In the Name of Empress-Chapter 229 - 175: Dangerous, Huh? Then I’m Not Going
"But after the war ended, there have been some subtle changes in our relationship."
Sura mumbled, "The other two city circles are gradually losing alignment with us. I’m worried they might also seek cooperation with other countries, you need to be careful."
Sura briefly mentioned the locations of the other two major branches.
One is located on the outskirts of Saint Rurik City and has dealings with the Vladimir Empire. The other is hidden in the South Continent. The association has set up entrances near the capitals of various countries to facilitate communication.
After listening to Sura’s account, Roland smiled and said, "It’s not surprising. Where there are people, there are conflicts of interest, and where there are conflicts of interest, there are struggles. Thank you for your candor."
After chatting with Sura for a long time, Roland looked south, where the volcanic eruptions were becoming more evident.
However, as the volcano’s eruptions stabilized, the earthquakes gradually subsided.
Fortunately, it was only an accompanying earthquake from the volcanic eruption, with not much intensity.
Only a few houses were damaged in the quake.
Camping for a night at the open space by the dock, they finally waited for dawn.
Sura didn’t linger much, he directly took a boat north, preparing to return to the association.
Even though he was seasick, he could only grit his teeth and endure.
Roland and Lisa set off again for White Mountain.
This time they didn’t hide their identities but switched directly to horses to continue their journey.
Over an hour later, Roland arrived outside the entrance of White Mountain.
He looked up to see volcanic ash continuously rolling out, and lava flowing from the newly emerged crater.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed several groups of people.
From their clothing, they appeared to be representatives sent by various major powers to Val City.
Since he was already there, Roland did not avoid them and boldly went up to meet these representatives.
The representatives of other countries didn’t catch Roland’s attention, only the representative from the Vladimir Empire made Roland take a few more glances.
The representative, not at all intimidated by Roland’s gaze, instead actively approached him.
"I am Camille Yang, the chief representative of the Vladimir Empire in Val City. Governor Roland, I’ve heard of your reputation, I didn’t expect you to be even more impressive than the rumors, it’s an honor to meet you."
"Hello, Mr. Camille."
Roland took a good look at Camille and with a smile asked, "May I ask which rank you hold in the Shadow Sanctuary?"
"You’ve even heard of the Shadow Sanctuary? Thanks to the Empress’s promotion, I am the second seat, Blade of Frost."
"Not only have I heard of it, but I’ve also met Miss Angelina, the fifth seat, in the Imperial Capital. I thought I could meet an old acquaintance, but I didn’t expect a new face," Roland said with a hearty laugh.
Angelina’s temperament and mindset were clearly inferior to that of Mr. Camille.
It seems the ranking in the Shadow Sanctuary is likely based on strength and ability.
That makes sense, too.
With an Empress who advocates strength supremacy, it’s reasonable for the Shadow Sanctuary to rank by strength as well.
After a few perfunctory exchanges, Roland tentatively asked, "Mr. Camille, what do you think of this volcano?"
"Is Mr. Roland testing me?"
Camille smiled and said, "Though I don’t like to speculate, based on the currently known clues and information, this should be the beginning of a series of events."
"How so?"
"The Holy Spring Revival, the volcanic eruption. If viewed in isolation, these two events might not mean much. But happening in quick succession, they certainly have a connection."
A confidence glinted in Camille’s eyes as he calmly said:
"I must enter the mountain to search for clues. Would Mr. Roland like to take a look together?"
"I’m not accustomed to teaming up with strangers." Roland politely declined.
Roland wasn’t sure of Camille’s true strength, but it was definitely above Angelina’s.
He was likely a veteran Tier Eight strongman, with a wide power gap compared to someone like Angelina, who was newly Tier Eight.
With Lisa, there was a high chance of winning two against one, but the other side surely had trump cards, posing a risk of counterattack.
Without knowing the opponent’s information, it’s unwise to act casually.
Roland’s refusal did not surprise Camille, who handed Roland a specially made flare.
"Mr. Roland, this flare can show direction even in thick fog and volcanic smoke. If you encounter trouble, you can launch it."
Roland accepted the flare and casually asked, "What if Mr. Camille encounters an accident?"
"I would also fire a flare, and if it’s convenient, I’d ask Mr. Roland to lend me a hand."
"You’re quite humorous."
Roland jestingly remarked, "I’m a bit curious; you’ve never hidden your caution against me, yet you don’t seem to harbor any obvious malice, what’s up with that?"
"Your country and mine have openly and secretly clashed many times. It’s normal for me to be cautious of you. As for malice, I’m here to Val City to serve the Empire’s interests, not to cause trouble. Is that response satisfactory to you?"
Looking into Camille’s gentle eyes, Roland was quite sure this guy wasn’t telling the truth.
But that’s normal too, given their unfamiliarity, who tells the truth?
After parting with Camille, Roland chose a different direction to go into the mountain.
The volcanic lava hadn’t spread yet, making it the last chance to explore, so they had to seize the opportunity.
The distance between the two of them was quite far.
As everyone knows, the greatest threat to humans is other humans. Compared to the volcano, it’s clear that humans are more dangerous.
Even though he couldn’t sense Camille’s murderous intent, such intents can emerge anytime, who can guarantee Camille wouldn’t strike if given an absolute chance? 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Watching Camille’s departing back, Lisa, who had remained silent, finally couldn’t help but ask:
"Roland, do you really plan to seek his help if there’s danger?"
Roland laughed heartily, "Am I that stupid?"
What was originally just danger, asking Camille for help might just turn it into a dead end.
