Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 250 Bathing Asuna in "Dragon Blood"!
"It was a secret plan hatched by the top brass of the Kingdom of Ceylon—

The people of the Kingdom of Ceylon asked us to cooperate with them, collect talented children in the southern border, and secretly transport them to the Kingdom of Ceylon for training through the secret channels of the pirate group..."

Before Levis could finish his words, he felt a chilling murderous intent lingering in his heart. He looked at Cohen, whose face had completely darkened, with trembling eyes, and couldn't help but stop talking.

A cold murderous intent filled Cohen's heart. These nobles in the southern border were so corrupt to the core that they dared to do something that would shake the foundation of the country.

It seems that they want to take advantage of Asuna's appointment to clean out all the parasites in these countries.

He calmed down and said coldly:

"Go on, tell me when it started and which families were involved."

"About 10 to 20 years ago. Besides our Luca family, there are also Count Xavier, Viscount Reyes, Baron De'an, the Sheriff of Bailey County, and the Under-Secretary of Industry of Yanke Province...

They were all transported by the Dark Tide Ghost pirate group."

As Levis uttered a name, Cohen's murderous intent became stronger.

"How many people were abducted in total?"

"About five hundred and six a year."

Asuna, standing next to him, glared coldly and shouted angrily:
"That means you have abducted and trafficked at least 10,000 children!
More than 10,000 children with the potential to become extraordinary beings have been abducted by you to the Kingdom of Ceylon!
And there are ten thousand families behind them!

How dare you! "

Asuna couldn't help but exude a hint of dragon power, which frightened Levis so much that he couldn't help but crawl on the ground.

Cohen suppressed his anger and asked:

"What is the specific process? Please explain it clearly!"

Levis replied in a trembling voice:
"The nobles would use their connections to register the basic information of newborns within their territories, and when they reached the age where they could awaken their transcendental powers, they would send people to monitor them.

Once it is determined that there is potential to break through to the Silver level, some unexpected events will be arranged.

Sometimes they are missing, sometimes they are kidnapped, and sometimes they are faked as accidental deaths. In short, these children are captured through various methods.

They will be temporarily placed on an island near the waters of the Kingdom of Ceylon. Once the number of people reaches 500, the Dark Tide Ghost will send someone to pick them up."

Cohen asked:

"Is it possible that not a single official in the entire southern region noticed this over the years?
Is the Gaunt family involved in this?"

Levis said:
“Yes, but it was quickly covered up by several of our families working together.

As for the Gaunt family, they had not yet made up their minds to rebel against Effiin, so this matter was not made known to them.

Later they also noticed it, but at that time Saxon, the third prince of the Kingdom of Ceylon, had already contacted them. At Saxon's suggestion, Grand Duke Gaunt did not investigate the matter further.

They probably don’t understand the specific situation.”

Cohen immediately asked:

"How long until the next contact with the 'Dark Tide Ghost' pirate group?"

Levis estimated and said:

"There's about a month left, and there are already over 400 people on the island."

Cohen said:

"Write down everything you know. I also need evidence and witnesses. Can you provide them?"

Levis nodded silently.

Cohen waved his hand and asked Leif to take these people away.

Then he said to Asuna:

"Let's go to Nanjun. We must take this opportunity to eradicate these cancers in the southern border!"

……

"I'm coming!"

Among the crowd in Nanjun waiting to welcome the Red Dragon Duchess, someone shouted, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

Soon, accurate news came.

The Red Dragon Duchess's carriage was less than half a day's journey from Nanjun and would arrive before sunset.

Upon hearing the news, everyone immediately became much more excited. It had finally arrived, and they had been waiting here for so long that they could hardly stand it anymore.

Those who can come here to welcome us are the military and political leaders of various regions in the southern border. They have been away from their territory for so long that they have accumulated a lot of things that need to be dealt with, and few of them can sit still.

Fortunately, the Duke of Red Dragon finally arrived.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the main road of Nanjun, and the orange light gives the entire city a crimson hue.

Nobles and officials of all ranks stood quietly and orderly outside the city, their eyes fixed on the official road in the distance. The air was filled with tension and excitement, as if even the wind had held its breath.

Suddenly, a low horn sounded in the distance. The sound was long and majestic, as if it came from the mouth of an ancient dragon. Then, the ground began to shake slightly, as if some huge monster was approaching.

At the same time, an astonishing breath that made people tremble from the depths of their souls erupted from afar.

Longwei!

Pure dragon power!
Red Dragon Duchess!
When they felt the overwhelming dragon power, the officials in the southern region could not help but be slightly solemn. No matter who supported the Duchess, the fact that she was knighted in the name of a dragon was enough to make them feel awe.

Not long after, a huge convoy slowly appeared on the horizon.

