Furious Wrath

"Your Majesty, that Embers of the Burned Emperor is by no means a dragon in the traditional sense! Not only in terms of power, but also in terms of ambition, he far exceeds the imagination of everyone present."

Dayev mustered his courage and stood beside Duke Sashisai, speaking with a firm and resounding voice.

When Sashisai heard his subordinates contradict him, he frowned and looked embarrassed. "Dayev, don't forget that I am the one in charge of the mission to the Empire."

Upon hearing the other party's words, Dayev hesitated for a moment, but still gritted his teeth and argued. "But, Your Grace, I have traveled to several cities in the Embers of the Burned Empire, and even lived in Istaria for several days. You certainly do not know this empire as well as I do."

He raised his head and looked at the "Angel King" shrouded in a hazy halo on the throne. "Your Majesty Wilhelm, do you know what I'm seeing?"

Wilhelm leaned forward slightly, looking down at the young diplomat, and said in a low voice, "Tell me, what did you see?"

Dayev lowered his head, seemingly recalling that unforgettable journey from several years ago.

"I saw mechanical behemoths galloping across the land, not for war, but for agriculture. I saw steel cities rising from the ground, producing massive quantities of goods. I saw thick smoke billowing from factory chimneys. I saw the people of the empire, regardless of race, almost all regard the emperor as a god. This Dragon Emperor is not simply pursuing money; he has even invested tens of millions of Gold Coin in the construction of these facilities—something that those stingy evil dragons could never do."

Take, for example, the Red Dragon lord Osaros from a hundred years ago. He would only plunder his people indiscriminately every few years. This is the most common and traditional dragon lord.

However, the behavior of the Embers of the Burned Emperor Keosius is fundamentally different. His goal was not to plunder money; more accurately, he...

Dayev paused, as if pondering how to describe it, before finally speaking in a heavy voice:

"The Embers of the Burned Emperor Is Creating a New Civilization."

"How is this possible?"

"Dayev is absolutely exaggerating!"

"That's just a Red Dragon. No matter how powerful it is, it's nothing more than a savage beast and could never become a wise ruler!"

"Exactly! I think he's just trying to impress His Majesty!"

Upon hearing Dayev's words, the hall erupted in uproar, with the courtiers discussing the matter animatedly. Meanwhile, the face of the Duke of Sashisai, who had been completely rejected, turned as black as coal.

"But if that's the case, wouldn't we be handing money to the enemy for nothing?"

"Yes, it is unheard of to use magical creations for lowly commoners."

"This Red Dragon's methods of bewitching people are truly terrifying!"

The vast majority of ministers supported Duke Sashisai's plan, after all, they did not want to face the terrifying dragon in the north.

However, some ministers were convinced by Dayev's words and were deeply worried about the Embers of the Burned Emperor's ambitious plans.

The ministers of the Thrace Kingdom were not afraid of the Red Dragon, which burned, killed, looted, and acted with impunity, because to them it was merely a beast.

But they feared a wise and ambitious dragon monarch, for such a being could potentially overthrow their rule.

Wilhelm lowered his head in thought, lost in hesitation, even his pure white wings curled slightly. "That Embers of the Burned Emperor actually has such ambition. No wonder that good-for-nothing from the the North is so afraid."

After watching the footage of the battle and hearing Dayev's account, this "Angel King" still harbored some fear of the Red Dragon of the North.

But in Wilhelm's mind, the most important thing was always to reclaim the Holy City, obtain the old emperor's legacy, and make himself a being comparable to a god at all costs.

Everything else seems insignificant.

After all, he was a descendant of the Sun God, a born ruler of the Fadlan, how could he fear a Red Dragon? But then, Dayev's words changed Wilhelm's mind and made his heart sink.

"Moreover, Your Majesty Wilhelm, I have personally witnessed hundreds of Empire Retinue receive the Red Dragon's blessing and become incredibly powerful. He is undergoing some kind of ascension ritual!"

"Keosius, that emperor, he wanted to become a god in the hearts of the empire's people."

Dayev raised his head, gazing up at the Angel Divine Descendant on the throne, his voice heavy.

"What?"

