Dragon of Dawn

"Clang—"

Krasus tapped the table with the scepter in his claws, producing a clear, metallic sound, like the ringing of a great bell.

The milky-white Polar Star at the top of the scepter lit up, and a cold wind containing a wisp of Bahamut's aura spread out, instantly sweeping through the entire Hall of Justice, causing all the Golden Dragon present to feel a jolt in their hearts.

Those young Golden Dragon who were attending the Gold Dragon Council for the first time Big Mouth, their faces filled with surprise and shock.

As Keosius looked at the Golden Dragon and the phantom of the starry sky that appeared before him, he put on a respectful demeanor, but in his heart he already coveted the scepter.

"This is a genuine divine artifact, far surpassing the gems we snatched from that old Silver Dragon."

Feeling the powerful and continuous fluctuations of divine power, Keosius couldn't help but think this.

Krasus raised his scepter, and the cold wind vanished instantly, while he spoke in a deep, resonant, and majestic voice.

"In the name of the current Gold Dragon Executive Officer Krasus, I hereby declare the commencement of the 267th Gold Dragon Council."

The Ancient Gold Dragon looked around, scrutinizing the Golden Dragon around the long table, before continuing, "Gentlemen, the main reason I have convened this meeting today is to discuss some recent issues facing the Material Plane."

As you all know, after the fall of Holy Fadlan, those beings who had lurked in the shadows for hundreds of years could no longer contain themselves.

"Yes, the Blue Dragon in the Brendan Desert have been quite active lately."

"The City of Myriad Laws has detected several newly opened Abyss passages, all of which lead to the Material Plane."

"We have discovered traces of the long-dormant Dragon Worship Cult in the Seleucia Kingdom, and they are mingling with the Tiamat Church."

"Even the Nine Hells are restless; demons have reappeared in the Material Plane."

The Golden Dragon nodded in agreement, exchanging information and sharing the disasters and difficulties they had encountered.

Meanwhile, Keosius listened quietly, gathering information from the Golden Dragon around the world. Due to the butterfly effect of the Embers of the Burned Empire, these events had deviated considerably from the events he remembered.

If ten Golden Dragon jointly discuss a matter, they can submit a proposal to Krasus, put it to a public vote in the Gold Dragon Council, and send out Golden Dragon of appropriate ability to handle it in an orderly manner.

According to a tradition that has lasted for tens of thousands of years, Golden Dragon of the extremely old stage or above are entitled to make proposals on their own, while Krasus, as the governor, has the power of veto.

Soon, the first matter was put to a public vote—it concerned the Dragon Worship Cult.

Krasus held his scepter and waved it gently, and lines of Draconic text appeared on the long table, containing the specific information about the mission.

"Gathering intelligence on the Dragon Worship Cult requires at least three adult Golden Dragon."

"Lord Krasus, I live within the territory of the Seleucia Kingdom, so I should be able to complete this task."

"Grandfather, I am willing to accept this task."

"For the glory of the Lord of the North Wind, I am willing to infiltrate the enemy camp and gather intelligence!"

These Golden Dragon, who were naturally inclined to uphold justice and judge evil, volunteered to take on the responsibility of being benevolent dragons.

One by one, unresolved matters from around the world were brought to the forefront. What others considered calamities and evils to be avoided were clearly visible targets in the eyes of the Golden Dragon.

It is said that some ruthless Golden Dragon will deliberately disguise themselves as helpless victims such as women and children, using themselves as bait to lure any evil creatures lurking nearby, making them the originators of "entrapment".

The meeting lasted for three days and three nights, during which the Golden Dragon exchanged intelligence and brought almost all the evil forces in Fei An Suo under their control—except for the Embers of the Burned Empire.

"That shouldn't be the case."

Keosius stroked his beard, a hint of doubt in his mind.

According to the Golden Dragon ' moral compass, their Embers of the Burned Empire should undoubtedly be considered an "evil force," so why hadn't the governor mentioned it yet? He had indeed heard the name of the Embers of the Burned Empire quite a few times from the Golden Dragon ' discussions, but Krasus had never made it a mission.

Beside him, Ancient Gold Dragon named Samuel was quite enthusiastic, seemingly quite fond of this unfamiliar fellow race. "Titus, I've heard about your deeds all over the southern part of the continent. The words of those human Bard are truly fascinating."

Across the long table, the Ancient Gold Dragon Elliot exclaimed, "Dawn Wing, Dawn Dragon, descended from the heavens, single-handedly slaying Gruumsh's followers and repelling the attack of hundreds of thousands of orcs!"

