Imperial Crown.

Chapter 631 Missing Persons

"whee"

After storing the remaining 50 gold coins, 1 bottles of Angel's Tears, and 2 bottles of Corrupted Soul Essence into his storage ring, Mr. Krabs finally revealed a satisfied smile on his chubby face. "Excuse me, Viscount Raven, why did you order a sixth-order magic array?!" "Such a high price is probably enough to build a teleportation array."

"Since you know it's presumptuous, why ask again?"

Raven gave a nonchalant retort.

Mr. Krabs shook his head and smiled nonchalantly. "Raven," he said, "I genuinely think highly of you. I sincerely want to cooperate with you. But do you know how many people you've killed in our Holy Church?"

"Rudolph, the Fifth-Order Elder"

"Fizhuoti, a fifth-rank elder"

Doug, one of the butlers

"Manda, one of the butlers"

"Impel, the Fourth-Order Necromancer"

"Oh." "Yes."

"Strictly speaking, there's also the Chewing Bone sect, which belongs to the outer sect."

"Palyhill, the Holy Maiden of Souls"

"They kidnapped our bone dragon."

Zesway, the Pale Lord

"Sachani, a fifth-rank elder"

……

"Stop!" "Stop!!" Raven interrupted Mr. Krabs before he could continue recounting his story, "I killed Sachani too?" "However, I remember it." "He died under Bishop Thomas's magic."

Chunzhuer touched his chin, first nodding and then shaking his head. "Without you," "Sachani couldn't have been trapped by Thomas." "The Holy Church's operation couldn't have failed either."

"Ouch"

After saying this, Chun Zhu'er sighed and murmured, "The so-called 'A wise man seizes opportunities, and an enlightened man knows his destiny.' Joy is fleeting, and so is sorrow."

"If these people knew from beyond the grave that our two families are now cooperating so closely, I wonder what they would think?!"

"It really proves the saying—"There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."

Chun Zhu'er was filled with emotion.

Raven, however, was more concerned with practical benefits. "When will the food arrive?" With Eastwood province suddenly losing a million people, Raven had no doubt that the Hand of Death could scrape together 13 billion pounds of food. The 80 figure was merely a face-saving excuse. In reality, the Hand of Death wouldn't care about such details. They'd harvest at least a million souls. Did Raven really intend to send someone to count them? For those in power, as long as appearances were maintained, turning a blind eye was the norm. Besides, for those serfs who had to toil in the mines from childhood to death, wasn't the harvesting of their souls a kind of liberation?
Currently, Raven only truly controls the provinces of Nord and North Sea. Molinell province is not yet under his control. But these two provinces alone have at least 6-700 million people. Their annual food consumption is at least 55 billion pounds. 13 billion pounds sounds like a lot, but in reality, at least half of the population isn't counted in the "population" count.

The net outflow of population from the Nord province was certainly due to his years of warfare. However, the "snow disaster" was at least a larger contributing factor! Moreover, in Hippocrates alone, Tyrone and Hyde slaughtered at least 300,000 people. Should Raven be held responsible for all this? However, both provinces originally had their own food reserves and ways to survive. Once these 13 billion pounds of rations arrived, they would last not only a year, but, given the way serfs were fed, even three years wouldn't be a problem.

"hey-hey"

Upon hearing this, Chunzhu smiled but did not answer. Instead, he changed the subject and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Habs's oversight was his impatience. He was eager to establish his authority, eager to centralize power, and eager to prove himself to be a qualified emperor."

"Hamilton's biggest oversight was his arrogance. As Prime Minister, he was second only to the Emperor and a trusted advisor entrusted with the care of the young emperor. Therefore, he looked down on the young Emperor. In the middle, he despised the sycophantic Seraphim. And below, he didn't even consider you, the little bee, worthy of his attention. So he decided to use Seraphim to teach the old guard a small lesson, and also to vent his anger for his grandson. In the end, his cleverness backfired, and he became a pawn in Seraphim's hands."

"Gottfried's biggest oversight was his fear of death. As the treasurer, he would never resort to force if something could be solved with money. So he bribed Tyrone to go to war with you. He also wielded the tariff weapon, making the Kingdom of Podomichrie suffer greatly. Most importantly, as soon as he lost the Battle of Makik, he clamored for reparations to end the war. This is one of the reasons why the Emperor was most dissatisfied with him."

"Ferdinand's oversight lay in his honor. He was proud of his family's millennia-old heritage, yet upheld the patriotic duty of an imperial duke. Therefore, he was willing to use his family's wealth to pay the war reparations. As a hardened soldier, he longed for a glorious end, dying on the battlefield. Thus, he would ruthlessly sacrifice his family to prove his unyielding integrity and loyalty! He was one of the few good men in the empire, an anomaly among the nobility, a magnified version of Viscount John. He was utterly loyal and devoted to his country. Unfortunately, his military power was too great, attracting both Hamilton's covetousness and Habs's fear. Therefore, eliminating him was an unspoken agreement among all those in power in the capital."

