Aura Kingdom, Law City.
Garos and Beskar transformed into human forms and walked on the clean and tidy streets.
One person is tall and powerful, unlike a human being, while the other person is thin and has white hair hanging down.
This strange combination attracted a lot of attention.
However, people often just take a quick glance and then look away, as if one more glance would violate some invisible rule.
They walked on the street, keeping their steps light and steady, and lowering their voices when talking. The whole street was filled with a quiet atmosphere.
While the two were walking, they were also observing their surroundings.
"Law City under the rule of Alberto... appears to be neat and orderly on the surface."
Garos was thinking silently in his heart.
After the Ignas Royal Dragon Academy left, he did not return directly to Crimson Flame Royal City, but took a different route to come here.
Gold Dragon Alberto is both the lord of this place and the city lord.
This Law City can be said to be a direct embodiment of his philosophy.
When Garos first stepped into the city boundary, what he felt was not the noise of an ordinary city, but an omnipresent and heavy sense of order.
The streets are wide and straight, as if they were carved on the ground by the most accurate rulers and compasses. They are criss-crossed and cut into square blocks of almost exactly the same size. The ground is paved with neatly cut gray-white stone slabs. The gaps between each stone slab are so thin that they are almost invisible. The road surface is almost abnormally clean, with no fallen leaves or dust stains.
The buildings on both sides of the road show a unified minimalist style. The colors of the exterior walls are strictly limited to gray, white, and light brown. There are no excessive decorations or abrupt shapes. The windows are the same size and equally spaced. Even the hanging sunshades are a uniform dark gray.
The whole city looks very neat visually, but it is also so monotonous that it is a bit depressing.
In addition, where Law City was established, because it was said that a noble Gold Dragon ruled, this place attracted many humans, and the residents were mainly humans.
They walked on the street with a certain unconscious regularity in their steps, neither fast nor slow.
They were neatly dressed, their faces were calm, almost indifferent, and their voices were kept very low when talking to each other. They would never laugh loudly or shout randomly.
Their route of action also seemed purposeful. Few people wandered aimlessly, and it was rare to see groups of small and medium groups chatting on street corners.
The most conspicuous buildings in the city are public halls with a grim style.
Tribunals, courts of arbitration, law archives, public notice halls... their names are neatly engraved on the lintels, with solemn fonts and no decorations.
In addition, there will be a crossroads almost every certain distance.
In the center of every intersection, there is a tall stone monument.
The monument is engraved with densely packed small characters, which are the area's "Conduct Rules", "Travel Regulations", "Health Standards" and "Dispute Handling Procedures", etc. From time to time, pedestrians stop in front of the monument and read it carefully, as if it is a must-do homework every day.
"Rules are supreme, and laws are the guideline."
Garos stopped in front of one of the stone tablets, silently recited the declaration engraved on the top, then looked around, and couldn't help but frown slightly.
This city does appear to be in order at first glance, but it is missing something more important.
--Vitality.
It doesn't have the hustle and bustle that ordinary emerging cities should have; everything is too neat and quiet.
"Everyone here knows where they should stand, what they should do, and what they shouldn't do."
Beskar whispered beside him, with a playful smile on his lips, "Haha, even the rhythm of breathing is almost fixed, right? This place is quite worry-free, and you don't have to worry about sudden troubles, but it's really boring... It's like a large frozen ice surface, without even a fish swimming underneath."
After speaking, he turned to Garos and guessed. "Your Majesty, I guess the person who governs this city is an extremely lawful Blue Dragon, right?"
"This style of framing everything should be in line with their understanding of order."
Garos shook his head slightly. "The lord of this place is not Blue Dragon."
Beskar asked in confusion, "What kind of dragon is that? Or some lawful evil creature?"
Garos Short answer, "It's Gold Dragon."
Hearing this, Beskar was obviously startled, and then opened his eyes wide.
He suddenly remembered those Ogre's previous exaggerated boasts about Red Iron Dragon Emperor, saying that when the emperor founded the country, Metal Dragon came to congratulate and praise... Could such outrageous things be true?
For a moment, Beskar felt strong suspicion in his heart.
Those stories that he originally thought were made up may have actually happened.
This Red Iron Dragon Emperor cannot be inferred based on common sense.
The two of them continued walking and came to a relatively open square.
Dozens of uniformly styled two-wheeled cars are parked neatly on the edge of the square, with simple arcane driving runes on their bodies.
This is a public and convenient vehicle promoted by Law City for citizens to rent for a fee. It is designed to replace the chaotic private rides or long-distance walking to ensure the "safety and order" of internal transportation in the city.
However, at this time, the atmosphere in one corner of the square was somewhat stagnant.
More than a dozen ordinary citizens gathered around several law enforcement officers and a detection instrument that flashed with runes.
