A count dressed in luxurious clothes with golden trim sat quietly inside a carriage.
His hands tightly gripped the exquisite black cane in his hand as his deep gaze looked out the window.
The carriage moved along the uneven street, producing deep clattering sounds.
The vehicle rocked constantly, but the count seemed completely used to this bumpy road.
Through the window, he looked toward the rear.
Behind him was the convoy of carriages carrying the Empire's other ministers.
Around them were the Empire's knights, riding white horses and surrounding the carriage.
The knights wore silver armor, their expressions frozen like ice, filled with dignity.
At the very front, leading the group of knights, was a figure riding a white horse, silver hair drifting in the wind.
The sharp and chilling pressure radiating from her made the count's back break out in goosebumps.
This knight who looked like a sculpture of ice must be Councilor Clavenna's fiancee... Gwen Delin, right?
It was said that this knight also possessed top-tier strength.
From the descriptions given by those diplomatic ministers, she even seemed to possess the power of the heavens, capable of communicating with gods and using divine power.
For an imperial knight, this sounded extremely absurd, because the Empire was a nation that did not allow any religious belief in gods.
Even so, being able to become a count in the Calencia Empire at such a young age meant her strength absolutely could not be weak.
Count Laurien had actually wanted to spar with this fellow count, the Grand Knight Gwen, to test just how capable this young imperial knight really was, but…
He came back to his senses and looked at the man sitting across from him.
The man wore a black windbreaker, with a distinctive badge on his chest bearing three shattered skulls.
His expression was cold, even colder than Gwen outside.
At the moment, he simply placed his hands together calmly on his lap.
But those icy eyes always made Count Laurien feel his body tremble slightly.
That's right. This was the rumored Councilor Viktor Clavenna.
And he was sitting in the same carriage as him.
Even though he looked full of openings, the powerful pressure emanating from him kept circulating through the carriage.
He still remembered what had happened just earlier.
When this Councilor Viktor stepped off the train, he simply raised his hand and aimed it at the heavily damaged magic train, lightly clenching his fingers.
Immediately, the train that still barely maintained its shape was gradually compressed by his powerful magic.
In the end, the carriage that had originally been able to hold over a hundred people was squeezed into a square block of scrap metal, now sitting quietly in the corner of the station.
The moment he stepped off the train, he cleverly displayed his strength to everyone in the kingdom.
Perhaps it was a kind of intimidation.
But Count Laurien had indeed fallen for it.
After all, before arriving here, those ministers had already said it.
Half of the Nangaburna Canyon had been blown away.
To most people, this was practically impossible.
Nangaburna Canyon was a towering valley that separated the two great nations.
Its existence had forced the Kingdom and the Empire, two massive neighboring countries, into maintaining peace.
After all, if it was merely a simple visit, that would be fine.
They only needed to take the magic train and travel quickly between the two countries by passing above the canyon.
However, if one nation truly developed hostile intentions toward the other and wanted to start a war, they would have to go around the enormous canyon by taking a very long route.
That would make the journey extremely troublesome.
Supplies would not arrive in time, putting them at a disadvantage in a prolonged war.
And if the attacking side suffered losses in their army, it might even be difficult for them to request reinforcements.
Because of this, once war broke out between the two nations, no matter who attacked whom, the defending side would always hold a huge advantage.
After all, the canyon separated the entire region, and reinforcements would arrive far too slowly.
The kingdom had once learned this lesson in blood, proving the canyon's immense strategic value.
Their harassment and territorial encroachment along the imperial border had ultimately ended in failure.
That was a long time ago, when the Empire was far weaker than it was now.
But the canyon stretched for thousands of miles.
Could a single spell really blow away such a massive area?
Yes.
For this Councilor Clavenna, it was absolutely possible.
He had personally seen that earth-shaking naval battle that the Mage Council had spread across the world.
From that moment on, the name Viktor Clavenna had already carved itself into people's hearts and become widely known.
Internationally, he already possessed a very clear position of status.
And he himself… Laurien Niss, was only a three-star count.
In terms of age and experience, he might indeed have lived longer than Viktor.
But in terms of strength, even ten of him probably could not match a single Viktor.
There was no need to sour relations just because he wanted to spar with Viktor's fiancee.
If he won, Viktor would certainly feel displeased.
But if he lost, the one losing face would be the entire Kingdom of Kante.
