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"Just call me Ruona, elder brother."

As the beautiful dragon spoke, she nodded slightly to Dick. Hearing that he also addressed her as "elder brother," combined with her intimate gesture of holding hands with Heinz, the relationship between the two was quite obvious.

Seeing this, Lucoa, who was standing to the side, immediately smiled and teased.

"They really are brothers, both of them love being dragon knights!"

"Ahem! Anyway... welcome to both of you."

Perhaps to express goodwill, or perhaps because he had absolute confidence in the abilities of his "Asura's girlfriend," Heinz only brought Rona as his personal companion during this visit, with no other entourage.

The two followed Dick to the castle's reception room. Along the way, Rona looked with great interest at the group of beautiful women in Dick's harem who were both stunningly beautiful and had amazing figures. After they sat down, she couldn't help but ask in a puzzled tone.

"Brother, your followers all seem to have been summoned from other worlds, right? They all have slave contracts on them, so why are they..."

"Because they are my subordinates, as well as my friends and companions, I need their help, but I will not force them to do things they don't want to do. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that the summoning circle of that shit mountain code cannot be changed, I would never want to use slave contracts on my own people."

"I see."

Hearing Dick's explanation, Rona nodded thoughtfully, while Heinz, after a moment's consideration, spoke directly.

"Brother, I've heard that your army is already marching towards the capital. I'd like to know your thoughts on the arrangements left by Father?"

As soon as Heinz finished speaking, the atmosphere in the living room froze, and the gazes of the several heroic spirits behind Dick turned sharp.

Dick waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down, then looked directly into Heinz's eyes and said firmly.

"To be honest, the Duke's letter really surprised me, and even touched me a little. But I hate having a destiny arranged for me by others. My life is my own to control... Do you understand what I mean?"

Dick's words were tantamount to directly revealing his "disloyal intentions." He would not obey the Duke's arrangements and would not willingly submit to Heinz, even if he had a demigod under his command.

What gave him confidence, besides the group of Saint-level and Quasi-Saint-level girls around him, was the Winter God who was taking a nap buried under Lagug.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Dick seemed calm and composed, but he was actually a little nervous inside. Then Heinz suddenly smiled and a relieved expression appeared on his face.

"It seems we have something in common again; I also don't like having a predetermined fate."

Chapter 338: We're brothers now, what else can I say?

Under Dick's slightly puzzled gaze, Heinz nodded to Rona beside him.

The other party raised his hand and waved it lightly, and a crack appeared in the void. Immediately afterwards, a group of armored soldiers escorted out a crazy guy.

Dick didn't recognize the guy at first, but after looking closely for a long time, he realized that it was actually the Third Prince Bailey!

Heinz raised his hand to Dick and said casually.

"Here you go, I think you'll find it useful."

"What do you mean?"

“As I just said, I don’t really like my father’s arrangements either. He wants to take equal revenge on Hesse VII by making me usurp the throne and replace the Hesse royal family with his bloodline. But more than being emperor, I want to follow my heart and be with the lover I truly love.”

As Heinz spoke, he gazed at Rona with deep affection.

Heinz told Dick that all members of the Dragonsleeping Valley family had dragon blood.

The bloodline was bestowed by the dragon the family once served, and its wonder lies in the fact that it will not be diluted by intermarriage with other races.

However, while this dragon bloodline endowed the members of the Dragon Sleep Valley family with great strength and longevity, it was also a kind of "curse".

Dragons are dimensional travelers. They are born in the warp rifts between various prime planes and travel in groups between different worlds, but they are always just sojourners and will eventually leave.

However, before leaving this world, the dragon left a message for their family: when a true bloodline awakener appears in the family, that person will be able to transform into a new dragon and lead the entire family to "ascend to dragonhood".

And this "chosen one" was none other than Heinz!

Heinz was born as a human infant, but his body gradually developed dragon-like characteristics as he grew until he was completely transformed into a dragon.