Wilhelm's eyes widened in shock and rage, his whole body trembling with extreme surprise and fury, even his white wings were shaking.

That Red Dragon also wants to become a god on earth! In Wilhelm's plan, he will seize the Holy City, kill his two brothers, obtain Aragon I's legacy, and ascend to become a true god.

At that time, he will reclaim the vast lands of Holy Fadlan, gather the faith of all living beings on earth, and become the eternal emperor, the god of the earth.

And now, there are other beings coveting the throne of the earthly gods! This is simply unforgivable!

Wilhelm's voice was suppressed, like a thunderbolt about to erupt. "Did you see it clearly?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have witnessed and experienced it with my own eyes. It was a ceremony similar to the ascension of His Majesty Aragon a hundred years ago."

Wilhelm slowly rose from his throne, his three pairs of enormous, white wings unfurling behind him and casting shadows.

"Gentlemen, what other ideas do you have? Right now, my most elite Angel Divine Descendant Guard and Arcane Legion are fighting against those traitors in Kassand in the south. Do you really expect me to send you north to defend against the Red Dragon?"

"Your Majesty, this..."

"Excuse me, I'll wait until I can."

"That evil dragon is simply beyond human power to resist!"

"Yes, sending our personal guards up against a hundred-meter-long dragon would be suicide!"

Suddenly, Duke Sashisai stepped forward again, his slightly cloudy eyes narrowing as if he were plotting something.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember Isa, Muken, and the others?"

Wilhelm's expression immediately turned cold. "Of course I remember, those two damned traitors, they were the ones who started the rebellion."

The Isa and Muken that Sashisai mentioned were both powerful Divine Descendant Duke who were originally Wilhelm's capable lieutenants and right-hand men.

But a few years ago, they grew tired of the endless wars and saw the Thrace Kingdom gradually weakening, so they began to carve out their own territory on the kingdom's borders.

They declared themselves "Angel Prince" and proclaimed themselves gods within their territory, but Wilhelm, preoccupied with the war in the south, had no time to attend to them.

This caused a huge uproar. Within days, dozens of divine descendants from the Three Great Kingdoms declared independence, forming large and small kingdoms on the remains of the Holy Fadlan.

This large-scale rebellion of the divine descendants has been referred to by scholars as the "Holy Turmoil".

Even now, there are still several Angel Divine Descendant in the Thrace Kingdom who have launched a rebellion, leading their personal guard against the rule of Weier and claiming that they were once granted the title of prince by the old emperor.

However, this time, Wilhelm sent a large army to besiege them, hoping to take this opportunity to restore the kingdom's prestige.

Sashisai knew, of course, that the king hated these "holy rebels" to the core, but he continued:

"Your Majesty, since the kingdom is now unable to control these rebels, why not make use of them?"

Wilhelm pondered for a moment, "You mean..."

"You can enfeoff the rebellious, disobedient divine nobles in the north, making these ungrateful fellows our northern bulwark against the invasion of the Embers of the Burned Empire."

At this point, Sashisai stepped forward, his fawning smile making the wrinkles on his face crease.

"In this way, you can focus on the war with the Kassand Kingdom. Once you have reclaimed the Holy City, you can lead the restored Fadlan Empire north to meet the enemy and wipe out the evil dragons and rebels in the north."

After hearing Sashisai's words, the ministers all agreed and showered him with praise, since it was the lowest-cost way for them.

"As expected of Duke Sashisai."

"Yes, it's amazing that they could come up with such a method."

"Let our two enemies check and balance each other, and remove the Thrace Kingdom from the mix."

But Dayev raised another question, asking with concern, "Can those traitors really stop the Embers of the Burned Empire in the north? If the Embers of the Burned Empire wipes out all the independent Angel Divine Descendant, how will we face the pincer attack from the Empire and Kassand from the north and south?"

Then an elderly man in a magnificent robe, with white hair and beard, stepped out from the crowd. He gripped a golden staff that shimmered with a faint light, and his hunched body bowed slightly.

This is Herbert Favali, formerly the bishop of the Amanata Church in Thrace, and now the Archbishop of the Kingdom.

