Chapter 156: What otherworlder has ever seen such a fun thing?! (13)

Shire County.

Shialin City's Maple Leaf Grand Plaza.

Under the heavy protection of the guards, and with the help of several High-tier Mages, Count Robert was loudly delivering a speech to the tens of thousands of Shialin City residents gathered in the plaza.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Shialin City, I know you have suffered huge property losses, and the lifelong savings of many have gone down the drain."

"But I must say, after the Dawn Bank's bankruptcy, no one can escape unscathed, and Shialin City's finances have also suffered a heavy blow!"

Saying this, Count Robert waved a thick stack of Dawn Bank deposit slips, making a "shla-shla~" sound.

"Here, there are a full two hundred thousand Ogres!"

"I originally planned to build an advanced magic research institute to provide employment opportunities for more mages, but now it's all become waste paper!"

The more Count Robert spoke, the more heartbroken he felt, his emotions rose, and his voice grew ever more shrill: "All of this is the fault of Duke Dawn!"

Just as he was about to deliver an impassioned speech, his attendant Asan walked up to his side and whispered a report:

"My lord, White Sturgeon Island has just sent word that they plan to establish a new bank, and the new bank will recognize all Dawn Bank deposit slips."

Count Robert was startled, then overjoyed, but soon doubtful: "Does White Sturgeon Island really have that much money?"

"This is no small amount."

"White Sturgeon Island says they intend to confiscate the money of all southern county barons to pay for this loss."

Count Robert's eyes widened: "Confiscate? But the war hasn't even started yet!"

Although given the southern forces' current pitiful state, victory in battle is certain, but the southern barons still have many private troops; if they really fought, losses would be heavy, so the best approach is to win them over through appeasement.

If we forcibly confiscate, won't they fight to the death? Asan also looked doubtful: "White Sturgeon Island says, raise your head and look to the sky."

"The sky?"

Count Robert was puzzled.

"They say a baron has created an extremely powerful flying magical device."

Count Robert was even more bewildered, and Asan equally so.

One can grasp the concept of a flying magical device, but what it looks like is hard to imagine.

"'Is it flapping wings, or a flying blanket?' Count Robert asked."

Asan shrugged: "My lord, you're asking a blind man for directions."

Just as the master and servant were shrouded in a cloud of doubt, a "hummm~~" sound suddenly came from the eastern horizon.

It was a bit like thunder, but upon careful listening, one would realize it was a sound never heard before.

At first no one noticed, but gradually everyone in the plaza became aware of it.

Those who came to listen to the speech were the people directly affected by this bankruptcy incident, members of the upper strata of society, all quite knowledgeable.

People were puzzled and followed the sound to investigate.

"What's going on?"

"I saw it: over there, in the sky, there are two black dots, like birds."

"How could birds make such a huge commotion when they fly?"

"What kind of bird looks like that?"

"They're flying toward us!"

Count Robert also saw them.

In the eastern sky, at an altitude of about two hundred meters, two things resembling triangular plates flew side by side, left and right.

From a distance they looked like mere specks, but when they flew closer today we realized they were actually enormous.

The length is unclear, but the width is close to 20 meters; they obviously shimmer with an odd, dazzling silver-white metallic luster, yet their lines are exceptionally smooth and precise, like a single piece of steel!

But how could such huge steel possibly weigh only twenty or thirty tons and still fly? This seriously defies common sense!

Now, such a massive steel artifact, flying at over two hundred meters high and emitting a strange, enormous roar, exerts a pressure on the crowd below that is almost like a deity descending to earth! Many can't help but think, could this be the very body of a god? Some even directly began praying to the sky.

"O god, please have mercy on humanity and do not bring down divine punishment!"

Count Robert also instinctively stepped back, and Battle Master Asan involuntarily reached for the weapon at his waist, his face also turning pale.

Most of the audience in the plaza also retreated and scattered.

From a high viewpoint, it looked as if an invisible giant hand had swept over the ground's ant colony.

Just then, the flying steel giant emitted a majestic voice from the high heavens.

"Residents of Shialin City, we are the Sky Vanguard of White Sturgeon Island!"

"We will head south to demonstrate the mighty magical power of the White Sturgeon Island baron!!"

This voice answered the crowd's doubts, yet it made everyone feel even more shocked.

"It's actually a magical construct?!"

"Oh~ Mother Nature above, how can something this big fly up to the sky and remain so steady?"

"It's also fast! I've never seen anything this fast!"

"It's rising higher~ higher~~"

Only then did we see the two steel-like flying magical devices begin to accelerate, ascend, and in the sky maneuver back and forth at an unimaginable speed.

As speed increased, the wind noise became extremely violent, like rolling thunder in the sky.

Even more terrifying, the giant displayed extraordinarily superb and delicate flying techniques in the air.

Rolling, swooping, steep dives then pulling up, and each time the air would burst with thunder‑like roars.

Still relying on beast power as their main propulsion, the Black Stone warships are rare treasures among the Weilan people—who has ever seen such a high‑tech gadget?

