Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 324 Princess: You want me to face your queen alone?

Cohen's feigned question was clearly rubbing salt into Gaius's wounds.

Gaius showed no unusual emotion on his face and replied casually:

"I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself in front of Commander Ya'en and Her Highness the Princess. The commotion these past two days has been quite loud. I hope it didn't disturb your rest."

Cohen waved his hand and said:

"Your Majesty is too kind. We felt bad that we were unable to help with what happened to Quesaon."

Cohen's insincere attitude made Gaius feel nauseous. He suppressed his displeasure, not wanting to dwell on the matter, and changed the subject:

"I heard that the commander and His Highness are leaving?"

Cohen smiled faintly and replied:

"Yes, there are some matters to attend to in the group, so I won't disturb Your Majesty any longer."

Gaius had heard Cohen mention this before, but when it came time to actually leave, Gaius hesitated.

The collaborative construction of the ghost ship has been fully launched, but the military funds requisitioned from various nobles have not yet arrived, and Gaius has diverted funds from other places.

It can be said that the initial investment has already been made, and now that Cohen, who has mastered the core technology of the Ghost Ship, is leaving, Gaius is somewhat worried.

Although the eldest princess of the Eastern Empire is backing him, if this kid really doesn't come back, or if something happens and he changes his mind, then all his initial investments will be wasted.

Gaius's expression flickered, and he asked:

"Commander, we still need you here to oversee the collaborative construction of the ghost ship..."

Cohen said with a faint smile:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will be back in a few days, and it won't delay important matters."

Gaius was relieved and said:
“Alright, then I’ll wait for you in Quesaon, sir.”

I asked Charles to see the gentleman off.

Charles stared at the long procession of carriages behind Cohen and Grace, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Cohen said with a smile:

"These are all goods that His Highness purchased in Quesaon these past two days; it's quite a lot."

Charles wore a gentle smile:
"It's rare to see the Princess in such high spirits; this also serves as a promotion for our Quesaon products."

Next time you come, I will personally be your guide. We still have a few trendy products that sell very well on the mainland.

I will escort you and His Highness out of the city.

The group reached the city gate, where the high-level superhuman inspector saw a long line of carriages and was about to use "True Sight" to inspect the goods inside when he was immediately met with a barrage of angry shouts:

"You blind fool, can't you see that I am here?"

My older brother spoils you all too much; you have no sense of propriety at all!

Prince Charles, the second prince, pulled back the curtains and launched into a tirade of abuse at the gold-ranked mage.

The Gold-rank mage then realized that the lead carriage belonged to the Second Prince, Charles, and his face turned pale. A general of clearly higher rank ran over from a short distance away, repeatedly apologizing.
"I was unaware that His Highness the Second Prince was leaving the city. I apologize for my intrusion."

Charles snorted and got off the carriage, then went to a luxurious carriage behind him.

Cohen drew back the curtains and said with a light laugh:

"Your Highness, there's no need to see us off any further. We'll head straight to the port after we leave the city."

My ship is already waiting in the harbor.

Charles said gently:
"Please return as soon as possible, sir. Our cooperation plan cannot be separated from you."

"it is good."

While Charles was saying goodbye to Cohen, the general secretly contacted the eldest prince, Orlando.

His orders were that anyone leaving the city must be tested using the "True Sight" spell.

After hearing the other person's description, Orlando's expression turned somewhat gloomy, and he asked:

"Whom did Charles send?"

The general replied in a low voice:

"I don't know, no one got off the carriage, but there's the insignia of the Eastern Empire's royal family on it, so it's probably someone from the Eastern Empire's royal family."

Orlando paused for a moment, then quickly replied:

“I know who they are. Let them go. There shouldn’t be anyone in this world who would dare to search the princess of the Eastern Region Empire.”

Upon hearing this, the general was startled. He was not someone of his rank to have access to such top-secret information as the Eastern Empire's eldest princess's schedule, and therefore had no idea that they would be leaving the city today.

He secretly felt fortunate that the Second Prince was also with him; otherwise, if he had rashly inspected the convoy, it would have caused an international dispute.

Not to mention that the domineering nature of the eldest princess of the Eastern Region Empire is well-known throughout the continent. She even dared to beat up the eldest prince of the Southern Region Empire. If he were to break any taboos, he probably wouldn't be able to save his life.

After Cohen and Charles finished their conversation, the general who had spoken earlier quickly ordered his men to remove the roadblocks and respectfully escort Princess Elizabeth's entourage away from Quesaon.

The Crimson Raiders' warships were waiting in the harbor. This time, Captain Flint personally led the team, and his fierce killing intent made the Pearl Harbor officials in charge of receiving them feel a little uneasy.