Initially, Heinz was very troubled by his body's continuous "dragonization" until he met Rona. The dragon bloodline within him was awakening, and he followed his instincts, falling in love with her at first sight. He fell hopelessly in love with this dragon sister who was 30,000 years older than him.

Therefore, in order to rescue Rona, who had been enslaved by the Hessian royal family for a thousand years and to break the curse binding her, Heinz cooperated with the Duke's revenge plan to overthrow the rule of the Hessian royal family.

After the explanation, Dick understood the general idea.

So it turns out his younger brother is a hopeless romantic; he helped the Duke fight the Black Forest royal family just to rescue his goddess girlfriend.

Now that Heinz's wish has been fulfilled, after helping Dick resolve the problems in the south of the empire, he plans to return to his family's ancestral lands with his lover to prepare for his Ascension Ceremony.

In a sense, becoming a dragon is not much different from becoming a god, and even more free than a god, because gods cannot freely travel through countless worlds, but dragons, these dimensional street urchins, can.

As for this empire, Heinz, who had higher aspirations, had lost interest in it and therefore hoped that Dick could take over.

Heinz's trip to the north was to have an open and frank discussion with Dick to ensure a smooth handover process.

"I have already made arrangements for the army and local officials in the south. Your people can go there to take over at any time. They will do their best to cooperate in exchange for a place in the new country."

The personnel roster and information are all here. I screened them beforehand; those who remained aren't all good people, but at least they are capable, familiar with the local situation, and relatively easy to use.

Looking at the people and information that Heinz had specially sent, Dick felt a mix of emotions, and a little guilty about his previous suspicions.

Having lived in the cold and distant family of the Duke's mansion for too long, Dick had developed an instinctive distrust of so-called "brothers." Little did he know that his younger brother Heinz, whom he had only met a few times, truly treated him like a brother.

After pondering for a long time, Dick couldn't help but sigh.

"We're brothers now, what else can I say!"

After his meeting with Heinz, Dick, feeling much more at ease, began to urge the Northern Union to accelerate its advance, while simultaneously sending people to the south to take over.

Since Bailey's punitive expedition was defeated, apart from Heinz's army, there have been no established feudal lords in the southern part of the empire.

Many local nobles who had previously supported the Third Prince were either wiped out by Heinz's forces or surrendered on the spot, kneeling down and obediently becoming dogs.

In order to appease the Dragon Army that Heinz had "adopted" to him, Dick even went to the south in person to meet with senior generals in the army.

This righteous army, established during the empire's southern campaign, absorbed many of the defeated soldiers from the former southern legions. They were familiar with Dick, the empire's youngest Saint-rank mage, and knew about his many feats during the southern campaign.

Therefore, although this group did not quite understand why His Highness the Prince was unwilling to become Emperor, they were not too opposed to joining Dick's forces.

To put it bluntly, this group of people also have their own ulterior motives. They hope to follow the future ruler of the empire, but they don't really care who that ruler is.

So when Dick personally came to the south to meet with these generals, expressed his willingness to accept them into his group, and made a series of promises, the Longwu Army was quickly incorporated into Dick's army.

The original army of 80,000 men has increased to 120,000 after defeating the rebel army.

The newly added force of about 50,000 men consisted of about 80% "new recruits" who were converted from prisoners of war in the anti-rebel army.

This was after Heinz had carefully selected prisoners as much as possible. If he had accepted all prisoners like Pele had, the number could have easily ballooned to three or four hundred thousand.

As for the nearly 300,000 prisoners who remained after the selection process, Heinz deliberately kept them until Dick came to take them over before releasing them, which would help him win over the hearts of the people in the south.

Ultimately, this great rebellion was a civil war within the empire. The enemy soldiers were also Hessians, and many of the soldiers in the anti-rebellion army were conscripted civilians. They harbored only resentment towards Bailey, but had no loyalty whatsoever.

On his third day in the South, Dick chose a sunny day and publicly announced the release of all the conscripted men, and even gave them travel expenses and compensation.