Everyone stared agape; aside from their eyes unconsciously following the two black shadows high in the sky, each person lifted their head, jaws dropped, unable to utter a word.

Only when the black shadows became two black dots high in the sky and gradually drifted away did the plaza's silence finally shatter with a "boom"! Although the plaza was not lacking in mages, who understood the basic principles of magic, these two flying constructs completely overturned their magical common sense.

"How could such a huge chunk of steel possibly take flight?!"

"Even if we could take off, we certainly wouldn't fly far; the magical power is simply insufficient!"

"No, why can we fly so high? So fast!"

"Is this the Baron's great Arcane might?"

"I heard White Sturgeon Island has a massive Ring of Truth that can lift dozens of tons of clear water into the high heavens using pure force; could this be a creation of pure power?"

"Oh~ the Baron's wisdom truly is as bottomless as the sea!"

"This is a mage's creation; what does it have to do with the Baron?"

"How can it be unrelated?! Mages are everywhere, yet we never see Weilan make it, never see Aaron or Kao make it, and only White Sturgeon Island can?"

The podium.

Count Robert was also deeply shocked.

Only after the two flying devices had completely departed did he begin to regain his composure.

He lightly tapped the bank certificate in his hand, feigning ease: "Let us pray for the Southern Counts~"

Outwardly relaxed, but his heart was unusually heavy.

With such a miraculous Arcane creation on White Sturgeon Island, the fate of the Southern Count was naturally as tragic as a candle in the wind.

Yet, as a fellow Count, the Northern Count's fate also rests entirely on the Baron's mercy of White Sturgeon Island.

He swallowed a silent gulp, and Count Robert felt a flicker of luck: "Fortunately my sister is the Baron's mentor."

But this time, he thought that relying on this connection was somewhat unsafe.

After all, the Baron had already graduated; he no longer needed a mentor's knowledge.

Then a thought leapt into his mind: "My sister has been alone for so many years; it's not easy. She's still so young; she can't stay a widow forever, can she?"

"I've always heard the Baron possesses a divine spear gun; if my sister became his lover, she'd be far happier than most women, why not."

Just as Count Robert's mind was swirling with absurd ideas, two Roarers arrived at Red Plains County in the southern part of Shire County.

Count Lawrence of Red Plains County is a die‑hard of the Continental faction, and the southern Red Plains County is Dawn County, home to Dawn City.

Because it was close to Dawn County, Count Lawrence immediately dispatched troops, looted three Dawn City bank branches, and seized countless gold and silver.

He hauled all the gold and silver back to his castle and began a frantic recruitment of soldiers and horses.

Not for any other reason, but to safeguard himself in the upcoming chaotic era.

During a leisurely afternoon, while Count Lawrence was inspecting the castle training ground, a strange "Bzzzz" sound suddenly echoed from the sky.

Just as the Count found it odd, someone noticed two triangular strange constructs appearing high in the sky.

"Something's up there!"

The training soldiers all looked up, and the Count looked up as well.

Everyone saw the bizarre aerial objects spiraling continuously; their exact altitude was unknowable, but they were certainly very high.

Just as everyone felt confused, a majestic voice from the high heavens descended: "We are the Sky Vanguard of the White Sturgeon Island Baron!"

"The Baron declares that the Lawrence family is rebellious against Weilan! The Lawrence family, and any warriors following the Lawrence house, will be utterly eradicated!"

Count Lawrence was still puzzled, but upon hearing the terrifying voice, his heart went "Bang bang bang" wildly, nearly bursting out of his throat.

He shouted immediately.

"Shoot arrows~~ aim at it~ bring it down~"

"The new flame gun? Get it out and use it quickly!"

"Mages? Battle mages, cast it down quickly!"

In an instant, the ground troops surged to attack the aerial objects.

But the two flying objects were so high that none of the ground attacks could reach them.

"Battle mage, chase it and attack!"

The Count roared.

But at that moment, the high‑heaven voice rang again: "Taste the Baron's great Arcane might~"

Before the ground forces could recover, a massive psychic force descended from the sky.

The force fell like a torrent hundreds of meters thick, violently sweeping the ground troops.

It was the Zero Ring psychic spell 'Deterrent Aura'.

The ring count was low, yet the spell's scale was astonishingly large.

It was as if nearly a thousand Arcane Masters poured all their magical power into it, casting together upon the ground.

The power was incomprehensible! Warriors who moments before were fiercely attacking the sky suddenly let out high‑pitched, girlish screams; the weak‑powered, timid soldiers even began to clutch their heads and flee.

A battle mage that had just taken off to give chase fell straight from the sky; at best it suffered broken bones and torn tendons, at worst it died on the spot!

This was because the training ground had enough soldiers—over five thousand—so the spell's effect was widely distributed.

If there had been only a few hundred, they would have been frightened into unconsciousness right then.

The Count was the first to bear the brunt.

He was only a mid‑rank warrior; he couldn't withstand such a blow.

He clutched his head, crouched on the ground, shouting with a strained voice, only wanting to find a crack to crawl into and hide.

Immediately after, one of the aircraft made a diving maneuver toward the training ground.