With a forced smile on his face, he chatted with Flint, making small talk. When Flint saw Cohen's convoy, he stopped talking and quickly went to meet them.

Seeing that Flint had finally left, the accompanying official breathed a sigh of relief without making it obvious.

Cohen instructed Flint:
"The items in the car were all purchased by Her Highness the Princess. Handle them with care and do not damage them."

"Yes."

After the cargo was loaded and unloaded, Cohen turned to look at the key officials in charge of Pearl Harbor who had come to see him off, politely bid them farewell, started the warship, and left the Kingdom of Ceylon.

The warships sailed away, cutting through the waves, and before long, the coastline of Ceylon was shrouded in mist from the endless sea.

After sensing for a moment, Flint spoke:
"We have left the waters off Ceylon and have not been followed along the way. We are safe."

Cohen breathed a sigh of relief, his expression shifted, and he returned to his original appearance. He then went alone to the cargo hold where the goods were loaded.

They stopped at a container, opened the container door, and found Duke Gavin still lying there, peacefully asleep, showing no signs of waking up.

To prevent Duke Gavin from noticing anything amiss, Cohen fed him a potion specifically targeting the soul, which he had obtained from the devil duke, Mammon, the third level of hell.

Without a special means of dispelling it, the Duke of Gavin's soul will remain dormant until his body decays.

Cohen's "Heart of Eternity" around his neck flashed as he took out a scroll, tore it open, and threw it at Duke Gavin.

A faint blue light flashed, and Antoine Gavin slowly awoke.

After a moment of confusion, Duke Gavin's eyes cleared, and he rose to stretch his stiff limbs slightly. He looked at Cohen, who was standing not far away, and his voice remained calm:

"It seems we're on a ship. Has His Majesty rescued me from Quesaon?"

Cohen smiled faintly:
"As expected of Duke Gavin, he can remain calm in this situation. Under your leadership, the Gavin family will surely reach new heights."

The Duke of Gavin's face showed a thoughtful expression, and he said slowly:

"It is with His Majesty's support and assistance that I have been able to reach a higher level!"

Cohen was very satisfied with the Duke of Gavin's performance and answered his earlier question:

"You guessed right, we're on a warship now."

"We just left Quessarion, and it was Your Highness Prince Charles, the second prince, who personally saw us off."

Duke Gavin's eyes widened in astonishment. His soul remained dormant, unaware of how Cohen had managed to rescue him from the heavily guarded prison and even leave Quesaon unharmed.

Based on his understanding of King Gaius, once he disappeared in the prison, the king would definitely order a citywide curfew, and under normal circumstances, Cohen would have no way to take him away.

Cohen's next words answered the Duke of Gavin's question:
"During the Duke's imprisonment, Pirate King Yann Hughes and his fiancée, Princess Grace Tang of the Eastern Empire, visited Quesaon to discuss with King Gaius the possibility of cooperating in building a ghost ship."

I accomplished all of this with the help of Mr. Yann and Princess Grace.

The warship we are currently on is Mr. Yann's Crimson Raider, but he and Her Highness the Princess do not wish to show themselves and have asked me to convey their greetings to you.

A flash of understanding crossed the Duke of Gavin's brow, and he sighed:
"Your Majesty is not only exceptionally capable, but also possesses remarkable interpersonal skills. It is truly beyond my expectations that you can maintain such a good cooperative relationship with the descendant of the ancient Pirate King."

Duke Gavin still had a question he didn't ask. Since Yann Hughes and the Princess had already decided to cooperate with the Kingdom of Ceylon to build the ghost ship, why were they helping Cohen, who was clearly against Ceylon?

He had a vague guess in his mind that perhaps Cohen had reached an agreement with the Pirate King, promising to share the future of Ceylon together, which was why the other party was willing to lend his full support.

Cohen neither confirmed nor denied the Duke of Gavin's praise; he had woken the Duke now to discuss something more important with him:
"Duke, for our mutual safety, you cannot leave here until you reach Emerald Harbor in Effie."

Someone will bring you food and water at set times every day. Due to certain factors, the magical seal on you cannot be lifted yet. I hope you can understand.

The Duke of Gavin nodded slightly in agreement, then expressed a hint of doubt:
"Why is our destination Emerald Harbor, instead of Golden Sail Harbor in the South, which is closer to my territory?"

"Isn't His Majesty going to send me back to my territory?"

Cohen said:

Yes, but not entirely.

You are returning to the territory, but you are not returning to the territory alone.

"You must first go to Florence to sign a treaty with my queen on behalf of Princess Freya, and then lead your army to break through the border legions of Ceylon from the southern border of Efein and return to your territory."

The Duke of Gavin's face showed an undisguised strangeness, especially after Cohen proposed the treaty, which made him tense up and the atmosphere of their conversation suddenly became sensitive.

