravagant congratulations, but in the solemn and oppressive atmosphere of the Yanxin Hall, this silent collective greeting itself was the highest form of recognition and acceptance.

Kazimir's heart pounded violently in his chest, but his powerful willpower instantly suppressed all emotional turmoil.

He met those gazes, some sharp and some deep, with composure, his expression remaining calm.

He simply straightened his back in the most standard posture and returned a steady and powerful nod to everyone present.

However, his heart was far from calm.

Kazimir never expected that the goal he had been pursuing so hard would be facilitated by an outsider.

Kazimir was certain that without Cohen's behind-the-scenes support, he would never have been able to enter the core decision-making level of the House of Nobles so quickly!
Heisenberg watched this scene, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He successfully brought Kazimir to the forefront, sending a clear signal to everyone:

The core strength of the House of Nobles is being consolidated, and new key members have been appointed.

From this moment on, Casimir August, the young count and deputy head of the intelligence agency, will no longer be a blade in the shadows, but a new generation of swordsman representing the will of the House of Nobles.

His future is now inextricably linked to the deepest secrets and grand ambitions of the House of Nobles.

After a brief opening, Chief Heisenberg cleared his throat, signaling that they were about to get down to business.

He didn't mention the Dragon Plane first, but instead looked at Chairman Fyodor in front of everyone:

"Based on your observations over the past few days, what do you think is the true level of the Emerald Grand Duke of Alfein's strength?"

Effie!
These three words were like a sharp arrow, piercing the hearts of every key figure in the House of Nobles present.

how many years?

Since the House of Nobles established its continental hegemony, has there ever been a tiny country that has so frequently, so forcefully, and so humiliatingly caused the Empire to lose face on the world stage?

A mixture of humiliation, fear, anger, and disbelief surged in everyone's eyes.

Chairman Fyodor took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and said in a deep voice:

"Since his debut match where he swiftly defeated Pao Garrett, the 'Diamond Fortress' of the Eastern Empire, the Emerald Duke of Efein has played four Legendary matches to date."

With four wins out of four matches, they have made a strong run to the top four in the Legendary Group of this year's Martial Arts Festival.

Such a record was already astonishing enough, but what Fyodor said next truly sent a chill down the spines of the important figures present:

"The opponents in these four matches, apart from the mid-level Legendary on the first day, are all high-level Legendary extraordinary individuals, and all of them come from the five great empires."

Especially the duel that just ended earlier today; her opponent was Lieutenant General Rudolf Moore, a pillar of our Central Empire's military.

Upon hearing this name, even several long-established nobles who had been resting with their eyes closed suddenly opened their eyes.

Rudolf Moore, a name that symbolizes the pinnacle of practical combat skills in the Imperial military.

Everyone present was a familiar face.

Fyodor paused, his voice becoming much heavier:
"Lieutenant General Moore is a high-ranking 'Monk' of the Legendary rank, who inherited the 'Four Symbols Sect', the oldest and most prestigious school in the Empire."

During his time at the Gold rank, he had already won the Imperial Military Grand Tournament multiple times. His combat skills, willpower, resilience, and adaptability were all exemplary for Imperial soldiers.

After being promoted to Legendary, he became known for his unparalleled and fierce fighting style.

Even I would only have a 60-70% chance of winning against Lieutenant General Moore.

Even such a formidable imperial general, who was capable of standing above his peers, was completely overwhelmed when facing the Emerald Grand Duke of Effie.

He was dominated throughout the entire match, and from beginning to end, there was absolutely no possibility of a comeback!

Fyodor's voice finally settled into an almost deathly silence, and the words he spoke sent chills down the spines of everyone present:

"Therefore, based on observations of these four battles, especially today's duel with Lieutenant General Moore."

I believe that the Emerald Duke of Effie undoubtedly possesses the strength of the 'Strongest Legend' in this year's Noble Martial Arts Festival!

After Chairman Fyodor finished speaking, the entire Rock Heart Hall fell into a deathly silence.

The dark red light from the flowing lava on the dome of the "Hall of Hearts" no longer cast a majestic shadow on everyone's faces, but rather a congealed blood color, seemingly foreshadowing the future of the House of Nobles.

On every face illuminated by the blood-red light, an undisguised shock, gloom, and a deep-seated panic were revealed.

Fyodor was not only a key figure in the House of Nobles, but also a leading figure in the Imperial Education Circle and the head of the Holy Radiance Academy.

He himself is a top-tier existence among the high-level legendary rank.

