“Those people from the Thorn Empire are so strange. They’re actually interested in the furniture on Mount Creation.”
At a restaurant on Mount Creation’s summit half an hour after Jayla, Balroy, and Watson’s meeting.
That was the original location of the Blackmoon Castle. That location was turned into a royal palace after Watson defeated King Landhar III. Those related to Watson were made the royal family.
At that moment, the person who spoke was Watson’s sixth sister, Margaret. She took a Phoenix egg from the plate in front of her and put it in her mouth. The egg was made entirely of light and emitted a fragrance as it entered her mouth. It made her reveal an expression of enjoyment.
After establishing the Kingdom of Kings, Watson used the power of the race chess pieces to bestow starlight-tier power on the citizens of the Kingdom of Kings every day. The entire population was up to more than 100 million. With Watson’s recovery speed, he could only give a few hundred people starlight-tier strength every day. In other words, he needed 500 to 1,000 years to convert all the citizens in the Kingdom of Kings to starlight-tier.
It would take at least five years to convert the millions of individuals on Mount Creation. Watson could only choose a small set of people to help him. The Blackmoon Knights were the first to help him gain strength. The 100,000 Blackmoon Knights had all become gods. Aside from that, others closest to him had been upgraded as well, including Emperor Cluck, who had been with him since the beginning.
Emperor Cluck was no longer a diamond-tier Phoenix but a starlight-tier Phoenix. The eggs that he laid were very different from the past. The eggs could not only increase a person’s lifespan after consumption but could also awaken one’s Phoenix bloodline and allow one to obtain the protection of the Phoenix’s flames and the ability to be reborn.
In other words, if one were to consume a Phoenix egg, one could be reborn from the flames and never die.
Other than Margaret, who was sitting at the dining table, Catherine and Edward’s family, including Watson, were there. Several members of the Saint Laurent family and Sylvan were also there.
“Those people from the Thorn Empire don’t seem to have much experience. That woman named Jayla appears to be one of the nine divine generals. I saw her take a rope used to hang the curtains and wrap it around her body to replace the thorn whip weapon that she initially used. I found it funny.”
A young man from the Saint Laurent family, sitting at the long table, put a piece of diamond-tier meat that emitted a diamond luster into his mouth with a contemptuous expression.
After Watson became the king, the Saint Laurent family was also made part of the royal family. The head of the Saint Laurent family acknowledged his father as their relative and eliminated the grudges from many years ago. She became his grandmother again. The status of the Saint Laurent family members rose with the tide.
However, Watson had abolished the noblemen’s titles. Even if the Saint Laurent family was the royal family, the resources they controlled were not even as much as the three archdukes’ families in the past. Even if one of the Saint Laurent disciples wanted to stand out, they had to pass the test and possess extraordinary talent.
The young man who spoke at that moment was called Nello. He was one of the Saint Laurent family’s outstanding disciples. He had passed Watson’s dual-tier test of warrior and officer. Of course, Nello was the Saint Laurent family’s genius because of the family’s two original geniuses, Nia and Charlotte. The former was Watson’s maid, while the latter was one of the Kingdom of Kings’ Dragon Knights.
“Nello, don’t talk nonsense at the dining table.”
Nello had just finished speaking when he was reprimanded by the head of the Saint Laurent family.
“Grandmother, I’m not talking nonsense. Those people from the Thorn Empire are bumpkins. They have no idea how much wealth the Kingdom of Kings has. That’s why they treat the furniture as treasures and even use the ropes hanging from the curtains as weapons.” Nello retorted unwillingly. Then, he turned his gaze to Watson. “Your Majesty, what do you think?”
In terms of age and seniority in the family, Watson should have addressed Nello as Elder Brother. Instead, Nelor spoke to him in a very respectful tone. No one in the entire Saint Laurent family did not respect Watson.
Nello was not well-liked in the Saint Laurent family. He was the child of a branch family. If nothing unexpected happened, he would only be a servant in the main family for the rest of his life, helping to manage some insignificant family businesses. His best outcome would be to become the main family’s butler. However, things had changed. Due to Watson’s policies, he stood out among the children in the family.
