Under the vast sky of the Broadly Fertile Plain, dragons of various shapes stretched their wings and soared freely.
Leticia, the iron dragon who had already entered her pri phase, was also among the dragon cluster.
She flapped her iron-gray, tallic-feeling dragon wings, circling and skimming at low altitude, her gaze lowered to watch the orderly, bustling construction scene unfolding on the earth below.
Finally, her gaze shifted to the red iron dragon who was conversing in a low voice with Sorog.
That massive, imposing, and robust body, even for her, his birth mother, evoked an indescribable sense of awe from deep within.
Who could have imagined that a dragon possessing such a formidable physique was actually an adult dragon who had not yet undergone the baptism of a hibernation period?
By the most generous count, Garoth was still less than one hundred and ten years old.
In the long lifespan of dragonkind, this was considered extrely young.
Yet, at such a young age, he had already reached the threshold of establishing a kingdom of his own and was about to accomplish this monuntal feat.
Now, the entire Ser Wilderness was already under the shadow of this red iron dragon's majesty and power.
Her territory within the wilderness had thus beco sowhat ambiguous in status.
It was not entirely within the direct jurisdiction of the Molten Iron Tribe, yet no one had ever dared to disturb her peace. The Molten Iron Tribe had even preserved a rather decent royal territory centered around her Sky Pit nest for her.
Leticia understood clearly in her heart that this was the red iron dragon's special favor toward her, his mother.
Clearly, Garoth's attitude toward his parents was completely different from those ordinary, cold-blooded evil dragons who viewed kinship as aningless.
While not as intimate as the tal Dragons, he at least offered a degree of care and respect, never completely ignoring them, much less treating them as enemies.
"Gorthax... if his temperant had been a bit more normal, less paranoid and insane, perhaps he wouldn't have t his demise so early..."
She thought silently to herself, unable to suppress a voiceless sigh.
After pondering for a few short seconds, Leticia gathered her scattered thoughts, folded her wings, adjusted her direction, and descended toward the mountain peak where the red iron dragon stood.
The terrain here was rugged and narrow, feeling sowhat cramped for a dragon's form.
She employed her Transformation ability. A faint light shimred around her, and her massive draconic body rapidly contracted and changed, finally transforming into the image of a tall, slender human woman with a cool, aloof face. She retained the twin horns on her forehead and a nimble dragon tail behind her, serving as symbols of her draconic identity.
Finally, she landed directly in front of Garoth's enormous dragon head.
"Mother, good afternoon."
The colossal dragon slightly lowered his heavy head, gazing at the figure below that appeared exceptionally tiny, and offered a simple greeting.
Sorog beside him rely glanced over, his reaction indifferent.
Leticia looked up and said, "Garoth, my child, the one I am most proud of."
"You are about to beco the sole king of this wilderness. Your kingdom will rule over this vast land. This fills with imnse pride and a sense of shared honor."
She paused, her tone becoming more serious as she continued, "You have always preserved an independent territory for . I know this is a special favor you grant out of bloodline kinship."
"However, now that you are about to be crowned king and establish an orderly nation..."
"I can no longer so comfortably enjoy that transcendent favor. The kingdom's map perhaps also needs to fill in that final missing piece of the puzzle."
The expression on Garoth's scaled dragon face remained unchanged, but his gaze burned like torchlight.
"What do you wish to convey, Mother? State your thoughts directly."
Under his gaze, Leticia unconsciously took a deep breath, made up her mind, and then asked, "In the kingdom you are about to establish, can there be a place for ?"
"I am willing to relinquish my independent status and formally beco a part of it."
"I am willing to serve this nation as a lord, or in any capacity you deem suitable."
Hearing this, the red iron dragon's massive head nodded slightly up and down in an affirmative gesture.
"You proposed this idea later than I anticipated," he said.
