Chapter 327: Chapter 219: Governor Wallens
When David arrived at the Port of Wallens in the Valden Duchy with the Chromatic Dragons, he was greeted by a silent and quiet district. The streets were clean and spotless, the sunlight reflecting off them so brightly that it looked like he was playing The Elder Scrolls V with all the mods installed. This was particularly pleasing for David, who had been prepared for another battle. After all, who would want to arrive at a destination, weary from the journey from Barto Hell to Elariya, only to find it full of trash and stench?
Of course, without any resistance, he couldn’t expect the local residents to greet him with tears of gratitude. Thus, there were no flowers thrown or cheers. After all, he was a Red Dragon, a veritable moving calamity. It was already quite a show of deference that his Dragon Might hadn’t scared them into soiling themselves on the spot.
At the harbor, the only people waiting for him were the mixed-blood Drow Alianna and her three or four dozen Barbarian sailors from the Rosinde clan. Beyond them, surprisingly, followed a dozen or so Drow who had sought refuge and a livelihood under Alianna. Their gazes, now fixed on him, were filled with a touch of fervor. "We greet Your Highness!"
How to describe that feeling? David felt the Drow weren’t looking at him as if meeting their lord for the first time, but more like gamblers eyeing the ’ace in the hole’ that had finally arrived at their table. These Drow believed they had bet on the winning side.
David glanced at Alianna, who was visibly excited and trembling, then turned to look at Nifadora, who stood silent with her head bowed. How could he not understand that this was all arranged by his ’Green Dragon secretary’ to make his arrival a little more comfortable?
Looking at the empty harbor district and recalling the extreme methods these Drow employed, he couldn’t help but curse internally: Did these Drow, in a fit of insanity, slaughter the entire city just to make room for us dragons?
If that were true, it would be a massive issue. The label of ’genocide’ alone would likely compel the nations of Central Earth to form a coalition. They would rally under the banner of a ’holy crusade’ to drive out the evil dragon and restore the light of humanity. That was the political correctness of this world.
It was Nifadora, who knew David best, who asked, "What about the residents of the harbor? Why isn’t anyone coming out?"
Alianna immediately shot Nifadora a grateful look. "Lady Nifadora," she began, "you may not be aware, but in places like the Lower City District of Port Wallens, actual control is almost always in the hands of various gangs.
"They make the rules, sell Hallucinatory Potions, distribute usurious loans, and collect protection money. They’re involved in all sorts of illicit businesses, and some even have countless ties to that goddess of torture.
"If they had waited for the arrival of Lord David Uthos, they would have hidden as fast as possible and ’changed their appearance’ to blend back in. They’re like a bunch of blood-sucking parasites. If left unchecked, they would surely damage the harbor profits under His Highness.
"So I took the liberty of leading some people to temporarily clean up this ’rubbish’ before His Highness arrived. Still, many escaped from Port Wallens overnight. The commotion was perhaps so large that the residents all hid in their homes and refused to come out."
As David’s senses spread out, he indeed ’saw’ many residents stealthily peeking out from their windows in his direction. However, perhaps the sight of hundreds of Chromatic Dragons perched in the harbor was too overwhelming. Many onlookers, upon a single glance, were so terrified they fainted on the spot. So many were affected that David initially didn’t sense much ’life’ in the area.
"Hmm, well done," David said offhandedly.
Even as a Chromatic Dragon prone to occasional whims, he preferred a ’newbie village’ that was better for alteration and sculpture according to his will, rather than a city steeped in vice and pollution. It was like starting from scratch in a territorial construction and conquest game. Besides, who said beings of chaotic alignments necessarily enjoyed mingling with a crowd of chaotic evil entities? Wasn’t it evident that even in the most chaotic Abyssal Depths, every Demon viewed the others with suspicion, leading to constant internal warfare in addition to the Blood War? That was nowhere near as satisfying as having obedient citizens around who could only watch one’s madness and passively accept their fate!
"Where is the Port Governor of Wallens?" David asked.
"He ran away," Alianna replied truthfully.
"He ran away?" David felt a twinge of regret, like a cooked duck flying out of the pot. The governor of a major port, a noble holding at least an earl’s title—that was a fat sheep indeed. Especially now, when he desperately needed supplies, David had planned to make his first act ashore beheading this ’person of interest’ to loot some Gold Coins and food.
But Alianna seemed to have anticipated this. "He only managed to flee with his family and guards in a carriage," she reported. "We intercepted the vehicle and his goods. Even the governor’s wife and several children were left behind."
David couldn’t help but laugh. Was this governor the magical world’s equivalent of Liu Bang? Oh, wait, no. Liu Bang at least took his wife when he fled, though he did abandon his children (who were repeatedly rescued by his subordinates). This governor was even more ruthless; he didn’t even take his wife. Still, for David, it didn’t matter as long as the man hadn’t absconded with the wealth and supplies.
As for that fleeing Port Governor, would he soon go around persuading and promising, returning with a coalition of nobles seeking revenge?