Chapter 911: Kalanos

That evening, the Governor's Office held a banquet.

Lei En, in his capacity as the Duke of the Golden Emblem, invited the elite of Qingtan City and four other cities in the Osi An Province; over a hundred people attended, and the most eye‑catching were seven chieftains from the barbarian tribes surrounding Tianchi Lake.

However, only four of the seven chieftains were alive; the other three's heads were placed on the table for the guests to view.

All four living barbarian chieftains bore wounds.

At the banquet, they met the Duke of the Golden Emblem and immediately, in front of the guests, swore fealty to the Duke, pledging to lead their tribes to join the Empire and become its subjects.

Lei En accepted their loyalty with a smiling face and offered words of encouragement.

This chicken‑killing, monkey‑warning move made the banquet guests sit on pins, each realizing they were the monkey warned by the Consul. If anyone dared to stir trouble in Osi An Province, the next head on the table might be theirs.

The banquet concluded smoothly.

Lei En hurriedly teleported to the Jin Gang Fort base, summoned Kestajin, and together with Reslin slipped through the night into Shi Jie Shan Mai, visiting the dwarf realms of Rongyanbao, Zhigao Shan and Dufeng.

The next morning.

The Governor's office's Rick Guard discovered that the Consul had returned sometime last night, looking extremely pleased.

Lei En stayed in the Duke's domain for three days, inspected the four cities within the territory, and repeatedly appeared in public, interacting closely with his subjects, promising to develop Osi An to the fullest, earning widespread support and reaching the peak of personal reputation in the domain.

The Consul could not stay away from the Imperial Capital for long; three days later, Lei En set out to return to Nuosiruier.

Before departing, he publicly announced the appointment of Moselio as the domain's steward, granting Moselio supreme authority to implement his governance policies.

With the citizens of Qingtan City seeing him off, Lei En boarded a magical airship and left.

One and a half years later.

Mount Glagur stands at the geographic center of the Sein Plateau and is also the highest range on the plateau; although its height does not match Shi Jie Shan Mai, its elevation is only about a thousand meters lower. Its undulating peaks are perpetually snow‑capped, with biting cold winds.

A squad of bronze steeds flew through the sky.

Knights rode atop the horses, clad in bright silver armor, bearing soul spears and belt‑sheathed longswords, and projecting a faint golden shield to fend off the high‑altitude gusts.

The broad cyan winglets fluttered lightly and carried them far; at the captain's command, the knights gently squeezed the horses' flanks, the bronze steeds adjusting their flight like hunting hawks, diving toward the ground, and in an instant broke through the clouds to glimpse the scenery below.

At the foot of the majestic mountains, a brand‑new city rose against the slope.

Endless stone structures stretched westward along the gentle hillside, reaching a distant lake; countless figures bustled through the city, and the cold weather could not silence the lively clamor—a thriving scene.

Dwarves were the most numerous in the city; they were bare‑armed, showing strong muscles, unafraid of the cold wind.

Next came barbarians and trolls, with humans being the fewest.

Nevertheless, this was a human city, even though its name, Kalanos, derived from a dwarf term meaning "new homeland."

Holy Lance Knights landed on the camp's field, completing today's patrol.

The captain removed his helmet, revealing a youthful face.

"Captain Carodi, want to share two drinks tonight?" a comrade suggested. "Dwarven‑brewed lava stout, my treat."

Carodi hesitated, then shook his head: "I have plans tonight; you go ahead. Next time I'll treat the brothers."

"Alright then." The comrades, knowing the captain's temperament, did not press further.

Carodi disbanded his squad, preparing to return to his quarters to rest and then meditate to boost his Holy Light power, when he suddenly heard someone from the next room say, "Brothers, I just patrolled the main keep and saw an Extreme Warrior."

"What's strange about an Extreme Warrior?" someone retorted indifferently.

"That's not an ordinary Extreme Warrior."

The speaker lowered his voice, but Carodi still heard, "It's an Extreme Warrior in powered armor; judging by the shoulder insignia, it should be a member of a company."

"Ah!"

Someone gasped, then cautiously guessed, "Has the Consul arrived in Kalanos?"

Carodi also halted his steps.

