My queen is rebelling!

Duke Roland's words stirred up no small waves in the hearts of everyone in the room.

Now everyone could almost be certain that Isabella's relationship with the "Lord of Shadows" was definitely not as simple as she claimed to be a mere partnership.

Even if Isabella refused to admit it, the fact that Cohen had been staying at her place for the past few days could not be changed.

Involving the private affairs of the Golden Winged Woman, they were curious, but they were too polite to press for answers.

Duke Roland left, leaving only the people of the "Pale Wings" in the room, and the atmosphere immediately became much more relaxed.

Meyer said with a smile:

"Let's continue with the topic from just now. Surely, the construction work must be a major problem for the 'Lord of Shadows' after he opened up so many city-states and floating islands."

Cohen's heart stirred slightly, and he asked directly:

"Does Mr. Child have any ideas?"

Meyer said seriously:

"If you need manpower or financial support, our Child family is very willing to provide it."

Isabella ridiculed from the side:

"What's wrong? Is the 'Purple Wing Family', which has always been self-righteous, starting to learn from those gangsters?

Are you planning to get involved in the affairs of the 'Lost Land'?"

Meyer's expression remained calm, and he said with a smile:

"The 'Lord of Shadows' is not considered a person from the 'Lost Land', so cooperating with him doesn't break our family's rules.

What's more… …"

Meyer had a teasing look on his face:

"Maybe someday the 'Lord of Shadows' will be one of us!

Don't you agree, Miss Windsor!"

Isabella's expression froze, and it was wrong to say yes or no, and she was speechless by Meyer for a moment.

Cohen took over the conversation and said apologetically:

"I'm sorry to disappoint Young Master Meyer, we have already reached an agreement with the Solari family of the 'Lost Land' a long time ago.

The newly opened 'Order Solid Ground' will be handed over to them for construction.

I'm really sorry."

Meyer's expression did not change because of Cohen's refusal, and he said with a faint smile:

"Since Your Excellency already has a plan this time, then we will reserve the next cooperation.

If Your Excellency has another chance to ignite the fire and open up the Solid Ground of Order, you must think of our Child family in advance.

Your Excellency may not know, among the Five Wing Families, only our Purple Wing Family has no one pursuing Miss Windsor.

Therefore, I am very happy to see a satisfactory ending to the story of 'Princess and Knight'."

Thoughts flashed through Cohen's mind. Why did the other party think that he still had the Order Fire in his hand?

In addition, he also understood the other party's final hint.

Because their "Purple Wing Family" had no intention of marrying the "Golden Wing Family", they naturally did not want other families to be able to marry the "Golden Wing Family".

Therefore, marrying off the powerful "Golden Winged Woman" was in the best interests of their family.

Cohen replied calmly:

One day, Isabella sent Cohen out to purchase some essential items for the trip to the Dwarf race. After Cohen left, Isabella looked in the mirror, hiding the joy in her eyebrows and the amorous feelings on her face.

She took out a communication stone, took a deep breath, and activated the magic circle.

Soon, a illusory figure of a tall and handsome middle-aged man rose from the magic circle.

As soon as the middle-aged man appeared, he reprimanded her head-on:

"You still dare to contact me!

Good, are you going to wait a few more days before I can hold my grandson!"

Isabella turned her gaze away and replied calmly:

"Where did Father hear such rumors from?"

The middle-aged man seemed extremely angry and said:

"Rumors?"

You're living together, is that still a rumor?"

Isabella said indifferently:

"We're just living in the same house, not sleeping in the same bed. Why does Father have to be so sensitive?

My conscience is clear between him and me."

The middle-aged man was so angry that he was about to vomit blood, and said angrily:

"At least you have to tell me who he is!"

Isabella shook her head and said:

"Compared to his true identity, a piece of information he discovered a few days ago is more valuable to us."

"What information?"

"Father asked me to pay attention to the movements of the Ceylon Kingdom a few days ago. Coincidentally, he was also in the Ceylon Kingdom a few days ago.

So I asked him to pay a little attention. He attached great importance to this matter and investigated it for a few days, and he actually found something.

What I am about to say are some of his speculations, but I think there is a high probability that they are true.

I believe Father will definitely have a way to verify the specifics."

Isabella's little thoughts were obvious, and her words were subtly speaking well of her lover, implying that all of this was Cohen's credit.

However, the middle-aged man did not hear it, or pretended not to hear it, and still asked coldly:

"Ceylon Kingdom?

What exactly is it?"

Isabella secretly curled her lips, but when it came to serious matters, her expression became much more serious.

The middle-aged man's eyebrows narrowed slightly. Isabella's serious expression made him temporarily dispel his anger, waiting for his daughter to say what she was about to say.

Isabella told her father about Cohen's speculation after making some modifications, of course, concealing the part about his true identity in the process.

