The Mighty Dragons Are Dead-Chapter 1123 - 1120: Swallowing Up

From June to August, for a full two months, the impact of the Dragon War not only failed to subside, but instead intensified, sweeping through the three major kingdoms in the northeastern corner of the Legendary Continent and even drawing the attention of the surrounding Yellowstone Kingdom and the Fallen Leaf Kingdom to the situation in the Tri-Nation Alliance.

Within the Eagle Kingdom, the cohesion of the Nobles had completely disintegrated. Faced with the not particularly strong Knight Order from the Flame Kingdom, they crumbled and were routed completely.

A large number of Nobles chose to defect, while the resisting Nobles saw their wealth confiscated.

During this period, all four vassal states of the Eagle Kingdom—the Pink Gemstone Duchy, Purple Copper Duchy, the Emerald Duchy, and the Crimson Gem Grand Duchy—betrayed the Eagle Kingdom and negotiated terms to switch allegiance to the Flame Kingdom. Among them, the Crimson Gem Grand Duchy adopted the most submissive stance.

No other reason but their Grand Duke was captured, their Dragon too, and the Grand Duchy had lost the basis for its existence.

"These two months have been consumed by too many affairs to handle, especially negotiating with various Nobles of the Eagle Kingdom, which has drained my vast energy. Even now, as a Domain Knight, I still feel utterly exhausted," in a study within a Castle, the Duke of Tulip Island—Li Weiliam massaged his forehead.

"Father, you are the Prime Minister of the Outer Cabinet; you could delegate some of the negotiation tasks to other ministers and just coordinate the affiliation of several Duchies."

Li Si Te stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the Castle, looking out at the scenery beneath the setting sun.

The wheat had matured, golden and bowing low, with serfs harvesting in groups, wives delivering meals, and children running around, everything seemed so harmonious and beautiful.

"We have too few ministers, Li Si Te. The Outer Cabinet of the Flame Kingdom needs expansion; otherwise, we won’t be able to cope with the increasing number of Nobles transferring allegiance. After all, the true population of the Flame Kingdom only equates to that of a Grand Duchy, and now we are annexing the long-established Eagle Kingdom."

"Father, you can make arrangements. Divide the Outer Cabinet into standing and general ministers, keeping the number of standing ministers at eleven and general ministers at around fifty. Also, compile a reserve list of ministers, maintaining a number of about five hundred... It’s appropriate to draw some from the Nobles of the Eagle Kingdom."

Li Si Te finished speaking and seemed to remember something, adding, "Edward Deep Red Gem is very savvy; he could be included among the standing ministers."

"The Crimson Gem Family, do you have any specific plans?" Li Weiliam asked.

"I promised Edward a Dukedom, and the Crimson Gem Family will begin anew in the Flame Kingdom. All the Feudal Nobles and direct Nobles will switch their allegiance to me, and assist me in ensuring the stability of the Grand Duchy." Li Si Te sighed, "I instigated the war, yet I do not wish for it to ruin this fertile land."

"Once you unify the Tri-Nation Alliance, I believe the northeastern corner of the Legendary Continent will not easily be plunged into war again."

"It’s still not enough, father. The Kushan Imperial still looms at the side of our bed; this Legendary Continent is too vast."

"But you have enough time to take control of everything, don’t you."

Li Si Te smiled, "Perhaps."

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking.

"Your Majesty, Princess Emily requests an audience."

"Let her in."

Princess Emily strode into the study with a crisp and valiant bearing, and after greeting, she spoke directly, "Your Majesty, the Eagle Royal Family has submitted a formal diplomatic note. King Adonis and Prince Alexander will visit you at Rainbow Glutinous Rice Fort on September 6th."

Rainbow Glutinous Rice Fort was the very Castle below them.

It was a Castle owned by a Marquis of the Eagle Kingdom, Thomas Rainbow Glutinous Rice, who had already defected. The Castle was repurposed as a temporary palace by Li Si Te. This time he issued a Punishment Order; it wasn’t for a petty raid to loot and leave, but for a permanent occupation.

"Mm, arrange for this meeting, and while at it, hold a banquet and invite all the defecting Nobles to attend," said Li Si Te indifferently.