In front of the crowd, several private vehicles that looked slightly older were isolated.
These private cars have different styles, some are equipped with light energy panels, some have expanded storage space, and some are even equipped with Black Oil engines, which is in sharp contrast with the public vehicles next to them.
A middle-aged craftsman was anxiously explaining to the law enforcer:
"Sir, I live in the outer city, too far away from the centrally managed market area."
"If I don't install the Black Oil engine, I won't be able to rush the work in time! When I walk to the market area, it's dark, what business will I do? Don't worry, I will check and maintain it every day, and this engine has never had any problems!"
The leading law enforcer was a man with a stern face, and he read out the articles in his hand in a flat voice.
"According to Article 3, Paragraph 7 of the <Law City New Safety and Technical Specifications for Personal Vehicles>, your vehicle has been illegally modified and does not meet the standards of the new regulations, which constitutes a serious violation."
"This vehicle has lost its qualification to drive on Law City public roads and must be immediately modified to comply with regulations or be scrapped."
"At the same time, you need to hand over one Silver Aura as a violation fine."
Not only this car with the Black Oil engine, but also several other non-compliant private cars nearby were also stopped and were waiting to be towed away.
More dissatisfied voices suddenly sounded from the crowd.
The law enforcer interrupted all discussions expressionlessly, "The new vehicle regulations are based on the best considerations of city-wide safety and unified management."
"If you have any objections, you can submit a written complaint to the law-making department in accordance with the law, but making noise and making trouble here is not allowed."
"Otherwise, you will be severely punished according to <Public Order Maintenance Ordinance>."
His voice was not high, but it carried unquestionable authority. The crowd around him gradually became quiet, but the helplessness and dissatisfaction accumulated in the silence almost filled the air.
Seeing this, Garos has lost interest in continuing to wander.
He shook his head slightly, took half a step back, and quietly disappeared from the crowd.
Beskar followed closely behind, and the two of them were like drops of water falling into the sea, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Not long after, Law City was high in the sky.
Among the thick layers of clouds, the true bodies of Red Iron Dragon and Ancient White Dragon were hidden. Their scales were looming in the clouds, casting faint shadows.
"Alberto, come out."
Garos's voice was not high-pitched, but it clearly penetrated the clouds and spread like ripples to the direction of the city's main hall below.
This is Voice Transmission Technique, one of the convenience spells he masters.
Whoosh--
A golden stream of light shot out from the tallest building in the city, rising straight into the air until it stopped opposite Red Iron Dragon, revealing the figure of Gold Dragon Alberto.
His body is strong and strong, his golden scales shed a bright and solemn luster in the sun, and his eyes are full of expectation and a hint of complacency.
It's really Gold Dragon...
Beskar looked at the other party with strange eyes.
With Law City's appearance, it was really difficult for Long to completely believe that this was actually a city under the governance of Gold Dragon.
"Garos, you are here." Alberto said in a brisk, even high-spirited tone, "You should have seen my City of Law."
"How was it? Did it surprise you?"
He puffed up his chest, obviously proud of the city's current situation, and looked at Red Iron Dragon with burning eyes, as if waiting for the other party's recognition and praise.
Garos lowered his eyes and once again glanced at the chessboard-like city below.
Then, he raised his gaze and looked at Gold Dragon calmly.
"Alberto, your Law City really impressed me."
Alberto's golden dragon kiss rose slightly, taking this as a prelude to praise.
"The streets are as clean as a mirror, the buildings are neat and uniform, and the pedestrians follow the rules." Garos said slowly, "All disputes seem to have rules and procedures to follow."
"It is like a huge machine that is wound up. Every gear is running on the preset track, without any noise or deviation."
"From the perspective of stability and order alone, it even surpasses many cities that have been operated by kingdoms for hundreds of years."
The light in Alberto's eyes became brighter, and the dragon's tail swayed slightly, showing a full sense of accomplishment.
"That's right, Garos!"
He said with a fervent voice, "What I pursue is this kind of stable order based on reason and rules."
"You see, even if I leave for several months now, this city will still operate according to the established laws."
"The tribunal will follow the rules Judgment, the law enforcers will patrol according to the rules, and the residents will abide by the regulations... The cost of governance will be minimized, while the order Eternal Realm will remain unchanged."
"This is the form that the law should have, and it leads to long-term peace and stability."
Garos raised one front paw and made a stop gesture, interrupting Gold Dragon's endless explanation.
"You just said that Law City can operate on its own without your personal control. This makes you very proud, right?"
he asked.
Alberto was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Of course! This means that the perfection and thoroughness of the law has reached a level that can sustain itself. I am very proud of this."
Garos stared at him with eyes as calm as Abyss.
"Since this city doesn't need you, then, Alberto, as a lord and a city lord, what is the meaning of your existence? Is it just a decoration?"