When Isabella finished speaking, the middle-aged man's expression completely solidified, his brows furrowed, as if he was seriously considering what his daughter had said.

"He told you all of this?"

Isabella nodded and said:

"I think it's very close to the truth. If that Andre is really Xaso's staff member, it is very likely that all of this is true."

The middle-aged man's expression returned to calmness, and he asked:

"Does he also have a grudge against Xaso?"

Isabella frowned slightly and asked:

"I thought that with Father's personality, he should first express his gratitude to him.

If all of this is true, then he is equivalent to saving our family from a major crisis!"

The middle-aged man snorted coldly:

"If he promises to never provoke my daughter again, I will thank him properly and owe him this favor!"

Isabella responded mercilessly:

"If it weren't for your daughter, how likely do you think he would be to say everything he knows?"

The middle-aged man sneered:

"You don't have to say good things about him in front of me.

Wait until he has the courage to take off his mask and come to see me openly!"

As soon as the words fell, the whole person disappeared instantly, directly interrupting the communication.

Seeing her father leave without saying a word, Isabella cursed secretly for a long time.

"Pale Wings", the Golden Wing Family's residence.

The middle-aged man turned off the communication stone, and the warmth on his face was swept away, and his whole body exuded coldness.

Aziz Windsor, the patriarch of the Golden Wing Family, was truly angry this time.

Someone dared to plot against the "Golden Wing Family", and the target of the plot was his own daughter!

He directly interrupted the communication with his daughter, partly because he didn't know how to face his daughter's emotional problems, and partly because he wanted to quickly investigate whether what his daughter said was true or not.

If all of this was really the work of Prince Xaso behind the scenes, then he had to immediately start working on countermeasures.

Aziz summoned three highly respected elders of the family and briefly informed them of the content of Isabella's conversation.

The Third Elder, who had a fiery temper, couldn't sit still when he heard this, and asked in a deep voice:

"Is the source of the young lady's information reliable?

This matter is too important, involving one of the most powerful princes in the entire continent. We must be cautious."

Aziz was silent for a moment, and finally decided to acknowledge Cohen's favor and said:

"That kid told her."

That kid!

Although the patriarch did not say it clearly, the elders were all shrewd people.

Rumors about the Golden Winged Woman had naturally reached their ears.

Therefore, they immediately judged who the "that kid" the patriarch was talking about was.

The Second Elder said leisurely:

"The 'Lord of Shadows' who is suspected of being the Child of Prophecy?

I heard that he has also caused quite a stir in the 'Lost Land' these days.

Being able to find the 'Fire of Order', even if the Prophecy Church does not admit it, many people will recognize him as the Child of Prophecy."

The Great Elder looked thoughtful and said slowly:

"If it's him, it should be somewhat credible. Even for the sake of the young lady, he shouldn't talk nonsense."

Aziz said in a deep voice:

"The key to everything is that Andre, whether he is Xaso's man.

As long as this is clarified, everything will be solved easily."

After discussing, the group decided to start with Andre first.

Of course, they also had to be prepared for the worst and open up a new grain transport route as soon as possible.

Although land transportation is much more expensive and risky than sea transportation, they can only use land transportation for a while in a critical moment.

Aziz said:

"Second Elder, go to the Ceylon Kingdom and investigate this Andre thoroughly!

Just confirm his identity, don't alarm others."

"Okay."

… …

Approaching the Winter Moon, in the northern mountains of the Western Regions Empire, snow began to fall, like countless light feathers dancing in the air.

Cohen and Isabella, who had been on their way for some time, arrived in the depths of the northern mountains.

The surrounding environment and temperature were completely different worlds from the "Lost Land".

However, Cohen and Isabella were already high-level transcendents, and this temperature did not affect them much.

The rolling mountains were like sleeping giants, silent and solemn.

Due to the Dwarves' exclusive and conservative nature, Cohen and Isabella could not enter the Dwarves' territory ostentatiously, and had to sneak in secretly through a secret passage.

In the depths of the mountains, an ancient road paved with chiseled stones wound towards the Dwarves' kingdom.

The two followed the ancient road and soon found a simple cave according to the address.

Small piles of snow accumulated at the entrance of the cave, and the heavy stone door was even more ancient and heavy against the backdrop of the white snow.

The torch next to the door swayed in the wind, the firelight flickering, stubbornly resisting the cold.

Isabella knocked on the door a few times at the entrance according to a specific rhythm, and then the stone door slowly opened, and a sturdy Dwarf walked out.

Cohen slightly sensed the aura, and it wasn't even a transcendent, just an ordinary Dwarf.

The dwarf was wrapped in thick animal skins, white vapor puffing from his mouth, his face red, whether from birth or from the cold, standing out starkly against the white snow.

