Chapter 74

To this day, as a human exiled noble, Luo Zhengdao and the Gnome Second Empire are like fire and water, and to survive, he has no choice but to rush forward along this endless and arduous path, knowing full well that it is fraught with thorns. If Luo Zhengdao were to stop, it would mean his own destruction.

Those who have been following Luo Zhengdao all gathered to achieve one of the aforementioned goals. If he were to dare declare that he would voluntarily abandon his duties as Baron Fulu and no longer strive for the revival of the Bright Dynasty, these people would leave him in disappointment. At that point, the gnomes would only need to issue a bounty to claim the life of the solitary Luo Zhengdao. Even if he had the trump card of the Magic Card Master, his remaining life would be spent in endless pursuit and wandering.

There is no need to hide the fact that such a life of exile, where every sound of the wind and the cry of a crane is a cause for alarm, is not a comfortable existence. Luo Zhengdao, who has not yet lost his mind, is very clear that making such a brain-dead choice would be asking for trouble.

Given this, to meet the wishes and demands of his followers, Luo Zhengdao must play the role of a qualified exiled noble well. He should be of noble birth and have great ambitions, possessing all the qualities of a wise and virtuous ruler. His actions should be both benevolent and resolute. Only then will people believe that their sacrifices and efforts are worthwhile.

The saying "one's position determines one's thoughts" is crude but undeniably correct. Truth is often simple and straightforward, even cold and ruthless. Children who are not very good at concealing their desires often shout, "When I grow up, I want a lot of money and a lot of beautiful women," and they are immediately questioned by adults and lectured. When well-dressed, hypocritical adults talk about pursuing career success and a happy and fulfilling love, they are naturally seen as ambitious young people. Is there really any difference between the two? No, of course not.

The phrase "covering up one's faults" is a talisman prepared for those who are not honest enough. It doesn't matter if the substance is the same; as long as it is phrased differently, it can become noble and upright. Reality is just that hypocritical.

At this moment, Luo Zhengdao, who was writing diligently at his desk, paused. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then listed the interests and demands of the Yaling Empire and the Elven Federation as comprehensively as possible next to his own and the gnomes'. These so-called allies are not easy to deal with either!

Of course, there is no such thing as friendship between countries; there is only naked self-interest. Allies are there to be betrayed, and friends are there to be sold. Without this awareness, one should not get involved in politics, lest they end up with no place to bury their bones.

In the old world, the former hegemon, the Bald Eagle, was well-versed in this, to the point where being its ally was more dangerous than being its enemy. Counting the allies it had betrayed, it was truly ruthless.

The intensity of the struggle in the new world is even greater than in the old world. After all, the old world had the ultimate tactic of nuclear deterrence, and many conflicts could not be brought to the surface. Especially the armed conflicts between the two nuclear powers, each friction was like playing with fire on the edge of a cliff. While they were intimidating each other, they were also carefully maintaining the unwritten rule of fighting without breaking.

Currently, the Yaling Empire, which dominates the seven seas, holds relative naval supremacy. The strategic goals of Yaling are: maintaining the balance of power; controlling strategic locations; protecting shipping and commercial interests; and ensuring the safety of colonies, which is also very important.

In comparison, the Elven Federation places more emphasis on tangible and practical interests. Their goals are: protecting commercial interests; shipping and resources; and colonial competition.

Luo Zhengdao listed the items and analyzed the four main players involved in this competition. Looking at the clearly listed terms, he realized some issues that had been overlooked before. The fundamental contradiction between Luo Zhengdao and the gnomes lies in the establishment of an empire. Since the gnomes want to establish the Second Empire and restore past glory, this goal can only be achieved on the ruins of the Bright Dynasty. Luo Zhengdao's quest for national liberation and unification, and the eventual reconstruction of the Bright Dynasty, can only be realized by stepping on the bones of the gnomes. From the current situation, the contradiction between the two sides has developed to an irreconcilable degree.

The main point of conflict between the Elven Federation and the Gnome Empire is colonial competition and hindrance to commercial interests. Historical grievances are also a factor, but overall, the conflict between elves and gnomes is not too deep, and the possibility of a secret alliance cannot be underestimated.

