Under the Red Dragon

In the end, the silver dragon Chris Tiana didn't receive a response from the great dragon god, Bahamut. But even as the banquet ended, and countless people departed with satisfied smiles and tipsy gaiety, she remained deep in thought.

She no longer cared about the strange, scrutinizing gazes of the weaklings passing by; her mind, confined by dogmatic beliefs, was undergoing subtle changes, and the noble silver dragon was reflecting on herself for the first time.

Having lived for countless years, the silver dragon Chris had her rigid dogmas and biases laid bare by a weak, short-lived species for the first time.

This couldn't help but make her recall whether the actions of those aligned with good, cloaked in justice and crowned with light, truly aligned with the meaning of holiness.

However, creatures habitually prone to bias, once they overturn their original viewpoints and begin to view issues from another perspective, often fall into another extreme of bias, and their ideological inclinations rapidly slide and spread towards the other end.

Past events, previously concealed beneath the veneer of taken-for-granted bias, flashed like flowing water through the silver dragon's mind, in her brain, most active throughout her long life, she realized that the weak, short-lived species was right.

Chris, the silver dragon, naturally influenced by the Dragon Heritage and trapped in fixed biases, realized for the first time that many people and events in the world cannot be simply divided by alignment and preference.

Whether it was the Dragon Heritage or the stereotypical dogmas circulating in the world, they were constantly binding her thoughts, her heart, and her soul.

"So, is this why the great Platinum Dragon God is unwilling to bestow his guidance and wisdom?"

The silver dragon Chris dragged her chains and crawled out of the deep corridor, gazing at the bright moon hanging in the sky, the moon maiden.

At this moment, she realized that even the bright moon has shadows and darkness behind it, just like her once self-righteous noble aspirations and heart.

"Or is it that even the great Platinum Dragon God, Bahamut, he also..." The silver dragon Chris's opened mind surged like a tide, becoming difficult to restrain for a time.

However, as all the guests had departed, and the mountaintop regained its tranquil atmosphere, rows of soldiers ascended the steps, attracting the attention of the silver dragon and two bronze dragons.

Even the dragons immersed in their mental storms were instantly drawn to these soldiers.

Because these soldiers were guarding groups upon groups, they worked together to carry one large box after another, heavy and laborious. These large boxes were filled to the brim with treasures.

There were countless glittering gems, gold coins, pearls, agates, giant clams, mithril, and precious jewels; the reflections of these treasures under the moonlight were even more dazzling than the scales on the silver dragon's body.

Among them were refined precious metals, as well as jewelry made from various gems.

Mithril bracelets, electrum necklaces, gold ornaments, jade earrings, agate hairpins—almost all the valuable items that could be collected in the world of Aihkanya could be found in these boxes.

The aura and luster of these countless treasures instantly thickened the breaths of the dragons, and pairs of vertical pupils gleamed with greed from the dragons.

These dragons were simply unable to resist the greedy nature brought about by their dragon blood; even if the Platinum Dragon God Bahamut were here, he would not be able to resist taking a few extra glances.

Even Obirrash, the ancestral gold dragon who was heavily injured and in slumber, unconsciously raised his fore head in his sleep. Although his eyes were closed, his nostrils were sniffing, inhaling the overly rich and tempting aura of wealth.

But these adult dragons could only watch as this enormous wealth flowed into the magnificent royal palace like water, watching as the wealth in each box carried by the members of this enormous procession surpassed the total wealth accumulated by these dragons.

If they were not trapped by the power and magic of the ancestral red dragon, perhaps they would automatically display the dragons' double standards at this moment, denouncing these riches as evil blood and tears, and then righteously seize them for themselves.

However, this also caused the gazes of these three adult dragons to fall upon that magnificent royal fortress, which now appeared particularly quiet.

At this moment, the silver dragon's four claws were like those of a large cat walking silently in the jungle, eliminating the sound of her heavy body treading.

She carefully used the wing claws on her wings to hold the scarlet chains, and quietly extended her delicate and dignified head beside the seemingly eternally open door, peering into the royal fortress.

The two adult bronze dragons also made the same choice at this moment. After seeing that the soldiers and guards carrying boxes of wealth did not stop the silver dragon Chris.

These two bronze dragons also imitated the silver dragon Chris, surreptitiously extending their heads at the royal fortress gate, peeking at the movements inside.

