land
New Calendar 344, June 1st, early morning.
The morning light broke through the mist in the Emerald Ridge Mountains sky and dyed the remaining snow on the mountain top into pale gold.
It has been nearly two months since Aura Kingdom captured this naturally dangerous place. During this period of time, the legions resting here have replenished their troops, polished their weapons and minions, and gathered on the broad gentle slope at the western foot of the Mountain Range.
Garos stands on a towering black rock cliff.
His wings were folded at his sides, and his long tail hung down, overlooking the orderly flowing army below like a colony of ants.
This super large army is in full swing, preparing to march south, aiming directly at the royal capital of the Theo Kingdom, Silverglow City.
Blue Dragon Zolaya descended from the sky, converged its wings, and landed a little behind Red Emperor.
Her slender neck was slightly bent, and her eyes lingered on Red Emperor's majestic body for a long time.
"My great Majesty Ignas," Zolaya said, "According to the route we planned, the first city along the way is Iris City, the economic and cultural center of Aris Province, with a dense population and rich products."
"Finally arriving at Silverglow City, we need to pass through the other five provinces of Theo along the way."
"Do you need to send an order to increase the marching speed?"
Garos didn't move his head, but flapped his wings slowly.
"Keep the status quo."
he said.
Aris Province, Theo One of the six major provinces, it is directly governed by the highest chief executive appointed by the kingdom and the provincial governor.
Except for Theo, among the human countries on Romanian Plains, a similar provincial system is the mainstream, although the details are different.
Garos personally led the army and approached Aris Province with an unstoppable attitude. The main purpose was not to attack the city, but to put pressure on Theo, causing them to fall into fear and tension, and finally request peace talks.
He gave Theo time and the opportunity to choose.
If the king and nobles of Theo finally choose to give in and resolve the dispute through peaceful means, it will naturally be in the best interest of Garos at the moment and achieve maximum results at the minimum cost.
But if they still have luck, pin their hopes on unfulfilled aid from allies or other unrealistic fantasies, and insist on resisting to the end, Garos wouldn't mind accompanying them.
It was nothing more than attacking one city after another along the way, crushing all obstacles with fire and steel until the royal capital named Yinhui was trampled under its feet.
That will cause more trouble, consume more time and resources, and may even trigger more extensive intervention.
But Garos has already weighed the pros and cons and will not give in directly because of this.
No matter what, you have to chew a big piece of meat.
"The ruler of Theo had better be more sensible."
Red Iron Dragon stared at the distant south and thought silently in his heart.
The same day, noon, Silverglow City.
Today's warm light shines evenly on the white marble city walls and the towering mage spiers, coating them with a warm golden rim.
On both sides of the main road in the city, the broad leaves of the silver-leaf sycamore trees rustled in the breeze.
The new green leaves should have been full of vitality, but at this moment, the whole city was shrouded in an invisible and heavy chill that the sunlight could not dispel.
Royal Court, Council Hall.
The heavy door was tightly closed, blocking out all sounds from the outside world.
There were many people standing in the hall, all of whom were Theo Kingdom's most powerful nobles and ministers.
They were wearing splendid clothes and family emblems that symbolized their status, but no one was talking at the moment, no one even dared to gasp loudly, and there was silence.
The throne is located on the high platform at the north end of the hall.
A man who looked about fifty years old and whose temples were frosty white was gripping the armrest with both hands, his knuckles turning white.
He wears a dark purple royal robe embroidered with the Theo Royal House coat of arms, and a crown inlaid with gems.
However, the body under the royal robe and crown was trembling uncontrollably.
Fear, anger, humiliation, violence... all kinds of intense emotions were raging and intertwined in his deep-set eye sockets, making those originally sharp eyes full of bloodshot eyes.
This person is none other than the contemporary ruler of Theo, King Oliver Chapman.
"Three years... just three years"
Oliver's voice was the first to break the silence, hoarse and dry, like a wounded lion roaring.
"Unbreakable Wall, Magic Satellite, which was easily breached, cost countless generations, and condensed the efforts of several generations of the kingdom, became the enemy's trophy! Now, even the last natural danger, Emerald Ridge Mountains, has fallen into the hands of those monsters!"
