Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 151 Isabella's Little Thoughts

Grand Duke Roland's words stirred up quite a stir in the hearts of everyone in the room.

Now everyone is almost certain that the relationship between Isabella and the "Lord of Shadows" is definitely not as simple as the cooperative relationship she said.

No matter how much Isabella denied it, it couldn't change the fact that Cohen had been staying with her for the past few days.

Although they were curious about the private affairs of the Golden Wing Girl, they did not dare to force them to ask.

After Grand Duke Roland left, only the members of the Pale Wings were left in the room, and the atmosphere suddenly became much more casual.

Meyer smiled and said:

"Continuing from the previous topic, Mr. Shadow Lord has opened up so many city-states and floating islands. Construction must be a huge challenge."

Cohen's heart moved slightly, and he asked directly:
"Does Mr. Child have any ideas?"

Meyer said seriously:
"If you need human and financial support, our Child family is happy to provide it."

Isabella next to him sneered:

"Why, the 'Purple Wing Family' who have always been so proud of their status are also starting to imitate those gangsters?

Are you planning to get involved in the 'Land of the Lost' incident?"

Meyer's expression remained calm as he smiled and said:

"Mr. Shadow Lord isn't from the Lost Land, so collaborating with him doesn't violate our family's rules.

not to mention……"

Meyer had a half-smile on his face:
"Who knows, maybe one day the 'Lord of Shadows' will become one of our family!
Are you right, Miss Wenzel? "

Isabella's expression froze. She couldn't answer yes or no, and for a moment she was unable to refute what Mayer said.

Cohen took over and said apologetically:
"I'm sorry to disappoint Master Meyer. We reached an agreement with the Solari family of the Lost Land a long time ago.

The newly opened "Order Solid Land" will be handed over to them for construction.

I’m so sorry.”

Mayer's expression did not change despite Cohen's refusal. He smiled faintly and said:

"Since Your Excellency has made up his mind this time, let's plan our next cooperation.

If you have another opportunity to ignite the fire and create order and solidify the earth, you must think of our Childe family in advance.

You may not know that among the Five Winged Families, only our Purple Winged Family has no one pursuing Miss Wen Ze.

So, I would be happy to see the story of 'The Princess and the Knight' have a happy ending."

Cohen was filled with thoughts. Why did the other party think that he still had the spark of order in his hands?

In addition, he also understood the other party's last hint.

Because their "Purple Wing Family" has no plans to marry into the "Golden Wing Family", naturally they do not want other families to marry into the "Golden Wing Family".

Therefore, it is in the interest of their family to marry off the powerful "Golden Wing Girl".

Cohen replied calmly:

"If there is such an opportunity, I will definitely inform you in advance."

Meyer seemed very happy and said:
"It is truly worthwhile to come to the 'Land of the Lost' to be able to associate with a young talent like you."

The few of them discussed some other matters regarding inter-racial trade routes and agreed to discuss follow-up matters after Isabella returned from the dwarf tribe.

……

Ever since Isabella enjoyed Cohen's massage, she became addicted to it and would ask Cohen to come to her bedroom to massage her feet every day before going to bed.

This is a tough situation for Cohen. Facing the temptation of Isabella in pajamas all day long is definitely a severe test for him.

Fortunately, Cohen's willpower attribute is full. Even if he sometimes indulges in his hands and mouth, he always sticks to the bottom line and does not take the last step.

On this day, Isabella sent Cohen out to purchase some necessary items for the trip to the dwarf tribe. When Cohen left, Isabella looked in the mirror and concealed the joy on her eyebrows and the spring on her face.

He took out a communication stone, took a deep breath, and activated the magic circle.

Soon, the illusory figure of a tall and handsome middle-aged man rose above the magic circle.

As soon as the middle-aged man appeared, he started to scold him:

"How dare you contact me!
Great, if I wait a few more days, I can hold my grandson in my arms!"

Isabella turned her gaze away and replied calmly:
"Who did Father hear these rumors from?"

