Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

However, the Third Tomb Master also knew that now was not the time to reprimand his disciple. He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his displeasure.

He spoke to Nactus in a tone that was as calm as possible, yet carried a profound sense of instruction:

“Nactus, you must understand.”

The Soul Speaker is the highest-ranking official in the Northwest Division of the Black Tomb, reporting directly to headquarters.

Given my position, even I wouldn't be in a position to demand that he provide specific information in a commanding tone.

This requires skill and the art of communication.

The situation in the Northwest region is complex and the mission is quite important. He will definitely focus most of his energy and primary task on completing the core missions directly assigned to him by headquarters.

He doesn't know much about what's going on here, and he's unclear about the main specific objectives and detailed plans of our operation.

We don't know exactly when we will take action, nor do we understand how far our preparations have progressed..."

His gaze sharpened as he looked at Nactus:
"If you don't take the initiative to contact him and convey to him your specific needs for which aspect of intelligence you urgently require."

How could he possibly know out of thin air what we most want to know right now, what we're most worried about, and what we most need to confirm?

Nactus, I didn't bring you here simply to be a henchman. There are many more countries we will conquer in the future.

It is impossible to truly succeed and maintain a long-term rule by relying solely on strong military force and secretive assassinations.

The events that happened in the Kingdom of Serene serve as a lesson for us.

The lesson the three tomb masters spoke of referred to the "Black Tomb" encountering far greater-than-expected resistance during its actual takeover and control of the Kingdom of Serene.

In the initial conception of the three tomb owners and the higher-ups of the "Black Tomb," they relied on the "righteous cause" of Nien Thranan, the founder and spiritual symbol of the Kingdom of Thranan.

In addition, the "Black Tomb" possesses a massive and extraordinary military force that makes all countries on the continent wary.

With the strong support of the powerful nobleman Marquis Lincoln, who held the power to guard the capital, taking control of the Kingdom of Serene should have been a natural progression.

However, reality dealt them a harsh blow.

The three tomb owners were indeed the founders of the Kingdom of Thrane, and their bloodline is indeed the source of the current Thrane royal family.

But that was a long time ago; the passage of time is enough to change everything.

Over thousands of years, the Kingdom of Serene has developed into a mature aristocratic ruling group and bureaucratic system with intricate connections, intertwined interests, and its own operating logic and power structure.

This huge vested interest group is no longer loyal to or defends some vague "founder", or even the surname "Thérán" itself.

Rather, it is the tangible power, territory, and wealth they hold, as well as the system and order that guarantees them these privileges for generations to come.

Therefore, when someone claiming to be an "ancestor" suddenly leads a group of secretive outsiders in an attempt to forcibly seize power from them through force and intimidation, thus disrupting the existing power structure and distribution of benefits.

The resulting backlash and resistance were naturally unprecedentedly fierce.

Even with the fearsome reputation of the "Black Tomb," even with the three tomb owners who were theoretically revered founders, and even with powerful insiders like the Marquess of Lincoln.

The traditional nobles and bureaucratic forces within the Kingdom of Serene, who held positions at the central and local levels of power, still displayed an astonishing will and energy to resist.

They openly or covertly resisted, either outwardly or inwardly.

In some areas, they even launched small-scale armed rebellions to resist the takeover by the "Black Tomb".

All of this was far beyond what the three tomb owners had initially anticipated.

He originally thought that as long as he controlled the capital, captured the king, and had a few important military officials like the Marquess of Lincoln surrender, he could succeed.

The entire kingdom would then submit, but he severely underestimated the complexity and stubbornness of the internal interest structure of a kingdom that had lasted for thousands of years.

Ultimately, thanks to their overwhelming military superiority and several bloody and brutal purges, Serene's regime was barely transferred to the hands of the "Black Tomb".

However, the time and effort consumed in this process far exceeded the initial budget.

Not to mention that even now, countless resistance forces and underground organizations against the rule of the "Black Tomb" still lurk beneath the vast territory of the Kingdom of Serene.