Two counts fighting, yet the kingdom's count losing to a young imperial knight.
If word spread, it would surely become a joke.
In short, neither outcome would be good.
Laurien took a deep breath, then turned his gaze to Aurelian, who sat beside Viktor.
With a friendly tone, he said to her, "Your Highness, welcome after such a long journey."
"It's already late. I've prepared a residence for you all. Tomorrow we can set out for the royal capital."
After hearing this, Aurelian nodded gently and responded with great politeness.
"Thank you for your thoughtful arrangements, Count Laurien."
Amid the sound of hooves and carriage wheels crushing gravel, the carriage steadily left the city and traveled along a rugged country road.
The surrounding fields were heavy with rice and wheat, bending under their weight. Waves of golden wheat swayed in the wind, while green rice leaves nodded calmly, as if welcoming their arrival.
The count turned to look at Viktor and Aurelian, who were still observing the scenery outside, and introduced with a smile, "Welcome to my territory, Sherben."
This was Count Laurien's domain.
This rural town with flourishing agriculture, along with the city they had passed earlier, all belonged to Laurien's territory.
Magic trains coming from abroad would only travel as far as this city station.
Here, Count Laurien took on the responsibility of receiving foreign guests.
Aurelian responded to the count with a polite smile and a light nod.
She understood that this territory symbolized the count's influence and authority.
Any visitors from abroad would always be monitored by the lord of the land.
In the Empire, this was almost impossible.
At that moment, Aurelian turned her head and looked at the crops spread across the fields. She noticed the separate plots of wheat fields divided one by one.
On each piece of land stood a pole, and at the top of each pole hung a golden wheat ear.
Seeing this, Aurelian couldn't help asking the count curiously, "Why are wheat ears hung in the fields?"
Before Count Laurien could answer, Viktor calmly explained it to Aurelian, "That represents the wheat ear of the Goddess of Fertility."
Count Laurien paused for a moment, then smiled and said to Viktor, "Councilor, you are truly knowledgeable. Indeed, our kingdom and your empire differ in many ways."
"The biggest difference is that..."
"We believe in the existence of gods."
Their belief was not based on complicated doctrines. It was simply an understanding of gods that had once existed.
They held simple rituals on time and offered tributes, seeking a small sense of comfort.
The wheat ears hung on the tall pillars symbolized a bountiful harvest.
Although sometimes poor weather would still result in failed crops, the kingdom's commoners continued to believe in the existence of gods.
It was a shallow kind of faith, yet also one that reached deep into the soul.
At the same time, many sects devoted to various gods existed within the kingdom.
Unlike the Empire, the kingdom did not forbid the existence of religious sects within its borders.
Some lords even relied on these sects to stabilize their territories.
Laurien himself had often done this.
"It is said that within the sect of the Goddess of Fertility, there exist wheat ears that truly carry divine blessings."
Count Laurien said, "The followers create a small number of wheat ears infused with divine power. If nobles manage to obtain them, their territory will receive a great harvest in autumn."
"However, these are divine items. Even the sect of the Goddess of Fertility may not produce ten of them in a year."
At this point, Count Laurien's chest rose slightly, and his grip on the cane tightened, filled with pride and satisfaction.
Aurelian understood and looked at the somewhat proud count. She cleared her throat and cooperated politely.
"So that means you possess those sacred wheat ears?"
When Aurelian said this, she looked extremely surprised.
"No wonder, Count Laurien, the fields here are so fertile."
Hearing Aurelian's words, Count Laurien felt pleased.
He laughed softly and looked at the fertile fields around them, his eyes filled with unmistakable pride.
"Thank the Goddess of Fertility."
"For bringing us a good harvest every year."
At that moment, Vega on Viktor's shoulder suddenly opened its single eye.
It stretched its neck and leaned near Viktor's ear, lowering its voice so that only Viktor could hear.
"What that man said is true. There really is a power in those fields that promotes growth."
"Tsk tsk. Even the Goddess of Justice left behind scales carrying her divine power. After all those gods left the mortal world, just how many interesting things did they leave behind?"
At this point, Vega shook its feathers, its originally hoarse voice trembling slightly.
It was unclear whether it was from excitement or something else.
It narrowed its single eye, and its sharp voice slowly spoke, "I really want to…"
"Corrupt them all."
"One by one."