“Gordon, keep your patience. No need to act like those short-lived breeds who live fast and die young, driven by their brief lifespans to rush things.”
Garoth reminded him seriously.
Iron Dragon Gordon promised, “I understand! I promise I’ll proceed steadily and won’t be reckless! Garoth, you know best. Compared to that hot-air iron dragon Sorog, and compared to that show-off Samantha... I’m far more steady and reliable than they are!”
His tone brimd with self-assured pride.
“By the way—”
Garoth shifted his tone and asked, “How are things between you and the Crystal Princess right now?”
The Crystal Princess he referred to was naturally the Lothrian Princess who doted on Gordon—Elina.
Her formal title, Crystal Princess, ca from the grand coming-of-age ceremony when the old king lavishly gifted her a rare vein of magically saturated crystals as her personal estate. That generous present made headlines across the entire kingdom at the ti.
“Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!”
Gordon’s voice shot up instantly, filled with unabashed vanity. “She’s as obsessed with as ever! My glossy scales, my elegant posture... oh, and of course my ‘wisdom’—they all fascinate her deeply!”
The iron dragon luxuriated in his own self-admiring recounting.
Obsessed...?
At the other end of the ntal link, the red iron dragon held deep doubts about that claim.
He knew this brother of his all too well—perhaps because of what he lacked, Gordon habitually padded and exaggerated his own charms whenever he described himself; it was almost instinctive.
But regardless.
The fact that Princess Elina kept this ravenous, burly iron dragon so well-fed and sleek-scaled within the royal court showed that her material generosity must be extraordinarily lavish and without stinginess.
After a mont’s thought, Garoth decided to douse his fantasy-imrsed brother with a splash of sober reality.
“Gordon, be clear-headed.”
He warned in a low voice: “As far as I know, Crystal Princess Elina is already over thirty years old.”
“A princess of her rank and past marriageable age would, under normal human royal customs and political needs, have long since been wed into so powerful noble family that controls significant military forces and high office.”
“She might be married off to a battle-proven general to secure the army’s loyalty, or... used as a diplomatic pawn by being married into another strong kingdom or duchy to cent alliances and weave a network of interests.”
“Are you sure that, given her status, she can always stay aloof and resist all pressure, purely for her infatuation with... well, you—this peculiar dragon of yours?”
Evidently, Iron Dragon Gordon had not been completely oblivious to this issue.
He responded imdiately: “Hey, don’t worry about that, Garoth. A few years ago, Elina did tell about those annoying matters.”
Gordon’s tone sounded rather relaxed, as if unconcerned.
“She’s naturally obsessed with exploring arcane truths. Even in her youth she used that reasoning to politely refuse countless noble suitors. These days she enjoys the favor and blessing of the Mistral Sanctuary, her resolve is rock-steady; she has vowed to dedicate her life without reservation to the temple of magic and to the Lothrian Kingdom she loves.”
The Mistral Sanctuary, referred to by devotees as the Mistral Church, is more widely known across the world of Bernardo as the Magic Goddess’ Ecclesia.
Although the planet Bernardo has developed an advanced alchemical-industrial civilization dominated by steel and tal, with legendary, powerful lifeforms frequently appearing and even a few supre beings who touch the limits of material power, faith and worship of the transcendent deities have never truly vanished from this world.
Whether it is the Mistral Sanctuary that symbolizes the source of magic, the Dawn Ecclesia that represents hope and light, or the Scales Temple that governs balance and covenants... these faiths have always occupied an indelible, prominent role in the river of history and the map of power.
Most kings are not opposed to ecclesiastical power.
On the contrary.
The majority of rulers wisely accept religious authority, and so even establish a specific church as the state religion.
They are calculating and pragmatic: depending on circumstances, they may choose to secretly curb a church’s influence or to strongly support its expansion.
This complicated dance with divine power often brings unexpected stability and reinforcent to a monarch’s rule.
Garoth thought in silence for a few seconds, then made his decision and said:
“Gordon, the ti has co. You can cautiously start hinting to Crystal Princess Elina about the Ignas Dragon Cluster’s upcoming moves. Don’t reveal everything—just imply that you have several powerful kin who have lain dormant for years, who are fully prepared and about to formally march into that vast, opportunity-filled wilderness.”
Although the Lothrian Kingdom itself had not yet officially entered the conflict, the vassal Duchy of Harthale and the Duchy of Abbe—acting as a lever for the Kingdom of Rybos—had long been at war, and both already had nurous resource strongpoints in the Ser Wilderness.
In a sense, the civil fires of the federation had been officially ignited.
This ant the Molten Iron Tribe, which had spent years accumulating strength and honing its claws in the shadows, could finally reveal its hidden fangs and move to seize the resource-rich, unclaid wastelands.
It was uncertain how long dukedom-versus-dukedom fighting would last.
They needed to establish solid camps, secure robust strongholds, outposts, and foundations in the wilderness before the war escalated to the point where the larger kingdoms would step in bare-chested and set the land ablaze with much fiercer battles.
They had to cent their foothold there.
Wait calmly for more violent, roaring flas to erupt.
Under this strategic plan,
Garoth hoped to form an initial cooperative understanding with the shrewd and influential Crystal Princess.
If successful, at the very least he would gain a solid logistical backer—the crystal vein in the princess’s custody wasn’t rely a sparkling ornant; the crystals were precious magical energy sources.
Furthermore,
there might be a chance to secure supplies of black oil crystals—those solidified black oil formations that represent a higher-grade energy form—resources essential for rapid advancent in life level.
“Alright! I can’t wait!”
Gordon answered excitedly.
Just imagining the scene:
his powerful kin carving out realms and reigning supre across the chaotic expanse of the Ser Wilderness.
Even though Gordon himself still remained in the opulent but treacherous royal court of the federation... the thought that his contributions would be an irreplaceable part of the Ignas Dragon Cluster’s grand dominion, achieved deep within enemy territory, made him hum a little and puff out his chest with imnse pride.
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