Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

"Your Majesty, you have finally woken up."

Charlene's voice was filled with relieved joy as she carefully helped Claire, who was trying to sit up, and placed a soft cushion behind her back.
How are you feeling?

Claire leaned back on the pillow, her eyes unconsciously scanning the room.

The room was spacious and comfortable, and the furnishings were in a style she was very familiar with. Even her favorite seashell handicrafts were carefully placed on a small table within easy reach.

Everything seemed calm and safe, as if the thrilling life-or-death struggle and desperate sacrifice that had just occurred were nothing more than a distant nightmare.

However, Claire's mood didn't improve much because she didn't see the person she most wanted to see.

Claire pursed her lips slightly, a hint of disappointment rising on her beautiful, pale face. Her long eyelashes drooped, casting a small shadow under her eyelids.

High Priestess Shalin noticed her subtle expression, softened her voice, and explained gently:

"His Majesty Corleone has been here guarding you for three days and three nights. Several core high-ranking members of the Crimson Raiders have urgent military matters to report to you in person and discuss the follow-up."

His Majesty had no choice but to leave temporarily; he is currently presiding over a meeting in the council chamber.

As Claire's most trusted confidante, High Priestess Shalin naturally knew the true identity hidden beneath the disguise of "Pirate King Yan Hughes".

Therefore, she naturally switched back to addressing him as "Your Majesty Corleone".

Upon hearing Charlene's words, Claire was taken aback at first, and then a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

She paused, composed herself, and raised her eyes again. Although her cheeks still bore the faint blush, her gaze had regained its usual calm.
"What happened next...?"

Our people…

She remembered that Cohen had appeared before she lost consciousness, but the battle was still dangerous, and the demigod Avreli was still present.

High Priestess Shalin's smile deepened, filled with utmost reverence, as she reported in detail:

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, everything has been resolved smoothly and successfully."

His Majesty Corleone is a man of unparalleled power and strategic brilliance.

After you fell into a coma, he personally took action and severely injured several imperial legends in an instant. Subsequently, the Holy Healing Order's President Buze and his subordinate saints and the ghost fleet of the Crimson Raiders launched a full-scale attack. In addition, His Majesty Corleone mobilized the Pale Wings forces in advance, and the reinforcements sent by Princess Grace of the Eastern Empire arrived in time.

With forces combined, they formed a counter-encirclement and completely crushed the Southern Empire's fleet!

Claire listened intently, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Except for the demigod Avreli, who, seeing the situation was not good, hastily took the eldest prince Greg and a very small number of core generals and tore through space to escape at all costs."

All the forces of the Southern Empire that came to ambush you this time—including its main fleet, the legendary warriors accompanying them, and a large number of mid- and low-ranking officers and soldiers—have been completely annihilated!

They were either killed on the spot or captured.

All of our people were rescued safely; some were injured, but no one died.

He is currently receiving personal care from Superintendent Buze of the Holy Healing Order and his elite healers, and his injuries are healing rapidly. Please rest assured.

Upon hearing this, Claire finally relaxed completely and breathed a sigh of relief.

High Priestess Shalin's expression turned grim, and her voice grew colder:
"As for the traitors of the Lan tribe chief Bamos's branch, they have all been captured. After a joint trial by the elders and the royal guards, the evidence was conclusive, and they have been executed according to the tribe's rules."

Those under his command who defected were also punished according to the severity of their offenses.

The Lan and Bitao tribes have also undergone internal purges and reorganizations, with elders loyal to the royal court temporarily taking over.

Claire's eyes flashed coldly, and she nodded.

Charlene concluded, her voice brimming with undisguised pride:
"After this battle, the Southern Empire lost most of its elite forces in the Tide Royal Court sea area, and also lost many legendary figures. It can be said that it was severely weakened and lost face."

In the short term, they will never dare to have any improper thoughts about my merfolk or the Tide Royal Court!
Your Majesty, your safe return and such a glorious victory are a great fortune for our people!

After listening to Charlene's full report, Claire leaned back on the soft pillows, remaining silent for a long time.

What seemed like a hopeless situation was reversed in such a thunderous way after his appearance.

Not only did they rescue her and her people, severely damage their powerful enemy, and eliminate internal troubles, but they also thoroughly demonstrated the prestige of the Merfolk and the Cohen Alliance.

He always appeared like a pillar of strength when she needed him most, providing her with a safe haven.

"Shalin, inform the council of elders that once I feel a little better, we will convene a royal court meeting to discuss the follow-up matters."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Before High Priestess Shalin could finish speaking, a soft but clearly urgent sound came from outside the door.

