Lord of the Sky City

Because mining takes excavation.

This represents the need to station people in mining areas long-term. Do you understand how dangerous this is? The land has been occupied by demons for a long time now, and any mining site, no matter whose jurisdiction it falls under, could face the threat of demons at any moment!

Just consider, if the Alliance really agreed to Rocky's request and allotted him a mine, it would not only mean that Rocky would have to manage and mine this site but also that he needs to defend it against the threat of demons!

In Elder Farey's view, Rocky clearly didn't have this capability, because the attacks of demons were never minor skirmishes. A gathering of dozens of demons was merely a scratch, hundreds appearing together was the norm, and even thousands emerging at once were not unheard of.

Facing such immense threats that could arise at any time, the Alliance was extremely cautious when dispatching personnel to guard mines. Those sent were always strong and fierce individuals, and Rocky obviously had not yet reached that level of strength. It was for this reason that Elder Farey had consistently declined his request.

However, Rocky wasn't in too much of a rush about it; he was well aware of what he was asking for—a mining site! Not just the Sky Alliance, but any force would not easily agree to such a request, so he understood this matter had to be approached slowly.

Therefore, although Elder Farey had repeatedly made it clear that the Alliance would not refuse another condition, suggesting to change the request to something else and to forget about the mine, Rocky still didn't give up.

Not only did he not give up, but he immediately went to the Eternal City to buy a new warship and started to hastily train with it, as if he had shifted his focus from negotiating with Elder Farey to preparing for war with Wild Horse City.

Amidst such urgent preparations, Rocky still found time to meet with Elder Farey.

"Elder Farey."

This time, Rocky personally went to Elder Farey's residence to meet with him.

"City Lord Rocky, please have a seat."

Since this wasn't their first meeting, their interaction was no longer as awkward as it had been at the beginning. Upon seeing Rocky, Elder Farey invited him to sit opposite himself.

"City Lord Rocky, you've been quite busy lately!"

Once Rocky sat down, Elder Farey looked at him and said with a smile.

Of course, his remark referred to all of Rocky's recent activities: purchasing warships, hiring sailors, training troops. With such high levels of attention, all his actions were clearly observed by others.

"They are just minor matters, not worth mentioning."

Rocky smiled faintly, took a sip from his teacup, and then said, "Elder Farey, I'm not sure if you have heard of Backhill Village."

"Backhill Village?"

Hearing this name, Elder Farey's eyes showed a trace of puzzlement.

Elder Farey wasn't surprised by Rocky's visit, as he had even guessed what Rocky intended to discuss—namely, joining the Alliance. This was exactly why Elder Farey was caught off guard when Rocky suddenly mentioned Backhill Village, leaving him confused and unsure of Rocky's intentions.

As for Backhill Village, Elder Farey certainly hadn't heard of it. The world was too vast for him to be acquainted with every place.

Seeing Elder Farey shake his head, Rocky smiled and explained, "Backhill Village is a small village I have visited before..."

In just a few words, he briefly described the situation of Backhill Village to Elder Farey and then said, "Elder Farey, as I've said, Backhill Village is connected to a mining vein. Though the vein isn't very large, it's enough to sustain the village's livelihood. However, it was eventually abandoned due to demonic unrest."

"Oh?"

After hearing Rocky's words, Elder Farey frowned slightly, realizing that Rocky's emphasis wasn't on Backhill Village but on the mining vein it possessed!

This piqued Elder Farey's interest because, regardless of the vein's size, it was still a vein! Such an important resource naturally aroused the interest of Elder Farey of the Sky Alliance. At this juncture, he also had some inkling of Rocky's intentions.

Therefore, he smiled and asked, "City Lord Rocky, does this mean you know the location of Backhill Village?"

The land had been occupied by demons for a hundred years, and consequently, people had become somewhat unfamiliar with it, given that they had not returned to land for so long. Even the Sky Alliance did not have complete knowledge of the land, and many places were unknown to them, such as Backhill Village.

"After Backhill Village was attacked by the demons, I took in all the villagers," Rocky replied, evidently knowing the exact location of Backhill Village.

Following this statement, he continued, "Elder Farey, if I remember correctly, the rules of the Alliance state that if a resource is discovered by an Alliance member, they may manage it independently, right?"

Although not yet a member of the Sky Alliance, Rocky had already thoroughly researched the Alliance's rules. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Elder Farey was momentarily stunned at this comment and, although he nodded in agreement, he added, "Indeed, that's the rule... but the prerequisite for independent management is the ability to defend that resource. Otherwise, the Alliance will still send people to guard it. If not, the Alliance will not offer protection or award Contribution Points."

"Good," Rocky nodded with a smile upon hearing this, then chose not to continue.

Even though he had fallen silent, Elder Farey had grasped his intention.

The reason the two had not agreed on terms was that Rocky wanted to manage a mining property, but the Alliance disagreed on this point. Considering his recent series of actions, it was easy to understand what Rocky intended.

He was proposing a new plan to Elder Farey, which involved offering up a mining property of his own in exchange for the right to manage it himself.

If Elder Farey still doubted Rocky's capabilities, then the upcoming major battle with Wild Horse City would surely prove whether Rocky was qualified to manage the resource he was bringing.

Many thought Rocky was mad to initiate a battle with Wild Horse City, but he certainly hadn't lost his mind. His actions were calculated, aiming to use the battle as leverage for securing greater benefits!

Indeed, Rocky had been hatching such a scheme since his first meeting with Elder Farey had ended. He had never forgotten about the mining vein in Backhill Village, a critical resource he lacked the power to claim before.

But with the backing of the Sky Alliance after joining, he would have that power. So, his target had always been the mining vein in Backhill Village. He didn't bring it up immediately to Farey to maneuver strategically.

Now, with everything in place, Rocky finally presented his true request as if revealing the dagger at the end of the scheme. If Elder Farey still disagreed, it would be a lack of sincerity.

So when Rocky left, Elder Farey shook his head with a smile at the departing figure. He had felt something amiss with Rocky's request and now fully understood Rocky's cunning.

To Elder Farey, these were simple tricks, but he liked them, even admired them. Considering Rocky's current status and strength, how else should he vie for a chance to survive without such cunning? It was unrealistic to expect him to consider the entire scope of the Sky Alliance's situation!

"This guy..."

So after Rocky left, Elder Farey took a sip of his tea with a chuckle, knowing that all he needed to do was wait for the battle between Rocky and Wild Horse City to unfold and then see if Rocky truly held the strength he claimed.

Elder Farey was quite looking forward to it!