Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Emperor Eberron frowned deeply as he watched his daughter so eager to defend Cohen, even at the cost of contradicting him.

A complex feeling of "a daughter is not meant to stay at home once she grows up" welled up in my heart.

They had completely forgotten how, in their youth, they had schemed to abduct the granddaughter of Grand Duke Zaril.

Seeing this, Cohen quickly and gently squeezed Grace's hand under the table, then said:
"Your Majesty, please understand."

An unprecedented operation involving multiple forces is about to take place in the Lost Lands.

I do need capable and absolutely trustworthy assistants to share the heavy responsibilities.

Her Highness the Eldest Princess is exceptionally intelligent and will definitely be of great help to me.

Please rest assured, I will do everything in my power to protect her safety and will never allow her to suffer any harm.

Moreover, if His Majesty truly hopes to smoothly and peacefully hand over the reins of the empire to Grace in the future, making her a qualified successor who can win the hearts of the people...

Therefore, allowing her to accumulate experience and establish prestige through practice is an indispensable part of the process.

Keeping her under the protection of the palace for too long would actually hinder her future growth and rule.

Didn't His Majesty previously say that he would hand over all the forces of the Eastern Empire in the Lost Lands to me for temporary command?

"In that case, why not entrust Her Highness Grace with the specific coordination, command, and daily management of this force?"

Seeing the young couple's resolute attitude, Eberlon said nothing more, paused, and then gave them some instructions:
"Then please be careful, protect yourselves, and report to me immediately if anything happens."

"Yes!"

……

Cohen rubbed Grace's slightly tired forehead.

I was also completely exhausted.

After three days and three nights of non-stop work, Cohen and Grace finally completed all the pre-wedding procedures.

First, he took a solemn oath in front of the Senate, and then he engaged in social interactions with envoys from various countries who came to offer their congratulations.

Finally, the marriage contract was signed in front of a group of royal elders and ministers.

After going through so many procedures, Cohen felt physically and mentally exhausted, and he couldn't help but think to himself that he should never make his wedding to Shanis so complicated.

After a short rest, they did not linger. They bid farewell to Emperor Eberon and immediately set off for the Lost Lands.

We're about to head to the Lost Lands. Just like I told Eberlon before, Cohen really lacks capable and trustworthy people around him.

He quickly contacted Windsordler, who was in Effie and overseeing the construction of the national teleportation network, via an encrypted communication crystal.

The elf lady had weathered countless storms with him in the Lost Lands, and possessed an understanding of that land of chaotic laws and intertwined forces far beyond that of ordinary people.

Furthermore, with the nationwide teleportation array construction basically completed, there is no need for Windsor to remain in the country any longer.

Bringing her by my side is undoubtedly the most suitable choice at present.

Windsordler hadn't seen Cohen for a long time. Upon receiving Cohen's message, he dropped everything and set off for the Lost Land.

After making the arrangements, Cohen took a deep breath and took out the Book of Time and Space.

The pages of the book moved without wind, and flowing silver runes began to swirl around him, forming a passage to the "Lost Land".

Grace stood quietly beside him, her hand naturally linked with his arm, ready to embark on this journey across space together.

However, just as the incantation was about to be finished and the spatial energy began to vibrate violently, Cohen suddenly realized something that made his chanting stop abruptly, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

The default teleportation point he set in the Lost Lands... was his private bedroom on the top floor of the Belmody Wizard Tower!
Normally, this would be the most convenient and comfortable route back to the lost land.

But right now he has Grace with him!
This is the eldest princess of the Eastern Empire, who has just entered into a marriage agreement with him amidst great public attention and is of noble status!
If this were to be transmitted like this, wouldn't it be tantamount to laying bare his intimate relationship with Belmody, a relationship that is best left unsaid to outsiders, right in front of Grace?

Cohen's gaze involuntarily drifted to Grace beside him, a rare hint of embarrassment and panic flashing across his face.

As a result, their movements became much stiffer.

Grace immediately noticed his unusual behavior and asked softly:
"What's wrong? Has something gone wrong with the Book of Time and Space?"

Looking into Grace's pure and unadulterated eyes, Cohen sighed inwardly.

Well, things have come to this point, there's no way to hide it anymore, we can only take it one step at a time.

He quickly calculated in his mind that as long as he could persuade Grace afterwards not to tell Mavis and Melantha about it.

That way, the turmoil can be kept to a minimum.

Upon arrival, the teleportation point must be changed from Bayonetta's palace immediately.

Otherwise, every teleportation would feel like walking a tightrope, which would be too dangerous.

