Dragon!

"The dragon, about the third dragon you killed."

The third one was the one that Horus struck down and fell to the ground, landing at the Saint Covelo University.

A strange light flashed in Kang De's eyes, then he smiled and said, "What, is it something special?"

When it came to serious matters, Stella also became serious, or rather, topics about dragons were usually very serious—except for Lin Chong's dragon maid.

She replied, "Every dragon has a remarkable history."

After all, they are the chosen race of this world, below the gods. Compared to them, even the elves, who are said to be favored by the gods, are not qualified to compete in terms of talent; they can only compete in terms of hard work.

Kang De nodded and said, "So, killing the dragon will cause a lot of trouble?"

Stella shook her head and said, "No, killing a hired dragon in war doesn't necessarily mean trouble. First of all, those dragons were recruited into the Royal Army's war effort as mercenaries through a security agreement between Dragon Island and the Dusk Moon Dynasty, and they fight for the Dusk Moon Dynasty. This model has been prevalent for many years, and Dragon Island is promoting their ultimate mercenaries to the world. All the details are already extremely well-established."

The second princess raised a finger and said, "One very important point is that Dragon Island declares to the world that any individual, organization, army, or nation that kills a dragon serving the enemy in war will not incur retaliation from Dragon Island. The stance of dragons engaged in mercenary combat does not represent the political inclination of Dragon Island itself, and dragons hired to fight are responsible for their own actions and stance."

"This is extremely important. Otherwise, if dragons are allowed to rampage on the battlefield, killing one dragon would only invite retaliation from Dragon Island, and the dragon race would have been wiped out by the combined forces of the nations long ago."

That's true.

Kang De asked, "But rules are always flexible, aren't they?"

Stella nodded and said, "Yes, if it were the Dusk Moon Dynasty or the Human Empire that killed the dragon in the war, the dragons would certainly be more law-abiding than the most honest merchant. But if it were a weak, small country, Dragon Island might not retaliate on the surface, but overt and covert targeting and resentment would be inevitable."

"Because they added an additional clause, one of which states that if dishonorable means, disgraceful tactics, or despicable tricks are used in the process of slaying a dragon, the dragon race has the right to pursue legal action."

Kang De raised an eyebrow and asked, "What specific methods or strategies are you referring to?"

Stella shrugged and said, "They didn't say, so the final interpretation rests with them. The specifics depend on how powerful the attacker is. If it was the elves who did it, even if it involved taking hostages, poisoning, ambushing, or setting a dragon-slaying trap, it's a necessary tactic in war. If it was a small, easily bullied country, even if they charged in head-on, the dragons could still find a pretext for accusation."

Kang De sneered, "So, you're saying we're a small country that can be bullied?"

Upon hearing this, Stella felt a wave of tenderness wash over her. The unconscious use of the word "we" struck a chord with the Second Princess, making her feel as if she had been touched by the sweetest words of love, and her whole body felt indescribably blissful.

--As it turns out, as long as you can cast Forbidden Spell, take on a powerful army single-handedly, and kill three Dragon Knight within ten minutes, even if you're a clueless, straight-laced guy, you can unconsciously flirt with girls... or even have the girls imagine themselves being flirted with.

Stella pursed her lips. Although she wouldn't stoop to stealing a man from another girl, Kang De's words still greatly increased her favorability towards him. She said softly, "Goth is a small country, but with you included, it's not. Even the elves were stunned by you and stopped their attack. The Dragon Emperor isn't stupid; why would he be foolish enough to fight you for the elves?"

Kang De shifted into a more comfortable sitting position. "I guess there's a 'but' after what you've said."

Stella nodded. "The Dragon Emperor won't fight for the elves' interests, but it's a different story if it's for the dragons' interests."

Kang De laughed, "I've harmed the interests of the dragons?"

The second princess replied, "Yes, to be precise, you hurt the Dragon Clan's pride and money, but ultimately, it's still a matter of money."