More importantly, in the legendary group matches of the previous two Noble Martial Arts Festivals, Fyodor won the title of "Strongest Legend" twice in a row, thanks to his profound background and powerful strength.

His assessment is almost equivalent to an authoritative conclusion.

Even he so confidently admitted that Belmod Vineyard possessed the strength of the "strongest legend".

This means that the Noble Martial Arts Festival will see the first nation to sweep all three championships, and this nation will not even be one of the five great empires that dominate the continent, nor an ancient kingdom with a profound history.

Instead, it was Eifine, a tiny country on the northwestern continent that was on the verge of extinction a few years ago and was regarded by everyone as a remote place!
What chilled these core figures of the empire even more was the possibility of Belmotti ultimately reaching the top of the Legends group.

That means the highest honor of this year's Martial Arts Festival, "Strongest Legend," will also fall into the hands of Effie.

The Central Empire, the host country and a behemoth that considers itself the center of the continent, will face an unprecedented and embarrassing situation—to win nothing at the Martial Arts Festival!

This would be a devastating blow to the Empire's prestige and the authority of the House of Nobles, which is responsible for organizing the entire Martial Arts Festival.

All of this will directly trigger two serious consequences that could shake the foundations of the House of Peers.

First is the Dragon Plane.

According to the rules previously established by the Central Empire and other countries in order to attract Cohen to the Central Continent, the champions of the four groups will be qualified to enter the "Dragon Plane".

Of the four champions, the Silver Group, Gold Group, and Legendary Group were all undoubtedly from Effie.

The only champion of the Bronze Group was rumored to be a princess who was supported by Effie and was even King Effie's lover.

This is tantamount to handing over the Dragon Plane, a plane that the noble academy has painstakingly built up over a thousand years and which contains terrifying resources and power capable of changing the landscape of the continent, to Effie.

Moreover, this King Efein is also known as the Prophet, and it is unknown what kind of waves he will stir up in the Dragon Plane.

If the gains and losses of the Dragon Plane were merely heartbreaking, then the second consequence was like a sharp knife piercing the hearts of all the core figures of the Noble Academy.

According to the betting agreement previously reached between the House of Nobles and Her Majesty the Empress to quell internal strife—if the Central Empire fails to obtain the title of "Strongest" in this year's Noble Martial Arts Festival.

Then, control of the Holy Radiance Academy, the highest institution of learning in the empire, the cradle of talent in the academy of nobles, and a symbol of its spirit, will be transferred to the Klein royal family.

What is Shenghui Academy?
That is the foundation of the House of Nobles, the cradle of the empire's future elites.

Everyone present, whether it was Heisenberg, Fyodor, or those department heads, local powerful representatives, "messengers" and spies, or even the allied nobles and warlords.

They themselves or their family members almost all came from Shenghui Academy.

The academy not only cultivates talent, but is also the core hub of the academy's ideology, philosophy, and network of interests.

Losing the Holy Radiance Academy is tantamount to severing the lifeline of the Noble Academy, an outcome they simply cannot accept.

There is no doubt that Chief Heisenberg chose this time to convene this plenary meeting in order to address these two impending serious consequences.

The crowd calmed themselves and looked at Heisenberg.

Heisenberg's voice remained calm and steady, forcefully suppressing the turmoil in everyone's hearts caused by the "strongest legend" and the crisis at the Holy Radiance Academy:

"Regarding the Dragon Plane, there is no need for you to worry excessively about Effie's intervention."

Heisenberg's gaze swept over the thick file, his tone almost cold:

"Our Noble Academy, drawing upon the strength of the empire for millennia, investing the efforts of countless powerful individuals, and expending immeasurable resources, has been developing the Dragon Plane for thousands of years."

To date, no substantive agreement has been reached with those arrogant and violent black lizards.

With just Cohen and his few companions, even if they were lucky enough to gain entry, what could they possibly accomplish in just a few days in the vast and perilous alien world of the Dragon Plane?
They probably won't even be able to find the core gathering place of the dragon race, let alone understand those ancient dragon languages, deal with the chaotic storms that are enough to tear apart legends, or find the lairs of those sleeping ancient dragon kings.

The Dragon Plane is not a backyard; it is a perilous place where even saints can perish!
Therefore, we have no need to worry about Effie having any substantial impact on the Dragon Plane.

They went in as tourists, or even as suicides.

Not everyone was convinced by Heisenberg's confidence; some couldn't help but speak up, their voices tinged with worry:
"Your Excellency, that is true, but Cohen is, after all, Her Majesty the Empress's fiancé, and the Klein royal family has organized forces to explore the Dragon Plane on several occasions."