He composed himself and lowered his voice:

"Your Highness, there is something... I need to tell you first."

Once the teleportation is complete, whatever you see or where you are, please remain calm and do not be overly surprised.

I assure you, I will give you a reasonable explanation.

Upon hearing this, Grace's confusion deepened. She furrowed her brows slightly and asked, puzzled:
"What's surprising? What's the explanation?"
What are you talking about? What's wrong with our teleportation landing point?

She didn't connect it to anything romantic at all, and thought Cohen was worried about the safety of the destination.

Cohen looked at Grace's completely bewildered expression and swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

With a determined heart, he said no more, squeezed her hand tightly, then focused his mind and activated the Book of Time and Space in his hand with all his might.

The silver runes on the pages burst forth with light, and powerful spatial energy engulfed the two of them like a tidal wave.

The next second, the light faded, and the two figures had completely disappeared from the secret chamber of the Eastern Empire's palace.

……

The solid ground beneath my feet felt real, and the spatial distortions and light and shadows caused by the long-distance teleportation gradually faded away.

Their vision cleared again.

Grace blinked, adjusting to the change in light, and realized that she was not in the Endless Alliance building as she had imagined.

Instead, I was standing in an indoor space filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance.

As far as the eye can see, there is a floor covered with a thick, dark red carpet, walls draped with deep purple velvet curtains, and a full range of furniture and furnishings.

This is clearly an extremely private and feminine bedroom.

Immediately afterwards, her gaze met that of a slender figure reclining on a large, comfortable couch at the other end of the room.

The person seemed startled by the sudden teleportation light, and was half-leaning as he looked over, his face showing astonishment and a trace of lingering laziness.

When Grace saw the other person's face clearly, her heart skipped a beat.
That was none other than the ruler of the "Mysterious Continent," the legendary cursed witch Belmody Vineyard, renowned for her mystery and power!
Cohen, standing beside her, wore a stiff smile, which quickly gave her a bad feeling.

Fortunately, Belmod was, after all, a seasoned and powerful figure who had been through thick and thin and was in charge of a region. After the initial shock,

He quickly suppressed his emotions, his languid posture remained unchanged, but his eyes had regained their usual depth and calmness, as if his earlier loss of composure had never happened.

Without even getting up, he spoke in his distinctive, husky, and magnetic voice:

"Your Highness Princess Grace, what a pleasant surprise to see you again."

Long time no see, how have you been?

Grace was momentarily taken aback by the overly calm greeting, but her good manners allowed her to immediately suppress her myriad doubts and gracefully nod in return.
"Ms. Belmody, it is my pleasure."

But...excuse my intrusion, what brings you here? This place seems to be..."

Her gaze swept over the bedroom, which was full of personal style, once again, and the meaning was self-evident.

Upon hearing this, Belmody's eyes flickered, and she subtly cast a chillingly murderous glare in Cohen's direction.

It's as if it's saying, "Look what you've done!"

But his facial expression remained perfectly calm, and his explanation was flawless:

"Yes, this is my palace. However..."

She deliberately drew out her words, her gaze sweeping meaningfully over Grace, then seemingly casually glancing at Cohen, before slowly adding,
"Of course, this is also the residence of Mavis and Melantha."

We sisters have never distinguished between ourselves.

Behrmoti's words, though seemingly casual, were in fact extremely clever.

He subtly shifted the suspicion that Cohen had set the teleportation coordinates here from himself to Mavis and Melantha.

The subtext is clear: your man chose this place not for me.

However, Her Highness the Princess was clearly not someone who could be easily fooled by words.

However, she did not immediately raise any questions.

On the surface, he maintained a polite smile and exchanged seemingly ordinary pleasantries with Belmody, his words never revealing any flaws.

It seemed as if they had completely accepted the other party's explanation that the bedroom was "shared".

While politely responding to inquiries about her recent situation, she casually moved her feet, as if admiring the furnishings in the palace.

Suddenly, she paused slightly, and her figure flashed like a ghost, instantly appearing in front of the huge wardrobe in the corner of the bedroom.

Before Belmody could react, Grace reached out and yanked open the heavy cabinet door.

The wardrobe was very spacious inside, with many clothes neatly hanging inside.

Grace's gaze swept quickly over the gorgeous clothes.

There was no need to search carefully; at a glance, several pieces of men's underwear stood out starkly against the surrounding glamorous women's clothing.

What's even more striking is that several women's underwear pieces were hanging next to these men's underwear.

