Online Game: I Started with Max Charisma and Caught the Goddess's Eye - Chapter 486 486: The Unpredictable Situation of the All-Beings Empire

After confirming that Andrew was indeed trustworthy, Luca focused entirely on listening to the conversation between Andrew and the unexpected military officer who had come to visit.

It didn’t take him long to gather quite a bit of useful information.

The officer’s name was Lucas. He served under the Crimson King and also happened to be a friend of Andrew’s.

Lucas had come to Riverbank City for one purpose—to recruit soldiers.

However, it was clear that Andrew had no intention of helping his friend with this matter.

“Riverbank City doesn’t have much of a population to begin with,” Andrew said stiffly. “And on top of that, the people here have no military training whatsoever. I don’t think you should be trying to recruit soldiers here.”

Lucas didn’t argue. Instead, he replied calmly,

“I have to recruit here. Because it’s simply impossible to recruit soldiers anywhere else.”

Both Andrew and Luca were taken aback by this statement.

Luca, in particular, was stunned. He had never expected the Crimson King’s situation to have become so desperate that he would send one of his own officers to a place as unsuitable for recruitment as Riverbank City.

If Lucas wasn’t lying, then the Crimson King must truly be under enormous pressure.

It seemed that the factions opposing the Crimson King had already gained a significant upper hand.

This realization gave Luca a headache.

He had originally hoped for the Crimson King to encounter some difficulties—just enough for Luca to offer assistance at the right time and thereby earn his trust.

But this… this was too much.

If the other three kings of the All-Beings Empire were truly united against the Crimson King, then no matter how much Luca helped him, victory would be impossible.

As these troubling thoughts churned in his mind, Andrew suddenly spoke up again.

“You’re lying!” he snapped. “The Crimson King may not control a vast territory, but his lands still include several traditional recruitment grounds.

Why not conscript soldiers from there? The people there would be far more suitable.”

As an adventurer, Andrew was extremely knowledgeable about the general situation of the Eternal Continent and its various regions.

The Crimson King’s main sphere of influence lay in three counties in the northwest of the All-Beings Empire, as well as six counties in the south.

The three counties in the northwest were sparsely populated and couldn’t possibly provide many soldiers.

But the six southern counties were a different story—densely populated and located along the borders, they were ideal for raising troops.

The six southern counties alone would be enough to raise a massive army.

Lucas stood there, silent for quite a while as he faced Andrew’s furious outburst, before finally giving his reply.

“His Majesty, the Crimson King, cannot conscript soldiers in the southern territories,” Lucas said at last. “He can’t even recall the armies stationed along the southern border.”

Andrew froze for a moment, a deeply puzzled expression spreading across his face.

“Why?” he asked instinctively.

Unlike Andrew, who was confused, Luca—hiding quietly inside the office—quickly pieced everything together. Based on the intelligence he had gathered earlier, he already understood the situation.

Although the Feather King and the Fire King had technically joined the Dragon King’s faction, neither of them had actually contributed much to the war effort. On the contrary, they seemed to be deliberately dragging out the civil war, stretching it as long as possible in order to maximize the losses on both sides—the Dragon King’s and the Crimson King’s alike.

Under such circumstances, the Feather King and the Fire King naturally didn’t want the Kingdom of Clinton or the Via Empire to take advantage of the chaos and launch an attack on the All-Beings Empire.

Because of this, neither the Dragon King nor the Crimson King dared to redeploy their border troops. They had no choice but to consider the “suggestions” of the Feather King and the Fire King.

This delicate balance eventually led to the current situation—a tense stalemate where both sides fought fiercely but avoided completely breaking ties, resulting in a volatile and unpredictable power struggle.

Once Luca understood everything, he immediately began crafting a detailed plan in his mind for his next moves.

To him, the All-Beings Empire’s chaotic and unpredictable situation wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it might work to his advantage. He could maneuver skillfully among the different factions, playing them against each other, and perhaps—if things went well—secure an unexpected and enormous victory for himself.

Just as he was lost in thought, Sophia’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

“I think this is a perfect opportunity for us,” she said softly. “The All-Beings Empire’s civil war won’t end anytime soon, and the Crimson King’s troubles are only just beginning. We have plenty of time to win his trust.”

Sophia’s thinking was very much aligned with Luca’s. She, too, intended to exploit the current chaos to gain the Crimson King’s confidence, and through him, locate the Goddess of the Night—Nyx.

And once they found Nyx, they might finally be able to uncover the true purpose of the Ancient Gods.

“Yes, we do have enough time to earn the Crimson King’s trust,” Luca replied cautiously, “but I don’t think the Dragon King will be that easy to deal with. We’ll need to make sure he loses to us at least once.”

There was a note of worry in his voice.

After all, the Dragon King and his son—the Black Dragon—were both incredibly powerful beings. Their combined strength far surpassed even that of the Crimson King.

