What Does It Mean to Be a Filial Son?

The Grand Duke is old.

After witnessing Tina and Grand Duke Teldrassil's brief but intense argument, Kang De had this thought in his mind.

He had only known Tina's father for a short time and did not have a full understanding of this ruler of Goth, but after several exchanges, he had formed a preliminary impression.

This handsome middle-aged man possesses an elegant air of nobility, a melancholic beard, and a gentle nature. He values his family and his people, and is kind and compassionate. Such qualities are good when they appear in a father or even a nobleman, but when they appear in a monarch... they are fatal.

The war with Twilight Moon had instilled fear in the Grand Duke—not fear of his own death or the fall of his country, but fear of the suffering of his people. He was acutely aware of the horrors of war and did not want the brave men of this land to shed blood again.

I don't want to take any more risks.

The threat from the elves is unavoidable and must be dealt with; the threat from the dragons originates from Kang De and must be addressed; however, the mysterious energy from the earth offers a second option: there is no need to risk everything for monopolization or possession, because what the people of this country need most is rest and recuperation.

This is the concept and idea upheld by the Grand Duke.

That's typical of him.

Grand Duke Reknos was such a man; he ruled the country and educated his children with such temperament and character. Under their father's guidance, his children also became upright and kind people. On this matter, the heirs of Teldrassil should stand in agreement with their father.

However, Tina had a fierce argument with her father.

Because children eventually grow up, in addition to the teachings of their parents, they will also see new paths through their own experiences and reflections. When Goth was in turmoil and the Twilight Moon was invading, his youngest daughter Tina left the greenhouse and faced the storms of the outside world. She grew up in the pain of blood and death, came to know the reality of the world, and awakened to ideas and views that were completely different from her father's.

He became a ruthless hawk.

In response to Kang De's proposal and message, she advocated for a complete takeover and utilization of that mysterious and powerful new energy to quickly restore Goth's national defense capabilities and vigorously promote the improvement and leap forward of social productivity.

Like her father, she did not want war to happen again.

The path she chose was to intimidate with swords and protect with power.

As a result of the argument, the Grand Duke once again had no choice but to compromise.

The reason was simple: Kang De was on Tina's side. The reason the Grand Duke advocated immediate rest and recuperation to avoid trouble was because Kang De's powerful Forbidden Spell could buy Goth some peace. Now that Kang De was on the opposite side, he had no choice but to compromise.

He initially agreed with Kang De's suggestion.

In any case, first explore the mines and find an opportunity to deal with the dragons trapped inside, in order to try to block the news. If that is not possible, then be prepared to maneuver among the nations.

But Tina and Kang De both knew that even if the Grand Duke agreed, it would only be a compromise.

The very word "compromise" implies that disagreements still exist.

The Grand Duke is old...

Grand Duke Reknos left, his once straight back now appearing slightly hunched. After he left, Tina hugged Kang De and cried for a long time.

She wasn't crying because of arguments or disagreements with her father.

The wise princess had already foreseen what might happen in the future.

Conflicts regarding national direction and political ideologies... will only lead to one outcome.

As long as she doesn't stop, that thing is almost certain to happen.

Did I do something wrong?

She nestled in Kang De's arms, her voice still trembling with sobs.

Kang De could not answer this question.

History holds the answers to many questions, but for this one, Kang De could not learn from history.

Because Goth's country was small.

Kang De's homeland was a great power.

As long as China maintains its current map, territory, Civilization, and unity, the path to great rejuvenation will always be Water Phase, where one either advances or falls behind. Whether China is determined to make progress or to keep a low profile, whether it is a hawk or a dove, whether it is radical or conservative, whatever it does or doesn't do, in the eyes of the West, it will always be a threat, an enemy, a thorn in their side, and the source of all evil.

Because Earth's resources are finite, if we want billions of people, or even more people around the world, to live a good life, we must make Westerners give back the cake they have been taking from us for hundreds of years.