Upon hearing these words, the excitement on Gold Dragon's face suddenly solidified.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out for a while. It seemed that he had never thought about this problem from this perspective. A look of confusion and entanglement appeared on Long's face, and then he looked at Red Iron Dragon.
Garos continued to ask, "You use careful laws to regulate and restrict the behavior of your people in all aspects. What is your ultimate goal?"
Under Red Iron Dragon's calm but weighty gaze, Alberto thought carefully for a moment.
"For the sake of order, long-term stability, and... efficiency, if everything follows the rules, conflicts will be reduced, chaos will be eliminated, and the city will be efficient."
His tone was a little hesitant and he spoke slowly.
"Wrong."
The voice was not harsh, but it interrupted him decisively again.
Red Iron Dragon said in a deep voice, "This is essentially the arrogance and incompetence of the rulers."
Hearing this, Alberto's scales tightened slightly, and his eyes showed confusion.
"Arrogance lies in your inability to trust your people to have basic judgment, creativity and self-management abilities."
Garos continued, every word clear and steady, "You think you can control everything, and you think everything must run according to the trajectory you set to be correct."
"You see them as parts that need to be completely manipulated, rather than as individuals with their own minds."
"And incompetence lies in your inability to control an organic society that is full of vitality, occasionally encounters friction, but is also constantly adjusting and progressing. You are afraid of accidents, afraid of losing control, and afraid of facing the complex and ever-changing reality."
"So you chose the laziest way."
"Use strict legal provisions to confine everyone within a range that you think is safe and controllable, so as to avoid any trouble and uncertainty."
Garos's voice was not loud, but it was like thunder, exploding in Alberto's mind.
He froze in place, his golden pupils shrinking slightly.
Ancient White Dragon on the side also added in a timely manner, with a bit of ridicule in his tone:
"When I first entered the city, I really thought this was the work of an extremely paranoid Blue Dragon... I never expected that it would be governed by Gold Dragon."
"This style of turning a living city into a symptom is usually more like the work of some extreme control freak Blue Dragon."
"As for Gold Dragon, well. Gold Dragon is often the guardian of order, but rarely participates in the construction of order. I don't know."
These words were like a thin needle, gently piercing Alberto's heart.
Tingling, twitching.
Gold Dragon The previous proud look on his face had long since dissipated, replaced by shock and confusion.
He involuntarily followed Red Iron Dragon's gaze and looked down at the city below again.
Those neat streets, cold buildings, orderly but silent flow of people... At this moment, in his eyes, it seemed as if the bright shell had suddenly faded away, revealing a dark and monotonous background.
It was as if a fog had lifted, and he suddenly saw the calmness that lacked smiles on the faces of passers-by, and the rigidity of the law enforcers.
"I... I just want to build a stable, just, and efficient city..."
Alberto's voice became dry, his tone became weaker and weaker, and the previous high spirit was gone. "I think that strict and complicated laws are the best way to achieve these..."
Garos looked directly at him, there was no reproach in his eyes, but there was an insight that the dragon could not avoid.
"Stability, fairness, efficiency - the realization of these goals requires more than just legal provisions."
"It requires wisdom to balance rules and human nature; it requires courage to accept a certain degree of uncontrollability and trial and error; it requires tolerance to allow different voices and ways of living; and it requires self-examination, adjustment and improvement again and again."
"The law should be a framework to safeguard justice and ensure development, rather than a shackles that stifle all vitality."
"You set up thousands of rules to make the city run like a machine. It seems perfect, but in fact it has lost the most precious things: the vitality of life, independent creation, and spontaneous upward drive."
He paused slightly and let the words sink into Gold Dragon's heart.
"Think carefully, Alberto, think carefully about my words."
"When I come back next time, I hope to see that Law City can still breathe, have temperature, and have different sounds under the framework of order. Otherwise, I will take back your power to rule here."
After finishing speaking, Garos said no more.
He took one last look at the city that seemed silent in the order, and then at Gold Dragon who was deep in thought, with his dragon wings hanging slightly, then he vibrated his wings, turned around and flew in the direction of Crimson Flame Royal City.
Beskar quickly spread his wings to follow.
He couldn't help but look back and glance at Alberto who was still standing in the clouds, sighing secretly in his heart.
Isn't Gold Dragon known for being arrogant and looking down on Evil Dragon the most?
This person was scolded by Red Iron Dragon in person. Instead of angrily retorting, he looked deeply shocked... It was incredible.
Red Iron Dragon Emperor, it is indeed unfathomable.
Ancient White Dragon's inner obedience unknowingly increased.
The clouds slowly closed, gradually engulfing their figures.
There was only one Alberto dragon left in the sky, hovering for a long time in the biting wind. He faced the various problems of Law City, thinking silently and seriously.
