Su Yue pondered that Eric being infected by Cthulhu was actually a good thing.

To everyone's surprise, Countess Joanna Rivers, who was standing next to her, woke up at that moment.

"My dear Baron Canaan...aren't you asleep yet?"

Su Yue sighed, "I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight."

As night fell, the operatic melody of "Sleepless Tonight" seemed to drift in, and all sorts of chaos erupted, like the Phantom of the Opera. In short, Su Yue was losing control of his time.

Countess Joanna, since you want to win over Su Yue and get him to help you regain your power.

We must show the utmost sincerity!

For this Canaanite lord

What else can she give?

Of course there are.

...

As night fell, large numbers of refugees arrived in the territory of Su Yue...

Looking at the extremely weak and seemingly exhausted Eric, the Minister of the Interior, Ragnar said, "You don't look well... You need to rest..."

"No... the registration in Canaan must continue, I must serve the lord forever..."

Ragnar said, "I've come to get the supplies and food that Ms. Idya needs."

"It's ready."

When Eric was in charge, he never neglected Id Ya, Gregory, or anyone else. But the incredibly diligent government official before him had a deathly palpable look on his face, as if he had died from overwork…

"My lord, the Minister of the Interior is likely to die from overwork. The Canaan Territory has attracted even more refugees since the arrival of the First Advisor, Frederick Huntington II, and Countess Joanna... Settling the refugees and completing the internal affairs of the territory have almost drained all his mental energy..."

Id Ya laughed and asked, "Does he intend to join Cthulhu?"

"Of course there are."

"Grant him the power of Cthulhu."

"yes!"

Eric suddenly felt a cheap, strange itching sensation on his neck, followed by the appearance of monsters emerging from his body.

"What...what is this?"

"This is Lord Idja's blessing upon you, in gratitude for all your contributions to the Canaanite realm." Eric, however, seemed unconcerned about his appearance.

He felt his energy was almost gone, and the fatigue and exhaustion from not sleeping for a long time were completely swept away!

"Great! This way I can continue to serve the lord! This is wonderful!"

Ragnar looked at the "workaholic" in front of him and felt a sense of helplessness.

"How many displaced people are estimated to be today?"

"Just in the early morning, including the rebels we seized, the number of refugees in our territory will likely exceed 20,000. Canaan's current Tier 5 housing can accommodate 40,000 refugees, and the houses are not even full yet... However."

"But what?"

"It's just that there are too many refugees. Even I and the treacherous followers of the Devil Cult cannot vet all of them. There may be some spies among them who are hostile to Canaan."

Ragnar said, "That's perfectly normal..."

"By the way... you've been speaking this inhuman language to me the whole time? You..."

Ragnar laughed and said, "That's right, you've been subtly influenced for a long time."

"!!!"

"Let's go. The Dagon Cult is waiting for your worship. It won't take long; it's just a formality..."

"good!"

...

As night fell, the vast Dragon Port was bustling with construction work as countless farmers worked around the clock.

Gregory's "Noble One" attribute, which grants "Territory Residents Fatigue -10%, Territory Residents Endurance +10%", allows these farmers to work beyond their limits. Combined with Europa's divine illumination spell cast late at night, the port under the cover of darkness is as bright as day!

"What is that!?"

The imperial envoys from Chiwell City arrived in Canaan immediately after Countess Joanna took her place in the Canaanite territory, dispatching their city's envoys.

A Canaanite devil cult follower laughed, "This is our port!"

"port?!!"

The envoy from Qiweier City stared in astonishment at the enormous building. The coastline of "Balayamakan" was vast, but the port's grandeur and imposing presence were astounding. Even the road workers had already completed part of the fifth-tier road construction...

"Canaan... are they also going to covet the ocean? Aren't they afraid of the High Elves' blockade and their infamous, heinous taxes?!"

"What taxes?"

“All enemy fleets passing through the Remis Strait, which is controlled by the High Elves, will be forcibly inspected by the High Elves for their oak barrels and goods, then subjected to exorbitant taxes, forced to remove their armor and undergo body searches, and risked being slaughtered by the High Elves if they are not careful…”

"Many high elf lords will even demand that our fishing boats and merchant ships from the city of Chiwell kneel before them... and even demand payment... and if they don't pay, they will surely die."

"...That bad?"

"So, while Chiwell is indeed a coastal city with many cold areas that can produce rare ice fish and large quantities of ice needed by the Summer Empire lords... it has been under the oppression of the High Elves for far too many years. I advise you... to focus your efforts elsewhere. Your port is so huge, it will probably be abandoned soon, won't it?"

His implication was very simple: we, the Qiwield, would be attacked and exploited by the elves on the seas... and threatened at the passes by the High Elves' territory of "Remis"...

Now that Canaan has established this port at sea, it can probably only wander within its own rivers... and it's unlikely it can get out.

Even if they could enter the ocean, they would likely have to pay an unimaginable price; they would be doing all the work for the high elf lords.

"...So pessimistic?"

"Yes, it's that pessimistic. Meanwhile, the High Elves' fleets that come to Qiwell for trade are making a fortune every year. They've even developed some rubbish 'Sons of Freedom Merchant Guild,' which not only makes huge profits from High Elf handicrafts but also refuses to pay taxes to our Qiwell territory."

"No taxes?!"

