Burning Steel Fortress Second floor, living room.
"Sit."
Red Iron Dragon's voice echoed in the spacious hall.
His strong and majestic body was the first to lie prone on a huge and flat stone platform in the main seat.
These so-called "seats" are similar to the layout of the third floor meeting hall. They are high platforms carved and polished from a single piece of hard obsidian or lava stone. The surface is wide and flat enough to accommodate the dragons in various comfortable postures - squatting, squatting, or lying prone like Garos is doing at this moment.
The other dragons also randomly found a seat on the stone platform.
At the same time.
The low arches around the hall, designed for servants' passage, opened silently.
Groups of well-trained waiters of different shapes filed in.
They nimbly shuttled between the legs and claws of the giant beasts.
The strong Ogre attendants carried a whole giant rhinoceros leg that was roasted to a golden crisp and dripping with fat; the Snake-man maids carried silver trays filled with all kinds of rare fruits and spirits. Soon, the stone platform in front of the dragons was filled with sumptuous food and wine.
A dozen Snake-man dancers walked into the open space in the center of the hall.
Accompanied by the drum beats played by the musicians in the corner with ancient wild rhythms, they twisted their waists like water snakes, stretched their arms like vines, and danced in a primitive style that seemed to originate from the tribal era when they worshiped their ancestors.
Alberto had no time to appreciate it, his eyes briefly glanced at the enchanting dancing Snake Woman, and then he looked away.
He silently leaned on his own stone platform, his huge dragon claws grabbed the roasted giant rhinoceros leg offered by Ogre, and his sharp teeth tore off large chunks of the fragrant muscles, chewing them quietly.
At the core of Evil Dragon's territory.
Surrounded by several Evil Dragons with strong auras and evil eyes, even with Garos's name of "entertainment", Gold Dragon Alberto's mind is always on high alert.
Even though the food in his mouth was rich, for him at this moment, it was like chewing dry sawdust, which tasted like chewing wax.
The other dragons seemed much more at ease.
They were obviously used to the atmosphere of the fortress, and they were enjoying their meals. The sharp dragon teeth easily shattered the hard animal bones, and the hot liquor poured into their throats like a stream. They let out low growls or snores of contentment, enjoying this sumptuous feast.
"Let me introduce myself formally, my name is Garos, Garos·Ignas."
Red Iron Dragon's deep voice broke the long-lasting silence, which was filled only with the sound of chewing and drum beats.
His eyes turned to Alberto.
After a brief pause, Garos went straight to the point and asked the core question, "Alberto, you came to Borderlands across a long distance, not just for that little bit of wealth. Tell me... what is your true purpose?"
Now that things have happened, there is no need to cover up anymore.
Gold Dragon Alberto swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth, raised his head covered with bright Gold Dragon scales, his voice was clear and firm, without any hesitation. "I The purpose is to start from Borderlands - to cast my "Golden Law" and build Eternal Realm's "Golden Order"!"
"Golden Law? Golden Order?"
Garos's eyes flickered slightly, showing a trace of interest in inquiry, and asked, "Why did you choose Borderlands? What kind of cornerstone does this land play in your grand blueprint?"
Alberto seems to have already thought about this issue carefully.
He spoke slowly and said, "Borderlands, it is like a wedge, firmly embedded between Ser Wilderness and Permafrost Tundra. In the peaceful years, its value may be underestimated and it appears to be insignificant."
His dragon claw lightly scratched across the stone platform and continued, "However, today's Lothern Federation is full of internal contradictions and is precarious, like a giant ship about to capsize; and in Permafrost Tundra in the north, the war between the ice tribes is also raging."
"In this delicate and volatile situation."
"This seemingly marginal land will become a key hub, a fulcrum that can leverage the situation between the north and the south."
Reasonable... quite precise strategic vision.
Garos thought to himself that his success in occupying Borderlands certainly had a strong foundation of strength, but it did also include a bit of luck.
This land is indeed not rich and fertile, but its unique geographical location more than makes up for the lack of resources.
"So..." Red Iron Dragon leaned forward slightly and asked, "Can you elaborate on the "Golden Law" and "Golden Order" you mentioned in more detail? I am deeply curious about this."
Talk about your ideals with a fellow traveler who can understand and maybe even agree with your ideas, and talk about the gaps in your heart.