He stood up from the throne and glanced at the officials with bloodshot eyes.
"And all of this is caused by the so-called Aura Kingdom, the red dragon who calls himself emperor! What did they have at the beginning of the war? Two Legendary Realm! Just two!"
He stretched out two fingers and shook them violently.
"Look at us Theo! We have six major provinces, countless people, mountains of wealth accumulated by generations of ancestors, and sophisticated military equipment! We also have more than ten powerful Legendary Realm! Each of them once had a great reputation!"
Oliver's voice became louder and louder, almost roaring regardless of his manners, and the veins on his neck popped out.
"We also have firm alliances like Rybos Kingdom and Cambrook Kingdom! We Legendary Realm have more numbers than him! We are higher level than him! Our equipment and magic items are more sophisticated than him! We have Dragonbreaker Pass natural danger! We have a well-trained legion!"
"But why--!"
He raised his fist and slammed it on the armrest of the throne.
"Why can't we defeat a giant dragon crawling out of the wilderness?! Why did Unyielding Shield, which we are so proud of, break into pieces?! Why did Fang of the Mountains, which we regard as a sharp sword, break?!"
"I can't understand! I can't understand!"
Huh... huh...
The king gasped violently, his chest heaving like a bellows, then turned his head and stared at several standing figures.
They just stood silently in the shadows or beside the pillars, with an aura that was completely different from other nobles lingering around them. They did not need to kneel before the king, and their postures were upright.
These people are Theo Kingdom Legendary Realm strong people who are still alive.
There are Legendary Realm who originally guarded Silverglow City, and there are also those who escaped from the fiasco of the Emerald Ridge Mountains and escaped back to the royal capital.
The silence lasted for several seconds.
Finally, a figure shrouded in gray-black leather armor moved slightly.
Shadow Assassin Spencer, participated in the early encirclement and suppression of White Dragon Beskar, and also experienced two decisive battles Dragonbreaker Pass and Emerald Ridge Mountains.
Spencer took half a step forward, and the shadows faded from part of his face, revealing a weather-beaten face.
He raised his head and met the king's gaze.
"Your Majesty, what you said... is correct."
His voice was steady, but filled with deep helplessness.
"On paper, and in pre-war deductions, we do have superior numbers, superior levels, and better preparations."
"But war, especially a war involving the Legendary Realm level, is never a simple stacking and comparison of numbers."
"The difference in the Legendary Realm level is actually smaller than the level of mortal objects. Except for the significant increase in the three major stages of breakthrough to advanced, Crown Rank and Destiny Rank, most of the time, it is just a reference."
"It cannot accurately measure the power of each Legendary Realm's domain, cannot compare those strange characteristics, and cannot... measure the huge gap in the nature of life."
Spencer's gaze became a little distant, as if he saw the dragon wings that covered the sky and the destructive breath again.
"Even the most ordinary Dragonkin, even White Dragon, are far superior to humans of the same level."
"If you want to successfully surround and kill a Legendary Realm dragon, you need at least four human Legendary Realms of the same level to plan carefully and cooperate tacitly to have a chance of winning, and this is only for ordinary dragons."
He took a deep breath and lowered his voice.
"And the Red Emperor we are facing is not a normal dragon."
"Even among Dragonkin, a group that already stands at the top of many lives, he is a very scary and extremely abnormal existence."
"His field does not seem to be special, but the intensity of his life essence and the characteristics he exhibits... are so powerful that they have surpassed all our previous knowledge. He is a giant dragon among giant dragons."
"In the Emerald Ridge Mountains, I witnessed with my own eyes... how he recovered from mortal wounds."
"That is not a simple healing spell, Your Majesty, it is a miracle that reverses life and death, or in other words, a nightmare."
When Red Emperor was mentioned, Shadow Assassin, who was Legendary Realm, could not help but feel a trace of fear in his eyes.
Emerald Ridge Mountains's battle is still like a nightmare when I think about it.
Several other Legendary Realm also lowered their eyes slightly or looked away at this moment, with the same solemnity in their silence.
He caught Satellite from the sky, turned into a meteorite to break through the barrier, and was resurrected from death... Every time Red Emperor made a move, he subverted common sense and trampled on their accumulated knowledge and pride. He was so arrogant that they, who were also Legendary Realm, were a little breathless when they heard his name.
