Chapter 335: Willy's Diplomatic Mission

Snowsurge City was undeniably blessed by the Creator. It enjoyed a prime location, facing the vast sea where countless ships sailed past, and backed by Oqi City, the capital of the Afiaiv Kingdom, creating a bustling hub of constant traffic.

This prime geography fueled rapid growth. Barely twelve years after its founding, Snowsurge City had become one of the Afiaiv Kingdom's top five metropolises. It spanned seven major districts: the Temple District, the Administrative District, the Trade District, the Commoner District, the Plaza District, the Murloc District in the shallows, and the Dock District.

Just beyond the Dock District lay Port Glory, a trading hub famous across the Nordhill Continent.

This single small port connected Kumlinge—a massive island the size of a small continent—to the rest of the world. It shipped Kumlinge's unique exports to the mainland and funneled mainland goods back, enriching people's lives.

Every evening at sunset, as seabirds returned to their nests, a continuous stretch of sailing ships would line the coast of Port Glory. With their sails furled, the masts rose like a leafless forest—a spectacular sight that had become a famous local attraction.

Right now, at Port Glory's southern military docks, a dragonborn stood atop a Magic Cannon platform at the bow of a colossal warship. He had a dragon's head, a humanoid body, bat wings on his back, and fine scales covering his skin. The massive vessel possessed no sails, as it was an alchemical warship fueled entirely by magical energy.

Forged entirely from magic steel, the colossal warship could shrug off ordinary cannon fire without a scratch. Extensive weight-reducing magic arrays were inscribed into the metal, guaranteeing both its defense and its agility.

Matching its impenetrable hull and powerful drive was its absurd firepower. A massive dragon-head cannon was fixed to the bow, sporting a muzzle so wide that even the burliest Ogre could easily climb inside.

Operating on the principle that caliber equaled truth, an even larger Magic Cannon sat mounted on the ship's rear half. It was a weapon so devastating that even a legendary powerhouse wouldn't dare take a blast head-on.

Beyond these two main cannons, three upper and lower rows of gun ports lay concealed along the sides of the hull. When the hidden cannons bared their fangs and over a hundred guns roared in unison, it was a nightmare for any enemy.

It was a monster-class super-alchemical warship. The entire Afiaiv Kingdom possessed only three such vessels: the Prestige, the Royal Power, and the Zhenyuan. One served as a main base for the marine patrol hunting down demonized sea beasts along the continent's east coast, one was kept in drydock for maintenance and rotation, and the remaining one served as a standby.

The standby warship could either deploy for naval combat or serve as the transport for an important figure's diplomatic mission. Naturally, as a prince second only to the kingdom's king in status, Willy was qualified to use such a colossal vessel.

"Respected Prince, it is time."

At the humble reminder from behind, Willy pulled his gaze from the distance, turned, and hopped down from the cannon platform.

"Weigh anchor!"

At Willy's command, the captain of the Royal Power blew the conch shell hanging around his neck. Receiving the signal, the advanced Mages in the control room activated the alchemical warship's power array, and the massive warship slowly pulled away from the dock.

Despite its staggering size, the warship's departure caused little commotion. The silent leviathan was all the more awe-inspiring, drawing the eyes of everyone on the docks.

After clearing a short distance, the warship suddenly accelerated, throwing up massive waves that surged outward and rocked the nearby ships from side to side.

Before long, the Royal Power became a mere speck on the coastline.

The following afternoon, the Royal Power arrived at Victoria Harbour, a port city of the Pavlan Kingdom.

The city's governor rallied the citizens to welcome the envoy from the Afiaiv Kingdom. Amidst the cheering crowds lining the streets, Willy led his racially diverse delegation onto Pavlan Kingdom soil.

Politely declining the governor's banquet invitation, Willy and his entourage took a brief rest at Victoria Harbour before setting out on the road to the Pavlan Kingdom's capital, the city of Sabel.

The wilderness was dangerous at night—a phrase people always kept in mind and revered as truth.

But that only applied to humans. Willy was leading a mixed delegation of gnolls, Ogres, and humans. Any bandits or other creatures in the wilderness took one look at the Ogres carrying massive banners and immediately fled.

Are you kidding?!

Rob a gang of monsters?!

They were more likely to get robbed themselves!

Aside from the somewhat poor roads, Willy's party didn't encounter any other annoyances. After a day and a half of travel, the Afiaiv Ambassador Delegation finally saw the towering city walls of Sabel, the Pavlan Kingdom's capital.

