Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 434 The Key to Victory

The front lines are always a battlefield of chaos and unity.

Rean finally saw the Great Rift, the hall that led to the Underdark and the Court of Giants.

The journey was tough, but stable. Rushing in quickly doesn't mean the surrounding area is completely cleared; the large hordes of monsters around us are currently impossible to clear.

However, unlike the upper and middle levels where individuals need to fight to the death, the pressure on the battlefield here is so great that it is basically a group of strong people leading the way and transporting people together.

Rean also encountered the third Great Mirror Demon in the Underworld here. However, unlike other areas where teleportation was convenient, here, due to the interference of beast power, teleportation to break through the Great Labyrinth required a lot of divine power. Teleportation could only be done at fixed points and times, and the consumption was quite high.

In fact, Rean had heard the Mirror Girl's complaints several times, that their investment far outweighed their returns.

"Supplies are never enough."

Rean stepped into trenches and battle channels, which were temporary safe passages, but he still suffered at least double-digit attacks along the way. Among the attackers, Rean saw beings above the level of Great Professionals, and even a True Dragon-level creature.

It seems that with these constant attacks on security, even a stable supply to the front lines is becoming increasingly difficult.

Currently, the deeper areas are probably still in the process of clearing out the safe zone. The front-line battlefield of the Underdark is only in the early stages of intelligence gathering and hunting giants.

Ultimately, it's about accumulating resources, manpower, and combat strength in exchange for a safe expansion zone.

It's worth mentioning that the Great Mirror Demon has been destroyed twice, so there is no real safe zone here.

This is also one of the main reasons why the Mirror Woman complained; replenishing these divine beings is no easy task.

Looking at the busy scene before him, and the walls and fortifications being built, Rean understood why, despite the astonishing output of his town of Dania, the prices of various grains and medicinal herbs in the market were still skyrocketing.

The war cost of thousands or even tens of thousands of lives is a completely different matter from peacetime.

"Is it Sudar?"

"He's here too, just as I expected."

There are too many people Rean doesn't know, but the other party does.

Along the way, many people took the initiative to talk to me or even discuss business.
"Uh, why does it sound like I'm an arms dealer and a military supplies dealer? It's like I'm in charge of the industries in the dock area. Never mind."
-
Sallyman Sudar, the Rose of Radiant City, a dangerous and beautiful flower, is now increasingly lacking in presence in Radiant City's social and aristocratic circles.

It wasn't that she had truly lost power or stopped managing affairs, but rather that she was gradually destined to reduce her social interactions and public appearances, devoting more time and energy to "internal affairs."

"That rose has an owner."

This was undoubtedly beyond expectations, since, in theory, the Sudar family should be stronger than Rean.

Given Suliman's original social standing and according to aristocratic rules, as long as she didn't openly cuckold Rean, she could be considered a good woman.

This proactive avoidance, even to the point of abandoning past spheres of influence, can be described as "sacrifice for love." Sallyman was not mistaken; Rean indeed disliked the beautiful flowers that frequented aristocratic banquets, and instead preferred the garden flowers in his yard.

Originally, the nobles were waiting to see what would happen, which meant they were giving up a portion of the strength of the Dania camp, and it might even affect cooperation within the royal faction. As Rean gradually rose to prominence, this "alliance" became less important, and the share of strength that Rean could provide became increasingly significant.

"Did revenue increase by 27% this month?"

"The main reason is our industrial cluster in the dock area, especially the group of dark elf and dwarf artisans we employ. The growth in various finished products has exceeded 30%, and another part is the sale of specialty products from the town of Dania."

Suliman didn't focus much attention on business, yet revenue and profits continued to grow at an astounding pace. The reason was quite simple: the massive influx of capital and assets into Radiant City led to a surge in the value of various real estate properties, and this growth wasn't driven by price, but by their true worth.
"The Earl of Davin extended an invitation, saying we could speculate on a batch of medical supplies and maintenance materials for sharp and blunt instruments."

"Politely refuse him for me and also leak this news to Her Highness the Princess."

The assets of established nobles who controlled a large number of industries and resources naturally increased, especially those related to combat.

Their assets have increased by at least 50%, but some people still feel it's not enough and plan to speculate. Isn't this just causing trouble for the royal family, who are fully supporting the exploration process?

In peacetime, they could probably share some of the money and make a fortune with the royal family, but now Dania is almost frantic. Making this little bit of money would have endless consequences. But obviously, there are always people who can't see it and think others are stupid for not noticing the opportunity to make money, so they take the initiative to jump out.

In times of national crisis, when a large ship is about to capsize, there are always those who voluntarily dig holes in the hull.
"I advise the princess not to settle accounts now. Wait until the new batch of goods from Xindu arrives before settling accounts."

Commercial transactions are commercial transactions. Anyone who actually treats this as a business and profit-driven activity at this point is either stupid or malicious.

The Sudar family's profits were among the highest, which made them more famous in some areas, but also brought them a lot of trouble.

But in reality, the source of this profit is somewhat peculiar. In a sense, it was an early investment primarily driven by chance.

At Rean's request, the merchant guild under Salman's command invested heavily in the acquisition, reconstruction, and industrial construction of properties in the dock area.

It's one thing that a large amount of real estate was acquired, but the continuous output of food, light industry, and equipment from those industries, although relatively low-end, didn't require top-of-the-line goods due to the bottomless drain on military supplies.

Consumables, food, and logistical supplies have low profit margins but large volumes, resulting in substantial and sustainable revenue – this continuous stream of income is what makes it so attractive.

This is a real "gold mine." By controlling these resources, even just having the right to sell them, one can gain immense power and profits.

Ironically, it's quite rare that Suliman, a loyalist, didn't take the opportunity to make a quick buck, which is even considered abnormal by many.

In their eyes, perhaps Sudar had demanded more from the royal family, and perhaps the viscount would soon become a count. But in reality, Sudar was quite content, satisfied with her current happy life.

"I won't have nightmares anymore, and I can sleep until I naturally wake up."

"There's no need to worry about betrayal, only about the city's enemies."

"He trusts me, and I trust him. Our lives will be better."

Most of the time, this happy little woman spends her time learning to cook and do housework. Perhaps she should be grateful for this engagement that she had no expectations of before.

"Those people, those members of Sudar's family."

But these days, she was very worried about those outsiders who didn't come in person, especially since they hadn't come to visit in person to explain their intentions. Sallyman knew they were there to attend the wedding, but she was even more afraid that something was wrong, especially since she vaguely sensed that there might really be a problem with her engagement.

But some things you have to face.

Before Rean returned, what was bound to happen had already happened.

Good morning, sister-in-law.

Mina Sudar's very first words made Suliman's heart flutter.

(End of this chapter)