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When the dwarf saw the two unfamiliar humans, a hint of nervousness was evident in his expression, and he asked in stiff, awkward Common:

"Are you Miss Wenze?"

Isabella brandished a crimson hammer and asked in a deep voice:

"Where is Groin Firehammer?"

Upon seeing the crimson hammer, a look of reverence instantly flooded the dwarf's face, and he bowed, saying:

"Honorable guests, please come in. Our chieftain received a temporary notice to attend a meeting of the Great Alliance.

I will send him a message immediately. Please come in and wait."

Isabella glanced at Cohen, who nodded slightly, and the two then entered the cave.

Stepping into the cave, Cohen clearly felt the temperature inside rise slightly.

The cave walls were lined with luminous ores, emitting a soft glow that illuminated the icicles hanging on the walls, crystal clear, like works of art made of crystal, truly beautiful.

Cohen guessed that this should have been a mine in the past, later converted into a temporary residence.

Continuing down, Cohen's conjecture was confirmed.

A unique scent mixed with earth, ore, and smoke wafted over.

What came into view were dilapidated tracks and scattered trolley parts, next to a forging furnace that had been extinguished for a long time, looking rather old.

At the end of the mine passage was a spacious hall carved out by hand, furnished with heavy stone tables and stone benches.

There were also two dwarf children, plus a female dwarf, standing nervously to the side, with awkward smiles on their faces.

For ordinary dwarves, the tribal chieftain was their sky, their god.

And Isabella, whom the chieftain regarded as the most honored guest, naturally inspired both respect and awe in them.

After the two were seated, the female dwarf hurriedly brought up a large plate of roasted meat, and a rich, unique aroma instantly filled the entire cave hall.

The roasted meat had an enticing caramel color on the outside, the skin golden and crispy under the heat of the flames, and the oil glistening under the light.

The two little dwarves next to her couldn't stop swallowing their saliva as they watched.

Cohen raised an eyebrow slightly, the dragon mark on his hand flickered, and a dagger appeared.

Then he gently cut open the roasted meat with the knife, and clear textures were revealed before his eyes, the juices slowly flowing out, emitting a mouthwatering aroma.

He put it in his mouth and took a bite, first feeling the crispness of the skin, followed by the tenderness and richness of the meat, the intense flavor spreading in his mouth, with a faint wildness, as if one could feel the powerful vitality of the beast running and hunting in the mountains.

Cohen chewed for a moment, swallowed, and spoke in fluent Dwarvish:

"Wolf meat, mountain giant wolf, thoughtful of you."

Hearing Cohen's words, the dwarf was both surprised and delighted, stomping his feet vigorously, then leaping high and spinning quickly.

Isabella said in surprise:

"A dwarven dance?

This is a dance they only perform when they receive genuine respect from the heart.

What did you just say? Why did he suddenly get so excited?"

Cohen cut off another piece of roasted meat, removed the fatty part under Isabella's slightly critical gaze, and sent the remaining piece of meat into her mouth, saying slowly:

"Dwarves like to choose powerful beasts when hunting, believing that such meat can bring courage and strength.

And they only bring out the meat of this beast when entertaining the most important guests.

As ordinary people who have not entered the extraordinary, the mountain giant wolf is definitely the most ferocious beast for them.

They brought out the meat of the mountain giant wolf, indicating their respect for us.

I showed him that I knew his intention, and he was happy that he could gain the understanding of distinguished guests."

A strong appreciation flickered in Isabella's pupils. Such secrets were unknown to ordinary humans unless they were familiar with the history and culture of the dwarves.

Cohen's erudition once again impressed Isabella.

Worthy of being the man I have taken a fancy to, always giving me surprises.

She really wanted to integrate herself into Cohen's body to see how many secrets this person still had.

The dwarf was obviously much more excited, carrying out a large bucket of ale from the depths of the warehouse, pouring the ale into rough but sturdy metal goblets, and respectfully handing them to Cohen.

Cohen was not polite, took the goblet, the ale inside was mellow in color, as warm as amber.

Bringing the goblet closer, a rich malt aroma mixed with a faint yeast scent wafted over, he took a slight sip, the taste was mellow and rich.

First there was a slight bitterness, followed by a sweetness spreading on the tip of the tongue.

Cohen no longer hesitated, and drank the ale in one gulp.

He poured another glass and handed it to Isabella, saying:

"Take a sip, the brewing process of dwarven ale has strict rituals and steps, which have been passed down for thousands of years and are an important part of dwarven culture.

Unlike those industrial alcohol made by finding a few gnomes to pretend to be dwarves outside, this is genuine dwarven ale."

Isabella rarely drank alcohol, but seeing Cohen's strong recommendation, she had to take the goblet and take a small sip, but found it unexpectedly delicious, and couldn't help but drink a few more sips.

