Chapter 458: Army Formation Magic, The Oath of Ten Thousand Armies' Command
High Mountain Dragon Court, the palace.
The Red Iron Dragon Emperor was coiled upon the central dais, his majestic and imposing form like a mountain range piled from iron and rock, each scale shimring with a dull red glow.
His breathing was long and heavy, like the bellows of a forge, stirring waves of faintly warm, fierce wind within the vast hall.
He slightly raised his head, gazing forward.
A continuous, low hum of magic resonated through the air. Countless points of light gathered and vibrated in the space above the throne room, weaving together to form a clear and enormous curtain of light and shadow.
A scene from a distant palace gradually materialized within this curtain, also reflected in the deep eyes of the Red Iron Dragon Emperor.
On the other side of the image was a broad, tall window inlaid with star and moon motifs, through which a cool, natural light stread.
The King of Lothrian, O'Brien, sat upright upon a simple-lined silver throne. An exquisite silver crown bound his pale golden hair. His eyes were tranquil, like a still lake covered with the first snow.
O'Brien carefully examined the projection of that majestic giant beast.
His gaze lingered for a mont on the armor-like scales and powerful limbs, but no ripple of emotion stirred in his eyes.
After several seconds of silence, O'Brien withdrew his hands, which had been resting flat on the armrests, and gently interlaced his fingers before him, then gave a slight nod.
"I greet you, Emperor Ignas. May your wings forever bask in the sun's radiance, and your wisdom be as ancient as the mountains."
He first offered the complints befitting protocol, then imdiately and directly asked, "For what purpose do you initiate communication across such a vast distance?"
With the close establishnt of diplomatic relations between the two nations, their ans of communication were naturally no longer limited to Elina.
The two monarchs of different races had long since established their own direct contact thod.
The Red Iron Dragon slowly nodded.
"And greetings to you, King of Lothrian. May your crown remain secure, and your kingdom's fortune endure long."
After the brief pleasantries, without the slightest circumlocution, he cut straight to the point. "I sll the scent of gunpowder."
"The flas of war have ignited on the Romanian Plains. Following Rhen and Sax, I am determined to declare war on the Divine Kingdom of Theo, to make the fires of war burn hotter, more fiercely."
Garoth had no habit of concealing his intentions and directly stated this major decision.
However, his voice was calm, his pace steady, as if he were rely stating an inconsequential trifle.
A faint, approving smile touched the corner of O'Brien's mouth.
He had honed himself in the military for many years in his youth and had long grown weary of the roundabout rhetoric among nobles. Instead, he appreciated this straightforward style, preferring efficient dialogue that went straight to the point.
Moreover, Garoth's attitude was precisely what Lothrian needed.
Over these years, Lothrian had provided the Aola Kingdom with substantial resources and technical support. One of the goals was to place a powerful piece on the chessboard of the Romanian Plains, to check the Divine Kingdom of Theo, thereby severing an important arm the Kingdom of Rybos had extended into that region.
The Aola Kingdom's willingness to proactively initiate war was, in Lothrian's view, a most welco developnt.
Simultaneously, in the projection, the massive form of the Red Iron Dragon Emperor leaned forward slightly. His pitch-black vertical pupils seed to pierce through the magical curtain, locking directly onto the human monarch opposite.
"Aola's legions require a more efficient thod for dissolving power, a ans to transform scattered forces into an ironclad whole at critical monts. I have heard that the Royal Court excels in the study of army formation magic, its skills reaching the pinnacle. It can link the will and power of an entire legion together, can strengthen one's own legendary beings, and can even independently contend with legendaries."
He paused, then continued. "I wish to pay a suitable price to obtain this army formation magic from the Royal Court."
This request was clear and crucial.
Once they obtained army formation magic, Aola's well-trained legions could potentially influence or even intervene in legendary-level confrontations on the battlefield. This would undoubtedly be a qualitative leap.
O'Brien leaned back slightly, resting against the throne's back, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.
"Resisting common troubles and maintaining regional balance are duties befitting allies."
He did not waste words and readily agreed. "The relevant knowledge and construction thods of the [Oath of Ten Thousand Armies' Command] will be shared with the Aola Kingdom free of charge. Lothrian's spell advisors will arrive in the wilderness at a ti you deem suitable, carrying the necessary spell scrolls and demonstration crystals."
Imdiately after, his tone shifted, presenting a precondition.
To obtain the "Oath of Ten Thousand Armies' Command," Garoth would need to sign a magically binding agreent drafted by Lothrian's Archmages.
The core clause of the agreent was simple.
