Arrival of the Stalemate Phase (Final Chapter)

Chigengster Plains, Ishgar's Camp

After healing the last wounded soldier, Sordil stopped his Healing Magic and walked out of the tent. Just then, Grandiere, whom Sordil had dragged from Dragunov, also came out of another tent. The two exchanged a glance and then walked towards the central tent in perfect unison.

Seeing his wife turn her face away and ignore him, Sordil felt a little flustered.

"Um... Grandiere, are you tired? Why don't we take a break?"

Without a snort or a word, as if nothing had happened, Grandiere continued walking forward, maintaining his original posture. Facing the wooden-like Grandiere, Sordil felt as if a cloud of calamity was hovering above his head, the kind that could fall at any moment. No, there should be two clouds of calamity, but the other one remained in Dragunov, which was why he had forgotten about it.

For the sake of his future happiness, Sordil racked his brains, desperately trying to recall the survival guides he had read in his past life, searching for a way to survive. (Alas! What can you do? Sordil is a doting husband who also goes on crazy and reckless behavior, and afterwards, his survival instincts are off the charts!)

After exhausting countless brain cells and achieving unparalleled brilliance, young master Sordil finally came up with a plan to advance in vain (a plan to court death).

(Hey everyone, as a single guy, I really don't understand romance, so please bear with this part!)

Sordil strode forward, catching up with Grandiere who had gone ahead. He grabbed Grandiere's right hand and pulled her forcefully into his arms. With the beauty in his embrace, Sordil wrapped his left arm around Grandiere's waist, holding her tightly. When Grandiere looked up in surprise, Sordil glared angrily at the person in his arms and said domineeringly, "Grandiere, I, the Prince, Grandiere you to forgive me immediately, or you will be imprisoned in my heart for life!"

Hearing Sordil's words, Grandiere gave him a few light punches on the chest with her small fist, then said haughtily, "Forgiving you is impossible. Go ahead and lock me in your heart for the rest of your life if you dare!" (This is just the young master's imagination, not factual!)

"Bang"

What greeted Sordil wasn't the scene he'd imagined, but rather a white iron fist exuding cold arrogance. With a single, decisive blow, taking down the emotionally idiotic Sordil, Grandiere coldly and then walked disdainfully toward the Main army tent.

"Hey, the person lying there looks like Brother Sordil (Vyseria)?"

"What? No way! (Skiadrum)"

"Regardless of whether it's Brother Sordil or not, let's help him up first. (Metalicana)"

After Metalicana finished speaking, the three of them hurriedly went to the unconscious dragon and lifted him up from the ground.

"Ah, it really is Brother Sordil! But how did he end up collapsed here? (Skiadrum)"

After Shadow Dragon King raised this question, the surroundings were completely silent, without a single sound.

"Um?"

Having received no reply from his two best friends, Skiadrum looked at them with suspicion, hoping to find the answer to his question. He instead found that Vyseria and Medalicana had serious expressions, tense muscles, and constantly darting around. After observing them closely for a while, Skiadrum noticed that Vyseria and Metalicana were gesturing for him to observe Sordil's face.

Out of curiosity, Skiadrum turned his gaze to Sordil's face, but there was nothing there except a dented fist mark.

"Wait a minute! Why does this fist imprint look so familiar?"

"Hiss! This... this... this looks like... this looks like Grandiere's fist imprint!"

"The size, the dent, and the way the force was applied—there's no doubt it's Grandiere's fist imprint!"

"Gulp"

Swallowing hard to suppress his panic, Skiadrum obediently shut his mouth. He then silently walked behind Sordil and, together with the other two, lifted Sordil up. The three of them, maintaining the posture of black people carrying a coffin, quietly walked towards the Main army tent.

Main army tent

"What's that brat Sordil up to? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Hearing Belserion's mutterings, Grandiere subconsciously glanced at the spot where Sordil had fallen, then quickly looked away. Just then, the coffin was... ptooey! Sordil was carried into the Main army tent. Seeing Sordil being carried on the shoulders of Metalicana and the other two, the Sage Dragon roared angrily:

"What happened? Who attacked that brat?"