At the front of the convoy were twelve knights wearing scarlet armor with dragon patterns carved on them. Their gazes under their helmets were as cold as ice. The knights held spears in their hands, and each knight had a cultivation level of seventh level.

Royal Guards!
When everyone saw the escorting knights, they were all shocked.

The royal guards who guard the palace and protect the king and queen have all been dispatched. The meaning of this is self-evident.

Everyone was shocked and believed the rumor even more.

The newly appointed Red Dragon Duchess is indeed the King's lover, otherwise why would the Royal Guards be sent out to escort her?

I just don’t know whether Her Majesty the Queen knows about this.

Everyone's expressions became increasingly solemn.

Following closely behind were four pure white horses with crimson silk draped on their backs, pulling a gorgeous carriage. The carriage was made entirely of obsidian and inlaid with countless rubies on its surface, like a burning flame.

On top of the carriage is a huge red dragon statue. The dragon's eyes are inlaid with two huge, top-grade fire-attribute magic crystals, and the dragon's wings are spread out, as if ready to fly at any time.

Seeing the red dragon statue, the welcoming officials and nobles couldn't help but lower their heads slightly.

The curtains of the carriage were made of crimson silk, fluttering gently in the wind, revealing two figures sitting inside.

Everyone in the Southern Territory was stunned when they discovered this fact. Shouldn't they be welcoming only the Red Dragon Duchess?

Why are there two people in the carriage!

Who is qualified to ride in the same car with the Grand Duke?
Before everyone could figure out the situation, the carriage had already stopped in front of them.

The Southern Territory Political Officer, Foren David, also saw the two figures in the carriage. He seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and a look of deep astonishment immediately appeared in his eyes.

According to the procedure, Fulun should have announced the arrival of the Red Dragon Duchess to everyone, and then led all the officials to meet her, but at this moment Fulun just stood there blankly, not saying a word.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became very strange. Everyone looked at each other, and many people stared at Fulun who was in the front, not knowing what to do.

Just when everyone was secretly wondering if something had happened to the political official, the carriage slowly opened and a handsome young man jumped out.

When they saw this man, everyone was stunned at first. Wasn’t the person they were welcoming the Red Dragon Duchess?
Why is there a young man in the car?
But soon, when they saw the young man's appearance, great horror overwhelmed their thoughts.

When Political Officer Foren saw Cohen appear, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes, and at the same time, he couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. This young King really didn't play by the rules.

He actually took office together with the Red Dragon Duchess. It seems that the rumor about the Effiin Palace is not groundless. This young Duke does have an extraordinary friendship with His Majesty.

Political Officer Fulun was the first to kneel down on one knee and shouted loudly:

"See Your Majesty!"

Everyone behind him was shocked and quickly bowed and shouted "Your Majesty".

Cohen waved his hand casually:
"I'm here to give you the Duke, no need to be polite."

After saying that, he turned around, walked to the front of the carriage and stretched out his hand.

When everyone saw this scene, they felt incredible and at the same time, they respected the new Duchess even more in their hearts.

The car curtain was gently lifted, and a slender hand as white as jade stretched out from the car and placed on Cohen's hand. Then, a slim figure slowly walked out of the car.

The Red Dragon Duchess wore a crimson long dress, the hem of which flowed like flames, and the golden patterns on it sparkled in the sunset.

Her skin was as white as snow, her eyes sparkled with a cold light, her long hair fell like a waterfall, and her hair was dotted with a few exquisite rubies, sparkling like dragon scales.

Asuna's appearance seemed to make time stand still, and everyone's attention was attracted by her.

The beauty and temperament of the Red Dragon Duchess were like a burning flame, instantly igniting the entire square.

Astonishing beauty, extraordinary talent, noble temperament... all of these are combined in a twenty-year-old young woman. Asuna shocked everyone present as soon as she appeared.

Cohen took Asuna's hand and walked in front of everyone. He raised his hand slightly, and the scene suddenly became quiet.

Cohen's voice was steady and powerful:
"Everyone, this king has sent you a peerless Grand Duke. Her wisdom and ability were fully demonstrated in the Lost Lands. I hope you will cooperate with Grand Duke Iliad in the future. Under her leadership, we will revitalize the Southern Territory!"

"As ordered!"

After Cohen finished his introduction, Administrative Officer Foren followed the procedure and asked all the noble officials of the southern region to come before Cohen and Asuna to report on their work.

Time passed minute by minute, and the sky became completely dark. As the last official left, Political Officer Fulan slowly walked up to Cohen and said softly:
"Your Majesty, we have prepared a welcoming banquet for His Royal Highness the Grand Duke. Please see..."

Cohen nodded slightly and said:
"Fulun, don't worry about me. Just do what you need to do and follow the normal process."

"Okay, Your Majesty."

Cohen paused and continued:
"Besides, this is Asuna's home turf, so I won't be attending the dinner.