Does Her Majesty possess some crucial information unknown to us? If she were to hand this information over to Cohen…

Heisenberg's gaze remained calm and unwavering, as if he had anticipated this question:
"The Klein royal family has limited information, and most of it consists of records from hundreds of years ago, or even earlier."

The laws within the Dragon Plane are chaotic, the landscape is undergoing drastic changes, and the migration of races is a common occurrence.

Outdated information has negligible value in today's environment and could even be fatally misleading. Even our House of Nobles, with its most comprehensive real-time database, needs months or even years to re-explore and revise information to ensure the safety and efficiency of a large-scale expedition every thirty years.

In the Dragon Realm, the timeliness of information is the lifeline.

Therefore, for us, the true core of the Dragon Plane is not that otherworldly realm itself, but rather the firsthand data on the Dragon Plane that we possess, a culmination of thousands of years of sacrifice and wisdom, and constantly updated and iterated upon!

As he spoke, Heisenberg looked toward Ryan Allen, the director of the Extradimensional Resources Coordination Division of the House of Lords.

Director Ryan is in charge of all matters related to the Noble Council's conquest of the alternate dimension. All the information about the Dragon Dimension that the Noble Council has collected over thousands of years is under his control.

Heisenberg's voice carried an undeniable authority:
"Data security is of paramount importance and must be ensured to be absolutely secure."

Ryan Allen immediately stood up, his voice deep and powerful:
"Don't worry, sir. The information is with me, and no one will be able to get it."

Manfred reminded him from the side:

"Director Rui'an, we must not be careless."

That Cohen possesses an extremely strange ability—the ability to slip into dimensional rifts. The Director must be on guard.

Ryan replied in a deep voice:

"Rest assured, the warehouses storing the data are all reinforced with spatial confinement arrays, and each person who checks the data will be accompanied by a sage for inspection."

The review process is recorded in real time and sealed immediately after review.

The warehouse is equipped with a Saint-level spatial perception barrier, which can instantly capture any minute spatial ripples and trigger the highest level of alarm and counterattack mechanisms.

The security measures are foolproof.

Kazimir, standing not far away, had a slight glint in his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

After the matter of the Demon Dragon Plane was resolved, the next thing everyone was most concerned about was the Holy Radiance Academy.

The breathing of the crowd unconsciously became heavy. If the Demon Dragon Plane represents the material foundation of the Noble Academy's thousand-year ambition and future, then...

Therefore, the Holy Radiance Academy is the spiritual totem flowing in the blood of the Academy of Nobles, the cradle of the imperial elites, the sacred place for the inheritance of the Academy of Nobles' ideas, and the core hub for maintaining the entire vast network of interests.

Everyone present, whether they were high-ranking department heads, "messengers" or secret agents who controlled the lifeline of the region, or allies who depended on the shadow of the Noble Academy, they, their families, and their children were all deeply imprinted with the mark of the Holy Radiance Academy.

Every brick, tile, blade of grass, and tree in the academy carries their glory, memories, and future.

If the Holy Radiance Academy is lost in their generation's leadership of the House of Nobles, they will become sinners in the House of Nobles' history.

They will be ashamed to face the past sages of the House of Lords, and even more unable to answer to future generations.

All eyes were fixed on Heisenberg, hoping he could come up with a solution that could turn the tide, just like he had done with the Dragon Plane.

Heisenberg's tone also became heavy:
"As for the Holy Radiance Academy... I'm afraid it won't be able to be saved this time."

These few words shocked the entire Rock Core Hall.

Several noble elders abruptly stood up from their seats, their faces filled with disbelief and shock, their voices trembling with excitement, even cracking slightly:
"What? Sir, you mustn't!"

"How can this be done?"

"Sir, it's just a verbal agreement, there's no written resolution, we can definitely try to negotiate!"

"Yes, as long as our House of Nobles mobilizes its full strength, His Majesty will have to think twice."

"At worst, we'll fight them to the death. Does the Klein royal family dare to turn against our entire House of Nobles?"
We control more than half of the empire's resources and connections; without us, the empire is just an empty shell!

"Yes, if that doesn't work, we can go to those old princes of the Klein royal family. Haven't they taken a lot of benefits from our House of Nobles over the years?"

Their magnificent mansions, endless treasures, and their good-for-nothing descendants—without the care of our Noble House, how could they enjoy such a good life?
Let them try to persuade His Majesty; he has to give those old guys some face!

For a moment, the crowd in the Yanxin Hall was filled with indignation.

