Chapter 351: Interlude
Just as Prince Colin's carriage was raising dust as it headed north, a storm woven by his own hands was sweeping across the Holy City with a precise and ruthless rhythm.
In a private study.
Teach was sitting under the warm light, looking focused.
As the executor of the plan, he is playing a dual role.
In public, he was the author of the popular "The Adventures of Baron Cosiah", using passionate words to lay the foundation for public opinion for his revenge.
Behind the scenes, he transformed himself into the most ruthless "debt consultant" of Spire Bank, and joined forces with a group of businessmen with a keen sense of smell to begin laying a dragnet for the assets held by the Devol family.
His pen tip glided gracefully across the paper as he wrote a new chapter in the much-anticipated "The Adventures of Baron Cosia" - in that story, the respectable baron showed extraordinary perseverance in desperate situations, moved Saint Six with his wisdom and piety, and calmed the storm and cleared up the sky.
His writings are full of praise for hope and holy light, enough to move any reader, especially believers in the holy light.
Similarly, he also used delicate brushstrokes to outline an exotic world. Through vivid characters, he made people who were eager for adventure full of infinite reverie about that strange continent and laid the foundation for "Jana Dream".
On the other side of his desk, there was another completely different "manuscript" spread out - a list from Spire Bank of all the assets and liabilities of the DeVore family.
When the "little fishes" in the Bailu area had finished eating the shrimps in the lotus pond, a truly big fish finally came into the picture.
Dantes had already contacted President Buckley of the Spire Bank, and this cunning citizen, after understanding the other meaning of the "New World", immediately handed over a sharpened knife to His Royal Highness.
In the past, even the most greedy merchants would not dare to lend money to nobles easily. However, it would be different if the noble was caught and offended another more powerful noble.
It's not just the barons of the Bailu District who want to climb up the tree of Prince Colin. The citizens of the Holy City have long begun to show their courtesy to this prince, and they are much more proactive than those suburban bumpkins.
Both the president of Spire Bank himself and the nobles behind the bank were full of confidence in this profitable merger.
The only unresolved issue right now is how to cut the meat on the chopping board.
As the spokesperson for the Demon King, Baron Cosia must of course take back everything he has lost and take the biggest share...
…
Just as Baron Cosia was writing the second chapter of hatred and punishment, another key actor also came on the stage.
Sir Edmond Dantes, the new and highly-regarded "reformer", publicly questioned Hogan Nora, the president of the Imperial Royal Bank, in an exclusive interview with the Holy Light Daily in a sad and restrained manner.
He cleverly contrasted his "unfair experience" of having his loan rejected with the "inside story" of how the barons in the Bailu District could easily borrow huge sums of money far beyond their ability to repay, and finally raised the sharp question that went straight to the heart and was enough to stir up class confrontation:
"Why would an enterprising reformer run into obstacles in the rules, but when facing the barons of Bailu District, the ironclad principles seemed to be non-existent?"
These remarks were like a stone thrown at the stained glass windows of the church, causing an uproar.
Every resident of the holy city is aware of this unwritten rule, but most people will edit their memories to seek peace in their spiritual world.
Now someone has broken this window paper, and he is a sufficiently distinguished knight, and he has done it in a reasonable and fair manner.
What was originally an ordinary business dispute was immediately elevated to the level of a conflict between commoners and nobles, and attracted the attention of the Senate representing the nobles and the military officers representing the citizens.
Faced with overwhelming public pressure, the reaction of Hogan Nora, President of the Imperial Royal Bank, was just as Edmund expected.
He acted as if it was the first day he discovered the problem, and was furious in public, shouting "This is outrageous! We must investigate it thoroughly!"
Of course, he had no right to investigate the nobles. At most, he could bully the president of the Bailu District branch, the powerless Mr. Huck Alton, a country bumpkin who coveted his position as president.
But that's enough.
A smart person always does his own job. He is as hard as granite when he needs to be hard, and as soft as a maggot when he needs to be soft.
As for whether or not to investigate thoroughly, that is decided by the big shots. Even if he has seen the ending, he will never rush forward easily.
