Chapter 427: Cassius's Reflection
At the top of the Isthalia Grand Altar.
"We will consult with Lord Otis and provide you with a precise number as soon as possible."
At the center of the scene was Navin Bessarious.
Cassius sat on the supreme throne, smiling as he watched the projection from the Crowbo Military Group, nodding repeatedly.
"Well done."
Langpu excitedly said, "Master, the Empire's arms will be sold across the entire Fianso Continent. As long as this war continues, it will bring us an endless stream of gold."
However, a crisp female voice interrupted, "But if we sell them all our weapons, those kingdoms will also become stronger."
"Why don't we just rob them directly?"
The speaker was a slender and graceful girl, appearing around sixteen or seventeen years old. Her hair and eyelashes were as snow-white as frost—it was none other than the White Dragon, Tinia.
Nowadays, she had learned the art of transformation, allowing her to temporarily take on a human form, though she was still not very adept at it.
Cassius sighed and gestured with his eyes.
Langpu instantly broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly explained, "Miss Tinia, you may not know this, but according to the Starfallers in the Technology Department, the weapons we sell are 50 to 100 years behind the Empire's current arsenal."
"Moreover, across the entire continent, only we possess complete production lines and a comprehensive industrial system."
"If they go to war with us, their weapons and ammunition supply will be immediately cut off. By that time, their outdated gear will be nothing more than a pile of scrap metal."
"Meanwhile, the gold we earn can be used to fuel the Empire's rapid development."
After explaining everything in detail, Langpu pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Oh, I understand now."
Tinia nodded with partial comprehension before turning her dazed gaze toward Cassius.
"."
Hearing Langpu's explanation, Cassius became curious about the players' plans and casually asked, "How many products is the Crowbo Military Group planning to launch?"
"Your Majesty, please wait a moment."
Langpu thought for a moment, then raised his staff and conjured a new magical projection in the air, displaying various 3D images of firearms and cannons.
As a grand mage with an intelligence stat of 22, Langpu's brain capacity far surpassed that of ordinary people—it was said his large head could hold an entire library.
"The [Fire of Defeat] rifle series has already released three generations, primarily targeting the low-end market."
"The [Flame of the Wyvern] rifle series currently has one generation on sale, with four more fully developed and samples already produced, mainly for bulk sales to the three major kingdoms."
"The [Judicator] cannon series has not yet been released but plans to launch five generations within two years."
"The [Viper] rifle series is also unreleased, with plans to introduce three generations within one year."
"They've truly mastered the game."
Cassius reviewed the dazzling array of firearms in the magical projection and couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.
Thanks to Langpu's explanation, he understood the players' strategy.
They launched various "new products," each generation slightly outperforming the last, with correspondingly higher prices.
Even the ammunition wasn't interchangeable. Each upgrade required importing new ammunition and purchasing new support equipment from the Ember Empire.
Another swing of the scythe.
But this wasn't the end.
The Kingdom of Thrace, the Kingdom of Kassander, and the Kingdom of Seleucia were already using every means necessary to surpass each other and would inevitably purchase more advanced equipment, creating a "military arms race" controlled solely by the group.
The more intense the war, the better the Empire's arms would sell.
These weapons seemed cheap.
In reality, they were complete gold-eaters.
When the Ember Empire launched its southern invasion and declared war on the three major kingdoms, simply cutting off their ammunition supply and enforcing a blockade would significantly weaken their military strength.
This large-scale production would also accelerate the Empire's heavy industrial development, enhancing its military production capabilities—perfectly aligning with Langpu's meticulously planned "Three-Year Plan."
Meanwhile, due to the Crowbo Military Group's unique payment system, the three major kingdoms would purchase large amounts of "Kinard," the currency issued by the Imperial Bank.
This currency would circulate widely across the Fianso Continent, gradually giving the Ember Empire economic dominance amid the chaotic situation and even establishing an international monetary trade system centered on the Empire's "Kinard."