There is no doubt that this is something that can make any aspiring person excited and happy.
Alberto obviously cannot resist this temptation.
Because of Garos's attentive listening attitude, because of his nodding in agreement from time to time, his just-right recognition, and his encouraging eyes... the tight heartstrings of young Gold Dragon Alberto gradually relaxed unconsciously.
As if he had opened a floodgate, he began to talk endlessly about the grand, sophisticated, and even somewhat radical conceptual blueprint in his mind - about the absolute authority of the law, the supremacy of order, and the perfect kingdom in his ideals.
He even temporarily lowered his guard.
After just a brief sniff, he began to drink the spirits that the waiter kept offering.
And as the conversation deepened, as time passed, as Alberto became more and more devoted in talking.
His original simple image of a green head gradually became plump, three-dimensional and clear in Red Iron Dragon's heart.
Essentially.
Alberto, is like a passionate young man who was born in a privileged environment and has not really experienced the repeated beatings and ruthless tempers of cruel reality.
He possesses burning ambitions and lofty ambitions that seem far out of reach, and a strong resistance and unwillingness to mediocrity burns in his bones.
If you think of Long Sheng as a grand game.
Evil Dragon is undoubtedly the beginning of Hell difficulty, and every step is accompanied by thorns of Bloodshed.
The ordinary Metal Dragon can be regarded as normal difficulty. Although it has protection, it still needs to struggle on its own.
And Gold Dragon... especially Gold Dragon, who has pure blood and is favored by Alberto, has almost turned on the novice protection mode.
They are the natural darlings of Dragon Race, bathed in the glory of preference from their parents, ancestors and even Dragon God Bahamut.
Growing up in such an almost carefree environment with abundant resources and a bright future.
The emergence of a heterogeneous individual like Alberto, who feels that Longsheng is too plain, empty, and lacks challenges, and therefore desires to break tradition, deviate from tradition, and create something with his own hands... does not seem to be difficult to understand.
The atmosphere in the waiting room, catalyzed by alcohol and talking, became much more harmonious than it was at the beginning.
Taking advantage of Alberto's pause in speaking and toasting with a drink, Garos spoke again, bringing the topic back to reality:
"So... how have you considered the compensation method that I mentioned before?"
His voice was calm and there was no hint of coercion.
There was not much hesitation. Under the gaze of all the dragons - Samantha stopped chewing, Tressie licked his lips, and Sorog's eyes were as sharp as a knife.
Alberto took a deep breath, as if he wanted to suck all the air around him into his lungs.
The drunkenness on his face faded away instantly, replaced by an almost sacred solemnity and solemnity.
He straightened his dragon body, and his voice was deep and powerful, as if he was reciting an oath in the temple. "I, Alberto·Aurelius (Alberto Aurelius), in the sacred name of the great platinum Gold Dragon god Bahamut, hereby make an oath that cannot be broken--"
His golden vertical pupils swept over Garos: "I will definitely repay all the debts with interest within ten years!"
Hear the words.
Red Iron Dragon shook his head slightly, almost imperceptibly.
What he wants is not the compensation, but Gold Dragon itself.
It's a pity that the other party is Young Dragon with strong will after all, far from those Adolescent Dragon or Hatchling Dragon who are ignorant and easy to bluff.
Alberto has his own deep-rooted ambitions and almost paranoid ideas, and is an extremely stubborn Gold Dragon.
Although through this conversation, some relationships have been brought closer and a subtle sense of identity has been established... But if you want to truly "control" it and incorporate it into your own system... it is still as difficult as the sky.
But...
Garos did not feel discouraged or disappointed.
If Dragon Valley can add another powerful Gold Dragon, it will naturally be the icing on the cake, but if not... for him, it is not a major loss.
"Borderlands already has a lord like you in charge."
Alberto's voice interrupted Garos's thoughts. His tone contained a hint of regret, but was full of new determination. "Of course, I have no chance of meeting my original blueprint."
He paused and continued, "However... the number of unclaimed lands around is still considerable, I will make other plans."
"Lothern Federation's control over Ser Wilderness is melting and weakening like ice and snow. I will probably go to that wilderness full of opportunities and challenges, and then there I will personally build the first territory of order under the jurisdiction of Golden Law!"