The middle-aged man seemed extremely angry and said:
“Rumors?

Are there still rumors even though you all live together?"

Isabella said calmly:
"We just live in the same house, not sleep in the same bed, why should my father be so sensitive?

There is nothing wrong between him and me, and I have a clear conscience."

The middle-aged man was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood and said angrily:

"At least you have to tell me who he is!"

Isabella shook her head and said:
"Compared to his true identity, the information he discovered a few days ago is more valuable to us."

"What information?"

“My father asked me to pay attention to the developments in the Kingdom of Ceylon a few days ago. Coincidentally, he was also in the Kingdom of Ceylon a few days ago.

I asked him to pay a little attention to it. He took it seriously and after investigating for a few days, he actually made some discoveries.

What I am going to say below are some of his speculations, but I think there is a high probability that they are true.

I believe my father will be able to verify the details."

Isabella's little thoughts were obvious. She was quietly speaking well of her lover, implying that all this was Cohen's credit.

However, the middle-aged man didn't hear it, or he heard it but pretended not to hear it, and still asked coldly:
"The Kingdom of Ceylon?
What exactly is it?”

Isabella secretly curled her lips, but when it came to business, her expression became much more serious.

The middle-aged man frowned slightly, but Isabella's serious expression temporarily dispelled his anger and he waited for his daughter to say next.

Isabella modified Cohen's speculation to some extent and told it to her father, of course, she concealed the part about his true identity in the process of narration.

When Isabella finished speaking, the middle-aged man's expression was completely frozen, his brows were heavy, and he seemed to be thinking seriously about what his daughter said.

"Did he tell you all this?"

Isabella nodded and said:
"I think it's very close to the truth. If Andre is really Xia Zuo's staff, then all of this is very likely true."

The middle-aged man regained his composure and asked:
"Does he have a grudge against Xia Zuo as well?"

Isabella frowned slightly and asked:

“I thought that given my father’s character, he would first thank him.

If all this is true, then he has saved our family from a major crisis!"

The middle-aged man snorted coldly:
"If he promises not to mess with my daughter again, I will thank him very much and accept this favor!"

Isabella responded mercilessly:

"If your daughter hadn't been there, what do you think the chances are that he would have told everything he knew?"

The middle-aged man sneered:
"You don't have to say good things about him in front of me.

Wait until he has the courage to take off his mask and come to see me openly!"

As soon as the words fell, the whole person disappeared instantly, and the communication was directly interrupted.

Seeing her father leave without saying a word, Isabella was so angry that she cursed inwardly for a long time.

"Pale Wing", the residence of the Golden Wing Family.

The middle-aged man turned off the communication stone, and the warmth on his face disappeared, leaving a cold look on his face.

Aziz Wenze, the patriarch of the Golden Wing family, was really angry this time.

Someone actually dared to plot against the "Golden Wing Family", and the target was his own daughter!
He immediately cut off communication with his daughter. On the one hand, he didn't know how to deal with his daughter's emotional problems. On the other hand, he wanted to quickly investigate whether what his daughter said was true or not.

If it was really Prince Xia Zuo who was behind all this, then he must start taking countermeasures immediately.

Aziz summoned three respected elders of the family and briefly informed them of the content of Isabella's conversation.

The hot-tempered Third Elder could no longer sit still when he heard this and asked in a deep voice:
"Is the source of your information reliable?
This matter is of great importance, involving the most powerful prince in the entire continent, so we must proceed with extreme caution."

Aziz was silent for a moment, and finally decided to accept Cohen's favor and said:

"That boy told her."

That kid!

Although the clan leader did not say it explicitly, several elders were cunning and shrewd people.

Naturally, some rumors about the Golden Winged Girl also reached their ears.

Therefore, he immediately determined who the "that kid" the patriarch was referring to.

The second elder said leisurely:
"The 'Lord of Shadows' who is suspected to be the Son of Prophecy?