Kang De crossed his legs. "How so?"

He was seething with anger because of Fulan's father.

"Dragons are proud and value dignity. They are powerful creatures, the overlords of the sky, the foremost race in the universe, naturally strong and long-lived, a legendary race revered by all other races... Yet you killed three of them in ten minutes. This is truly an insult to the majesty of dragons."

Kang De nodded, understanding.

After all, in the novel, dragons are always referred to as "humble ants," and to be slaughtered like pigs by a human is just too infuriating and disgraceful for dragons; they simply cannot tolerate it.

But...

He asked curiously, "You mean, ultimately, it's a matter of money?"

Stella sighed, "Yes, you were able to kill three dragons in ten minutes, and in a direct battle at that. That shows your strength. Dragons may be proud, but they're not stupid. You see, if a god were to kill a few dragons with a wave of his hand, would the dragons feel their dignity was damaged and go to great lengths to retaliate?"

"What does this have to do with money?"

"It's very important..."

The second princess replied, "Dragon Island is an independent political entity, and dragons are extremely greedy and avaricious. Where does their vast wealth come from? It's one thing for older dragons to have savings, estates, and investments in mines, but where do the young dragons, the newly adult dragons, accumulate their initial wealth?"

"This isn't the ancient era anymore, where dragons could rob and extort everywhere. Now, doing such things would get you hunted down and killed by powerful figures hired by various nations; even Dragon Island wouldn't dare to protect you."

"As for Long, he lacks patience and doesn't quite understand the art of business. Even if he has investments and businesses on the mainland, he can only hire servants and agents to manage his business. Even then, he still has to face suppression and exclusion from competitors, as well as the attention and vigilance of various countries. After all, legitimate businesses are slow to generate income and don't bring in much money."

"Some dragons engage in shady businesses, while others serve as guardians of independent city-states or small kingdoms. Some dragons sign employment agreements with powerful and influential families to act as henchmen. After all, they are dragons, possessing immense power, and exchanging power for money is the most efficient approach."

"However, this approach has a problem: the dragons' lack of organization in soliciting work and seeking trade on their own makes them vulnerable to price gouging by other nations. This can even lead to malicious price competition among the dragons themselves, or even conflict, ultimately benefiting the buyers..."

Stella began to explain, Kang De listened with a subtle expression on his face.

--Hey, are there really so many rules?!

Why is it that this sounds incredibly absurd, but upon closer inspection, it actually makes sense? Are even dragons having to consider economics when they go out to work these days?

As expected, the second princess said, "This situation escalated and was eventually brought to a halt by the current Dragon Emperor. After a vote by all the dragons, they finally agreed that Dragon Island, as a whole, would establish a security company, select capable members of the clan, and hire business geniuses from other races to be responsible for foreign military sales."

"Assessing risks, promoting mercenaries, negotiating better treatment, raising prices, lobbying nations, leveraging the dragon race's military strength and reputation to prevent price-cutting and malicious competition among dragons, securing more benefits for all dragons, promoting military sales, and even the concept of Dragon Knight was fabricated by hiring countless bards..."

At this point, Kang De understood what it really meant when she said, "It all comes down to money."

He murmured, "So that means..."

Stella nodded helplessly. "Yes, this month happens to be the end of a fiscal year for the Dragon Clan. Dragon Island is currently conducting its fiscal year-end settlement and is also beginning the renewal of its arms sales contracts."

"Under these circumstances, the news that you easily killed three dragons is undoubtedly a major setback for the dragon race's upcoming business negotiations. It will certainly allow the elves and other nations to take advantage of the situation and drive down the price. After all, the reason these nations hire dragons is because of their devastating battlefield dominance and deterrent power. And now, it's clear that the value of dragons as a top-tier deterrent force is being challenged..."