Without the explicit consent of the Lothrian Kingdom, the Aola Kingdom must not, in any form, disseminate the "Oath of Ten Thousand Armies' Command," nor use this army formation magic against the Lothrian Kingdom or its allies.
A mature and powerful army formation magic held strategic value that even surpassed many legendary artifacts, constituting a kingdom's foundational strength.
If not for these troubled tis, and if Lothrian did not genuinely need Aola as an ally, and if Aola's direct act of war against a neighboring kingdom was not sothing Lothrian wished to see, he would never have agreed to impart it so readily.
Therefore, Lothrian's demand was reasonable, even generous.
Beyond the aforentioned two restrictions, they did not demand additional paynt in gold coins, resources, or political promises.
A glint of satisfaction flashed in Garoth's pupils.
"Your generosity will be rembered by Aola."
He responded in a deep voice.
O'Brien gently waved a hand. "This is sothing Lothrian should do, based on long-term considerations."
The Red Iron Dragon slowly nodded. "Then, let our cooperation be as close and blazing as dragon and fla."
"I anticipate your victory." O'Brien gave another slight nod. "May this cooperation bring lasting stability and prosperity to both our realms."
A brief silence flowed amidst the hum of magic.
Garoth thought for a mont, his great head tilting slightly, then he said thoughtfully, "Additionally, I have heard of Lothrian's 'Star-Eyes'—those magical satellites. Their technology is advanced and their efficacy powerful."
Hearing this, O'Brien was first taken aback, then shook his head with so resignation.
He gained a renewed appreciation for this Red Iron Dragon Emperor's pragmatism, or perhaps, for the thickness of the scales on a dragon's face.
"Magical satellites cannot be given." His tone was gentle, but his stance was clear. "These are Lothrian's core strategic assets, involving many secrets. However," he shifted tack, offering an alternative, "if Aola can obtain intact, or even damaged, enemy magical satellites on the battlefield, Lothrian can dispatch experts to assist in their repair and adjustnt, ultimately making them usable for you."
Garoth did not press the matter and accepted this proposal.
He hadn't held much hope to begin with, rely ntioning it in passing. Obtaining subsequent technical support was already an unexpected boon.
After several more minutes of discussion regarding transmission details, agreent signing tis, and other specifics, the light of the projection began to subtly flicker and weaken, its edges rippling like water.
Just before this communication was about to end, Garoth added, "There's no ti to lose."
"The situation is urgent now. The dragon domains will not sit idly by either. Have your spell advisors set out as soon as possible."
He intended to strike first.
The Divine Kingdom of Theo was likely also making intense preparations. The war horn could sound abruptly at any mont. The deploynt, training, and familiarization with army formation magic required ti, so the sooner they started, the better.
"Within one hour, the spell advisor will arrive outside the Citadel of Crimson Fla."
O'Brien gave a definite promise.
As these words fell, the projection flickered violently several tis, then completely dissipated. The magical hum echoing in the throne room gradually quieted, leaving only the Red Iron Dragon's long, drawn breaths.
Garoth did not linger in the throne room and returned to the training ground located within the Dragonback Mountains.
He continued his exercises, his massive form performing powerful movents under the sunlight, accompanied by deep, rumbling sounds. However, not long after, he suddenly stopped, raising his head to look at the sky.
It was dayti. The sun above the Ser Wilderness was scorching and dazzling, emitting relentless light and heat.
But in that azure sky, besides the sun, another point of light appeared without warning.
At first faint, it beca clear and stable in an instant, like a star daring to shine in the dayti.
Under Garoth's unblinking, grave gaze, this star grew brighter and brighter, its light coalescing.
Whoosh!
A pure, condensed beam of light, like a silver thread descending from beyond the heavens, fell straight down from that point of light, landing several miles outside the walls of the Citadel of Crimson Fla, in a designated open area.
The light beam flashed and vanished.
In its place now stood a figure clad in a deep blue, star-patterned robe, along with several sealed chests floating in mid-air.
A super-long-range teleportation via Star-Eye. Lothrian's spell advisor had arrived.
Crossing the distance of thousands of mountains and rivers was but an instant for such top-tier magical technology.
The one-hour tifra O'Brien ntioned was mostly for the advisor's final preparations, equipnt checks, and the Star-Eye activation procedures.
"Star-Eyes, magical satellites..."
Garoth narrowed his eyes slightly, murmuring to himself.
The Divine Kingdom of Theo possessed a Star-Eye.
