Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 290 Goal
In this extraordinary world, Rean had no interest in becoming an official.

In his previous life, he worked diligently in the civil service, actually for the sake of a stable and promising life. In most countries, the government always possesses the strongest structure of violence.

Despite his seemingly ambitious nature, Rean is actually not interested in "power" at all; he is only interested in a good and stable life.

"In this world, power may not be everything, but whatever you want to do—whether it's upholding justice, adhering to principles, or simply surviving—you absolutely cannot do without power."

Unlike the organizations and teams of my previous life, which were formed for power and money, many organizations and forces in this world, although they have their own stated goals, are ultimately driven by the pursuit of power.

The church pursues faith and influence, making the gods stronger so that they have more divine power to intervene in the mortal world, thereby gaining even more influence, thus forming a positive cycle.

As kingdoms prosper, they seek more knights, mages, and legions to ensure the stability of their territories. This is different from the era when investing 10% of GDP in the military was considered militaristic. Many territories, organizations, and kingdoms have invested everything beyond the resources necessary for survival in matters related to war.

A warmongering, war-crazed madman? He's just driven by the need to survive.

This is a given in this world; there's no need to say that weakness invites aggression.
"What? Your country has exposed its weaknesses, and other countries and ethnic groups haven't tried to annex you?"

Like a chameleon, Rean quickly mastered the rules of this world.

If you're strong enough, you can do whatever you want.

You are weak. It's not that you are guilty for being alive, but that you will be regarded as a "reserve resource" for the strong.

They will take you for granted and make arrangements for you.

The situation in Radiant City has changed drastically. Rean's past development was ultimately due to Dania's "sacrifice." A single chosen one may not be able to change the course of events, but a chosen one who is the future heir to the kingdom, and whose deity also controls at least several cities and a large number of dark elves, can become a force that interferes with the future.

Of course, her stance will be questioned, but if there is no second heir and no so-called second princess, most people will ignore her as long as she doesn't go too far.

"At least for the next month or two, Dania will keep her word."

The resounding victory and overwhelming strength provided time for development, which Rean naturally wanted to seize.

"This is the new headquarters of the Weaver Knights? Forget it, whatever makes you happy."

The commoner (slave) knight order, whose members were all sworn paladins, came to the forefront in this incident. As the "Free Knights Order," they accepted the maintenance commission from the dock area authorities.

Naturally, as they began their patrols, they needed a headquarters, but this location was different.
"We were quite hesitant at first. Was setting up headquarters directly opposite the slave market a bit too provocative? Would it escalate the conflict at such an inopportune time?"

Upon hearing this, Rean was somewhat surprised; how did you know?

He looked around and saw that it was a three-story building that had originally been a butcher shop, but had been turned into ruins by the rampaging wild beasts and fleeing people during the disaster.

They were clearly just bystanders and unlucky victims in the attack on the slave market. There are no accidental risks in this world, so selling their "land" to recoup some money seemed like a more rational choice.

Dimon has acquired the land and is now working overtime to transform it into a training ground for paladins. From now on, customers entering and leaving the slave market will have the privilege of being watched closely by a large number of paladins.

"You really don't need to worry about escalating the conflict. They won't let you off the hook, and you don't intend to let them off the hook either." Rean finally understood. From the beginning, it was destined to be a life-or-death struggle. Why think so much? Just close your eyes and do it.

The young paladin smiled sheepishly, but did not deny it.

Among the many virtues of a paladin, forgiveness is the only one that is missing. In fact, "never compromising and never forgiving" is a virtue in the eyes of many paladins.

If someone is guilty, they should be killed.

Evil should be punished.

Those who cultivate the power of radiance should naturally be as fiery and intense as light and fire.
"Alright, they should behave themselves for a while. Have they come looking for trouble?"

"They came. They went to that underground town to cause trouble, but were driven back by the guards there."

Upon hearing this, Rean revealed a subtle smile.

The frontline town now guarded by the Great Mirror Demon can be considered a "military stronghold of the kingdom." How could a gray or even black human trafficking organization go there to demand labor or even resort to violence to traffic people?

"Have they lost their minds?" Rean couldn't understand it. How could their backers be so stupid as to do something like this? This would make those big bosses lose points in front of the royal family.

"It seems that the remaining leaders all came out. After being beaten back, it is said that the leader packed his bags and ran away overnight."

"Well, that's very realistic."