After saying this, Chunzhu sighed deeply, "What a terrible Habsburg."

"Egihard's oversight lay in his selfishness. He knew Ferdinand was not in the capital, knew he shouldn't have left, and knew that according to the rules, he should have obtained Habsburg's royal decree before leaving. Yet, inexplicably, he insisted on returning to defend his territory, the province of Venetian. This was utterly illogical. Logically, as the old-school Minister of the Interior, he couldn't possibly trust Serafino. Perhaps he had already been bribed by Prime Minister Hamilton, willingly cooperating, believing that Hamilton was merely giving Gottfried a small lesson, simply to vent his anger at his grandson's crippling."

Chun Zhu'er shook his head and sighed, "Human nature is just too complicated. Even those from the same faction have their own calculations, their own interests, and their own little schemes. What is the truth? Perhaps the world will never be able to find out in a lifetime."

"Vitus's biggest oversight was his blind loyalty. Although he wasn't a military minister or from a family with a thousand-year history, as a soldier, he was equally loyal to the empire and to King Habsburg. He was so blind to the danger that he was unable to see the bigger picture, leading to the extermination of his entire family by Seraphim. Little did he know that, to outsiders, he was already in cahoots with Seraphim, sharing the same fate. Even if Seraphim's coup failed, Habsburg would never spare him. The extermination of his entire clan was inevitable! Or perhaps even the extermination of ten generations."

"Okolius's biggest oversight was his stupidity. He thought that by clinging tightly to Serafinu's coattails, he could enjoy wealth and glory. But he didn't think about it: if it weren't for you, little bee, the charge of regicide would still fall on his head. He would inevitably be the next victim, perhaps even dying on the battlefield fighting against the Insa Empire. Because he was an insider of the coup. Serafinu would never allow himself to be left with such a huge hidden danger."

"Seraphinu's biggest mistake was his cunning. He is indeed a remarkable man. He is brave, resourceful, patient, and shrewd. But the one mistake he should never have made, the one he should never have made, was letting you, little bee, go. His fate was sealed the moment he let you go. One day, he will regret his decision in great pain."

Chun Zhu'er poured herself another glass of wine, moistened her throat, and said, "Raymond," "I'm very curious," "What was the oversight in your otherwise meticulous plan?"

"You're so smart." "You like to give feedback and rate people." "You can guess that without me saying it."

Raven was slightly startled. Chunzhu'er gave him a very strange feeling. This strangeness wasn't about Chunzhu'er's crab-like body and human head. It was that he didn't seem like a typical Middlesbrough person. This person's thought process, language habits, and way of speaking... were more like one of his own kind. Everyone who first met Raven was more or less surprised by his youth. But Chunzhu'er showed no surprise whatsoever. This was perhaps the only flaw he revealed.

All this rambling is actually to find out Raven's trump card. To gather information about Raven.

This was the first time Raven had felt the pressure and meticulousness required to speak to someone. A moment's carelessness could lead him into a trap, revealing more information he shouldn't have shared. Therefore, Raven swiftly and decisively dismissed them: "We've never met you before, and you've never been to the Nord Province, Mr. Krabs, are you aware of that?" "If any rumors leak out, I will blame everyone present."

That's why the whole room was kept dark.

"I understand." "Of course I understand."

Chun Zhu'er smiled and said, "The grain will arrive soon, Your Excellency, please rest assured."

bang bang bang-

After speaking, Chunjur, along with Ferdinand and Nehemiah, transformed into three wisps of cold gray mist and vanished from the room.

Raven sat down again, concealed in the darkness, and waited quietly. After waiting for more than an hour, he finally felt relieved enough to leave the room, step into the magical elevator, and descend to the first floor.

The 18-story Snowdrift Hotel is one of the newly completed landmark buildings in Eagle City. However, it has no connection with Raven. The owner behind it is also quite mysterious. Even Raven doesn't know who invested in it.

"check out."

Raven went to the front desk, took out his room key, and spoke to the two voluptuous maids.

The entire first floor is incredibly spacious, with nine massive, imposing pillars. Artificial hills, lakes, bridges, streams, flowers, birds, fish, and bamboo groves... all complement each other perfectly, creating a soothing and refreshing atmosphere. Five-clawed golden dragons, leaping tigers, phoenixes spreading their wings, hunchbacked tortoises, and ferocious pixiu... adorn the space, adding to its majestic grandeur.

This was Raven's first time here. Therefore, he didn't choose to leave using his martial spirit. He wanted to observe the situation and meet the mysterious master behind it all. Eric had chosen this room, booking it more than ten days in advance. Upon seeing it, he was startled again. Raven was certain that this person was definitely from Earth, just like him.

Raven's conclusion stemmed from two pillars inscribed with four lines of poetry. The left pillar read, "White as snow on the mountain, bright as the moon in the clouds." The right pillar read, "Hearing you have two minds, I come to sever our ties."