Ser Wilderness?
Red Iron Dragon pondered, "I have a suggestion."
He looked at Alberto and said, "The powerful creatures that want to take advantage of the capsizing of the Federation ship to reveal their claws, seize profits, and show off their own edge will swarm in like sharks that have smelled Bloodshed. They are countless."
"By then, the seemingly deserted Ser Wilderness will become a place of contention for countless careerists, plunderers, and emerging forces."
"This naturally includes me and Molten Iron Tribe, which I represent."
It was precisely because Alberto sensed the huge opportunities brought by the civil strife in Federation that he turned his attention to Borderlands as a springboard.
As for Garos, it was also because he foresaw the storm sweeping the south that he decided to return to the Ser Wilderness, which was more chaotic but also contained infinite possibilities!
There is no shortage of ambitious people in this world.
For power, for resources, for expansion, for survival... or for some greater ideal.
As time goes by, there will only be more and more powerful beings pouring into this Chaos Lands with similar ideas.
In order to seize the maximum benefit in the upcoming unprecedented chaos, in order to occupy the most advantageous position in this feast... Garos knows very well that the current preparations must be done as fully as possible!
For example, win over a potentially powerful ally.
If the young man Gold Dragon in front of you is pushed into a hurry, using Spell Scale, he can be as good as half a grown man Gold Dragon in a short time.
He looked at the young man Gold Dragon calmly, and his words were so straightforward that he was almost naked. "At some point in the future, when our respective paths extend and expand in the wilderness, we may inevitably stand on opposite sides and become competitors or even enemies."
Changing the topic, he continued, "However, before that, in the early stages of chaos, when encountering other more powerful, greedy, and threatening enemies."
"As members of the same race with Dragon Blood flowing through them, we can help each other... we can be future competitors... but we can also become temporary allies and allies."
Since Alberto decided to develop in Ser Wilderness, he still owes him a huge sum of money.
With Gold Dragon's stubborn temperament and ambitious goals, he is bound to encounter countless troubles and challenges in the process of developing territory and establishing order in the wilderness.
Become allies first, establish connections.
In the future, there may not be no opportunities to bring it under your control step by step and achieve true control.
Conquering a few ignorant, immature and weak Hatchling Dragon and Adolescent Dragon is nothing.
Let the proud, persistent, and ambitious young man Gold Dragon in front of him lower his noble head little by little, become obedient, loyal, and finally be willing to be used by himself. This is an achievement that makes the dragon happy.
After hearing what Red Iron Dragon said.
Alberto didn't hesitate much and nodded heavily. "That's a good suggestion. I'm very interested."
He looked directly into Red Iron Dragon's eyes and said, "Garos, I can also feel your hegemony and ambition. As an ally, I am happy to fight side by side with like-minded people."
After a pause, he continued in a deep voice:
"When the dust of Ser Wilderness settles, when the chaos is ended, when only the "Two Kings" are left standing on this land, when you and I inevitably stand on opposite sides and become each other's only competitors."
He raised his head slightly, and Dragon Might spread unconsciously. "I will... go all out! As the highest respect for your powerful opponent!"
Only the two kings are still as confident as ever.
Garos never thought of ruling the entire Ser Wilderness - that land was too big, too chaotic, and involved too many forces.
His goal is to take advantage of the chaos and nibble as many of the fattest and most critical pieces from this huge cake as possible.
However.
If there is really a chance in the future to take the entire wilderness into his possession... he Garos will never let it go.
Red Iron Dragon calmly suppressed these thoughts from the bottom of his heart, and still maintained a calm expression on his face. He was not like Alberto, who had almost everything he was thinking clearly written on his face.
"So, happy working together?"
"A pleasure to work with!"
The two are just verbal agreements, but Sacred Dragon always keeps his word and will not break his promise. As for Garos, he dares to guarantee it with his Evil Dragon Bloodline, and he will not break this promise easily.
After establishing a temporary alliance.
After establishing this temporary alliance based on interests and mutual recognition.
Alberto's tense spirit finally relaxed completely.
He leaned back on the stone platform again, grabbed the food and put it into his mouth again.
A wonderful change has occurred. The barbecue in the mouth seems to have been given a soul, the caramel aroma blooms on the tip of the tongue, and the meat juice is rich; the ice-cold spirits slide into the throat, bringing no more burning sensation, but a kind of tipsy pleasure.