Keosius shook his head slightly, twirled his beard, and smiled politely.

"Heh, Your Excellency Samuel, you flatter me. That's just an exaggeration by a mortal."

I was not fighting alone, and the contributions of my allies should not be overlooked. In that war Contend Against the Gruumsh's Chosen, the High Mountain King of Blackstone Mountain and Serenia's Twilight Blade both played significant roles.

"Clang—"

Just then, Krasus struck his scepter again, and all the Golden Dragon in the hall immediately fell silent, listening quietly to the governor's speech.

The Ancient Gold Dragon looked around before continuing, "Besides the topics mentioned in this meeting, there is another matter—a special request for assistance from someone who once did our Golden Dragon race a favor, the current Duke of North Aisel, Walter Graham."

Samuel seemed to recall something and said softly, "I remember this name is that of the divine nobleman who rescued Tatiana from Hell decades ago?"

Yes, it's him.

Krasus nodded, giving an affirmative answer.

Tatiana was a female ancient dragon who was ambushed and captured during a small-scale conflict between Metallic Dragon and Five-Colored Dragon. She was then imprisoned in Hell by the Dragon Queen for over two hundred years before being rescued by Walter.

Currently, Tatiana is in a deep sleep to recover from her injuries and did not participate in this council meeting. The newly arrived Titus has temporarily taken her place.

Upon hearing Krasus's reply, Samuel said, "We Golden Dragon are by no means an ungrateful race. I suggest we grant his request for aid."

"Yes, we should not hesitate to lend a helping hand when those who have helped us are in trouble."

"He rescued an Ancient Gold Dragon! If Lady Tatiana were here, she would definitely do everything in her power to support him."

The Golden Dragon echoed the sentiment, but Keosius's expression was rather interesting. He hadn't expected that the former leader of the Fadlan Restoration Rebel Army would be bestowed the title of "Duke of North Aisel," which was likely Wilhelm's doing once again.

The North Aisel Plains border the Kaspar Hills, making them the primary target of the Empire's southward offensive—it seems we'll finally be talking about the Embers of the Burned Empire.

You're oversimplifying things.

Krasus's expression was somewhat intriguing; his pale golden vertical pupils revealed a sense of helplessness as he slowly raised the scepter in his hand.

"Walter's opponent is no ordinary being, but an extremely terrifying Red Dragon that far exceeds your imagination."

"Red Dragon?"

"Punishing such a brutal and wicked dragon is the inherent responsibility of us Golden Dragon!"

"These guys have magma and muscles flowing in their heads!"

The younger Golden Dragon remained indignant, while the older Golden Dragon, who were more knowledgeable and well-informed, had solemn expressions and vague suspicions in their hearts.

"His enemy is the ruler of the Anzeta Great Wasteland, the most powerful Red Dragon to appear in hundreds of years, the Embers of the Burned Emperor — Keosius Klauberwu Norikesius."

Krasus raised the silver staff, symbolizing the supreme authority of the Golden Dragon, above his head, and shimmering starlight appeared in the Hall of Justice, gradually forming a lifelike image.

—It was an enormous Red Dragon. It roared to the sky and spewed out towering flames. The hills at its feet were like low mounds, and the demons hidden by its wings were like ants.

Based on normal proportions, the onlookers, including the Golden Dragon, discovered an unbelievable fact—this Red Dragon was over a hundred meters long! It was simply unimaginable! "Wow, what a massive Red Dragon!"

"By Bahamut, how could such a monster possibly appear among True Dragon hundreds of meters long?"

"I've heard of him. This Red Emperor almost killed the Grand Elder of the Mellward Family, the Silver Wing Oszedro!"

"Lord of the North Wind, I once went to the Fire Elemental Plane to assist the Holy Flame Prince. This Red Dragon was also famous there. He was known by the natives as the Soul-Devouring Dragon, and he once devoured the Pasha of the Fire Giant Empire!"

The Golden Dragon in the Hall of Justice were talking to each other, their voices filled with amazement, shock, and even fear. After all, such dragons were legendary even to them.

Tens of thousands of years have passed since the era Dragons Ruling the Earth, and the glory of the Progenitor Dragon has long since faded. Now, the True Dragon, having undergone dozens of bloodline dilutions, can hardly imagine the power of their ancestors.

Some inexperienced young Golden Dragon questioned this, saying, "Isn't our mission as Golden Dragon to Punishment evil? Even if this Red Dragon is as powerful as a god, we should not be afraid."

"Lord Krasus, I am willing to accept this task to repay Walter's kindness!"

—The speaker was none other than Anher, the young Golden Dragon whose name had been misused by Keosius.

