The Earthen Kingdom was right between the Humane Kingdom and the Aureate Kingdom, and it was the strongest kingdom among the three as well. Furthermore, the Earthen Kingdom had the most fertile lands in the uncommon region.
Even the Aureate Kingdom of Green Goblin, which had an allied relationship with the Earthen Kingdom, didn't dare to court the Earthen Kingdom's lands. The reason is extremely simple; strength!
Not only the Hob Trolls were physically stronger than any intelligent race present in the uncommon region, but they also had 15 B-Rank mercenaries as well as their Army Marshal was titled the as the strongest warrior of the uncommon region.
That's why no one dares to mess with the Earthen Kingdom, especially the Humane Kingdom, which was the weakest of the three and had a poor history in comparison to these two kingdoms.
The Earthen City was the capital city of the Earthen Kingdom, surrounded by thick, towering walls.
The Earthen Castle was the most eye-catching structure of the entire city, and it could be seen from the city gates.
Inside an office in the royal castle,
A burly hob troll in lavishing clothes was currently kneeling in front of two sitting-capped persons.
"Tsk, so, you were living in this lavishing castle uncovered all these years?" A melodious voice clicked her tongue with envy.
The hob troll quickly answered, "It was all because of the organization. Without them, I would still be a beggar." His voice was filled with gratitude.
"Hmph. Yet, you still failed to protect our cause!" A deep voice coldly retorted.
The hob troll kept his head low and replied, "I won't deny it, and I'm ready to receive the death plenty." His voice didn't waver when he said those words.
"Hehe, look who's talking about failing." The woman behind the cape cackled.
The man couldn't help but gnashed his teeth when he heard this and refuted, "We both know who is the expert in tracking here. So, don't even think about going there!"
"Tsk, tsk, if only I could eat you." The woman clicked her tongue in annoyance.
The hob troll was speechless by this strange exchange between these two terrifying existences. But he kept his mouth shut and pretend as if he was a statue.
The man took to a deep breath to calm himself down and looked at the hob troll, and sternly said, "Although the organization didn't hold you accountable for what happened last time. But a failure is still a failure, and if this happened again, I let her eat you, and trust me, she didn't even leave bones!"
"Hey! Bones are rather tasty and crispy, don't make them sound so bad!" the woman instantly rebutted.
A chill run down the hob troll's spine when he heard those words and quickly nodded in acknowledgment.
"Stop interrupting me!" The man was vexed, "Tell me, how long will it take for Cannibal Plan to enter the initial phase?"
The hob troll thought for a moment before he replied, "After our last success, it would only take about 3 to 4 fourth months to make another cannibal. But we required a huge supply of human blood, which is the most crucial ingredient of the Cannibal Formula.
"Without human blood, the Cannibal won't have any growth potential, and from our research. The stronger a human, the more potential a Cannibal has. The previous one was killed by that hidden expert. It was made with C-rank humans' blood, and its potential was of a rarer species while it was born as a rare species."
"Interesting." The man sounded intrigued, "Is the Human you speak of the uncommon race which had the secret enzyme the organization has been searching for all these years?"
"Yes. Although humans are considered uncommon without any special traits or abilities. But they're like a clean slate, and if they had means they can grow and adapt extremely fast. I had yet to see the extent of their bloodline. That's why the organization even bothered to enter this kind of place." The hob troll answered truthfully.
"Heh, just some primitives who had some shit luck to catch the attention of our organization. If not for that enzyme, they might be already extinct by you guys." The man sneered coldly.
The hob troll didn't retort since it was the truth.
"Just start the mass production. Since we're here, there's no need to hesitate any longer. The uncommon region is our sanctuary, and it's time to utilize it." The man coldly ordered.
The hob troll hesitated for a moment before he timidly said, "What about the three hegemonies? If we start a mass slaughter, those humans in the three hegemonies won't stay still.
"Especially the Black Knight Order and their Marshal, who is a Reserve Nightmare Knight. Milords already know about the antics of the Zodiac Warriors Alliance. Those guys are always looking for a platform to show off their Fighter Manuals prestige."
The capped man seemed to expect this and chuckled darkly, "That group of lunatics are really akin to a hornet nest. But they would only involve themselves if they found a higher being's traces. If it's just an infight between locals, they won't care even if we slaughter some low levels seeds and a talentless reserve."
"You mean?" The hob troll's eyes shimmered in astonishment.
"Heh, start an all-out war with the humans." The woman giggled with a hint of excitement.
The hob troll's lips curled slightly as a hint of ecstasy flashed past his eyes. "I'll arrange it right away. The Army Marshal is already our slave. It would only take a week to arrange the armies."
"Good, we'll be hiding in the dark, and if someone dares to interfere, we'll deal with them, but don't even think for a second that we are your personal bodyguards. If you were killed by some primitives, this will prove your incompetence and someone will replace you!" The capped man coldly warned.
The hob troll wasn't the least bit discouraged by this. He knew better than anyone that only an A rank can threaten him in the uncommon region.
"I understand." The hob troll solemnly nodded.
Suddenly, a panicked voice rang from the outside. "Prime Minister, someone had plundered one of our warehouses of the Titan Iron!"
"What?" The hob troll was astonished by this sudden news.
He knew those titan iron warehouses were the Earthen Kingdom's lifeline, and they were heavily guarded. Furthermore, no one would be foolish enough to raid the Earthen Kingdom unless they lost their minds.
But it seemed someone does lose their mind.
The capped individuals couldn't help but look at each other at this moment.
"Call him inside." The man suddenly commanded.
The hob troll was confused by this sudden command, but he still does as he was told, "Come in."
A hob troll in white robes entered the office with a face full of panic.
He was about to say something when he saw the two capped persons sitting on the side. He shut his mouth. Furthermore, he can tell this kind of information in front of outsiders.
"How much Titan Iron was stolen?" The capped man asked at this moment with a hint of uncertainty.
"Answer him without hiding anything." The hob troll coldly commanded as he was now sitting in his usual position.
After the hob troll got the confirmation, he quickly replied, "The whole warehouse was emptied. There was over 250 KG titan iron, and it was gone in a single night without any traces!"
"It seemed those bandits are becoming bolder and bolder since we ignored them for long." The Prime Minister coldly uttered.
"Do you think it's the same fish who got away?" The woman in the cape suddenly questioned her companion.
"There's a fifty percent chance it's the same bastard who stole the formula and also killed that Rogue Skull. The key ingredient is titan iron as well. If it's him, then he made it easier for us by coming here.
"We were told that the Cannibal Plan progress would be much smoother with Titan Tears and ordered to bring it here in the first place since they had a titan iron ore lode." The man solemnly stated.
The prime minister was baffled by this strange conversation as well as the other troll.
"How many Titan Iron do you guys have in the warehouse, and where is the lode?" The man suddenly questioned sharply.
The young hob troll was stumped by this question because it was a national secret, and no one would tell this. Only the royal family and some upper echelons of the earthen kingdom know about this information.
Even the location of the warehouses was a secret, and this could be said to be a terrible coincidence.
However, the young hob troll was gobsmacked when the Prime Minister spilled the beans.
"There are 33 warehouses, now 32, I guess. The lode is a few miles away, deep within the forbidden forest. Why Milords are so interested in uncommon titan iron? Is there anything I should know?" He couldn't help but question.
This time the woman replied playfully, "It's just a slippery fish who got away before. Collect every piece of titan iron in the mine. We'll be living in that place from now on!"
