The night was as thick as ink, and sparse starlight fell on the dragon's dark scales, setting off the majestic body.
Heroic Spirit Mien looked up at Red Iron Dragon Emperor's figure entrenched like a hill. After a few seconds of hesitation, he finally couldn't help lowering his voice and asked.
"Your Majesty, if Balna refuses to cooperate, do you... really plan to bypass Emerald Ridge Mountains and harass those villages and towns?"
"I mean, for civilians who can't bear arms."
In his mind, civilians and soldiers are completely different.
When a soldier raises his sword and puts on his armor, it means that he accepts the fate of dancing with death.
Armor jingled in the charge, and blood-stained flags fluttered in the wind.
Their end may have been heroic or humble, but no matter what, they had made a choice, whether it was out of loyalty to the kingdom, the pursuit of knightly honor, or just to survive in troubled times.
And civilians...
They are the cornerstone of silence, the soil and streams on which civilization can survive.
They sow, harvest, build, and multiply, forming the lowest pulse of the kingdom. However, when the flames of war overflow the borders like a torrent, they are often the first to be devoured and crushed.
The cries were covered up by the shouts of killing, their homes were reduced to scorched earth in the flames, and they did not even understand why the war started.
Mien is a Watchman Paladin who has dedicated his life to the oath of protecting the kingdom and its people.
Now, although he has transformed into Heroic Spirit and is loyal to Red Iron Dragon Emperor in front of him, the protective instinct deeply rooted in his soul still makes him feel stinging for the innocent people that the war may affect.
Red Iron Dragon turned its huge head slightly, lowered his eyes, and stared at Paladin Heroic Spirit.
"When there is Abyss behind me, and there is no way to escape, I may risk everything, tear the earth apart, and clear away all obstacles in front of me, no matter what they are."
The dragon's voice was low and slow, echoing through the night and the mountains.
As he spoke, he paused slightly, and his huge eyes half closed for a moment.
"As for now, I have no interest in deliberately ravaging civilians."
Hearing this, the tight strings in Paladin's heart relaxed a little.
His right knee touched the ground, and his radiant body made a half-kneeling posture, with his head lowered. "Your Majesty, I know that you are not the real Evil Dragon. You still have compassion for the weak in your heart."
Red Iron Dragon shook his head.
"It has nothing to do with pity."
"I have no interest in a life that cannot resist and cannot provide sufficient value."
The dragon's voice was deep and strong, but there was no warmth in it.
However, Mien felt that this might just be due to Red Iron Dragon's character. It was a kind of "reservation" that Red Iron Dragon, as the Ironblood emperor, was unwilling to admit his compassion.
Paladin didn't say much, just lowered his head.
He complied and said, "You are right, Your Majesty, I was thinking too narrowly."
Garos's pupils shrank slightly, and his eyes stayed on Heroic Spirit for a moment.
He felt that Paladin seemed to have a weird interpretation of himself, but he didn't care much about it and had no intention of delving into it or correcting it.
It is sometimes not a bad thing for ministers to have some good imaginations about their monarch.
As for the previous rhetoric against Theo Legendary Warrior Balna, it is essentially a form of intimidation.
The identity of Red Iron Dragon, who was born into the evil camp, indeed caused Garos a lot of preconceived prejudices, unwarranted hostility and unexpected troubles.
But it is undeniable that this identity can be transformed into a unique advantage at certain times.
It is like a layer of vague fog, making it difficult for the enemy to see his true intentions and bottom line, making it easier for the enemy to be confused and intimidated by his display of strength or ruthlessness.
Mass killing of civilians?
This seriously violates the tacit bottom line of all countries and will arouse the strongest public outrage and joint intervention. However, if a real Evil Dragon, such as the red dragon Gorsas, exists, it can be completely done.
In the eyes of Theo people, he is an extremely evil person.
But in fact, Garos is not a barbarian wild dragon like Gorsas.
He is Aura Emperor who has a background, a family, and a kingdom foundation.
And he knew very well that the reason why Aura Kingdom was able to gain a firm foothold in Romanian Plains was largely due to the banner of the Dragon Realm.
Otherwise, a country purely ruled by Evil Dragon will make all neighboring countries of intelligent creatures feel like a thorn in the back and a thorn in the throat.
On the day of the founding of the country, I am afraid that what awaits him is not a congratulatory gift, but an urgently assembled crusade army from the coalition forces of various countries.