Someone like him, who had no position or history, might stand out as long as he had the potential. Watson was the one who provided him with the opportunity. He was grateful to Watson more than the head of the Saint Laurent family.
The Saint Laurent family head glared at Nello; she looked displeased. The old woman frowned. “Let’s not talk about that first, Watson. The people from the Thorn Empire might have heard that the Holy Dragon Kingdom had annexed the other two kingdoms. They must have been uneasy about that, so they sent their people here to investigate. What do you think about that?”
“If the Thorn Empire wants to befriend us, I will give them some valuables in exchange for signing an alliance pact. If they have plans for us, I do not mind annihilating them,” Watson said casually as he picked up a piece of meat steak.
His words sounded casual, but the strength contained within them was shocking.
He also agreed with Nello’s assessment of the Thorn Empire as a country of bumpkins. He could not speak what he thought since he was the king. He had summoned his future self using a peak starlight-tier technique, the Wheel of Reversal. His older self had predicted that the Thorn Empire would become a significant danger to him within three years.
Watson had always remembered that. He did not know what kind of danger the Thorn Empire would pose to him. They might threaten the Kingdom of Kings, which already had 100,000 gods.
“I’ve decided to wait for those two envoys from the Thorn Empire to end their visit. I’ll send someone to follow them to the Thorn Empire and see what the Thorn Empire is up to!”
“Your Majesty, leave that task to me. I will definitely be competent for that task. I will make the King of the Thorn Empire submit to Your Majesty and turn the Thorn Empire into a part of our kingdom,” Nello said.
“Your Majesty, you can leave that task to me! A while ago, I heard that Master Antonio had left the Kingdom of Kings for a vacation with his wife, Vivian. Their first stop was the Dwarven Kingdom, and their second stop was the Thorn empire. They should be arriving there soon. I haven’t seen them for a long time, so I’ll take that opportunity to meet them.”
Another man spoke up. The man had long silver-purple hair, and his pointy elf ears were hidden in his long hair. His face was so handsome that he did not look like a human, but his eyes were filled with vicissitudes.
That man was Sylvan. After Avril’s death, he had completely given up his position as border count and lived a leisurely life of planting flowers and feeding magical beasts.
“It’s great that you are willing to go to the Thorn Empire, Senior Brother Sylvan. It’s decided then.” Watson’s face was full of relief. He felt a little guilty about Avril’s death. In the past six months, Sylvan had never shown any sadness. However, Watson understood that Sylvan was trying hard not to let others know of his pain. That was an excellent opportunity to let his senior brother relax.
“There’s another thing besides the Thorn Empire, and that is the Dwarven Kingdom. Soon, the Dwarven Kingdom will hold their biggest event every four years—the Invention Competition! The Dwarf King had sent me an invitation. I’ve decided to choose a few people to follow me to the Dwarven Kingdom to participate in that competition. At the same time, I’ll discuss the merger with the Dwarven Kingdom. If they can agree to the merger request, the Kingdom of Kings will definitely become more prosperous in the future.”
The Kingdom of Kings was very powerful. If they wanted to become more powerful, they could only annex other kingdoms. Watson’s thoughts were similar to those of the Holy Dragon Kingdom’s previous kings. The only difference was that he did not intend to use war and bloodshed to conquer the other kingdoms. Instead, he wanted to use the gentlest method possible.
“How should I decide who will follow me to the Dwarven Kingdom?”
“Your Majesty, please take me with you. I will definitely take care of your daily life on the way to the Dwarven Kingdom. I also have the confidence to convince the Dwarf King to submit to you and make the Dwarven Kingdom a part of our kingdom.”
Nero patted his chest again and recommended himself to Watson.
However, before he could finish his sentence, the restaurant door was suddenly pushed open.
“Young Master Watson, is it true that you are going to the Dwarven Kingdom? Please take me with you. The lair I’m in was originally within the Dwarven Kingdom’s border. I’m very familiar with that place.”
It was the Light Dragon King, Odyssey. He looked subservient.
