Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

As men, it may be instinctive to admire or even adore beautiful and strong women.

But when this woman is “Cohen Corleone’s wife,” any improper thoughts are tantamount to courting death.

It could even bring about the annihilation of the entire vampire race. Just imagining His Majesty's majesty and methods is enough to send chills down the spines of anyone who knows the truth.

This is someone who dares to confront the two great human empires and the Black Tomb, a top power on the continent, head-on for the sake of his queen and queen!
Kashyram recalled the subtle change in Windsor's movements earlier—he had intended to get up to greet him, but upon seeing his absent-mindedness, he sat back down and had his assistant introduce him instead.

The implication is obvious: her first impression of him has been greatly diminished, and she has even developed displeasure and estrangement towards him.

This was a disastrous start to the negotiations that followed!
Kashuram was filled with remorse and cursed himself for his lack of self-control, which almost led him astray because of lust.

He quickly and forcefully suppressed all the inappropriate ripples in his heart, daring not to show the slightest impoliteness.

His face quickly hardened with the most sincere apology and solemnity, and he bowed deeply once more, this time even lower, his tone more respectful and cautious:
"Kashuram Aragell, a vampire, has come to pay a visit to Your Excellency, the Commissioner, on the orders of the Blood Lord, for the sake of the common survival of both races, to discuss cooperation in the fight against the demons."

"It was my first time meeting the Princess of Windsor, and I was so impressed by Her Highness's extraordinary demeanor that I momentarily forgot myself. I am truly sorry for this! I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

He deliberately omitted direct praise of her appearance, only vaguely mentioning her "extraordinary demeanor," and attributed his loss of composure to her "demeanor" rather than her "appearance," attempting to salvage the situation.

After saying that, he stood there nervously, wondering if his attempt to salvage the situation would at least salvage the impression he had made.

Faced with Keshram’s apologetic and nervous apology, Windsordler, seated in the main seat, didn’t even glance at him once.

Her beautiful face showed no emotion, as if the brief stare and rudeness just now were not worth her attention at all.

The one who responded on her behalf was still that capable female assistant, Rachel.

Rachel maintained a standard professional smile, but her eyes betrayed her understanding of Keshram's earlier lapse in composure and her boss's obvious displeasure, making her tone even more businesslike:

“Your Highness, there’s no need for such formalities. Please have a seat.” Rachel gestured to the seat opposite Keshram. “Your Highness has come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Let’s get straight to the point and save each other’s time.”

Rachel's direct opening remarks immediately extinguished any thought Keshuram might have had of trying to salvage the atmosphere or engage in small talk.

Then, Rachel glanced at the other young men and women in standard uniforms in the room and gave a brief introduction to Keshram:

"These are all colleagues from the committee's secretariat, and they were also the recorders and coordinators for this meeting."

They came from the families or related forces of several core members of the committee, and were all young talents. We all followed the Windsor committee members here to learn and grow.

During the rest of the conversation, Your Highness may ask us any questions at any time.

Rachel's introduction was understated, but Keshuram felt a chill run down his spine.

Although these people are young, they all have an extraordinary demeanor and sharp eyes, and are clearly future core members on whom great hopes are placed.

Having them participate in this meeting is not only a training opportunity, but also a silent demonstration—showcasing the strength and unity of the new generation of the Supreme Council.

Rachel herself, as the heiress to the Unicorn Company, participated in such crucial negotiations, and her significance was self-evident.

After Rachel finished her introduction, she quietly retreated to the side and behind Windsor, and together with the young officials, handed the home ground back to Keshram.

But the atmosphere in the room had already been set by Windsordler's indifference and Rachel's directness—this was not a reunion between friends, nor even a consultation between equal allies, but more like a superior listening to a report, or a meeting where the strong give the weak a chance to speak.

Suppressing his unease and slight humiliation, Keshuram took a deep breath and forced himself to focus entirely on the negotiation itself.

The text begins by outlining the dire situation facing the vampires, the threats posed by the Demon Empire and the Demon Legion, and the Twilight Continent's desire to cooperate with the Supreme Council.

He used precise language and clear logic to explain the vampires' core demands, such as "equal cooperation, intelligence sharing, military assistance, and post-war division of benefits," and implied that the vampires were willing to show their sincerity in this regard.

As he spoke, Windsordler kept his eyes down, looking at the documents, seemingly not paying attention.

Rachel and the other young officials took careful notes, occasionally exchanging glances.

After Keshram finished speaking, the room fell silent, and no one gave him any response.

The young officials also silently turned their attention to Windsordler.