Metalicana took over the part that Vyseria was carrying, and then, taking advantage of Baisrogia's unpreparedness, pushed him to the front to answer Sage Dragon's question.

"Metalicana, you bastard, you've screwed me over!"

Facing the gazes of the Sage Dragon and everyone in the tent, Vyseria broke out in a cold sweat, unsure how to answer. The embarrassed White Dragon King cursed the Iron Dragon King inwardly, then, having vented his anger, he raised his head to answer the Sage Dragon's question. Just then, a cold, sharp gaze pierced him, making him shudder.

The White Dragon King followed the direction of the gaze and looked in the direction the murderer was staring at him fiercely.

For the sake of his own life, the White Dragon King deleted the part of his memory containing information about the murderer, keeping only the part about when he first discovered Sordil.

"Lord Sage Dragon, we found Brother Sordil on our way to the Main army tent. He was already unconscious on the ground, so we don't know who attacked Sordil."

"Oh? Is that so! Then quickly put the brat down and let Grandiere wake him up so we can find out what happened."

"Yes!"

A moment later, Sordil slowly woke up.

Looking at the familiar faces before him, the Your Highness the Prince knew in his heart that he must have been rescued by some kind person.

"Hey kid, how are you feeling?"

"Uncle Sage Dragon, I'm alright!"

"It's good that you're alright! By the way, brat, who beat you up like this?"

"Uh... that person moved too fast, I didn't even get a clear look at her face before I was knocked unconscious."

From Sordil's evasive words, Belserion could sense that he was lying. Just as the Sage Dragon was about to press for an answer, a report came from outside the tent.

"Reporting to Sage Dragon, a dragon from the Western Continent outside the camp requests an audience!"

Belserion withdrew his attention from Sordil and muttered under his breath, "The dragons of the Western Continent? What are they doing here?"

After racking his brains without success, Sage Dragon called out towards the outside of the tent, "Have they explained their purpose?"

"Reporting to Sage Dragon, he said he came to discuss the exchange of prisoners."

"Exchange prisoners? Bring him in!"

"Yes!"

A short while later, Montedoss, with bandages wrapped around his chest, entered the Main army tent under the guidance of guards.

"Chief Harvey Foz of the Western Continent, Montedoss, greets Sage Dragon!"

"Chief Montedoss, given the current relationship between us, I truly admire your courage for daring to come alone!"

"Sage Dragon, you flatter me!"

"Hehe! I wonder what brings Chief Montedoss here this time?"

"Sage Dragon, Montedoss has come to return your captured personnel!"

Upon hearing this, Belserion stood up from his seat, walked to Montedoss ' side, and began circling him. After looking Montedoss up and down, Belserion asked softly, "Oh? You're so kind as to return the prisoner you've worked so hard to capture?"

"Of course we're not sending prisoners back for nothing; there are conditions!"

Belserion gave a cold laugh, then said in an icy tone, "Tell me!"

"We can release your captured personnel, but you need to provide us with Junggwan of food." (Junggwan is a virtual unit of mass, a combination of the ancient China unit Jun and the Japanese unit Guan; 1 Junggwan = 180 jin = 90 kilograms)

"What? Have the people of the Western Continent gone mad with hunger?"

Belserion slammed his fist on the table and roared at Montedoss.

"Hehe! Sage Dragon, if you feel that we are asking for too much, we can reduce the amount a bit. After all, we are negotiating now!"

Just as Belserion was about to refuse the peace talks, a voice appeared in his mind, so he immediately changed his mind and said, "Please ask Chief Montedoss to rest in the tent on the side for a while. We need to discuss the specific details of the prisoner exchange."

"Montedoss awaits Your Sage Dragon's summons at any time!"

After bowing in greeting, Montedoss left the Main army tent under the guidance of soldiers and went to rest elsewhere.

"You brat, are you crazy? Why do you want me to agree to the exchange?"

After wiping the drool off his face, Sordil took a few steps back and said, "Sage Dragon, we don't know how long our war with the Western Continent will last. We can't afford to lose even one person at this time, so this exchange must take place."