He was no longer the clueless youngster he once was; since joining the Holy Spear Knight Corps, he had endured the early hardships, eventually earning his elder brother's recognition. Afterwards, his elder brother bestowed the finest resources and magical souls, and he repeatedly received Saint Gilles's blessings, his power soaring. In less than two years he rose four ranks, becoming a sixth‑rank Holy Lance Knight, and was promoted to captain not long ago.

The higher his power and status climbed, the broader his perspective became, and Carodi's admiration for his elder brother deepened, making his own insignificance feel stark.

Before he was fearless in ignorance; now he realizes how great his elder brother's achievements truly are.

Nevertheless, Carodi did not simply lie down; bearing the honored surname Augustus for a lifetime, he worked even harder, continuing to conceal his connection with his elder brother while secretly keeping a constant watch on his brother's movements.

But since his elder brother became Consul, he's grown increasingly busy, and they can only meet once every two or three months.

The last meeting was still in Gotham City.

Carodi returned to his quarters, stored his armor in his personal dimensional‑space ring, changed into a thicker winter coat, and once night fell, stepped out alone.

Treading on ice and snow, he walked the streets of Kalanos, the city still brightly lit.

The city's most common sites were mechanical workshops; their furnaces rarely went out, with dwarves and barbarians rotating shifts to forge magical alloys and weaponry. Inside and outside the workshops seemed like two worlds, the heat spilling out to melt the street's ice and snow into water, making the whole city feel like a warm furnace.

Mechanics and steel are Kalanos's main theme.

Besides that, there are taverns.

From taverns lining the streets rose boisterous shouts, often accompanied by spectacular brawls, where drunken dwarves and barbarians clashed in a frenzy, venting boundless energy.

Carodi had been on rotation in Kalanos for over two months, yet he could hardly believe that a year and a half ago this place was merely an uninhabited wasteland.

Each day on patrol he witnessed Kalanos's changes. Every few days, large groups of dwarves migrated from underground strongholds in Shi Jie Shan Mai, using their exquisite craftsmanship to build their own homes and then join the metal‑forging labor.

There were also barbarians arriving from across the plateau, settling in Kalanos, causing the city's population to continually rise.

A massive iron mine lay a dozen or so miles north of Kalanos.

It is said the reserves are astonishingly huge; even within the Empire, few mines compare. Fortuitously, a coal mine lies over two hundred miles west, and a railway was swiftly built between the two mines, alongside a massive smelting plant.

Within five hundred miles of Kalanos, several mines of varying quality have been discovered, rumors even mentioning a gold mine.

A few months ago, this news shook the entire Empire!

However, over eighty percent of the Sein Plateau has already been conquered, unified by the Duke of the Golden Emblem, the incumbent Consul, his own older brother.

Everything on the plateau—population, resources, including the mines—belongs entirely to Ryan Augustus.

In the Empire, no one dares to touch the Consul's interests.

Carodi's heart surged.

In the past year and a bit, the Empire's development and changes have already been felt by many, making them realize that the era's transformation has arrived, and the one leading this change is the Consul.

Kalanos is merely an unnoticed splash in the tide of the age, yet to ordinary people it already stands as an impressive achievement.

Unwittingly, Kalodi arrived at the heart of Kalanos, a solid fortress entirely built of rock, designed by the dwarf artisan Master Bulestein, sprawling over a vast area, housing a long‑range teleportation array, constantly guarded by Holy Lance Knights and Extreme Warriors, off‑limits to ordinary people.

The residents of Kalanos call it the Main Keep.

Big brother is inside!

Kalodi is a Holy Lance Knight captain; flashing his rank lets him enter the Main Keep, but he does not wish to reveal his relationship with his big brother.

He was still pondering how to meet his brother covertly when the scene before him shifted, instantly transporting him from the street into a plain room; a bright crystal lamp hung from the ceiling, a fireplace burned wood, and the flames radiated heat that made the room warm as spring.

Looking out the window, he could overlook most of Kalanos and gaze northward at the iron mine and smelting plant beneath the night sky.

Behind a spacious desk sat a familiar figure.

"Big brother!"

Kalodi exclaimed with delight.

Lei En's appearance was unchanged from a year and a half ago; time had left no trace on him. He rose and smiled, "How's it going? You've gotten used to life in Kalanos, right?"

While speaking, he used his Soul Eye to observe his younger brother.

"At first it was a bit unfamiliar, very cold, and the city is full of dwarves and barbarians," Kalodi replied honestly. "But I like this city; it's as lively as Gotham City. Those dwarves are a bit stubborn, but they're actually good people."