Not to mention the reactions of various countries.
Those within Dragon Race alone, especially those factions whose mission is to protect order and punish evil, will never sit idly by.
Garos Without a doubt.
If he really goes crazy and slaughters innocent people at this moment, maybe before the sky is clear, those radical Purification Faction dragons of the Bronze Dragon King lineage will rush in with the fury of Judgment When in front of him, even Metal Dragon of Inclusivist Faction will come, and then join forces with Purification Faction to beat him, Evil Dragon.
Gold Dragon Orvis, who used to have a pretty good relationship with him, will probably be at the front.
"How are you two recovering?"
Red Iron Dragon calmed down his divergent thoughts and said, "Continue to exercise with me."
"I obey your orders, Your Majesty."
The two Heroic Spirit responded in unison, and the light-forged weapons solidified in their hands again.
So, under the increasingly dark night, the powerful dragon emperor once again immersed himself in boring and intense training.
Until the sky in the east turns fish belly white, then turns golden red, the sun rises, and the cold air in the mountains is driven away.
The figures of the two Heroic Spirit had become almost transparent under repeated impact and consumption, as if they would dissipate like morning mist at any time. Garos finally stopped moving, slowly lowered his body, and calmed down the rushing Dragon Might.
"Go back and rest."
He said, with no hint of fatigue in his voice.
"... Yes, Your Majesty."
Legendary Heroic Spirit turned into two streams of light and threw them at Hall of Heroes.
After Heroic Spirit left, Garos stood quietly for a moment, feeling the slight warmth of the morning sun on his scales.
Then, he contacted his blood relatives through spiritual connection.
"Sorog, convene an internal dragon group meeting."
"Understood."
The response came almost immediately from the other side, calm and reliable.
Iron Dragon Sorog uses itself as a hub to span distant spatial distances and temporarily connect the consciousness of blood relatives scattered in various places to build a private spiritual communication field.
In the blink of an eye, the connection was firmly established.
Garos sinks consciousness into the spiritual space.
His thoughts naturally condensed and shaped, turning into the Red-Iron Dragon consciousness entrenched in the center of the space.
Immediately afterwards, the other three consciousness bodies descended one after another.
The first one that was condensed and formed was none other than Iron Dragon Sorog.
His conscious body has clear outlines and hard lines, which are the same as the main body. The whole body is a deep matte black iron color, revealing a strong, calm and calm mental fluctuation.
"Samantha and Gordon have been connected."
Almost at the same time Sorog finished speaking, a burning red flame appeared in the mental space.
The flames were constantly rolling, sometimes expanding, sometimes contracting, exuding the smell of sulfur and lava, and even faint illusory explosion sounds could be heard, but they were all confined to a certain place, and finally transformed into the form of a red dragon.
This is exactly the consciousness of Samantha, full of aggression and destructiveness, but also restrained.
"I am preparing the key catalyst of Seventh-Generation Molten-Core Bomb, Sorog. You better have something important enough, otherwise I will set the field test site for the next new formula bomb on your hard forehead!"
Samantha's mental fluctuations came, with the irritability of being disturbed.
"The meeting was convened by Garos."
Iron Dragon said calmly.
"Huh?"
Samantha's manic flame suddenly stagnated, and at the same time he noticed Red Iron Dragon's consciousness. Immediately, the mania and dissatisfaction receded like a tide, and instead revealed an emotion mixed with joy, closeness and admiration.
"It's my dear brother Garos, then it's okay."
She said with a smile.
At this moment, the third consciousness also arrived.
Under his thick scales and skin, there are faintly convex muscle textures, and the dragon scales all over his body are shiny and beautiful. He is Iron Dragon Gordon.
"Ah ha, the connection was established at the right time... or was it not the right time?"
Gordon said, "I was attending a spring open-air banquet held by the royal family. As soon as I picked up the wine glass, Sorog's spiritual request came in, causing me to almost spill the mead on the skirt of a marquise next to me. Oh, by the way, I have now hidden in the corner of the banquet terrace. I hope no one noticed the way I suddenly froze and then my eyes became straight."
"Party?"
Samantha's flame suddenly shot up, "We are fighting on the front line, planning how to smash the enemy's last tortoise shell, but you are drinking mead, eating barbecue, and admiring the skirts of human ladies in the royal court?"