Although the amount of money was small and its symbolic significance outweighed its practical value, it still moved many commoners who were receiving money from nobles for the first time to tears of gratitude, who cried out that they could never repay Lord Dick's kindness!

After swiftly stabilizing the southern part of the empire, Dick divided the newly incorporated Dragon Martial Army in two, leaving 60,000 men to remain in the south to maintain regional stability, while the other 60,000 went north to the capital, forming a pincer movement against the capital with the southward-moving Northern Alliance Army!

In Dick's view, the situation is now settled, and it's time to end this nationwide rebellion as soon as possible!

Chapter 339: The people of the city were extremely grateful.

As Dick's two armies advanced from the north and south, the "Central Circle Chicken Dinner Tournament," which had been going on for months in the capital, was about to enter its final stage.

As the political and economic center of the strongest country on the continent, the capital is not an isolated city, but a large urban cluster centered around it, with a permanent population of over eight million.

After the civil war broke out, various forces fought each other here, turning this once bustling metropolis into a battlefield of carnage.

The people of the capital initially underestimated the intensity of the rebellion, thinking it was just a "minor disturbance" that would last for at most three to five days.

As the fight went on, everyone realized something was wrong!

This was not a minor disturbance like the old soldiers demanding back pay; it was a full-blown civil war. But by then, it was too late to run away!

All sides were bloodthirsty. Some rebels did come with political demands, but others were simply there to take advantage of the chaos, looting, arson, and vandalism in the bustling capital. Some rebels even released prisoners and distributed weapons to these outlaws.

As for the royal guards who remained loyal to the monarchy, their situation was no better than that of the rebels; they fought just as ruthlessly, disregarding the lives of ordinary civilians.

Amidst this vibrant landscape, only the 2nd Guards Corps, led by Reinhardt, established a safe zone to accommodate refugees, willing to provide protection for the displaced citizens of the capital.

Initially, Reinhardt's identity put him in a very awkward position, as he was not recognized by either side fighting in the capital.

The Imperial Guard believed he was the "son of a warlord" and a member of the rebel side.

The rebels, however, believed he was the emperor's illegitimate son and a member of the royal family.

Fortunately, as the battle in the capital intensified, the forces of several major powers were successively committed to the struggle for the palace. These guys, who were fighting to the death, had no time to pay attention to Reinhard, who had retreated to the outer city. Instead, this gave the Second Army a chance to catch its breath.

However, the Second Army Corps ultimately had limited capabilities. Although the safe zone they established had gathered more than 200,000 refugees, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the entire capital city with a population of nearly 10 million.

Reinhardt had considered breaking out. Although his Second Army Corps only had a few thousand men (because reinforcements had not arrived), most of them were veterans who had participated in the Southern Expedition, and their overall combat strength was good. Breaking out would not be a problem.

But if it's about taking these 200,000 refugees with you, or opening a route for more refugees to escape, then there's nothing we can do!

Reinhard then tried to negotiate with some of the besieging rebels, hoping they would open a safe passage for the innocent citizens of the capital to escape, out of consideration for their shared Hessian heritage. However, he was met with merciless mockery from the rebels.

"Are you all Hessen people? You big shots from the capital city sucked the blood of us locals and looked down on us. Did you ever treat us as your compatriots back then? Don't you capital city folks remember all that happened in the past?"

"..."

It was only then that Reinhard finally realized that the cause of this massive civil unrest was not merely an abstract maneuver orchestrated by Hesse VII.

That was merely the fuse. The real "bomb" was the conflict between the central and local governments caused by the long-term uneven development of the empire. As oppressed and marginalized local forces, the lords had long harbored resentment!

Left with no other option, Reinhardt could only hold out with the Second Army while awaiting reinforcements. They occupied several blocks near the canal and, relying on their defensive experience gained during the Southern Expedition, repelled more than a dozen attacks by various rebel forces.

Gradually, the various factions realized that Reinhardt's army seemed to be not easy to deal with, and that it was not worthwhile to fight them. Using their precious magic cannons to bombard them was an utterly unprofitable deal.