Once war broke out, this eye suspended high in the heavens would undoubtedly beco a major problem. It would be difficult for Aola's troop movents and defensive deploynts to completely evade its surveillance. And surveillance was rely its most trivial function.
They had to find a way to deal with it.
"When will I possess my own 'Star-Eye'?"
The Red Iron Dragon looked at the sky where the light beam had vanished. "Perhaps... right after this war."
If we have no guns, no cannons, the enemy will make them for us.
Theo's magical satellite could very well beco Aola's in the future.
He withdrew his gaze.
Not long after, Garoth formally summoned this Lothrian spell advisor.
The advisor was a legendary-tier spellcaster, specializing in fortification construction and large-scale army formation magic, holding a lofty position within Lothrian.
The reception process was concise.
Garoth reviewed the agreent scroll emanating powerful magical fluctuations, confird the clauses were correct, and left his own imprint.
After completing the signing, Garoth summoned the iron dragon Sorog, ordering him to take full charge of liaising with the formation advisor and coordinating the specific implentation of the army formation magic.
He himself returned to the back mountain, once again devoting his energy to his own training and contemplation of the overall war situation.
In the following days, the alchemical industry of the Aola Kingdom operated at full capacity.
They worked day and night without rest, the roar of the furnaces continuing through the night.
On the assembly lines, badges roughly the size of a palm, made from refined magical tal as a base material and densely etched with magical runes on their surfaces, were rapidly produced. After final calibration by enchanters, they were packed into crates and urgently dispatched by flying units or alchemical vehicles to garrisons across the land.
This was the core dium for activating the Oath of Ten Thousand Armies' Command.
—The Command Seal.
Soldiers needed to wear them at all tis and establish a preliminary link through specific rituals during training.
However, distributing the Command Seals was rely the first step in constructing the army formation.
The true core of the army formation lay in condensing the will, fighting spirit, and trust of thousands of soldiers into an intangible, unified torrent of power.
This required long periods of integration, training, and tempering. It required making the soldiers truly understand what they were fighting for and willing to integrate themselves into the collective for a common goal.
The subsequent difficulty lay in having officers and non-commissioned officers at all levels—the key nodes within the formation—familiarize themselves with the steps of formation changes, energy guidance, and resonance, ensuring they wouldn't be at a loss during actual combat.
Ti quietly slipped away amidst the intense preparations.
A sense of impending storm perated the entire Aola military. The intensity of daily training increased sharply, patrol frequencies rose, and reconnaissance activities in border regions beca increasingly frequent.
Approximately half a month later, the preliminary integration of the army formation began to take shape.
On this day, three majestic dragon figures erged from the southern clouds, slowly descending onto the platform at the back mountain of the royal court.
The arrivals were Deborah, along with her parents, the Silver Dragon Edrian and the Brass Dragon Serena.
Previously, after the incident in the Raging Tides Dragon Domain, Edrian and his wife had migrated to the relatively peaceful Vophal Dragon Domain.
The Gold Dragon Ovis personally received them and extended his welco. Under the old gold dragon's guidance, they soon chose a coastal cliff on the main island of the Vophal Dragon Domain and temporarily established a nest there.
Simultaneously, as a legendary Silver Dragon, Edrian also intended to apply to the Vophal Dragon Domain administration to construct his own permanent island on the domain's periphery.
But just as the application process was about to begin, he received an invitation from Garoth.
Thus, the couple temporarily put their affairs in the Vophal Dragon Domain on hold and set out for the Ser Wilderness, both to visit their daughter and to see for themselves this Red Iron Dragon Emperor who had beco legendary and established a magnificent kingdom.
They had been in the Aola Kingdom for several days.
Initially, upon learning from Deborah that she was carrying new life, both Edrian and Serena were overjoyed. The gloom that had lingered in their hearts since the Raging Tides Palace incident was temporarily washed away considerably.
Accompanied by Deborah, they toured the Citadel of Crimson Fla, visited so workshops and training grounds open to allies, and witnessed the various sights of this dragon kingdom, so different from traditional kingdoms, filling them with curiosity and awe.
However, as their stay lengthened, the two experienced dragons also keenly detected the increasingly thick scent of impending war in the air.
The cold sharpness of tal, the restlessness of magical energy, the clamor of frequent personnel movents.
They felt deeply uneasy about this, especially after confirming Deborah's pregnancy.
The Red Iron Dragon noted their arrival.
He signaled for Shire, who was assisting him with combat training, to return to the Hall of Heroic Spirits to rest. He himself ceased his claw-swinging motions, slowly straightened his massive form, and turned to face the visitors.
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