Leticia tucked a strand of long hair blown astray by the wind behind her ear and stated frankly, "Before this... I still harbored a sliver of hope in my heart, believing that perhaps I could achieve sothing of my own with my own strength."
"But reality is cruel. The developnt speed of my territory is too slow, far too slow."
"Rather than struggling slowly alone, it's better to join you all and together build a grander, more powerful nation."
Sorog, who had been silent for a long ti beside them, now grinned, revealing a smile.
"Welco," he said proudly, his voice booming. "There is much for you to learn about our kingdom. When there is free ti later, I will be happy to explain it to you."
The iron dragon's dream had always been to establish a powerful, orderly nation led by dragonkind.
Any new dragon willing to join the kingdom was, in his eyes, a cause for joy and celebration. This had little to do with the other party's identity or whether they were kin.
After a brief exchange, Leticia perford her Transformation again, resuming her dragon form.
She beat her wings and returned to the sky, gazing down at the colossal capital city rising from the ground.
Sorog stretched his draconic body, preparing to go supervise the progress of various projects again.
However, before leaving, he had one more matter to handle.
He looked toward the red iron dragon and inquired, "Gordon has sent a connection request. Is there ti to respond now?"
Garoth's gaze remained fixed on the distance as he said, "Yes."
In the next mont, the Bloodline Connection was skillfully constructed by Sorog.
Gordon's voice, filled with excitent and urgency, imdiately echoed in the consciousness of both Garoth and Sorog.
"My dear brothers! Monuntally good news! I have officially received approval from the Lothrian royal court to attend your nation-founding ceremony as one of the kingdom's envoys!"
"Haha, a hundred years! A full hundred years!"
"I can finally return to that familiar wilderness, see you all with my own eyes, and feel that free wind again!"
Over these years, through the Bloodline Connection, Gordon had heard too many legendary stories about his kin's campaigns and developnt in the wilderness.
Now, finally having the chance to personally return to the wilderness, Gordon's excitent and anticipation had reached their peak, almost overflowing.
He cald his agitated emotions slightly, but his tone remained fervent as he said, "And I plan to take this opportunity to formally leave the Lothrian Kingdom, stay in the wilderness, fight side by side with you all, and never go back!"
Hearing this, Sorog imdiately lost his smile.
His tone beca serious and solemn as he said, "No, Gordon. Staying in the Lothrian Kingdom is more beneficial for our entire dragon cluster."
He understood Gordon's temperant; the latter didn't shoulder many substantial responsibilities in Lothrian.
However, as kin of the Ignas Dragon Cluster, his very presence in the Lothrian royal court was a symbol of friendly cooperation between the two sides, carrying a certain political significance.
Moreover, given Gordon's sowhat unreliable character, there weren't any important positions suitable for him back in the wilderness.
He was better off staying in Lothrian, acting as a mascot maintaining the relationship.
"No! I've truly had enough of Lothrian! The endless banquets and hypocritical pleasantries day after day! I want to return to the wilderness! I yearn for unbridled freedom! I crave battle!"
Gordon insisted stubbornly.
At that mont, the red iron dragon spoke. "Gordon, you can serve the dragon cluster better by staying in Lothrian."
He simply said this one sentence, offering no extra explanation or consolation.
Yet, strangely, after hearing Garoth speak personally, Gordon's originally agitated and stubborn attitude suddenly did a complete one-eighty.
"Alright! Since you say so, Garoth, then I am willing to continue staying in Lothrian, for the great cause of the dragon cluster!"
He said this almost without any hesitation.
The reason was also simple.
So ti ago, after experiencing certain events, Gordon had a vague realization in his heart, understanding that he probably wasn't so dragon destined by fate to achieve great deeds.
Clutching tightly to the leg of his increasingly unfathomable brother was perhaps the most correct choice.
The red iron dragon continued, "You can still co as an envoy from Lothrian. I look forward to our reunion after so many years apart."
Gordon imdiately grew excited again. "I look forward to it too! I will definitely prepare a generous gift!"
