Don't Mess with That Dragon-Chapter 623 - 012: Inside the Border Great Wall

The detailed circumstances of those years are unknown even to the descendants of old Siran.

What they know is that the once obscure Mercenary Deputy Captain has now grown into the highest banner of the human race within the entire Blue Dragon Kingdom. Those ordinary mercenaries of the past have also made significant contributions to the rise of the Blue Dragon Kingdom and now hold high positions.

In the past, a small and ordinary mercenary that anyone in the Progressive Association might have looked down upon.

But now, the small mercenary who came from Long Shangzao has risen to prominence and become a figure they look up to.

Old Siran is not very interested in the identity of the mysterious leader of the Progressive Association or past events.

Currently, he is more concerned with

whether they can gain some advantage in the upcoming war and whether the Progressive Association can obtain something from this process.

Even as an old-fashioned magic research teacher with a human identity, old Siran agrees with the ideology of the Progressive Association, which is one reason why he agreed to join the association.

If he could learn about the impending outbreak of war and make some preparations in advance, such as contributing war materials, preparing to claim meritorious achievements, and deploying human armies to the borders, it might strengthen the Progressive Association's voice in the government.

"Hake, get ready, I'm going out."

Thinking of this, old Siran immediately stopped delaying, stood up, and walked up the stairs to prepare for his outing while loudly calling out to the door.

"Yes, sir."

Hake is one of the servants in old Siran's household, a Bronze Level Extraordinary. After their hometown was destroyed by a refugee crisis, he fled with his daughter to the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

At that time, Hake's daughter fell seriously ill due to the jolts of the journey.

Standing on the street in worn and torn clothes, Hake begged everyone he met for help. Old Siran happened to pass by then, and he couldn't bear it, so he took them home and asked his students to help get scarce official medicine, curing Hake's daughter.

In gratitude for old Siran's kindness, Hake willingly became his servant, and old Siran, unable to refuse, finally accepted.

A moment later, old Siran, dressed in formal wear, came hurriedly downstairs from the attic with a black briefcase in hand,

at this time, Hake had already called for a human-pulled cart outside,

these human-pulled carts are mostly driven by young refugees who come here from Central Earth World with nothing but physical strength and sign contracts with the city's official public transport agency. The official transportation agency provides free human-pulled carts, and these young refugees earn a service fee by picking up passengers. Every day, each cart driver has to pay a fixed part of their earnings to the transportation bureau. After ten years, the cart belongs to the driver.

Walking out of the courtyard gate, the human-pulled cart awaited outside.

The cart driver was a thin and hunched young man, his back bent like an elderly man with kyphosis. Seeing old Siran come out, his face was full of a pleasing expression.

In Central Earth World, this young man might have kneeled beside the pathway for any noble within the territory. Even when coming to this new realm of the Blue Dragon Kingdom, the servile nature cultivated previously isn't something easily eradicated.

Of course, there might also be a hope within him for extra silver coins from a generous patron.

Old Siran nodded.

"Let's go."

"Alright, let's head off."

With the gentle rumble of cart wheels on the cement road, the cart smoothly headed down the street and disappeared at the end of the courtyard community.

...

Meanwhile,

at the Border Great Wall.

The immense walls spanned the front like a series of mountains, connecting with the Glacier Mountain Range on both sides, sealing the sole bottleneck connecting the Kawa Great Forest region with Central Earth World.

In recent days, the heavy troops of various countries stationed at the gates have levied hefty taxes on traveling merchants, causing grievances among local merchants.

Inside the Great Wall, emaciated and ravenous refugees clad in tattered clothes leaned crookedly against the wall's edge, their eyes vacant and desolate, filling the atmosphere with despair.

Flies buzzed along the roadsides, and the air reeked of putrid decay.

Noble entourages, leading their squads, pinched their noses as they selected the strong and capable young refugees and young women, binding them like livestock and taking them away in a row.

The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled were left to rot along the roadsides.

Passersby merchants witnessing the scene sighed with faint pity.

If only they could cross the Border Great Wall and enter the Blue Dragon Kingdom, they would receive organized aid from the kingdom, not rot away inside the Great Wall and turn into a pile of bones.

At the city gate, soldiers, and thugs on either side were shouting insults at passing merchants, wielding whips until some battered merchant handed silver yuan over, at which point they stopped.

Beside them, another soldier or thug boasted about how much silver yuan they had gained from these fat sheep today.

The silent line of merchants passed through the city gate, each forced to shed a lot of money, except for a few arrogantly backed by Duke or Count tokens, who were exempt from the toll.

In silence, a smoldering anger filled the hearts of the traveling merchants.

Compared to the conditions within the Blue Dragon Kingdom, this place was nothing short of Hell.

When will the Blue Dragon Kingdom's army break this wall and tear these hideous creatures apart?

Some of the more radical merchants even harbored this thought.

While these traveling merchants bled through the Border Great Wall, within the City Lord's Mansion, the bloated City Lord, belly filled with fat, laughed joyfully at the boxes of silver coins and gold coins spread across the entire hall.

"Ha ha ha, surely this is the quickest means to wealth—those cowardly guys fear attacking that savage Beastman Tribe down south and dare not do this; hmph hmph, I can't wait to see their reactions when I get back!"

"Indeed, those stupid fools, even after we supplied them with so much, they lost even the last Pioneer City outside. Just a mere bunch of Beastmen, truly useless!"

"This gain is truly astonishing! It's hard to imagine those Beastmen are so rich; I say we should join forces with other top-level nobles from other countries and send troops to seize the wealth of the Beastmen!"

"Exactly, just a bunch of Beastmen, after all. Wasn't the Beastman Royal Court easily destroyed by the tens of thousands of troops sent last time?"

In the City Lord's Mansion, the fatty-bodied nobles engaged in lively discussions.