With that move, at least five hundred soldiers in the direction the nose pointed shuddered all over, then fell softly to the ground, their fate unknown.

The warriors' minds were already heavily affected by the Deterrent Aura, and now witnessing such a terrifying scene, they assumed all five hundred had been killed! In fact, no matter how large the Zero Ring spell, it cannot directly kill, nor leave severe aftereffects—like no amount of cold water can cook a duck.

Moreover, the power of psychic weapons has an upper limit, determined by the controlling mage's cap.

If it exceeds that limit, indiscriminate damage to friend and foe becomes likely.

But the key is, this thing appeared on the battlefield for the first time; no one knows its secret.

"Ah~~~~"

The entire training ground instantly filled with girlish screams, and at least thirty percent of the warriors wet and soiled themselves on the spot.

At that moment, on the training ground of five or six thousand people, only the senior‑and‑above warriors could barely stay standing, and they made up less than one‑tenth of the total.

Even while standing, they had no fighting spirit, all gazing at the aerial creations above with an incomparable awe.

As if mortals were looking at a god in the sky.

The majestic Voice of the High Heavens descended again from the sky.

"The Lawrence family must be eliminated, and the wealth they plundered will be reclaimed by the Weilan Citizens' Bank."

"The Baron's army is about to move south; the Count's doom is at hand!"

Within the Voice of the High Heavens, two terrifying aerial beings rose higher and higher, finally vanishing above the High Heavens.

Back to the training ground.

The deterrent aura was merely a zero‑ring spell, and its direct effect faded quickly.

But the massive psychic shock of the terrifying aerial beings' arrival was etched deep into every warrior's soul.

When the warriors rose again, their gazes involuntarily turned toward Count Lawrence.

Before, that gaze was reverence, obedience.

Now, the gaze carried an indescribable nuance, a cold indifference as if looking at a corpse.

Count Lawrence felt his pores ignite and couldn't help but roar.

"What are you doing? What do you intend to do?!"

"Guards—guards—protect me! Quickly protect me!"

The response to Count Lawrence was a death‑like silence.

The Baron of White Sturgeon Island commanded a sky army akin to a miracle, and was utterly unstoppable.

Since the Baron of White Sturgeon Island declared that the Lawrence family and their followers must die, the warriors, to survive, could only cease following the Lawrence family.

Amid the silence, someone shouted.

"Baron? Clearly it's a Duke! The Duke Weilan!"

"Yes, yes, it's the Duke Weilan!"

"We are all Weilan citizens; Weilan citizens should obey the Duke Weilan!"

"Since the Duke wants the Count dead! Then the Count must die!"

The hidden spark in Red Plain County was ignited.

The Roarer pressed on, advancing along the Weilan coastline.

They moved east to west, sequentially passing through Dawn County, Olan County, White Lake County, Volcano County, Green County, then turned, crossed the remaining nine county towns, and finally returned to White Sturgeon Island.

At each county town, they ignited the local flame.

Except for the Edrian family, to which the Princess belongs, which was not declared treasonous, the other fourteen southern Counts were publicly declared traitors.

But that's not all! The Island Intelligence Bureau also possessed a list that recorded the names of all the great southern nobles.

Any clan with private troops—such as the Shahelamu family of Dawn City—was also labeled an unforgivable traitor.

When they returned to White Sturgeon Island, Naifeilonia asked through the collective mind voice:

"Luosen, do you intend to wipe out all the great southern families?"

Luosen calmly nodded: "Hmm."

"Isn't that a bit too cruel?"

The one asking was Lartelis in the rear seat; she now found the human lord in the front seat exceedingly cold and ruthless.

She thought this was Luosen's true nature and instantly felt frightened.

Luosen naturally sensed her emotion, raised his hand to pinch her palm, and answered again with the collective mind voice.

His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of suppressed heaviness.

"The great southern nobles earn an average annual income of over one million Ogre."

"Yet in such a wealthy south, about ninety thousand people starve to death each year, and several million go hungry."

"Now, do you still think I'm cruel?"

Lartelis looked shocked: "How can this be?! What do they need so much money for?"

Succubus sisters hold a fairly equal status at sea; they collect pearls and various golds for the queen, a hobby that shows their respect for her.

Although after arriving at White Sturgeon Island the succubi witnessed the obvious class divide among humans, the situation on White Sturgeon Island was still tolerable.

They never expected such a terrifying vampire to exist on the Weilan Giant Island.

Ninety thousand starving deaths a year is nearly three times the combined number of her and her mother's two succubus clans.

That's too frightening.

"It must be to show off, to splurge, to please their master in Aaron, right?"

The answer came from the goddess Mei Er Qili Na.

Luosen nodded: "Lina is right."

"These lords would rather let grain rot in warehouses than give it to starving subjects. They'd rather spend 2,000 Ogre on a pearl necklace than spare a few Kelen to help a dying civilian."

"Therefore, I think they are not living people but demons."

"Oh~ they truly are demons," Lartelis said, her face angry.

"Then they simply died too late," Naifeilonia said.

(End of Chapter)