Unlike the brand-new Afiaiv Kingdom, the Pavlan Kingdom had been founded thousands of years ago and had faced national subjugation several times. Traces of war still lingered on Sabel's towering city walls.

Lingering scorch marks, gouges left by arrows and swords, and cracks in the outer wall's bricks silently spoke of eventful years past.

These scars of war didn't detract from Sabel's majesty; instead, they added a sense of iron and blood to the ancient city's history. Coupled with the bright violet banners hanging on the walls, the scars looked more like medals proudly displayed by a warrior.

When the soldiers on the walls spotted the Four-Dragon Ring Banner appearing on the horizon along with towering Ogres and other monsters, they hastily blew their horns. The desolate, resonating blasts echoed across the capital.

Do not misunderstand; this wasn't an alarm for an enemy attack, but a horn to welcome honored guests.

Visits between nations were never as simple as neighbors dropping by. Long before Willy set out, the White Castle administrator, Hobbes, had presented state credentials to the Pavlan king in the name of the White Dragon Lord. Only after the two sides communicated and reached a consensus did Willy depart the Afiaiv Kingdom.

If it were a human diplomat, the journey would inevitably involve attending banquets and noble gatherings in the cities along the way. But Willy was different. He was a dragon, and he disliked these tedious, uninteresting noble parties, so he had headed straight for the capital.

The welcoming horns had been arranged by the Pavlan Kingdom in advance. Their blasts served not only to greet the visiting Afiaiv Ambassador Delegation, but also to alert the Pavlan protocol officers waiting in the palace. Following the prearranged procedures, the city of Sabel sprang into motion.

The palace gates swung wide, and the Pavlan royal honor guard trotted out in neat formations. Along the grand avenue leading straight to the palace, everyone from walking commoners to nobles riding in carriages quickly yielded the road.

The honor guard split into two symmetrical lines along the sides of the street, separating the curious onlookers from the avenue. The esteemed royal Mages were momentarily reduced to street sweepers, using magic to rapidly clean the capital's main street.

With the help of magic, the stone-paved avenue became as clean as new. Flanked by honor guards in resplendent armor, the normally lively street's atmosphere instantly turned majestic and solemn.

The Pavlan Kingdom's chancellor, Prince Silver Deer, led a group of nobles and ministers to wait behind the city walls. They all wore luxurious formal attire, ready to receive their esteemed guests.

As they neared the capital, Willy ordered his entourage to tidy their appearance. They smoothed out their wrinkled clothes and straightened their collars, and he had the Mages cast Cleansing Spells on everyone to remove the travel dust and the mud on their shoes.

Certain monsters might not care much about their appearance, but right now, they represented the face of the Afiaiv Kingdom. For the sake of their beloved country, everyone was fastidious about their attire.

Once everything was ready, Willy took the lead. The Afiaiv Ambassador Delegation straightened their backs, raised the Afiaiv Kingdom's national flag, and strode proudly toward Sabel's fully opened city gates, the Four-Dragon Ring Banner fluttering in the wind.

They stepped onto the arched bridge over Sabel's moat. From inside the city, Prince Silver Deer led the welcoming committee out. As if by prior agreement, the two sides met right at the city gates.

On the Pavlan Kingdom's side was Prince Silver Deer leading a group of nobles, including a legendary powerhouse. On the Afiaiv Kingdom's side were Willy and Hogger leading a mixed company of monsters and humans. The two sides were of equal standing.

After Willy and Prince Silver Deer exchanged warm greetings for a moment, the prince stepped aside to share the road, and the two walked shoulder-to-shoulder into the city. Both entourages followed behind their respective leaders according to their status.

At the same time, the soldiers on the wall ignited the ceremonial cannons. Flames erupted from the dark muzzles as special salutes thundered in the sky.

Willy counted them: eighteen shots in total. This was the highest salute a foreign ambassador could receive.

Walking down the immaculate avenue, Willy smiled and waved at the cheering crowds lining the streets, cheers rising and falling in waves.

Escorted by Prince Silver Deer, Willy led everyone all the way into the royal palace's grand hall, where he met the Pavlan King on his throne. Willy bowed to show his respect.

In fact, according to the continent's rules that legendary powerhouses didn't need to bow to kings, Willy didn't have to bow, but right now his identity was that of the Afiaiv Kingdom's ambassador.

Hogger and several attendants bowed in return. After saying some customary pleasantries according to the procedure, Willy presented the state gifts and a handwritten letter from the White Dragon Lord. The Pavlan king immediately opened the envelope to read it.

