In the culture of the Dragon Race, when Galos introduces himself to other dragons,
his more formal na would be:
—— Galos Ignas.
The true nas of dragons are very long, and during formal introductions, the middle na is often omitted, leaving just the beginning and the end combined.
Iron Dragon Solrog shares the sa ancient surna as Galos, and similar blood flows within them.
He is four years older than Galos.
When Galos was two, the six-year-old Solrog was expelled from the territory by the Iron Dragon Lady.
Among the siblings,
Galos thought that besides himself, the smartest was Iron Dragon Solrog.
From a young age, Solrog understood psychological manipulation, constantly using words to suppress Galos, making him follow Solrog, even trying to secretly lure Galos when he was banished, attempting to lead him away from the protection of the Iron Dragon Lady and survive with him in the wilderness.
He tried the ’Dragon Taming Technique’ from the Iron Dragon heritage on Galos.
To forge the grand dream of the Dragon Empire, he used Galos as the first practice target.
In addition to verbal suppression, he would also offer inducents, such as pretending that the shiny stones he dug up from the sand were magic gemstones to tempt Galos or making empty promises.
The idea was good.
However.
Although he was much smarter than Samantha and Gordon, at the ti, he was ultimately just a young dragon, and his small tricks and little plots were completely insufficient in front of Galos.
Solrog was keen on winning over Galos, wanting Galos to follow him.
But no matter what thod he used, he only ended up exchanging for Galos a look that regarded him as an idiot.
After a few seconds of silence.
Galos blinked and looked northward towards the Quenching Highlands.
"Could this King of Iron be Solrog?"
He murmured to himself.
Although he couldn’t fully determine,
the sa title and a young iron dragon identity appearing at the sa ti made it ninety percent likely to be Solrog.
"If it’s Solrog, that would be interesting."
Galos vaguely rembered the words Solrog left behind when he was expelled by the Iron Dragon Lady, trying to lure Galos into wilderness survival with him, and Galos firmly refused.
"Galos! My foolish, pitiful, and weak brother!"
"Should you miraculously survive and stand before ,"
"When you and I et again, you will find the great King of Iron’s wings covering the sky."
"By then, you will humbly plead, yearning to follow the great King of Iron, and I will ruthlessly, coldly, and cruelly reject you! Making you regret your decision today!"
Thinking of these words.
Galos looked down at his own body, stronger than a Red Dragon, the muscle lines clearly visible through his scale armor, and his wings, vast and impressive like peerless weapons.
The Red Iron Dragon couldn’t help but spread a pleasant smile.
He was sowhat anticipating Solrog’s reaction upon seeing him, assured it would be quite a sight.
Galos suppresses negative emotions that could affect his judgnts; however, he is not a machine, nor does he possess a character devoid of desires. He has a bit of vanity, sotis wanting to show off and experience a thrill of pleasure from the astonished gazes of other dragons.
"In any case, let’s first confirm the identity of the King of Iron."
Galos further questioned the Jackal-Wolf Folk, Haken, confirming more and more that this King of Iron was his long-lost brother, Solrog.
"My master! Ugo as your vanguard is willing to fight for you!"
"Even if the opponent is a formidable Dragon Race, as long as you order the fight, Ugo will not feel any fear!"
Ogre Ugo urgently expressed his loyalty.
Galos leisurely waved a claw, saying with amusent, "Don’t rush; I need to confirm sothing first."
He said to Ugo, "Do not make any rash moves, stay in the camp and prepare to support the main forces of the Bone-Chewing Warband."
The ogre nodded heavily.
Soon after, Galos grabbed the Jackal-Wolf scout leader, flapped his wings, and soared into the sky, heading north of the Quenching Highlands under the cover of nightti.
The dragon’s shadow soon swept across the cliff’s boundary, flying back dozens of kiloters, and after passing through the dense jungle, Galos gazed into the distance, seeing a large river andering across the land, dividing the ground in two with its vastness.
The Estonian River.
It practically traversed the entire Sel Wilderness, serving as the main source of water for the area, with several rivers in Galos’ territory being its branches.
The Thousand Snake Mark was a land trade route.
The Estonian River, however, was a waterway, frequently used by rchant caravans more than the land-based Thousand Snake Mark.
Many important river nodes had dams with heavy guards defending them.
Galos shook his claw, waking the Jackal-Wolf who had fainted from fear of heights.
"Ah! So high!"
The Jackal-Wolf tucked its tail, let out a sharp cry, and fainted again.
Considering Jackal-Wolves rarely surveyed from such heights, they might not be able to discern directions or locations, Galos circled briefly, then landed on a higher hilltop, waking the Jackal-Wolf once more.
Upon waking, the Jackal-Wolf attempted to scream.
Yet when eting the calm and profound gaze of the Red Iron Dragon, its voice got stuck in its throat, not daring to sound, causing its face to bloat as it coughed violently a few tis.
"Point out the direction of Shattered Stone Beach."
Galos said.
The trembling Jackal-Wolf extended a paw, then pointed to a tributary of the Estonian River.
"Here, there it is."
Galos lifted the Jackal-Wolf and flew high into the sky again, slowing his pace and quieting his breath as he headed in that direction.
Soon enough, he hovered between the clouds, lowering his gaze to observe.
A tributary about ten ters wide ca into view, with pebbled beaches lining both sides, where figures of Jackal-Wolf Folk and Kobolds could be seen, alongside scattered tents and campfires.
This was Shattered Stone Beach.
"Where is your lord’s lair?"
Galos woke the Jackal-Wolf again, asking.
"Underwater! The King of Iron loves staying at the riverbed!"
After saying that, the Jackal-Wolf fainted from fear of heights once more.
Loves staying at the riverbed?
Galos narrowed his eyes, scanning the river below.
The rushing water fragnted the moonlight, reflecting a yellowish tinge, sowhat murky, with many sedints below, but it seed otherwise unremarkable.
"I suspect it’s not for love, but to conceal himself, hiding in plain sight."
Galos thought.
What kind of iron dragon enjoys nesting at the river bottom? Iron dragons prefer dry, hot environnts and naturally dislike water, much like red dragons. Galos himself naturally disdains water. He knows that under normal circumstances, an iron dragon wouldn’t live underwater unless forced by conditions.
His gaze swept over the Jackal-Wolf Folk and the Kobolds, totaling no more than five hundred.
Galos sniffed the air.
Although he hadn’t seen the King of Iron in person, he could confirm that the other party was his brother Solrog. Dragons are incredibly sensitive to the scent of other dragons, and he could detect a faint, familiar sll in the air.
Because of the water and distance, the scent was barely there.
Under regular circumstances, passing by, Galos wouldn’t take note, possibly not even notice.
But once he was sure there was an iron dragon here, and cald himself to sense and sll, he quickly captured the scent of the iron dragon.
Without a doubt, it was Solrog’s.
Without imdiately landing to et Solrog, Galos’ eyes glinted with other thoughts as he returned to the Quenching Highlands.
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