Chapter 3086 - 1028: Loren! Something Has Happened to You! Don’t Resist, and No One Will Get Hurt! [8/10]

Chapter 3086: Chapter 1028: Loren! Something Has Happened to You! Don’t Resist, and No One Will Get Hurt! [8/10]

The Kato area has a long, narrow coastline and considerable fishery resources. Despite the lack of a good deep-water port, people in this region had built a prosperous life through fishing even before the establishment of the Posya Confederation.

Due to its favorable climate and proximity to the Emerald Forest in the Antani District, the area was richly endowed with resources, making it a thriving trading region within the scope of human civilization on the Old Continent since ancient times.

It holds geographical advantage as its connection to the Ligurian Peninsula enabled the emergence of engineering technology while the Transia Barbarians were still struggling with cold weapons. Some factories in the Kato area were already utilizing the mechanical technology of the Half-body Man to create wealth.

Since the establishment of the Posya Confederation, the Kato area has been its money bag.

Its status is comparable to the Kafuhoka granary; the vast yet troubled and fragile confederation relies heavily on these two places for survival.

Unfortunately, the nation that survived four Black Disasters was finally doomed by the onslaught of the Ten-Year War. After Golden Flower and Nordtof dismembered the Posya Confederation, the Kafuhoka granary was seized by the northerners, while the money bag Kato area was occupied by the Golden Flower Kingdom.

King Louis intended to leverage the engineering budding in the Kato area to usher in a "technological revolution" for his country. By the second year of the Ten-Year War, the Kato area was already under control. Now the region has been occupied by the Golden Flower Kingdom for nine years, its grassroots governance replaced, and the technological diffusion King Louis envisioned has become a reality.

Seven of the Kato area’s top ten factories have relocated to the core territory of Golden Flower, and the remaining three have not moved, not because they defy the King’s orders, but because these three major factories all belong to the firm Royalist Cape Family.

Since Brigadier General Fraser’s grandfather made a fortune in the Kato area, over a hundred years of cultivation have made the family the region’s "Uncrowned King." If the Golden Flower Kingdom did embrace the practice of feudal fragmentation, the Kato area would have long become the private property of the Cape Family.

Nonetheless, after this place was incorporated into the Golden Flower’s territory, the Cape Family’s power further expanded over nine years. They have moved from behind the scenes to the forefront, becoming the true powers in both the noble and mercantile circles of the Kato area. Of course, in a still-feudal state, the members of these two groups tend to overlap significantly.

The Kato area is indeed under the complete control of the Cape Family. In this sense, King Louis cleverly employed a divide-and-rule strategy by handing the dark zones of Kato over to the Wolfsbane Clan for management.

After all, even though the Cape Family has been steadfast Royalists for generations, their influence has indeed become somewhat excessive for a reigning king.

In this current wartime on the Ligurian Peninsula, facing the invasion of the Wolf People, the Cape Family, as the foremost force in the Kato area, has taken on the crucial responsibility of supplying military resources to the Exploration Corps. Besides, the succeeding head of the family, Brigadier General Fraser, is serving in the military, while the current head, Count Leon, also stationed here, is personally directing the logistics of the war.

This is an official position appointed by King Louis; Count Leon takes it quite seriously. If the frontlines lose and the Wolf People manage to invade and pillage across the Kato area, neither the King nor the family would be able to bear the consequences.

Count Leon is someone who values his quality of life greatly. Even during wartime while overseeing logistics, he doesn’t reside in the Dorod Fortress but rather at his seaside villa, using it as his office.

The Count is advanced in age, having developed rather commendable habits, so even at eight o’clock in the evening, he is already preparing to rest.

But just as the Count was being nestled in bed by his teleporter mistress Madam Runa, an urgent knock at the door startled him awake. The Count suddenly sat up from the bed, and his mistress picked up the casting rod resting beside it.

"Master, something’s happened on the nearby coast. A large number of Wave Fishmen are attacking the surrounding villages and coastline. The numbers are enormous. You must evacuate immediately!"

The loyal old butler stated from outside the door, prompting Count Leon to squint his eyes.

Known as the "Blackfoot Fox," he was not one to be cowardly or timid. Though he hadn’t officially been on the battlefield, the Count’s lifetime experiences had bestowed him with enough composure during emergencies. He descended from the bed, wearing his night robe, opened the door, and faced his old butler clad in assassin armor, fully armed, asking:

"What’s going on? Why the sudden Fishman chaos? There’s no sign of Fishman activity along the Kato coastline."

"It’s difficult to say at this moment, but based on my experience, these Fishmen do not seem to be organized in their raid on the land. It’s more like a group of fleeing troops; perhaps some unusual event has transpired in the offshore areas."

Having once adventured with the Nantes Ranger but now choosing to live a low-profile life, the old butler Huguenot declared solemnly:

"But such matters can be pursued later. Your safety is paramount. Please change your clothes immediately and leave the villa with me. I will escort you to Dorod Fortress. The intelligence conveyed from the Pioneer of the Expeditionary Legion has confirmed that the Daguan Fishmen and Bone Biting Jackal Men have completed their alliance with the Evil Faction. It’s hard to say whether this Fishman attack is an attempt by them to disrupt the rear."