"Your Majesty, what is the content of this treaty?" Cohen, noticing Duke Gavin's nervousness and wariness, smiled slightly and said:

"Duke, there is no need to worry. This dukedom will not cause any loss to Ceylon's interests. On the contrary, it will help your Princess Freya to better complete the great cause of restoring the country."

I wonder if the Duke knows something. About three hundred years ago, a goblin alliance rebellion broke out in our southern border of Efein. In order to deal with the goblin alliance, my ancestors signed a friendly and cooperative treaty with the legitimate royal family of the Kingdom of Ceylon.

This treaty of friendship and mutual assistance stipulates that when one party is in crisis, it can seek necessary military support from the other party.

However, relations between the two countries later became strained, and the treaty was largely ignored. But according to our Effie historical records, this treaty was never abolished.

Duke Gavin's eyes lit up. As a veteran of three reigns and a hereditary duke, Antoine Gavin's political abilities were naturally outstanding. After Cohen's reminder, he quickly recalled the matter.

Ceylon's original national policy was to unite with a group of small countries in the northwest continent to isolate its sworn enemy, the Duchy of Windbreak.

At that time, Effie was caught in the predicament of the goblin alliance's rebellion, so the two sides signed this treaty.

Upon hearing Cohen mention this, he instantly understood the other party's intentions.

Cohen smiled slightly and continued:

"It's good that the Duke knows about this. Since the treaty has not been abolished, it is still in effect now."

My idea is that you, as Princess Freya's special envoy, come to Efein to sign a new treaty with us, reaffirming the legal validity of the previous treaty and fulfilling its contents, requesting that Efein send troops to aid the perilous legitimate royal family of Ceylon.

Duke Gavin understood completely, nodded slowly, and asked:
"Has Iphielo already welcomed His Highness back to his territory?"

Cohen smiled and said:
"Yes, and on the day of his return, there were some interesting people present. I think the Duke must be familiar with their names."

Duke Gavin frowned slightly, his probing gaze fixed on Cohen.

Cohen softly read out a string of names:
“Elliot Eisenheiser, Jaden Veritas, Malfoy Losermar, Wyatt Strauss.”

Duke Gavin's expression grew serious as Cohen uttered each name.

The shrewd Duke Gavin almost immediately understood the schemes and plans behind these powerful families.

He merely sent his heir to approach the princess without offering any explicit support or assistance, clearly still observing the situation.

If the Gavin family can withstand the first wave of attacks from the current Ceylon royal family, these families will immediately side with the princess and go to great lengths to push their heirs into the position of the princess's husband.

If the Gavin family were to be wiped out in just a few days, these families could simply claim that they sent their heirs to gather intelligence on the rebellion, thus severing all ties with the Gavin family.

Gavin was eager to return to his territory to take charge, fearing that his son was no match for these men.

Cohen seemed to sense Duke Gavin's concerns and said with a faint smile:

"Your Grace can rest assured, I have full confidence in Young Master Ifilo. In my opinion, he is absolutely a very qualified heir."

Duke Gavin's eyes widened in surprise. He was truly flattered to receive such praise from the renowned King of Effie and Lord of Shadows, Cohen Corleone.

After the matter was concluded, Cohen extended his hand to Duke Gavin and said:

"I wish our cooperation a success, and I look forward to your help Princess Freya to successfully restore her kingdom!"

The Duke of Gavin gripped Cohen's hand firmly, his voice conveying an unwavering determination:
"Most definitely!"

……

Cohen returned to the cabin and instructed Flint:

"I've already spoken with Duke Gavin; you can head straight to Golden Sail Harbor."

Once you arrive, contact a man named Viser Adam. Also, after leaving the Endless Sea, disguise yourself as a merchant ship belonging to the 'Flaming Lips' trading company.

I'll give you the hull number and International Maritime Organization number later. Please be careful and keep it confidential.

Flint took notes carefully, and then left the cabin quite consciously.

Cohen looked at Grace and said:

"Would Your Highness like to come aboard the ship to Golden Sail Port to visit Florence, or would you like to come with me to the Northern Empire?"

The headquarters of the Church of Prophecy in the Northwest Continent is located in the Northern Empire. If Cohen wants to interfere with Gaius's prayer ceremony in a few days, he will have to negotiate with a saint-level prophet from the Church of Prophecy.

Cohen had previously consulted with Cardinal Haywood, a saint from the Church of Prophecy, regarding Flint's past.

Saint Haywood is the head of the Northwest Headquarters.

This matter was unusual, and Cohen had to speak with him in person, so he decided to make a trip to the Northern Empire.

Grace raised an eyebrow and said:

"I am now your fiancée. Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate for me to go to Florence alone to face your queen, the youngest legend on the continent?"