"Gordon, are you living a little too comfortable in your little life? Do you need me to help you stretch your muscles in the future?"
Iron Dragon Gordon's conscious body shrank its neck subconsciously.
The memory of being beaten "offline" by Samantha last time is still fresh.
He quickly adjusted his tone. "My dear, powerful sister Samantha, don't you understand me yet?"
"Those meads taste bland, and those roasted meats are like chewing wax! Every piece of my scales and every drop of blood is longing to stand side by side with you, bathe in blood and fire on the battlefield, and seize the glory and prestige that belongs to our dragon! Instead of being here Lothern, a mascot that is carefully catered to by human nobles, but actually does nothing."
At the end of his words, there was a hint of depression and envy.
Red Emperor's feat of winning the war Satellite in Two-Ao War has already spread throughout Romanian Plains like the wind, and its reputation is even spreading to more distant regions.
Gordon heard every detail and was so envious that his scales itched.
He often imagined that if he had been on the battlefield at that time, even if he could not make earth-shattering moves like Garos, he could at least shine in a small-scale fierce battle and win his own praise and respect. Instead of being like now, he could only imagine the magnificent scene from rumors and battle reports.
"Okay."
The spiritual voice of Garos sounded, calming down other noises in the spiritual space.
"Now, the meeting begins."
Hearing this, Sorog projected a map in the mental space, showing the location and general outline of Noldon Pass.
"Heavenly Eye is now at Dragon's Treasury, Theo's defeated army has retreated to the Emerald Ridge Mountains, relying on the Noldon Pass natural barrier and Dragonbreaker Pass defense."
"This is our last obstacle. If we break it, the hinterland of Theo will be undefendable."
"Tell me what you think about this."
Garos After finishing speaking, he looked around at several blood relatives.
The flames of Samantha jumped excitedly and crackled first.
She was the first to say excitedly, "My dear brother, my research on Seventh-Generation Molten-Core Bomb is going well."
"As long as you give me enough time to prepare the equivalent, I can definitely blow Noldon Pass, together with the cliffs on both sides of it, into powder! Send them sinking into the cracks in the ground!"
"Those stubborn guards huddled behind the stones will be reduced to ashes in the explosion and flames! This will be the most wonderful salute to celebrate our final victory!"
The conscious body of Sorog calmly explained, "The foundation of Noldon Pass is directly connected to the main leyline, and is solidified by the Legendary Realm spells and a large amount of Magic Array. Conventional explosion methods are ineffective."
"Moreover, the other party has Unyielding Shield in charge."
"According to known intelligence, this Legendary Realm is very good at using his own domain to strengthen pass defenses. He will greatly enhance the stability of the fortifications."
Samantha's flames flickered a few times, but this time he did not immediately refute Sorog fiercely.
It is true that she has been somewhat obsessed with the art of explosions recently, but she is not without tactical acumen. She also understands that Theo, the last natural line of defense, will never collapse like an ordinary city wall.
However, the destructive flame in her heart still burned, and she muttered:
"I have to use my molten core bomb anyway, there is always a chance to explode something..."
Red Iron Dragon's will turned to Sorog: "Tell me about your analysis and plan."
This so-called blood relative meeting is often essentially a discussion between Garos and Sorog.
The participation of Samantha and Gordon is more about providing emotional feedback from different angles and ensuring that they have a basic consensus on the strategic direction.
"There are only three natural passes that connect Emerald Ridge Mountains from north to south, and two have been permanently sealed by Theo. The only open one, Noldon Pass, is at the top, which is Dragonbreaker Pass."
"It's difficult to take it down with a strong frontal attack."
At this point, Iron Dragon changed the topic and said in a deep voice, "But because of this, we must attack it and crush it!"
Hearing this, Samantha looked surprised.
In her impression, Sorog was always like a little human girl. She was thinking about this and worrying about that, but she couldn't fight happily. The plan she proposed this time really won her heart.
As a powerful dragon, he wants to crush all disobedient head-on!
Burn the enemy to ashes!
Trample the enemy into pulp!
"Sorog, your idea this time is very much to my liking! There is progress."
Samantha rarely gave a positive review and said with satisfaction.
Gordon on the side also nodded subconsciously and shook his head.
"This sounds as domineering as a dragon should."