Please have a few more drinks with my comrades from the southern border on my behalf."

Fulun was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied:
"Then your Majesty's headquarters must be there. I'll send someone to clean it up..."

Before Fulun finished speaking, he noticed Cohen's half-smile.

Political Minister Furen's words came to an abrupt halt, and he almost wanted to slap himself. By now, even three-year-old children in the South Territory knew the relationship between the Red Dragon Duchess and His Majesty.

Where else can Your Majesty live?
He must live wherever the Duchess lives!

Cohen coughed lightly, patted Political Officer Fulun's shoulder, and said:
"Asuna, although you are very capable in all aspects, you are still young after all and lack experience in some things. I will rely on your support and assistance in the future. Thank you for your hard work."

Fu Lun bent down and said he didn't dare.

Cohen said hello to everyone and left.

Asuna called Furen over, took out a list, and said to him:

"During the banquet, these people were arranged to sit at the front."

Fulan took the list and took a look. Written on it were the names of some nobles and officials from the southern border—Count Xavier, Viscount Luca, Viscount Reyes, Baron De'an, the Sheriff of Bailey County...

There was surprise in Furen's eyes. Some of these people were indeed of high status, but some did not seem to be qualified to sit close to the king and the grand duke.

He didn't know why Grand Duke Iliad, who had just arrived in the southern border, was paying attention to these few people. Fulun suppressed the strange emotions in his heart and replied calmly:
"Okay, Your Highness."

Cohen did not go far and secretly summoned the commander of the Southern Military Region, Beor Angryn, to the Grand Duke's residence.

Cohen asked casually:
"Are you adapting well in the South?"

Beo's face was filled with excitement, he bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, this is much better than the hard times at the border. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Beor Angryn was previously the commander of the Effiin border war zone. Due to the personnel adjustments in the southern border, he was transferred to the southern border to serve as the commander of the southern border military district.

Cohen waved his hand casually and said:
"Let's not talk about that. How is the military taking over in the southern region? There will be a major military operation in the southern region in the next two days. You must cooperate with Asuna."

Beo immediately expressed his opinion:
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will resolutely cooperate with His Majesty the Grand Duke in all his work."

Cohen lowered his voice and continued:

"The other thing is about the Kingdom of Ceylon. You should know why the Queen and I transferred you to the southern border."

Beo's voice also became much deeper, and he replied:
"The Prime Minister has already explained this to me. Your Majesty, rest assured, I will secretly begin combat readiness training."

Cohen said with satisfaction:

"You are the Queen's uncle, you are one of us. Do your best and don't let me and the Queen down."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

……

Inside the banquet hall, melodious music played, nobles of all ranks toasted and chatted, their eyes occasionally glancing towards the entrance.

An elderly noble whispered to the person next to him:
"Everyone, what do you think? The rumors are true, right? The relationship between our new Grand Duke and His Majesty the King is definitely special!
With such a boss, your life will be difficult in the future.

Maybe Florence will receive news about what we did during the day at night.

A king may not believe a grand duke's one-sided words, but a man will never tolerate his lover's coquettish behavior in bed! "

The man finally made a rather obscene joke, which caused a burst of ambiguous laughter in the hall.

Someone nearby answered:
"Count Xavier, you shouldn't be worried. I just heard that His Highness the Grand Duke has given you special care and allowed you to sit in the front.

I think the governance of Waldler Province has won the favor of His Highness the Grand Duke. If you become successful in the future, don't forget your brothers."

Count Xavier couldn't hide the smile on his face:

“It is my honor to be able to see the stunning beauty of the Red Dragon Duchess up close.

It’s a pity that His Majesty is not coming to participate…”

Someone suddenly said:
"It seems that our new Grand Duke is truly favored by His Majesty. He knows this is the Grand Duke's home turf, so he deliberately avoided it."

"Such a beautiful woman who captivates everyone, I'm sure any man would dote on her."

Everyone discussed this for a while until the voice of Political Officer Foren was heard outside the hall:

"Your Highness, here you are!"

The hall fell silent for a moment. Asuna slowly stepped into the hall, her voice clear and powerful:
"Thank you all for the welcome dinner. Since I have arrived today as a Grand Duke, I hope to work with you to safeguard the prosperity and peace of this land for Your Majesty."

Everyone bowed and saluted:

"I will listen carefully to your Highness' instructions!"

Asuna waved her hand slightly, a faint smile appearing on her jade-like face:

"Please take your seats according to your order. I have something to announce."

Everyone's heart tightened, and they quickly took their seats according to the assigned seats.

Then everyone noticed something strange. There was something obviously unusual about the seats closest to His Royal Highness the Grand Duke.

Count Xavier, Viscount Luca, Viscount Reyes, Baron De'an, the Sheriff of Bailey County...

Some people don't seem qualified to be there.

