Chapter 356: Internal Troubles and External Threats

"It's incredible, really, that there's a gnoll capable of elevating its own lineage to that of a true dragon," Muria's expression became extremely peculiar after hearing Beladion's words.

In the vast world of Erathia, over the eons, some truly unique beings have emerged, like gnolls evolving into true dragons from their diluted dragon bloodlines. Such occurrences are exceedingly rare, with only a handful recorded over hundreds of thousands of years—a gnoll of this sort might not appear even once in ten thousand years.

Yet, such a rare being had appeared during Beladion's reign, a stroke of "luck" indeed.

"How did you miss the opportunity to eliminate it early in its development?" Muria asked, puzzled. Intelligent creatures typically prefer to eliminate threats early on, although there are always exceptions.

"When this King of Gnolls was first discovered, he was merely a Dragonborn gnoll, so the kingdom didn't pay him much attention—after all, reaching Dragonborn was already the pinnacle for a gnoll, and who could have imagined he would purify his bloodline to this extent.

Moreover, although this King of Gnolls has now established his own state, he seems to harbor no hostility towards our Lockman Kingdom; rather, he's shown goodwill. His Dragonborn Duchy is now the most friendly force towards the Lockman Kingdom."

"The most friendly... Outside the Lockman Kingdom, have any other unique beings emerged?" Muria asked, surprised. The existence of a gnoll who could refine his bloodline into that of a true dragon was already extraordinary, yet there seemed to be more.

"In the southern borders of the kingdom, a pit leading to the Dark Realms appeared three hundred years ago, home to nearly a million Dwarven Elves, who at the time were split into nearly fifty clans warring against each other.

When the portal first appeared, these Dwarves attempted to surge to the surface, but they were easily defeated by the then-powerful army of the kingdom, especially since there was no strong ruler among the Dwarven Elves.

Three hundred years have passed, and those Dwarven Elves haven't attempted another surface incursion. However, now there are signs they might attack again.

According to traders who have ventured into the Dark Realms, a Divine Favor has emerged among the previously fractured Dwarven Elf clans. In just ten years, this Divine Favor unified all the clans, established a kingdom underground, and proclaimed herself queen. Now, this Dwarven Elf queen is continuously expanding her military forces."

Muria stared at the king in silence for a long while, unsure what to say. For centuries, the Dwarven Elves had been divided, yet now, under his rule, a Divine Favor emerged and unified them.

"Anything else?"

"In the eastern territories, the Dwarf Duchy has experienced a rebellion. The royal family, which had been friendly with our Scarlet family, was wiped out, and a new Dwarf king who harbors intense hostility towards the Lockman Kingdom has risen.

After his ascension, he immediately cut off all weapon trade with the Lockman Kingdom and stationed 150,000 armored dwarf infantry along the border, prohibiting any traders from crossing.

According to special sources, this new Dwarf king, like the others, is also expanding his military forces. The target, unsurprisingly, seems to be the Lockman Kingdom."

"And the west?" Muria, feeling a headache coming on, massaged his temples. He had known that being summoned wouldn't bring anything good, but he hadn't expected such a mess.

"The west of the Lockman Kingdom is bordered by the ocean, so no issues there currently." Seeing Muria's grim expression, Beladion offered an awkward smile.

"It's tough for you," Muria sincerely remarked, recognizing that the impending collapse of the Lockman Kingdom had little to do with Beladion himself—it was mainly unfortunate timing.

If one had to point out a relationship, it would be Beladion's lack of strength, or rather, the royal family's insufficient power.

If they possessed the power to suppress everything, the surge of geniuses would be entirely beneficial. The nobles wouldn't dare to defy openly, and even the emergence of such a rare being as the King of Gnolls would be of no concern, regardless of his stance towards the Lockman Kingdom.

What would it matter if the Dwarven Elves of the Dark Realms united? With strong military and martial power, they wouldn't dare harbor any ill intentions.

In short, all problems boiled down to a lack of strength. Weakness breeds troubles, while strength allows for desires to be fulfilled.

"This is the general situation. Once we go out, I'll give you more detailed information about the domestic situation," Beladion said, holding Remilia and managing a resigned smile. "I aim to complete the transfer of power before my soul dissipates, making you a qualified ruling duke."

"Yes,

 I understand, but before that, I need to ensure my basic security as the governor of the Lockman Kingdom," Muria smiled, pulling out the Terminal Staff, preparing to connect with the ancient metal dragons of Nokia Europe Continent.

"Are you summoning an ancient dragon?" Beladion asked in surprise, seeing the staff adorned with a lifelike platinum dragon.

"Yes," Muria nodded, now able to contact the ancient dragons of Nokia Europe through the powers fused within the Terminal Staff.

"Can those ancient dragons come at any time if you summon them?" Beladion asked, suddenly excited.

"What are you planning?" Muria narrowed his eyes.

"I want to hold a ceremony for the transfer of power. I will notify all the nobles of the kingdom and the neighboring foreign nations, asking them to send representatives to attend," Beladion said with a smile.

"At the ceremony, when you take the scepter from my hands and ten ancient dragons descend to congratulate you, your authority will surpass even that of the founding king."

"That sounds feasible," Muria's face showed interest. Summoning ten ancient dragons to bolster his position in full view of the public certainly sounded appealing.

"However, having only ancient dragons might be lacking something." Muria's gaze shifted to the altar behind him, his eyes lighting up, then he turned to King Beladion, "You wouldn't mind if I modify this summoning altar a bit, would you?"

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