The next day, in the capital city of Bachor, panic spread like wildfire. The entire city was plunged into fear. The headlines of the local newspapers read:
«Tragedy Strikes! Empire's Fourth Legion Completely Defeated!»
«Marquis Kregi, Three Counts, and Eight Viscounts All Killed in Action!»
«The Three Dragons of the Darkness City Emerge, Bloodshed Awaits in the Empire's South!»
«The Rumor of Duke Bachor's Death Disproved; The Grand Duke's Mansion Personally Denies the Claim!»
«Where Do the Twelve Southern Provinces Stand?»
A few days ago, when the conflict first erupted in the Kolo region, it stirred some unrest in the southern border. However, most people did not consider it a significant event. Kolo Province had a unique terrain, it was a province embedded with the Chaos Forest. Except for mercenaries and adventurers, very few ventured into this area.
But now, the situation had changed dramatically. The renowned Marquis Kregi of the southern border, leading an army of noble alliances, along with four fully equipped southern imperial legions and support from powerful factions like the Mercenary Guild and the Radiant Church -- with such a massive and high-profile force -- was completely annihilated in less than two days! This turn of events was shocking and unbelievably astonishing.
"It's over for us!"
"The three titans of Darkness City!"
"They are the kings among the dragon-kind!"
"Why are there three Dragon Kings appearing in the Chaos Forest?"
"There must be a conspiracy behind this. Could it be a grand scheme by the dragon-kind against the empire?"
"The three dragons of the Darkness City, each one measuring thousands of feet long. The Black Dragon, their leader, can devour the sun and the moon, obscuring the sky. There's also an Earth Dragon that can control the land, impervious to all magic. Finally, there's the Hundred-Headed Thousand-Eyed Dragon, with immense magical power."
"It's terrifying! I heard even Duke Bachor personally fell to the Darkness's Three Titans!"
"The southern border is no longer safe!"
"We need to leave quickly!"
This battle had an enormous impact, especially on the southern border of the empire. Almost everyone was in a state of panic. The Darkness's Three Titans were now a household name. It could be said that they had officially debuted and become widely known.
Interestingly, the most significant failure of this battle was not the fall of Marquis Kregi and the four legions, but rather Duke Bachor's direct involvement. Duke Bachor truly underestimated the situation this time. As the Guardian Grand Duke of the southern border of the empire, he was the spiritual support pillar for the people of the entire southern border. His personal involvement was not something that should be taken lightly. It would have been fine if he won, but if he lost, the blow to the morale and confidence of the entire southern border, almost shaking the stability of the entire region, would be catastrophic.
At this moment, rumors were rampant, spreading like wildfire among tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of people in the southern border. Every merchant guild and trading caravan prepared to flee. The name of the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City had spread far and wide, becoming a nightmare haunting the hearts of countless empire citizens, leaving them restless day and night.
Only two days had passed since the battle of Kolo, and the highest-level meetings of the three powers were convened once again. Emperor Frelio XVI of the Thunder Empire, Regent Prince Carlos of the Sunset Empire, and President Fontentina of the Azure Water Federation --- the projections of these three supreme rulers appeared in the magically constructed conference hall. Even though their images were safely processed by magic, the emperor of the Thunder Empire could hardly conceal his anger. He was clearly in a state of extreme fury. Both Carlos and Fontentina were rejoicing a little in his misfortune. The events in the southern border of the Thunder Empire were too significant. Even though they were far away, news had reached their ears. This turn of events was undeniably... quite fortunate!
In recent years, the Thunder Empire had been growing stronger, and its increasingly evident ambitions did not escape the notice of the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation. However, these two powers were currently beset by internal and external issues, leaving them with numerous problems to deal with and no time to focus on the growing threat of the Thunder Empire. Who could have expected that the once exuberant Emperor Frelio would find himself in such dire straits? The Chaos Forest, the Chaos Federation, the Three Titans of the Darkness City... This was becoming quite interesting indeed!
Emperor Frelio's voice, like a restrained beast, rumbled, "You both have received the news about Duke Bachor, haven't you?"