After a brief silence, Windsordler finally put down the document he hadn't actually read more than a few lines of and slowly raised his head.

Instead of the expected thoughtful consideration of the cooperation agreement proposed by Keshram, a cold smile appeared on his flawless face.

“Kashuram…Prince.”

I think that you vampires may not have truly grasped the current situation, nor have you correctly positioned yourselves.

She leaned forward slightly, her emerald eyes, capable of eclipsing the stars, staring directly at Keshram. There was no warmth in them, only a condescending scrutiny and a faint mockery.

"Cooperation? I'm sorry, but this is happening while my husband is writing to your father, Blood Lord Lucius Aragell, reminding you of the demonic threat and to make plans accordingly."

If you had had enough foresight and decisiveness back then, we might indeed have been able to talk about cooperation, or even cooperation on a relatively equal footing.

But now?
After you suffered defeat after defeat, lost cities and territories, and your interior was infiltrated like a sieve, to the point that you even needed us to secretly clean up the mess in order to survive and get here?

What right do you think you have to talk to me about equal cooperation?
Face reality, Your Highness.

You Twilight Continent, you vampires, now have no other way but to completely submit to the Supreme Council and become our vassals.

This is not a suggestion, this is your only choice!

Windsordler's words struck Keshram like a thunderbolt.

Even though he had been momentarily amazed and enamored with Windsor, and even though he told himself to remain calm and restrained.

But at this moment, the naked contempt in the other party's words, the humiliation of the entire vampire race, and the undisguised intention to annex it ignited his anger and dignity as a vampire prince and the future heir of Twilight Continent!
Keshuram abruptly stood up from his seat, his face turning ashen with anger and humiliation, a bloodthirsty glint appearing in his dark red eyes, and the uncontrollable pressure of a high-ranking vampire spreading out:
"Your Excellency, please watch your words! My vampire race is an ancient race with a history spanning thousands of years, the overlord of the Twilight Continent! How dare you... how dare you insult me ​​like this!"

Faced with Keshram's anger and sudden surge of momentum, Windsordler didn't even flinch.

Rachel and the young officials behind her remained expressionless, seemingly used to similar scenes, with some even flashing a hint of mockery in their eyes.

Windsordler simply leaned back slightly in her chair, resuming her elegant and aloof posture, her tone flat:

“I know that Your Highness may find it difficult to accept at first.”

After all, the contrast between being a supreme ruler who looks down on all living beings and having to make choices about survival is indeed painful.

But that's the truth. Talk is cheap. I think you need to understand more directly what kind of entity you're about to submit to.

Rachel!

Rachel immediately stepped forward:
"Your Highness the Princess!"

“Take Prince Keshram to visit some non-core areas of the committee headquarters, so he can see with his own eyes what true power is and what the future is.”

Windsordler then said coldly:

"After reading this, you may have a clearer understanding of the current power of your vampire clan and the power held by our Supreme Council."

"Then you should know how to return to your father, Lord Lucius Aragell, and convey our attitude and conditions."

Upon hearing this, Rachel Conrad stepped forward and made a standard "please" gesture to Keshuram, who was still in shock, anger, and humiliation, with an impeccable smile on her face:
“Prince Keshuram, please follow me. I am sure the tour that follows will be worthwhile for you.”

Her tone was calm, but the words "worth the trip" sounded incredibly ironic to Keshuram at that moment.

This is hardly a friendly visit; it's clearly a display of power, a blatant act of intimidation.

Kashuram's chest heaved violently, his nails digging deep into his palms, almost drawing blood.

He stared intently at Windsordler's cold, beautiful face, then at Rachel's formulaic smile, and finally his gaze swept over the other young officials in the room, each with their own distinct expression.

A chilling sense of powerlessness and profound humiliation swept over his entire body.

He knew he had no other choice.

Refusing to visit is tantamount to closing the door to negotiations and also depriving them of the opportunity to assess the strength of the Supreme Committee firsthand.

Keshram took one last look at Windsordler, who sat upright in the main seat as if he no longer existed, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart was completely extinguished.

That cold and powerful sense of oppression did not come from the pressure of aura, but from a condescending indifference.

He knew that no amount of words would be of any use at this moment.

After a few seconds of deathly silence, Keshuram managed to squeeze out a single word from his throat:

"……it is good."

Filled with humiliation and anger, he silently followed Rachel out of that suffocating drawing room.

What followed was not a friendly exchange, but rather a cold declaration of power, a shocking educational experience aimed at completely shattering the visitor's psychological defenses.