On the other side, Garos brought Ancient White Dragon back to Crimson Flame Royal City.
The towering walls of the royal city look like burning fortresses in the sunlight, and the streets inside the city are bustling with life.
Garos led Ancient White Dragon through the sky outside the city, directly into the wide Dragon Court on the side of the Dragonspine Mountains.
Amethyst Dragon is lying in a courtyard, the dragon scales glowing faintly in the light.
"Iseramathus, this is Beskar, Ancient Dragon."
Garos took a step forward and introduced in a smooth voice.
Amethyst Dragon raised his head, his eyes fell on Ancient White Dragon, and looked at him carefully.
"Beskar, this is Iseramathus, Amethyst Dragon."
Garos turned to Ancient White Dragon and continued, "You all live in the Aura Kingdom now, but your knowledge of the details of this land is limited. You need to know more about it. In my opinion, it is better for you to go together and become familiar with the customs and terrain of various parts of the kingdom."
Behind this arrangement, there are Garos some considerations.
If Ancient White Dragon's affiliation can make Amethyst Dragon value Aura Kingdom more, it will naturally be a good thing; conversely, the existence of Iseramathus can also make Beskar realize that this kingdom cannot be underestimated.
However, Garos knows very well that these are just auxiliary means.
In the end, whether the two Legendary Realm dragons can truly be retained depends on the development of the kingdom itself and whether it is worthy of their stay.
Gem Dragon is not obsessed with the distinction between good and evil among Dragon Race.
Iseramathus Stretch your forelimbs and stand up.
"It's really boring to be alone," Amethyst Dragon said in a relaxed tone, "Beskar, come with me, I know some interesting things and can take you with me."
Ancient White Dragon tilted his head slightly and looked at Amethyst Dragon.
He asked, "What's interesting?"
"You'll understand in a moment," Iseramathus smiled mysteriously, "Let's go, we'll talk about it on the way."
The two Legendary Realm dragons spread their wings side by side and took off one after another.
Their figures passed over the royal city and gradually turned into two black spots in the sky.
Garos watched them go away, then turned back to the back mountain of Royal Court and continued to exercise in the howling mountain wind.
About a month later, Aura Kingdom officially announced the surrender of the Legendary Realm Ancient Dragon.
This quickly attracted the attention of all parties.
Countries Royal Court had mixed reactions to this, but they all listed this matter as important information.
Especially Theo Kingdom.
Their senior officials almost held their breath when they first heard the news, and many generals were summoned to the palace overnight for discussion.
However, when they further learned that the one who had joined was White Dragon, the tense atmosphere relaxed a little.
However, their vigilance has not completely disappeared.
Although it is White Dragon, it is a Legendary Dragon class after all and cannot be underestimated. However, there is no need to pay too much attention to Ancient Red Dragon.
Time is like the wind in the wilderness, constantly changing seasons and situations, passing by quietly.
On the surface, basic peace and diplomatic etiquette are maintained between countries, trade is still going on, and envoys come and go as usual.
But in the dark alleys of taverns, border posts, and the files of spies from various countries, more and more frictions and temptations are accumulating.
An undercurrent of depression pervades the nations.
In this way, five years flew by.
New Calendar In 341, Red Iron Dragon Emperor celebrated its 120th birthday.
With the resources provided by the Aura Kingdom and his own rigorous training, he did not go through a long slumber, and Life Level naturally broke through to twenty-two.
For Dragonkin, this level is usually equivalent to the realm that can only be reached by Great Wyrm Gold Dragon who is over 600 years old.
The growth after the Legendary Realm becomes increasingly difficult. It usually takes one or two hundred years for an ordinary dragon to advance to the next level. The speed of Red Iron Dragon Emperor's advancement is already incredible.
In the same year, a big event happened.
Sloan Duchy, which had been attached to the Lain Kingdom for a long time, suddenly publicly declared its independence.
Almost at the same time, Sack Kingdom's legion marched into Sloan territory and took over key cities and fortresses.
Lain Kingdom is an important member of Lothern Faction, while Sack Kingdom is affiliated with the hostile Ribos Faction.
The two countries share the same history, but later split into regimes that hated each other. In First Civil War, they fought fiercely and had deep grudges.
After the incident, Lain Kingdom first issued a severe diplomatic condemnation.
They demanded that Sack Kingdom immediately withdraw its troops, return all sovereignty to Sloan Duchy, and execute the rebellious city lord who led the independence.
However, all these requests were strongly rejected by Sak.
The negotiations broke down quickly. Lain Kingdom did not stop at verbal protests and brazenly declared war on the Sack Kingdom. The beacon fires on the border between the two countries were ignited one after another.
It's more than that.
Allies on both sides are also watching nervously.
The troops are well prepared and ready to go.
A war that may sweep more kingdoms, including Aura Kingdom, has begun.