Beneath the Red Dragon

However, this couldn’t attract the attention of other nobles, as all the nobles were similar; their indulgent and extravagant lifestyle was just their daily routine, differing only in extent.

The castle had already echoed with voices, and discussions were in full swing in the spacious banquet hall.

The impacts and changes the Golden Empire was undergoing were within these nobles’ expectations because they considered themselves the masterminds.

These nobles united for interests, forming what outsiders perceive as the Southern Noble Economic Alliance, but internally they referred to themselves as the ’Anti-dumping Economic League’.

Dumping refers to a nation or region selling products in another’s market at prices lower than those of the domestic market, or even below cost.

The aim is to defeat competitors, seize the market, and plunder economic benefits.

Anti-dumping, on the other hand, is the countermeasure taken by another country against the looting behavior of the dumping nation.

Even before its founding, the Golden Empire had been energetically developing an industrial revolution of magic and technology, replacing handicrafts with the machinery of magic technology.

Post-establishment, magic technology machinery had been integrated into all industrial production sectors of the Empire.

In long-term rapid development, the mass accumulation and conversion of resources from the raw material bases opened by the Golden Empire made these noble states of the Northern Border South the victims.

Especially after Steel Dragon Midir took office, this cunning Giant Dragon leveraged the highly cohesive organizational power of the Golden Empire to formulate relevant economic and trade policies, making many nobles’ territories become the dumping markets for the Golden Empire’s goods.

This brought a tremendous impact and disruption to the economy of these nobles, which was a near-feudal colonial and traditional agriculture combination, and interactions with the Golden Empire have always been severely imbalanced in trade.

Therefore, from a certain perspective, the alliance of Southern Nobles is, in fact, a natural reaction to protect the economic interests of their own territories. From a certain extent, these nobles can even be considered just.

At this moment, the nobles in this luxurious castle were discussing their plans, and the success of the ’Anti-dumping Bill’ and benefit division plan depended on the resolve of these noble alliances.

Moreover, among these noble alliances comprising twenty-one countries of various sizes, despite having had frictions, to counter the distant Northern Lands’ Golden Empire, they also formed closer relationships over long-term economic exchanges and political negotiations.

In a moment of revelry, important agreements and simple covenants had already been reached among these nobles over the clinking of glasses.

Duke Tefri of the Lukepas Duchy was very satisfied with the current atmosphere. The gathering of these nobles in his nation’s castle represented that the Teferi Clan would have a certain leading voice in the upcoming division of interests.

”If the rule of the Golden Empire collapses as a result, the alliance of Southern Nobles will organize an army to march north, reaping the fruits of victory gained by our wisdom,”

Duke Tefri raised his glass with a smile and said, ”If the rule of the Golden Empire manages to barely maintain its dignity after this, our Southern Anti-dumping League will also dispatch an army to threaten remotely, forcing the rulers of the Golden Empire to sign our ’Anti-dumping Bill’,”

”After which, they will definitely be severely weakened, unable to resist our forces and pressure.”

”At that time, our cake will be topped with a rich, delicious layer of cream!”

Other nobles laughed heartily while raising their glasses to drink.

”I must say, it’s a pity for the rulers of the Golden Empire, creating such a powerful nation, yet ultimately unable to avoid being carved up,”

The representative of the Radiant Duchy said with a smile, ”A rare country of Giant Dragons seen once in a millennium, a nation of order, was messed up by those foolish Metal Dragons. If they hadn’t initiated contact with us, we wouldn’t have had such a chance.”

”Hahaha, those Metal Dragons, all pretentious hypocritical fools, or else why would they only shrink in a corner of the Southern Continent? In reality, it’s proven that in this world of Aikania, wisdom is what controls everything.”

The envoy of the Niyaras Duchy laughed heartily and said, ”Those foolish lizard reptiles should just hide in dark corners, turning their scales and horns into our ornaments.”

At the edge of the banquet, representatives of some Divine Spirit Churches were also laughing, including members of the Holy Knight Order.

These Divine Spirit churches were not granted missionary qualifications in the Golden Empire. Without the approval of the Golden Empire’s Religious Administration, no church could establish a Divine Hall or stronghold in the realm of dragons.

This left the main brains of many Divine Spirit churches feeling discontented.

Of course, this was not due to these church personnel’s piety or faith in their Divine Spirits.

It was because of interests; almost all churches’ exploitation and plundering of believers were given a superficially sacred meaning, but weren’t any more benevolent than those vampire nobles.

”It’s a pity that the Northern Dragon Kingdom is inclined toward order; otherwise, we could overthrow it with the noble cause of justice against evil tyranny, gaining the help of many ’righteous’ individuals.”

”They actually let the noble nobility and those inferior peasants stand on equal footing, truly a destruction to the just order.”

This was a statement from a representative of the church.