Capítulo 1577: Chapter 290: Ian: I Think This Is a Bit Too Extreme

As time passed, the entire Terra Continent learned about the Fiery Flame Land deploying the Demon Legion, achieving some results in the Western Territory, but ultimately hitting a wall at the South Ridge, where the Dragon King intervened and took away the Abyssal Dragon.

When many people received this news, their first thoughts were not to mock the failure of the Fiery Flame Land or to be wary of the Empire’s trump cards, but to cautiously gaze at the sky.

Dragon Island.

From the Lost Epoch until now, and even further back in the ancient era of civilization, the silhouette of Dragon Island has always existed, hidden behind the history of civilization.

The ancient True Dragon Kings have always overlooked all things in the world. Human warfare, slaughter, and ugliness cannot move them; only the most egregious sins and cataclysmic disasters capable of destroying everything can provoke them to intervene, rectifying and calming the chaos.

So, did the Fiery Flame Land cross that unknown line this time?

No. It seems not.

Astute nations noticed that this time, the Dragon Kings merely took the Abyssal Dragon, without penalizing the Fiery Flame Land or condemning their demonic technology—just like in the past; as long as it is human-developed technology, no matter how inhumane, the dragons will not interfere.

Just as humans create toxins lethal enough to kill themselves on this land without dragon interference, demonic technology in the eyes of the Dragon King might be akin to those heavily polluting industrial facilities.

However… using some method to manufacture True Dragons for personal use… or utilizing those magical Sparks, will invite the wrath of the Dragon King.

That is the true bottom line of Dragon Island.

Now, this makes things quite intriguing.

Everyone has witnessed the destructive power of the Demon Legion. The Fiery Flame Land, indeed, stood out and got attacked, but the Western Frontier of the Empire’s defenses were instantly shattered, and the entire province turned into a hell on earth—a feat conventional armies couldn’t accomplish in years, yet the Demon Legion did in an underdeveloped state within just a month.

Moreover, the flaws and vulnerabilities exposed by the Demon Legion on the battlefield, as well as the strengths and tenacity displayed, will become fodder for all nations, prompting them to hastily improve their own technologies.

But those are matters for later.

For now, everyone, whether Imperial People or foreigners, the suffering citizens of the Western Territory or the long-disturbed residents of the Southern Ridge and Central Plains… everyone is eager to witness one thing.

And that is the Empire’s counterattack.

—What will the Empire do at this critical turning point of crisis?

Ian was also curious about this.

Terra Year 775, July 24.

Nine days after the great victory in the Battle of South Ridge.

In these nine days, production activities in the South Ridge have returned to normal. Although most of the settlements on the Golden Plains were utterly destroyed and the ecology severely damaged, with the recent development in the Southern Ridge Area, many new towns have emerged in the western hill region and the northwest mountainous area.

The refugees from the Golden Plains are now settled there, absorbed by the urban circle surrounding the Silverpeak Domain and Nauman City—despite the aftermath of the war, there is plenty of work that needs people to do.

At the same time, they need not worry about having nothing to eat because this is precisely the opportunity for the Silver Peak Earl to win over hearts and minds.

Cheap canned food and relief porridge distributed in the name of the Supreme Spirit Sect, along with the armed clerics of the Supreme Spirit Sect, ensured the order of the refugee camps and the stability of food distribution. Under the amiable and friendly surveillance of drones and Unmanned Armors, even if someone is starving to death, they dare not snatch food from others.

Ian did not hastily feed the refugees adequately. He repeatedly declared that food reserves were insufficient, and the Silverpeak Domain needed to mobilize food from various merchant guilds. Taking this opportunity, he successfully unified all merchant guilds in the Southern Ridge under the ‘Southern Ridge Wartime Resource Distribution Center,’ managing and regulating food prices and distribution.

After ensuring the refugees went hungry for a few days, he began selectively distributing food to the women, children, and the elderly who needed it most.

The reasoning is simple: only by having been hungry will the refugees be grateful for food—otherwise, they might be picky, complaining that this doesn’t taste good or that isn’t fresh.

Ian wouldn’t truly deceive these future residents of the Silverpeak Domain with unfresh food, but he definitely didn’t want to integrate any ‘ingrates’ who wouldn’t express gratitude.

Post-war, the control of the military factories in the South Ridge… of course, was not returned.

To be honest, everyone expected that once Ian took over the military factories, he would not return control, which led to a myriad of resistance and delays in the mechanization timeline of the Nineteenth Legion, resulting in at least two to three thousand additional casualties. Now that Ian has grasped the factories, returning them was out of the question.

This is what is meant by meeting expectations.

As it stands now, under the jurisdiction of the Heart of Terra, including military manufacturing, the entire industrial production of the Southern Ridge has been coordinated to nearly perfect levels—from mining in mountainous areas to refining, then manufacturing finished products and selling them. This entire chain of production has been grasped and optimized by Ian.

In the past, the Nobles of the South Ridge would never have accomplished such a feat, because everyone acted for their convenience. However, under the pressure of Fiery Flame Land and Ian’s firm orchestration, they had no choice but to change their production modes, operating the entire domain to serve the production needs of the entire Nanling Province.

Simply put, the past Southern Ridge was a loose alliance of small to medium Nobles, who, although nominally Imperial People, in practice managed their affairs in a disorganized manner.