Ti flies, and the stars shift endlessly.
Eight years have howled past in the monsoon winds of the Ser Wilderness. The trade routes have been repeatedly washed away by the rainy seasons and cracked under the blazing sun. The convergence lands have also been invaded several tis by cold waves moving southward, with frost plowing the earth like sharp blades, making the permafrost even harder.
At the sa ti, the Lothrian Kingdom in the south is undergoing a dramatic upheaval, with dark currents surging beneath the surface.
As the core of the southern federated states, the Lothrian Kingdom’s palace gleams with gold and marble. Golden vines coil around marble pillars, and crystal chandeliers scatter light like precious gems.
Within this luxurious hall, the young iron dragon Gordon enjoys a life far more lavish than ordinary nobles.
He is first and foremost the princess’s playmate, and also a top-tier magical beast—a powerful dragon. Unlike other fierce and savage evil dragons, he has a pleasant personality and is very popular in the court.
Nobles compete to invite Gordon to their banquets, proud to share a table with him.
When the Lothrian Kingdom holds its regular magical beast gladiator gas, Gordon often attends as a special guest. Occasionally, he even personally steps into the arena to “coach” contestants, delivering spectacular matches that win countless cheers and applause.
At this mont, Gordon has just finished his young adult dragon’s dragon sleep and awoken from his comfortable bed.
Gordon’s bed is not a traditional dragon’s hoard of treasures but a giant dragon couch carved from ancient dry wood by elven artisans, filled with velvet and magical feathers to ensure supre comfort.
Moreover, his entire bedchamber, including his dragon body, is cleaned daily by dedicated attendants, so even after years of slumber, his scales remain spotless.
Also, the prolonged dragon sleep has helped Gordon digest accumulated fat energy, restoring his body to the normal iron dragon form, though he is several tis larger than an average young adult dragon.
His growth environnt has been exceptionally good.
Gordon stretched his body, the scales clinking crisply against each other.
He then looked down.
Oh, heavens! For the first ti in a long while, he could see his hind feet instead of having his entire vision filled with his huge belly.
“I swear by my dragon honor, I will control my appetite from now on, diet and lose weight, beco a majestic iron dragon instead of a fat dragon.”
Gordon resolved firmly in his mind.
Suddenly, his stomach rumbled like thunder.
Gordon’s dragon face wrinkled; the emptiness inside made him uncomfortable.
“I just woke up and need nutrition and energy. Besides, I’m not fat now, so it’s not ti to diet yet. Let’s eat first.”
The iron dragon curled his tail around a small, exquisite bell and gently shook it.
The clear, ringing sound echoed out.
Soon, attendants pushed carts loaded with all kinds of food into Gordon’s exclusive chamber.
In front of Gordon were roasted whole beef, cheese-lted beast at steaks, deep-sea giant squid tentacles, and other main dishes.
There were also desserts and drinks like honey crystal towers, frost berry jellies, and volcanic lava wine (a mix of lava essence and dwarf strong liquor).
The frost berry jelly, transported from the northern ice plains, was preserved with magic to ensure every bite tasted as fresh as if just made.
After the first bite, Gordon could no longer control his appetite.
Starved for so long, he devoured the food like a whirlwind, sweeping away every last morsel. Only when his belly swelled to the point of bursting did he stop, still feeling sowhat unsatisfied.
“Where’s my Moonlight Dew?”
Gordon called to an attendant, saying, “Bring a bucket of Moonlight Dew.”
Moonlight Dew is a magical nectar brewed by elves using special thods. It is extrely expensive, known as liquid gold, packed with abundant energy, and most importantly, tastes exquisitely delightful. It is Gordon’s favorite drink.
Before the attendant could respond, the chamber door was pushed open again.
Princess Elina walked in, her hair pinned with a crystal hairpin, dressed in an exquisite gauze dress.
“You’re awake.”
She said.
Gordon had been asleep for nearly seven years.
Princess Elina’s appearance had not changed much compared to seven years ago. Her face was still flawless and fair, her skin as delicate as milk, with not a wrinkle in sight. Her voice remained as light and lodious as a lark’s.
However,
her gaze, her expression, and her deanor
held a hint of maturity and sorrow, no longer the innocence of a young girl.
“Elina, look at now. I’m mighty and fierce again. Look at my scales, my claws, and my tail.”
The iron dragon said excitedly.
He was slow to notice the changes in the princess.
Looking at the iron dragon, who was showing off different poses with his round belly sticking out, Elina giggled like a blooming flower, as if she had returned to carefree days of the past.
She sat beside the iron dragon, leaning against him.
The iron dragon tightly closed his scales to avoid cutting Elina with their sharp edges and curled his tail around her waist, lightly tightening it instinctively.
In dragon body language, this was a sign of possession.
Unbeknownst to when, Gordon’s feelings toward Elina had shifted from simple playmate to an indescribable possessiveness.