"While the Dragon Emperor's policy treats the dragon race as a unified whole, exporting military sales helps reduce internal friction and secure more profits. However, conversely, this security company is also responsible to all shareholders, namely the contracted dragons. If military sales negotiations falter, leading to a sharp drop in profits, then the dividends for all dragons will also decrease. Believe me, even the Dragon Emperor cannot withstand this kind of pressure..."

--I'll choose.

As a modern person, he quickly grasped Stella's meaning.

But my feelings were very complicated.

Well, how should I put it?

I can understand the logic that killing a dragon would bring trouble from Dragon Island.

But I never expected the specific logic to be like this!

Kang De couldn't help but think of the M1A2 Tank that were wrecked by the Houthi Armed Movement. A symbol of excellence, the pride of American engineering, the force of democracy, the chariot of freedom, it was utterly crushed by a group of guerrillas, even captured and destroyed on the spot without the Houthis even bothering to use it.

How was it destroyed?

It's lit.

What was used to ignite it?

You might not believe it, but they didn't even use gasoline; they only used... a pile of cardboard.

Yeah, it was just some cardboard from a delivery box that set a main battle tank on fire...

The face of the American Empire has been trampled underfoot.

It's easy to imagine how humiliating this scene was, with the whole world watching in disbelief, and how incredibly difficult and embarrassing the price-cutting process Abrams' foreign military sales projects would be.

The dragon race faces a similar predicament.

Our dragon is the best in the world!

--You guys got beaten by Kang De, three against one, in ten minutes.

Dragon Knight, the ultimate deterrent, the strongest on the continent!

--You guys got beaten by Kang De, three against one, in ten minutes.

Renew for one year now and get one month free!

--You guys got beaten by Kang De, three against one, in ten minutes.

For this reason alone, Stella said the Dragon Emperor would come to kill Kang De, and Kang De believed her completely.

That's truly well-reasoned and convincing.

It's not about saving face, it's about money. After such a setback, the dragons will definitely find a way to boost their clients' confidence, wash away the shame of this crushing defeat, and regain their prestige as the overlords of the skies, so that the countries that spend a lot of money hiring dragons every year will think that this business is well worth the price.

After all, Kang De cut off the dragon's source of wealth, which is even greater than the hatred of killing one's mother.

There's no need for the elves to instigate them; the dragons will take action on their own.

Kang De asked, "Any news?"

Stella nodded and said, "Yes, I received a secret letter from a friend today, reminding Goth to be careful of the threat from dragons, and that's when I realized that..."

Seeing Kang De's expression, she quickly added, "Goth will stand with you through thick and thin. You acted for Goth's sake, which is our responsibility. Besides, those three dragons killed many soldiers and civilians; they must pay the price for it."

Kang De pinched the bridge of his nose.

Okay.

Elf, Empire, and now Dragon Island.

Although the great war has ended and the crisis of national annihilation has dissipated, danger still exists.

Even internally, Prime Minister Xide might be incompetent...

Kang De asked, "What will the Dragon Emperor do to me? Will he send hundreds of dragons to kill me?"

"Perhaps it won't be that direct. After all, the official statement is that Dragon Island won't take retaliatory action against its members who voluntarily accepted employment to fight and died on the battlefield..."

Stella said softly, "But who knows? If the dragons come out in full force this time to kill you outright, the other nations will surely be happy to see it happen and turn a blind eye to Dragon Island's violation of the rules..."

Depend on.

Kang De calculated the arsenal's reserves. There weren't many air-to-air missiles left; in fact, there weren't many to begin with. That wave of air strikes was meant to clear the area, and hanging an air-to-air missile on the wingtip was purely a precaution.

Unlike other supplies that can be repeatedly replenished, the aircraft and missiles obtained for free from the Comora Airport are finite resources, meaning they are currently non-renewable.

Unless he can buy some, park them on his own land, and then swat his mother.

So...

Should I borrow some S-400s from Russia, or go back to China and ask for a full set of Hongqi) missiles?