Immediately afterwards, Cohen pushed open the door and walked in.

He had obviously rushed over immediately after finishing the meeting, and when he saw that Claire had regained consciousness, his tense mind relaxed.

High Priestess Shalin, with her keen perception, immediately bowed, a relieved and knowing smile on her face, and silently slipped away.

With no outsiders present, Claire's carefully maintained composure, befitting a queen, completely vanished.

Despite her weakness and discomfort, she sat up from the pillow, stretched out her arms and tightly wrapped them around Cohen's neck, pulling him forcefully towards her.

The light silk robe slipped off her shoulders as she moved, revealing large expanses of pearly, lustrous skin and delicate collarbones.

The next second, before Cohen could even speak, Claire tilted her head back and pressed her soft, slightly cool lips precisely against Cohen's lips.

Claire didn't even close her eyes; she just stared intently into Cohen's eyes with her hazy, blue eyes wide open.

Stripped of all pride and self-esteem, only a woman's full range of emotions remains—love, dependence, guilt, and longing.

She was telling him with her eyes the surging emotions churning in her heart that she couldn't express in words.

All the words Cohen wanted to say to her to "teach her a lesson" for acting recklessly without regard for her safety were completely shut down by her sudden kiss and soul-piercing gaze.

His body stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, and then he took the initiative.

……

……

……

After a long while, until both of them were a little out of breath, a beautiful blush rose on Claire's pale face.

Gazing at that handsome face etched deep into her soul, her red lips parted slightly:
"Take me..."

Cohen's arms around her waist tightened involuntarily, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
"You...have just recovered, and your body is still very weak."

Claire answered him directly with her actions.

She gently pulled away from him, then deftly untied the side tie of her nightgown.

The silky fabric slid obediently down, piling up around her slender waist, revealing her breathtakingly perfect body to Cohen without reservation.

Looking at the breathtaking scenery before him, enough to drive any man mad, Cohen took a deep breath and, as if handling a rare treasure, carefully laid Claire down on the soft bed.

……

……

……

Claire nestled against Cohen's chest, her cheek pressed against the steady beating of his heart.

The physical fatigue and weakness, after extreme relaxation, transform into a deeper drowsiness, but the mind remains unusually clear.

She tilted her head slightly and asked softly:
"What are your plans for the Endless Sea now that you've come?"

Cohen embraced Claire's smooth body and responded in a low voice:
"Yes, two things."

He adjusted his position to make her more comfortable and began to speak:
"The first and most urgent task is to help the merfolk, or rather, to help you, to completely unify the currently loose alliance of sea creatures in the Endless Sea."

It's not merely about nominally restoring the prestige of the Tide Court; it's about establishing a truly unified sea-race empire with centralized military power.

Claire's eyes sharpened instantly, and she held her breath slightly.

Establish a sea-race empire!

This is a grand goal that successive mermaid queens and even earlier sea race rulers dreamed of but never fully realized.

Cohen continued:

"The reason why the Southern Empire can repeatedly provoke at sea and even dare to plan such a large-scale ambush is not only due to Gregor's personal ambition, but also because they have received the secret support or tacit approval of some ocean gods or powerful sea creatures."

They exploited the internal conflicts and divisions among the sea creatures, using them to divide and win over others, and then defeat them one by one.

What we need to do is completely break this situation.

Once we establish a unified and powerful sea race empire in the Endless Sea, with it as the leader, we can integrate the power of almost all intelligent sea races and powerful sea monsters in the Endless Sea, forming an impenetrable wall.

Then, the Southern Empire will completely lose most of the support from the ocean-based deities.

This will be a devastating blow to them.

Claire was deeply moved; she fully understood the strategic significance of it.

A unified sea-race empire would become a Damocles' sword hanging over the Southern Domain Empire, greatly restraining its power and even facilitating Cohen's future land operations.

Cohen paused for a moment, then continued, "The second thing is related to the Sea of ​​Miracles. I need to find something in the Sea of ​​Miracles."

"Sea of ​​Miracles?"
Are they those treasure legends?

Claire instinctively asked in return, "The Sea of ​​Miracles, located at the southernmost tip of the Endless Sea, is a mysterious sea area full of legends and the unknown."

The ocean currents there are unpredictable, the climate is changeable, and the deep sea hides countless ancient ruins, sunken ancient cities, and legendary treasures containing astonishing wealth and power.
Countless adventurers, treasure hunters, and ambitious individuals flock to Tiandu from all over the continent, hoping to strike it rich. As a result, it is one of the most chaotic, dangerous, and "lively" places in the entire South China Sea.

