Chapter 52

The wise nobles, the elegant nobles, the benevolent nobles, the polite nobles... of course, all of this is based on the foundation of strength.

Dissatisfied? Let's fight first!

On Earth, diplomatic methods involve protests and more protests, which in this world would be seen as utterly incomprehensible.

Of course, when words fail, a fight ensues, and after a satisfying battle, the remaining matters are discussed.

The all-out war between the Silan Empire and the Tesei Empire, which truly originated from a half-gold coin dispute between minor figures of the two countries.

Leaving aside the domino effect caused by this, it can be inferred that even a half-gold coin of interest cannot be compromised between nations.

As a newcomer, the Dragon Knight being met with strong reactions from the locals of Lian City is entirely reasonable.

In the reception hall of the Baron's residence, neither the local strongmen nor the foreign Dragon Knight could do anything to each other.

No one expected that the core figure of this conflict, the seemingly gentle female ranger, would unexpectedly subdue a fifth-rank mage of Lian City, surprising everyone.

If the mage had been ten steps away and on guard, he wouldn't have been so easily choked, and could have made a fierce counterattack.

However, in the chaotic melee within the room, no one paid attention to the young girl, whose tactical awareness was so sharp that she succeeded in her attack, forcing the Lian City side to be cautious.

Despite feeling no elemental fluctuations, no one doubted that the strange object pressed against Cui Kelaka's head was a bluff. From her skilled movements and calm demeanor, it seemed that the girl had done this many times before and was extremely confident in her ability to kill the mage instantly.

From this, it could be inferred that the strange object was a previously unseen lethal weapon. No one on the Lian City side dared to rashly test its power, not even Mr. Luo Ning, who possessed mysterious and eerie sorcerer abilities, dared to act rashly.

Fifth-rank earth mage Cui Kelaka felt a dizziness in his head, his mental energy unable to gather as smoothly as usual. He could confirm that the owner of the hand on his neck was undoubtedly an expert in killing, otherwise, how could they be so proficient in the reactions of human body parts.

The reception hall, now in a standoff, was deathly silent. The balance of power slightly tilted towards the outsiders. Baron Hong Yu, who dared not risk the life of the fifth-rank earth mage, had to accept the mediation of Mr. Luo Ning from the Fire Rose Guild.

Lin Mo did not use excessive force, leaving room for both sides to maneuver.

Once a word is spoken, it cannot be taken back, and the credibility of nobles is relatively high.

The city defense commander Lei Ze, the martial noble He Si, and the mage Cui Kelaka abandoned their hostility towards Lin Mo.

Times have changed, and everything is about interests; righteousness and morality are just masks.

Even Li Muxin had to admit that despite the barbaric and shameless nature of the noble class in this world, they strictly adhere to certain behavioral norms, maintaining the integrity of a seemingly internally conflicted social system.

The broken reception hall, as if hit by a grenade, was left to the servants of the baron's residence to clean up. Lin Mo and Baron Hong Yu, along with others, moved to another room. Fortunately, the baron's residence was large enough, and the rooms were quite spacious.

Tea and pastries were served again, as if nothing had happened. Lin Mo and Luo Ning, among others, sat down again, showing no signs of hostility.

Although the hostility between both sides had dissipated, and the city lord no longer mentioned the demand for Li Muxin, Lin Mo and Li Muxin did not believe that everything was truly over. This was just a facade due to the presence of a common enemy.

Once the immediate crisis passed, the baron would still use various means to retaliate.

Feuds between nobles are not easily resolved.

The appearance of the Portland army forty miles away was both bad and good news for Lin Mo.

Regarding the fate of the civilians outside the city, Lin Mo remained firm, presenting two options to force the Lian City side to accept.

First, if Lian City refuses to let the civilians in, the Dragon Knights will take them elsewhere. In the face of the Portland army's attack, the survival of Lian City would have nothing to do with the Dragon Knights.

Second, if Lian City allows the civilians to enter, the Dragon Knights will defend the city alongside everyone until the empire's reinforcements arrive.

The current stance of the Dragon Knights is like a hostage situation. Just as the city lord, Baron Hong Yu, used the city's strongmen to pressure the unexpected guest Lin Mo, now Lin Mo is using the same tactic, taking the civilians hostage to pressure Lian City.

A group of lowly commoners, when combined with a ninth-rank Dragon Knight, becomes a significant force.

