The Evolution of a Goblin to the Peak

Huh?

Did this guy really kill the envoy?

The City Lords gazed at him as if they wanted to hear his explanation. But Souta simply shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes. He wouldn't bother explaining himself to the people that wouldn't stay here.

"Okay, it seems good. I'll stay here." The man who was sitting beside Souta spoke. He was the City Lord of Lambrey, Jovi.

Ray looked at the two before he nodded. He then turned to the rest and said, "As I've said before. Gentlemen, you can leave this room if you have no intention of joining the Dragon Council. I've already told the rest of you about the incoming danger. So if you don't want to join then you can prepare on your own."

The City Lords were dissatisfied with his words. They thought that Ray Faustin was arrogant.

"Tsk! Do you really think they will care about this small land?!"

"Maybe, you just wanted to control the entire Mine Valley!!"

"You must be dreaming thinking about controlling the Mine Valley! We will not submit to you!"

"We're not afraid of you!"

They glared at Ray and the rest of the City Lords that were willing to join the council. In the end, they left the room without creating more trouble. After all, they were in Bland City, and Ray's entire forces were inside this land. If they really fight here, they would be surrounded by hundreds of experts. No matter how strong they were, they would probably fall.

Ray sighed while looking at the backs of the City Lords. After they were gone, he turned to the rest and said, "I'm glad that some of you decided to cooperate with me. What I explained before is all true. I'm sure that some of you are doubting my words but if you sent scouts to the central, you will find that my words are true."

Eight City Lords decided to stay in the room and listened to the Governor's words. The influence of the Governor wasn't as huge as before. Every city in the Mine Valley became independent and they didn't need support from the higher-ups.

"If that's the case, then why is it happening?" One of the City Lords asked.

"I don't know. Various organizations suddenly fought each other and the central is in chaos right now. The Imperial Capital is trying its best to contain the chaos but the other nations interfered." Ray said in response.

"Do you really think that they will come to our land?" Another City Lord asked.

"I'm sure. According to my intel, various organizations are expanding their scope of influence. They are recruiting people and destroying towns and villages. They will not leave the Mine Valley alone for a long time." Ray explained. He turned silent before he looked at Souta and added, "I think that they are already looking at our land. The death of my envoy is probably because they want to cause chaos here."

Souta raised his eyebrows. He laughed lightly and said, "You aren't suspicious of me? That's good, then I want to know who you think is the culprit behind the assassination."

"I don't know." Ray shook his head. "It's probably one of the organizations in the central. That's why we need to prepare ourselves. I want everyone here to join hands and strengthen our defenses."

"So the Dragon Council is for this reason, right? You said this before but I wanted to know the exact details of this council that you wanted to establish." One of the City Lords said.

"Okay... Listen carefully." Ray nodded.

The Dragon Council was the organization that would handle the entire Mine Valley. They would set up a defense and send their forces outside the land to investigate the events in the other regions. They were going to protect this land from outside forces that wanted to annex them.

Since there were nine of them, there were going to be nine leaders of the Dragon Council. They were called the Nine Heads, and every time they had a suggestion they had to ask the permission of the other Heads. They were all in the same position and voting was decided on their next course of action.

Ray also explained to them the rules of the Dragon Council. Since they were allies right now, they could ask for everyone's help here in case they encountered a problem.

The Nine Heads were decided. Ray Fausting, the Governor of Mine Valley, became the First Head. And Souta, the City Lord of Ekatoe, became the Seventh Head.

Bland City, Ekatoe City, Lambrey City, Blue Fin City, Night Light City, Ergano City, Arstin City, Yoimi City, and lastly the Vine West City.

Nine cities have joined together to create the strongest organization in the entire Mine Valley.

"Now let's form a contract," Ray said with a faint smile on his face.

Jovi and the rest of the City Lords widened their eyes. They were inwardly shocked.

"Why? It's better to form this contract. This way all the things here will stay with us. Also, the contract will not restrict our movements. It's just that, we will not make a move to destroy the Mine Valley, or else we would suffer the consequences." Ray opened his arms before he placed a piece of red paper on the table.

"Fine... Since I'm here already, I will not back down." Jovi sighed and said.

"Good." Ray nodded and turned to the rest. "What about the rest of you?"

They hesitated for while before they eventually nodded their heads. The contract was a big matter. They couldn't simply abolish it or else they would offend the being of contract, the Lord of Contract.

Hu~

They formed a contract and signed it with their blood. Then, they burned it.

Sizzle!

The ashes gathered in the air and turned into an eyeball. It has the size of a man's head and bloody veins were creepy out of it.

Ohm!

Pressure gushed out of the eyeball as it stared at the nine people in the room.

"Oh, Lord, May you witness the contract bound by our blood!"

Ray, Jovi, Souta, and the rest narrowed their eyes as they tried to resist the pressure weighing down on their shoulders. The one whose most affected in this situation was Souta.

'This is just a natural presence of this creature yet... It brought so much pressure.'

Souta gritted his teeth inwardly. After a while, the pressure disappeared but he could still feel that someone was grabbing his heart. His hair stood on its end as a chill run down on his spine.

He felt like he was about to die. Compared to others, what he was experiencing was entirely on a different level. Souta felt like he was about to lose control and rampage in this land. As long as this eyeball willed it, he would follow it without question.

It was terrifying. His whole body submitted to the eyeball floating in the air.

"I accept your contract..." The words lingered around before the eyeball disappeared into thin air.

Ray, Souta, and the rest breath a sigh of relief. They wiped the sweat on their foreheads as they leaned their back on their chairs.

'Are you sure about the contract?' Saya's voice sounded in Souta's mind.

'Yeah, it's fine. You've seen the contract, right? As long as I didn't destroy the Mine Valley it will be fine even if others destroy it.' Souta replied to her.

The rest of the City Lords turned to Ray after they calmed down.

"I didn't know that you have this means."

"The Lord of Contract, I've heard of it before but this is the first time someone brought a contract."

"Where did you get it?"

"Did you come from one of the Large Countries or Holy Lands?"

They were utterly shocked. The contract of the Lord of Contract was terrifying just like the rumors.

"I exchanged it when I was roaming the continent before," Ray said to them with a wry smile. Although this wasn't his first time seeing the contract, the pressure brought by Lord of Contract was still the same.

In any case, people couldn't go against it unless they broke through the first great shackle. It was a contract for experts at SS-rank. So once they've reached the SSS-rank, the contract wouldn't bind them anymore. A high-level contract was needed for those high-level experts.

The Lord of Contract. Was a powerful monster lord that reigned in one of the largest regions of God's Continent. It was also one of the famous monster lords here.

'The pressure is entirely different from Raeshka.' Souta sighed as he wiped the sweat forming on his forehead. He also cast a deep glance at the Governor. He didn't expect that this guy had a contract paper.

The contract wouldn't reach a small land like Mine Valley. Only those Large Countries and Holy Lands have it. The Champion's Den had a store selling these contract and they even had high level ones for those experts at SSS-rank and Hero-rank.

"Then, let's begin the first meeting of the Dragon Council," Ray said as he sat down in his seat.