Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

The ministers had lofty ideals, but they clearly underestimated the insight of their king, who was capable of strategizing on the battlefield, as well as his ability to navigate the court.

They also forgot that the mind of a man who could control women like Adele and Sanes could not be easily deceived by a few flamboyant memorials.

However, Cohen had no interest in investigating the ministers' ulterior motives. After all, he was only acting as a substitute for a few days, and the Queen would deal with them later.

As time ticked by, Cohen grew sleepy listening to the ministers below the stage reciting their carefully crafted reports with dramatic intonation.

After the Minister of Industry finally finished reading the last page of soporific production data, Cohen gently raised his hand to stop the next eager minister, and said slowly:
"Alright, today's meeting is a routine meeting, not a special meeting on economic work."

However, I have seen the achievements everyone has made. Everyone has worked very hard and put in a lot of effort.

I hope everyone will continue their efforts.

After offering some encouragement, Cohen changed the subject and said:

"So, besides these routine reports, are there any more urgent matters that need to be discussed now?"

A hush fell over the audience; His Majesty's meaning was clear.

Several ministers who had originally wanted to take the opportunity to boast silently stuffed their ornate memorials back into their sleeves.

A moment of silence fell over the council chamber. Foreign Minister Baron Holt slowly rose and respectfully said:

"Your Majesty, there is something I need to report to you."

Yesterday, I received a report from the ambassador to the Northern Empire that the Crown Prince of the Northern Empire, Jinlunga Cox, may be traveling to Florence in a private capacity soon.

How should we treat this guest of special status?

Cohen raised an eyebrow. Jinlunga Cox, the crown prince of the Northern Empire, the prince who was originally the strongest Silver Prince, why would he suddenly come to Florence?

What does the Northern Empire mean by this? Is Jinlun Jia coming to Florence to gather intelligence or simply for leisure?
Could it be that Effie's recent actions in the Northwest Continent have aroused the Northern Empire's suspicion?

The fact that the crown prince of one of the five great empires was coming to Florence, and in a private capacity, without going through official channels, was already quite intriguing.

Cohen frowned, a jumble of thoughts rising in his mind.

After a long silence, Cohen finally spoke:
"Let Uncle Hauge receive them. Since they are visiting in a private capacity, we shouldn't make a big fuss."

"Just send a team of skilled guards to protect him secretly; you must ensure the prince's safety."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The meeting finally ended in a delicate atmosphere.

Cohen was about to go and enjoy a moment of tenderness with Adele when he soon received bad news.

The message, delivered by Belmody in the distant land of the Lost, consisted of only a few brief lines, yet it sent a chill down Cohen's spine:
I haven't been able to contact Mavis for three days. She might be in trouble!

Upon seeing the message, Cohen's expression tightened. Mavis had actually disappeared?

Mavis had been secretly infiltrating the "Potion City-State" under the Demon Lord's control. Cohen was very careful every time he communicated with her, so in theory, he shouldn't have been exposed.

Why did we suddenly lose contact?

Could it be that the Demon Lord has sensed something, or has some unexpected change occurred within the Chaotic Demon Continent?
A strong sense of unease quickly enveloped Cohen.

He could no longer stay in the palace and turned to walk quickly toward the inner study where Adele was.

When he pushed open the study door, Adele was sitting by the window, quietly flipping through an ancient book.

The sunlight gilded her with a soft golden edge, making her look as beautiful as a goddess descending to earth.

Cohen walked to her side, his voice filled with deep apology:
"Sister, something happened to Mavis. I have to go to the Lost Lands right away."

Adel didn't press for details, but simply held his hand gently in return and said softly:
"Go ahead, I'll stay here."

Be careful, and let me know if you need anything.

This unconditional trust and support filled Cohen with an indescribable warmth. He embraced Adele tightly and kissed her, then rushed off to the "Lost Land" without stopping.

……

A flash of light appeared, and Cohen's figure clearly appeared on the top floor of the mysterious wizard tower in Belmody.

Seeing the familiar face appear, Belmody, who had been on edge the whole time, finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Long before she met Cohen, this witch who roamed the shadows had long been accustomed to facing all crises and difficulties alone.

No matter how big the trouble she encounters, she will only silently lick her wounds and calmly plan solutions, never placing her hopes on others.

But everything changed after this man entered her life.

Unbeknownst to her, she also began to develop a feeling called "dependence".

Even though Cohen's current strength is far inferior to hers, whenever she encounters a difficult problem, her first reaction is still to tell him and seek his help.

Cohen quickly stepped forward and gently embraced Belmody. He could feel her body trembling slightly.

He whispered in her ear:

"Don't rush, Sister Bei, tell me slowly and give me the details."

The embrace gradually calmed Belmody's chaotic emotions. She took a deep breath, gently stepped back from Cohen's embrace, collected her thoughts, and began to narrate in as calm a tone as possible:
"Mavis and I agreed to communicate every other day via an encrypted soul imprint to confirm each other's safety."
The last normal contact was three nights ago, when Mavis mentioned that the Demon Lord Sal Ignarian had suddenly summoned all his ninth-tier transcendents to the Demon Capital for an emergency meeting.