Baron Hong Yu, who had witnessed the combat power of the Dragon Knights, could ignore a group of dirty and lowly commoners but could not ignore a ninth-rank strongman, especially with a common enemy at hand.

Even without a dragon, the combat power of a ninth-rank combatant is not to be underestimated and is indispensable. After all, Lian City is his own fief, and any additional security is always welcome.

Money, property, and even the abandonment of future retaliation could not make Lin Mo change his mind about letting the civilians into the city.

This seemed incomprehensible to him; the absurd demand to let the civilians in was like slapping the face of the city's lockdown order. However, the other party was like a stubborn bull, determined to damage the city lord's authority.

Losing some money is not a big deal for a noble, but face and authority are sometimes even more important than life.

"Fine, you win! I'll let those scoundrels in, but if there are spies among them and they cause serious consequences, I will write to the capital to strip you of your title! You won't escape my retaliation!"

Baron Hong Yu's face was extremely grim. He chose to suffer the loss of authority rather than lose Lian City.

As a hereditary baron, two ranks higher than a martial noble, with sufficient reason, there is a high possibility of successfully stripping the Dragon Knight of his noble status and reducing him to a commoner.

The noble class has a strict hierarchy. They can engage in intrigue and plot to seize each other's property or fiefs, but all of this must follow the rules of the nobility.

The behavior of the Dragon Knight can be seen as a challenge to the noble class. With these words, Lin Mo not only had to commit his full combat power to defending Lian City but also risked his title, with no benefits in the end. Lian City would not reward him, and the ignorant civilians might not even be grateful to the Dragon Knight who risked offending the city lord for their sake.

This is the huge price the Dragon Knight must pay for his foolish and valueless compassion.

"The spies hidden among the civilians will be handled by me!"

Li Muxin, who had been silent beside Lin Mo, suddenly spoke.

"You?"

Luo Ning and others exchanged glances. This female ranger seemed increasingly enigmatic.

She had previously ambushed and subdued a mage and now claimed to catch spies, forcing the baron, who had been eyeing her beauty, to reassess her.

"Leave it to her! I believe she can do it well."

Lin Mo glanced at Li Muxin in slight surprise and nodded without hesitation.

This was the specialty of the Gemini sisters. Bringing her into the city was definitely a wise decision.

"If there are any problems, you are responsible!"

Baron Hong Yu snorted. It was best if she took the responsibility.

He wanted to see how this arrogant Dragon Knight would be stripped of his title and become the empire's biggest laughingstock.

Commoners? Commoners are good!

He could then ignore the rules of the nobility and retaliate at will, naturally delighted to see someone jump into the pit voluntarily.

"Everyone, line up! Don't cause chaos. The benevolent city lord will protect you and allow you to enter the city."

Soldiers descended from the city walls in baskets, moved the barricades blocking the city gates, and, brandishing bright arrows and spears, began to maintain order outside the city.

"What's happening? What's going on?"

"What are these soldiers doing?"

"What's happening at the city gate? Why isn't the city lord letting us in? We want to enter the city!"

"Heaven, those soldiers are killing people!"

"Quiet, quiet, the city lord is opening the gates. By the gods, we can finally enter the city!"

"Thank the city lord for his benevolence!"

After a small disturbance, a few civilians who tried to rush the city gate were mercilessly killed by the soldiers. Blood and death brought order to the civilians waiting outside the city gates.

---

In the distant Star Tear Sea, above the boundless deep blue sea, amidst the dense and thick clouds, massive and towering structures and mountains could be seen faintly, while below the clouds, there was nothing. It seemed as if a huge city was floating in the clouds.

The Sky Dragon City, renowned in the world, was now suspended above the Star Tear Sea.

The thick fog and cloud masses surrounding the super-giant floating meteorite never dissipated. In the nearby void outside the Sky Dragon City, traces of powerful magical array energy reactions could be faintly seen.

As the gathering place of the dragon hierarchy and an extremely important site for the continuation of the dragon race, it was naturally protected by various unimaginable defensive measures.

Year after year, the quality and quantity of these defenses have accumulated to become extremely terrifying.

Every building within this floating dragon city is enormous. Suddenly, a loud and authoritative voice echoed from a grand hall in the central area.

"Gold Dragon, do you know your crime!"

In the center of the grand hall, which was dozens of meters high, a giant dragon, as tall as a three- or four-story building, with a black body and golden patterns, and sharp blades on its body and joints, was on all fours, trembling.

---

A smile from the readers, or a smile from me!

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