Dragons, these strange creatures, possess long lives and almost inexhaustible energy. They can easily spend countless days and nights without sleep, but they are also extremely difficult to focus their attention, making it extremely difficult for them to concentrate on doing one thing well.

Except when lying in their nests snoring, it is very difficult to make these impatient dragons wait quietly and silently.

However, the three adult metallic dragons' excellent vision, surpassing that of eagles in the sky, discovered that, at this moment, inside the royal fortress hall, besides the guards walking around carrying boxes of treasure, each dragon lord was quietly coiled in their respective positions.

Although pairs of terrifying dragon eyes flickered with vibrant light, no dragon made a sound, nor did any dragon make an impatient movement or expression.

Even Khedira and Kleinaiya, the two red dragons in the dragon group that the metallic dragons did not take seriously, were maintaining a steady quiet at this moment.

Even though the greed in their eyes was about to materialize into claws and teeth, reaching out towards the treasures, they still maintained a quiet posture.

It seemed that, in the face of this enormous wealth, the willpower of those evil dragons was even more determined than the will of the metallic dragons.

"Incredible, unimaginable!"

This thought simultaneously flashed through the minds of the three metallic dragons.

The silver dragon Chris's gaze couldn't help but look towards the deepest part of the royal fortress, towards the high dragon throne. She was curious about what kind of expression the ancestral red dragon, the monarch of the dragons, the emperor of the empire, would have now.

She saw that the ancestral red dragon, who was so violent and ferocious on the battlefield, the lord of dragons who was so domineering in front of the world, was now sitting high on his throne like a true, noble emperor ruling an ancient empire.

Absolute rationality and wisdom, absolute restraint and calmness, were completely contrary to the violence and domineering that this dragon emperor displayed on the battlefield.

These enormous riches could not cause even the slightest fluctuation in the other party's eyes, and even the most uncontrollable source of desire in the dragon's blood—greed—could not reveal even a trace under the will of this ancestral red dragon.

If it weren't for the innate arrogance and indifference of the dragon hidden deep within the dark golden vertical pupils, the silver dragon Chris would have even thought that the other party was a calm human monk or one of those human-like emperors whose desire for power could surpass everything.

Just like the monarchs who ruled the vast lands of the ancient empires that have been passed down for thousands of years in the central continent.

The ancestral red dragon coiled on the throne had the steadiness and weight of the earth, his face had the edges and firmness of steel, and his will revealed the aggression and heat of fire.

Even if the other party restrained all his aura, the silver dragon Chris could still feel the natural coldness, like a manifestation of some essence.

In the eyes of the silver dragon Chris, in front of the more mature ancestral red dragon, the seemingly noble ancestral gold dragon Obirrash was just like an immature child, a fledgling who had obtained power that did not belong to him.

Only the golden scales could bring Obirrash that false nobility.

And the other party was the king of all dragons, overlooking the earth from the sky.

A feeling like a human shudder rapidly transmitted from the tip of the silver dragon Chris's tail, along her spine, spreading throughout her limbs, causing the scales on her back to rapidly close, tightly adhering to the skin beneath the scales.

Because she saw that the dignified, beautiful, and noble dragon emperor was casting his calm gaze over, falling on her body.

In a daze, the silver dragon Chris seemed to see the other party's calm cheeks lightly fluctuate at this moment. The red dragon raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a meaningful smile amidst his gleaming fangs.

The silver dragon Chris immediately felt as if a basin of the coldest, most chilling water taken from the River Styx had been poured over her head.

Even the silver dragon's cold resistance could not resist the cold that permeated her limbs, connecting to her rapidly beating heart, so she quietly retracted her head.

Dragons with different colored scales coiled on the black stone seats and exquisite carpets, allowing the maids to remove the tables and leftovers beside them, waiting quietly.

The crowd's dinner was over, but the dragons' dinner had just begun. Even these impatient dragons had enough reason to wait for this moment.

The loyal female slave, Caron's private financial officer, and the territory's tax officer, the giantess Fafna, who was as plump as a jade sculpture and as enchantingly beautiful as an incarnation of a succubus, was standing below the red dragon's throne, to the right.

Fafna was wearing a professional skirt suit for civil servants, and her enchanting face also looked particularly serious and proper, because the giantess knew that her master did not like subordinates who could not distinguish the importance of the occasion.

Therefore, she had already restrained her inherent charm aura, although her appearance and posture already possessed a charm that ordinary creatures could hardly resist.