Do you need an invoice?

One of the maids asked without looking up.

"..."

Raven's vision went black. "What invoice?!" Having traveled abroad and to meet the Hand of Death, Raven had naturally disguised himself.

Upon hearing this, the two maids openly mocked them, rolling their eyes and saying, "You don't even know what an invoice is? What kind of country bumpkin are you?!"

"No."

Raven roared.

He felt a sense of betrayal, and a profound feeling of powerlessness. He had only been gone a short time, yet he was completely unaware of the changes in the territory. It seemed the territory didn't need him as its master, yet it thrived and prospered on its own. "Someone is stealing my protagonist's destiny?" Raven thought to himself. "This brat must be eliminated."

After paying and returning the room key, Raven walked towards the door.

Finding a secluded spot, he used his Martial Soul to teleport back to Eagle Fortress. After leaving Lingling's room, Raven returned to his study.

"Head of the family," "Sir," "Elder brother"...

Inside the room, many people were still seated. Eric, Vesdon, Link, Thor, Hyena, Bobby... Denise, Phil, Corru, Fiona, Poirot, Cuman, and even Junason and Paine were there... but one person was missing—the scribe, Hu Xia.

"Um"

Raven calmly responded and walked behind the desk in the study. "For the next period of time, the territory should focus its main efforts on economic development and population recovery." He tapped the desk and added, "The overall economic coordination will be handled by Aunt, with Fiona assisting her." "We must vigorously develop the economy; we must at least earn 300 million gold coins first."

Although Raven had amassed a considerable fortune from Adjani and the North Sea Province, maintaining such a vast territory was a bottomless pit of expenses. Not to mention the large orc army. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so stingy as to only give Mr. Crab 100 million gold coins. But the remaining 200 million gold coins were a major headache for Raven.

"In addition, a new castle should be built in Hove City, and this should not be delayed any longer."

Raven was determined to conquer the three northwestern provinces. Staying in Eagle City would be too passive. Therefore, he chose Howe City, the former home of the Nancy family, as the location of the new castle. Fox Castle had been destroyed and was no longer usable. Furthermore, Howe City, located in Feldorro County, was adjacent to the North Sea Province and the Molinell Province. Moving the castle there would allow Raven to maintain timely control over the three provinces.

"certainly"

"Economic development should focus on the Nord Province, as this is our base of operations." "Therefore, the matter of dredging the rivers within our territory and building canals cannot be taken lightly." "This matter will be entirely overseen by Pain, with Eric as his assistant. All soldiers and orcs will be recruited to participate in this project." Raven began issuing a series of administrative orders.

"Yes!" The people involved nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Raven waved his hand. "Everyone who is not involved can leave now."

Everyone involved in domestic affairs filed out of the study. This included Denise, Fiona, Philip, Corrug, Poirot, Cummins, Junason, Paine…

The rest are basically the core circle of people around Raven.

After most of the people had left, Raven frowned and asked, "Still haven't found Hu Xia?"

"Uh"

Bobby stood there, looking embarrassed, and stammered, "There's no adult here."

"What the hell are you good for?!" "Can't even keep an eye on a living person?!" Raven rarely lost his temper, and his anger filled the study to the point of silence. Bobby was a veteran, a former soldier who had fought in the Battle of Bloody Heights. He didn't interact much with Raven on a regular basis, but as Raven's absolutely reliable confidant, he had always remained hidden within the Eagle Army. Therefore, when Raven went to the capital, he took almost all his trusted men with him, leaving Bobby alone in the North Sea Province as an informant.

And now, Hu Xia has actually left. He left without a sound.

Bobby suddenly knelt on the ground, his forehead covered in large beads of sweat. He slammed his fist heavily on the cashmere carpet and shouted, "Your subordinate deserves to die!!!"

“This matter might be related to Pain,” Raven said hesitantly.

"No"

Bobby immediately replied, "The reason I was completely unaware was because I was focused entirely on monitoring Pan. He never spent any time alone with Hu Xia, nor did I see them interact in any way." "Wait..." "By the time I realized Hu Xia was missing, a week had already passed!"

"Get up," Raven said coldly, frowning. Then he pondered for a moment. "Hu Xia doesn't have many friends. Perhaps we can find some clues from Grand and Hengchiton." Raven suddenly remembered that Hu Xia's behavior was strange back in Beihai Province. Especially after he saw the commemorative crystals recorded by Thor and Akery, he behaved all sorts of odd things.

"Yes"

Bobby remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to get up.

"What are you still standing here for?" "Hurry up and investigate!" Raven said somewhat displeasedly, "Oh right, I also have someone planted in Beihai Province, Kang Qi. You can also send someone to ask him."

"I'll go ask right away." Bobby kowtowed again, then hurriedly got up and left.

Watching his departing figure, Raven sat down again, gesturing for Eric and the others to sit as well. He loosened his collar in frustration and then said, "Thor, let him in."

……

(End of this chapter)