Stella looked at Kang De's expression, her eyes widening slightly, revealing disbelief.

She then lowered her eyes and said softly, "However, I tend to think that the dragons might want to talk... or at least they have the opportunity to talk."

Kang De asked, "Opportunity?"

"Yes, an opportunity. The dragon's agents will definitely come. As I told you before, dragons value their reputation. Although they won't retaliate against the individuals or nations that killed the dragon, they will retrieve the bodies of their kin, and of course, they will pay a hefty ransom."

"This is to protect the dignity of the dragon race, and also to reassure the clansmen who are out fighting, letting them know that even if they accidentally die in battle, they won't be skinned alive and dismembered to be sold on the black market for various equipment... In the public statement, they also clearly declared that the dragon race has the right to reclaim the bodies of their clansmen."

Upon hearing this, Kang De's expression turned awkward.

As expected, Stella said, "The corpses of the other two dragons, though torn apart, were eventually recovered and collected and sealed away by our people. I've come for the third dragon's corpse..."

--I got Dragonborn.

Horus also received a large share of the past.

The feeling at that moment was extremely strange, and it concerned the secret of the Fire Thief, which was unspeakable. Even Stella could not tell it, let alone anyone else.

Otherwise, if the dragons found out that Kang De could not only easily kill dragons, but also automatically absorb their corpses, that would be a huge problem. Forget about face or money, the Dragon Emperor would definitely not care about anything else and would do everything in his power to kill Kang De first.

Stella looked at him and sighed, "Your expression tells me you can't produce it..."

Kang De gazed into the distance and said, "Uncontrollable factors..."

And you might not believe it, but I didn't Extraction at all; it was the Power of the Fire Thief that did it on its own... Akatum didn't even stop it.

Stella said softly, "That's troublesome. If the dragon makes a move, this will be an excellent excuse..."

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. I'll think of a solution."

The second princess said urgently, "Goth will stand with you."

Kang De stood up, smiled, and waved his hand. "I appreciate your understanding, but this is probably not a problem Goth can handle. I don't want to become enemies with many of Goth People over this; that would be too unpleasant."

Stella was about to say something more when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door, followed by a knock.

Kang De said, "Please come in."

The door was pushed open, revealing a beautiful face tinged with sorrow. The pretty young woman was startled at first, then her eyes widened. "Second sister, what are you doing here?"

Kang De immediately replied, "It's nothing serious..."

Stella snorted, "Don't get me wrong, I'm here to tell him about the dragons."

Kang De frowned at her. The second princess said, "Tina and my father already knew. When I heard the news, of course I told them first before coming to find you. Otherwise, if I kept it from them and only came to find you, wouldn't you think I was advising you to shoulder this alone?"

The girl, who resembled Tina but was more intellectual and assertive, met Kang De's gaze without backing down.

Tina looked over as well, her eyes showing some dissatisfaction. "Kang De, why can't I know about the dragon race? I don't want to be foolishly protected like a decorative vase like before."

"..."

Kang De shook his head. "Let's not talk about that now. Is there something you need?"

Tina said, "Father invited you to the banquet; he's agreed."

"Give in?"

"He has finally granted my request and agreed to give you the most precious treasure of Teldrassil."

"Um?"

I begged him for so long, I wished I could have given it to you two days ago.

"Um?"

But Father was still hesitant; he said it wasn't in accordance with the rules...

"Um?"

"But I think Kang De needed it, he really needed it."

"... Um?"

"This would make Kang De's life more complete. If I didn't give it to you, I believe your destiny would forever be incomplete, with a piece forever missing..."

"Um!?"

"Therefore, I strongly urged my father to agree, and I also hope that you, Kang De, will cherish this opportunity..."

"... Wait a minute, let me ask you something about this precious treasure..."

"Um?"

"... Is that you?"

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: Today's update is a little early, almost 5,000 words... Time for bed.