Chapter 106: Messenger of the Eastern Empress! 【Request for Recommendation Votes】
2016-08-28
Author: Floating Tower (诸生浮屠)
The Hell Dog is a notoriously difficult creature.
Especially in the wasteland of Destruction and Despair, the Hell Dogs here are fiercer than those in other planes. They roam in packs throughout the wilderness, and any creature that can be eaten falls victim to their attacks. Under extreme food shortages, infighting may erupt among the Hell Dogs, leading to the d*ath of the weaker ones, while the stronger indulge in a feast.
When a Hell Dog lunged at him, Chouhou remained completely composed. He lightly shifted his foot, then swiftly struck back with his kn*fe, driving the blade straight into the Hell Dog’s throat, which let out a mournful howl before collapsing motionless.
After doing this, Chouhou determined the direction and slipped into the shadows to explore ahead.
On the other side.
In Modo, Soren had been observing Chouhou’s every move. He was an excellent believer, seasoned in his actions with extensive experience. This was evident from how he dealt with the Hell Dog; Chouhou had a profound understanding of how to handle enemies. If a less experienced Wanderer had been in his place, the Hell Dogs would have likely summoned their companions.
Exploring the Divine Kingdom of the Demon God of Fear is a challenging task. If it weren’t for a lack of options, Soren wouldn’t send out his best believer. During this time, he needed to keep a close watch on Chouhou’s actions until the other party entered the Divine Kingdom of the Demon God of Fear.
Once Chouhou entered the Divine Kingdom, Soren would likely need to pay a bit of divine power to observe everything through Chouhou’s research.
Modo. Laboratory.
Today was an ordinary day for Alice until a visitor arrived at her door.
A woman shrouded in a large cloak approached. With slender and muscular thighs, she had a dagger sheathed on each side. Upon reaching Alice’s place, she opened her cloak, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. Unlike women from the southern continent, she had distinctly Eastern feminine features, a high nose, amber eyes, and a unique flame emblem.
“Nightingale?”
Alice showed a hint of surprise and joy, stepping forward to embrace the woman and softly asking, “What brings you here?”
The woman, referred to as Nightingale, glanced around before smiling at Alice, “You seem to be doing well here. Indeed. This place is much better for your research than the desert shrouded in chaotic energy.”
At her words, Alice felt a pang of embarrassment.
After all, she had once been under the Eastern Empress’s command. Although she did not pledge her loyalty like others, leaving in such a manner felt somewhat inappropriate.
Nightingale smiled at the change in expression and gently said, “Don’t worry.”
“Your Majesty the Eastern Empress does not hold it against you. I came to Modo for another matter.”
Nightingale held a special status.
She was the most trusted personal guard of the Eastern Empress, a legendary level Dance Maiden who also worked as an assassin. Usually, she protected the Eastern Empress up close. Her presence in Modo definitely indicated that she had something important to handle.
“Hmm?” Alice looked at her with curiosity. Since Nightingale had come personally, something significant must have happened in the Eastern Kingdom.
Nightingale found a spot to sit and quietly asked, “What do you think of Lord Soren, the master of Modo?”
Lord Soren?
Alice’s expression grew serious at her words. Although she could not ascertain her intentions yet, she sensed that things were not as straightforward as they appeared.
After a moment of contemplation, she slowly replied, “It’s difficult to comment on him. However, there is no doubt that he is an exceptionally outstanding, powerful, and charismatic individual. He values order and rules, having built the magnificent Modo in just a few years. It’s hard to gauge such a person in a few words, but without a doubt, he is the most remarkable man in the entire world.”
Nightingale fell into contemplation upon hearing this.
After a moment, she quietly asked, “Values order and rules? How does he treat his allies?”
Allies?
Alice fell silent at her query. After thinking for a long while, she replied, “Allies? Lord Soren highly values his promises, so if they are allies, he should adhere to his commitments, right?”
“Is something wrong?”
Nightingale sighed before stating, “Yes. Your Majesty the Eastern Empress has encountered trouble.”
“The Ancient Evil Artifact has emerged.”
“Though the Monks summoned the legendary Cloud Climber to seal the terrifying Ancient Evil Artifact, many areas of the Eastern Kingdom are still contaminated. The southern part of the Eastern Kingdom has been devastated under the artifact’s power, with the tainted land becoming uninhabitable. Subsequently, a lot happened, and under duress, the Eastern Empress had to take control of the various islands in the Eastern Sea.”
“Now.”
“The entire Eastern Kingdom, along with the southern ports, is under our control.”
Alice frowned deeply upon hearing this, quickly grasping the key point, murmuring, “The entire Eastern Sea’s ports are under your control. Does that include Langsha Island and Heijiao Island?”
Nightingale nodded, “Yes.”