I heard that he has caused quite a stir in the 'Lost Land' these days.

Being able to find the 'Spark of Order', even if the Church of Prophecy refuses to acknowledge him, many people will believe that he is the Son of Prophecy."

The Great Elder looked thoughtful and said slowly:

"If it's his words, they should be somewhat credible. Even if it's for the young lady, he shouldn't say nonsense."

Aziz said in a deep voice:

"The key to everything is whether Andre is Xia Zuo's man.

As long as this is clarified, everything will be solved."

After a few people discussed it, they decided to start with Andre.

Of course, they also need to be prepared for any eventuality and open up new grain transportation channels as soon as possible.

Although the cost and risk of land transportation are much higher than those of sea transportation, when it really comes to a critical moment, land transportation is the only way to hold on for a while.

Aziz said:
"Second brother, go to the Kingdom of Ceylon and investigate this Andre thoroughly!

Just confirm your identity and don’t alert others.”

"it is good."

……

As winter approaches, white snow begins to fall from the northern mountains of the Western Empire, like countless light feathers dancing in the air.

Cohen and Isabella, who had been on the journey for some time, arrived deep in the northern mountains.

The surrounding environment and temperature were completely different from those in the Lost Land. However, Cohen and the others were already high-level transcendents, so this temperature had no effect on them.

The rolling mountains are like sleeping giants, silent and solemn.

Due to the xenophobic and conservative nature of the dwarves, Cohen and his companions could not enter the dwarf territory in a high-profile manner, and had to sneak in through a secret passage.

Between the deep mountains, an ancient road paved with chiseled stones winds its way to the kingdom of the dwarves.

The two followed the ancient road and soon found a simple cave according to the address.

There are small piles of snow at the entrance of the cave, and the heavy stone door looks even more ancient and heavy against the backdrop of the white snow.

The torches beside the door swayed in the wind, the flames flickering, stubbornly resisting the severe cold.

Isabella knocked on the door several times in a specific rhythm, and then the stone door slowly opened, and a sturdy and strong dwarf walked out.

Cohen sensed the aura slightly and found that the person was not even a transcendent, but just an ordinary dwarf.

The dwarf was wrapped in thick animal skin, with white steam constantly coming out of his mouth. The skin on his face was red, whether it was due to natural redness or the cold, and it was extremely conspicuous against the white snow.

The dwarf saw the two unfamiliar humans and was clearly nervous. He asked in a stiff and awkward human language:
"Is that Miss Wen Ze?"

Isabella showed a crimson hammer and asked in a deep voice:

"Where's Gloin Firehammer?"

Seeing the red hammer, the dwarf's face instantly showed respect, and he bowed and said:
“Dear guest, please come in. Our chief has been notified at short notice to attend a meeting at the Grand Alliance.

I'll send him a message right away, please come in and wait."

Isabella glanced at Cohen, who nodded slightly, and then the two of them entered the cave.

Walking into the cave, Cohen clearly felt that the temperature inside was slightly higher.

The cave is surrounded by glowing minerals that emit a soft light, illuminating the icicles hanging on the walls. They are crystal clear and look like works of art made of crystal. They are very beautiful.

Cohen speculated that this was once a mine, which was later transformed into a temporary residence by the other party.

As we walked further, Cohen's conjecture was verified.

A unique smell of soil, minerals and fireworks hits you in the face.

What caught the eye were the dilapidated tracks and scattered cart parts, and next to it was a forge that had been extinguished for a long time, looking quite old.

At the end of the mine passage, there is a spacious hall excavated by manpower, with heavy stone tables and stone benches.

There were also two dwarf children and a female dwarf standing nervously by the side with awkward smiles on their faces.

For ordinary dwarves, the tribal chief is their sky and their god.

Isabella, who was regarded as the most distinguished guest by the chief, naturally made them respect and fear her.

After the two sat down, the female dwarf hurriedly brought over a large plate of grilled meat. A rich and unique aroma instantly filled the entire cave hall.