They are always waiting for an opportunity to retaliate, forcing the "Black Tomb" to maintain a considerable amount of suppression and surveillance forces for a long time, which is also a continuous drain and burden.

To put it bluntly, after this power shift and internal turmoil, the overall national strength and military power of the Kingdom of Serene have suffered considerable losses and decline.

This will undoubtedly affect its actual strength in this military operation against the Windbreak Kingdom.

In fact, the three tomb masters possessed Prince Thranduil for a very short time, and the affairs of the Kingdom of Thranduil had previously been handled by several of his students.

Therefore, in the eyes of the three tomb owners, this coup was not as successful as when Cohen subdued Saint Oak and Silverfrost.

To a large extent, this is because core executors like Nactus are overly reliant on force and their own extraordinary power.

There is a serious lack of insight into the complexities of politics and the subtleties of human nature, as well as the ability to flexibly respond to various complex situations.

They did not conduct sufficient intelligence work beforehand, nor did they skillfully divide, win over, or appease the centrists who might become obstacles or help them.

Instead, they simply prepare to wait for problems to arise before resorting to forceful measures to resolve them head-on.

The reason he brought up the old story at this moment and said these words to Nactus was because...

He hoped that his beloved disciple, who was exceptionally talented in the path of magic, could truly learn a lesson from the events in the Kingdom of Serene.

Understand the crucial, even decisive, role that "proactive and effective intelligence work" and "flexible political maneuvering" can play in achieving ambitious goals.

Instead of simply indulging in magical research in the laboratory or being content with becoming a powerful "thug".

Nactus nodded as if he understood, which was understandable for someone like him who had climbed to the pinnacle of legendary dark magic step by step through his exceptional talent and diligent study.

The concepts of "power is supreme" and "magic is truth" were deeply ingrained in his soul.

He is more accustomed to using destructive magic or manipulating people's fears to solve all the problems and obstacles he encounters.

As for those "soft tactics" that require roundabout approaches, probing, understanding people's hearts, and managing relationships, he often sees them as inefficient and unnecessary.

Therefore, although he nodded respectfully on the surface, he probably couldn't even say how much he had truly understood in his heart.

The three tomb owners took in their beloved disciple's reaction.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He knew that changing someone's deeply ingrained mindset was no easy task. Especially for a powerful figure like Nactus, who had reached an extremely high level in his field, his pride and stubbornness were not easily shaken.

The third tomb master shook his head, temporarily suppressing the idea of ​​continuing the teaching, and instead asked another question that he was more concerned about:
"How's Gaius doing?"

Nactus's answer this time satisfied the three tomb owners:

“Ceylon is ready. Gaius has secretly mobilized more than 300,000 troops and arrived near Ash Plains.”

It was personally commanded by Field Marshal Ofion Barrett, a renowned Ceylon general and Chief of the Army General Staff.

Once the main force of the Windrise Kingdom's expeditionary force has fully entered the ambush zone of Ash Plains, they will immediately launch a thunderous general offensive from both the flanks and the rear.

They formed a pincer movement with us from the east and west, and in one fell swoop, completely annihilated the 200,000-strong army of the Wind-Breath people on the plains.

The three tomb owners nodded slowly:
"Try to contact the Soul Whisperer when you have some free time and see what that Cohen has been up to lately."

Ever since the Martial Arts Festival ended, this person has seemed to have vanished, and I have a bad feeling about it.

We need to be wary of him doing something behind our backs that we don't know about.

This person is too dangerous and too troublesome.

We must not underestimate him in the slightest.

Yes, teacher.

I will contact the 'Soul Whisperer' as soon as possible to find out Cohen Corleone's recent movements.

The three tomb owners then looked at the Marquess of Lincoln, who stood at attention in standard military bearing, and their gazes softened considerably:

"My lord, how are our troops preparing?"

Upon hearing the inquiry from the three tomb owners, the Marquis of Lincoln immediately stepped forward and pointed his baton at a valley on the southeast side of Ash Plains.