Alice’s frown deepened as she whispered, “You’ve eliminated all of Lord Soren’s former allies?”
“Yes,” Nightingale answered straightforwardly.
Then, after pondering a moment, she added, “These evil individuals disregard the lives of others. After the Ancient Evil Artifact appeared in the Eastern Kingdom, Your Majesty declared a willingness to pay a price for their aid in supplies.”
“But unexpectedly, they demanded exorbitantly, and their leader even harbored exaggerated intentions towards Your Majesty.”
“And then.”
“We killed them all.”
The Eastern Kingdom resembles a city-state model.
There is no true kingdom in the Eastern Kingdom; many cities are governed by secular powers, monasteries, and nobles, while the Eastern Empress’s existence resembles that of a queen of the central city-state, secretly controlling about one-third of the Eastern Kingdom, with her own forces in many cities.
Alice contemplated for a moment and asked, “Did you come this time to replace those former entities as a partner for Modo?”
Nightingale shook her head, “Not just Modo.”
“My mission this time is to gain Lord Soren’s acknowledgment. Your Majesty hopes we can become allies with a true god.”
Alice looked at her and asked, “When did this happen?”
Nightingale seemed to understand what she was asking and replied, “A few days ago. Currently, Modo’s fleet should not have returned yet. Don’t worry. We did not attack them; we know when to be cautious.”
“The news should not have been delivered back yet.”
“I am here ahead of time; a formal messenger from Your Majesty will follow.”
Alice contemplated for a bit before asking, “What do you need me to do?”
Nightingale smiled slightly and softly said, “Help us persuade Lord Soren to accept our control of the Eastern Sea. We won’t change any rules established by him. It’s just that all future trade in the Eastern Kingdom will be managed by us, and Lord Soren will only be changing partners; nothing else will change.”
Alice seemed relieved and gently remarked, “If it’s just this, I can try to help.”
“Have those individuals been dealt with?”
Nightingale nodded, “All taken care of. Don’t worry. We won’t be careless about such matters. For a deity of Lawful Evil, there are some rules they care about. We won’t make such low-level mistakes.”
Alice thought seriously for a moment and replied, “Alright.”
“You’ll accompany me to meet Lord Soren tomorrow. This matter must be handled, or else if we anger Modo, the consequences will undoubtedly be more serious than you can imagine.”
………………
The next day.
This morning, Soren received very bad intel.
The news came from the Eastern Kingdom and concerned his former allies, the coastal Monk organizations and Ronin leaders that had previously formed a pact with him, all of which had been wiped out overnight.
The entire trade along the Eastern Kingdom’s coastline had come to a halt.
Though Modo’s fleet had not suffered any attacks, the situation could either be severe or minor, but it largely depended on how those who replaced the original leaders controlled the Eastern coastline. Soren absolutely would not allow the Eastern Sea route to be interrupted, so if necessary, he would personally dispatch a fleet to expedition to the Eastern Kingdom to bring the Eastern coastline under his control.
“My lord.”
“Lady Alice wishes to see you.”
As Soren put down the intelligence, a guard’s voice sounded from outside the door.
Soren raised an eyebrow and ordered, “Let her in.”
He had just received news, and Alice had taken the initiative to visit him—it seemed this matter was closely related to the Eastern Empress. In the entire Eastern Kingdom, only the monasteries and the Eastern Empress had the ability to eliminate his former allies overnight.
“Lord Soren.”
Alice soon appeared before him, accompanied by another woman.
An Eastern Dance Maiden.
Also a very skilled assassin.
Upon glancing at her, Soren quickly recognized her identity and profession.
“Great Lord of Shadows.”
The Eastern Dance Maiden stepped forward slightly, bowing, and whether intentionally or not, revealed her ample curves, smiling as she raised her head, “I am Nightingale, the personal guard of Your Majesty the Eastern Empress. I have come to Modo regarding the matter of replacing the owner of the Eastern coastline.”
“We bear no ill will.”
“To avoid any misunderstanding on your part, Your Majesty the Eastern Empress sent me ahead; a formal messenger from Your Majesty will arrive in a few days.”
So it was indeed the Eastern Empress’s intervention?
Soren frowned slightly upon hearing this. Observing his furrowed brow, both Alice and Nightingale became tense, for he was a terrifying true god, and the consequences of angering him were unimaginable. Soren paused, letting his gaze fall on Alice before returning his attention to Nightingale, calmly stating, “Let’s sit down and talk.”
It seemed his gamble had paid off.
Seeing Soren’s demeanor made Nightingale realize her decision was correct; meeting Alice before formally encountering Soren was indeed a wise choice.
Otherwise.
At this moment, Soren’s attitude toward her would certainly not be as friendly as it was now.
………………(To be continued ~^~)