"Your Majesty Wilhelm, although the great Sun God has fallen into slumber due to Kassand's plot, the Celestials of Mount Paradise still maintain contact with us."

They still hoped that the Sun God's glory would shine upon all living beings, and they absolutely did not want to see a brutal Red Dragon rule the earth.

And you"

He slowly raised his head, looking up at Wilhelm with reverence, as if gazing at the face shrouded in a hazy halo and the three pairs of pure white wings.

"You are a being who has received the grace of His Majesty Amanata. You possess noble blood comparable to that of the Seraphim. Those angels will surely be willing to support the Thrace Kingdom."

Even the most powerful Red Dragon was nothing more than a beast of the mortal realm, unable to withstand the radiant light of heaven.

"I am willing to travel to the Mount Paradise to find a noble Seraphim servant for the Thrace Kingdom to aid in resisting that Red Dragon."

Perhaps it was a habit formed over the past century, but Bishop Herbert's voice was long and drawn out, like a hymn sung during worship of the Sun God.

"Good."

Wilhelm was in his original position, sitting high on the throne, shrouded in a hazy halo, like an incarnation of a god.

His steady and powerful voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, when Holy Fadlan is restored, those rebels and that evil dragon in the north will be reduced to dust under the glory of Amanata!"

"Long live His Majesty Wilhelm!"

Long live Holy Fadlan!

The courtiers raised their arms and shouted, and for a moment, the hall was filled with cheers.

However, under that hazy halo, dark cracks had already appeared on Wilhelm's once flawless white skin.

"Damn it"

"This can't go on any longer. I must find the legacy my father left behind and become a true immortal."

The seemingly glamorous "Angel King" looked pained and contorted, speaking in a voice only he could hear.

"Click".

A barely perceptible, crisp sound rang out, and the black crack continued to expand, making Wilhelm's body resemble a cracked piece of porcelain.

A deep, magnetic voice echoed in his ears.

"Your Majesty, your 'immortality' doesn't last much longer."

"If the so-called Fadlan Legacy is not found, the Nine Hells will charge a reward."

Behind this "Angel King," patterns representing demons from Hell were faintly visible.

Wilhelm trembled violently, his expression changed drastically, and he brandished his three pairs of enormous wings, roaring at the courtiers below.

Get out!

"You bunch of useless trash, get out of here!"

White feathers fluttered in the air, expensive porcelain was shattered on the ground, and the courtiers looked at each other in bewilderment before retreating in perfect unison.

Since the old emperor's death, this emperor has become unpredictable, perhaps due to excessive grief.

The Embers of the Burned Empire, Dragon Blood Mountain.

The air was thick with the smell of Sulfur Scent, and the crackling of flames continued unabated as a massive black shadow appeared within it.

Upon reaching the mountaintop, one could see the over forty-meter-long Red Dragon still lying there lazily, spitting out silvery-white flames and refining the blood dug from its Dragon Corpse.

In just over ten days, thanks to the continuous intake of Progenitor Dragon Blood, Keosius's size had increased significantly, and his body length was rapidly approaching fifty meters.

Red Dragon enjoys the feeling of gradually becoming stronger. If no one disturbs him, he can spend decades here accumulating blood until he completely transforms into Progenitor Dragon.

However, a faint magical light flickered, and several images appeared before him, forcing him to look away.

"Hmm, the Thrace Kingdom has also become vigilant, but I didn't expect Wilhelm to take the initiative to play the fiefdom game. How interesting."

"And Kassand, they've come to us for cooperation again. Are they impatient? Do they want to use my power to destroy Thrace?"

Keosius glanced through the intelligence Lang Pu presented and commented softly.

For nearly a month, footage of his battle with the Abyssal Dragon in Anstika has been widely circulated, shocking all factions.

The Empire once again became the focus of attention for the entire Fei An Suo, and the center of interest for countless forces.

Keosius slowly rose, shook his body, spread his wings, and swallowed another drop of Progenitor Dragon Blood before him. Then he ordered, "Have all departments prepare for war. Carterpa has been preparing for a long time. It's time to begin the real conquest of the South."

Wilhelm did offer me some conveniences, which suited my desire to avoid swallowing up the entire Thrace at once.