He had been upgraded to the same tier as the Dragon God by Watson a long time ago, so his strength had not improved much lately. After the Kingdom of Kings merged with the Divine Dragon Star, the Dragon Kings did not return to their lairs. Instead, they chose to live there because they had solved all their survival problems. Many female dragons on the Divine Dragon Star did not do anything and just gave birth in peace.
In just half a year, the number of dragons had multiplied several times over. The strain of competition had intensified as the population grew. The Dragon Kings had been stronger in the past, and the dragons were the same. However, with Watson’s assistance, the dragons eventually reached the starlight tier and became the same tier as the Dragon God.
Under such circumstances, as a Dragon King, Odyssey did not have much of an advantage in terms of strength. The Dragon King was regarded more highly for leading and revitalizing the dragon race. Since those two points were precisely what he lacked, Watson had set up the four major professional examinations for warriors, mages, priests, and archers in the Kingdom of Kings. In addition, he had also prepared appraisals for the occupations of gardeners, carpenters, blacksmiths, and pharmacists.
Anyone who passed the examinations would receive a certificate from the Kingdom of Kings. That certificate could not be forged. The higher the degree of the certificate, the better the person’s chances of getting a job in the Kingdom of Kings. Many establishments in the Kingdom of Kings just glanced at the certificate. If there was no proof, no one would need that person, no matter how powerful they were, even if they were a starlight-tier deity.
The Divine Dragon Star also copied the Kingdom of Kings’ practices. The Dragon Clan had internal assessment items such as battles, ancient history, modern human etiquette, management, and so on. Only by passing those assessments and obtaining good results could one be placed in an important position in the Dragon Clan, and many of those assessments were things that even the Odyssey could not pass.
Many of the dragons in Odyssey’s lair looked forward to an opportunity to kick him down after they passed examinations so that they could have a new Light Dragon King. He had no choice but to find something to do in an attempt to obtain Watson’s reward. That would allow his strength to advance one step further from starlight-tier and suppress those underlings with evil intentions.
“If it’s the Dwarven Kingdom, we’ll go too.”
After the Light Dragon King, more Dragon Kings walked into the room. They did not have the same worries as Odyssey, but they also wanted to perform well in front of Watson.
“Wherever Master goes, Nia will follow.”
The window opened from the outside, and golden feathers floated down the hall. Feathers from Nia’s wings on her back floated into the room. She held her belly with both hands and respectfully landed on Watson’s back.
“Watson, you’re the King now. It’s a long journey to the Dwarven Kingdom. In order to avoid any mistakes, it’s better to bring an army with you! That army will be the kingdom’s Dragon Knight Legion. I’ll personally lead it.”
Christina stormed in, clad in silver-white heavy armor. Her right hand was clutching the small sword at her waist. Her yellow hair swung behind her head, and she had a courageous expression.
She was the new Sword Saint and the leader of the Dragon Knight Legion in the Kingdom of Kings.
Several members of the Dragon Knight Legion stood behind her. Charlotte and Lily were excitedly conversing between themselves. “I have never been to the Dwarven Kingdom. I have heard that the Dwarven Kingdom not only has the most advanced technology and unique inventions, but it also boasts a magnificent circus. When the time comes, I would like to take a close look at it.”
“Silly Lily, we’re going to the Dwarven Kingdom to protect His Majesty. Do you think we’re going to watch a show?”
“What does it matter? Anyway, with His Majesty’s strength, he doesn’t need our protection at all. If there’s any danger, we’ll need him to protect us instead! Besides, the Dwarven Kingdom is the weakest among the kingdoms in terms of combat power. The strongest in their kingdom probably haven’t even reached the diamond tier yet. My mount alone can sweep them away.”
It was not just Charlotte and Lily. Casey from the Ptolemy family was also there.
At that moment, he looked at Watson, who was sitting on the throne with a complicated expression and muttered softly to himself, “Father told us to suck up to Watson. If there’s a chance, we have to follow Watson no matter what he does! If Father hadn’t been on the wrong side, things wouldn’t have gotten so bad. I’ve already said that people like Watson should not be offended. It’s better to listen to me earlier rather than waste my time. I don’t want to go to that Innovation Competition at all. If I have the time, I might as well date a girl.”