However, for three whole days since then, I have not received any message from Mavis.

Although her soul imprint had not disappeared, it had become extremely weak and unable to respond to my calls.

This is definitely not normal; Mavis must be in serious trouble!" Cohen thought for a moment and asked:

"Besides Mavis, have there been any news from the other ninth-tier superhumans who were summoned to the meeting in the past few days?"

Belmod shook his head:

"No, that's precisely the strange thing."

All the attendees vanished as if they had evaporated into thin air; since entering Shanghai, there has been no further news of them.

Hearing this answer, Cohen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If only Mavis is missing, it likely means her undercover identity has been exposed.

But now that all the participants have disappeared, it suggests that the problem may lie in the emergency meeting itself held by the Demon Lord Sal Ignarion.

Perhaps the Demon Lord needs these high-level combatants to carry out a highly confidential and dangerous mission, so he has to take measures to completely isolate himself from the outside world.

Belmody continued:

"I'd like to go to Shanghai to investigate Mavis's whereabouts, but I'm too conspicuous. If I get too close to Shanghai, it will easily attract the attention of the Demon Lord."

Mavis was only a Gold-rank demon, and the Demon Lord was in league with the Seventy-Two Pillar Demons. Demons were known for their ruthless and reckless actions.

Moreover, there is an extremely secret one-way communication channel between me and Mavis, which we built with a soul contract, and even a demigod would find it difficult to completely sever.

Logically, no matter the situation, she should at least be able to send a faint signal for help or a warning, but until now…

Cohen gently placed his hand on Belmody's slightly trembling shoulder, conveying a reassuring warmth, and whispered:

"Don't overthink it. It's possible that the place where Mavis is located has been protected by some kind of powerful barrier or a special shielding array for communication, which is why the message can't be sent out."

Don't worry, I'll personally go to Shanghai and find out exactly what Sal is up to.

We brought Mavis back safely!

Furthermore, if I'm not mistaken, all of this is very likely related to his grand plan for 'nation-building' which he is currently preparing.

It requires so many ninth-tier superhumans and such tight security measures, without letting even a whisper of it leak out.

There must be a grand scheme behind this that requires immense power to accomplish.

Perhaps Thrall is trying to build a strong foundation to support a nascent demon kingdom.

After the matter was settled, Cohen did not hesitate for long. He put on the demon mask, disguised himself, and headed to the capital of the Chaotic Demon Continent, the Demon City.

……

Chaotic Demon Continent, Demon City.

Despite being called the "Demon City," the scene before my eyes was completely different from the demon's lair filled with blood, skeletons, and twisted buildings that people on the human continent imagined.

The entire city of Shanghai doesn't look much different from the city-states of the human world.

The wide streets are paved with smooth stone slabs, and on both sides stand buildings of different styles, yet each is exquisite.

Magic-powered public carriages shuttled orderly along fixed tracks. The pedestrians on the street were of all kinds of races, including demons covered in scales, sorcerers shrouded in hoods, and even some residents who were no different from humans.

But their demeanor revealed a busyness and order no different from that of bustling human cities outside.

If it weren't for the harsh natural environment outside the city-state, people entering Shanghai would probably think it was a bustling metropolis of some human empire.

The magical industrial civilization here is even more advanced than that of many human kingdoms.

The towering magic tower continuously spewed orderly streams of arcane energy into the sky, while the faint hum of large magic pipes running could be heard from below the street.

The only thing that truly defines this place as a "demon realm" is the buildings with flags bearing strange symbols that can be seen everywhere—those are the strongholds of the "Touch of Black Magic".

This dark magic cult, which worships the abyss and demons, is the de facto power structure ruling the entire chaotic continent of Demonia.

The Demon Lord Sal Ignarion, a legendary high-ranking sorcerer, is the Supreme Master of the Touch of Black Magic.

His will permeated every corner of the magical city through this intricate organization. It could be said that all members of the entire Black Magic Touch were his disciples and followers, bathed in the blessings of his power and knowledge.

The demon mask on Cohen's face exuded a pure and rich aura of the abyss.

In Shanghai, this aura is like a noble's crest, representing status and power.

As he walked through the city gate, the guards even instinctively straightened their postures, revealing expressions of awe.

In this city, fairies, demons, and devils—powerful beings originating from lower planes—hold a status as high and mighty as gods in the human world, earning people's awe and even worship.

Cohen walked the streets of Shanghai, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over his surroundings, but in his mind he was quickly analyzing the city's operating rules.

His understanding of Shanghai was mostly based on fragmented information from his previous life's games, which was not enough to support his rash actions.

Although memories from past life games provide some outlines, the details of reality are far more complex than the world constructed from data.

He knew very well that the pure demonic aura emanating from him could easily intimidate the lower-level guards and ordinary residents.

However, if they encounter high-ranking members of the Black Magic Touch or core forces under the Demon Lord, their flaws will be easily spotted.

Therefore, in order to truly infiltrate the ranks and uncover the Demon Lord's real purpose in summoning ninth-tier transcendents, he needs a more reliable and substantial identity as a cover.

As he pondered, he stopped in front of a shop selling healing potions. (End of Chapter)