Fantasy is useless; there is only one road ahead.

But the world is not only home to large countries; there are also small countries with relatively small territories, populations, and military strength.

The tragedy of small countries is that they never have the chance to become truly powerful and can only ever be vassals, allies, or bystanders. But small countries also have their own way of surviving.

For example, occupying one or two important links in the global industrial chain, focusing on developing high-tech fields, maintaining a military force that is more than enough for self-defense or even just passable, becoming a de facto vassal of a superpower, and using the saved expenditures for the national economy and people's livelihood—it's really impossible to judge whether such a practice is right or wrong.

What else? Engage in an arms race? Set a small goal of becoming a global hegemon? Compete with a superpower?

Due to differences in national circumstances, he was unable to provide Tina with an absolutely correct answer.

Kang De gently patted Tina's shoulder and slowly said, "I don't know... Our country's history tells me that backwardness invites aggression, and we can't rely on anyone but ourselves. But the situation is different. My country's fate is tied to the fate of its people. Surrounded by foreign enemies, with the whole world as our adversary, we need a stronger and more prosperous motherland to live a better life. But Goth..."

To be honest, perhaps agreeing to the elves' conditions now, fulfilling the contents of the Valentan Agreement, and making Goth nominally submit to the Twilight Moon in exchange for resource allocation and strong support from the world's hegemon, would be a good thing for ordinary Goth People... at least for Kang De's generation.

But...

Kang De sighed. "You decide."

If the Goth People didn't want to get involved with that mysterious energy, he would move the things in the cave to the White Mist World or somewhere else and study them on his own... Although it was troublesome, there was still a way.

Tina looked up at Kang De: "That energy, that new power... do you want it?"

Kang De paused for a moment, then said, "I may need it, but..."

"Then let's do it." The princess took his hand. "I want to be with you forever, never to be apart... I hope Goth can be your strength, and so can I."

She probably knew what Kang De was worried about.

After all, on the Holy Seal Archipelago, she witnessed Kang De receiving the legacy of the Fire Thief and read the contents of the Crimson Scroll, where a terrifying and unknown enemy was once again eyeing this world.

She no longer wanted to be under Kang De's wing.

She wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with the one she loved, no matter who the enemy was.

"Good."

Tina immediately set about formulating a plan, which required mobilizing more manpower and resources to plan the protection, defense, and development of the cave area. In addition, she also needed to prepare for diplomatic maneuvering, short- and long-term responses, and even war in the face of the covetousness and pressure from various countries after the information was leaked.

She sat in the warm chair, his scent still lingering around her nose. Her Highness squinted slightly, savoring the lingering touch, as if he were still embracing her.

This warm imprint was the driving force that kept her going. A moment later, Tina opened her eyes, and a sharp glint appeared in her beautiful, ethereal eyes, which were as clear as the sky. When making plans, she always prepared for the worst. This was something she shared with Kang De, after all, they had been through the worst day together.

The worst-case scenario.

The news leaked out and became known worldwide. Various nations pressured them, and even international organizations, independent forces, and reclusive Sanctuary, which were independent of other nations, revealed their covetousness. In this situation...

She sketched names one by one on the paper.

A complete blockade, facing enemies from all sides—if news were to leak out, the possibility of stubbornly holding out and maintaining monopoly would be virtually zero. Even with Kang De's formidable military strength, Goth's nation's resources couldn't withstand such a situation. In such a crisis, the best course of action would be...

One link in breaking the encirclement.

Let this impenetrable encirclement fall into disarray on its own.

And those who have the ability to do this...

There are only two countries.

The princess picked up her pen, hesitated several times, her eyes lingering on the paper with a complex expression, before letting out a barely perceptible sigh.

The delicate handwriting reads differently: one as "Twilight Moon," and the other as "empire."

These were all terrible options, and she didn't want to choose any of them.

But...

