Chapter 672
In order to establish a somewhat standardized "order," these extraordinary beings, under the organization of Ansu, formed a vast federation—not a nation—unified in their expansion and management.
Just a few decades ago, the New Frontier Continent, dissatisfied with Ansu's constraints, launched an independence war, breaking free from Ansu and becoming a true nation, aptly named "New Frontier Nation."
Over the years, New Frontier Nation has continuously developed westward, persistently "clearing" out the indigenous peoples and engaging in numerous wars with neighboring countries, relentlessly expanding its territory.
"Rude upstarts," "a killing machine cloaked in the guise of a nation"… these are the terms used by the Ansu nobility, who lost face after being robbed of their colonies, to refer to New Frontier Nation.
"Of course, the reason for such negative evaluations likely stems from Ansu's defeat in a war against New Frontier Nation over thirty years ago. Ansu burned their capital, but they also sent the Ansu people back to their homeland."
Tala paused briefly before continuing.
"Due to Ansu's various negative reports about New Frontier, many Ansu citizens harbor significant prejudices against that place. Aside from merchants, missionaries, and extraordinary beings, hardly anyone is willing to go there."
"However, because of the humanitarian efforts, the Church of the Savior has some influence there... I initially planned to use theological knowledge to convert the followers of the Church of the Savior into the Holy Arrival sect..."
At this point, Tala felt a bit embarrassed, as what she intended to do wasn't exactly honorable, especially given the current reconciliation between the two sects.
"As for urban development... the capital, Federal City, is essentially a pure political center. Aside from officials, lawyers, and Black slaves, there are hardly any other residents."
"The city that has developed better is New Xiang City, an important port with a population of about fifty to sixty thousand... No, if we include the immigrants from North Ansu, it’s probably around one hundred thousand, but overall, development is still lacking."
The most populous city only has seven hundred thousand...
Upon hearing this, Xia'er couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, but he quickly shook his head in realization.
I’m not going there to conduct a population census; I’m just looking for someone... Fewer people might actually make it easier to find them.
However, after listening to Tala's explanation, Xia'er gained a clearer understanding of New Frontier Nation.
Though the population is small... the number of extraordinary beings in a single city might even surpass that of Ansu City... a mix of fish and dragons.
Due to historical reasons, the people of New Frontier Nation, especially those in power, are mostly "rebels" who fled from Ansu, at least from Ansu's perspective.
It seems I’ll need to bring enough manpower to avoid any unpredictable dangers.
With over two hundred days until the ship sets sail, Xia'er has plenty of time to thoroughly understand the situation and prepare a "strategy" before heading to New Frontier.
Xia'er quickly got into the groove, using the various hints from the previous two simulations to rapidly establish two large laboratories.
Conversations... applying pressure... forming alliances...
Days passed, and Xia'er skillfully maneuvered the major factions toward his direction using the leverage he had.
While most organizations accepted Xiaer's cooperation out of self-interest, his foundational support remained solid.
The Russell family, the Church of the Savior, and the Church of the God of Order formed the backbone of Xiaer's influence.
As long as these three factions continued to support him, others would think twice before taking action, especially since Xiaer's base was particularly stable now.
Even the Church of the God of Order, the least stable among these three, would need to present knowledge comparable to Xiaer's to disrupt the relationship between Aiergema and him...
But clearly, that was unlikely.
However, as the days passed in such a calm manner, Xia'er felt increasingly uneasy.
Too calm... that’s not a good sign for Xia'er right now.
This indicates that everything Xia'er is doing is futile in the eyes of the minions of the "God of Existence," unable to influence the impending arrival of the "God of Existence."
It seems I can only work with the past...
Xia'er continued to stabilize the experiments on Nula Island, gradually handing over the leadership of the experiments to Aiergema and the Church of the Savior.
At the same time, he began to scout for companions to accompany him on the voyage...
...
On March 17, 742, at Ansu Port, the weather was clear.
Splash!
The sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed as a rotund merchant shattered a bottle of expensive champagne, and a massive steamship, wrapped in iron plating, slowly slid into the water.
The ship's smokestack belched thick black smoke, and amidst the cheers of the sailors, the ship raised its sails and powered full speed toward the sea after a brief test.
"Huh?"
One sailor, watching the harbor recede into the distance, turned to his companion with a puzzled expression and asked, "Aren't we supposed to do sea trials? Why are we just leaving?"
"Idiot... have you forgotten about the ridiculous amount of Su pounds you got? There must be a batch of important cargo that needs to be delivered urgently..." another seasoned sailor muttered, "Don’t ask too many questions; just do your job."
The sailors on board, including the captain, were filled with various speculations about the cargo being transported.
But what they didn’t know was that the cargo consisted merely of a large sum of money, a pile of books, and a dozen people...
That night.
In the VIP cabin, a silver-haired girl staggered inside, clutching a bottle filled with a light green liquid.
"Xia'er... Xia'er... I’m dying..." She entered one of the rooms, seemingly having exhausted all her strength, and tilted her head back, downing the light green liquid in one go.
A faint minty aroma wafted from the bottle as the girl managed to place it on the table before collapsing onto the bed, mumbling, "I’ll just die for a bit... wake me when we arrive..."
In the room, Xia'er, Tala, and Aivina exchanged glances, and finally, it was Tala who broke the silence.
"Lord Xia'er, do you need me to carry her back?" Tala asked.
At that moment, Tala radiated the aura of a third-tier extraordinary being; she had finally chosen to advance to the third tier as a "Radiant Bishop" to accompany Xia'er on this voyage.
"It’s fine, let her rest," Xia'er said with a smile, shaking his head. "I’ll just sleep in her room later."
Initially, Xia'er hadn’t planned to bring Adele along, thinking it would be better for her to stay in the laboratory.
But as he prepared to leave, he recalled the dragon eagle, who had been eyeing Adele with ill intent.
In the two or three months that Xia'er would be away, the cunning dragon eagle could very well trick Adele into working for free... that was no idle threat.
Before leaving, Xia'er had already recorded all the research materials and entrusted them to Duke Russell for safekeeping.
Because Xia'er knew that while he was in Ansu, the two laboratories were manageable, but once he left, without his control, the blood alchemy laboratory could easily fall apart.
The dragon eagle certainly had no shortage of means to counter the Eye of Order's contract; for high-tier extraordinary beings, the constraints of a contract were hardly sufficient.
Aside from Aivina, Tala, and Adele, Xia'er also brought along Amy, Eleanor, Percy, Lucy, and about a dozen high-tier extraordinary beings from the Church of the Savior and the Dedton Group.
The reason for bringing Lucy was that this "executive director" had finally been assigned a specific position.
The title of executive director was merely a formality, but when the actual position was announced, Lucy felt as if the sky had fallen.
Xia'er’s plans to head to New Frontier were no secret; any organization with decent intelligence capabilities could uncover Xia'er’s recent activities.
Naturally, the Dedton Group, known for its intelligence prowess, learned of this news and quickly reacted during a board meeting.
They unanimously appointed Lucy as the Chief Executive Officer for the New Frontier region of the Dedton Group, a position of real power, albeit somewhat distant.
Now, Lucy had to be addressed as CEO Lucy.
The purpose of the Dedton Group's actions was to maintain their relationship with Xia'er, and Lucy was their best pawn for keeping that connection strong.
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