Red Dragon

Inside a cave carved out of the mountains in the Monster Mountain Range, a giant red Giant Dragon, about seventy meters long, stares angrily ahead with eyes bigger than lanterns.

"You filthy reptiles, how dare you disturb the sleeping Great Maxim! You deserve to die!"

One has to admit the power of the Dragon Race's talent; they spoke in the pure common language of the continent, clearly intending for the newcomer to hear them clearly.

Red Dragon are not to be trifled with; among all Giant Dragon, this one ranks among the top three in terms of temper.

Normally, if disturbed, it would either be met with a mouthful of lava or swatted to death by its tail.

To be swallowed whole is the treatment reserved for other races. Beastfolk, considered filthy creatures by Giant Dragon, don't even deserve to be devoured.

This is a classic case of double standards. Dragon Race are clearly the most harem-like race, yet they look down on Beastfolk are hybrids of multiple races.

Giant Dragon in heat will mate with any female it sees; anything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, or swims in the water can become its object of lust.

The countless sub-dragon species on the Aslant Continent are all thanks to the Giant Dragon race. Fortunately, they didn't permanently reside on the continent, otherwise, sooner or later the entire continent would be Dragonkin.

Maxim was willing to talk nonsense because he was truly enraged; merely killing the Beastfolk in front of him would not quell his anger.

Ever since leaving Dragon Island, he's been plagued by bad luck. He'd just arrived at the Monster Mountain Range and set his sights on a mountaintop, intending to build his lair there, when he realized the "landlord" was no pushover either.

A similarly hot-tempered mother bear appeared and immediately started fighting without saying a word. Since they were both on the same level, who was afraid of whom in a one-on-one fight?

Unfortunately, the opponent didn't play by the rules. After suffering losses in the battle, they called for another Earth Bear to come and help.

Then, Maxim met his tragic end, getting relentlessly beaten by two Earth Bear. Had he not been fast enough, strong, and resilient, he would have almost lost his dragon life.

They chased him from the depths of the Monster Mountain Range all the way to the edge, and only stopped when they realized they couldn't capture him.

Having suffered a great loss, Maxim realized that the Aslant Continent was not a good place to live, and at the very least, he would not be able to rule the Monster Mountain Range.

So he built a nest on the edge of the Monster Mountain Range and settled down to recuperate. He had only been asleep for a year when he was woken up by this Beastfolk.

Fueled by a combination of rage, the hot-tempered Maxim decided to let the Beastfolk were bothering him die slowly in fear.

Realizing something was amiss, the Elder Eagleman at the head of the group hurriedly said, "Respected Lord Maxim, we have heard of your resounding reputation and have come here specifically to present you with gifts."

Upon hearing that it was a gift, Maxim's expression softened slightly, only to erupt in fury. "You reptile, you're lying!"

This was his first time entering the Aslant Continent, and his debut was being ganged up on and chased by two Earth Bear. Talking about "prestige" was just nonsense.

Upon seeing this, the Elder Eagleman at the head was startled. Aren't Giant Dragon supposed to love flattery? Why isn't he behaving the way he always does?

Fortunately, the old man reacted quickly enough to realize his flattery had backfired, and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and open the box!"

In an instant, the glittering golden light caught Maxim's attention, and his initial anger subsided.

Greed is the greatest weakness of Dragon Race, and the Red Dragon Maxim is no exception. His greatest wish is to have countless gold coins, and then seduce beautiful female dragons to create baby dragons.

One is not enough; a whole group is better.

As a fully grown Giant Dragon, Maxim's needs for food and sex are perfectly normal.

He came out this time to obtain enough treasure. If he hadn't been beaten up by the two Earth Bear, he would have already gone out to make money.

"This treasure belongs to me, you reptiles, get out of my way!"

Maxim couldn't help but scold him.

From his tone, it was clear that he had lost his murderous intent. It just goes to show how powerful the lure of gold coins is; it could even change the mind of Giant Dragon.

After retreating more than fifty steps and feeling safe enough, the Elder Eagleman slowly spoke, "Respected Lord Maxim, these are merely a greeting gift, simply representing the highest respect our Orc Empire has for you."

The Aslant Continent is ravaged by war, and its various races are in constant turmoil, urgently needing to establish a new order. How could such a grand event be complete without your participation?

We are here on behalf of the Orc Empire to invite you to the Continental Conference and witness the peace agreement reached by all races.

Rest assured, everything will follow the usual procedures and will not make things difficult for you.

After the deed is done, we will offer you gold coins of equal value as a reward. Your contribution to the myriad races of the continent will be forever sung by bards!

Having learned from his previous mistake, the Elder Eagleman's flattery was very successful this time.

Not only did they offer a high price, but they also praised Maxim to the skies, without mentioning any deal, which perfectly suited the Red Dragon's tastes.

There's no doubt about the intelligence of Giant Dragon. They're online most of the time, except when they're in heat.

Maxim knew perfectly well why the Orc Empire had spent a fortune to invite him to the Continental Conference: they simply wanted to leverage the power of the Dragon Race.

"Hmm, witnessing the Continental Conference is fine. However, I'll only be representing this dragon. If I were to represent the Dragon Race, you'd have to pay extra!"

