Chapter 218: Governor of Tidecrown

"Exactly. Quick thinking, Lord Tervain."

Dorian nodded in approval.

"Cassian opened the Skyreach Tower, then left Tidecrown. The Province hasn’t accumulated many Skyreach Points. If we refuse to leave, we can push him down the Ranking and keep him out of the Contest of Champions."

Galen slowly sat down.

"And then? Does the military have another plan?"

"It does."

Dorian told him the rest.

"The original plan was to take the Governorship and kill Cassian immediately afterward. A number of older-sector Lords have already descended for that purpose. But against the strength Cassian and Riftward have shown, with those House Frost Lords added, we can no longer be certain of success."

He lowered his voice.

"I’ve reported the situation. Sector 632 is secretly preparing another mass descent. At least a thousand Lords, by my estimate. All with one objective: kill Cassian Vale."

Galen listened without interrupting.

"If he earns the title of Homeworld Champion before then, attacking him could turn everyone against us. We must keep him out of the contest."

"A thousand Lords from a war sector..." Galen drew a sharp breath. "But what if Cassian attacks our Domains before they arrive?"

"We have older-sector Lords protecting us already. Besides..."

Dorian took out a scroll and smiled.

"I doubt he’ll have time to trouble us."

Galen stared at it.

"An Abyss Gate! The one on the Worlds Market!"

A thousand descending Lords, and an Abyss Gate. The military was committing an enormous amount to this operation. After the strength and potential Cassian had just displayed, Galen could understand why.

"One Abyss Gate should occupy all the Crown’s forces for a while," Dorian said. "Unless they’re willing to let the Capital be destroyed."

Galen considered the plan. Then he put on a solemn expression.

"I am a descendant of Hector Tervain. How could I possibly be a deserter? I will obey the military’s orders."

——

The Black Banner abandoned its struggle for the Governorship.

Two hours later, shortly after five in the morning, the Crown’s Lords finally heard the notices they had waited for all night.

[The contest for Governor of Tidecrown Province has ended.]

[Candidate Commander Cassian Vale has reached 100% Occupation Progress.]

[Cassian Vale is now Governor of Tidecrown Province.]

[With the appointment of a Governor, the Homeworld travel cycle is extended from three days to seven days.]

[Homeworld Channel unlocked.]

[Cross-Province Gate access unlocked.]

The third Marches Ranking followed at once.

[Tidecrown Province — Third Marches Ranking.]

[First place: Riftward.]

[Commander Cassian Vale: all attributes +100.]

[All residents: all attributes +40.]

[Riftward Region: Fortune +10.]

[Other Regions within Riftward Marches: Fortune +2.]

The announcement continued down the list, but the cheers had already begun.

"We won!"

"We actually won! It’s a miracle!"

"Another forty points in every attribute!"

"Our Region has six Fortune now!"

"Long live Cassian! Long live the Crown!"

They had seen victory approaching, yet even now, many could scarcely believe it. Riftward Region’s Fortune rose from seventy-two to eighty-two as the rewards settled.

Cassian used his new authority to send a Province-wide announcement.

[Cassian Vale: This is a miracle. But I didn’t create it alone.]

[Cassian Vale: To the 178,642 Crown Lords who stayed in Tidecrown: whether you fought in the final contest or supported us through farming, entertainment, and every other quiet contribution, this honor belongs to all of you.]

Grown men wiped their eyes.

They had witnessed a miracle. They had helped create it too.

Darian looked envious.

"He certainly knows how to win people over."

If the moment had been less solemn, he would have offered Cassian a hundred million to delete the announcement and let him post it instead.

Then something else caught his eye.

"Four point two billion! I’m rich!"

At Nessa’s urging, he had wagered a hundred million Aether on Cassian. His stake alone had made up ninety-eight percent of all the money backing him.

Now the wager had paid out billions.

"Not that I need this little bit of money," Darian said happily. "But earning it myself feels wonderful."

He rubbed his chin.

"Nessa was awfully sure we should bet on him. Did she know he was coming back? Very suspicious."

——

Across the Homeworld, powerful people who cared about Tidecrown’s fate had stayed awake through the night.

At the King’s Frontier Legion headquarters, several old generals were celebrating like boys.

"Extreme Legendary troops. Some kind of life-restoring skill. A fist that wipes out ten thousand enemies in one blow! Who would have thought he’d quietly gathered so many cards?"

"He may have shown all of them this time. The Black Banner will prepare counters from now on."

"Honorary general. Raise his rank immediately. It may not do much for him, but it’s a gesture. We’re too poor to give him anything better!"

The promotion was granted.

"Inform Marshal Grey as well."

"He had meant to return to the Homeworld soon," another general said with a sigh. "Then the Mythic Ancient Road in Sector 632 began acting up. That’s what delayed him."

In the Vayne family’s Newcomer Steward office, Aveline had waited until dawn too.

When the result arrived, her palm struck the desk.

The desk shattered.

She took several deep breaths before she could calm herself.

"Steady. You’re forty years old. You should be past getting this worked up."

Then she laughed.

"But one man turning the whole war around... Damn, that felt good. It feels good just thinking about it."

A doubtful look crossed her face.

"Did he time it deliberately? Wait until the last moment, then appear as everyone’s savior and make a name for himself?"

She was not the only one wondering.

If Cassian had fought from the beginning, his strength would still have been impressive. But Darian, Elara, Nessa, and Seraphine were all formidable Lords. Beside them, his contribution might not have caused quite the same shock.

Instead, he had returned when everyone had lost hope and reversed the whole war.

The timing seemed almost too perfect.

——

In Elara’s Domain, more than a dozen friends had surrounded Nessa.

"Tell us the truth. Did Cassian let you know beforehand?"

"He must have. Why else were you so determined to bet on him?"

"A little spy among us all this time!"

Barely over a meter and a half tall, Nessa had to look up at the people crowding around her. It did nothing to help her argument.

"I’m not a spy!"

She glared at them.

"Keep bullying me, and I’ll tell Cassian!"

Tobias and Rowan immediately became more cautious. Who knew how close she and the boss had grown? If she complained to him in private, they might be the ones regretting it.

Darian had no such fear.

"Oh? Our Governor is backing you now? All that flattery finally paid off!"

Before Nessa could step away, he caught her beneath the arms and lifted her.

Her face turned red with anger.

"Darian Frost! How many times must I tell you? Stop picking me up like a child!"

She struggled to reach him, but her hands could only strike his upper arms.

"And you ungrateful man! Would you have won all that money without me? Give me a tenth of your winnings, and I might forgive you!"

Elara had been laughing behind her hand. At last, she tried to intervene.

"That’s enough, Darian. Don’t bully her. Even if she really was his little spy, she couldn’t admit it without Cassian’s permission."

Nessa had thought someone was finally taking her side. By the time Elara finished, her shoulders had slumped in dismay.

Then Tobias suddenly shouted.

"Look! The Contest of Champions has begun!"

After the Governorship and the third Marches Ranking, another golden announcement appeared in the Province Channel.