Rean realized he had been making assumptions, always thinking that his opponents had the same reliable organizational structure and members as the "class reunion." But most members joined certain organizations simply for better development or to make a living; their core goal was always self-interest.

Although there were reasons for this—those "bosses" botched the slave market, causing the backers to lose a lot of money—after failing to salvage the situation, what else could they do but run away? Wait to be caught by some big boss who had suffered heavy losses and used as a target for revenge? "In other words, the other side is in complete chaos."

Rean stroked his chin, looking at the still magnificent slave market, and suddenly felt that his own earthen building was no longer appealing. Perhaps the Knights' headquarters could be upgraded.

The slave market hall I remember seems quite nice.

"Forget it, let's take it easy for now."

Judging from the gains and losses in all aspects, our side has already won too much. Although it is not easy to disclose this publicly, some of the backers have probably suffered huge losses, but they are being suppressed by the princess and cannot make a scene.

However, if one tries to wipe them out completely, it would be tantamount to deliberately escalating the conflict. At that point, both sides might actually go to war, and regardless of who wins, Radiant City would definitely suffer heavy losses.

"We have plenty of time, no rush. Let's stick to the plan, let the slave market fail to make money, and let them slowly die. Perhaps we'll need the help of some thieves."

"Can we disguise ourselves as members of the Beast Order again and attack their slave-hunting team?"

Upon hearing this, Rean smiled rather subtly; he had no intention of stopping him.

But looking at the excited "paladin" made me feel even stranger.

This doesn't seem like the behavior of a paladin. Although the "free will" of a covenant paladin grants them a high degree of flexibility, this kind of unbridled behavior seems a bit outrageous.

Did I unknowingly lead them astray? Would a normal paladin think of impersonating a cultist to ambush evil?
"Forget it, I admire this kind of justice that pursues results regardless of the means, rather than the kind of justice that simply takes the beating."

After resting, Rean naturally got back to work. There was so much work to do in both the dock area and the front-line town. He wasn't in a hurry to go underground because the "new leadership team of the dock area" was about to take office, and he needed to help Larry and his team establish order.

"Uh, you mean the soldiers at the front have all retreated? Back to our makeshift town?"

This seemed like good news, but it left Rean somewhat bewildered.

The town where the cult members were located was a battlefield that had already ended, and a natural frontline outpost. There was no reason to abandon it directly.

"It is said that about three hours after the battle, a high-level demon suddenly jumped out and killed many people. Then, every now and then, some abyssal creatures would appear, suffer heavy losses, and retreat. It seems that the Great Mirror Demon is also gone."

This is undoubtedly bad news. Weren't the altars already destroyed? How can there still be demons?

"The mages investigated and said that the spatial order there has been shattered, and it seems to have become quite unstable."

The most troublesome thing about abyssal creatures, especially demons, is that the locations of sacrifices and the portals that have been used are constantly closing the distance between two "coordinates," essentially drilling holes in the self-protective membrane of the prime plane.

After the cave was broken, the guests naturally rushed in uninvited.

Moreover, the more people die, the stronger the local purgatory and hellish atmosphere becomes, making it easier for guests to come next time.

"Where have they abandoned the front lines?"

"The mages have almost already planted spatial anchors, and they've also asked druids to exorcise the evil spirits. Things should get better in a while."

It sounds incredibly improbable, but forcibly repairing the space is simply too difficult.

Rean thought about it for a moment. This was undoubtedly bad news for the entire exploration process. It was a difficult hurdle that had to be overcome, but for himself...
"It seems to be a great thing for the development of the front-line town, and its strategic value has been enhanced."

A safe transit town is a place where, as long as you don't mess things up, you can make a fortune by doing good trade.

However, good things are naturally liked by everyone, and I probably have to consider the possibility of other people getting involved.

"Let's take it one step at a time, knights. Prepare to head out and strike at evil. Our target is the Bloodhand Gang; they're on the outskirts of the slave market, specializing in kidnapping people."

Rean's visit this time was also a chance to "get some exercise".

The Weaver Knights are still in their early stages and are relatively fragile; they could be wiped out in an instant. Rean's primary goal is to strengthen them and make them the sword of judgment in his hands.

They can grow through experience. How can a paladin improve if he doesn't kill a bunch of cultists and villains?

"Now that we have obtained the authority to maintain order, let's first clean up most of the gangs surrounding the slave market. I believe many of you have a score to settle with them."

Unsurprisingly, Rean received a long-awaited cheer.

(End of this chapter)