This was also the fundamental reason why the Crimson King had fallen into such a massive disadvantage, given that the Feather King and the Fire King had contributed so little to the war.

Sophia fell silent.

She truly had no method of defeating the Dragon King and the Black Dragon.

However, she wasn’t discouraged. After all, she and Luca had faced countless crises together in the past, and no matter how desperate things had seemed, Luca had always managed to come up with a solution in the end.

While Luca and Sophia were communicating, Lucas was helping Andrew finally piece everything together.

Andrew suddenly had a moment of realization and said,

“I really didn’t think this through enough. I’m just an adventurer, after all, not some cunning schemer. The intrigues and power struggles between these great figures… they’re way beyond what I can comprehend.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a chair and sat down heavily.

Now that he understood Lucas’s explanation, Andrew had no intention of stopping him anymore.

“In that case,” he said after a pause, “go ahead and start your recruitment. But I have to remind you once again—there are very few people in Riverbank City who are actually fit to serve as soldiers.”

Andrew repeated the warning, partly out of concern for Lucas, who was, after all, his friend.

Lucas nodded.

“Of course, I understand. That’s why I came to you the moment I arrived in Riverbank City. You’re the head of the Adventurers’ Guild, and I was hoping you could persuade some of your guild’s adventurers to enlist in the Crimson King’s army.

Most adventurers have unique skills and talents. Even if they’re not seasoned fighters, they could still be of great value within His Majesty’s forces.”

At last, Lucas revealed his true intention.

But the moment he said this, Andrew shot to his feet, his expression hardening into an icy glare.

“Enough!” he barked. “I don’t want to hear another word about this! You can recruit all you want in Riverbank City, but I will never allow the adventurers of this guild to become soldiers!

An adventurer’s duty is to explore the unknown—not to march onto a battlefield and kill people! I’ve said all I need to say. You should leave. Now.”

Andrew’s tone was final, leaving no room for discussion.

Lucas opened his mouth but quickly closed it again, realizing there was no point in arguing further. Though he felt utterly helpless, he could clearly see the burning fury in Andrew’s eyes.

To avoid irreparably damaging their friendship, Lucas could only turn around and leave—for now.

But before leaving, Lucas turned back and left one final remark.

“I understand how you feel right now,” he said gravely, “but I also hope you can understand me. His Majesty, the Crimson King, is in a dire situation. I cannot afford to drag him down.

That’s why I must gather enough soldiers here in Riverbank City. And if, in the end, I can’t recruit enough men… I will have no choice but to forcibly take adventurers from your guild.”

Those words made Andrew’s anger boil over. His fists clenched tightly, and for a moment, he almost wanted to rush forward and unleash a furious tirade at Lucas.

But Lucas didn’t give him the chance. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left quickly, disappearing before Andrew could even respond.

Andrew stood alone in the grand hall, his jaw tight, his thoughts spinning rapidly.

After a brief silence, he suddenly straightened up and muttered under his breath,

“We can’t waste any more time… I have to get the adventurers out of here, now!”

He had already made up his mind: the members of the Adventurers’ Guild had to scatter and flee separately.

In his view, if they ran now, they would almost certainly succeed in escaping before the Crimson King’s forces tried to conscript them.

But just then, the door to the office swung open, and Luca stepped out with a calm, almost amused smile on his face.

“I overheard your entire conversation with Lucas,” he said casually. “I know exactly what he’s after—and, as it happens, his goals align perfectly with mine.”

Andrew slowly nodded, unsurprised. He had long known that Luca would find some way to involve himself in the All-Beings Empire’s internal power struggles.

“So what you’re saying,” Andrew asked cautiously, “is that you plan to join Lucas’s army? If that’s the case, I’ll call him back right now.”

He was already preparing to head out and track Lucas down when Luca stopped him with a raised hand.

“No need to rush,” Luca said calmly. “If you suddenly approach him now, it’ll only make him suspicious.

Let him fail first—when he realizes he can’t recruit enough soldiers here in Riverbank City, he’ll be forced to come back. That’s when I’ll step forward and volunteer to join his army. That way, everything will seem natural.

When the time comes, you can even put on an act, make it look as though you’re reluctant to let me go.”

Luca quickly laid out his plan, speaking with quiet confidence.

Andrew, after thinking it over, had no reason to object—and of course, he didn’t.

After all, Luca’s plan had resolved Andrew’s biggest crisis.

As long as Luca was willing to join Lucas’s army, the other adventurers under the control of the Adventurers’ Guild would remain safe.

“I understand!” Andrew said firmly. “I’ll follow your plan. And I’ll also provide you with some weapons. After all, you can’t exactly join the army empty-handed.”

Andrew truly was an exceptionally kind-hearted person.

Even though Luca had once threatened him, Andrew hadn’t held it against him. Now that Luca had helped him solve such a serious problem, Andrew felt it was only right to return the favor by offering him some of his most prized weapons.

“I knew working with you was the right decision,” Luca said with a faint smile, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Andrew.