Chapter 955: Chapter 955

"It’s despicable, utterly despicable! What on earth is City of Mountains trying to do by bringing in so many Giants? Do they intend to let the Giants invade the south of our Divine Flame Empire? This is sheer betrayal!"

"Mud-legged People will always be Mud-legged People, they can never compare to us noble nobles. We would never do such a thing; we absolutely must not compromise this time."

"With so many Giants, what was Du You thinking? Lord Mayor, you must take military action against City of Mountains."

In a large hall, numerous nobles and officials surrounded the Mayor of South Mountain City, Anlute, shouting loudly. The entire meeting room was as noisy as a wet market, with voices audible even from outside.

Just as Shaliya had feared, the sudden appearance of so many Giants could not possibly go unnoticed. Ever since City of Mountains exhibited its formidable strength, it had attracted attention from all quarters.

Not to mention the nearby territories, even within the empire, countless people were constantly watching and infiltrating. Du You being of different origins, and his meteoric rise and typically unsociable manner, didn’t help either.

Whether it was those coveting Du You’s benefits, or other nobles on guard, they couldn’t possibly ignore this. So as soon as the Giants appeared, they were the first to get the news.

Not to mention that these Flame Giants were simply uncontrollable, existing only to protect their territory. If their territory was attacked, the Giants would strike back. Even if they were killed, they would regenerate after some time. But taking orders was out of the question.

Even Du You, as the lord, could only rely on his limited lordly privileges to control the Flame Giants, directing them on what targets to attack or not attack. Controlling their movements was impossible.

Shaliya, as the deputy lord, also had this authority, but controlling them was even more troublesome for her than for Du You.

After a long while, Anlute pressed his hands down and everyone finally calmed down.

"Duke Du You from City of Mountains has already sent the documents; those Giants were not recruited but summoned. They too cannot control them; the Flame Giants are like puppets, only able to protect their territory."

"They aren’t deceiving us, are they?"

"Nobles don’t lie, but Duke Du You comes from the common folk, maybe it’s possible."

"Even if those Giants can only protect their territory, the area they roam is too vast, they’re almost walking into our territory now. They wander through many contested lands uncontrollably, what does that imply?"

Anlute finally managed to pacify the nobles. "Gentlemen, hear me out, now Kingdom of Hanhai has become too powerful, we need a strong force to help us counteract it. Hadn’t many of you discussed moving your territories previously? Now, you can go ahead, this whole region hereafter can be managed by South Mountain City and City of Mountains."

"Lord Anlute, what do you mean? Are you planning to hand over this entire area to City of Mountains? The land area is too large; it’s enough to establish a Duchy."

"Indeed, this is too favorable, I disagree."

Nobles often value their own interests; they get very upset when others gain too much. Updates are released by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Gentlemen, please, calm down. With Du You’s strength, becoming a Grand Duke isn’t unthinkable; it’s just his origins, so the empire hasn’t elevated his nobility. But everyone recognizes his merit and strength, correct?"

The crowd nodded; merit and strength were within the rules, they could not deny them, because to deny Du You’s merit was to deny their own, thereby harming their interests.

"Just now, the message from Du You claims he wants to contribute to the empire. Therefore, City of Mountains will launch a full-scale attack on the Kingdom of Hanhai, and the ensuing counterattack from the Kingdom of Hanhai will be comprehensive, impacting the entire southern sea area. If you gentlemen do not wish to leave, that’s fine too."

"I heard that the border area around Quicksand Empire has been very quiet lately; internally, Quicksand Empire has been constrained. The land there is highly sought after, and establishing a territory there has a high success rate."

Hearing Anlute’s words, the nobles were finally swayed. For them, interests were paramount, as for this broken place, they couldn’t care less.

Not to mention, once an all-out war begins, if they still remain here, they would easily be attacked by the Kingdom of Hanhai. Originally following the City of Mountains and South Mountain City to reap benefits was possible, but they wouldn’t cope in a real battle.

Not every territory has so many tier four fighters; let alone tier four, most territories don’t even have many tier three, some only having tier two as their highest existence.

The ancestors of these nobles might have been extraordinary individuals, but now, those who came to the border to establish territories had declined; it was difficult for their households to afford skilled fighters.

With the first person speaking in agreement, more and more nobles gradually concurred. After all, their achievements here were sufficient, and they would have left long ago if not for the lack of new territories allocated to them by the homeland.

When everyone had left, Anlute rubbed his temples, a look of exhaustion on his face.

"Is everything you said true, Lord Mayor? I feel, it seems a bit..."

Anlute shook his head. "Du You is very strong, and definitely not simple behind the scenes. Moreover, his ambition is vast; this move indicates he has intentions of dominating the south. Perhaps before long, he could seize control of the south. I’m sure that City of Mountains has hidden higher-tier military forces that haven’t been revealed."

"Do you really think highly of him?"

"Not highly, but worriedly. Now, the strength of City of Mountains isn’t much less than Kingdom of Hanhai."

"Then, Lord Mayor, will you continue to act according to his plans? Isn’t that aiding him, and later within the empire..."

Anlute waved his hand. "That’s what they mean, and I’ve already reported it. Although City of Mountains is powerful, without a tier five, they can’t establish a nation or destroy Kingdom of Hanhai. They must rely on our empire’s power to defend themselves. Even if they had tier five, unless it’s in great numbers, it poses no threat to the empire."

Regarding whether Du You could possess a large number of tier fives, they simply didn’t believe it. Who could imagine that Du You’s troops were directly summoned from military buildings? If all went as they thought, Du You would potentially become the southern barrier restraining Kingdom of Hanhai.