Rachel was clearly adept at this; she moved with composure and spoke in a steady tone, like a top-notch museum guide, yet the content of her explanation was enough to terrify any knowledgeable and powerful person.

They first passed through some "non-core" but still heavily guarded areas of the committee headquarters.

Occasionally, figures in different uniforms, exuding powerful auras, would hurry past on either side of the corridor. Keshram's keen vampire senses detected those undisguised energy fluctuations—the lingering domain energy of legendary-level powerhouses!

And it wasn't just in one place!
Immediately afterwards, he saw many extraordinary individuals at the half-step legendary level and the peak of the gold rank coming and going in these areas.

Moreover, these people belong to different factions, including the Holy Light Emblem of the Church of Light, the Clan Emblem of the Five Wings of the Pale Wings, and the symbols of some small and medium-sized local forces in the Lost Lands.

They were not a disorganized group, but rather belonged to different departments or legions in an orderly manner, and seemed to have efficient coordination among themselves.

Rachel introduced it casually:
"These are the resident high-ranking combat representatives of the committee's directly affiliated and member forces, responsible for coordination, emergency response, and special missions."

Next, they climbed to a very high observation platform at headquarters.

From here, you can overlook a large area of ​​the city and parts of the military zone.

In the distance, on the training ground, squads of soldiers were drilling. Their equipment was so sophisticated that even Keshram, who was used to seeing elite vampires, was secretly amazed.

The standard enchanted armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the weapon in his hand was clearly no ordinary item. Even more striking were the complex runes that shimmered on it, suggesting it was a standard-issue tactical magic item.

The soldiers moved in perfect unison, exuding a fierce aura and demonstrating their high level of training.

Rachel pointed and introduced:

"That was part of the committee's regular legion, and training was jointly overseen by Effiin officers and military advisors from various ethnic groups."

As Your Highness is in, these armies, by the standards of the human continent, would all be considered 'elite' level!

Elite level!
Such a large number of elite troops!

Kashuram felt a chill run down his spine. The legions exposed to his sight alone were enough to crush most of the vampire city-states!
Rachel then pointed further away, to an area shrouded in a powerful barrier, where the faint, chilling power of a dragon and the thunderous sound of air being torn apart could be heard.

Kaishuram gazed into the distance and vaguely saw a huge shadow sweeping across the barrier—it was a dragon!
Moreover, they were organized units of dragoons, equipped with specially made saddles and armor!
Although it was too far away to see clearly, the unique training methods and imposing aura instantly reminded Keshram of a name—the Red Dragon Duchess Asna!
That human female general who is loyal to Cohen, has awakened the Dragon Tamer class, and is skilled at training dragon riders!
Rachel then led him on a tour of the exterior of the "Magic Workshop Consortium" that was on public display.

Huge chimneys stood in rows, and rhythmic roars and forging sounds emanated from the factory buildings.

Through a specially designed viewing window, you can see parts shimmering with magical light being automatically assembled into various machines on the assembly line.

Inside the enormous furnace, highly purified magical metal flowed.

Under the control of the engineering mage, the complex magic circle continuously charges or enchants various devices.

This place produces not only weapons and armor, but also large-scale city defense equipment, components of mobile fortresses, and even some high-level magical items that Keshram has never seen before.

Rachel's commentary remained bland, but every word struck Keshuram's heart like a hammer blow:
"This is part of the committee's joint workshop area, responsible for the mass production of standard equipment, special machinery, and the practical application of some new magical engineering techniques."

Energy is primarily supplied by leyline nodes and large-scale magic-gathering arrays.

Finally, they arrived at a more heavily guarded viewing platform, from which they could see two areas on the edge of the city that were tightly protected by multiple powerful barriers and force fields.

All that could be seen were blurry outlines and terrifying energy fluctuations that subtly distorted the very space.

Rachel's tone finally took on a subtle hint of seriousness:

"Inside are some real trump cards, some top-notch equipment capable of being used in large-scale wars."

The specific details are top secret and cannot be disclosed. Your Highness only needs to know that it is one of the committee's key weapons in dealing with the Demon Gold Empire and even the demon invasion.

What's inside are naturally all sorts of top-tier Hellfire weapons that Cohen bought from Dispat, the arms dealer of the second level of Hellfire.

By this point in the visit, Kashulam was completely numb.

The pride and sense of honor he once felt as a vampire prince and heir to an ancient race were shattered within those few short hours.

The strength displayed by the opponent was not merely an accumulation of quantity, but a comprehensive crushing of quality, systems, technology, and organization!
The high-level combat power on the surface is enough to form several elite units capable of sweeping across the continent.

The elite troops on display were well-equipped and highly trained.