President Fontentina nodded, "We thought it was just an ordinary uprising of a Demon King. We didn't expect the situation to be so severe, even the renowned Duke Bachor suffered such a setback."
Prince Carlos nearly chuckled, "What a pity, indeed!"
Emperor Frelio suppressed his anger, "Don't think for a second that I'm unaware of what's on your minds! Three monarchs appearing simultaneously in the Chaos Forest. Haven't you two realized the gravity of the situation yet?"
Prince Carlos nodded, "For such a small region to have three monarchs appear simultaneously, especially powerful dragon monarchs, is indeed extremely rare. Even for forces of our scale, the number of monarchs is limited."
He paused, hesitating for a moment, "Could it be... we've been wrong from the beginning? Perhaps there's not just one Demon King in the Chaos Forest."
However, President Fontentina interjected, "There might be many Demon Kings, but there can only be one Great Demon King, one true ruler. That's what I believe."
"Why?" Prince Carlos inquired.
President Fontentina explained, "In the Azure Water Federation, we have thousands of Demon Kings, enough to draw the attention of the Supreme Council. We've conducted detailed investigations into this group. Currently, we have a preliminary understanding of their abilities and development methods. We believe that in regions with limited resources, Demon Kings can only have a subservient relationship with each other, not a solid alliance. In simple terms, Demon Kings' development highly depends on resources, especially the demand for gold and elemental gems. Moreover, every Demon King possesses the potential for explosive growth, which inherently breeds suspicion and competition among them."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Frelio nodded, "We share the same belief. There is only one true Demon King, likely a profound Abyssal Dragon."
Prince Carlos was a bit puzzled, "But what about the other two Dragon Kings? Don't tell me they are just minions summoned by the Demon King?"
"It sounds unbelievable," she added, "but it's the only explanation."
President Fontentina explained, "Although there isn't such a powerful Demon King in the Azure Water Federation currently, based on our intelligence, there have been similar cases in the region near a kingdom in the south of the Azure Water Federation. When a Demon King reaches Level 5, there is a chance they can summon help from other monarch-level beings through summoning portals from unknown locations. However, this ability is limited; they can summon at most one or two allies. I believe that after the Abyssal Dragon Demon King in the Chaos Forest reached Level 5, he gained the ability to summon kings from the Abyssal World. As for the other two Dragon Kings of the Darkness City, they were probably summoned from the abyss as well."
After hearing this, Prince Carlos breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Azure Water Federation had indeed done its homework. Lately, the internal affairs of the Sunset Empire had been in chaos. Prince Carlos was constantly embroiled in power struggles with several Grand Dukes and the royal family, leaving him with no time to focus on the Demon Kings.
Considering these pieces of information, the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City were indeed formidable. However, Carlos reckoned that these three alone were not enough to shake the foundation of an empire-level power. He even considered it a good thing; although these three were not enough to challenge the empire directly, they possessed the ability to strain the empire's resources and forces significantly. There had been an imbalance in regional power recently. This Chaos Federation could wear down the strength of the Thunder Empire, which was beneficial for both the Azure Water Federation and the Sunset Empire.
However, how could Emperor Frelio not have guessed what they were thinking? He exclaimed, "This Demon King is too much of a threat! Even if the current trio of Dragon Kings in the Darkness City isn't an immediate danger, we can't ignore their incredible potential for growth. I urge all three factions to unite their forces and launch a joint expedition against the Chaos Forest. We must eradicate this menace now to prevent even graver consequences in the future!"
His words hung heavily in the room, prompting a solemn silence from Prince Carlos and President Fontentina. While they recognized the looming threat of the Demon King, mobilizing their forces was impossible given their current circumstances.
The Azure Water Federation was internally divided, and the control of the Supreme Council over various regions was weakening. With the current execution capability and efficiency, even if the order to form a coalition was given, it would take at least three to five months to assemble the troops.
