In Airadia, Tiamat no longer had any direct means to deal with Caesar.
But weakening the enemy was another way to strengthen oneself. The Dragon Queen could not sit by and watch her enemy grow stronger, so she would do everything she could to make Caesar's life uncomfortable.
And she did it.
Tiamat also knew very well that with just these few words, she would not be able to immediately start a rebellion in the Black Wing Empire. But when she peeled away the country's beautiful and prosperous exterior, the contradictions would appear on paper. The seeds of doubt had been planted, and would soon take root and grow strong.
After accomplishing her goal, Tiamat did not leave immediately. She observed Caesar's every move, wanting to see how the Black Dragon would explain and salvage everything. She really wanted to see Caesar panicking and being flustered.
She did not expect that the Black Dragon's first reaction after hearing everything would be —
"I have never used you, never."
Caesar turned his head, and Luna on his back said, "I promise."
"Mm."
The little one nodded. After hiding her body under the Black Dragon's scales, this was the first time she faced an Evil God. Tiamat's image had clearly traumatized her, and her expression was timid. "I know."
The Black Dragon's face showed an expression of relief, and only then did he raise his head to face Tiamat.
"I do not intend to deny what you said."
Everyone was waiting for the Black Dragon Emperor's explanation, but they didn't expect Caesar to admit it openly. "But as a ruler, I can't seem to find any other way to make this country stronger quickly." Caesar didn't even try to hide it.
Tiamat smiled in satisfaction. In her opinion, this was a sign that the Black Dragon had been forced into a desperate situation. Since this fellow had admitted defeat, this descent was not in vain, and she had obtained the greatest results.
The Dragon Queen's silhouette gradually faded, preparing to leave this place.
"No, it's lying."
The sudden voice was magnified by the dense ripples of spiritual energy in the air. It was particularly ear-splitting in the silence of Galanoud and spread across the entire city.
Everyone's gaze turned towards the source of the sound, and even the blurred shadow of the Dragon Queen solidified again. Tiamat's ten dragon eyes looked down with great pressure, intending to see who dared to defy the God.
Surprisingly, the speaker was not one of the upper echelons of the Royal Court, nor was he a member of the Black Wing Army. He was one of the onlookers on both sides of the road, and from his attire, he did not look like a fanatical supporter of the Empire — a foreign merchant.
Realizing that everyone's gazes were focused on him, and that the godly aura was faintly showing signs of penetrating through the psionic energy, the vendor was a little nervous, but he still did not change his previous words. "It, the Five-Headed Dragon Queen, is lying!"
After those words left his mouth, he seemed to have gained some sort of courage from going all out. Taking a deep breath, his voice became smooth. "I don't know about the rest, but what it said about 'the slightest disobedience would suddenly vanish, locked in a cage for human experiments and turned into an undead' is a lie!"
As he spoke, the vendor's face turned red. "I came to the Northern Empire two years ago. At first, I was instigated by some people due to my ignorance, and joined an organization called 'Renaissance', responsible for spreading rumors about the Black Dragon Emperor, attempting to create chaos.
Later, the organization was destroyed, and all members were locked in a dungeon. "
"But I'm still alive now. Not just me, but many others are still alive."
His voice slowly became louder. "Apart from the leader of the Renaissance and the die-hard members, people like me who were bewitched and coerced were only locked up for half a year before being released."
His words triggered thought and resonance. Many people began to whisper, and after a short interval, someone from other places in Galanoud added, "Perhaps being locked in a dungeon was a disgrace, but I did violate the laws of this country, and I admit it!
And I learned one thing from there: the boar-men guards would only take away those unforgivable death row criminals, and not every civilian who slightly disobeyed! "
Those words caused a small commotion.
At this moment, Hogg stepped forward to speak. He raised his head and looked directly at Tiamat, "You say that we have massacred the five northern countries. However, before His Majesty took over the northern lands, the northern countries had countless internal wars of various sizes. Only in the face of a strong enemy would they be barely able to unite. This situation had been maintained intermittently for six hundred years. However, the Blackwing Empire that you speak of, was born from a corpse, had brought unity, stability and peace."
"Lady Tiamat."
Just as Hogg's voice trailed off, Elven Queen Casia also spoke. Her expression was not good, and the images Tiamat presented were tantamount to exposing her scars. "Even Her Majesty the Moon Goddess did not think that I was corrupted, brainwashed, and controlled. I saw that incident as a trial, and it made me more aware of what I should do.
The Blackwing Empire and the Elven Woods are allies, and whether it is deception or seduction, war or time, the alliance will not fade. "
Casia's reaction was more intense, because these images were not only targeted at Caesar and the Blackwing Empire, if they were to spread to the Elven Woods, it would also shake her rule fundamentally, causing her people to doubt her motives and goals. Therefore, Casia had to stand up more firmly to refute, and use the Moon Goddess to increase her credibility.
From the moment Tiamat's voice ended, the Empire's Public Opinion Control Department reacted with unimaginable speed. Now, the head of the department, Barrett, finally got what he wanted.
Thankful that he was not late, the panting Barrett heaved a sigh of relief. Imitating the Dragon Queen, he used the Image Crystal to release some images that had not been made public, and shouted at the same time:
"It said that the dragon's treasury was filled with gold coins, but it did not mention that in order to subsidize the Empire's expenses, His Majesty's treasury had once been emptied."
"It said that the Empire had continuously raised taxes for industrialization, but the factories that had sprouted up from the ground provided a large number of job opportunities, and also made those expensive products more approachable."
"It said that His Majesty was unscrupulous in order to expand the army, but whether the Empire was facing war or peace depended on the number of troops, and only military force could protect the lives, wealth, and dignity of the people in the country. The weak would be beaten, this was a truth that everyone knew."
"It said that as long as one was loyal, one could become a noble, but even a noble could not escape the law …"
Tiamat's eyes gradually narrowed. She had miscalculated, she should have left immediately after planting the seed of suspicion, and should not have stayed to wait for the other party to retaliate. Now, the situation had begun to develop in a direction that was out of her control.
"Enough!"
The Dragon Queen that was coiled up in the sky roared, and the long-winded voice made her feel annoyed, "You ignorant mortals, ignorant fools, how would you know …"
"Despicable Evil Dragon Mother, relying on one-sided and narrow-minded words to incite and bewitch people, you should be the one who has had enough." Suddenly, a loud shout came from the crowd, forcefully interrupting her voice.
Tiamat furiously searched for the figure, but psionic energy had blinded her senses.
"Evil Dragon Mother, you are not welcome here!"
"Take your ugly dragon head and leave."
"Roar —"
The Five-Headed Dragon Queen revealed her evil and ruthless side. Her five heads roared in the sky, and her divine power converged to form a terrifying image. "You damned dregs, how dare you humiliate and disobey the gods. Everyone here must die!"
The vortex of Divine Power caused the crowd to fall into silence, but it was only for a moment, and immediately, more voices sounded, and some people even began to throw stones at the projection in the sky.
"We are not afraid of you, ugly god."
"Get out of Galanoud!"
"Tiamat, get out of the Blackwing Empire!"