Sorog ignored the approval of the two blood relatives and went on to explain in depth.
"The capture of Heavenly Eye by Garos was a miraculous surprise attack that exceeded the enemy's imagination. It broke the balance of the battlefield and established the victory on the front line. However, the nature of the subsequent battle of the Emerald Ridge Mountains is already different."
He paused, composed his words, and then continued.
"Theo Kingdom suffered a disastrous defeat on the front line. The morale of the army was severely damaged and they were forced to retreat. However, deep down in their hearts, they may not be truly convinced or admit their complete failure. They are now retreating to Dragonbreaker Pass. Relying on the favorable geographical location and the defense of past generations of operations, they must still have luck and hope in their hearts."
"They will think that as long as they hold on here and rely on natural barriers, Aura's monster army will not be able to rush forward no matter how powerful it is. Noldon Pass is insurmountable and Dragonbreaker Pass will never fall."
"If we choose to use strategy at this time, try to outwit, bypass or break through the pass from the inside."
"Then, even if we succeed, the Theo people will think that they just lost to conspiracy and a moment of negligence. Aura is not invincible. They dare not fight head-on. As long as they are more careful, they will still have a chance..."
"In this way, Theo's army may be defeated, but their will to resist will not be extinguished."
"Theo Legion may break into pieces and move into the vast Emerald Ridge Mountains or even the plains behind enemy lines to carry out guerrilla warfare and harassment, leaving us in a quagmire."
"Their people will also remember that their army was defeated by cunning Evil Dragon through trickery, rather than being defeated on an upright battlefield, breeding the soil for resistance."
Having said this, Iron Dragon Sorog's tone paused and his eyes became extremely sharp.
"When the war has reached this point, it is no longer about fighting for a few cities or a few pieces of land."
"We need a victory, a glorious battle that will make all onlookers tremble, make all enemies heartily convinced, and make our morale burn to the top!"
"At that time, Theo's fighting spirit will collapse together with Noldon Pass's."
"They will choose a truce and negotiate, because resistance has lost any meaning."
A frontal attack on Noldon Pass means that Aura Kingdom needs to invest more resources and bear a heavier casualty price in the short term. However, in the long run, from the perspective of destroying the enemy's will to resist, establishing a stable post-war pattern, and deterring surrounding forces, the strategic value of such a frontal victory far exceeds the price paid in the short term.
Garos looked at the consciousness projection of Iron Dragon Sorog, with approval in his eyes.
Sorog's strengths have always been meticulousness and execution. On the contrary, he sometimes pays too much attention to immediate gains and losses and lacks a longer-term strategic vision. If he were in the past, faced with natural dangers like Nollton, his priority would probably be to find ways to bypass or outmaneuver to reduce the cost of conquering.
But now, after experiencing the baptism of Two-Ao War and personally leading large-scale battles, Iron Dragon Sorog has grown again.
His gaze became more far-reaching.
He began to learn to break out of the frame of a single battle and think about issues from the perspective of the entire war and even the post-war pattern.
Immediately afterwards, Red Iron Dragon stood up slowly.
His consciousness seemed to be rising infinitely, filling the entire spiritual space, becoming infinitely majestic, and one could only look up at it.
"Sorog."
"Here." Iron Dragon's mental body leaned forward slightly to show that he was listening intently.
"How much time do you need?"
"On the 20th." Sorog answered without hesitation, obviously he had already thought it through.
"Our Grand Legion Master, after capturing human Legendary Realm with the power of a military formation, has been eating at a high intensity for two consecutive weeks. Legendary Realm's breakthrough in the realm is just around the corner, and he will soon complete the transformation of his life level."
"During this period, I will mobilize the legions, integrate siege equipment, complete pre-war mobilization, and reserve enough supplies to support a high-intensity attack. At the same time, I will contact allies including Lothern for support to prepare for possible counterattacks by Theo or interference from other countries."
"Accurate."
Regardless of whether Balna cooperates in the end, Aura and Red Emperor are already ready for a frontal attack.
He will use possible means to increase his chances of winning and reduce losses.
However, he would never pin his victory on the enemy's negligence or a single conspiracy.
Real victory must be based on one's own unparalleled strength and determination, and there is no room for luck.
Red Emperor can pluck the stars made by mortals in space; he will also use iron and fire to penetrate the enemy's supposedly insurmountable natural barriers on the earth.