A Dragon against the Whole World

Chapter 760: Chapter 433: The Royal City and the Reactions of the Nations

The echoes of the founding proclamation still resounded in the valley.

The Dragon Group and the servant leaders of various clans had already received their orders and were heading to every corner of the wilderness.

At the same time, the news of the founding spread like it had invisible wings, reaching every land and settlement of the Sel Wilderness at unprecedented speed with their presence and words.

Furthermore, its impact was not limited to the wilderness.

The Southern Countries, which had never fully let go of their attention on the Northern Wilderness, relying on their respective intelligence networks, captured and confirmed this region-changing news almost immediately.

——The King of Molten Iron formally announced to the world the establishment of his own kingdom in the Sel Wilderness.

——Named ”Ola,” with a grand founding ceremony scheduled to take place soon.

Ola Kingdom is the official name by which it will be recorded in history.

Of course, some intelligent beings, based on the characteristics and background of its ruler, are willing to call it ”Molten Iron Kingdom,” ”Ignas Dragon Court,” or ”Burning Steel Kingdom,” among others.

Almost at the same time the news was confirmed.

The Lotheren Kingdom, which has ties with the Ignas Dragon Group, was the first to issue an official statement.

It unequivocally stated its recognition of Ola Kingdom’s sovereignty over the Sel Wilderness, acknowledged its legitimate status as an independent kingdom, and high-profilely announced that it would send a high-level delegation to personally attend the grand founding ceremony of Ola Kingdom, offering its solemn tribute and blessings for its birth.

This announcement instantly caused a tremendous uproar among the Southern Countries.

Few countries could anticipate that Lotheren, as one of the strong powers among the nations, would respond so quickly and clearly, and with such a positive attitude.

The signal conveyed behind this could not be clearer.

The Lotheren Kingdom was not acting on impulse, but had already established a connection with Ola Kingdom’s rulers long ago, and must have reached some profound strategic cooperation or alliance.

After this.

The Southern Countries reacted to this event in various ways, unfolding different ripples.

A few affiliated states or close allies, who always looked up to the Lotheren Kingdom, almost without hesitation followed suit, successively issuing statements acknowledging Ola Kingdom’s sovereignty.

However, more duchies and kingdoms remained in cautious observation and weighing.

They did not rashly express any official opinions, instead conducting internal assessments, silently weighing the multitude of gains and losses as well as the potential long-term impacts brought by the emergence of this northern Dragon Kingdom.

The founding of the Wilderness Kingdom is a double-edged sword for the Southern Countries.

The advantages and disadvantages are very apparent.

Firstly, looking at the benefits, the most direct is the stable order.

The vast Sel Wilderness has always been rich in mineral resources, magic materials, and various beast resources, but the environment here is perilous, with divided power structures, and ferocious magical beasts and plundering monster clans abound, blooming everywhere and difficult to completely eliminate.

Trade and resource acquisition in the wilderness are filled with great uncertainty and extremely high risk.

Caravans often need to hire several times the usual armed escorts, yet still face the risk of losing everything, even entire annihilation.

If a powerful and unified political power could be established here, willing to establish basic order, regulate trading behavior, and combat plundering acts.

Then, for the trade efficiency of the Southern Countries, it would undoubtedly be a huge benefit.

In dealing with the wilderness in the past, countries might have needed to face countless large and small, different custom tribes or monster lords, with extremely high communication costs and extremely low efficiency.

Now, they only need to engage in diplomatic mediation and trade negotiations with a unified kingdom entity. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

This would be much simpler and more efficient.

Trade routes between the nations and the wilderness are expected to become more secure and reliable, significantly reducing the cost and risk of business exchanges, thereby stimulating bilateral economic vitality and development.

At the same time, specialties, rare minerals, advanced magical beast materials coming from the wilderness are expected to be imported into the nations in a more stable, larger quantity, and quality-assured manner to meet various demands.

Most importantly:

From a strategic security perspective, an orderly kingdom, in theory, would be easier to manage and constrain than numerous chaotic, separatist barbarian tribes.

If this Ola Kingdom can effectively control the various creatures within its borders, curb their plundering instincts, and does not itself expand wantonly outward.

Then, the incidents of invasion and harassment long faced by the northern borders of the Southern Countries are expected to significantly reduce.

However, in the eyes of the rulers and strategists of various countries, the disadvantages and risks are equally evident.

In some respects, even more prominent.

Previously, countries could fully exploit the internal chaos, division, and competition of the wilderness, using division, recruitment, and inciting internal strife, to obtain high strategic returns and resources at a relatively low cost.

Now the situation is drastically different.

Once the imminent wilderness dominion completes the integration and monopoly of all its resources, all the key resource pricing rights, distribution rights, and trade dominance will be firmly in the hands of the Ola Kingdom.

To obtain these resources, the Southern Countries will have to rely on the goodwill of the Ola Kingdom.

And likely at a cost surpassing any previous price.