The Eagle Kingdom has been severely weakened. Initially, we had hoped to muster our forces and completely eradicate the Eagle Royal Family. Unexpectedly, the Royal Family made a resolute decision and sent an envoy to request surrender. They are willing to submit to the Flame Kingdom and be demoted to a Grand Duchy. However, Liszt has yet to agree since the other party still possesses three dragons.

Maintaining control of three dragons within a Grand Duchy clearly crosses his bottom line. If the Eagle Kingdom truly wishes to surrender, then only one dragon may be kept.

And must be at Liszt’s disposal at any time.

He poured a glass of juice for Emily, offering solace to the tireless Dragon Knight, then turned to Li Weiliam and said, "Father, I will attend the banquet briefly, but I will not participate in the formal negotiations, leaving the Outer Cabinet in full charge. Perhaps you could appropriately strategize with Prince Alex."

"Do you mean that, after the Eagle Kingdom is demoted, only the Dragon Knight, Alex, remains?"

"Yes, Dragon Knights are not easily fostered. As long as Alex knows to act in accordance with the times, I believe keeping him as a Dragon Knight is more meaningful than seizing the White Maw Iron Dragon," Liszt stated. This was an act of necessity; there were too few Dragon Knights in the Flame Kingdom, and it would take at least several decades to train a few more.

He did not plan to wait decades to conquer the Legendary Continent.

Uniting the world would be better sooner rather than later. He still needed to seek the Immortal Dragon in the Exiled Lands with Ach and then get busy creating offspring.

...

Flame Calendar, Year 2, September.

The Crimson Gem Grand Duchy announced its incorporation into the Flame Kingdom. The former Grand Duke, Edward Deep Red Gem, offered the Crimson Gem Dragon to Liszt, changed his name to Edward Dandelion, and was appointed by Liszt as the Dandelion Duke.

Flame Calendar, Year 2, October.

The Pink Gemstone National Park declared its integration into the Flame Kingdom, continuing to follow Liszt in the form of a dukedom; the Purple Copper Duchy declared its integration into the Flame Kingdom, following Liszt in the form of a dukedom; the Emerald Duchy announced its integration into the Flame Kingdom, still following Liszt in the form of a dukedom.

Flame Calendar, Year 2, November.

After two and a half months of negotiations, the Eagle Royal Family officially pledged allegiance to the Flame Royal Family. Adonis Moonlight Silver abdicated the throne and was re-titled by Liszt as the Eagle Duke. Based on the foundation of the original King’s Castle of the Eagle Kingdom, the territory of the Eagle Duchy was demarcated, with the Brass Dragon as the cornerstone of the duchy.

Simultaneously, the original Prince Alex White Iron was bestowed by Liszt the title of White Iron Grand Duke, retaining the White Maw Iron Dragon, and the territory of the White Iron Grand Duchy was established based on his former domain.

Moreover, another White Maw Iron Dragon from the Eagle Kingdom was presented as a tribute to Liszt.

Thus,

The Eagle Kingdom, with a history of nearly a thousand years, was completely relegated to the past, its territories entirely absorbed by the Flame Kingdom. The northeastern corner of the Legendary Continent reverted to a tripartite balance of power as before, only now with the Flame Kingdom replacing the Eagle Kingdom while the Steel Ridge Kingdom and the Blast Furnace Fortress Kingdom formed an alliance to resist.

In the face of the rapid rise of the Flame Kingdom, the Steel Ridge Kingdom and the Blast Furnace Fortress Kingdom each issued condemnations, but they dared not intervene in the process.

They could only watch as the Flame Kingdom gradually assimilated and absorbed the resulting chaos, completing the granting of fiefs to and appeasing the nobles.

It wasn’t until the approach of the new year that Liszt received a bit of news from the two kingdoms, thanks to intelligence gathered by Mary’s Blood Servant.

"Your Majesty, the Dragon Knight, Duke Buffett from the Kushan Imperial, has already arrived in the Blast Furnace Fortress Kingdom."

"The Kushan Imperial... Duke Buffett..." In a palace near the Doomsday Volcano Crater, Liszt looked up at a forty-five degree angle to the sky, "Have you found out what Ancient Artifact Buffett has brought?"

"Not yet."

"Keep looking."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."