The welcome ceremony and the state gifts were just ceremonial procedures; what the White Dragon Lord said in the letter was the true purpose of Willy's visit.

Gradually, the Pavlan king's brows furrowed. Unless he was dealing with an enemy, the White Dragon Lord had no habit of lying. In the letter, the White Dragon Lord had candidly explained the Green Snake's situation.

An evil god who was at least a High-Tier Legend was a matter of grave importance. The Pavlan king didn't want to offend it to the death, but he was equally unwilling to offend the White Dragon Lord, leaving him somewhat troubled.

Right in front of Willy, the Pavlan king burned the letter to ashes.

Although it was a slightly rude gesture, it actually earned the king some goodwill from Willy. The Pavlan king doing this proved that in his heart, White Castle was more important than the Church of Evil Gods. This was perfectly normal; between an evil god whose location was unknown and a powerful neighbor right on his doorstep, it was obvious who was more important.

The Pavlan king dismissed the ministers, leaving only a few trusted aides and Willy's group.

"I am well aware of the purpose of your visit, Lord Ambassador," the king said. "The Church of Evil Gods is a massive threat, and I want to eradicate it as well, but the Pavlan Kingdom is not the Afiaiv Kingdom. We cannot bear the revenge of a High-Tier Legend."

Cracking down on evil cults was something every kingdom should do, but the divine descent incident in Puji City made the Pavlan king worried. After all, the Pavlan Kingdom didn't have a top expert like the White Dragon Lord.

The king's worries were perfectly normal, and Willy had thought of this too.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. If the evil god descends again, my brother will definitely step in," Willy said. "Besides, during that incident in Puji City, my brother wounded the foreign god's true body. It shouldn't have the courage to descend anytime soon. As long as we uproot its faith in Nordhill, with no one left on this plane to summon it, it won't be able to enter Nordhill no matter how capable it is."

The Pavlan king's mind raced as he analyzed the information revealed in Willy's words. The evil god's true body had been wounded by the White Dragon Lord, and it didn't dare descend? If Willy wasn't boasting, then the White Dragon Lord's strength...

"According to my brother's plans, that foreign god is probably going to be in big trouble soon," Willy added. "It will be too busy hiding, so there's no way it would come back to Nordhill asking for a beating."

Willy added another heavy dose of reassurance. The Pavlan king's heart, already leaning toward White Castle, wavered once again, though he still didn't give a firm promise.

In response, Willy couldn't just force him to agree at knifepoint. The Afiaiv Kingdom was indeed much stronger than the Pavlan Kingdom, but they moved in the same circles, and the White Dragon Lord had no intention of breaking the rules. As a Council member, the White Dragon Lord was himself a beneficiary and a protector of those rules.

"..."

After some negotiation, Willy and the Pavlan king reached a cooperation agreement. For this operation against the Church of Evil Gods, the Pavlan Kingdom would be responsible for providing intelligence, supplies, and so on, while the Afiaiv Kingdom's members would deal with the experts within the church.

Having reached a consensus, Willy asked the Pavlan king for the latest information.

"Your Majesty, what is the status of the Dancer Circus lead?"

The Dancer Circus was the name of the puppet organization the Church of Evil Gods used to spread their faith, and they hailed from the Pavlan Kingdom.

"The behind-the-scenes backer of the Dancer Circus was Viscount Oubei of Pompeii Province, but a few days ago, Viscount Oubei died under mysterious circumstances. We've already had people investigate it; his family knows nothing about the Church of Evil Gods, and several other people in Pompeii Province died just as mysteriously at the same time."

Willy frowned slightly. It seemed that after the Puji City incident, the Green Snake was highly decisive, directly abandoning the pawns connected to the Dancer Circus. This greatly increased the difficulty of Willy's investigation.

The opponent was on guard. Starting from the circus lead would very likely be a thankless task, and there was even the possibility of being deliberately led astray into a ditch by the Green Snake.

"Your Majesty, that foreign evil god's true form is a snake. During the sacrificial ritual in Puji City, the offerings were also snakes. I think the same should be true in the Pavlan Kingdom. I wonder if Your Majesty has investigated any abnormal situations regarding the purchasing of snakes in various regions?"

Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. Starting from the offerings was indeed a good idea.

"Raman, I leave this matter to you."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Prince Silver Deer, who already looked middle-aged, received the order.

"It might take a few days for the investigation to yield results. Lord Ambassador, please stay in the capital for the next few days and enjoy the scenery of the Pavlan Kingdom."

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