Lei En nodded.

Every Thundercast Celestial Soldier, every set of powered armor, every Electric Light Cannon turret serves as his eyes and ears, spread throughout his domain and legion, like patterns viewed on the palm—clear at a glance—and Kalodi's movements are equally transparent.

Kalodi's rapid rise in strength is also because he had Sheng Jilesi give him special treatment, repeatedly blessing him with Holy Blood Amber.

"Sit down," Lei En smiled. "We brothers haven't had a heart‑to‑hand in a long time."

The two sat on the sofa.

It had been a long time since they met; Kalodi had wanted to talk with his big brother, but now face‑to‑face he felt restrained and didn't know what to say.

"Are father and mother still in good health?"

Lao Bade and Marinda live in He Palace; he and Brisset are away, so now his big brother is the one who can often meet father and mother, taking care of them.

"They're all fine," Lei En replied. "Last night I dined with them. If you miss them, you can return to Nuosiruier; I'll have Lifelin grant you leave. Walk out of the teleportation array and you'll reach He Palace quickly to see them."

Kalodi hesitated, shook his head, and said, "My squad just took over a patrol mission; we can't leave easily. We'll wait for next time."

"That works."

Since Lei En became Consul, he deals with all sorts of people every day.

The Soul Eye precisely gauges others' emotional shifts, having honed the insight to see through the world, and with a single glance pierced Kalodi's thoughts.

He smiled faintly, "Kalodi, how long have you been at the Mid-stage pinnacle?"

Kalodi's spirit instantly lifted, and he answered promptly, "Almost a month."

"Not bad."

Lei En showed a pleased smile, praising, "In less than two years you rose from a second‑rank Gunner to a sixth‑rank Holy Lance Knight; even within the Holy Spear Knight Corps, few have advanced as quickly as you."

Kalodi's expression turned embarrassed, "It's all thanks to my big brother."

"You needn't be modest; I've seen your two years of effort. The promotion to captain two months ago wasn't my order—it was you who fought for it," Lei En said. "If your strength and ability can't win the masses, even my decree would be useless; that's fine."

"I understand, big brother." Kalodi's face was serious; hearing his brother's recognition made him happier than becoming a captain.

Lei En added, "Since you've reached the Mid-stage pinnacle, prepare to strike for the High-level."

As he spoke, he took a box from the Nebula Ring.

"Inside are the magic pills and scrolls I prepared for you, plus the magic soul of a Crimson Sun fire demon, accompanied by two ultra‑rare Elements that suit you well; the fusion won't be difficult."

Kalodi finally understood; his big brother had already prepared everything for him.

"Thank you, big brother!"

He felt immensely excited, but even more moved, rose solemnly and said, "I will keep striving and never betray your expectations, big brother."

Lei En couldn't help but laugh silently, "You're my brother, we're family, of course I must give you the best."

"Take it."

"Half a year ago Brisset broke through to high-level magic swordsman; I sent him something. I'm not as courteous as you."

"Mm." Kalodi gave a firm nod, putting away the box on the desk.

The brothers chatted idly for a moment.

Before arriving, Kalodi had been curious why Lei En, despite his busy schedule, came to Kalanos; after meeting Lei En and receiving resources for a high-level breakthrough, he pushed the matter aside, and his mind drifted during their conversation.

Lei En saw his eagerness to return for the breakthrough, gave a few reminders, then waved his hand and sent him out.

After Kalodi left, the room's door was pushed open.

Marious, nearly three meters tall in powered armor, could only bend his waist to enter the doorway, spreading a plateau map on the desk again, and said, "Sir, we have already subjugated the overwhelming majority of tribes on the plateau; only the last one remains."

He pointed to a spot on the map, located in the plateau's northwest corner.

"The Mataqi tribe—they are the strongest tribe on the plateau, with a population over four hundred thousand, ruling a vast region between the plateau's northwest and the Dead Forest Sea. Within the tribe are two Saint Rank elites; defeat them and the entire plateau will be unified under your domain," Marious said, his eyes full of anticipation.

Lei En was about to reply when he suddenly produced a flashing magical communication stone, lightly pressing to receive its message.

Anxiwodasi's voice rang out, "Lei En, the Iola Core has been completed."

(End of Chapter.)