“I want to drink Moonlight Dew.”
The iron dragon’s appetite outweighed all other desires, and he could not stop thinking about it.
He had assud saying it aloud would bring him the Moonlight Dew, but unexpectedly, Elina looked troubled. “Sorry, Gordon. Moonlight Dew is too expensive. I can’t afford it right now.”
Gordon was slightly stunned.
Expensive? In his impression, such a word should not exist in Elina’s vocabulary.
Elina quietly explained, “The royal family is leading the charge to cut expenses. Even us princesses and princes are not exempt. Our monthly provisions are gradually decreasing.”
“Cut expenses? Why?”
Gordon asked in surprise.
The Lothrian Kingdom is the core of the federation, enjoying countless tributes and massive resources. It is the strongest and wealthiest kingdom in the federation.
The royal family is always extravagant, and the treasury’s wealth is nearly limitless.
Cutting expenses? That made no sense.
Elina sighed and could not help but confide.
Lowering her voice, she said, “Not long ago, the Holy King’s breakthrough failed, and he died. Although the royal family imdiately sealed off the news, the unusual phenona when the Holy King fell could not be hidden from so powerful eyes and ears. Sooner or later, it will be known by all.”
Gordon’s eyes widened in shock.
The Holy King, fully titled the Lothrian Holy King,
also had a more widely known identity.
He rose eight hundred years ago, leading the Lothrian Kingdom to sweep across the southern nations and establish the federation’s overlordship.
The Lothrian Holy King was a dazzling talent, excelling in both magic and martial arts, a top human genius who began a legendary path before age thirty and continued to advance ever further along that path.
However, this could not change the fundantal brevity of his life.
Unless he abandoned his human identity and achieved immortality through transformations into undead or elental lifeforms, the legendary human lifespan could hardly surpass a thousand years. After his peak, he would gradually weaken.
Transforming into other lifeforms would affect his thinking.
The Lothrian Holy King always maintained his human identity and pondered how to achieve eternal life while preserving his human mind and identity.
For this purpose, when he was five hundred years old, he secluded himself to research immortality spells, no longer appearing publicly and gradually retreating to the shadows.
Yet all nations knew of the Holy King’s strength.
Though he had been in seclusion for centuries, his reputation remained a sword hanging overhead, preventing other nations from reckless actions and maintaining the federation’s surface peace and prosperity.
However,
under the support of this towering pillar, the Lothrian Kingdom, this towering tree, was gradually rotting.
The current royal family was no longer glorious.
The reigning king indulged in pleasure, and even with all the nation’s resources piled up, he failed to reach the legendary realm and was now old and frail. The princes and princesses were all incapable of bearing great responsibilities. The royal bloodline’s talents seed to fade with ti. Eight centuries of peace made the kingdom’s systems bloated and sluggish. The vested interest groups tightly controlled resource distribution, and true talent lacked promotion channels.
Now,
with the Holy King fallen,
the nations remain obedient, but beneath the calm surface lurk dark currents powerful enough to tear the federation apart.
The Lothrian Kingdom feels threatened and has begun to shift resources toward the military, even cutting royal expenses.
But no one can say when the war will co.
When it does, the vast Lothrian Federation may collapse.
Elina’s words were like a key that clicked open the iron dragon’s long-dormant instincts.
Details about border skirmishes, financial deficits, and noble infighting automatically reorganized in his uniquely strategic military mind into a map of blazing war.
The light from the royal crystal chandeliers turned into flas of impending battle in his eyes.
He sensed the storm brewing, the great house about to topple. His spikes bristled slightly, and his scales shimred with a cold, tallic warlike glow.
Even a once-mighty magical empire cannot last forever. The dragons who once ruled the world have now beco magical beasts... So glorious nas have beco dust in history.
Now it was his turn to witness the sinking of the Lothrian ship firsthand.
The rise and fall seed an inescapable law.
The Lothrian Kingdom had passed its peak and was declining. It might soon be carved up by other kingdoms unless another figure like the Holy King descended from the heavens. Otherwise, the process was irreversible.
Realizing this, the glittering palace beca a cage full of crisis in the iron dragon’s eyes.
In contrast, the Ser Wilderness, where he was born,
would be where dragons could find calm amid chaos when the southern nations stirred storms and lost order. During federation turmoil or even division, dragons living in the wilderness could rise opportunistically.
After careful thought,
the iron dragon Gordon stretched his neck and pressed his head close to the human princess.
“Elina.”
His vertical pupils contracted into thin slits as he gazed at the seemingly calm clouds outside. For the first ti, he spoke seriously. “The crown will beco a noose, and the ceremonial robes will turn into burial shrouds.”
“Lothrian now is like a castle in the air, ready to collapse at any mont.”
Pausing, he solemnly said, “Co with . Let’s leave the royal court and go to the wilderness.”
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