The initial motivation of the Yaling Empire is to maintain regional power balance. As the first naval power in the new world, Yaling is very wary of a continental country completely controlling the mainland and then using the entire continent's strength to compete for naval supremacy or implement a reverse trade blockade. Therefore, when the Bright Dynasty was thriving, Yaling did not hesitate to secretly incite the inland tribes of the mainland to launch wave after wave of armed rebellions to contain and deplete the military and financial resources of the human dynasties. Now that the gnomes have completely overwhelmed the human dynasties and dominated the mainland, this is also not in Yaling's interest. If this is considered, it is clear that Yaling will not easily turn against Luo Zhengdao before he thoroughly defeats the Gnome Second Empire.

From the cautious perspective of choosing a partner, the Yaling Empire is much more reliable than the Elven Federation. At the very least, Yaling will not casually sell out Luo Zhengdao to the gnomes, which is a very critical prerequisite.

Carefully weighing the pros and cons, Luo Zhengdao calculated every detail as meticulously as a miser counting gold coins and came to a seemingly strange conclusion. The Elven Federation can only be used but not relied upon or deeply cooperated with, while the Yaling Empire is a logical choice for an ally. Therefore, his choice is actually only one: the Yaling Empire.

Gently putting down the quill, Luo Zhengdao, who was rubbing his temples, let out a slight sigh of relief. Previously, he was caught between two potential allies, constantly considering how to make the right choice, and playing the balancing game was not easy. Now, he was finally relieved. Since the Elven Federation is fundamentally unreliable, Luo Zhengdao naturally leans towards accepting the support of the Yaling Empire, and clarifying this early on will be greatly beneficial, allowing him to avoid many unnecessary detours.

"Knock! Knock! Knock!"

"What is it?"

The voice from outside the door was very familiar to Luo Zhengdao. It was one of the guards who followed him, who was now loudly saying through the door:

"Lord Baron, the ship is about to dock."

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao stood up and put on his coat, saying:

"Alright, I know, I'm coming."

Even though Luo Zhengdao, as the captain, is more of a figurehead than a commander, during events like docking, he should still be present on the command deck. This is not about practical effect but an unwritten tradition.

"Hey, why is the port so quiet? Could it be that..."

The tropical island ahead, with its beautiful scenery of white sand and blue sea, was as usual. Male is the largest island in this archipelago, with a permanent population of about 5,000. Although it is not as bustling as some commercial ports with constant traffic and lights, the streets being completely empty in the morning seemed a bit too lazy.

The boatswain, Zola, who was scanning the streets of Male from the bow, muttered and immediately became alert, shouting loudly:

"Do not drop the anchor, let's see the situation first."

"Uh, Zola, what's going on?"

Luo Zhengdao, who had just put one arm into his coat sleeve, walked onto the stern deck command platform. This time, he didn't waste any time and witnessed a surreal scene with the pirates on the Yangwei. When he noticed the bizarre scene on shore, his eyes widened. Was this an interdimensional version of a biohazard crisis? At that moment, countless undead creatures, roaring and surging from the shadows, were lunging at the living. From a distance, they looked like ants swarming over bones, making one's skin crawl.

"Leave, we must leave immediately."

Seeing this, the experienced boatswain's expression twisted into a grimace, and Zola Blackwell waved his arm to issue an emergency retreat order.

The pirates are not part-time inquisitors; there are no priests, paladins, or mages among them. Fighting so many undead creatures with just human strength would be like banging one's head against a wall. Zola Blackwell, realizing this, immediately ordered a retreat. It wasn't until the two warships, like frightened beasts, had left Male Harbor a considerable distance that they turned around to look at the land filled with the stench of death and abnormal noise. The pirates were still trembling with fear.

Confused by the incredible events unfolding before him, Luo Zhengdao rubbed his nose and said:

"Why has Male Harbor suddenly become like this..."

"Roar—"

Before Luo Zhengdao could finish his sentence, a loud noise from the nearby sea interrupted his thoughts. The first mate, Brandt Scarlet Flame, who was steering the ship, jumped up as if struck by lightning, waving his arms and shouting:

"Trumpet sound! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Often, when you realize something is wrong, the most dangerous moment has already arrived. This time was no exception.

As the high and loud trumpet sound echoed over the sea, a large arrow, at least three meters long and wrapped in flames, pierced the hull of the escort ship Chao Yong with a sharp whistling sound, as easily as a needle piercing paper. Immediately, the arrow released a fire-starting alchemical compound, and the fire quickly spread through the ship's hold. On the heavily damaged Chao Yong, the sailors no longer cared about anything else. They frantically picked up buckets of water and sand to try to extinguish the fire, but their efforts were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot against the raging inferno. The first strike from the unseen enemy left Luo Zhengdao's escort ship completely paralyzed.

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