Food finally has the taste it deserves and is no longer a burden.
Buzz--!
suddenly.
A burst of intense arcane aura shone from Alberto's huge dragon body. Under the slightly surprised gazes of the dragons, his dragon body rapidly shrank and deformed.
The light dissipated.
A human male adventurer with a tall and straight body, blond hair as bright and curly as the sun, a face as handsome as a classical sculpture, and an extremely warm and bright smile on his face - the human form of Alberto - is already standing gracefully on the stone platform.
Human form and dragon form.
His temperament and demeanor are like two completely different souls.
The majesty, paranoia, and heaviness of the dragon form are gone, replaced by an almost pure, sunshine-like enthusiasm and freedom.
"Such delicious food and fine wine..."
The humanoid Alberto picked up the wine glass and admired the not-so-clear liquid inside. His voice was brisk and contagious. "They should be tasted and enjoyed carefully and slowly, so that they can live up to their value and... the hard work of the chef."
He raised his eyebrows and began to taste the meals and drinks served by the waiter with concentration and enjoyment.
A few glasses of strong wine.
Alberto A slight blush appeared on his cheeks, and his eyes became brighter and more wanton.
He put down his wine glass and turned to Garos with a free and easy expression. "Garos, you are the first... of your kind who agrees with my ideas so directly!"
He opened his arms as if to embrace the entire hall. "This recognition, this...'understanding'! It makes me extremely excited and grateful!"
He was beyond excited. "Please allow me... to present a song and dance here to express my unspeakable joy at this moment!"
The words have not yet fallen.
Alberto has taken out his harp that exudes a light woody fragrance from his waist.
Immediately afterwards, the group of dragons - Garos looked at with a hint of surprise, Samantha frowned in confusion, Tressie tilted his head curiously, and Sorog looked expressionless - full of surprise and even some astonishment.
This "adventurer" has already jumped lightly to the open space in the center of the hall, accompanied by the melodious sound of the piano he played.
His slender and strong body began to dance, sometimes as ethereal and elegant as Elf in the forest, and sometimes with the elegance and smoothness of human court dance, and even incorporated a bit of Snake-man dancers' rhythm full of original vitality. The professionalism of his movements, the grace of posture, and the emotional investment... actually instantly eclipsed the Snake Womans who were dancing next to him, and stopped at a loss.
"Hey! In such a wonderful moment, who would like to dance with me?"
Alberto is spinning and jumping while sending out enthusiastic invitations to the surrounding dragons.
Naturally, Wulong responded.
However, Alberto's enthusiasm has not faded at all.
He seemed to be completely immersed in the ultimate joy brought by music, dance and self-expression.
The sound of the piano becomes more melodious and clearer, the dance steps become more free and unrestrained, and the face is filled with a smile of pure joy that comes from the heart.
It was as if... he had completely forgotten his noble status as a majestic Gold Dragon, and completely ignored that he was at the core of a fortress surrounded by a group of powerful Evil Dragons.
"This Gold Dragon..."
Fairy Dragon, who was lying next to Garos's huge ear to watch the excitement, couldn't help but poke Red Iron Dragon's scales with his little paws, and murmured in a small voice full of confusion that only he could hear, "Is he here (she tapped her little head with her little paws) a little... um... schizophrenic?"
Garos was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then a low-pitched laugh burst from his throat.
Schizophrenia?
Maybe.
According to the vague records and descriptions in the bloodline inheritance, almost all Gold Dragon have this trait in their bones.
Otherwise, how could they switch between playing different roles so smoothly and seamlessly, as if they had multiple completely different souls?
Thinking deeper...
Garos's vertical pupils reflected the golden figure singing and dancing in the center of the hall, and a hint of clarity flashed through his heart.
Perhaps, it is precisely because Gold Dragon's life is too simple and smooth, lacking enough challenges and waves.
That's why they need to use this almost split acting method to proactively find some different excitement and fun for their long and somewhat monotonous dragon life.
"I can be so leisurely that I have a schizophrenia... I'm not envious, there's nothing to envy."
Garos calmed down and thought to himself.
PS: I've finally made a reservation! Please give me a monthly ticket!