Judging from the size alone, it was far beyond the reach of Melantha or Mavis. It was clearly a perfect match for the voluptuous and graceful cursed witch Belmody herself.

Seeing this, a hint of helplessness finally crossed the calm face that Belmodi had been trying to maintain, and she let out a barely audible sigh, knowing that any explanation would be futile.

Cohen, standing to the side, could only manage an even more helpless wry smile as he raised his hand to rub his temples.

Grace slammed the cabinet door shut with a soft "bang," her movements elegant yet carrying a chill.

She slowly turned around, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Cohen and Belmody, whose expressions varied.

A deathly silence fell over the palace; the air seemed to freeze.

After a long silence, Grace finally spoke, her voice unusually calm, a calmness that was unsettling:

Can I say I wasn't too surprised?

On Belmod's eternally frozen, exquisite face, her lips twitched slightly, and a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes.

She took a small half-step forward, her voice extremely soft:
“Your Highness, I did not mean to steal your man. This matter is quite complicated.”

Upon hearing this, Grace raised her slender eyebrows slightly, but her voice remained calm:

"Your words, Lord of Sequences, are quite easy to say."

The men you 'have no intention of fighting over' are probably far more than just mine.

And the men of your two lovely sisters.

Caught in the middle, Cohen felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat almost soaked through his undershirt.

He could no longer remain silent, and quickly stepped forward, standing between the two, his voice filled with pleading:

"Your Highness, this matter is entirely my fault. Please do not be angry and let me explain the reasons."

He took a deep breath and quickly told Grace about the aftereffects of Belmody taking the potion, and how he had to become the "antidote" to help Belmody recover.

It is emphasized that the initial treatment was purely out of desperation, intended to save Vermouth's life and sanity.

However, after hearing this explanation, Grace's beautiful face showed no relief whatsoever; instead, a cold smile appeared on her face.

Those eyes, seemingly able to see through people's hearts, scanned back and forth between Cohen and Belmody, finally settling on Cohen's face, which was filled with sincerity and innocence:

"Potion side effects?"

So, when will the treatment for these so-called aftereffects finally end?

Has the treatment continued since then, day and night, and still not resulted in a cure?

Cohen's smirk froze instantly. He opened his mouth, but found that any defense he offered would be pale and powerless in the face of such sharp questioning. He could only awkwardly touch his nose, lower his eyes, and dare not utter another word.

Faced with Grace's almost blunt and sharp sarcasm, Belmody appeared remarkably calm.

A complex and unfathomable emotion flickered in those deep, dark eyes, then he nodded gently and calmly admitted:

"Initially, it was indeed to resolve the aftereffects of the potion, so we had to use Cohen's body. Later..."

She paused briefly, then met Grace's scrutinizing gaze with composure, her voice clear and firm, without the slightest hesitation:
"Later on, I found myself unable to resist falling in love with your husband."

I have no need to hide this, nor do I intend to deny it.

These words, spoken by a "Lord of Sequences" known for his mystery, aloofness, and majesty, carried an undeniable sincerity, leaving Grace, who had been fiercely ready to confront him, speechless for a moment.

The mocking expression on his face froze, and a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes. He seemed not to have expected that this ruthless and mysteriously powerful cursed witch in countless legends would so frankly admit her feelings.

After a brief silence, Grace took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the complex emotions churning in her chest.

She stopped looking at Belmody and slowly turned to Cohen, who was sitting on pins and needles beside her. Her gaze was fixed on Cohen as if trying to see through him, and she asked in a low voice:
"Besides me, who else knows about this?"

Does the Queen know?

Cohen felt another layer of cold sweat seep down his back. Under Grace's gaze, which seemed to pierce his soul, he swallowed hard, his voice involuntarily weakening, tinged with guilt:
“Adel…she…she knows.”

"Ah……"

Upon hearing this, Grace let out a helpless sigh and shook her head slightly.
"Even the main wife has tacitly approved... what right or standing do I, a mere 'mistress,' have to object?"

Vermoti secretly breathed a sigh of relief, took a step forward, bowed slightly, lowered his posture to an unprecedented degree, and pleaded with unprecedented sincerity:

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. I would like to ask you to grant me one more request."

Grace seemed to guess what she wanted to say, and waved her hand wearily:
“I know what you want to say.

It's a secret, right?
Especially... don't mention this to your two precious sisters, Melantha and Mavis, for now, okay?

A hint of gratitude flashed in Belmod's eyes, and she nodded solemnly:

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

A seemingly tense and potentially tumultuous conflict unexpectedly came to a temporary close amidst Belmody's composure, Grace's reluctant compromise, and Cohen's struggle for survival.