But beneath the surface of this "excitement" lies an even more brutal law of the jungle and bloody struggle.

Cohen nodded and said:
"That's right, but what I'm looking for isn't ordinary gold and silver treasures or fragments of divine artifacts."

Rather, it is... a spark of civilization, or rather, a backup of civilization.

A backup of the Arcane Empire's civilization!

"A backup of the Arcane Empire civilization?"

Claire repeated in a low voice, asking:

"Is it the same as the Arcane Empire newly established by Queen Mavis?"

Cohen nodded slowly and explained:

"The Arcane Empire foresaw its own destruction long ago, so they backed up the core knowledge, technology and history of their entire civilization."

Sealed somewhere in the Sea of ​​Miracles.

If a backup of this civilization could be found, its value would be immeasurable.

According to my investigation, it is highly likely that this contains magical knowledge that transcends our time, lost divine forging techniques, or even some ultimate secrets about this world.

This is crucial for our future development.

Claire was awestruck by Cohen's grand vision, but she quickly grasped the key point:
"So, unifying the Sea Clan Empire is a prerequisite for finding a backup of this civilization?"

“That’s right.” Cohen nodded affirmatively, his fingertips unconsciously twirling a strand of her hair. “The legend of the treasure of the Sea of ​​Miracles has been widely circulated, but its exact location, method of entry, and internal conditions remain mysteries.”

It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack if I, or a small group of people, were to do it alone.

But if a unified sea-dwelling empire could be established, the situation would be entirely different.

Cohen's eyes gleamed:

"At that time, we can mobilize all sea creatures in the name of the Empire—mermaids, nagas, sirens, deep-sea giants, and even those intelligent sea dragons, whales, and other ancient sea monsters."

Using their generations-old knowledge, unique perception of the deep sea, and sheer numbers, they will conduct the largest deep-sea exploration in history.

By pooling the power of the entire Endless Sea to search for a legendary location, the success rate will greatly increase.

Otherwise, why would those unruly sea creatures and sea monsters obey my orders and undertake such a potentially lengthy and risky undertaking?

Claire fully understood Cohen's entire plan.

She watched Cohen quietly, noticing the gleam in his eyes as he spoke of his future plans—a light that belonged to a pioneer, a conqueror, and a protector.

The light was so dazzling, so captivating.

Claire gently lifted herself from Cohen's embrace, the silk quilt slipping down to reveal her rounded shoulders and delicate collarbone, but she didn't care at all.

She reached out and grasped Cohen's large hand resting on her waist, pressing his palm firmly against her warm one. Her gaze was clear and resolute as she spoke, word by word:

"Cohen, unify the sea people, establish an empire, and search for the Sea of ​​Miracles... Whatever you do, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, I will be by your side, supporting you and helping you with everything I have."

She leaned forward slightly, her smooth forehead gently touching Cohen's forehead:

"Next, you tell me, and I'll do it."

From now on... I'll do whatever you say.

As Cohen listened to the solemn promise from the person in his arms, he lowered his head and kissed her smooth forehead, chuckling softly as he said:

"At present, my initial plan is to concentrate our efforts on helping you consolidate your absolute authority within the Merfolk, while at the same time significantly increasing your voice and influence within the Sea Clan Alliance."

The ultimate goal is to transform the entire Sea Clan Alliance from a loose deliberative organization into a political entity with a unified will and unified action, and even... to promote its clear inclination towards nation-building.

To establish a true empire belonging to all sea creatures.

When the word "nation-building" was mentioned, Claire sighed softly, a sigh filled with the weariness of her past and present lives and a profound sense of helplessness:

"This matter... is easier said than done."

To be honest, in my past life, when my power and prestige were at their peak, I also had this idea, and I put it into practice and vigorously promoted it.

But the result... you've seen it too.

The Sea Clan Alliance sounds impressive, but in reality, it is riddled with internal factions and constantly embroiled in conflict.

Mermaids, Nagas, Sirens, Deep Sea Giants, Crab Clan, Giant Shrimp People... even within our Mermaid Clan, there are deep-rooted conflicts and entanglements of interests between different branches and tribes in different sea areas.

Trade routes, resource-rich sea areas, ownership of ancient ruins, attitudes toward land powers... any one of these issues could be debated for decades.

Alliance meetings often resemble more of a forum for arguing and bickering than a decision-making body.

To unite such a disorganized alliance, unless…” Claire gave a bitter smile, a smile tinged with self-mockery, “unless the entire Endless Sea faces annihilation, such as the reappearance of ancient sea monsters, or a super empire on land launching a full-scale invasion of the ocean, threatening the very survival of all sea creatures.”

