Flying Over Dectus

This was not the first time they had met. As early as three months ago, when that supreme egg had first stirred, Lansseax, then serving as the high priestess of the Ancient Dragon Temple in Leyndell, had rushed back to Sky City at once.

First, with thunderous force, she had suppressed two elders who intended to seize the opportunity to cause chaos. After steadying hearts and minds, she had personally led the four Ancient Dragon elders stationed at court in constructing a rune formation with divine power to isolate them from outside interference, ensuring Lucia could be born safely.

However, after all that had been dealt with, Lansseax had hurried back to Leyndell again. At the time, Lucia, who had just transmigrated, was still questioning his own mental state, and during those few brief days together, the two had hardly had any direct interaction.

It was not until half a month ago, when the Golden Dynasty's state letter reached Sky City, that the group of dragons in the Council of Elders, whose average age exceeded five hundred, argued themselves into an uproar over whether the prince should accept the invitation. They even forgot to ask Lucia, the person directly involved, for his opinion, and at one point nearly came to blows. It was then that Lansseax, far away at a distance of ten thousand li, sent a stormhawk back with a letter. The meaning in the letter was extremely simple—she fully supported Lucia's own decision.

On the day the letter arrived in Sky City, the once-deafening Council of Elders immediately cooled down. The resolution for Lucia to accept the invitation and head to Leyndell was passed at lightspeed, and even the list of the envoy delegation and accompanying guards was swiftly finalized under the efficient discussion led by the four elders.

Several days later, Lucia and his party passed through the large spatial teleportation gate inside Sky City, the "Eye of the Storm," and crossed directly to the Altus teleportation gate several hundred li south of Vania Valley, officially setting foot on the Golden Dynasty's territory.

Perhaps it was precisely because the two of them could not yet be called familiar with each other that Lucia had only intended to endure it for the time being, lead his troops to make camp where they stood, and wait quietly for a clear reply from the Golden Dynasty. He had never even considered the possibility that Lansseax would come to break the deadlock.

"Priestess Lans, you..." Lucia had just been about to say something when he suddenly felt that wicked claw, the one that had mussed up his hair, pinch his cheek again.

"If Your Highness doesn't mind, you can call me big sister," Lansseax said with a smile as bright as a flower. "Although I'm a few hundred years older than you, if we count the years you spent growing inside the supreme egg, it shouldn't be too much for me to be your sister."

For some reason, Lucia kept feeling that something about this was not quite right. Although they were both Ancient Dragon royalty bearing the name "Seax," he had spent over a thousand years inside that dragon egg. If they counted it that way...

Unfortunately, Lansseax gave Lucia no chance to think deeper. Instead, she went on ravaging his cheek by herself, muttering, "Tsk, I knew it. As expected of the bloodline of the goddess and His Majesty. Look at this silky silver hair, look at this smooth little face. If that little bastard Fortissax were even half as cute as you—no, one third as cute—I'd definitely look ten years younger than I do now!"

"Uh, mm... Priestess Lans..."

"Mm?"

"Sister Lans..."

"Mm, what is it?"

"Look, right now, we—"

"Oh! We should deal with the situation at hand first." Lansseax seemed to finally come back to herself and withdrew her wicked claw. However, judging by the calm expressions on everyone around them, they were clearly long used to such behavior from her.

"Elder Merrell, Elder Atok," she first called the two elders by name. "In a moment, I will take His Highness to Leyndell ahead of you. I must trouble the two of you to lead the envoy delegation and follow afterward. There will naturally be people outside the city to receive you."

"Yes!" the two elders quickly replied.

"As for you, Lucia." She placed her hand on Lucia's shoulder and leaned closer. "How is it? After not seeing you for a while, how well have you mastered your flying technique?"

Lucia had just been about to boast shamelessly that he had already mastered it to perfection, but when he thought of the terrifying speed at which she had flown over just now, he could only laugh dryly twice and say, "It's all right, I suppose. Although I can't compare to you, Sister Lans, it's barely enough for use..."

Suddenly, he realized something and widened his eyes. "Sister Lans, are you saying we... fly up there?"

Lansseax smiled faintly. With her delicate hands, she straightened the front of his collar, then patted his shoulder and said, "So, what is your answer?"

Lucia felt his heartbeat growing more and more violent. He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Then let's set off—"

As soon as the words fell, she tapped the tip of her foot lightly, and her tall, graceful body instantly turned into a streak of white light that shot into the sky. Then, high above, four wings beat, and amid the sudden eruption of a storm, she swept up above the clouds!

Lucia spread his arms. Beautifully shaped silver-white dragon scales replaced his original clothing like flowing water. His limbs transformed into powerful dragon claws, soaring wings unfurled behind him, and jagged dragon horns grew from his forehead—he raised his head high and let out a dragon's roar that shook the four fields, then rose with the wind and shot straight into the vast sky!

On the long steps before Dectus's main hall, the scattered golden knights stared blankly at the dragon vanishing into the distance. Once upon a time, in the recollections of their predecessors, they too had heard of countless giant dragons sweeping across the sky like this, casting indelible shadows over the lands of the Erdtree.

And at this very moment, even the proudest and most powerful knights realized one thing—even the Golden Dynasty at the height of its glory still had wings it could not stop.

Two dragon shadows, one large and one small, streaked swiftly across the firmament. They flew over the barrier Dectus called a natural moat and looked down as the majestic, magnificent scenery of the Altus Plateau slowly unfurled like a painted scroll.

At this height, the clouds had all become a carpet crawling beneath their feet, while sunlight and moonlight wove together into feathered garments upon their bodies. Between heaven and earth, only that supreme Erdtree could stand shoulder to shoulder with them!

Lucia narrowed his eyes, feeling the cold currents of air blowing over the surface of his scales, and felt his entire mind grow carefree and unburdened.

Ever since transmigrating, flying had been what he loved most. Only when soaring high in the sky could he briefly set down the heavy responsibility bestowed on him by his demigod identity, throw all bloodshed, storms, scheming, and intrigue to the back of his mind, and freely enjoy the feeling of freedom.

"Lucia, just now I saw wounds left by black flame on Elder Atok. Did you encounter an attack from the Godskin Apostle on your way here?" Lansseax's concerned voice came through the wind.

"That's right..." Lucia began with the assassination attempt three days ago, then went on to the upheavals in Kallen City caused by the blood feud between Hectorv and Clareville. Lansseax's expression grew increasingly complicated as she listened.

When he finally got to the part where he had already subdued Clareville, delivered a recommendation letter to Queen Marika, and prepared to place him in the position of Kallen's governor, Lansseax beside him was already staring wide-eyed, unable to speak for a long time.

"Sister Lans, do you think there was a problem with how I handled it?"

"Huh? Oh, no, no..." She abruptly came back to herself and looked at Lucia with an expression of utter disbelief. Perhaps because she was maintaining her Ancient Dragon form, her expression at this moment appeared especially stunned and bewildered. It could truly be called a big head filled with even bigger confusion.

"If I hadn't personally been responsible for delivering you, I'd almost suspect you'd been possessed and had your body stolen by some powerful evil god..." She barely managed to give an answer that sounded positive to Lucia. "It's only been three days since you came out of the Altus teleportation gate, and you already caused this many things to happen?"

Lucia smiled shyly. Reflected on his current dragon face, that expression was nothing but ferocious. "Well... I'm too capable. Sorry about that."