Don't Mess with That Dragon-Chapter 622 - 011: Omen of War

In today's third edition, aside from some outdoor survival techniques and cultivation techniques compiled by certain experts, there's also a debate between a renowned scholar who wandered here and a Beastman scholar, with both parties engaging in a war of words using the newspaper as a medium.

The gossip about these well-known figures has always been popular among quite a few ordinary citizens in the current Blue Dragon Kingdom.

Old Siran also glanced at it with interest, but these are just entertainment and pastime during leisure time, and he didn't spend much time on them.

Quickly skimming through the information on the newspaper, he gave it a rough browse. Just as Old Siran was about to turn over the third edition, he suddenly noticed a news article in the lower right corner of the page.

"Today, the Southern Countries united to blockade the Border Great Wall Defense Line, preventing refugees from moving south to seek refuge... This move is an anti-human policy devised by many grand nobles of the duchies to acquire enough slaves and exploit the people. A large number of refugees in the countries north of the Border Great Wall have lost all hope of survival, and those high-ranking grand nobles will also not provide any relief measures... In order to liberate and rescue the numerous refugees, the kingdom does not rule out the possibility of dispatching troops..."

Old Siran's pupils slightly shrank, and a sense of agitation suddenly rose in his heart.

This piece of news, although placed in the inconspicuous lower right corner of the third edition, is still from the largest circulation of an officially published newspaper, representing the official will to some extent.

Could it be that a new wave of expansion war is about to begin?

Old Siran frowned tightly, pondering in his heart. He then looked carefully at this piece of news, flipping to the fourth edition, and swiftly scanned through the entire newspaper.

Hoping to find more information.

Sure enough, on the second edition regarding international affairs and the chit-chat on the fourth edition, there are a few not-so-obvious pieces of news detailing some changes that have occurred at the Border Great Wall over the past few days.

The Border Great Wall stretches across the northern part of the Kawa Great Forest.

A great wall stretching over a thousand kilometers, isolating the Central Earth World and the Kawa Great Forest from each other. The Southern Countries of the Central Earth World together station their troops here to prevent the invasion of Beastman armies within the southern Kawa Great Forest.

However, since the Beastman Royal Court in the core area of the forest was wiped out ten years ago and the rise of the Blue Dragon Kingdom, this Border Great Wall has essentially lost its meaning.

Because under the leadership of the great His Highness Austin, Beastmen within the Blue Dragon Kingdom are not lacking in food, and the greatly advanced productivity of the Beastmen makes it unnecessary to risk their lives invading the Central Earth World to plunder the food needed to survive the cold winter.

It is precisely because of this that no major battles of Beastman masses at the gates of the city have occurred at the Border Great Wall in the past few years.

The border has been calm and stable for over a decade.

To the Southern Countries of the Central Earth World, the Kawa Great Forest, which was a major threat back then, is no longer a threat.

Moreover, with the large-scale development of the Blue Dragon Kingdom around the outskirts of the Kawa Great Forest, a massive trade chain formed as light industrial products, food, and other goods were transported by merchants to the Central Earth World, creating an extremely prosperous trade route.

The entire Border Great Wall has almost become obsolete over this decade.

However, starting a month ago, for some unknown reason, the Southern Countries suddenly united and stationed heavily armed troops on the Border Great Wall, also setting up toll gates at the entrance to levy heavy taxes on passing merchants.

At the same time, according to orders from above, the garrison on the Border Great Wall also prohibited refugees from fleeing south, blocking them within the gates of the Border Great Wall and prohibiting them from entering the Kawa Great Forest.

Under these various measures,

the domestic economy of the Blue Dragon Kingdom has now been affected by this series of changes.

"These damned greedy nobles!"

Old Siran cursed under his breath, his face slightly frowning.

Previously, as a teacher at the Lunbabi Noble Academy, Old Siran vaguely sensed the reason for these greedy kingdom nobles' actions was merely to seize more wealth.

One could imagine the despair of those starving refugees blocked within the Border Great Wall, gazing at the towering walls.

To ignore the lives and deaths of tens of thousands of refugees for some insignificant profit is simply insane.

Of course, if they didn't act like this, they wouldn't be nobles.

Just as he simmered with rage, a thought suddenly crossed Old Siran's mind.

"Although the People's Daily doesn't explicitly state it, the official attitude is already clear. If things don't settle at the Border Great Wall, war is inevitably going to break out... And if war breaks out, perhaps it's an opportunity for the Progressive Association..."

For a moment, Old Siran was lost in recollection.

Half a month ago, a renowned scholar, recommended by a student of Old Siran, visited him and invited Old Siran to join an organization called the Progressive Association.

This organization is composed of a small number of elite members from the human elite class, including nobles, scholars, elite mages, and elite warriors who fled from the Central Earth World.

The concept of the Progressive Association is roughly that in the Blue Dragon Kingdom, the majority of the ruling class comprises Beastmen, with only a few individuals like General Gory and his faction holding a bit of say. As humans, with the future of the Blue Dragon Kingdom being coexistence between Beastmen and humans, we need to secure more speaking rights in the kingdom's future...

In any case, it's a group of human elites huddled together for warmth in this Blue Dragon Kingdom. At the time, Old Siran didn't refuse, because upon arriving in the Kawa Great Forest region, he wasn't very familiar with some local situations, and having someone guide him was naturally the best.

Joining the Progressive Association allowed him to acquire more insider information from the association, so even during his evaluation for Magic Research Fellow, Old Siran remained calm. This was because he already knew through the Progressive Association that he was almost guaranteed the Magic Research Fellow title, pending only the formalities.

Since he was destined to obtain the title of Magic Research Fellow, Old Siran naturally wasn't in a rush.

As for the founder of the Progressive Association, Old Siran learned from an old friend's mouth that the mysterious president of the Progressive Association was a human mercenary who joined the great His Highness Austin's regime early in the Blue Dragon Kingdom and was once a subordinate of the influential General Gory in the Blue Dragon Kingdom's military upper echelon.

More than ten years ago, that mysterious president was just an ordinary mercenary team member, and General Gory was just a deputy leader in a regular mercenary troupe.

It is said that back then, they were on a mission and encountered the Dragon's Nest Tribe established by His Highness Austin along the way and clashed due to their employer.

And that was it.