The surface of the barbecue has an attractive caramel color, the skin is golden and crispy under the flame, and the fat glistens in the firelight.

The two dwarfs next to them kept swallowing their saliva.

Cohen raised his brows slightly, and the dragon seal on his hand flashed, and a dagger appeared.

Then gently cut the roast meat with a knife, the clear texture will appear before your eyes, and the gravy will slowly flow out, exuding a mouth-watering aroma.

Put it in your mouth and take a bite. You will first feel the crispness of the skin, followed by the tenderness and mellowness of the meat. The rich flavor spreads in your mouth, with a hint of wildness, as if making you feel the powerful vitality of the beasts running and hunting in the mountains.

Cohen chewed for a moment, swallowed it, and spoke in fluent Dwarven:
"Wolf meat, giant mountain wolf, thoughtful."

Hearing Cohen's words, the dwarf was surprised and happy. He stomped his feet hard, then jumped high and spun quickly.

Isabella was surprised:
“Dwarf dance?

This is a dance that can only be performed if you have their genuine respect.

What did you just say? Why is he suddenly so excited? "

Cohen cut off another piece of roast meat, removed the fat part under Isabella's slightly critical gaze, put the remaining piece of meat into her mouth, and said slowly:

“When hunting, dwarves prefer to choose powerful beasts, believing that their meat can bring courage and strength.

The meat of this beast is only served when entertaining the most important guests.

As ordinary people who have not yet reached the level of transcendence, the mountain giant wolf is definitely the most ferocious beast for them.

They served us the meat of the giant mountain wolf, which showed their respect for us.

I told him I understood his intention, and he was pleased to have been understood by his distinguished guest.

Isabella's eyes were filled with intense admiration. This kind of secret was something that ordinary humans would have no way of knowing unless they were familiar with the history and culture of the dwarves.

Cohen's erudition once again impressed Isabella.

He is worthy of being the man I like, he always gives me surprises.

She really wanted to merge herself into Cohen's body to see how many secrets this man had.

The dwarf was obviously much more excited. He carried out a large barrel of beer from the deep warehouse, poured the beer into a rough but sturdy metal cup, and handed it to Cohen respectfully.

Cohen took the glass without hesitation. The beer inside was rich in color and as warm as amber.

As he leaned closer to the wine glass, a strong aroma of malt mixed with a faint scent of yeast hit his nose. He took a sip and found the taste mellow and rich.

First there is a slight bitterness, and then a sweetness spreads on the tip of the tongue.

Cohen no longer hesitated and drank the beer in one gulp.

He poured another glass, handed it to Isabella, and said:

"Take a sip. The brewing process of dwarven ale has strict rituals and steps. It has been passed down for thousands of years and is an important part of dwarven culture.

Unlike those industrial alcohols brewed by dwarves pretending to be dwarves, this is genuine dwarven ale."

Isabella seldom drinks, but seeing Cohen strongly recommending it, she had no choice but to take the glass and take a sip. She found it surprisingly delicious and couldn't help but drink a few more sips.

The group ate and drank until the evening, and during the meal, Cohen kept communicating with the dwarf.

Perhaps it was because Cohen was familiar with the cultural traditions of the dwarves and was fluent in the dwarven language that the dwarf gradually let go of his fear and grudges, and the two of them talked very harmoniously.

Cohen also learned the other party's name from the conversation, Balin Hammer.

This place was originally the territory of the "Iron Hammer Tribe", and Bahrain was originally a miner of the tribe.

Later, the emperor of the Western Region Empire conquered the dwarves and destroyed the mines here. He luckily survived and was rescued by Groin Firehammer, the chief of the Fire Hammer tribe. He has lived in the Fire Hammer tribe ever since.

Later, when Groin Firehammer was preparing to cooperate secretly with the Human Empire, Balin, who was familiar with the terrain here, was sent back to act as a liaison.