"The Sons of Liberty believe in 'no taxation without representation'!! They didn't recognize the rule of Henry VII of the Empire before, and now that the Empire is embroiled in the Eastern Expedition and civil war... they've become even more unscrupulous... How despicable! Do you know what we uncouth fishermen in Chivel call the High Elves behind our backs?"

“Call them ‘long-eared beasts’.”

"..."

The Canaanite devil cultists listened with great interest to the words of the emissary from the city of Ziwell.

High elves don't pay taxes when they come to Qiwiel City...

When Ziwell passed through the territory of the High Elves' "Remir," he had to pay incredibly heavy taxes and was exploited and despised by the High Elves... It seems that in this world, strength truly reigns supreme.

"Lord of Canaan, the great Divine Lord Su Yue, will teach the High Elves a lesson."

"..."

The envoy from Ziwell sighed. "Easier said than done!"

High elves, those "long-eared beasts" are not to be trifled with!!

...

...

The northern fortress, the Golden Goblet tribe of the dwarves, watched as the enormous steel train behind them billowed steam and black smoke, its wheels churning and rattling.

Abbott Bodu said, "Has the new wave of troops arrived?!"

A large number of Tier 5 Dwarven Butchers and Tier 4 Ironbreaker Warriors, totaling nearly 20,000 people, launched a reinforcement campaign for the Northern Fortress, following orders from the upper echelons of the Dwarven Empire!

“We have received your letter. The threat from the Canaanite territory is escalating... We must eliminate this threat!”

"Should we take the initiative?" Abbott Bodu rode on an even larger gray wolf, nearly two meters tall, sniffing at General "Red Hammer" Boduon beside him.

"Only defense is the best offense!! And offense is the best defense... We just need to keep waiting for the troop transports to arrive, and then fill the empty trains with coal and steel and transport them back to the Empire."

“Canaan…can never be a match for our Dwarven Empire. As long as Redhammer exists in Northern Fortress, it will never be affected by any elf or human, or any other power.”

Abbott Bodu said, "There are at least 1,000+ dwarven rebels in the Canaan Territory. Many of them have even fled to the Canaan Territory because of our excessive exploitation of dwarven laborers. They have also provided military intelligence and information about the location of our mines."

"kindness?!!"

"He's a human lord, yet he's attracted dwarves to join him?!"

Abbott Bodu said respectfully, “Sir, you said before that working through the night is the norm, and that you don’t treat the lower-class dwarves as human beings. They have revolted many times.”

What's your opinion on this matter?

"I think they really need a rest..."

General "Red Hammer" Podun sneered, "They don't need rest. What dwarves need is iron and steel. The physical body can't compare to absolute spiritual will."

Abbott Bodu sighed.

This lord, known as "Red Hammer," was indeed extremely powerful in many ways, but he was careless and sloppy in domestic affairs and in the arrangement and handling of personnel, and he was also a heavy drinker... He was certainly not a qualified manager; he might be a successful general, but his stubborn nature made him intolerant of any dissent or other opinions...

Seeing the increasing number of traitors and dwarves fleeing to the northern fortress... he even discovered that the trade volume of other lords selling ironware among the dwarves was declining. This was only the beginning, but what about the future? What about later?!

"This is troublesome..."

"However, with the more than 20,000 dwarven troops supported by the railway, and the continuous supply of logistical corps, forming 'dwarven reserve' divisions, they shouldn't be defeated!! But Canaan's development speed is too fast, they're too fast..."

From the high vantage points of the dwarven fortress, the watchtowers, and the distant scouts, intelligence on Canaan is provided daily. They've even planted numerous spies among the dwarves within the Canaanite territory… Yet, all these intelligence reports indicate that Canaan is an "extremely dangerous" and "extremely rapidly developing" imperial territory!

Abbott Bodu didn't know why, but he just felt that the decisive battle with the Canaanite territory was not far off...

Their development speed is too fast; if they want to expand their territory, occupying a new territory is an excellent choice!

While the human race is embroiled in civil war... doesn't he hope to quell the rebellion and thus establish a higher rank and prestige within the human empire?

Or perhaps he could hunt down even more medals and become a “true medal plunderer”?

Abbott Boddu fell into deep thought...

The more he thought about it, the more his brow furrowed!

The attitude of General "Redhammer" Podun of the Northern Fortress worried him. The alcohol had clouded the will of the dwarven generals, causing them to become complacent due to the effects of alcohol...

But what about Canaan?

Will they underestimate their opponent?

"Lead, paper, paint, glass, tea... these items take up two whole carriages!" The gray-bearded dwarf on the train spat.

"That Crimson Hammer Boduon of the Golden Goblet Tribe is quite greedy!"

"Heh, the Golden Goblet tribe of the Dwarf Empire is incredibly extravagant. We can only turn a blind eye to it!"

"I heard there's a wine carriage behind it for the general's private enjoyment, filled with crates of fine wines and spirits smuggled from the Human Empire and other sources!"

"I want to be a general too!!"

Corruption, chaos, and underestimation of the enemy due to alcohol, coupled with General "Red Hammer" Bodun's neglect of the Canaanite threat and his focus on defense, resulting in a lack of the fighting spirit expected before the war, have created the "stubborn state" of the Northern Fortress at this moment!

Abbott Bodu's fears, as the wise man of the dwarven northern fortress, will soon become a new reality!