Don't Mess with That Dragon-Chapter 663 - 051: Settlement

The hundred thousand allied troops were annihilated in one battle, and the supposedly impregnable Iron Wall Great Wall was breached. Detailed intelligence from the battlefield has yet to emerge.

This made the Southern Countries deeply aware of the strength of the Blue Dragon and its Beastman subordinates, located on the forest's Adi in the south.

To prevent the Beastmen from completely taking over the Border Great Wall, the upper tiers of the nobility of various countries dispatched envoys to contact each other at an unprecedented speed under the powerful threat of the Blue Dragon Beastman Tribe.

Despite persistent conflicts between nations,

they reluctantly rallied their forces to head to the Border Great Wall to see if they could drive the Beastmen occupying it away.

Troops were being mobilized, with lower-ranking military nobility bringing their Knights to gather in their respective countries' Royal Cities.

The human civilization here resembles Austin's past medieval Europe, along with similar governance structures relying on a layered feudal system managed by nobility. Lower-ranking Barons and Viscounts manage local areas, granting Knights their territories. Once the Kingdom is at war, these nobles lead their knights to the Royal City to fight for the King.

The army is gathering, and the regular forces of each country are also ready.

Connections between countries have become closer, with the entire southern region enveloped in an atmosphere of impending turmoil.

The next round of war is about to unfold.

During preparations, military expenditures are naturally a crucial aspect.

Some financially robust Duchies manage to scrape together funds, but others, like those mostly in desert areas, where impoverished countries with many Mercenary Adventurers arise due to the environment, can only think of other methods.

However, there was a somewhat unified action:

Conducting a reckoning!

The attack on the Kawa Great Forest led to the death of a hundred thousand allied troops and the breach of the Border Great Wall, resulting in such a great sin that naturally required a scapegoat.

Although the reasons for this expedition were complex,

there was a powerful force pushing from behind, and certain Kings had greed for the Gold Coins from the Beastman-occupied territories, but initially, it was driven by the greed of some incompetent nobles.

Had they not set their sights on the wealth of the southern Blue Dragon Beastman Tribe and lobbied, the country's top echelons, including some Kings, wouldn't have focused on the previously barren Forest Land.

Nor would it have attracted a powerful force behind the scenes, leading to the formation of an alliance and subsequent war invasion.

The culprits,

are those greedy and shortsighted nobles!

Could there be a better scapegoat, especially when the other party is guilty?

The enforcer troops dispatched from the Royal Capital directly suppressed those greedy individuals, arrested them, and confiscated their property for public funds.

In the past, those who made mistakes might use enough money and connections to escape conviction.

But now, it's wartime.

The greedy individuals surely have considerable wealth, perfect for preparing the army for expedition, so the country's top echelons naturally focused on them.

The fat rats fed others, only to find themselves becoming food for others.

The wealth confiscated from these greedy nobles left the upper layers of the Duchy full of prosperity.

Those who love Gold Coins will naturally use their power to collect even more Gold Coins.

The greedier they are, the richer their family property.

Those blinded by greed are probably among the wealthiest in the nobility.

Before their demise, these greedy individuals probably felt regret, regretting not setting their sights on the southern Blue Dragon Beastman Tribe.

Had they not been blinded by greed initially,

would they have ended up like this?

And yet,

there are no regrets to eat in this world.

At a time when the Dragon Nest Beastmen occupied the Border Great Wall and internal strife existed in various countries, the Southern Countries smoothly completed the reckoning of this defeat, gaining a significant amount of wealth and supplementing military expenditures.

The army is gathering,

war is on the verge.

...

At this time,

the Blue Dragon Kingdom's troops occupying the Border Great Wall have not made any major movements,

while rounding up refugees, they organized those who had somewhat recovered to carry out construction work, build batteries, deal with ruins, and other projects.

With the help of powerful engineering machines and advanced building materials, the restoration of the Border Great Wall progresses at a remarkable rate, surprising the Southern Countries.

As the Southern Countries gather their army, the entire hundreds of kilometers of the Border Great Wall area has thoroughly come under the control of the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

Moreover, due to the complete weapon batteries and thick reinforced concrete walls, the cities built around the Border Great Wall are constructed like iron barrels.

Throughout this process, the Blue Dragon Kingdom's military didn't remain idle.

They secretly dispatched a large number of agents, quietly infiltrating into traveling merchants, passersby, refugees, Adventurers, and others, blending like sand into the sea, entering the Southern Countries for infiltration and information gathering.

These agents, trained with advanced concepts, have reached a very high level in their espionage techniques.

Perhaps a roadside beggar, a shoeshine worker on the street, a snack vendor, or an inconspicuous Adventurer may be one of the Blue Dragon Kingdom's military intelligence personnel.

Using various means to collect enemy information, preparing for strategic reserves.

In addition,

the Blue Dragon Kingdom's military frequently sends troops out to defeat and occupy regions within a thirty-mile radius of the Border Great Wall, incorporating areas as buffer zones for war.

Of course,

the domestic propaganda has not stopped during these military operations.

Newspapers, radios, and televisions repeatedly report the dark lives of civilians within enemy territories, with journalists accompanying the troops revealing those bleak and cruel areas.

The oppressed peasants, worn and ragged, resemble walking dead.

Some Lords even, for entertainment, occasionally drive these peasants into a giant pasture, using them as prey for aristocrats' archery games.

There are those trading slaves, scraping the last copper coin from the commoners, whipping to death those who lingered on the roadside staring at the nobles...

Various dark scenes are openly displayed to the public.

A large number of citizens, witnessing these scenes, feel particularly angry, with many civilians actively enlisting, shouting to march and liberate those places.