As for the Sunset Empire, although it had the capability to swiftly organize forces as a centralized empire, Prince Carlos, the royal family, and local nobles were deeply embroiled in intense power struggles. For the Sunset Empire, and for this Regent Prince, the Chaos Federation was not the immediate concern. It was clear that the Chaos Federation was expanding northward. If the Sunset Empire intervened, it would gain no benefits and might even anger the three Dragon Kings. This could potentially shift their focus westward.
Prince Carlos cleared his throat, stating, "Emperor Frelio's proposal makes sense. However, I am just a regent prince. I need to report back and convince His Majesty the Emperor before any decisive action can be taken regarding the mobilization of our forces."
President Fontentina, on the other hand, was more sincere, saying, "Emperor Frelio, you are well aware of the situation in the Azure Water Federation. We can't immediately deploy a large army. However, we can rally the brave Heroes and adventurers within the federation."
"Yes, yes, that's right!" added Prince Carlos. "The Sunset Empire has numerous powerful guilds of Heroes. I suggest we unite and offer bounties, recruiting a substantial number of Heroes to send them against the Chaos Federation!"
Emperor Frelio seethed with anger at their suggestions. Heroes, much like Demon Kings, were unpredictable elements. Although they lacked the growth potential and expansiveness of Demon Kings, Heroes also progressed at a considerable pace. Unlike Demon Kings who were essentially wild, appearing out-of-thin-air elements, Heroes infiltrated various strata of society. Many among them held significant influence, resources, and even power. They were a constant headache for rulers.
The sudden emergence of the three Dragon Kings from the Darkness City seemed like a perfect solution. These immensely powerful Demon Kings were precisely the adversaries Heroes were meant to face. If these Heroes or Hero guilds were sent against the three Dragon Kings, it might solve two problems at once.
However, Emperor Frelio XVI remained astute. He knew these two would never fully commit their forces. Their willingness to mobilize their local Heroes, adventurers, mercenaries, or church forces was already a significant contribution. After reaching a consensus, the three leaders concluded their discussions, and Emperor Frelio XVI exited the meeting.
Next, he convened a meeting with the internal high-ranking officials of the empire, where the primary noble houses from the four regions were present. Emperor Frelio XVI sat at the center, with the Dukes from the four regions positioned around him, and behind them were at least Count-level feudal lords.
The four Guardian Dukes of the Thunder Empire were as follows:
Duke Wilcliffe Bachor: Grand Duke of the southern region
Duchess Ophelia Frelio: Grand Duchess of the northern region, and the only female Duke, with a unique position among the four.
Duke Gehrman Kofiepol: Grand Duke of the western region
Duke Bismarck Blakely: Grand Duke of the eastern region
Emperor Frelio said, "Given the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Chaos Forest, I propose that each region dispatch an elite force to the southern region."
"I agree," Ophelia spoke up. As the Duchess of the northern region and the only female Duke, she held a special status among the four dukes, being of the same lineage as the royal family.
"Your Majesty!" Bachor, clad in armor to conceal his weakened state, interjected, "This isn't the right time yet. Although the three Dragon Kings of the Darkness City have exceeded our estimates in strength, leading to the loss of five legions successively, these legions were border garrisons of the empire."
"The Bachor family and the core forces of Bachor House have yet to mobilize. Under such circumstances, dispersing the forces of the other three duchies is, in my opinion, unwise!"
Clearly, as the Great Demon King anticipated, the Grand Duke of the southern region would oppose the involvement of the other three Dukes. If they entered the fray, the forces of the three ducal families were almost certain to get involved in the southern region. This would disrupt the situation that the Bachor family had been managing for a thousand years and pose a significant challenge to the prestige of the Dukes in the southern region. Any ruling power would not want such a situation to occur. Bachor was extremely displeased with his loss. He had to personally restore the honor of the Bachor family.
A Guardian Duke held considerable power. If the Duke opposed strongly, not to mention the other three Dukes, even the Emperor himself would have to concede to the Duke's request. The final decision reached was that the empire would give the Bachor family one more month. If the Bachor family could not control the situation, eliminate the Chaos Federation, and suppress the Darkness City within this time frame, the three other Dukes would join the battle. Even the core forces of the empire would personally enter the scene."