"Master, this is all the wealth consumption and income in the territory during your sleep. Every expense in the dragon treasury is truthfully recorded,"

"And due to the development of the Green Wild Forest plane, the consumption of the dragon treasury during the years of war has been compensated. Regarding your distribution dinner tonight, it is the wealth accumulated from the fixed surplus of profits created by the territory in the past,"

"Among them, because there was no surplus of income created in the territory during the three years of war, it was paid from the average share of the dragon treasury."

The giantess Fafna's soft voice sounded, explaining everything to her master.

Ding, ding, ding.

Caron bent his claws and gently tapped on the armrest of the throne. He first smiled softly and affirmed the giantess's work achievements, "Fafna, you have done well, you have not disappointed my trust and your ability! I know your demands, and I will give you a satisfactory answer."

"Generous and tolerant master, Fafna dedicates her loyalty to you until the end of her life!" The giantess Fafna, like those officials, placed her slender white palm on her chest, responding directly.

These dependents, although they have been getting along with humans for a long time, are still straightforward and have not learned the euphemistic ways of those human bureaucrats.

Caron turned his gaze to the dragons. Among these dragons were companions who had grown up with him since childhood, partners who had joined the dragon group later for various reasons, and some dragons who were restrained by the power of the dragon group, including chromatic dragons and metallic dragons.

But at this moment, they had formed a common group—the Gogmora Dragon Clan. Their destinies converged at this time and place and would be difficult to separate.

One dragon after another responded to the lord of the dragon group with their gazes.

Facing the gazes of the dragons, Caron showed his thick fangs and said, "In the beginning, we formed this special dragon group because of an agreement, causing each other to gather together spontaneously. When I was asleep, you excellently fulfilled the dragon agreement, so I will also fulfill my promise,"

"Tonight is not only to celebrate the victory of the war and the establishment of the empire, but also to share the gains of ruling for so many years. This is also the tradition of the Gogmora Dragon Clan from beginning to end."

As soon as Caron's voice fell, the atmosphere of the dragons, which had been forcibly quiet, suddenly became lively. Camed's two heads shook left and right.

The green dragon Antazhena's gaze also turned from the ancestral red dragon to the treasures on the ground, and the black dragon Rosani's tail slapped excitedly, making a bang.

One dragon lord after another gnashed their teeth and flicked their tails, some unable to hold back.

Even the young white dragon Sloka and the juvenile white dragon Ronnie, who had joined the dragon group later, as well as the green dragon Ellie and the young red dragon Khedira, also showed expectant gazes. The blue dragon Calitri was also participating in this occasion for the first time, so she also seemed particularly excited.

Although these dragons had not received a clear response from the lord of the dragon group, being able to stay here at this moment proved that they had been accepted by the dragon group and had become true members of the dragon group.

And the silver dragon Chris and the two bronze dragons Gross and Natareli, who were quietly poking their heads out from the gate of the royal fortress again, were taken aback. In the impression of these three dragons, such a thing would never happen in either the chromatic dragon group or the metallic dragon group.

Not to mention distributing wealth to other dragons, even if Tiamat and Bahamut asked their dragon followers to offer even a silver coin, these dragons would probably not hesitate to withdraw their faith in the dragon gods, and then sell the statues of the two dragon gods as commodities, exchanging them for the last copper coin and putting it in their treasure house.

This was the attitude of these dragons towards the two dragon gods after the Dragonfall Holy War.

This made the three adult metallic dragons quietly raise their hearing to the highest level. They had been aroused by curiosity by this strange dragon group.

"During the years the dragonkin slumbered, facing the invasion of the Orc Kingdom's armies, Alina, Akxz, Naxen, and Alfred, you performed admirably, your contributions were immense, and you were the primary reason for our victory,"

"Therefore, your rewards will be the greatest,"

Although the dragons differed in their specializations, leading to varying impacts, Kalon didn't want to over-analyze their contributions. It would not only be troublesome for the dragons but also potentially create seeds of rivalry. Therefore, he regarded the contributions of these great dragons as being of equal merit.

The dragons excitedly used their wing claws to clamber onto the black stone throne, their long necks stretched out, placing their heads on the heavy treasure chests carried over by several gnoll guards.

These riches were something that wild, wandering dragons could never accumulate in a lifetime. Even some lord dragons would need to spend a considerable amount of time exploiting the blood and sweat of their subordinates to fill the chests before them, and even then, the quality would be difficult to compare with these exquisite treasures.