The few Dragon Knights discussed it animatedly. At that moment, another person came in from behind Christina.
That person had a head of fiery red hair. His eyes were green and full of vitality. His handsome face was full of pride. “An invention competition organized by the Dwarven Kingdom? It sounds very interesting. I wonder if their inventions are more powerful than the magical tools made by the Campbell family. I want to go and experience it.”
That was Augustus from the Campbell family. Another member of the Campbell family stood behind him, peering at Watson with expectant eyes.
“What’s going on?”
Nello grabbed his fork. His arm stopped in mid-air, his eyes wide open. Apparently, he could not understand what was happening in front of him.
He wanted to go to the Thorn Empire, but Sylvan snatched the mission. Why did so many people jump out when he wanted to go to the Dwarven Kingdom with Watson? Where were those people before that?
It seemed like he had underestimated Watson’s charm. Only one person was competing with him for the mission to the Thorn Empire, but so many people were competing for the mission to the Dwarven Kingdom. The only difference was whether he could follow Watson or not. In that situation, it was already very difficult for him to fight for that opportunity because the restaurant was still filled with people.
There were the people from the Blood Rose Adventurer Team. They greeted Watson warmly after they entered the room, wanting Watson to take them along.
There were also people from the Severed Fingers Gang. They argued while recommending themselves to Watson.
He even saw a few starlight-tier dragons who shrank their bodies to the size of ordinary people. They beat each other on the ground, wanting to fight for the right to become Watson’s traveling mount.
“The Kingdom of Kings is a kingdom where those who are competent are superior. This is very good. If there’s anything bad about this policy, it’s that there are too many capable people in the kingdom.”
Nello looked annoyed. He put down the fork in his hand and sighed. He was the most outstanding genius in the Saint Laurent family, but only in the Saint Laurent family. He was not ranked in the Kingdom of Kings at all.
“It seems like everyone wants to go to the Dwarven Kingdom. How about this? I’ve decided to take more people with me! Nia, Nightingale, and Christina, you can choose some servants and members of the Dragon Knight Legion to go to the Dwarven Kingdom with me. The rest will stay in the Kingdom of Kings.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The selected people were in high spirits and began to prepare. Those who were not selected were listless, but they responded respectfully.
Simultaneously, on the other hand, at Jayla and Balroy’s residence. The two of them were assigned to where the palace maids lived. Even the maids’ quarters were more luxurious than any palace they knew.
“The things in this room are not inferior to the gifts given to us by the King of the Kingdom of Kings just now. Should we take some of the things here?” Jayla sat on the soft bed as she spoke with a lowered voice.
The bed she was on was a starlight-tier artifact. It surpassed the rope hanging around her waist, whether it was in size or strength. After all, who could refuse a god-tier bed? Whether it was to rest or use it to attack the enemy, it would have its use.
“No, if they find out what we did, we will be expelled from the Kingdom of Kings. They will laugh at us.”
Balroy looked troubled. He was tempted, but after thinking about it carefully, he suppressed the evil thoughts in his heart.
He and Jayla had proceeded a short distance down the corridor before being summoned to the room. A few items that looked like stones were on the corridor floor. It was unknown if the children threw that while they were playing on Mount Creation. However, after picking up the stones, they discovered that the things that appeared to be stones were actually diamond-tier rocks. That prompted Jayla and Baylor to lie down on the ground and seek any other comparable stones. Finally, they were mocked by a few passing maids.
They bragged of their knowledge as the Thorn Empire’s nine divine generals. However, their adventures in the Kingdom of Kings had left them befuddled. They felt like they were bumpkins.
Artifacts adorned every room in the Kingdom of Kings. The stones on the ground looked like rubbish to the locals, but they also had diamond-tier quality, which filled their hearts with joy and anxiety. The thrill was that they could get a lot of excellent stuff there. They feared that the Kingdom of Kings’ wealth was too powerful. It seemed like they could dominate any kingdom in the world, including the Thorn Empire..