When Cohen asked if they held any grudge against the human empire that attacked their tribe, Balin shook his head:
"Compared to humans, those large tribes in the depths are the most hateful!

They enslaved our small tribes and made us fight in the front while they followed the rest of humanity..."

Balin's voice grew fainter, but Cohen grasped something sharply.

Deep in the mountains... the rest of humanity...

A thoughtful look appeared on Cohen's face. It seemed that the dwarf tribe, which seemed to be united, had already had cracks!

Everything will have to wait until we meet the chieftain of the Firehammer tribe, Groin Firehammer!

Late at night, a sound of footsteps approached from far outside the cave. Hearing the familiar footsteps, Balin suddenly woke up and said to Cohen:

"Dear guest, our chief has returned."

Cohen's expression changed slightly, and he shook Isabella, who was nestled in his arms and had fallen asleep.

Soon, the door opened and the Firehammer tribe chief, Groin Firehammer, walked into the cave in a hurry.

Seeing Isabella snuggling next to a strange man, she looked slightly stunned.

Then he quickly concealed the emotions on his face, bowed, and spoke in fluent human language:

"Master Wen Ze, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

What is this gentleman's name?"

Isabella coughed lightly, and before she could speak, Cohen took the initiative to say:

"Yan, just call me Yan."

When Isabella heard the alias Cohen claimed to use, she quickly realized that the two words were the abbreviation of Adair and Cohen. She snorted softly, expressing her displeasure to someone.

Cohen subtly squeezed Isabella's little hand to comfort her.

Groin was an experienced person. He had obviously seen the relationship between the two and kept complimenting them:

"You two are a perfect match. God of the Forge, Ornn, thank you for sending these two saviors to our Firehammer Tribe."

Isabella said calmly:

"Let's get down to business. We don't have much time."

Groin nodded repeatedly:
"Okay, okay, let's go talk in the back room."

Cohen and the other man followed Groin to the secret room. On the way, Groin quietly asked Balin a few questions. When he learned about Cohen's actions after entering here, he couldn't help but look surprised.

The three of them sat down in a secret room, and Groin spoke first:
"I heard that Lord Wen Ze wants to start operating our trade route first?

Delivering a shipment of goods to the human continent?

Could it be that the Master has discovered a passage that can cross the 'Lost Land'?"

Isabella pointed at Cohen beside her and said:
"good.

Mr. Yann next to me is the controller of this passage."

Groin was astonished. As he was close to the Lost Land, he was well aware of the dangers there, and he also knew how precious and rare it was to have a logistics channel that could cross the Lost Land.

In fact, he has always wanted to trade with the human continent, but he has never succeeded because the "Lost Land" is in the middle.

He immediately felt respect for Cohen and said in a serious tone:

"No problem, as long as the line is open, my goods can be delivered at any time."

Seeing that the other party agreed immediately, Isabella confirmed the previously agreed list of goods and prices with Groin.

As for the profit sharing issue, this had already been agreed upon beforehand, so it didn't take long for the two of them to finalize the specific time.

Finally, Isabella brought up the topic she had discussed with Groin before:
"Mr. Chief, as I mentioned before, I asked you to win over as many tribes as possible. How is this progressing?
It's not that I look down on you, the Fire Hammer Tribe. Although your tribe is ranked among the top ten in the Grand Alliance, there is an entire human empire and a transcontinental business organization waiting outside.

The resources your tribe can provide are still too few."

The Grand Alliance that Isabella mentioned is an offensive and defensive alliance composed of hundreds of dwarf tribes on the northwest continent. Its full name is the "Dwarf Grand Alliance."

It is composed of ten major tribes and hundreds of other small and medium-sized tribes. The Fire Hammer Tribe is one of the ten major tribes, and he himself is also an elder of the Grand Alliance.

Hearing Isabella's words, Groin hesitated and pondered for a long time before slowly speaking:
"Master Wen Ze, to be honest, this matter... is probably hopeless!"

(End of this chapter)