Trouble

After a night of rest, Sordil and the others had brought themselves back to peak condition before heading toward Fostadu, which was already visible in the distance. What should have been a half-day journey took only half that time, driven by Diphiya and the others' longing to return home. Yet what greeted them at the foot of Fostadu was not Hadessta and the other dragons they had expected, but a well-equipped army.

"Sordil, what is going on? Why is there a human army at Fostadu?"

"Master, Lady Diphiya, judging from the banners this army is using, they should be troops of the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu. Could it be that the King of Tsuyioru Xiu has decided to declare war on Fostadu?"

Sordil looked thoughtfully at the army below the mountain. He found Seraf's speculation unlikely. Even though the dragons of Fostadu had just gone through a great battle, they were still not an enemy a human army from the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu could provoke. Moreover, there was a group of dragons in Dragunov whom the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu regarded as a threat, and they needed Fostadu's strength to oppose them. Whether because of the disparity in power or their need to counter Dragunov, the King of Tsuyioru Xiu would not be foolish enough to attack Fostadu. There had to be another reason. After pondering for a long while, Sordil said:

"An attack on Fostadu is impossible. The Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu has probably encountered some trouble it cannot resolve and has come to ask Fostadu for help."

"Oh! So that's what it is!"

After hearing Sordil's explanation, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Anna, who had only recently joined the group. Among everyone present, she was the weakest. If a conflict broke out, she would be the most likely to become cannon fodder.

"Sordil, since these troops are not here to attack Fostadu, let's enter Fostadu now!"

"Don't be hasty, Diphiya. We still don't know what these troops want, so we cannot act rashly. How about this? Uncle Kaldiz and Anna will remain outside to support us. The five of us will go in first and find out what is happening. If there is no danger, we'll come back and bring Uncle Kaldiz and the others into Fostadu."

"Mm! Sordil is right. This is the safest approach for now. I say we do it that way!"

After the Star Forest Moon Boat attack, Kaldiz had come to greatly appreciate Sordil's cautious measures. Thus, as soon as Sordil announced his decision, Kaldiz immediately voiced his support. And so, Sordil led the four-person bodyguard group openly toward Fostadu, while Kaldiz and Anna were left outside as the rescue team.

"Stop! What dragons are you? This is a restricted secret realm established by the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu. No outside dragons are permitted to enter!"

The moment Sordil and the others approached Fostadu, the Soldiers guarding the perimeter immediately shouted at them. Sordil and the others were utterly dumbfounded. Had they come to the wrong place? They looked left and right, and after confirming that the place before them was indeed Fostadu, Diphiya could no longer hold herself back. She flew before the Soldiers and shouted:

"This is This Lady's home, the dragon secret realm of Fostadu! Since when did it become a restricted secret realm of your Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu? Outside dragons? You humans are the outsiders, all right? Keep provoking This Lady, and I'll blow you all away with a single breath!"

"You are lying! Since the restricted secret realm was established, our Bell Dragon Rider Regiment has guarded this place. Not once has any dragon lord ever left it!"

"Hah? You've guarded this place since it was established? Don't make me laugh. When Fostadu was first founded here half a year ago, there was nothing but beasts, forests, and us dragons of Fostadu. I never saw any Bell Dragon Rider Regiment!"

"You..."

Diphiya was indeed telling the truth. Back then, only dragons had been here; the Bell Dragon Rider Regiment had not arrived until a month after the secret realm was established. Hearing her words, the Soldiers were rendered speechless. Left with no other choice, they sent someone into Fostadu to verify whether Diphiya's claims were true. As Diphiya argued with the Soldiers, Sordil began to understand what the King of Tsuyioru Xiu intended to do.

Since the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu lacked the strength to do anything directly to Fostadu, His Majesty the King had used the excuse of protecting Fostadu to confine Fostadu's dragons within the secret realm, preventing them from making contact with the dragons of Dragunov. In this way, cut off from their source of information, Fostadu would have no choice but to cooperate with the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu. At the same time, His Majesty the King could easily monitor Fostadu's every move, keeping Fostadu's power firmly in his grasp and turning it into a sharp sword that served him. Having realized this, Sordil suddenly felt that he had still underestimated His Majesty the King. As expected, no one capable of becoming the ruler of a nation was simple.

This incident also served as a warning to Sordil. If he wanted to survive on this continent, he needed to guard against more than just the coming war—he also needed to guard against humans who schemed against one another for profit. Just as Sordil was considering how to resolve the situation before them, a great number of dark figures flew over from the direction of Fostadu.

"Sordil, Diphiya, you're finally back!"

"Girl, come let Auntie see whether you've grown!"

"Father, Aunt Wattster, I'm here! We're back!"

Diphiya's cheers and the voices of Hadessta and Old man jolted Sordil from his thoughts. Sordil immediately went forward with Diphiya and the others to meet them. The Soldiers guarding the area no longer dared stop them and allowed them to reunite with Hadessta. Once everyone had met, they embraced one another and began sharing how much they had missed their companions. After nearly a quarter of an hour of lively celebration, they headed together toward Fostadu's main peak. After reaching the mountain, Sordil quietly slipped out of Fostadu on the pretext of using the restroom and went beyond the mountain to meet Kaldiz. He told them not to act rashly and, above all, not to let the Soldiers below the mountain discover them. He would return to bring them up the mountain that night.

Sordil and the others' return was a joyous occasion for Fostadu, so a grand welcome banquet was held that evening. At the feast, Diphiya told everyone about all the things they had encountered along the way. When they heard that Sordil had nearly been swallowed by Zi Ni and digested in its stomach, everyone burst into laughter. The banquet continued until very late, and Sordil took the opportunity to cast Sleep, putting all the Soldiers to sleep before bringing Kaldiz and Anna up the mountain.

As Sordil introduced Anna and Kaldiz to Hadessta and the others, he also voiced his concerns. All five of Hadessta's group agreed with him. They had already realized the problem before Sordil and the others returned, but they had never found a good solution, so the matter had been delayed until now.