Finally, just before this communication was about to end, the red iron dragon's eyes narrowed slightly, as if rembering sothing, and he added, "Hmm, by the way, convey a ssage to the Crystal Princess for . Ask her if the Lothrian Kingdom's intelligence archives contain any detailed information or records regarding the 'Luckbringer' Alya."
So things were about ti to reach a clear conclusion.
At the sa ti.
Divine Kingdom of Theo, headquarters of the Far Regions Strategy Office.
Inside a study decorated with heavy oak wall panels and hanging with enormous military maps.
Marquis Marcus stood with his back to the door, motionless, before a massive map of the northern wilderness.
He held a glass of vintage red wine, crimson as blood and exceedingly valuable, yet he hadn't taken a single sip for a long ti, rely unconsciously swirling the crystal glass gently.
He stared at the map, muttering under his breath, "Molten Iron Kingdom, Ignas Dragon Court..."
Marquis Marcus's voice was very low, chewing over those nas, his tone filled with unconcealed displeasure and deep apprehension.
The Divine Kingdom of Theo was the human kingdom sharing the longest border with the northern wilderness.
For a long ti, relying on its powerful military strength and unique geographical advantages, the kingdom had held absolute initiative in extracting wilderness resources and maintaining border security and stability.
They were happy to see, and had always strived to maintain, a state of chaos in the wilderness that was overall controllable.
This state was most convenient for them to divide and co-opt wilderness creatures, extracting enormous profits from them, or diverting certain internal conflicts and pressures.
The previous setback in the wilderness had damaged the kingdom's prestige, but it was still within an acceptable range.
However, the imminent birth of a kingdom ruled by a red iron dragon in the northern borderlands completely changed the situation, instantly elevating it to a matter of high importance for the upper echelons of the Divine Kingdom of Theo.
A thorn in the side, a bone in the throat!
The position of the northern wilderness in the eyes of the Divine Kingdom of Theo was sowhat similar to the Permafrost Tundra in Garoth's eyes.
The establishnt of a wilderness kingdom was not good news for them.
This ant that the kingdom's entire long northern border would henceforth directly face a dragon kingdom with a highly centralized organization, unified will, and formidable war potential, instead of a scattered, disorganized, easily provoked collection of savage clans!
This ant that almost all of the kingdom's various strategies toward the wilderness would have to be scrapped and reworked.
Marquis Marcus genuinely did not wish to see this beco reality.
This wasn't just because of his personal grudge with that red iron dragon, but also for the future strategic security and interests of the sovereign kingdom he served.
However, the plan he had previously proposed at the royal council eting—to strike with thunderous force during the initial stages of its founding—had been explicitly vetoed by His Majesty the King himself.
The King believed that although the Divine Kingdom of Theo was destined to be neighbors with this erging wilderness kingdom, now was far from the appropriate ti to directly make an enemy of it and risk a full-scale conflict.
Furthermore, on this continent, forces or powerful individuals who disapproved of an evil dragon founding a nation certainly wouldn't be limited to Theo alone.
For now, the safest and most beneficial course for the kingdom's interests was to first observe coldly from the sidelines, let other forces test the waters, and ascertain the details of this dragon kingdom and the reactions of various parties.
"Doesn't this simply give the Molten Iron Kingdom ti to consolidate its rule and grow stronger?"
"...In my opinion, we should gather heavy forces and launch a direct war while the red iron dragon has just founded his nation, when his foundation is most fragile and unstable, and strangle him in his cradle."
"By then, even if he has backing from the dragon domains, those tal Dragons wouldn't easily stir up trouble for a dead evil dragon."
Marquis Marcus pondered internally, but in the end, it could only transform into a long sigh filled with helplessness.
When it ca to national policies of such magnitude, it was already far beyond his power to decide.
Just then, a faint sound of footsteps ca from outside the study's heavy oak door.