Perhaps some "visionaries" from the Holy Fadlan Kingdom would see through the Empire's intentions, but they could do nothing about it.
The reasoning was simple—the Kingdom of Thrace had already purchased arms, so would the Kingdom of Kassander and the Kingdom of Seleucia follow suit?
If they didn't, they might find themselves at a disadvantage in the war or even face defeat. If they did, it would impact their domestic economy and funnel money to the northern Empire.
This was an outright scheme.
There was a year and a half until the next version update.
At that time, players' spawn points would appear across the Fianso Continent, and the 2.0 version, [Clash of Kings], would officially launch.
The Empire's task was to focus on developing industry and technology, taking advantage of this precious window to widen the gap and prepare for the full-scale war sweeping across the Fianso Continent.
With this in mind, Cassius furrowed his brow.
"Wait, something still seems to be missing."
"Nightfire Fury."
Cassius once again recalled the main storyline quest where he was supposed to serve as the final boss.
Led by the demonized Red Dragon, the Abyss forces invaded the Northern Lands—this was the main questline of the previous version, [Northern Storms], and the beginning of the demonic catastrophe sweeping across Erezaghe.
He closed his eyes, summoning memories from his past life.
"The Abyssal Nest of Jezal Slak has been destroyed by me, and the entire Anzeta region is now within my Empire's domain. He will only retreat deeper into the mountains to gather strength."
"The lich who would originally trade with demons and spark the undead plague has been subdued by me, becoming a diligent imperial worker."
Cassius suddenly felt a wave of emotion.
"With the Ember Empire's gradual rise and my increasing power, the world's fate has already deviated significantly."
"This version's main quest is no longer a demon tide but a dragon disaster."
As he pondered, Cassius suddenly felt something moving against his leg.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Tinia was tightly hugging his leg, her eyes filled with infatuation, and her drool soaked his luxurious robe—even in her white-haired girl form, her behavior hadn't changed much.
Standing nearby, Langpu was drenched in sweat, unsure whether to speak or quietly leave.
Tinia looked up, her icy blue eyes staring dreamily at him, lost in her own world.
Their gazes met.
The air seemed to freeze.
"Master, you're awake?"
"Yes."
Cassius looked down at Tinia, a hint of anger appearing on his face.
Tinia stammered, "Uh, Master, do you want to eat first, bathe first, or..."
"Bang!"
"Ow—"
With a loud wail, the white-haired girl was sent flying dozens of meters, falling off the 100-meter-high platform of the Isthalia Grand Altar.
Her small body rapidly expanded, transforming into a white dragon over ten meters long, flapping wildly in the air until she barely managed to cling to the cliffside.
The white dragon complained in mid-air, "Damn it..."
"I was just following the script! Why doesn't Master want to have eggs with me?"
"And I was here first! Why should that annoying silver scale and that ugly blue scale get ahead of me?"
Back on the Isthalia Grand Altar, Cassius's face darkened slightly.
"Langpu, is this your education?"
"Is this how you teach her?"
"Misunderstanding, Master! This is definitely not what we taught her! Miss Tinia read those novels written by the Starfallers!"
"The lines she's quoting are from the Starfallers' propaganda novel, "The Red Dragon Won't Fall for a Half-Elven Lady", published by the Ministry of Propaganda!"
Langpu broke out in a cold sweat, feeling immense frustration but unable to express it.
He had skimmed through the book himself—though it didn't interest him and even annoyed him, his extraordinary intelligence allowed him to remember its contents almost entirely.
The book had become quite popular in Anzeta as a propaganda piece promoting the "Imperial Racial Integration." Both Starfallers and natives were avid buyers, contributing significant revenue to the Ministry of Propaganda.
Langpu silently vowed to himself that one day, he would round up all the Starfallers writing these melodramatic romance stories.
He couldn't let such works pollute the Empire's soil!
And they definitely couldn't influence Miss Tinia!