As a result, some people avoided him, while others tried to recruit him, inviting Reinhardt to join them in plotting great things.

But Reinhard rejected the offers from these people, because these warlord-like leaders only wanted Reinhard, who was good at defensive warfare, and his few thousand elite soldiers, while they regarded the refugees as a burden, or only wanted to accept the young men and women among the refugees.

Reinhardt could easily see through their scheme.

As the number of refugees in the safe zone increased while their food supplies dwindled, Reinhardt grew increasingly anxious about the increasingly difficult situation.

The rebels knew they were running out of food, so they chose to surround the safe zone built by the Second Army Corps without attacking it, and even intentionally sent a large number of elderly, weak, women and children who had been screened and could not be enlisted to their side.

Reinhardt knew that if things dragged on like this, their food supplies would run out in three to four days, and they would collapse on their own even before the rebels attacked.

Just when Reinhardt was feeling at a loss about the future, a source of reinforcements, which surprised him somewhat, actually sent someone to find him.

Inside the Second Army Corps' command post, Reinhardt was startled when he saw two female ninjas suddenly appear in front of him. Even though he had seen them a few times before and knew they were his fifth brother's subordinates, he was still taken aback!

Dressed in ninja attire and wearing Hannya masks, Kasumi and Ayane politely bowed to Reinhard and then handed him a handwritten letter from Dick.

After Reinhardt opened it, the expression on his face became more and more subtle, finally turning into a bitter smile.

"Is that location really that attractive? Now even the Five... even your master is getting involved?"

"This world should rightfully belong to the virtuous, and our lord is not like those barbaric and cruel old nobles. He wants to set things right and restore this distorted and ugly world to its proper form."

Hearing Ayane speak of her master with such natural and unpretentious pride, Reinhard was first taken aback, then a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He felt increasingly envious of his fifth brother, not because he was surrounded by beautiful women, but because he was trusted and admired so unconditionally.

After a moment's hesitation, Reinhardt asked the question seriously.

When are your people expected to arrive?

"The vanguard of the Northern Alliance will arrive near the capital in three days, while the Southern Dragon Martial Army will arrive half a day later. The main force is expected to encircle the capital in five days."

"What do I need to do in cooperation with that?"

"You and your troops just need to remain neutral and restrained; leave everything else to us. My master was deeply moved to learn that the Second Army Corps is currently the only force among the various factions in the capital that is protecting refugees. He asked us to pass on a message to you... This world should reward good people."

Chapter 340: The New Empire (End of Main Story)

Three days later, the vanguard of the Northern Alliance successfully arrived at the outskirts of the capital. The commander of the troops, Black and White Gun, stared blankly at the huge city in the distance, which was engulfed in flames. The once prosperous metropolis had been reduced to a scorched wasteland.

According to the intelligence they had, in the early stages of the civil war, more than half of the garrison artillery in the capital joined the rebellion, bombarding the palace's defensive barrier with powerful heavy magic cannons.

Some artillerymen loyal to the royal family retaliated, and the ensuing fire quickly turned into a passionate exchange of fire between the artillerymen.

Thanks to these destructive artillery pieces, a large part of the capital was smashed to pieces.

However, as the chaos intensified in the later stages, these fixed large artillery positions, though formidable for a time, were eventually breached by various forces.

Most of the artillerymen chose to destroy their cannons at the last moment before their positions were captured, rather than leave them for their opponents.

This is why Dick was determined not to get involved too early in the early stages of the internal strife. Besides wanting to reap the benefits, he also thought that the early battlefield in the capital was not only intense but also incredibly chaotic!

After the vanguard of the Northern Alliance arrived in the suburbs of the capital, they immediately occupied the canal wharf in the suburbs.

This place was previously occupied by a rebel army of nearly 10,000 men, while the vanguard force only had 4,000 troops. However, the two officers leading the troops were both Saint-level Heroic Spirits, and thus they quickly defeated this rabble.

After occupying the dock, the vanguard immediately sent people to contact Reinhardt's Second Army Corps, whose safe zone was actually not far from here.