"But once the people of the Western Continent receive food supplies, won't all our previous efforts be in vain?"

Upon hearing this, Sordil revealed a sly smile, then lowered his voice and said, "Hehe! Uncle Sage Dragon, we are going to give them food, but whether this food is edible or what will happen after they eat it is none of our business!"

"You brat, have you lost your mind? Why would they want food that's past its expiration date?"

"Who said we're going to give them expired food? We'll just add a little something to their food!"

After Sordil finished speaking, Belserion full of black lines, flicked him on the forehead and said speechlessly, "Are you an idiot! With the digestive abilities of dragons, adding any ingredients won't make a difference!"

Sordil covered the takoyaki on the top of his head with his hand and said with a wronged Maruko, "That's not necessarily true. If they swallow Uncle Kaldiz's Ghost Dragon Force, they'll be in for a world of hurt!"

"Huh? You brat, are you serious?"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Uncle Kaldiz!"

Trusting Sordil, Belserion turned to Kaldiz without hesitation and asked, "Brother Kaldiz, is what that brat said true?"

"My Ghost Dragon Force can indeed attach to food and enter the dragon's body, and it can also make the dragon that swallows it suffer. However, a Junggwan too much. It is impossible to complete in a short period of time!"

Just as Belserion was about to say that he could find a way to stall for time, Sordil interrupted, "Who said we were going to give them a Junggwan of food? I think a hundred Junggwan be enough!"

Upon hearing Sordil's words, everyone in the camp was stunned by Sordil's bargaining skills and collapsed to the ground.

"You brat, isn't one hundred Junggwan too little?" (Sage Dragon)

"Then three hundred Junggwan, no more than that!"

"If we cut it by 70% at once, will the Western Continent agree to that? (Kaldiz)"

"Of course! Just do this and that during Uncle Sage Dragon's negotiations later, and then do this and that."

"Well, let's do it this way for now!" (Sage Dragon)

When Montedoss entered the Main army tent again, Sage Dragon was sitting in the main seat waiting for him. Before Montedoss could ask any questions, Belserion spoke first, "Chief Montedoss, we have agreed to the prisoner exchange, but a Junggwan of food is far too much. We simply cannot gather it in the short term, so we hope that we can reduce it a bit."

"Hehe! Sage Dragon, as I said before, the amount of food is negotiable. I wonder how much food Sage Dragon can offer in exchange for the prisoners?"

Upon hearing Montedoss mention the amount of food, Sage Dragon, unusually shy, said apologetically, "We are prepared to offer one hundred Junggwan of food in exchange, Chief Montedoss, what do you think..."

The petrified Montedoss let his jaw slam into the ground as a protest against Belserion's stinginess.

"Since Chief Montedoss doesn't object, I'll have someone go and make the preparations!"

Upon seeing Sage Dragon preparing to close the coffin lid, Montedoss, who had been feigning death, quickly regained his vitality and spoke up in protest.

"Sage Dragon, isn't one hundred Junggwan too little? (Sage Dragon, is this how you bargain? You might as well just kill me!)"

"What amount does Chief Montedoss think is appropriate?"

"Six hundred Junggwan!"

"There's too much; we simply can't afford it!"

"Five hundred it is, that's the lowest I can go!"

"Chief Montedoss, to tell you the truth, we can only offer fifty Junggwan at most. I only managed to say one hundred Junggwan because I was gritting my teeth and trying to save face."

"Fifty? Fifty is too much... Never mind, never mind, Sage Dragon, stop pretending to be poor. I won't ask for an exorbitant amount. Three hundred! Three hundred Junggwan, that's our bottom line, we really can't go any lower!"

"Hi! Okay!"

Five days later, the impoverished Belserion, having scraped together three hundred Junggwan food by selling everything he owned, arrived at the trading place on time and exchanged it with the people of the Western Continent.

From then on, both families stayed in their respective camps to recover their strength, never venturing out unless absolutely necessary. This brought a brief period of peace to the western border, marking the beginning of a stalemate in the war against the West waged by the eldest son of the Sordil clan. At the same time, it also meant that a much larger storm was brewing, preparing to land on Ishgar.