Seeing that the most dangerous moment seemed to have passed for the time being, Cohen quickly raised his hand to wipe away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead and forcibly steered the conversation back on track:

“By the way, His Highness and I have come to the Lost Lands on a very urgent matter concerning Thrall’s conspiracy with the demons of the abyss.”

Let's start by with a detailed account of the recent situation in the Lost Lands!

When it came to serious matters, the rare emotional fluctuation that had just appeared on Belmod's face quickly subsided, and in an instant he regained the composure and coldness befitting a "Lord of Sequences" who was in charge of a region and whose depths were unfathomable.

She nodded slightly, her voice steady:

"The former Ceylon envoy you secretly sent here, Keith Stevens, has, as instructed, successfully established initial contact between him and Viktor, the Demon Lord Thrall's top confidant in the Lost Lands."

Cohen then asked:

"In what capacity did he appear?"

Vermodi paused for a moment, then replied:

"He still appeared as 'King Gaius's secret envoy'."

Gaius's death is still a secret, and his identity still has some credibility.

Stevens claims that His Majesty Gaius has successfully moved to a secret base deep in the Endless Sea, where he is gathering strength and plotting to restore the dynasty.

"We've come here hoping to regain the support of the Demon Lord Thrall and, with the power of the Abyss, return to the continent."

Belmod's tone became subtle:
"However, Viktor is not someone to be trifled with."

The news that the Kingdom of Ceylon had nearly been destroyed in such a short time was too shocking.

The two places are too far apart, and Viktor obviously has great doubts about this.

Currently, both sides are still in a tug-of-war phase of mutual probing and bargaining.

Stevens threw out several baits we had prepared beforehand, about the Ceylon royal treasury and several secret military bases, in an attempt to gain their trust.

But Viktor was very cautious and didn't fully commit, remaining silent.

Cohen stroked his chin and pondered:

“Victor’s caution was expected.”

Thrall has been managing the Lost Lands for many years, and those he has chosen and entrusted with important responsibilities are definitely not easy to deal with.

It's understandable that Victor wouldn't easily believe Stevens's empty rhetoric.

Vermoti's gaze was deep and thoughtful.

"You mean Victor has already become suspicious of Stevens's identity?"

Cohen shook his head and said:

"It's not so much a matter of suspicion. The reason he hasn't shown up yet is that he's suspicious of Stevens' identity."

More importantly, he himself is now unwilling to meet the envoy of this deposed monarch.

In the eyes of Viktor, or rather Thrall behind him, an exiled king who has lost his kingdom, army, and most of his power has had his usefulness greatly diminished.

Allying with such losers carries far more risk than reward.

They are more likely to view Stevens as a speculator trying to squeeze out the last bit of capital or with ulterior motives, rather than a trustworthy partner.

Cohen's words made a glint in Vermouth's eyes, and she asked in a deep voice:

"You mean... you want to intervene proactively and make Stevens demonstrate a 'value' that Viktor, and even the Demon Lord Thrall behind him, will have to take seriously?"

"good."

Cohen nodded firmly and continued:

"Sarr's ambitions are beyond our imagination."

He needs proxies, but even more so, he needs pawns who can stir up trouble and create chaos and opportunity within the human continent.

A completely destroyed Ceylon Gaius would indeed lose most of its value to him, but a Gaius remnant who might still be active in the shadows, or even possess some special leverage, would be of entirely different significance.

What we need to do is to give Stevens's status as an envoy more weight that Sal can't ignore, and even covet.

However, the specific plan still needs to be developed based on the details of Stevens' contact with Victor.

But the direction is clear: either Stevens demonstrates that Gaius's 'remnants' still possess some kind of resource or intelligence that Sal desperately needs.

Alternatively, Stevens could inadvertently reveal that Gaius is not alone and may have other powerful figures interested in the Sal Project standing behind him… A combination of truth and deception, a mix of reality and illusion, is needed to lure the suspicious devil into a trap.

Upon hearing this, Vermoti's previously tense expression seemed to relax slightly. He let out a soft sigh and said with a sense of relief:

"It's good that you have a concrete idea. During this period, we have to maintain the monitoring of the various forces in the Lost Lands, deal with the probing from Viktul, and be careful not to arouse Thrall's suspicion. My manpower and energy are somewhat stretched thin."

Your arrival is just the right time to take over and manage the overall situation.

In this game of the Lost Lands, the next move is up to you. (End of Chapter)