As he spoke, Maxim had already extended his claws and was gesturing. This straightforward deal surprised the Elder Eagleman.

Are all Giant Dragon this direct?

The Giant Dragon described in ancient texts are all vain and arrogant, always self-centered.

This Red Dragon in front of me is clearly not playing by the rules. Generally speaking, only ancient dragons that have aged can develop this kind of thick skin.

What he thought in his heart was unimportant; the Elder Eagleman feigned hesitation and said, "Well, the price will be as you say, sir!"

Anyone who dares to do business with Giant Dragon must be prepared to be overcharged. Since he's representing the Orc Empire this time, the Empire will foot the bill no matter the cost, so he's not going to risk haggling.

There are precedents for this; in the past, some people have been accidentally slapped to death by Giant Dragon while bargaining with Giant Dragon.

The Alpha Kingdom wanted to negotiate, and so did the Orc Empire. When both sides wanted to resolve the issue through diplomatic means, everything became simple.

Soon, a mediation agreement appeared on the desks of the leaders of various races across the continent. Influenced by the mediation agreement, the Human Alliance urgently announced a meeting.

All this was because a huge claw mark had appeared on the mediation agreement, which any noble with a little knowledge could recognize as the symbol of the Dragon Race.

If any other race dares to step in and mediate, even if we don't slap them back, we'll throw the mediation agreement in the trash.

As the dominant race on the continent, the human race has the confidence to say no to other races, except when facing the Dragon Race.

Even knowing that the number of Giant Dragon is now scarce, and that the total Giant Dragon in the world probably does not exceed five figures, and that their overall strength is definitely not comparable to that of humans.

Having strong overall strength doesn't guarantee victory. Against creatures like Giant Dragon, which have almost no weaknesses except for their numbers, swarm tactics are meaningless.

Once war breaks out, Giant Dragon can raid any human territory, leaving no room for defense.

No matter how large or powerful a nation is, it can't withstand constant turmoil. If it continues to be attacked by Giant Dragon, humanity will soon be dethroned from its dominant position.

Realizing the seriousness of the problem, the representatives quickly began to discuss it.

"The Dragon Race has long ceased to interfere in mainland affairs, so how could they suddenly intervene at such a critical juncture?"

This is most likely a hoax perpetrated by the Beastfolk, an attempt to use the Dragon Race's power to escape unscathed. We mustn't fall for it!

Count Derrick was the first to object.

As a representative of the Warhammer Kingdom, his hatred for the Orc Empire now runs deep in his bones.

When hatred takes over, reason inevitably takes a backseat. Even the ancient strategy of keeping the Beastfolk around to contain the Alpha Kingdom is now disregarded.

The Beastfolk are truly treacherous. The Alpha Kingdom's rise to power might only encroach on their interests, but the Beastfolk could literally take their lives.

They were so close to losing the Warhammer Kingdom, which really scared them.

If it were the Alpha Kingdom wanting to invade the Warhammer Kingdom, they would have to do so within the rules of the game. Even if they won on the battlefield, they would still have to withdraw their troops once the Human Alliance intervened.

Moreover, the Moxi Duchy lies between them, so the probability of a direct armed conflict between the two countries is not high; at most, it will be a struggle for discourse power.

"It is very simple to determine the truth of the matter. As a mediator, you must send a representative to the scene."

Let's assume this mediation agreement is genuine for now. If no Dragon Race representative participates, then it's not too late for us to the Annihilation of the Orc Empire.

"The Bishop Montesol said calmly."

The Warhammer Kingdom can act impulsively, but the Church must remain rational. Having already clashed with the continent's First Army power, they must find a way to contain the unstable element of the Alpha Kingdom.

Without the Beastfolk to restrain them, they would face the combined attack of two staunchly anti- Church military powers. If they were not careful, the Aslant Continent would be filled with numerous Church.

It's not impossible that the Iberian Kingdom might be persuaded to directly destroy the Church and then establish a new, compliant Church.

"Bishop, the presence of representatives does not guarantee authenticity. Not all Giant Dragon are morally upright; Giant Dragon are insatiably greedy."

If enough money is offered, it's not impossible to bribe a Giant Dragon to impersonate a Dragon Race representative and lead the mediation.

Similar cases have actually occurred in history. If one is deceived by the Beastfolk and misses this opportunity, the historical record will not be favorable.

A careful analysis reveals that the conflict between us and the Beastfolk does not affect the interests of the Dragon Race; they have no reason to stand up for the Beastfolk.

Count Nicol objected.

As victims of the same war, the Duchy of Orton also became staunch advocates for the extermination of orcs. Oden XIX had issued a firm order early on to push forward the proposal to exterminate the Beastfolk as much as possible.

Representatives of almost all the major powers in the north received similar orders sooner or later. They clearly felt the pain acutely and did not want to experience it a second time.

The only surprise was that the Alpha Kingdom, the staunch vanguard of the destruction of the "beasts," had remained silent.

There was no other way; the Beastfolk held "hostages." If the Alpha Kingdom dared to push for a proposal to exterminate the orcs, they would kill the hostages.