He answered methodically:

"Your Majesty, according to the final cooperation plan we have confirmed with the Kingdom of Ceylon..."

Our main ambush force will be secretly deployed in advance along the line of 'Eagle Beak Canyon' and 'Dead Tree Hills' on both sides.

These two locations are extremely advantageous for our ambush.

Eagle Beak Canyon is narrow and deep, making it ideal for heavy infantry to hold the front and cut off the retreat of the Windbringers.

The hills on both sides are densely forested and have gentle slopes, making it easy for our light infantry, archers, and mage units to hide and ambush.

It can deliver devastating crossfire and magical strikes to enemy forces entering the canyon.

As long as the Windrise Kingdom's expeditionary force, as we predicted, chooses this shortcut to cross the plains as quickly as possible and head straight for the heart of Ceylon.

Their expeditionary force will surely run headlong into the death trap we have carefully prepared for them!
The Marquess of Lincoln bowed respectfully to the three tomb owners at the end and said:
"Our army is fully prepared, and all participating troops have entered their designated attack positions."

Logistics and communications are running smoothly; all that's left is for them to walk into our trap once the storm has passed!

The three tomb owners listened quietly to the Marquis of Lincoln's report, a smile of appreciation appearing on their faces. They then slowly spoke, saying what the other party most wanted to hear:

"Good, as long as this battle can annihilate the main force of the Windbreath Kingdom's expeditionary force in one fell swoop, as you and I wish."

"Then, after the war, the quarter of the Windrise Kingdom's northwestern border that borders our country, including all its city-states, resources, and population, will be placed under the full administration of your Lincoln family!"

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Lincoln was jolted awake, and a surge of wild joy instantly spread across his face.

He immediately knelt on one knee, and in a trembling voice, loudly swore:
"The Lincoln family swears allegiance to His Majesty and is willing to go through fire and water for His Majesty and the great cause of the 'Black Tomb,' even unto death."

This battle must be won! "

……

Efiyin, a central province, is a secret base nestled amidst winding mountains and dense primeval forests.

A massive military fortress, built against a naturally rugged mountain and almost blending into its surroundings, stands silently.

The city walls are covered with countless arrow towers, magic cannons, and various defensive structures that shimmer with magical runes.

It was dusk when suddenly, an extremely conspicuous emerald green magical light shot towards the core area of ​​the fortress at an astonishing speed.

Almost at the same instant that the emerald light entered the outer perimeter of the fortress, a low, urgent magical alarm immediately rang out from the main magic towers of the fortress.

The next moment, dozens of figures dressed in uniform bluish-gray mage robes suddenly flew out from the hidden cave entrances inside the fortress and the surrounding mountains.

They quickly formed a tight three-dimensional interception formation in the airspace about ten kilometers in front of the fortress.

The unwavering, emerald-green light was firmly blocked outside the defensive line.

A middle-aged archmage, seemingly the leader of the intercepting mage group, warned in a loud, amplified voice:

"This is the highest military restricted area in Effie, and no unit is allowed to approach without permission."

Immediately state your identity and purpose, or we will treat you as a hostile target and launch an indiscriminate attack!

The light gradually faded, revealing the figure hidden within.

When the group of mages who were intercepting the group saw the appearance of the newcomer, their faces, which had been tense and on high alert, instantly showed deep awe and fear.

The newcomer simply stood there quietly, yet naturally exuded a unique aura and majesty that seemed to blend into the surrounding environment while simultaneously transcending all things.

This woman was familiar to every Effie mage present, for she was none other than the Windsor Princess, the winged elf princess, who was King Cohen Corleone of Effie.

The mages who had taken off to intercept immediately withdrew all their offensive and defensive spells, and in unison bowed deeply to Windsordler in mid-air:

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Windsordler said calmly:

"Take me to see your supreme commander."

Upon hearing this, the leading archmage immediately bowed even lower and quickly replied:
"Yes, Your Highness! Please follow me!" (End of Chapter)