Immortal Kingdoms



Leonardo fell silent for a while as he recalled how his conversation with Lucas went back on planet Arcadia. 

Back then, he was willing to drive the conflict in the heart of his city, wash its streets with blood and bones, and he wouldn't bat an eyelid about it. 

Back then, he truly didn't care about collateral damage as he was confident about two things. First, he could always leave that place with no strings attached. Second, no one would dare kill him or his immediate family, as in his adopted children. 

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that despite growing stronger, he was also growing weaker in some sense of the word. 

"I brought you with me because, despite your inexperience, you're far too clever. I will provide you the stage to hone your craft, while you repay me with the fruits of your labor," Emily smiled. 

There's a fine line between wisdom and intelligence. Although this young man was highly intelligent, his wisdom is fairly lacking… 

She said, "From my personal estimate, I figured that you're used to manipulating others from a seat of power. You've never experienced what it's like to have something or someone on the line, you've never experienced the dilemma of having to choose between two choices, none of which is necessarily good. If I could see that much, so would those old sect elders, and they'll quickly come to understand your character like reading a book." 

Leonardo shrugged. "As I said, I'm a businessman, not a war strategist. Give me a small company with an investment fund, and within ten years, I can dominate the economic market of a nation. Give me a troop of soldiers to command, and I will most likely leave them behind and charge on my own." 

Although smart, Leonardo knew that the market was predictable because it had its guidelines and bottom lines that tend to the care of the consumers. As for war, too many aspects were involved from the common people to the royal court of a nation. 

War always involves life and death and a cycle of destruction; one blood vendetta after another. Furthermore, in times of peace, no wise emperor would keep a sharp blade by their side. 

Thinking about this, Leonardo's eyes flashed as he asked, "Don't tell me— Are the Seven Sectors in constant internal strife so that the imperial family doesn't pick you off one at a time? I mean, if your Seven Sectors are that powerful, the imperial family wouldn't feel at ease unless the armies are distracted one way or another..." 

Emily was shocked, but she quickly covered it up with a silver chuckle, not responding with either the affirmative or the negative. Nonetheless, she was frightened by how quickly his mind worked. 

True, no matter how much time passed, the seven families and their respective sectors are mutually restricting one another to avoid drawing the imperial family's attention. If one of the six families was about to collapse, the imperial family can use that momentum to deal a heavy blow to the remaining six and unite the seven armies under the imperial banner. 

However, just because no family of the seven would drive another to the brink of despair, that doesn't mean there were no conflicts of interest, it was simply a question of how to squeeze the most while leaving the family in question with enough juice to ward off the imperial family. 

Just as she was recovering from her shock, Leonardo clapped his hands in realization and exclaimed. "With the imperial family and Memento Mori at each other's throats, your seven families have the chance to expand beyond the borders of mutual balance; the Jin Dynasty wouldn't have the manpower to suppress both external and internal enemies. I understand now! Ouch!" 

Leonardo suddenly touched his forehead after Emily flicked it with a loud bang. 

Of course, this force didn't really hurt him, it was just a symbolic cry of pain that could be described as playful at most. Although Leonardo wasn't particular about military tactics and commanding soldiers on land, his brain was frightening when it came to political schemes. 

Emily crossed her arms to her chest and huffed. "You talk too much!" 

She hated it but Leonardo was right; the seven families were taking advantage of Memento Mori's movements to escape the shackles of the Jin Dynasty. She hadn't expected a few words on her part, words of criticism at that, to suddenly shed enlightenment on this young man. 

"Since you understand, it's meaningless for me to explain any further," Emily shook her head in exasperation. "I'm not lacking when it comes to military might as the Qing Sector was cycling between expanding and retreating. Hence, our reserves of veteran soldiers are way beyond those of the other six. However, expanding doesn't happen only on the battlefield, but also in the royal court where words are the swords of those diplomatic bastards. 

"I want to openly wage war on the other six families and unite them under my family's banner while covertly drawing in their allies and supporters from the royal court. That way, even when the imperial family has breath to spare on the developments from this province, my family would have already entrenched itself in the system as a prefecture-level family." 

Leonardo raised an eyebrow, "You want me to help you go from a provincial-level family to a prefecture-level family? Aren't you thinking too highly of me? Furthermore, what's in it for me?" 

If it was only these political mind games, a few incentives here and a couple of assassinations there, while also roping in the right supporters while putting a show of power to the right opposing factions would quickly solve the problem. However, they would at first need to subdue some of the six families of the Seven Stars Province from all scenes; political, economic, and military. 

The military scene was the most urgent, followed by economics, and eventually... Politics. Emilia was this bold only because she roped Leonardo, who wasn't only a powerhouse but also a devious young man. 

He was very curious about what would this girl offer in exchange for his services.