Krasus looked at the impetuous young Anher with the eyes of someone looking at a junior, then slowly shook his head.

"Anher, this mission is too dangerous. Your strength is not enough to survive such a battle. Going there would only be a pointless death. Only those with the strength of an ancient dragon would be allowed to go."

Moreover, this is a war that is almost impossible to win.

Krasus put down his scepter and said leisurely, "This Keosius is not only powerful, but also possesses bloodlines comparable to the Third Generation Progenitor Dragon, which means he has the potential to become a dragon king."

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the ancient Ancient Gold Dragon and the Ancient Gold Dragon, because only they could understand the meaning behind it.

Sure enough, Samuel, Elliot, and Beatrice all looked shocked and their expressions were extremely solemn.

The Dragon King is capable of creating subspecies of dragons, just as Bahamut gave birth to the Metallic Dragon, Tiamat gave birth to the Five-Colored Dragon, and Sadivo created the Gem Dragon.

After the Dragonfall War, which led to the decline of the dragons, and after the remaining Progenitor Dragon perished one after another, the appearance of Keosius was no longer just a matter of good versus evil, but a matter of the entire dragon race's revival plan.

As Keosius listened intently to the secrets Krasus revealed—secrets he had never heard of even in his previous life—his expression also turned serious.

"I definitely made the right decision to come this time. Even if I lose this avatar, it's worth it. I never imagined that my position would be more important than I thought."

Krasus gazed at the Bahamut Holy Symbol inlaid at the top of the scepter and continued, "Moreover, contrary to what you may imagine, according to the information I have received, despite being Red Dragon, this Embers of the Burned Emperor's stance is not inclined towards the Five-Colored Dragon Queen."

He had forged an alliance pact with the Melvord Clan, allowing Silver Dragon access to the core authority of the Empire, and had even prayed to His Bahamut Your Majesty —though it was in exchange for aid.

However, the Five-Colored Dragon were also trying their best to win over Keosius, and they had even sent Blue Dragon envoys several times in an attempt to obtain his offspring.

At this point, Krasus raised his head, his pale golden eyes, like pools of molten gold, gleaming faintly. "Gentlemen," he said, "the Mother of Evil Dragons is awakening. She seeks to return to the earth and bring calamity upon the world."

However, His Bahamut Your Majesty, the Lord of the North Wind, will not allow it, and the protracted war between the Metallic Dragon and the Five-Colored Dragon is likely to break out again.

And which way the scales of victory tip may very well depend on that neutral, unstable factor— the Embers of the Burned Emperor Keosius.

After hearing the words of the Ancient Gold Dragon, the young Golden Dragon fell silent, no longer daring to speak. After all, this was a major event concerning the future of their race, and they were not qualified to make any arbitrary judgments.

Samuel hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then what should we do? Should we just ignore Walter?"

Krasus sighed and said, "He can't possibly win. Send an ancient dragon over and do everything we can to save Walter's life."

Just then, a deep, powerful, and exceptionally loud voice rang out.

"I have an objection."

Instantly, all the Golden Dragon present were drawn to the source of the sound – the Ancient Gold Dragon Titus, known as the "Dawn Wing".

Does having ancestral blood justify violating principles and justice?

The Five-Colored Dragon Queen is far more powerful than the so-called Embers of the Burned Emperor. Must we, too, submit to her because of power?

Titus's voice was powerful and sincere, as if it came from the bottom of his heart, which moved all the Golden Dragon present.

The Ancient Gold Dragon's eyes were blazing, and its golden scales shimmered with light. At this moment, it was indeed like the dawn, able to ignite the darkness and bring salvation to the world.

Krasus looked somewhat grim, but still explained, "We are simply pursuing a grander, more ambitious goal, which is also a form of justice."

"Justice achieved through evil and despicable means is never true justice!"

At this moment, Titus, or perhaps Keosius, was completely immersed in the role. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, saying righteously, "Lord Krasus, I do not understand what you mean by Dragon King, Third Generation Progenitor Dragon, and Bloodline Resurgence."

All I know is that a brutal Red Dragon wants to plunder the territory of the good people, while we, the Golden Dragon dragons, want to ignore it!

I also know that Golden Dragon that truly follows the Way of Bahamut would never tolerate such a thing happening before its eyes, much less ignore it!

Keosius's voice grew increasingly impassioned and resounding, deafening the many Golden Dragon present, and his allure, capable of distorting reality, once again took effect.

Observing the reactions of the Golden Dragon, Keosius thought to himself: Bahamut doesn't know anything about the Way of Bahamut, I am the one who knows it best!