Dragon Slayer

As the heavy metal doors slowly opened, Mezhuolash strode into the hall, knelt on one knee before the steps, and said in a deep voice, "Master, we have received the latest intelligence from Nocturne."

"The Bosque Duchy has spent a fortune recruiting a legendary adventurer squad from the south— the Crimson Edge. This squad is renowned throughout the Fadlan Empire, with an extremely high mission completion rate. They have once slain thirteen dragons, and even..."

Mezhuolash paused slightly, then cautiously looked up. Seeing that Keosius's expression was normal, he continued, "Including a very old Red Dragon."

"Oh?"

"Looks like that old lion really went all out."

Keosius stroked his chin and said this.

That was an extremely old Red Dragon, an incredibly powerful and ferocious being with a base Challenge Rating of 20. Even he wouldn't underestimate such an opponent. And the adventurer team that could slay such an old Red Dragon was definitely no ordinary group.

Keosius immediately became interested.

"Is there any other information about this team?"

"Master, please forgive us, we still have too few people in the south and our foundation is still shallow. We can only find the most basic information that is on paper."

Red Dragon nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"This team has five members, all of whom should be top-tier legendary professionals. They include Paladin, Barbarian, a mage, Rogue, and Cleric, making for a very well-balanced team."

Tiefling crushed a piece of crystal, and the image of a burly man in blood-red heavy armor appeared in mid-air.

"This is the leader of the Crimson Blade, the paladin Dex Flamegold, a believer in the law and the sun god Amannata, who once single-handedly killed an old blue dragon. We do not yet know his oath, but based on his past deeds, he is very likely a black knight who has sworn an oath of vengeance."

Immediately afterwards, a voluptuous woman in a white robe appeared in the frame.

"This is Ingrid Garcés, Legendary Cleric and one of the Honorary Bishop of the Amanata Church. According to her beliefs, she could only be Cleric of the Order Domain."

The original scene disappeared, and a tall man with a naked upper body and covered in red tattoos appeared.

"Lano, a legendary Barbarian, was born into a barbarian tribe on the border of Fadlan. He once defeated an entire tribe of giants in hand-to-hand combat."

"As for the remaining two, our spies in the south haven't found any information yet. The mage's information is extremely expensive, and he's said to be related to the mysterious ' Tower of Time.' The Rogue, on the other hand, is very good at disguising himself and rarely appears in public."

Mezhuolash gathered the broken crystal shards and put them in his backpack, quietly awaiting the Red Dragon's command.

"You did a great job."

"Tsk tsk, what a luxurious team setup. But how much did that old lion spend?"

Keosius was somewhat moved, but still couldn't help asking.

Mezhuolash answered without hesitation, "As far as we know, the base commission for the Crimson Edge is as high as 60,000 Gold Coin, and if we want them to hunt down a noble and powerful being like you, the price will double again, conservatively estimated to be 120,000 Gold Coin."

"According to our intelligence, this is equivalent to three years of tax revenue for the Bosque Duchy. Add to that the military expenditures in recent years, and they should be almost emptying their treasury."

Keosius was satisfied with the answer.

"That's quite a move. Is the Bosque Duchy planning a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble?"

A slight smile appeared on the Red Dragon's lips.

"However, the nobles of other countries in the the North may not think that way. They have already tasted the sweetness of being compradors, and they might sell us the gallows hanging around their necks as well."

"War is so tiring and painful. Isn't it better to Leeks your own people and become a comprador?"

"With the added interference of Nocturne, the the North countries will only be a disorganized mess."

Mezhuolash immediately chimed in, "Master, the many rebels in the the North are utterly no match for your kingdom; their order is as fragile as paper."

Keosius nodded again. "However, we still need to be careful about aid from the south. The power of the Fadlan Empire far surpasses any force in the the North. They can easily influence the situation in the entire Anzeta with just a few things. The Anzeta Great Wasteland is still too small and too remote."

"Keep an eye on that legendary team and report to me immediately if anything comes up."

"Yes, Master."

Mezhuolash said respectfully, and then left as the Tiefling Guard watched him go.

Keosius slowly closed his eyes, relaxed his body, and tried to unwind from the tension of the past few days by engaging in some meditation as described in ancient books. This was also a good way to temporarily Contend Against the chaotic will deep within his heart.

But then Tiefling's voice came from outside the palace again, interrupting his meditation.

"Your Majesty, Lord Lang Pu requests an audience."

"Let him in too."

The Red Dragon opened its eyes with some impatience, its gaze seemingly looking through a steel gate to the outside world, beyond the territory of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, and even beyond the Anzeta Great Wasteland, to see the vast Feanso Continent.

"Tsk, another turbulent time."

The Bosque Duchy, Strasbourg, inside the Duke's Mansion.

Grand Duke Leo paced back and forth anxiously.

"Trischka, when exactly will those people arrive?"

"You should know that our scouts have already discovered traces of the Red Scale Conqueror on the border. Damn it, that Red Dragon has awakened, and he could break into the duchy at any moment, or even destroy Strasbourg by himself!"

Unlike the Northern Nobles who were indulging in a dream of peace, Leo Bosk knew very well that no one in the the North could stop Keosius now. The dragon could descend at any time and destroy everything. He had to get support from the outside world as soon as possible, even if it came at a heavy price.

"Your Grace, it will be soon. I am still trying to contact them."

Trischka looked rather helpless as he kept adjusting a token with a blood-red coat of arms.

Suddenly, the space around me began to twist, deform, and even shatter without warning.

Grand Duke Leo instinctively gripped the sword at his waist, a conditioned reflex honed from years of battle.

That is—

The guard beside him also looked quite nervous, and hurriedly drew his spear.

Immediately afterwards, a dark Space Rift appeared in the hall of the Duke's Mansion, and several figures walked out from it.

The leader was a burly man, clad in heavy, blood-red armor. He held a shield inlaid with dragon scales in his left hand, and a longsword gleamed faintly at his waist. His head was covered by a heavy helmet, obscuring his face—this was none other than Dex Flamegold.

Grand Duke Leo frowned slightly at the group of uninvited guests who had barged into the Duke's Mansion without permission, but he still gave them a tactful reminder.

"Using teleportation spells to enter someone else's residence is hardly polite."

Dex Flamegold ignored him, silently drawing his longsword from his waist before saying, "The North etiquette means nothing to us. We're not here as guests. You just need to tell me about the Red Dragon."

The Barbarian Lano beside him added impatiently, "And shut your stinking, babbling mouth."

Grand Duke Leo was slightly taken aback.

He hadn't been treated so rudely in a long time.

Leo Bosk then realized that the other party was a legendary professional from Fadlan, while he was just a duke within the Anzeta region.

The etiquette of the the North had no effect on them; their only purpose in coming here was to complete their employment and receive Gold Coin.

Trischka also gave a wry smile and shook his head helplessly.