Civilization: Beyond Two Worlds

The so-called claimant had been around since ancient times.

Opening another Cathay Embassy and inviting Kang De to enter was basically using Goethe's name to acknowledge and announce that Kang De had an indescribable noble status in Cathay. Moreover, in a sense, he could represent the entire Cathay and negotiate with the Western countries. This was called strong orthodoxy.

"Perhaps it's a goodwill or a test."

Hong San calculated for a moment, "Whether you agree or not depends on Your Highness."

Kang De asked, "What do you mean?"

"If Your Highness agrees, you have to fabricate an identity. Your identity in Cathay, be it the descendant of a famous minister or a descendant of a Duke. As long as you fabricate it, Goethe will definitely acknowledge it, and even Cathay will acknowledge it. A peerless expert who grasped the power to destroy the city and defeat the enemy, the unstable Cathayan Imperial Court will not be stingy with any bargaining chips to reward you. The greatest advantage this brings to Your Highness is… status."

Seeing that Kang De did not understand for a moment, Hong San crushed it and said, "A status is nothing without power, but a status with power is like a flower in the brocade. It's very colorful and complements each other."

"With a status, Your Highness is qualified to recruit Cathayans who have wandered everywhere on the continent to serve you. You can even accept heroes, ferocious warriors, and commoners who have continued to exile from the East. At the moment when you have such power and established your achievements, the effect of status is really too great. This is equivalent to approval and a natural reason for loyalty. You can also have the foundation to contact and negotiate with the Cathayan Imperial Court… There are many benefits."

Cathay had fallen into a long period of war. Fire beacons rose everywhere and were filled with devastation. He heard from Hong San that there was a violent invasion of the bloodthirsty and terrifying barbarians outside. There were traitors hiding filth inside who took advantage of the plague. There were eunuchs in the palace who spoke sweetly and committed sins everywhere. There were treacherous and strange powerful ministers in the royal court who caused trouble. It was a hopeless situation.

However, in the end, the tiger would not fall even if it died. Its foundation was still there. In chaotic times, there were naturally famous ministers. The Cathayan South Dynasty had appointed another Empress. Relying on the help of benevolent people and the continuous military support of the Twilight Elves with ill intentions, it could barely maintain the situation and defend the defense line for a moment. However, if it defended for a long time, it would definitely lose. The hope was still small.

The Cathayan court should not let go of any hope and assistance.

As for Kang De, a "Cathayan", he had repelled the powerful elf army alone and pointed the sword of deterrence at Twilight. If he could help the Divine Land with such an earth-shattering power, the Cathayan was probably willing to pay any price.

"Previously in Valentine, Duke Tiling… Oh, it should be the Phoenix King. Although the transaction condition proposed by the Phoenix King is very bullying, I think it's most likely successful."

At this point, a strange smile appeared on Hong San's lips.

He said seriously, "You're the descendant of the founding Duke of our dynasty. After our ancestor established the country, he resigned from his position and returned to the forest to live carefreely overseas. Before that, your ancestor had a good agreement with our dynasty's ancestor for generations. In other words, you have an engagement with the Cathayan Empress set by your ancestor. Even if you announce it like this, the Empress will probably nod in agreement and restore your title as a Duke, urging you to return to the country and get married as soon as possible."

At this point, Hong San added, "Really. If Your Highness doesn't believe me, why don't you try?"

Kang De glared at him. "He has ill intentions."

"How can this be ill-intended?"

Hong San's smile became even brighter, "Your Highness married Princess Tina and the Phoenix King. You also married the Cathayan Empress and seduced the princess of an Empire, followed by that noble dragon girl… In this way, the endless disputes on the continent and the flames of war that have lasted for a thousand years will turn into a small flame in Your Highness's backyard. The world will be cool and hot, and the world will be harmonized. This is the greatest contribution…"

Kang De rolled his eyes and said, "Then, a certain artist drew a set of comic works."

"What?"

"The Quintessential Quintuplets."

