Lorden City was the second-largest city in the South Aislan Continent, after Caroxtel City. It was situated bang in the middle of the northern region, less than five hundred kilometres from the foothills of Cloud's Break Mountain Ranges. It served as a hub of commerce for the entirety of the north and was also its strongest bastion.
Lorden City also possessed a nickname. It was called 'The City That Can Never Be Besieged!'
With the mountain range at its back and the Syphyll River flowing around it, acting as a natural moat, the city was unassailable from three sides leaving only one side exposed. And on this side stood the tallest and grandest iron walls that Wuzhi had ever seen.
Iron mines were found abundant near Lorden City. In fact, this city was the producer of all iron that was used in the South Aislan Continent. Even the weapons and armour used by soldiers of the empire were made from iron sourced from this place.
With such an extremely abundant source, Lorden City was also called the 'Iron City.'
Once a very important base of the South Aislan Empire, the city now served a new master: the Mu Family Faction.
Wuzhi's carriage entered the city after clearing a few checkposts and Alexandros, the boy emperor of the South Aislan Empire, sat with clenched fists and gritted teeth as he viewed the bustling city.
"Such a disgraceful city! To call them previous vassals of the Empire fills me with shame," said Alexandros. "How could they invite the Empire's enemy into their homes and so easily betray their emperor!?"
Lorden City was one of the very first vassals to daringly betray the empire and invite foreign enemies upon their lands. It was their action of cutting off all supplies of iron that irreversibly crippled the Empire, leading it to its current poor state. Had Lorden City remained loyal to its master, then the situation in the South Aislan Continent would have been vastly different.
Alas, what had happened had already happened. There was no point in mourning about the past.
"Calm your anger, Your Majesty. There is no point losing your calm over the past," advised Wuzhi. As a foreigner himself, Wuzhi felt none of the rage that Alexandros was feeling. He was instead interested in the surroundings sights and the bustling city.
Contrary to the Empire's propaganda, Lorden City was not helpless without the South Aislan Empire. In fact, from what he could see, Wuzhi wagered that the city was even more prosperous than when it was still under the empire's control. This was not to say that the empire was lousy but was due to the introduction of the foreign market.
The South Aislan Continent had been closed off to the rest of the world for the longest time. The South Aislan Empire was unwilling to mingle with other continents and organizations and was even more unwilling to submit to the oversight of the Heavenly Spirit Tower. They firmly held on to their foolish conservative ways and believed that as the Hegemon of the continent, they had the power to do anything that they wanted. This resulted in a lot of corruption and oppression.
In fact, the emperors before Alexandros' father led the empire fiercely and controlled the continent with an iron hand. Peasants were taxed highly, the noble houses were fiercely restricted, the market and military were controlled, etc. This resulted in the formation of a lot of bad blood between the Emperor and the empire. The Emperor was seen as an oppressor and the citizens called themselves the oppressed.
Finally, when the regime changed and Alexandros' father came into power, the oppressed saw an opportunity to overthrow their ruler. Unlike his predecessors, Alexandros' father was considered quite the meek and gentle man. He sought to resolve the bad blood between the ruler and the subjects, only to lose his power and life in the process. The empire was overthrown and the rest of the continent was freed from its oppressors.
In a way, the war for unification could be considered a good event for the continent as a whole. It freed the oppressed, broke the old-age policies and philosophies, opened the domestic market for international trade, and brought forward a much-needed feeling of liberation and freedom for the citizens.
Knowing this, it could be seen how pivotal and difficult Alexandros' success was concerning the future of the continent. Not only did he have to reunite the empire and emerge victorious in the war for unification but he also had to fix its tarnished reputation and lay the foundation for a new and better empire. He had to protect and nurture this liberal feeling while ensuring that power and control do not end up in the hands of the foreigners.
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It was a tough ordeal. Success would ensure Alexandros' name be immortalized forever whilst failure would result in the South Aislan Continent becoming the slaves and servants of others.
The future was yet to be written.
---
The duo toured the city some more before heading to an inn. Wuzhi booked two rooms, asked for the horses to be cared for, settled the gloomy Alexandros, and finally headed out by his lonesome.
This last month of travel had exhausted their rations resulting in the need to replenish them before further travel. Additionally, Wuzhi needed to collect information about the Cloud's Break Mountain Range and that which lay beyond it; Lorden City which lay closest to the Hielands was the best place to make relevant inquiries. Finally, Wuzhi had a third motive for coming to Lorden City.