Cohen's expression froze for a moment, then he said weakly:
“I’ve already explained Your Highness’s situation to Adele. She won’t make things difficult for you because of this. Besides, my Queen is quite easy to talk to. Look at Windsor…”

Cohen's voice trailed off as he saw the growing coldness spreading across Grace's face.

Grace reached out and grabbed Cohen's tie, her high-bridged nose almost touching his, her voice tinged with resentment:
"Am I that ugly?"

Cohen quickly replied:
"If Your Highness were ugly, there would be no beautiful women in the world."

"Does having me around bother you?"

"Absolutely not, Your Highness. I absolutely did not mean that. Your Highness has been a tremendous help to me."

Grace snorted coldly:
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm just following you!"

What else can Cohen say? Having such a beautiful woman by his side, at least he can feast his eyes.

Having made their decision, Cohen and Grace left the main warship, boarded a speedboat, and sailed around the Endless Sea toward the port of the Northern Empire.

……

The Northern Empire, with its capital at Frosty Winter Court.

A slightly thin middle-aged man stood straight outside the city gate, glancing at the official road outside from time to time.

Behind him followed several uniformed law enforcement officers, whose faces displayed obvious fawning and obsequiousness as they looked at the middle-aged man.

For even the most arrogant and haughty imperial law enforcers to display such emotions, one can only imagine how distinguished their status must be.

Anthony Watts, head of the Overseas Station of the Military Commission's Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, Wintergarden Station.

Of course, he now has another identity, and it is precisely because of this identity that the violent organs representing the state apparatus behind him are so respectful—

Assistant to the Chairman of Northern Empire Winter Industry Investment Group Co., Ltd.

A few months ago, under Cohen's influence, Anthony was promoted from CFO to the leadership team of Winter Capital, becoming the assistant to Chairman Violet Prince.

To become one of the leaders of the royal industry of Winter Investment, is to hold a position of absolute power and influence.

A law enforcement officer with a clearly higher rank stepped forward and said softly:

"Sir, we've been waiting for so long, the agreed time has already passed."

"How about we wait here for our distinguished guest while you go back to your car and rest for a while?"

Anthony withdrew his gaze and said calmly:
"No need. This guest is of great significance to our Winter Investment Group, and I must personally pick him up."

Whether it was significant for Anthony personally or for the entire investment community, the enforcer dared not inquire.

For them, for someone like Anthony, business is personal, and personal is business.

Seeing Anthony's resolute attitude, the law enforcement officer could no longer persuade him and could only continue to follow behind Anthony, waiting for the distinguished guest he had mentioned.

Not long after, an ordinary, unassuming carriage slowly drove up from the official road.

When Anthony saw the mark on the carriage that he had agreed upon with Cohen, he was startled, his eyes filled with excitement. He quickly tidied himself up and jogged towards the carriage.

He glanced at the several law enforcement officers who had followed him out of the corner of his eye and said calmly:

"You don't need to come along. Be on guard and don't let anyone get close."

The law enforcement officers stopped in their tracks, sullenly, and waved to several capable subordinates to secure the area.

Anthony was very fast, and soon he was almost upon the carriage. The carriage slowly came to a stop, and a note was handed out through the window.

Upon seeing the familiar handwriting and coded messages, Anthony felt relieved and became even more respectful.

After carefully reading the contents of the note, he nodded almost imperceptibly, and magic surged in his hand, turning the note into ashes.

He then slowly retreated, and after reaching a certain distance, he turned around and looked at the group of law enforcement officers who had finished their guard duty, and walked towards the person who had been leading the group.

Anthony's tone was extremely harsh, carrying a condescending air:

"Disperse among the crowd, provide covert protection, and don't be too conspicuous. Go to the No. 3 Sanatorium of the Industrial Investment Group."

The lead law enforcement officer immediately responded, then made several hand gestures towards a more distant area. A larger number of law enforcement officers changed into civilian clothes, hid in the crowd, and escorted the carriage toward the No. 3 sanatorium mentioned by Anthony.

Inside the carriage, a flicker of surprise crossed Grace's beautiful eyes as she looked at Cohen with astonishment, her red lips parting slightly:

"This...this is the official law enforcement agency of the Northern Empire, right? How come your person can command such respect from these law enforcement officers? What is his identity?"

Cohen lay half-reclined in the carriage, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Usually, when he rode in the carriage, he would either use Asuna's lap as a pillow or the elf lady's lap as a pillow, and he could also enjoy the massage from their slender fingers.

As for Grace, given their current relationship, Cohen wouldn't dare order the princess around like that.

Hearing Grace's question, Cohen casually replied:
"One of the leaders of Winter Investment, you should know a little about Winter Investment!"

(End of this chapter)