"Can't Your Highness charm them with charm, beauty, initiative, and attack?

"…I'll hit you."

Kang De sat at the table. "It sounds like a lot of benefits, but what's the downside?"

Hong San's smile disappeared and he said softly, "The disadvantage is that Your Highness bears this karma and this responsibility. You're under the expectations of the people to exorcise evil and kill it. You'll defeat hunger, disaster, plague, and war and bring peace to the chaotic world."

Kang De was silent.

There was no free lunch in the world.

He had to pay as much as he took.

It was very fair.

Moreover, it was not a forced sale.

He was silent for a long time before glancing at Hong San. "Is this what you expect?"

Hong San knelt on one knee and said in a low voice, "Hong San's only hope is to follow Your Highness in this life and become an eagle, think tank, minion, and death warrior to assist you in fulfilling all the ambitions, achievements, and ambitions you want to achieve. Apart from that, he doesn't have any selfish motives. These words should be a blood oath and every word is true. If they're fake, he's willing to endure all the punishment, curses, torture, and retribution since ancient times."

Kang De reached out and gestured for him to get up.

He thought for a long time and said, "There are some things I have to tell you."

"Your Highness, please speak."

Kang De slowly said, "I'm not from Cathay, and I've never been there. I have nothing to do with your homeland. I don't know about the disaster that happened there, and I don't feel anything about the suffering there. I have my own life. After experiencing what has happened in the past two months, I actually want a calmer life. Hong San, you said that I'm a Saint, but I'm not. I'm only a mortal. I have desires and can be lazy. Sometimes I'm very impulsive, and sometimes I'm very selfish… Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand."

Hong San nodded without hesitation. "Even so, I'll still follow Your Highness. I've said it before. What I look forward to is assisting you in everything you want to do."

"Even if I'm not interested in everything that happens in Cathay, perhaps after I help Goethe gain a foothold, I'll run away without a trace and disappear from now on?"

"Then I'll first assist Your Highness in helping Goethe gain a foothold on the continent."

"First?"

"Let's talk about the future in the future."

"But…"

Hong San said seriously, "People change. Aspirations can't be completed overnight. Your Highness, I have no intention of affecting you in any way, and I definitely don't have any ulterior motives. I'll only stand beside you and assist you. I'll personally see you become a Saint and make unparalleled contributions. All of this stems from trust. I trust that you'll always do the right thing. Even if I don't comment on Cathay now, you'll definitely change your mind in the future."

…Tsk.

Kang De looked at him up and down, a little unhappy. "You speak as if you've already seen through me."

"Yes."

Hong San replied calmly, "There's one thing I can confirm. I believe that Your Highness will definitely not suddenly disappear without a trace one day and never return. Only this is something I'm very sure of."

"…Why?"

"Because when I met Valentine and the others with Princess Tina just now…"

Hong San looked straight into the King's eyes and said righteously, "In an hour, Your Highness has watched, scanned, and glanced at Princess Tina's face 25 times, the front 56 times, the back 27 times, and the long dress 52 times. The number of times you looked at the Crimson Lady is…"

"—Hey!"

"You even looked at Lady Cassandra!"

"…Nonsense!"

"I'm also more curious why Your Highness suddenly likes to look at legs!"

"I'll beat you up again!"

Under his sharp words, Hong San's expression was very calm. He had really seen through everything.

"In short, Your Highness said that you would suddenly disappear one day and never return. Forgive me for laughing."

"…"

"It's only been a few months."

"…"

"There will be a long time in the future, right?"

"…"

"Can you bear to?"

"…"

"If you can leave, will you still encounter such a good thing in the future? Your Highness has never…"

Finally, Kang De, who could not take it anymore, kicked Hong San's butt.

A creature like a strategist often died from talking too much.

He practiced his spear, made rules, prepared military funds, discussed the details, discussed Valentine's problem with Hong San, and other things. Time passed quickly and it was soon night.

Banquet.