Their pride, passed down for millennia, and their inviolable dignity made it impossible for them to simply admit defeat.

"We cannot afford to lose! We absolutely cannot lose!"

"The Holy Radiance Academy is the lifeblood of the Noble Academy! Anyone who dares to touch it is making an enemy of the entire Noble Academy!"

"Please lead us, Chief Principal, to defend the academy to the death!"

Amidst the indignant outcry, there were also pleas and expectations directed at Heisenberg.

They believed that as long as the leader of the Imperial House of Nobles raised his arm and rallied the power of the entire House of Nobles, they could achieve their goal.

Even the high and mighty Empress had to yield.

The House of Nobles is powerful enough to shake the foundations of the empire; this is their deep-rooted belief!
Heisenberg's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice steady and carrying an undeniable weight:
"What everyone said is right. If we resist, we can indeed force His Majesty to make concessions."

He paused slightly, his gaze becoming profound:

"To force a confrontation means that we must use the hidden forces that have been buried deep in the shadows and accumulated over generations."

These strengths are our trump cards for dealing with real crises in the future, and we cannot reveal them too early.

More seriously, once we demonstrate power sufficient to threaten the imperial authority, it will inevitably force the military to join forces with the Klein royal family.

They already harbor resentment towards our House of Nobles for controlling too many resources, and once they find an excuse, they will join forces to pressure us and force us to make concessions.

That will no longer be a simple dispute, but a full-scale confrontation between the House of Nobles and the imperial and military powers.

It was a complete tearing apart of the empire's highest power structure.

Internal strife, turmoil, and even... escalating into civil war!

At that time, the empire will be plunged into unprecedented internal strife and division, which will be a devastating blow to our grand ambitions.

Every word Heisenberg uttered struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer blow:
"Furthermore, do you think His Majesty would be unprepared?"

Do you really think that the old princes within the Klein royal family can still influence His Majesty's will?
And then there's our newly minted 'Royal Consort,' King Effie, the prophetic son Cohen Corleone, and the enigmatic Effie behind him—will they stand idly by?

Heisenberg's voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost cold clarity:

"Once war breaks out, regardless of victory or defeat, the empire will suffer a severe blow."

"Holy Radiance Academy... Even if we manage to preserve it temporarily, it will become a symbol filled with rifts and hatred. Is that still the 'spiritual totem' we wanted to protect?"

This analysis, though calm and brutal, was like a bucket of ice water poured over some people's heads, cooling their feverish minds slightly.

However, for some people, this rational analysis is like adding fuel to the fire!

Privy Council Director of Strategy, Arthur Nicholson!
This figure, who controlled the allocation of all the extraordinary powers in the House of Nobles and was like a shadow commander, suddenly stood up from his seat.

His face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

No one knew better than him how terrifying the power hidden in the shadows of the Noble House was; it was a trump card that could make any power on the continent tremble.

But no one knew better than him how he acquired this power—

At Shenghui Academy, among almost every graduating class, there are always a few of the most outstanding and promising students whose whereabouts remain unknown.

They're just a few students; no one cares where they go to develop their careers.

But Arthur knew perfectly well that these graduates had secretly entered the training and inheritance base of the Noble Academy.

There, they received the most rigorous training and the best resources, eventually growing into the backbone that supported the behemoth that is the House of Nobles.

They are the swords in the shadows, the shields protecting the dark side of the empire, and the true foundation of the House of Nobles!

Over time, this number has reached a terrifying level.

Once the Holy Radiance Academy is handed over, what will be lost is not just an academy.

What is lost is the foundation for replenishing the backbone of the future, and even those past events will be dug up and thoroughly investigated and purged.

Therefore, he was most intolerant of such concessions, and stood up, saying:

"Sir, I understand what you mean."

I understand that prioritizing the overall situation and being patient are paramount.

However, our Noble House has been passed down for so many years, with generation after generation sacrificing their lives and pouring countless resources, efforts, and even lives into it.

Why do we all gather together for a common goal and a shared glory?
That's not what we're doing—compromising and admitting defeat with others!

If in the end we can't even protect our own foundation, what has been the point of all our years of struggle?

"Yeah, let's fight them!"

"What's there to be afraid of in exposure? Even if the military joins forces with the Klein royal family, we're not afraid!"

"For the glory of the Holy Radiance Academy, for the honor of the Noble Academy, let's fight!"

The anger that Heisenberg had just forcibly suppressed reignited under Arthur's tearful, accusatory questioning, like boiling oil being poured on it. (End of Chapter)