Only under immense external pressure of life and death, in order to survive, might they temporarily set aside their prejudices and unite in resistance.

It's already so difficult to unite people, let alone establish a nation.

Establishing a nation meant relinquishing some tribal power, establishing central authority, enacting unified laws and taxes, and forming a standing army that transcended tribal boundaries... This involved too many interests.

Expecting those sea tribe leaders who act independently, treat their own seas as private property, and hold their tribal authority above all else, to voluntarily relinquish power and support a sea tribe emperor who reigns supreme over them is simply too difficult.

Cohen listened quietly, without showing any surprise or frustration on his face.

He adjusted his position slightly to make Claire more comfortable, his fingertips gently stroking her long, smooth hair, and calmly uttered a seemingly shocking idea:
"What if...we artificially create a 'crisis' for them that is big enough and imminent enough?"

What made them clearly realize that without uniting, they would only face the crisis of being defeated one by one, becoming slaves, or being completely annihilated?

"Man-made crisis?"

Upon hearing this, Claire frowned slightly. She wasn't a naive young girl; she instantly understood the deeper meaning behind Cohen's words, but she also immediately realized the difficulty involved:
"You mean...using someone else to do the dirty work?"
However, currently, the only entity around the Endless Sea that has the capability and the willingness to exert such immense pressure on the entire Sea Clan Alliance is the Southern Domain Empire.

But here's the problem: the Southern Empire's strategy towards the sea tribes is shrewd and insidious.

They were well aware of the weakness of internal discord among the sea creatures, so they had consistently pursued a so-called 'de-sea policy'.

'Li Hai', as the name suggests, means to win over one group and suppress another, but to maintain a distance and friendship overall.

They would never openly and on a large scale invade the territory of the sea creatures, as that would only incite the sea creatures to unite in hatred against a common enemy.

On the contrary, they have always been very friendly, even generous, to the Sea Clan Alliance.

They established secret trade agreements with some powerful sea tribes, such as some greedy Naga tribes in the north, some profit-driven Sirens in the west, and even scoundrels like Barmos within our own merfolk, to provide rare land resources and magical materials.

In exchange for these tribes' support for the Southern Empire's proposals within the alliance, or at least their neutrality, and for undermining any resolutions that might benefit the overall unity of the Sea Clan.

They exploited the conflicts and greed among the various sea tribes, constantly sowing discord and dividing them, keeping the alliance perpetually in a state of internal strife and unable to form a united force.

At the same time, at the official level, they have consistently claimed to respect the autonomy of the sea creatures and support the Sea Creatures Alliance in maintaining peace and stability in the Endless Sea.

Occasionally, minor frictions may occur, but they are quickly and properly resolved through diplomatic channels, and sometimes concessions are even made to establish the image of a major land power that is reasonable and honors contracts.

This has led many sea tribes, especially those tribes that were not directly harmed by them, to not harbor much ill will towards the Southern Empire, and even to feel that cooperating with them is profitable.

Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Southern Empire will step forward and play the role of the 'villain' who forces the sea races to unite.

Their strategic goal is clear: not to conquer, but to divide and control, so that the sea creatures will always be a disorganized mess, unable to threaten their maritime interests, and even become pawns for them to counterbalance other land powers.

In this situation, how can we artificially create a 'massive crisis' that would make all sea creatures feel mortally threatened, forcing them to set aside their prejudices and unite against a common enemy?

A confident glint appeared in Cohen's eyes, like a master chess player who had already foreseen the moves of every piece on the board, waiting only to place the most crucial one:
"Of course there is a way, and the person who created this crisis is connected to one of our enemies!"

He paused, his gaze fixed intently on the beauty in his arms, his fingertips gently caressing her smooth shoulder:

"Claire, Greg went to such lengths to scheme against you this time. Don't you want to give him a taste of his own medicine?"

"Should we scheme against him ruthlessly?"

"Scheming against Greg?"

Upon hearing this, Claire's azure eyes suddenly lit up, bursting with intense interest and a hint of barely suppressed hatred.

Seeing Cohen deliberately pause at the crucial point, as if keeping her in suspense, Claire was both eager and, because the two had just been intimate, felt much less restrained. She stretched out her smooth, white thigh and rubbed it against Cohen.

"Hmm?" She raised her eyes, her gaze shifting with a hint of reproach and a captivating, watery light as she looked at him.

Cohen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

He considered himself exceptionally capable, but he still found it difficult to resist his beloved, who had just been intimate with him and was now so actively flirting with him.

He chuckled helplessly, took her mischievous hand, and gently kissed it.
"Alright, I'll talk." (End of Chapter)