Azure Waves Province, near Qilin Cape, near the peaks, outside the dense forest and scorched earth, the Survey Corps camp.

A dark portal opened, and Kang De stepped out.

He went back to the White Mist World to pick up Horus and prepare to formulate a battle plan.

As soon as I came out, I heard a sound from the side.

"So slow," the Dragon Girl said casually. "I didn't realize you took so long."

Kang De was slightly startled, not even paying attention to the little female dragon's lewd remarks.

The matter of the mysterious energy is top secret; he's determined to keep it a secret, even if it means wiping out all the dragons. But what about Lily...?

Things have developed too quickly. The tacit agreement with the Dragon Emperor has to be nullified, and the plan to send the conservative dragons from the outer seas to lead the charge is also off the table. Forget about sending them to scout ahead; not a single dragon can enter, and the dragons inside can forget about getting out either. But what can Lily say?

Should we exclude her from the underground exploration? If so, how do we explain it? If not, how do we conceal it? If the dragons inside are still alive, how do we silence them while Lily is present? What if the dragons reveal information to Lily?

His expression shifted, changing unpredictably.

Lily observed this, her eyes flickering slightly. After a moment of silence, she stood up and said, "It seems there's nothing else. I'll be going now. I'll let you know if there's any news from the Dragon Clan."

Suddenly, Iron Son's voice rang in my ears. "Tell her the truth."

Kang De was slightly taken aback.

Horus snapped, "There's no time to explain! Tell her the truth! Trust me!"

Kang De instinctively reached out Erkang's hand. "Wait a minute!"

The Dragon Girl stopped and turned her head slightly. "What is it?"

Kang De took a deep breath and said to the Dragon Girl, "Can I trust you?"

The dragon girl turned her head more sharply and said calmly, "What, do you want to confide in me about your unspeakable troubles with Princess Tina in your bedroom? I'm quite fond of humans..."

Kang De strode forward, grabbed the Dragon Girl's shoulders, and turned her around to face him.

Lily shuddered, instinctively averting her gaze, her breathing even becoming rapid. "W-what are you doing? Finally unable to resist the filthy, base black desires of mere humans? I'm warning you, I can bend even a fine gold satin steel ingot, you..."

Kang De said in a deep voice, "Stop talking nonsense. The trust I'm talking about is whether you're willing to put my interests above the interests of the dragons. This question may be very stupid, but I hope you can answer me honestly. You said before that you hoped we would establish trust—and now is a crucial plot point."

The Dragon Girl looked into his eyes, and a strange expression suddenly appeared on her face.

Confused, sighing, self-deprecating, bitter, even to the point of being unable to laugh or cry.

"That guy..." she murmured after a long pause, "He's known as the Rebel Dragon. The Dragon's Covenant has become a taboo for the dragon race ever since. Even now, the older generation of dragons still speak of him with extreme anger, regarding him as a great disgrace. The reason for all this is probably that when faced with the questioning of the previous Fire Thief, he gave you the answer you wanted and kept his word."

Lily shook her head, a complex and enigmatic smile on her face. "How ironic," she said, "So many years have passed, and this Fire Thief is asking the same questions to the Rebel Dragon's daughter. Can't you come up with a different, more original way of abducting dragons...?"

Kang De asked, "And your answer?"

Lily whispered, "Do you know what price he paid? He betrayed his own kind. He truly deserves the title of Rebel Dragon. That was the dragonflight he loved, the glory, dignity, past, and greatness he once swore to defend to the death. Caught in this dilemma, he chose the other side."

"Do you know how difficult this choice is? His people, who once loved him, have turned against him; the council has suffered a devastating blow and is now divided. Everything that has happened is irreversible. All that awaits him is hatred and rage; he has lost everything... Do you know how heavy the price of this answer is?"

Kang De remained silent for a moment, then said, "Then pretend I didn't say anything, you..."