With the intervention of the procuratorate, the investigation results came out quickly, and the results were amazing!
The Royal Mounted Police stormed into Huck Alton's house and found tens of thousands of gold coins from the wall - this was definitely not a fortune that a person with an annual salary of less than 100 gold coins could have! Huck looked ashen and confessed to his crime.
It was when he was arranging a loan for Baron Devol that he made a "fatal procedural oversight" - he did not take away the original title deed of Baron Devol as required, thus opening the door for the latter's illegal secondary mortgage.
Not only that, driven by greed, he also took advantage of his position to take kickbacks from the barons of Bailu District.
The Imperial Procuratorate submitted one copy of the materials to the Holy City Grand Court and another copy to the Senate. The prosecution of Hake was a foregone conclusion, but the accountability of the nobles required the approval of the Senate.
There was no reason for the Senate to shield an unknown country noble, especially since this guy's extortionate taxes in the Bailu District had caused instability in the local society and also offended the citizens of the Holy City.
Although they did not deprive Baron Devol of his sacred title, they tightened the rope around his neck even more strictly - ordering him to repay all debts immediately and approving the Imperial Procuratorate to seize and freeze the assets under Baron Devol's name.
The Imperial Royal Cavalry was stationed at Baron Devol's estate.
Seeing the imperial flag flying on the roof of the main building of the manor, the peasants and small farmers who had lost their land all breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the lost land will never come back, the evildoers will eventually get their retribution.
As for the DeVore family.
Although they and their servants were still allowed to live in the manor temporarily, this was merely the respectability left to them by the Senate.
They must find new accommodation as soon as possible and move out before the new owner moves in.
At the same time, two other nobles in Bailu District were also implicated. Although their debts were not as huge as Baron Devol's, they were also forced to sell land to repay their debts.
This is not the most fatal thing.
What is really fatal is that because the project in Bailu District was put in question, the land deeds in their hands almost became waste paper due to the panic selling of citizens.
If I want to pay off my debt, I'm afraid I'll have to pay more blood than usual...
Just like that, under the sharp blade of public opinion and the noose of debt, a bloody hunt against the rural nobles in Bailu District officially began.
The real reckoning has just begun.
——
Outside the car window, the first snow in the Ottoman Empire fell silently.
Fine snowflakes fell from the leaden sky, covering the rolling hills and bare trees with a new coat of white. The whole world seemed to be quiet, with only the sleepy rustling of the wheels rolling over the light snow.
However, the young dragon Tafu in the carriage had no time to appreciate the unique snow scenery of the North.
She curled up her small body into a ball, buried deep in the warm "nest" made of several expensive furs, looking listless.
This is related to her bloodline which comes from "meat lizard". The cold weather constantly reminds her that it is time to hibernate, making her instinctively want to fall into a deep sleep.
She grumbled in a sleepy voice as she turned over impatiently in the warm blanket.
"Damn it! I hate snowy weather!"
Leaning on the soft cushion and reading some materials, Luo Yan raised his head from the book when he heard the sound.
He looked at the curled-up "Dragon Pig" with interest and asked a question that had puzzled him for a long time.
"I'm curious, if meat lizards grow so slowly, why would you Zeta choose to use them as a... uh, source of nutrition?"
When the superiority of the Zeta clan was mentioned, Tafu's sleepiness was instantly half dispelled.
She raised her little head proudly from the fur, sneered, and said in a tone that said "You primitive civilized creatures can't understand."
"Do you think we only pursue speed and quantity like you do when raising pigs? We pursue balanced nutrition! The tails of meat lizards can provide all the amino acids that the Zetas need, and the meat is delicious. We will specially build a habitable planet to raise them... Why are you looking at me? I won't give you anything to eat! Don't even think about it!"
Halfway through her words, she looked at Luo Yan warily and subconsciously used her wings to protect her tail, as if it would be taken away by this evil demon in the next second.
However, looking at her alert look, Luo Yan just smiled faintly.
"It's okay. I don't eat talking animals anyway."
It turns out that they only eat the tail.
It seems that the Zeta Empire is more civilized than I imagined.