The rhythm was not that of any of his subordinates or attendants.
Imdiately after, without any announcent or permission from an attendant, the door was pushed open silently.
Marquis Marcus whirled around, a flash of offended anger instantly crossing his face. But when his sharp gaze clearly saw the uninvited intruder, that trace of anger was swiftly replaced by unprecedented gravity and wariness.
At the doorway stood two figures quietly, draped in inconspicuous gray cloaks.
Their forms were completely shrouded under large, plain cloaks, not a sliver of skin visible, making their specific appearance and age unclear. Yet, rely standing there, they naturally exuded a heavy, oppressive aura, making the air that had been flowing in the study seem to grow thick and stagnant.
Even the light from the flas dancing in the fireplace on the wall seed to dim slightly.
Legendary powerhouses! And two of them! Arriving together!
Although Marquis Marcus himself had not stepped into the legendary realm, he was a powerful, high-level professional who had experienced countless battles. Due to his position, he had also been in contact with more than one legendary existence.
The strength of these two uninvited guests was unfathomable, far above his own.
He was almost certain they were two true legendary powerhouses.
"Entering a kingdom's strategic stronghold without announcent or permission... isn't this too discourteous of you two?"
Marquis Marcus steadied his heartbeat, which had slightly accelerated from shock, and questioned in a deep voice, one hand already resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his muscles slightly tensed.
From under the shadow of the cloak of the slightly taller gray-robed figure ca a low, hoarse laugh, making it difficult to discern specific age or gender.
"Marquis, our apologies for the discourtesy. Allow us to make ands later. We co regarding an old matter and hope you will be accommodating and make an exception."
Without waiting for an answer, the other gray-robed figure interjected, "We need all records of the battle between the 'Unfinished Sword' Kailos and that red iron dragon from back then."
The voice was similarly indistinct, as if filtered through a veil, yet carried a tone bordering on command.
Marquis Marcus's pupils contracted sharply.
That battle had occurred roughly eight years ago.
Because it was a proper challenge with the ti and location announced in advance, Marquis Marcus had used his authority to have the magical satellite lock onto the combat zone beforehand, recording the entire battle process. This was classified as highly confidential.
"What do you want that for? And you... who exactly are you?"
Marquis Marcus did not imdiately refuse nor agree, but instead countered more cautiously, his mind racing as he tried to analyze their origins and true purpose from their few words.
The identities and objectives of these two were absolutely not simple.
The tall gray-robed figure emitted a aningful low chuckle and said slowly, "Who we are, where we co from, is not important at this mont."
"You only need to know that we are very interested in that red iron dragon who is about to beco king."
He paused, then continued, "And you, Marquis Marcus, if our intelligence is correct, you are certainly not pleased to see a powerful, unified dragon kingdom entrenched for the long term at the northern gate of your kingdom in the future, are you?"
"Helping us is also helping yourselves."
Hearing these words, thoughts flashed through Marquis Marcus's mind like lightning.
Handing over kingdom secrets carried enormous risk.
But... these two sudden, mysterious legendaries, their target directly aid at the red iron dragon... this might be a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity! A chance to use others' hands to obstruct the Lord of Molten Iron's nation-founding process, or even... directly eliminate that detestable red iron dragon for good.
Risk and opportunity clashed fiercely within him.
Marquis Marcus fell silent for a mont, his gaze gradually calming.
"Perhaps this is what His Majesty ant by other organizations going to test the waters."
"I misjudged His Majesty. His thinking wasn't wrong."
"I'll give them the materials, then watch coldly from the sidelines, waiting for the final result. Even if they fail, it would be difficult to implicate ."
Thinking this way, in the end, Marquis Marcus released his hand from the sword hilt.
Seeing this, the two gray-robed figures exchanged a glance.
The tall gray-robed figure let out another low chuckle. "Pleasure cooperating, Marquis. You will not regret this decision."
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