Within the Demon King's hall, a clear voice echoed as the young Elven King approached the presence of the Great Demon King.
"What prompts Your Majesty to summon me?"
Zhang Nu casually inquired, "How have matters been progressing in the various cities and tribes lately?"
"Everything is proceeding well!" responded the Elven King with a cheerful tone. "Ever since witnessing the grandeur of the Darkness City and the miracles performed by Your Majesty, any lingering concerns about the establishment of the Chaos Federation have dissipated."
"Though the establishment of the Chaos Federation is recent, conflicts and disputes among the various clans have notably diminished during this period."
"These are developments that were once deemed inconceivable!"
Nancilia was the staunchest supporter of the unification of the Chaos Forest and firmly believed that only through unity could the divisions and conflicts between the cities and tribes be effectively reduced. Reality had proven her right. Seeing the forest change day by day, the young Elven King felt genuinely delighted.
"However, this is merely the beginning. We must not become complacent. We need to proceed with the integration quickly...Come with me to the altar."
There were too many cities in the Chaos Forest. Cities with a permanent population of over a hundred thousand were classified as large forest cities, and there were a total of twelve such cities. Additionally, there were about fifty-two medium-sized cities with a population between a hundred thousand and thirty thousand. Altogether, there were sixty-four areas that could be considered cities.
If we also counted small towns and settlements with populations ranging from twenty to thirty thousand, then the number of what could be deemed as cities increased to at least one or two hundred. As for the tribes with populations ranging from a few thousand to ten thousand, they were even more scattered, and some of them remained unconquered until then.
Zhang Nu believed that this situation was not conducive to effective management. His subsequent plan was to create a single central city for each of the major forest races. Each race would have a single main city. For instance, the future elven main city would be Giantree City, the future orcish main city would be Berserk Beast City, the future dwarven main city would be Ironheart City, and similarly for others.
This plan involved the dissolution of some cities and the relocation of certain tribes. Each race would establish villages and settlements around its main city. This approach would concentrate the population and facilitate unified management while promoting a more organized system of production.
The Chaos Federation had just been established, and its current operational logic was quite simple. Zhang Nu controlled various forest races such as elves, dwarves, giants, orcs, and trolls, numbering in the millions. Each race possessed its own unique strengths, such as the elves' expertise in herb cultivation, dwarves' mastery of forging and metallurgy, and trolls' skill in alchemy and potion-making. Even those without specialized production skills could contribute by participating in the development of forest resources or engaging in other forms of labor.
With the assistance of himself, the Demon King, this process could generate significant value. While a significant share of the profits would be attributed to the Demon King, a portion of it would also be allocated among the diverse races. The Demon King's substantial earnings in terms of profits and gold could be reinvested to improve the territory, construct beneficial infrastructure for the people, maintain a stronger military, and acquire more external resources. As a result, the citizens would gain more opportunities for development.
Although the share of profits allocated to each race was relatively small, it still constituted a substantial income. This income far surpassed what they could achieve individually, motivating them to maintain the federation with even greater determination. This positive feedback loop would lead the Chaos Federation to become increasingly prosperous and powerful, while the Chaos Forest itself would gradually shake off chaos and transform into a realm of order.
This was just the beginning phase, and Darkness City had a multitude of tasks ahead. Apart from actively promoting the construction of primary cities for each race, establishing clear laws and order was also imperative for Darkness City. Basic principles of reward and punishment must be firmly in place to foster a stronger sense of cohesion. However, instilling laws and regulations deeply into the hearts of individuals would be far from easy.
Zhang Nu recalled the cornerstone of the Azure Water Federation---the Azure Water Covenant! If the Chaos Federation possessed such a potent covenant, wouldn't establishing fundamental laws and order become a matter of minutes? Unfortunately, such potent covenants were exceedingly rare and hard to come by globally. For now, Zhang Nu could only exert influence through both benevolence and authority.
Zhang Nu smiled and questioned, "Are you confident? The enemy is shrewd and formidable. This mission could potentially be dangerous."
"Fear not," she replied, unwavering. "I am ready to serve you. I am ready to contribute to the federation. What is a little danger compared to that?"
With an unyielding spirit, the Elven King affirmed, "Your Majesty, you can rest assured. Though I may lack other skills, I have full confidence in my combat abilities."
"Very well, then I entrust the task of guarding the Bloody Fortress to you."
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
With a new mission in hand, the Elven King's mood significantly improved, and she promptly teleported to the Bloody Fortress.
After the establishment of the Chaos Federation, the Bloody Fortress continued to expand, with a current resident garrison of fifty thousand troops. Elite forces were being drawn from various cities and tribes to station there, and within the next week or two, it was expected to grow to between eighty to a hundred thousand troops.
The reason the Demon King insisted on fortifying the Bloody Fortress to an almost impregnable level was primarily due to its strategically vital location. In the event of the empire attempting a large-scale invasion, bypassing the Bloody Fortress would be nigh impossible. As long as the fortress remained unconquered, the heartland of the federation would remain secure, ensuring peaceful living and development for all the cities and tribes.
Presently, the fortress was commanded by the Abyssal Dragon, Long Yi. This abyssal dragon's strength reached the pinnacle of the Level 5 overlord. Even facing off against Level 5 monarch-level individuals, he could hold his own in battle.
Additionally, Zhang Nu recently promoted a group of high-ranking draconians. Among them, Dragon Commander Wang Er and Zhao Wu were both elevated to the positions of Earth Drake Grand Marshals, while High Priest Sun Xing was promoted to the new title of Sky Drake Archpriest. Wang Er, Zhao Wu, and Sun Liu were all currently stationed at the fortress.
With this lineup, the defensive capabilities were already quite formidable. Now, with the addition of an Elven King, even if the Empire initiated unforeseen actions, the current defenses of the Bloody Fortress would still be more than enough to withstand any assault. This allowed the Great Demon King to remain comfortably within the safety of the castle.
Upon her arrival at the Bloody Fortress, Nancilia was assigned by the Fortress Commander, Long Yi, to the position of a Mage Overseer. Her primary responsibility was to safeguard the core regions of the fortress.
On her first day on the job, the Elven King received an unusual report from Sun Liu: "Commander, our scouts have discovered traces of gargoyles nearby."
"Gargoyles?" Nancilia questioned in confusion, "How could there be gargoyles here? There shouldn't be such creatures like gargoyles in this vicinity."
Long Yi's gaze narrowed slightly as he responded, "Unusual occurrences always have a reason. Prepare everyone and be cautious of a possible preemptive enemy attack."
Wang Er, Zhao Wu, and Sun Liu immediately nodded in agreement, "Understood."
Nancilia, on the other hand, found herself thinking that an enemy attack might not be such a bad thing after all. It would provide an opportunity for her to defeat the enemy and earn recognition. To her, encountering such a chance for accomplishment right after arriving was indeed a fortunate turn of events."