They expanded their nation's strength and influence through proxy wars. This was also the reason why the Contention Zone had never been unified over so many years.
Or rather, both the Asura Kingdom and the Wang Long Kingdom were well aware that neither could truly rule this region, so they intentionally kept the nations here divided. If a powerful force showed any tendency to unify the Contention Zone, the factions supported by both nations would simultaneously attack that newly rising power to maintain the division of the Contention Zone.
The Asura Kingdom could not directly rule this area because of the existence of the Red Dragons Jaw. The Wang Long Kingdom, on the other hand, was too far away, separated by three small countries—Xilong, Kika, and Sanakya—making it difficult to exert influence.
Only if the Wang Long Kingdom unified those three small nations would its reach extend to the Contention Zone.
Only a unified nation would bring peace and tranquility to the people here.
The Contention Zone actually had a faction with a very transcendent status: the Millis Church's Teaching Knights.
The so-called Teaching Knights were mercenary units that sent young knights to the Contention Zone to gain war experience, while also being responsible for spreading the doctrines of the Millis Religion throughout the world.
This unit held great influence in the Contention Zone, and they remained detached, not participating in any factional conflicts. They were only responsible for spreading the doctrines of the Millis Religion locally.
Because of the power of Millis, neither the Asura Kingdom nor the Wang Long Kingdom would try to obstruct them. This made them my greatest reliance for finding people in the Contention Zone this time.
After all, I couldn't personally go from one country to another in the Contention Zone searching for people. Getting caught up in one war would be manageable. If I were frequently involved in wars, my strength as a King-level Magician would be exposed.
Then the entire Contention Zone would surround me. After all, a King-level Magician who cannot join their own nation absolutely cannot be allowed to join another. It would be simpler to just kill him.
Therefore, after entering the Contention Zone, I rarely used magic. Eris and I handled the monsters, bandits, and small groups of irregular soldiers we encountered mostly with Eris taking the lead.
When necessary, I would use my meteorite sword to help out, appearing like a Swordsman. This kept us very safe.
Thus, we arrived at the first major city in the Contention Zone, Rars City.
Rars City currently belonged to a nation called Hilton, but this city had changed hands many times in history. The local residents were accustomed to rulers changing at any moment, and every household kept several national flags ready to be raised when necessary.
After arriving at Rars City and taking a brief rest, Eris and I headed to the largest Millis Church in the area.
I must say, the Millis Religion thrived in the Contention Zone. After all, people whose lives are in constant danger are more likely to place their spiritual reliance on faith.
Furthermore, believing in the Millis Religion had significant benefits. When encountering looting by irregular soldiers, revealing one's faith often scared away the more timid soldiers, and at worst, prevented one from becoming a slave.
So, the Millis Churches locally were built even more grandly than those in ordinary Asura cities, and there were more people praying inside the churches.
After waiting in a long line for about 30 minutes, I entered the confessional. Without much fuss, I handed the certificate for my deposit in the Millis Bank to the priest on the other side of the confessional.
After a brief silence, the door opened, and I was led into another quiet room.
Eris seemed to be visiting a Millis Church for the first time; she appeared a bit restless beside me. I held her hand, and after a moment, she squeezed mine back, seemingly having regained her composure.
After a while, a Bishop wearing an elaborate white clerical robe entered the room.
After exchanging greetings, I stated the reason for my visit:
'I haven't come here to withdraw money. I believe you already have my information. My purpose here is to search for my uncle and aunt who were accidentally transported to this region due to a magical disaster in the Contention Zone.'
'Oh, based on the information we checked, neither you nor your aunt and uncle are Millis followers, right? Do you intend to convert to the Millis Religion?'
'Haha, you jest. My family and I will not be converting to the Millis Religion for the time being. I can use the amount in my deposit to pay the reward for this search.'
'Very well, poor lost sheep. May you soon find your way back and enter the embrace of Holy Millis.'
After briefly describing the physical and outward characteristics of Philip Boryas Grelart and Hilda Boryas Grelart, I remembered something else.
'Oh, right, there is one more person. That person is a Beastman, the Black Wolf Sword King Ghislaine Dedoldia. If you find any information about her, you can also tell me. I will pay the same price for her information.'
'We agree. The search fee for Philip Boryas Grelart and Hilda Boryas Grelart is 1000 gold coins per person. We will mobilize the entire Teaching Knights of the Contention Zone to search. If the result is that they are already dead or we cannot find specific information about them, you will need to pay 200 gold coins per person.
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