But this made Luo Yan even more curious. How many planets' tails would it take to support the consumption of the citizens of the Zeta Empire? While he was thinking about it, Tafu was furious. This guy was a little small, but his temper was not small at all.
"Animal! How dare you call me an animal?! You, you are so brave!"
"Hello too," Luo Yan replied randomly, ignoring the anger of the "Dragon God". He closed the book and placed it on his knees, and continued to ask with interest, "So, how do you raise meat lizards? You can't wait for a hundred years every time."
The racial superiority of the Zeta civilization once again prevailed. Tafu suppressed her anger, puffed out her chest and spoke proudly.
"The secret is in the feed of course!"
Without waiting for Luo Yan to ask, she continued in a boastful tone.
"With Zeta Technology, the best in the universe, nothing is impossible! We will use a starship to fly near the atmosphere and release pheromones all over the planet! The metabolism of animals and dragons on the entire planet will be accelerated, whether it is reproduction or growth! In this way, dragons with longer lifespans will be able to grow thick tails just in time for the harvest, and other creatures can provide rich food for dragons in a shorter life cycle... This is called a completely ecological breeding system, can you imagine it?"
Luo Yan looked at her in surprise and said with sincere admiration.
"Great, great... What's the formula for this pheromone?"
"The formula is - what do you want to do?! Don't even think about it!!!" Tafu, who almost let the cat out of the bag, reacted with a start, staring at her master.
"Don't get excited, I'm just asking casually. Anyway, it can't be done with the technological strength of this world. If you don't want to, forget it." Luo Yan smiled and said nonchalantly, and opened the half-read "Travels in the Kingdom of Rodes" again.
Before entering the academy, he will pass through the Kingdom of Rhodes, which borders the Kingdom of Ryan.
There are vast forests and rugged hills here. If the Kingdom of Ryan is the home of knights, then this is the hometown of great swordsmen and mercenaries.
Although he wouldn't stay here for too long, he was equally interested in the local customs and culture here... just like he was very interested in Tafu's hometown.
Who knows, one day he might have the chance to spread the Demon King's corruption there, so there's no harm in knowing it sooner rather than later.
"Hehe, I'm glad you know it." Tafu thought about it and felt that it made sense, so she calmed down, curled up her tail and changed into a comfortable position.
She had already decided to outlive this guy! How could a human being outlive a dragon?
Thinking of this guy turning into an old man lying on the bed dying, she was so excited that she couldn't stop smiling and started singing in her heart.
Luo Yan could naturally guess what she was thinking, but there was no need to argue with an immature kid, so he just read quietly.
It was not until a while later that Youyou suddenly appeared beside him, shouting excitedly, "Master Demon, your followers have increased again!"
Luo Yan then entered a state of meditation, his consciousness returning to the sea of knowledge where the stars were twinkling, and he once again confirmed the benefits of his trip to the holy city.
【
Godhead: Luo Yan
Legendary factors: the Demon King of Thunder County, the Flame King in the south of the Wanren Mountains, the generous, wealthy and kind Prince Colin, the civilian councillor born in the Demon God Temple, the enterprising reformer...
Influence share: 0.1% (↑0.01%)
Overdraft limit: 0% Control efficiency: 100%】
There is one more legendary factor.
It seems that after I left this time, my believers helped me create a new title.
Luo Yan's gaze moved downwards, and when he saw the "Influence Share" column, his breathing suddenly quickened for a moment.
0.1%!
For thousands of years, he has pried open a corner of the unshakable faith landscape on this planet, and this also means that he can finally condense a "Amethyst Seed"!
He remembered that Elder Zakro of the Dragun family was at the Amethyst level of strength, and the ceiling of supernatural powers on this planet was getting closer and closer to him.
After digesting the excitement in his heart, Luo Yan curled up a smile, closed the interface of the power of faith, and spoke slowly.
"The Holy City is indeed a Feng Shui treasure land. In just one month, my influence on this planet has more than doubled."
certainly.
These influences were not necessarily all contributed by the Holy City. Some came from the continent of Janna on the other side of the vast ocean, and even from Hell and the Thunder City where he first set out.