Although it was a banquet, it was not a serious banquet. Instead, it was the picnic form that Kang De liked. He found an empty space in the Maple Leaf Palace and laid a carpet and tablecloth. The kitchen made some meat, fruits, and desserts. Kang De also took many specialties from Earth. Everyone sat on the ground, ate, drank, and chatted. They were very comfortable.

Of course, the target of the banquet was Valentine's subordinate who had rushed over today. Tina appeared very scheming and did not let go of any opportunity to give a hint, consolidating her impression that she was their mistress. As expected, looks were justice. Not only was Kang De not repulsed by her actions, but he also felt that Tina was very cute.

The goal of the banquet was naturally to consolidate their loyalty.

The Chinese all knew that the way to control the people was to use both kindness and power. Moreover, it was very difficult to control the appropriateness. However, to Kang De, it was not a problem at all. The terrifying results of the mass impact scene outside Valentine City and the battle of Red Maple City were already unshakable power. Next was to show kindness. It was even simpler for modern people.

He treated the other party as an equal, chatted and laughed, and was friendly.

It was basically a skill that modern people knew.

During the meal, Kang De told Tina about the Cathay Embassy.

"Eh?"

Tina's eyes widened slightly in a cute manner. "You don't want to?"

Kang De nodded. "Yes, you know that I have nothing to do with Cathay. Now, I don't have any thoughts of being related to it… Goethe has enough things to do. I can't do anything else."

Let's forget about the Cathay Embassy for the time being.

Tina blinked, tears flowing in her beautiful eyes.

Emotions were something confusing. If there was no love, she would only glance at the simp coldly and feel that it was baffling. If she loved him, no matter what her lover was doing, she could imagine that he was doing it for her own good. Then, she would be touched and automatically have a better impression of him.

There was no such thing as a cold girl. She only seemed cold because she did not want to be warm.

Of course, the current Tina had fallen into a state of favorability.

In her opinion, Kang De had given up the power, benefits, and Empress of Cathay for her.

Half of the Grand Duke's suggestion was to express goodwill, and the other half was to test him.

After all, the current Goethe relied on Kang De unilaterally, so it was normal for them to feel uneasy. They did not know what could tie Kang De down and maintain the alliance—was it only a princess? There were many princesses on the entire continent. If Kang De was only kidnapped to Goethe by a beautiful princess, it was very likely that he would be kidnapped to a foreign country by more and more beautiful princesses.

Especially Cathay.

Kang De was from Cathay.

Cathay was now in the quagmire of war.

In the short negotiation after the battle of Valentine, the conditions released by the elves caused the Goethe people to feel uneasy. The sharp ears openly announced that they were willing to matchmake Kang De and facilitate his marriage to the Cathayan Empress. How tempting was such a bargaining chip? Kang De simply had no reason to reject it.

Later on, the elves fought again and the negotiation was left unsettled. However, this matter was still the sore point of the Goethe people. Today, Kang De could be considered to have made a clear statement…

"How stupid…"

Tina's eyes were shining as she held Kang De's hand and said softly, "You should have agreed. Showing that you might return to Cathay will make Goethe even more anxious to please you and keep you…"

Kang De did not know whether to laugh or cry. "You're siding with an outsider a little too much."

"Because I know you won't."

Tina lowered her voice and said angrily, "Moreover, if not, how can Father relent?"

Let go?

Why should he let go?

Just as this thought arose, Kang De saw the starlight flickering in the princess's eyes.

It was as if there were really stars in those eyes. They were filled with affection. Their love was so obvious that he, who was inexperienced, could tell… Suddenly, he recalled Hong San's words.

His hometown was Earth. There was everything he was familiar with and loved there, as well as a convenient and rich modern life. He had a superpower, so he naturally felt better on Earth. From the beginning, he had made up his mind to help Goethe defeat the elves and return to his hometown to show off and slap his face as the male lead of a novel.

However, now… could he really return to Earth without any hesitation?

How should he respond to Tina's feelings?