And these were merely the spoils of several years of rule within the dragonkin's territory. This made the dragons feel that the previous hardships and toils were just minor storms.

"At the crucial moment of the war, the slumbering dragons awakened one by one, laying the foundation for our ultimate victory. Therefore, your rewards will be nearly the same."

One chest after another was carried before the dragons who had passed their juvenile stage and entered adolescence, each dragon eagerly claiming their own wealth.

Only the white dragon, Camide, raised his two heads high, looking around, and after a long time, he contentedly placed his heads on the treasure chest.

Camide was very satisfied. This was the first time he had received as much wealth as the blue dragon, Dos, and the red dragon, Kleineria. This satisfied his vanity, making him smug.

"Kadilos, come forward,"

Kalon turned his gaze to the expectant young red dragon and spoke.

The young red dragon, Kadilos, with his long neck stretched out, slowly ambled before the throne.

Kadilos didn't have much of his original ambition left. His heart, which had once harbored thoughts of challenging the dragonkin's lord, had long been shattered by the aftermath of the battles on the plains. In front of this terrifying ancestral red dragon, Kadilos didn't think he could do any better than the ancestral gold dragon, Obirash.

Even though the red dragon's pride made him somewhat look down on that ancestral gold dragon, the actual vast difference in power made him somewhat fearful when facing the dragonkin's lord.

After all, his first beating in life had been at the claws of Kalon.

The young red dragon, Kadilos, obediently stretched his proud head under Kalon's dragon claws, which were like forged steel. He heard the dragon's resounding draconic words.

"Kadilos, in battle, you used your own blood and bones to win your freedom, and you used your strength to win recognition. From this day forward, you are a member of the Goggmora dragonkin."

At this moment, Kadilos felt the ancestral red dragon's vast and majestic power, surging like the sea, pouring into his body. The dragon contract that had been binding him finally dissipated.

The iron ring around his neck also quietly fell to the ground, making a clanging sound.

He, Kadilos, had gained freedom, but he had even more things he desired.

So the young red dragon, Kadilos, raised his head, gazing eagerly at the ancestral red dragon's majestic vertical pupils, and stammered, "Then, then, then what's my reward..."

"Tch, hahahaha,"

The blue dragon, Akxz, let out a mocking laugh. He laughed and said, "Kadilos, have you forgotten that you still owe the dragonkin over two hundred years of free service? My suggestion to Kalon is that your contribution, after deducting the freedom you gained, can offset one year of service."

In an instant, the entire dragonkin burst into undisguised laughter. The young red dragon, Kadilos, slinked back to his seat with his tail between his legs, burying his head under his broad wings. For the first time, he felt an emotion that dragons shouldn't have—shame.

"Sloka, Roni, Ellie," Kalon didn't laugh, although his long fangs were almost completely exposed.

He said to the dragons, "During the war, you gained the recognition of the dragonkin due to your outstanding performance. Therefore, you also have the right to the Dragon Pact. If you are willing to join the dragonkin, you will receive freedom and rewards. If you are not willing to join the dragonkin, you will receive freedom!"

"Of course we are willing," the dragons said in unison. After seeing the wealth of the dragonkin, none of these dragons could resist the temptation of treasure and the sense of security that came from joining this increasingly powerful dragonkin.

A dragonkin alliance, a dragonkin nation, would be incredibly powerful.

At the dragon emperor's signal, the guards placed three small chests in front of the three dragons. Although the wealth in these three small chests was only one-tenth of that in the large chests, these dragons still showed satisfied expressions.

Kalon's immense body coiled on the tall throne, turning his gaze to the blue dragon sitting in the corner of the dragonkin, feeling uneasy. His scrutinizing gaze brought a heavy pressure that made the blue dragon, Kalite, sink deeper and deeper into the abyss.

The crime of betrayal is unforgivable in any race, any group, any organization. Even though Kalite had paid with blood for redemption, she still wasn't sure if she could be forgiven by the red dragon.

She was even thinking, if she wasn't redeemed and was driven out of the dragonkin again, where on this vast land could she stay in peace?

If the red dragon didn't forgive her, no dragon in the dragonkin would forgive her, because the red dragon's will was the dragonkin's will.

It wasn't until a long time later that the dragon emperor's gentle voice came from the distant and high throne, pulling the blue dragon Kalite's heart, which had gradually sunk into the darkness of the endless abyss, back and infusing it with immeasurable light.

"Welcome home, Kalite!" The dragon emperor, perched high on the throne, smiled gently at this moment.