He wanted to meet with his young brother, Mu Yuelong, and discuss something.
Wuzhi's lips curved to form a mischievous smile as he recalled a piece of certain advice from his teacher.
'Want something from someone but they are unwilling to give it to you? It's simple. Just make 'em an offer they cannot refuse.' When he uttered that line, an unmistakably evil smile filled the Heaven Scheming Devil's face.
"Yuelong, this elder brother owes you twenty years' worth of red packets and gifts. Elder Brother is deeply ashamed thinking about this. So be prepared, I'm going to offer you something that you simply cannot refuse." Wuzhi quietly mumbled before breaking into high-spirited laughter.
He then headed to the Lorden City Mayor's Office. It was where the Eldest Young Lord of the Mu Family, 'Son of the Heavens' Mu Yuelong, was rumoured to be recently staying.
---
Inside the Mayor's Office.
Yuelong, with shoulder-length jet-black hair and roguish handsomeness, sat on a luxuriously cushioned chair with one hand resting on the armrest and the other holding his chin. A long table stretched before him and was occupied by dozens of stacks of papers and books.
His face held an impassive expression and his deep black eyes looked dull and lusterless. After a minute of silence, he spoke in an even tone that belied neither emotion nor character. "So, if I understand this correctly, all mines are currently shut down because someone discovered a methane gas deposit somewhere in the underground vicinity?"
The three men who sat on the other side of the table nodded their heads in unison. "Eldest Young Lord is correct. The—!"
Yuelong raised his resting hand to interrupt them. He then asked, "Gentlemen, let me ask you this; where are we right now?"
The three men expressed confusion on their faces. "Wha--!?"
"This place," he pointed at the ground with his finger. "Where we are sitting right now? What is this place? Where does it belong? What is it called?" explained Yuelong. Throughout his discourse, Yuelong's tone remained eerily even and plain.
The three men shared their gazes of confusion. After a moment, one of them gathered courage and replied, "The Mayor's Office in Lorden City, situated in the northern Lowlands of the South Aislan Continent." His answer was as detailed as it could be.
At his answer, Yuelong finally had a change in expression. He showed a polite smile and said, "Very good." He even clapped to show his appreciation.
This sudden appreciation, however, furthered the unease and strangeness of the situation. The three men felt terribly uncomfortable; as if they were sitting on a bed of swords.
Yuelong seemed to have not discovered their unease. The polite smile on his face remained as he continued to speak. "Now tell me, gentlemen. What is this Mayor's Office in Lorden City that is situated in the northern Lowlands of the South Aislan Continent?"
The three men were dumbstruck. They were unsure of how to reply. A second passed. Ten seconds passed. Thirty seconds passed. A minute passed. And yet, there was still silence.
With each passing instant, the smile on Yuelong's face seemed to grow brighter and brighter. Similarly, the unease, discomfort, and terror in the hearts of the three men also increased proportionately.
Yuelong spoke no further to emphasize and the three men were unsure how to reply. Finally, after three whole minutes of uncomfortable and terrifying silence, one of the men unconsciously blurted out the answer. "A colony! It is a colony of the Mu Household!"
The smile on Yuelong's face disappeared. A cold, warning look appeared instead. "Correct. It is a colony of the Mu Household. And for as long as it remains a colony and I stand in this ground, it is not 'Eldest Young Lord Yuelong' or 'Eldest Young Master Yuelong' that you will refer to me as. You will refer to me as Governor-General Yuelong."
"'Governor-General,' do you know what this title means, gentlemen? It means that I am the head of all civil and military affairs for this colony. My word is law and my will shall be done. Disobey me, and you will be judged according to colonial laws."
Yuelong then shot a severe look at the three men and asked, "Do you understand, gentlemen?"
The three men rapidly nodded their heads akin to baby birds. The terrifying feeling in their hearts peaked and exploded with Yuelong's thundering words.
"Now, the problem with the mines," Yuelong smiled once again. "I assume that it will be resolved?"
"N-no problems. The mines will begin operating by tomorrow—no, by today! I promise!"
"And their output?"
"S-same as before!" answered the three.
The bleak, oppressing atmosphere from before disappeared and normality was restored. Clapping his hands once more, Yuelong said, "Well then, I shall consider this meeting adjourned. I will see you men once again during the monthly review." He then waved his hands and said, "Leave."
The three men hurriedly bid their goodbyes and ran out of the room. Yuelong was left alone.