The next moment, Lily said, "I'm different. I was born without anyone to love me. My mother died in sorrow. From childhood to adulthood, what I remember most are cold looks and insults. Hatred and anger extended to his wife and daughters. How could he have any feelings, belonging, or loyalty to the dragon race?"

She raised her head. "You want to hear the answer, right? Then I'll tell you. Although I always put my own interests and demands above yours, the interests of the dragon race are another matter entirely. Even if such a thing exists, it's at the very bottom of the hierarchy. Are you satisfied now?"

Kang De took a deep breath, then slowly nodded. "Alright, then I'll tell you."

After a moment, he couldn't help but add, "I hope you understand how difficult this is."

Although his son Iron Son, was urging him with a firm and stern tone, Kang De's choice to reveal the secret to Lily was also influenced by personal factors.

What drove him to this action was not careful consideration or deliberation, but rather his gut feeling and instinct, which was completely unimaginable for Master Kang.

To this, the Dragon Girl merely rolled her eyes slightly and muttered under her breath, "Idiot."

You're the same.

So Kang De said it.

He talked for a long time and in great detail.

They even demonstrated a small portion of the harmless, mysterious Element.

"I see... no wonder."

After listening, Lily let out a long breath, and her expression subtly changed.

Kang De frowned and asked, "No wonder what?"

The Dragon Girl immediately replied, "No wonder those idiotic dragons rushed in recklessly, without even reporting the situation to Dragon Island —they must want the conservatives to monopolize it, so they're keeping it from the Dragon Emperor."

Kang De nodded and said, "Oh."

Oh, my foot!

Idiot.

Seeing his expression, Lily's lips curled into a smile.

She sensed something was wrong from the start. During her battle with the underground monster, she noticed something amiss from the corpse. After all, the Dragon Girl was an assassin, extremely familiar with the internal structure of organisms. She felt that the monster was a bit strange, not like a normal creature at all. It seemed to have been strengthened into a distorted and deformed form by that purple substance.

Immediately afterwards, Goth's mage shouted that Princess Goth and Kang De should go see the results alone; not only her, but even A Xing was kept outside.

After reading it, Kang De disappeared for a long time. When he returned, he could smell Princess Tina's scent on him. After reading the mage's research results, he ran back to Danfeng Lucerne. It couldn't have been to have sex with Princess Tina. He must have discovered a major problem in the monster's autopsy results, which is why he ran back to discuss it.

The complex look and surprise in Kang De returned also speak volumes.

Because there was a hint of defensiveness and distance in his eyes.

The Dragon Girl is very sensitive to eye contact.

From childhood, the dragons around her had always looked at her with extremely complex malice, rejection, sighs, and hatred. She had to discern the nature of these gazes, avoid the malicious ones, and even find ways to avoid attracting the attention of certain dragons so that she would not stand out... She had gotten used to it all.

These techniques can even be used to make money as a hitman.

So even though Kang De tried to conceal it, the Dragon Girl saw through his guardedness at a glance. Combined with her previous guesses and clues, the answer was already obvious.

The Goth People must have discovered a great benefit from the monster's corpse, which is why they're keeping it a secret from her—they probably don't want the dragons to find out...

So she became somewhat disheartened. The so-called oath and trust were really not worth mentioning. Perhaps they couldn't be relied on from the beginning. After all, they were two Fire Thief, two different dragons.

She was about to leave when she was called back. Although this idiot human asked another stupid question, and then hesitantly and cautiously told the truth...

But after all, it was said.

It seems pretty good.

You did a good job.

"Speak."

She turned and sat back in her chair, crossing her legs, trying to maintain her icy indifference, but the corners of her eyes kept wanting to curve upwards, and her bottom was itching to transform back into a dragon and wag her tail for an hour—pfft, pathetic, is it really necessary to be so happy? Calm down, calm down, calm down.

She tried to control herself as she asked, "How do you want me to help you?"

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PS1: 5,000 words... I can continue to increase my Ring Fit Adventure playtime tomorrow, feels good.