The few people ate and drank until the evening. During the dinner, Cohen kept communicating with the dwarf.

Perhaps it was Cohen's familiarity with dwarven culture and traditions and his fluent Dwarvish that gradually made the dwarf put down his fear and grudges, and the two talked very harmoniously.

Cohen also learned the other party's name from the conversation, Balin Firehammer.

This was originally the territory of the "Firehammer Tribe", and Balin was originally a miner in the tribe.

Later, the emperor of the Western Region Empire conquered the dwarves and destroyed the mines here. He was lucky to keep his life and was rescued by Groin Firehammer, the chieftain of the Firehammer Tribe, and has been living in the Firehammer Tribe ever since.

When Groin Firehammer later prepared to secretly cooperate with the human empire, Balin, who was familiar with the terrain here, was sent back to act as a liaison.

When Cohen asked if he resented the human empire that attacked their tribe, Balin shook his head:

"Compared to humans, those big tribes in the depths are the most hateful!

They enslave us small tribes, making us stand in front and charge for them, but they are behind with the rest of the humans…"

Balin's voice became lower and lower, but Cohen keenly grasped something.

Deep in the mountains… the rest of the humans…

A thoughtful look appeared on Cohen's face. It seemed that cracks had already appeared in the seemingly monolithic dwarven race!

Everything would have to wait until he saw Groin Firehammer, the chieftain of the Firehammer Tribe!

Late at night, a burst of footsteps came from outside the cave, getting closer and closer. Hearing the familiar footsteps, Balin suddenly woke up a lot and said to Cohen:

"Honorable guest, our chieftain is back."

Cohen's expression changed slightly, shaking Isabella, who was nestled in his arms and had already fallen asleep.

Soon, the door opened, and Groin Firehammer, the chieftain of the Firehammer Tribe, strode into the cave with hurried steps.

Seeing Isabella leaning next to a strange man, his expression was slightly stunned.

Then he quickly concealed the emotions on his face, bowed and saluted, speaking fluent human language:

"Lord Wenze, I have kept you waiting.

How should I address this gentleman?"

Isabella coughed lightly. Before she could speak, Cohen took the initiative to say:

"Yahn, just call me Yahn."

Hearing the pseudonym Cohen used, Isabella quickly realized that these two words were abbreviations of Yadai'er and Cohen, and snorted softly, expressing her displeasure to someone.

Cohen inconspicuously squeezed Isabella's small hand to show comfort.

Groin was an old fox and obviously had seen the relationship between the two. He kept complimenting:

"The two adults are really a good match. May the God of Forging, Aoun, be above, thank you for sending two great saviors to our Firehammer Tribe."

Isabella said plainly:

"Let's talk business, we don't have much time."

Groin nodded repeatedly:

"Okay, okay, let's talk in the secret room."

Cohen and the two followed Groin towards the secret room. On the way, Groin quietly asked Balin a few words. After learning about Cohen's actions after entering here, he couldn't help but look surprised.

The three people sat down in a secret room, and Groin took the lead in saying:

"I heard that Lord Wenze wants to run our trade route first?

Transport a batch of goods to the human continent?

Could it be that the adult has already mastered a passage that can cross the 'Land of Lost'?"

Isabella pointed to Cohen beside her and said:

"That's right.

This Mr. Yahn beside me is the controller of this passage."

Groin looked shocked. Adjacent to the 'Land of Lost', he also knew the danger inside, and knew how precious and rare a logistics channel that could cross the "Land of Lost" was.

In fact, he had always wanted to trade with the human continent, but it had not been successful because the "Land of Lost" was in the middle.

He immediately filled with respect for Cohen and said in a solemn voice:

"No problem, as long as the route is open, the goods here can be transported at any time."

Seeing that the other party agreed readily, Isabella confirmed the previously agreed list of goods and prices with Groin.

Regarding the profit sharing issue, these were all agreed upon before, so it didn't take long for the two to finalize the specific time.

Finally, Isabella brought up the topic that she had discussed with Groin before:

"Chieftain, it's still what I mentioned to you before, let you try your best to win over more tribes, how is this matter progressing?

It's not that I look down on your 'Firehammer Tribe'. Although your tribe is among the top ten in the Great Alliance, there is a whole human empire and a transcontinental business organization waiting outside.

The resources that your tribe can provide are still too little."

The Great Alliance mentioned by Isabella is the alliance of offense and defense formed by hundreds of dwarven tribes on the Northwest Continent, called the "Dwarven Great Alliance".

It is composed of ten major tribes and hundreds of other small and medium-sized tribes. The Firehammer Tribe is one of the ten major tribes, and he himself is also an elder of the Great Alliance.

Hearing Isabella's words, Groin looked hesitant, pondered for a long time, and then slowly said:

"Lord Wenze, to be honest, this matter… I'm afraid there is no hope!"