What exactly was he doing in the other world?

He stared blankly into Tina's bright eyes, at the stars in them.

Then, he saw the gorilla in Tina's eyes.

It was the reflection of the gorilla.

Kang De turned around and saw the gorilla's silent gaze. It was relatively oppressive and he could even associate it with her serious and angry glare in her gorilla form.

He felt guilty.

The gorilla only looked at him for a moment before pinching the corner of his shirt.

This small action immediately made Kang De laugh. It was the memories of the Holy Seal Islands.

"What's wrong?"

"I have something to tell you."

The gorilla glanced at the distant Cassandra and her brother. "They told me many things today, mainly from the mercenary group. They said that everyone doesn't know what to do now, nor do they know what to do next… I don't know what to do either."

She told him briefly.

The gorilla's mercenary group had been inexplicably pulled up. At that time, the gorilla had searched the entire continent for Kang De and coincidentally pulled up the initial team. Most importantly, a few relatively smart gladiators told her that it was not a problem to find someone. Everyone would pull up a mercenary group to help her find him. It was faster.

Now that the gorilla had found Kang De, that mercenary group was meaningless to her. She could leave the group and go wherever she wanted.

"But they're very pitiful. At the very least, they're relatively obedient, especially Cassandra and the others. They're much more obedient and better than the others. I feel a little… a little bad to chase them away like this…"

The gorilla was confused. She did not understand some emotions and words.

Therefore, she could only say that it was a little bad.

It was not because she could not bear to.

Kang De smiled when he heard this.

"Sure."

He touched the gorilla's fiery red hair. It was soft and warm. As long as it asked for it, he would agree. Moreover, this request was a manifestation of humanity. It was a good thing that the gorilla had human emotions.

"Leave it to me," he said. "I'll talk to them. I'll settle those who are capable and loyal. However, I definitely can't keep those with ill intentions."

The gorilla bared her teeth and said, "I'll beat anyone with bad intentions into meat paste."

Kang De smiled and glanced at the banquet opposite him. The Eagle Tamer siblings were looking over. Seeing Kang De look over, he raised his glass as the sister gestured. Her brother's gaze was a little evasive.

The Belloran people were exiles whose country had been destroyed by the elves. It was said that they were determined to recover their country and still accumulated relatively large resistance. These siblings probably had other intentions when they joined the gorilla.

Now that they had followed Hong San here, they had to talk about something.

Back then, he had revealed this intention in Valentine. After all, the enemy was an elf and had the premise of fighting together. However, at that time, it was even more different from now. Kang De had already further proven his strength. If the Belloran wanted to cooperate, what bargaining chip should they take out?

His eyes darted around and met Hong San's. The two of them revealed smiles at the same time.

Let's see.

However, there was no need to let the gorilla know about this.

When he thought of this, Kang De suddenly felt an itch in his chest.

He looked down and saw a small hand stroking over and drawing circles clumsily.

"…"

He looked up.

The gorilla's face was red as she gently moved her small hand and winked at him. She said shyly, "Kang De, you're the best. How can I thank you?"

"…Pfft."

Kang De could not help it.

"Pfft."

It felt like she was doing it on purpose.

Therefore, the shy attack turned into a dissatisfied shout.

This interesting comedy should have lasted all night, but after the banquet ended, it stopped.

On the way back to his room, Kang De encountered Santos waiting.

The representative of the dragon race looked uneasy, puzzled, and confused.

He sent a secret letter from the Dragon Emperor. Today, he combined the guess made by Hong San's master and sent it back to the company to be presented to the Dragon Emperor. It was an entire day before he received a reply at night.

When Santos saw this, cold sweat broke out.

He immediately went to find Kang De.

After looking, the two of them chatted for a moment before Santos hurriedly bade farewell and left.

Kang De acted as if nothing had happened. He sent Tina back to her room and turned to find Hong San.

"The Dragon Emperor has changed his mind."

His tone was cold, "He said that he wanted to do it for real in that competition."

…