novellaaa Chapter 290 News from the Eastern Territory
Chapter 290 News from the Eastern Territory
Chapter 294 News from the Eastern Territory
In the past, intelligence was transmitted by fast horses and caravans, and a round trip would take several days. Given the road conditions of this era, delays of ten days to half a month were common.
Since acquiring the "Unity" ring, Kevin's foreign intelligence team has seen a significant improvement in communication efficiency with headquarters.
A lot of news has been coming back recently.
Firstly, the intelligence team has expanded considerably. When they initially set out, he only had four Shadow Blades and a few hundred gold coins.
Today, more than a hundred unofficial staff have been developed in the capital and several large territories along the way.
These people have a variety of backgrounds.
Some are low-level officials corrupted by money, willing to copy official documents multiple times just to receive an extra allowance from Kevin each month.
Some were wandering swordsmen of unknown origin who collected gossip and anecdotes from passing merchants in the tavern.
There were even castle servants and men of a certain earlion who collected information about the lord every day and then compiled it up with the liaison.
Each person has their own number and is in direct contact with a designated contact person.
The liaison is responsible for filtering out the useful information and then reporting it to Kevin. There's no need to worry about being traced back to him if these unofficial personnel are arrested.
Besides the intelligence network, Kevin also sent back the latest developments in the East.
After the assassination of his heir, the Duke of Skyhawk completely changed. He insisted that the Vatican was behind it, and no amount of persuasion could change his mind.
After all, within the empire, besides the lords, only the Papacy possessed a substantial military force.
Grand Duke Skyhawk has gathered all his vassal forces in the East, established a blockade, and, following the example of Grand Duke Frostmoather in the North, intends to cleanse all the Churches of Light.
Although the Vatican has not issued a public statement in response, it has been taking continuous actions.
Previously, the Holy See had planned to launch a Holy War of Light against the dwarves, drawing thousands of Knights of Light from the Demons and Titans to be stationed outside the southern border of the Stars.
This massive army has recently shown signs of unusual mobilization, with several hundred Lan Yue-level knights spotted at the border between the Southern and Eastern territories.
Good guy!
Openly violating the martial law order of the Star Empire!
The Vatican offered no explanation; its silence itself speaks volumes.
The North has already been thoroughly cleansed of Frostfodder and Wolves. If the East is treated the same way, will the game even be able to continue?
The statue of the Goddess of Light is made of clay, do you think I am too?
Everyone can see the Papacy's attitude: if the Eastern Territory dares to carry out a major purge, the Papacy will inevitably break off all pretense of civility.
.
So Xingchen took action.
First, a stern order was issued forbidding the Grand Duke of Skyhawk's purge, but the Grand Duke of Skyhawk ignored it.
Immediately afterwards, Prince Ares, who was originally investigating the attack on the orcs in the Cape Region, went directly to the Eastern Territory and had a closed-door meeting with the Grand Duke of the Eagle.
Nobody knows what they talked about.
All that is known is that during the talks, the window of the castle study was smashed open, and a solid wood desk flew out of the window.
Then Skyhawk lifted the blockade, and the cleansing operation was called off.
Immediately afterwards, Starry Sky issued a document targeting the Holy See, which contained only one word.
roll!
Subsequently, the assembled Knights of Light obediently withdrew from the Starry Sky Realm.
It seems that a third force wants to muddy the waters of the stars, but the royal family and the Holy See have both restrained themselves.
This force is extremely mysterious; not a single word has escaped its notice.
However, this was actually a good thing for Richard, because the more turbulent the situation in the East became, the more some nobles would seek a way out.
The Grand Duke of Tianying is like a powder keg that could explode at any moment; no one knows when the next conflict will break out.
Not every lord craves war; like the Iron Baron, prosperity and stability are more important than anything else.
Moreover, since the Papacy's influence in the North was wiped out and after the plague, the overall environment has become relatively peaceful.
For nobles who only wanted to live a peaceful life with their ancestral property, this was not a bad option, which provided favorable conditions for exchanging land.
Furthermore, Hanshan Territory is a viscount's territory, covering more than 600 square kilometers, with readily available population, towns, and farmland.
You can move in right away, and the conditions are very attractive. You could easily exchange it for an enclave, or even two baronies.
The question now is, who should we find to exchange land with? We can't just go to someone else's territory and say, "Let's exchange land," can we?
Who are you?
Therefore, personal connections are the ultimate condition for exchanging land.
Although Richard has no connections in the East, it doesn't matter, Lawrence definitely does.
The Golden Lion family is a direct vassal of the Starry Sky Royal Family, with a history of over six hundred years. They are undoubtedly an old and established noble family, and he must know some of the major lords in the Eastern Territory.
At the opening ceremony, Lawrence had invited him to visit Golden Lion Castle after the autumn harvest, and the time was fast approaching.
The autumn harvest is undoubtedly the most important festival of the year. After the harvest, nobles would hold banquets and dances, inviting their vassals and friends to gather with their families.
It is an important occasion to celebrate the harvest, and also to take the opportunity to build relationships or finalize cooperation for the coming year.
Lawrence's invitation to him at this juncture was itself a gesture of acceptance.
This was not an official meeting, but rather a gathering of people in the circle to drink, chat, and boast. Moreover, many of those who could attend the Golden Lion Banquet were high-ranking nobles.
In that situation, asking him to act as a go-between would solve the problem.
However, I need to write him a letter in advance, clearly outlining the general conditions for the exchange, so that he has a clear understanding before the banquet, and avoids further disputes later.
Cross-border trade is urgent, not only because chiffon cakes need to open up new markets, but also for another reason.
Kevin recently sent back some news about the Demon Empire.
Since the undead horde incident, the conflict between the Demon King's royal family and the major mage towers within the territory has become completely public.
The royal family accused the Mage Tower of going out of control in its research on forbidden magic, while the Mage Tower countered that the royal family was using this as an excuse to suppress academic freedom.
The war of words escalated into friction, and then into confrontation.
It is said that the Demon Spirit Royal Family personally took action and slaughtered several powerful families involved, causing widespread fear throughout the empire.
The Global Star Library, the highest academic institution in mainland China, also recently announced its temporary closure.
My sister Freya is there; I have to go and bring her back.
Her research focuses on light magic, a topic that is already sensitive enough under normal circumstances. Now, who knows if someone will use her research to make a fuss?
In fact, Richard never supported her researching light magic. He thought, "What's so great about researching that stuff? She's just worrying about things that don't concern her."
If she really enjoys exploring the unknown, once the floating fortress is built, we'll construct a [Super-Distance Prism Tower] for her, so she can study what true technology is!
That thing has a physical form, data, and stable output; it's much more reliable than studying some vague and ethereal goddess of light.
As long as the cross-border trade route in the eastern region can be opened before winter, Qi Feng's reach can extend to the border of the Demon Spirit Empire.
At that time, it will be much more convenient to send people to meet us or to transport supplies.
After writing the letter to Lawrence, Richard put down his pen, folded the letter, put it in the envelope, and stamped it with the chiffon gold seal.
Suddenly, a loud commotion erupted outside the window.
I wonder who got flicked on the forehead again. Judging from the volume of their scream, their forehead must be swollen like an egg.
Im's loud voice followed immediately with a roar.
"Everyone, disperse and go to sleep! We're leaving for home early tomorrow morning. Anyone who keeps howling will be sent to stand guard on the city wall!"
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