The corruption of the devil is gradually taking root in people's hearts, and the seeds he planted in people's hearts are gradually sprouting and growing into a new big tree.
This can be seen from the growth of Lumière, Teach and even Dantes' family. The changes in their life trajectories are all due to their own influence.
Including the Knights Templar who went to the continent of Janna in the name of Saint Sith to spread civilization and faith - those guys will become his believers sooner or later!
This will be an ongoing and slow process.
"Hehe, it's mainly because Lord Demon King operates well!" Youyou laughed beside him and gave a sincere compliment.
Luo Yan smiled faintly.
"Don't praise me anymore. It always makes me feel like I'm looking at myself in the mirror and being narcissistic."
“Huh? Is this going to happen?”
Ignoring Youyou who was horrified, Luo Yan closed his eyes again. When he opened his eyes again, the warm carriage came into his sight again.
He looked out the window. The towering mountains and endless pine forests had turned into gentle hills and windmills.
In the distance, quiet village houses are vaguely visible, with a few wisps of smoke rising straight up in the slightly chilly air, and then turning into towering city walls and red brick and bright tile houses.
This is the southern border of the Kingdom of Rhodes. It is far less prosperous and lively than the Holy City, but it also has its own unique charm.
Luo Yan knew that they were about to arrive at the first destination of this trip - Quartz City.
He once heard Count Hilfen casually mention during a casual conversation about art that this city was an important commercial center of the Kingdom of Rhodes in the south, famous for its unparalleled craftsmanship.
The best pianos in the empire were produced here.
It is said that the city gathered a large number of artisans and traveling merchants from the empire, with a total population of over one million.
In other words, this is the "Thunder City of the Kingdom of Rhodes".
The carriage finally slowed down to a place where the outline of the city could be seen, and Sarah's gentle voice came from outside the carriage at the same time.
"Your Highness, we are almost there...Do we need to notify the local lord?"
Luo Yan's identity at this moment is still a prince, and this identity is written on the "Pass Document" and certified by the Senate.
According to imperial custom, when a prince arrives in a vassal state, the local lord should give him corresponding courtesy according to his title.
However, Luo Yan had no intention of disturbing the local lord.
The Kingdom of Rhodes was not the destination of his trip, but just a stop on the journey. He hoped to experience the customs and culture outside the Holy City as a traveler.
"No need, Sarah. Just find a hotel outside the city... and prepare a cloak for Taff later, so that it doesn't scare the locals."
Sarah said respectfully.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The carriage continued to move along the country road. The shining emblem made countless farmers look up and salute, but it did not attract much of their attention.
The caravans from the empire also had the emblems of various families printed on them, and they often saw carriages from the Valencia family and the Castellón family appearing here.
They are just strange and have never seen this purple moon.
It didn't take Sarah too long to find a clean and simple hotel outside the city, next to a camp where a large number of adventurers and merchants gathered.
Stop the carriage.
Luo Yan, wearing a cloak, handed the luggage, reins and tip to the hotel waiter, and then walked into the lobby on the first floor of the hotel with Sarah and Tafu, who were also wearing cloaks to cover their bodies.
The lobby was bustling with noisy mercenaries and adventurers. There were also some suspicious people sitting in the corner, selling useless amulets to those clear-eyed, rookie-looking adventurers.
This place is surprisingly similar to Thunder City.
Luo Yan found an inconspicuous seat at the bar and sat down, ordering a glass of local beer.
Just in the corner of the inn, a bard was holding a lute-like instrument and began to sing with a mellow and slightly vicissitudes of life voice.
"Come, traveler from afar, and sit down beside me, and the fire will warm your weather-beaten knees.
I will play the rhododendron and sing you a song of sadness from the past.
Sing of the great tower, how it was buried in flames."
"Its fleet was a mobile city-state on the sea,
Thousands of flags kiss the salty waves.
Its king, wearing a golden crown, stood on the head of a dragon and sang: 'Behold! My power is so great that even the tides bow down at my feet! '"
There were scattered cheers in the inn, and the noisy crowd stopped talking and cast curious glances at the bard.