Their military production capacity is astonishing, capable of mass-producing high-quality magical equipment and war machines.

Furthermore, they possess some cutting-edge equipment whose awe-inspiring power can be detected even from a distance...

There's also the unfathomable intelligence network, the support of many top forces on the continent, and the ever-present King of Effie—Cohen Corleone—who looms over everything like a shadow.

In comparison, the ancient traditions and magical skills that the vampires of Twilight Continent are so proud of seem so pale and powerless, even somewhat... outdated.

The power displayed by the other side, as Windsordler said, was enough to flatten Twilight Continent several times over.

A profound sense of powerlessness and icy despair enveloped Keshuram.

He glanced one last time at the vibrant and powerful endless city, then turned to Rachel beside him, whose expression remained impassive. His voice was hoarse, filled with barely concealed weariness and dejection:

“Miss Rachel…please, please go back and tell Her Highness the Princess that I…understand.”

I will return to Twilight Continent immediately and do everything in my power to persuade my father and the Elders again.

We will...we will come up with a new and more sincere cooperation plan.

He practically gritted his teeth as he uttered the word "sincerity," his heart filled with bitterness.

The so-called "sincerity" is nothing more than another way of saying surrender terms.

However, Rachel slowly shook her head, took out a scroll made of a special magical material from her briefcase, and handed it to Keshram:

"There's no need for such trouble, Your Highness."

Her Highness the Princess and the committee have neither the interest nor the time to wait for your repeated consultations and bargaining.

This is the final cooperation framework document drafted by the committee after evaluation.

You can think of it as... an ultimatum.

If you agree, take it back to Blood Lord Lucius Aragell for his personal signature and affixation of the Supreme Seal of the Vampires. The committee will then immediately begin to implement the corresponding terms in accordance with the treaty.

If you disagree, then you, and the Twilight Continent you represent, need not send anyone more in the future.

The committee will consider you an uncooperative party. Please, Your Highness, this is the committee's final stance.

Keshram accepted the scroll with a slight tremor.

The scroll felt slightly heavy in my hand, carrying the binding force unique to magical contracts.

He slowly unfolded it, his gaze sweeping over the terms written in Common Tongue and the format of ancient magical contracts.

After reading only a few lines, his pupils suddenly contracted, his face turned from pale to ashen, and the knuckles of his fingers gripping the scroll turned white from excessive force.

This is hardly a "cooperation framework"; it's clearly a treaty of near-total submission!

The terms cover military, political, economic, diplomatic, and even a certain degree of cultural and heritage control.

Command of the vampire army will be partially transferred and subject to the "guidance" of the committee's military advisory group.

Important resource production and magical nodes in Twilight Continent should be opened to the committee and given priority supply.

Foreign policy must be aligned with the committee.

Even some of the ancient traditions and secret techniques within the vampire clan need to undergo a "safety assessment" by the committee...

Each clause is like a cold shackle, locking away the last backbone and independence of the ancient vampire race.

Although the treaty nominally preserved the existence of the Blood Lords and the Council of Elders, as well as the high degree of autonomy of the vampires in Twilight Continent, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that...

Once signed, the vampires will be completely reduced to a vassal force of the Supreme Council, with no real autonomy left.

Kashurram could almost see the terrifying upheaval this treaty would unleash upon its return to Twilight Continent, within the Council of Elders, among the various clans, and among all the vampires.

Anger, humiliation, resistance, division, despair... that would be a colossal upheaval capable of tearing the entire race apart.

What immense pressure will Lucius, the father, face? And how will he cope with it?

The magical text on the scroll seemed to be burning his eyes and his soul.

He raised his head, looking at the cold and powerful silhouette of the Endless City, then at the expressionless Rachel in front of him, and finally his gaze fell back on the heavy scroll in his hand.

He knew that what he held in his hands was not just parchment and magic ink, but also the future fate of the entire vampire clan and even the Twilight Continent.

Signing might mean a humiliating existence; not signing might mean utter destruction.

Kashuram's voice was hoarse, almost from exhaustion:
“I… need time to bring this back to my father and the council of elders…”

“Of course,” Rachel nodded, “but please remember, Your Highness, the committee’s patience is limited, and the timeframe is… three days!”
Failure to receive a formally signed document by the deadline will be considered a rejection. You will be solely responsible for all consequences arising from this.

Your Highness, please. A teleportation array has been prepared for you and will take you directly to the border of Twilight Continent!
Yes, this is another mature technology of our Supreme Council, which you've probably already heard about from other sources—long-distance spatial teleportation arrays! (End of Chapter)