CHAPTER 427: CHAPTER 363 VERY BUSY_1

"Why?" Duke Silvermane was very puzzled.

Yan Xing smiled and asked, "Does Your Grace wage this war to overthrow the Gryphon Heart Empire... or to take its place and become the new emperor?"

Faced with Yan Xing’s question, Duke Silvermane was stunned for a moment, unsure how to answer. After all, he had waged war on the Gryphon Heart Empire under the banner of "cleansing the imperial side." Therefore, what he truly thought—and what everyone understood—was not suitable to be spoken aloud.

At this time, Karol asked Yan Xing from the side, "As a hypothetical discussion, what does either outcome have to do with the strategy we choose?"

Yan Xing replied, "If one only intends to overthrow the Gryphon Heart Empire, of course, it’s better to march on the capital as quickly as possible. But by that time, Your Grace will become the target of all, and the current Silvermane Principality is probably not ready to fight a war of human unification. Your Grace would be trapped in a war that requires conquest on all fronts, needlessly depleting your nation’s strength."

Duke Silvermane nodded in agreement with what Yan Xing said.

The nail that sticks up gets hammered down—there are variations of this proverb everywhere.

After overthrowing the Gryphon Heart Empire, the Silvermane Principality would naturally aim to take its place. Then would come the enfeoffment of vassals and the division of land to construct a new aristocracy loyal to the new empire. This will inevitably encroach upon the interests of the old nobility. The other noble territories are not easy targets, and the royal family of Gryphon Heart will not easily admit defeat. It’s like inflicting a serious injury on one enemy only to bring countless others onto oneself.

This time, Duke Silvermane took the initiative to ask, "What benefits does the second plan offer me?"

Yan Xing answered, "If Your Grace has higher ambitions, a longer-term plan is necessary. Before shattering an empire, consider how to reshape a new empire.

"During the preparation process for Your Grace, it’s best to maintain the existence of the Gryphon Heart Empire. Let power continue to be centralized and transferred in an orderly manner.

"The specific approach is: to keep an eye on the big while swallowing the small. Maintain a state of war with the Gryphon Heart Empire, proceed steadily, and strive for no faults rather than for credit.

"For the surrounding noble territories, we should actively seek their support. Those willing to align with us can receive military and economic support in the form of Alchemical Weapons from Thunderous Swamp. For those leaning toward the Empire, we must suppress them firmly. Start with military, political, and their internal conflicts, actively helping rulers friendly to us gain power. Even for those who are neutral observers, we must establish friendly trade relationships—I believe no one will refuse the alchemical goods from Thunderous Swamp.

"Over time, more and more noble territories will support us, and fewer and fewer will support the Gryphon Heart Empire. When Your Grace is ready, a war to sweep the world will come naturally."

Duke Silvermane nodded incessantly at Yan Xing’s words, exclaiming, "If my ministers possessed your broad vision and long-term thinking, I could spare myself the daily toil of state affairs. I am even more looking forward to formally allying with Thunderous Swamp, so that we may both divide the world on a map."

"I came precisely to forge this alliance."

The wedding of Duke Silvermane and Karol was in the active stages of preparation. The eaves of every house in Dawnspirit City and the branches of every tree were hung with colorful flags sent from the Eternal Domain, and every resident of Dawnspirit City could get a free red hat from the Eternal Domain. The children played with balloons distributed by the Eternal Domain, women could get a bunch of beautiful hair ribbons, and men each received a brooch. These were gifts to all the residents of Dawnspirit City from the Lord of the Eternal Domain, Lord Yan Xing, the brother of the prospective Duchess.

His gifts to Karol were even more astonishing and enviable. In addition to the lighting used for the wedding, Yan Xing also gave Karol a shop specializing in luxury cosmetics, a luxurious private plane named ’Rose,’ accompanied by ten escort fighter jets, a set of exquisite furniture, and twenty automobiles.

The gifts for Duke Silvermane were even more lavish: 5 specialized Beak Eagle Bombers, 200 new-model Gryphon Fighter Jets, 100 Deer Hunter Dive Bombers, and 50 Beak Eagle Transport Planes. Weapons enough to equip 3 infantry divisions, both light and heavy, including 30,000 rifles, 1,000 machine guns, 300 mortars, and 200 infantry guns. 20,000 entrenching tools, 3,000 tons of barbed wire, 10,000 tons of steel... All these would be delivered progressively within three months after the wedding of Duke Silvermane and Karol.

In addition, the Eternal Domain would construct an Eternal second-tier heavy industrial base in Dawnspirit City. The base would include 20 parts processing plants, one cement plant, one mana-powered power station, and one steel smelting plant. Later on, the Eternal Domain would also transfer part of the weapon production line and ammunition manufacturing to the territory of the Silvermane Principality.

In return, Duke Silvermane granted several concessions. He allowed the Eternal Domain to establish a security force of three divisions within the Silvermane Principality’s territory to protect its industries. Tariffs on the Eternal Domain’s goods would be significantly reduced, and maximum trade convenience would be provided. The Eternal Domain was also permitted to hire subjects of the principality to develop mineral resources and establish farms for agricultural production. Additionally, a twenty-hectare plot of land adjacent to Dawnspirit City was leased to the Eternal Domain for 99 years, granting them administrative autonomy over it. Finally, the Eternal Domain would establish a military training base in Dawnspirit City to train the Silvermane Principality’s forces in new tactics and to train pilots for them.