The bard plucked the strings of his harp, saluted the people with his eyes, and then raised his voice so that it was like a roaring flame in a fireplace.
"But a scarlet star of disaster tore the night's velvet curtain,
That was not a meteor, but the angry eyes of the sky.
Raindrops of fire fell from the sky, carrying the breath of sulfur,
Burn every sail and every rope until they are bright!"
"The great ship howled and broke in two on the boiling sea,
Like a helpless beetle crushed by a giant! The unsinkable legend, the majesty that made the ocean surrender,
It all ended in that mighty flame, and ended so hastily! "
“The king’s crown broke into seven pieces and scattered on the charred soil.
People no longer sang the name of the Dragon God because there were new names worthy of their continued singing.
They built new walls on the ruins of the old ones,
Use rusty swords to divide new hatreds and borders. "
"So, drink this bitter ale, my friend,
Don't mention the old dream that is gone forever.
When the wheel of fortune rains down fire, all is lost,
Only the bard's song is left, singing in the cold wind!"
When the song ended, there was a moment of silence in the pub, and then there was warm applause.
The bard stood up, smiled and bowed to thank everyone. A young apprentice beside him cleverly carried a tattered hat and walked between the tables and chairs, asking for tips from the guests.
The guests casually threw copper coins into the hat. These adventurers who had no food to eat did not lack these small changes.
Luo Yan felt that the poet sang really well. The epic and tragic feeling contained in the ballad was far beyond the reach of those whining love stories compiled by the nobles of the Holy City.
He also smiled and took out a silver coin from his purse. With a flick of his finger, the silver coin drew a beautiful arc in the air and fell accurately into the apprentice's hat.
When the young apprentice saw the shining silver coin, he was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth. He quickly ran over and thanked Luo Yan repeatedly.
"Thank you sir! Have a nice day!"
"You're welcome. Can you tell me the name of this song?" Luo Yan nodded slightly and said politely.
"This is a folk song from the Kingdom of Rhodes, called 'The Ballad of the Crimson Star of Disaster'. It's a ship song that was taken from an ancient prophecy! Legend has it that the fiery red stars covered the khaki stars, and the warships that blocked out the sun and sky turned into ashes and sank into the white waves. From then on, the vast land entered a new era."
In view of the huge reward of one silver coin, the apprentice spoke excitedly and almost forgot about his work.
It wasn't until a cough was heard that he hurried to the next table.
Unlike Luo Yan who had a smile on his face, Tafu, hiding in the shadow of her cloak, was grimacing with anger, and she wished she could eat everyone in the room.
Of course she could hear it. The song was clearly about the fall of the Holy Armored Dragon Kingdom, which was exactly the biggest embarrassment she had experienced in her previous life as the "Dragon God Gutaf"! Unfortunately -
Due to her "master's order", she could not speak in front of outsiders. She could only bury her little head deeply under her cloak and grind her teeth silently.
Luo Yan naturally noticed her excitement.
He picked up the wine glass, gently pressed the restless little head under the cloak with his other hand, and said to comfort her with a smile.
"Why are you so excited? They're not singing about you."
Taffy looked at him questioningly through the slit in her cloak, as if asking, "What is that?"
"Since it is a folk song of the Kingdom of Rhodes, it must be about the stories of the people of Rhodes themselves."
Luo Yan did not answer the question directly. Instead, he took a sip of the fragrant beer and looked out the window at the unfamiliar land covered by wind and snow.
“Everything that happens today is actually yesterday’s and tomorrow’s.”
The prosperity of the Holy City is built on vast poverty, just as the devil's luxury is built on the goblins' sloppy foundation... and this is destined to be unsustainable.
Although a fire that burns everything may not necessarily change anything, when everyone is longing for this fire to happen, it will happen.
Obviously, it was not accidental that he came to this world, including Lint Isaac, Gutaf, and the bloodthirsty Chaos——
This is exactly what countless people who are eager for change think from the bottom of their hearts.
Lint Isaac obviously guessed this, so he calculated that he would definitely come here.
As for Luo Yan himself.
That was discovered a long time ago, of course.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
