Chapter 427 - 426: Neighboring Kingdom

Chapter 427: Chapter 426: Neighboring Kingdom

Clad in dark armor that seemed to absorb the surrounding light, the assassin remained completely expressionless.

Only his sharp eyes were visible beneath the hood covering most of his face.

Even while kneeling...

His presence was almost impossible to detect.

Had someone weaker entered the room, they might not have realized another person was standing there at all.

Alix calmly dismissed the System window with a thought before looking toward his intelligence commander.

"Report."

Zurrak lowered his head slightly.

"Our scouts have returned."

"There is a kingdom located near our borders."

Alix’s fingers stopped tapping the armrest.

His expression became noticeably more serious.

"A neighboring kingdom..."

It seemed another major development had arrived.

Alix leaned back slightly in his chair.

"What have you learned?"

Zurrak answered without hesitation.

"Our reconnaissance teams spent several weeks exploring the surrounding regions while avoiding unnecessary contact."

"They have now confirmed the existence of another human kingdom."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"The kingdom lies beyond the eastern mountain range, approximately several days’ travel from our current borders."

"Our scouts observed fortified cities, established trade routes, and regular military patrols."

"This is not a small frontier territory."

"It appears to be a well-established kingdom."

Alix narrowed his crimson eyes thoughtfully.

Another kingdom meant opportunity.

This kingdom was now ruled by the monster races.

Many human kingdoms viewed monster races as little more than slaves or livestock.

If news of this spread...

Conflict would likely be inevitable.

The room fell silent.

After several moments, Alix spoke again.

"Continue."

"I want to know everything."

Zurrak bowed even lower.

"Yes, My Lord."

"Our scouts have already begun gathering more detailed intelligence regarding their military strength, economy, major factions, and the ruler who sits upon their throne."

"Within a few more days..."

"We should have a complete report."

A faint smile slowly formed on Alix’s face.

"Good."

"Until then..."

"Maintain surveillance."

"I want information before I make any decision."

"As you command, My Lord."

The shadows beneath Zurrak’s feet began to ripple once more, as if they were swallowing him whole.

In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished without a sound, leaving the working chamber as silent as before.

----

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

During those seven days, the city continued to prosper.

The Dungeon Hall remained crowded from dawn until dusk.

Merchant caravans arrived almost hourly, bringing supplies from every corner of the kingdom.

The streets of the capital were livelier than ever before, and the royal treasury continued to swell as taxes and trade flowed into the kingdom like an endless river.

Inside the royal palace...

Alix sat alone in his working chamber.

The morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows, illuminating the stack of reports neatly arranged across his desk.

Most of them concerned the kingdom’s daily affairs.

He skimmed through them one after another before finally reaching the report he had been waiting for.

It bore the insignia of the Shadow Corps.

Zurrak’s report.

Alix slowly unfolded the parchment.

His eyes calmly moved across every line, reading each detail with complete concentration.

The report was exceptionally thorough.

It contained maps, estimated military deployments, important cities, major noble families, and even observations on the kingdom’s political situation.

The first line immediately caught his attention.

Kingdom Name: Estaral Kingdom.

Alix quietly repeated the name to himself.

"Estaral..."

His gaze continued downward.

The more he read...

The more complete the picture became.

Estaral Kingdom was considerably larger than the this kingdom he had conquered.

Its territory stretched across fertile plains and mountain ranges rich in spiritual resources.

Its trade routes connected several neighboring kingdoms, making it one of the more prosperous human kingdoms within this region.

Its military was disciplined.

Its economy was stable.

Its defenses were formidable.

Then, his eyes stopped on another section.

Status of Monster Races

Classification: Slaves and Servants

Legal Rights: None

Alix remained silent for several moments.

There was no surprise on his face.

"...As expected."

He leaned back in his chair.

"To them..."

"The monster races are nothing more than tools."

According to the report, beastmen worked in mines until their bodies gave out.

Forest races served wealthy nobles as attendants.

Stonekin were forced into dangerous construction projects.

Horned races were commonly used as gladiators or sold to wealthy families as personal guards.

The treatment was no different from what the monster races had suffered before Alix conquered this kingdom.

He continued reading.

Soon, he reached the section detailing Estaral’s military strength.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Estimated Standing Army: Nearly Thirty Million Soldiers

"...Thirty million..."

He quietly murmured.

That number alone far exceeded the former kingdom’s military.

But that wasn’t what concerned him most.

It was the experts.

Peak Military Forces

Quasi Tier 7: Four

Tier 7 Marshals: Two

Alix gently tapped the desk with one finger.

"So..."

"They’re considerably stronger."

A kingdom possessing two true Tier 7 being was not something to underestimate.

Tier 7 experts already mastered the Laws of the world.

Each one could influence the outcome of an entire war.

Combined with four Quasi Tier 7 experts...

Their high-end military strength surpassed his by a noticeable margin.

Although Alix himself wasn’t worried about facing them.

His thoughts traveled far beyond the Pharanthia continent.

"...The Ereborn Continent..."

He quietly murmured.

Unlike the Pharanthia Continent...

Ereborn was his true foundation.

That was where the majority of his kingdom’s military strength remained.

Countless monster soldiers.

Veteran commanders.

Elite units.

Resources accumulated over years.

If he could connect the two continents...

Noctaris’ strength would increase severalfold almost overnight.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I should find a way..."

"...to connect the Ereborn Continent to the Pharanthia Continent."

"And..."

"...a way to transport more soldiers here."

The more he thought about it...

The more reasonable the idea became.

Maintaining two isolated territories greatly limited his options.

If both continents became connected, resources could flow freely.

Trade would flourish.

His kingdom would truly become a transcontinental empire.

Without another thought, Alix raised his hand.

A familiar translucent blue screen appeared before him.

[System]

He selected the Building section.

Immediately, thousands of blueprints appeared before him.

Military structures.

Defensive fortresses.

Resource production facilities.

Transportation networks.

Ancient wonders.

The list seemed endless.

His fingers slowly scrolled downward.

One blueprint after another passed before his eyes.

Most were useful.

Some were extraordinarily expensive.

Several minutes passed.

Then, Alix suddenly stopped.

His eyes fixed upon a single blueprint.

Its name alone immediately captured his attention.

A transportation structure capable of bridging vast distances.

Exactly the kind of building he had been searching for.

His expression brightened.

"This..."

He opened the blueprint’s detailed description.

The smile on his face slowly froze.

His eyes shifted toward the price displayed beneath it.

Purchase Cost: 300,000,000 Gold Coins

The working chamber became completely silent.

Alix stared at the number for several long seconds.

Then, he let out a slow, helpless sigh.

"...Three hundred million."

He couldn’t help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

Three hundred million gold coins was an astronomical amount.

But if that building truly allowed him to connect the Ereborn Continent with the Pharanthia Continent. Then every single coin would be worth it.

No neighboring kingdom would be able to stop the rise of Erevaris.