Count Xavier, who was originally feeling proud of being seated in front of the Grand Duke, felt a chill in his heart when he saw several familiar faces around him.

These people... these people...

Xavier felt his scalp tingling, and a terrifying guess unconsciously came to his mind.

The faces of the other people also turned pale.

Asuna came to the main seat, glanced at everyone, and smiled slightly, but the smile did not reach her eyes. She slowly raised her hand, flicked her fingertips lightly, and a red flame danced in her palm.

Although the flame was small, it emitted a heart-pounding heat and a powerful dragon power.

Asuna's voice was calm, yet it carried a thunderous pressure.
“I hope you all understand that I am here to ensure that His Majesty’s will can be better implemented and carried out in the southern border.

If anyone tries to play tricks on me, I don't mind letting him experience firsthand what the 'Red Dragon's Fury' is!"

Asuna paused, her voice suddenly cold:
"Anyone who is loyal will be protected, and anyone who rebels will be punished!

This is my first banquet with you in the South, so I cannot bear to dine with the traitors who betrayed Effiin!"

Asuna's unusually harsh words caused the entire hall to fall into a deathly silence.

What does His Royal Highness mean by this?
Could there be any rebels among those present?
For a time, people panic.

This Grand Duchess is really hard to deal with. She didn't give me any face at all on the first day she arrived.

Count Xavier and others sitting in the front row had their faces turned pale and cold sweat kept oozing from their foreheads.

Asuna clapped her hands, and a burly figure walked in from outside the hall, escorting several people.

Seeing the newcomer, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

The chief of the Military Control Commission’s Southern Border Station, Leif Zion!

Leif bowed to Asuna, then spoke to everyone in a booming voice:

"Everyone, do you know who these people are?"

Most of the nobles looked at each other, not knowing what Station Master Leif meant by this move.

Only the noble officials sitting in the front row felt very uneasy. If it weren't for the guards who were watching them closely, they would have wanted to run away at this moment!

Leif pointed at one of them and said in a deep voice:

"This is Bonny Green, the owner of Terrast Island.

Responsible for the transshipment of goods to the Kingdom of Ceylon, Boni, tell everyone what the goods you are transshipping are!

The owner of Bonny Island looked panicked and said dejectedly:
"Yes... they are children with extraordinary talents that were collected from the southern part of Effiin."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the entire hall.

Someone is secretly kidnapping children from the southern border and sending them to the Kingdom of Ceylon!

Political Officer Foren's eyes widened, and he asked angrily:
"You beast, who provided you with all this?"

Everyone quickly realized that it was impossible for an island owner to commit such a crime alone. There must be an insider from the southern border cooperating with him, and the status of this insider was not low.

Boni shuddered and turned his gaze to the noble officials in the front row.

Everyone was even more shocked.

Those sitting in the front row were all famous nobles and officials in the southern border. Could it be that they were involved in such an activity?
Fulun's eyes were filled with disbelief, he glared and roared:
“Count Xavier, Viscount Luca!
Can you two explain it to me?"

The Xavier family and the Luca family are both second only to the Gaunt family in the Southern Territory. If these two families jointly did such a thing, it would definitely be an earth-shattering event for the Southern Territory.

The credibility of the entire southern government will collapse in an instant.

The two suppressed their emotions, stood up and retorted:
"Political Officer, this is clearly an attempt to sow discord. Are you going to convict us based solely on the opinion of a Ceylon lackey?"

Asuna's voice suddenly rang out:

"Viscount Luca, you should be familiar with this gentleman."

As she spoke, she clapped her hands lightly, and a military officer walked in, escorting Levis.

Upon seeing this person, Viscount Luca's face turned pale instantly, and he collapsed as if he had been hit hard.

Most people were familiar with the butler beside Viscount Luca. When Levis testified in person about the crimes committed by Viscount Luca, no one had any doubts.

With a single order, Asuna abolished the noble titles of these people in front of everyone, and announced that after a thorough investigation by the Military Control Commission, all of these people would be executed.

On her first day in office, she used thundering means to eliminate two large families that had been passed down in the southern border for a long time. The Red Dragon Duchess's majesty was instantly established in everyone's mind.

……

In the Grand Duke's Mansion, the peerless Grand Duchess who had just been so decisive at the banquet suddenly changed her attitude and was pressed down by Cohen, who gently stroked her delicate face.

Asuna's face flushed, she was incredibly beautiful, and she spoke with a trembling voice:
"Your Majesty...you...what are you going to do..."

Cohen reached into Asuna's crimson dress, feeling the size of her palm, and said in a hoarse voice:
"There are rumors out there that you are His Majesty the King's lover, and I think it's better to turn the rumors into facts.

In addition, I would like to try the feeling of bathing in dragon blood. I wonder if Grand Duke Iliad is willing to cooperate! "

(End of this chapter)