"Your Majesty, we are not fighting a normal Legendary Realm, we are facing a walking Calamity."
Spencer said bitterly, "If at the beginning, we could gather all Legendary Realm and attack Red Emperor at the right opportunity, there would still be a possibility of victory, but after two huge defeats,"
"Enough!"
King Oliver waved his arms fiercely, and the broad sleeves of his robes brought up a gust of wind, interrupting Spencer.
"Excuses! They are all excuses!"
He shouted sharply, his face flushed with anger.
"You are just looking for excuses for your own failures, your own mediocrity and incompetence!"
The king gave a short, harsh laugh.
"Haha... The real master of Bernardo Planet is our human race! No matter how bad it is, it is still a humanoid race!"
"Those giant dragons that have been eliminated by history and are only worthy of lingering in the barren mountains or Ocean should stay in their caves and lairs instead of jumping out to challenge the order of civilization!"
"We Theo have a long heritage and profound foundation, how could we lose? How could we lose to wild creatures?!"
He turned around suddenly and looked at his secretary and foreign minister.
"Send envoys to Ribos, Cambrook, and Sak immediately! Send additional messengers! Use the most urgent words to explain the reason why your lips are dying and your teeth are cold!"
"I don't believe that these allies and neighbors can sit back and watch a giant dragon expand wantonly on Romanian Plains and destroy a kingdom without doing anything!"
"They will definitely come to rescue! Give us more reinforcements, definitely!"
The king waved his arms wildly and issued a series of orders, as if he wanted to scream out all the frustration and unwillingness in his chest.
In the audience, most of the courtiers and Legendary Realm remained silent.
Only a few young and energetic nobles showed excitement on their faces, but they were soon infected by the gloom in the eyes of their elders or colleagues and lowered their heads again.
After another extremely long few minutes, the king's voice gradually became lower and lower, and finally only heavy breathing remained.
As if he had exhausted all his strength, he slumped back onto the throne, stretched out his hands, and covered his face.
Silence returned to the meeting hall, leaving only suppressed and heavy breathing.
After an unknown amount of time, Oliver slowly lowered his hand.
His back was a little stooped, and his crown looked a little crooked.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the Rage and unwillingness in his eyes were completely extinguished, leaving only an almost numb calmness.
"Ezra."
The king called for the chief minister standing on the right, a stern-faced veteran.
"I'm here."
"Send my order and contact Governor Aris Province immediately Anderson."
Oliver spoke word by word as if each syllable was as important as a thousand words.
"Order him to disarm all towns, passes, and fortresses in Iris City and the province, seal up all armories, clear the main roads connecting the royal capital and the stations along the way, and organize... to welcome the team."
He paused, his Adam's apple rolling.
After struggling for a few seconds, he still said, "Get ready... with the highest courtesy, welcome the arrival of Aura Emperor."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was tantamount to handing over the entire wealthy Aris Province, together with its capital Iris City, without a fight.
But this is the price that must be paid to start peace talks.
And everyone understands that Theo will eventually have to give up more than just one Aris.
"Your Majesty!"
A young noble with an immature face couldn't help but stand up, his face full of anger, "We can also recruit more soldiers, mobilize the people, and use every city to carry out street fighting and delay, waiting for reinforcements-"
"What else?"
Oliver interrupted him abruptly, his voice still not fluctuating much.
"Let the remaining soldiers die? Let Silverglow City become the second Dragonbreaker Pass? Or let Theo Kingdom be wiped off the map of Romanian Plains? Cease to exist completely?"
The young Viscount opened his mouth, but in the end no words came out.
"In addition," the king turned to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, "The two of you will take the lead and work with the internal affairs department to completely liquidate the national treasury, the royal family's private treasury, and the reserves of the major families. Do not hide anything."
"Gold coins, silver coins, magic crystals, various gemstones, rare magic materials, precious works of art, ancient books and documents..."
"Make a detailed list of everything we can get our hands on."
"Then, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will take the lead in drafting a... preliminary draft of the "Agreement on Post-War Compensation and Relations between the Two Countries," including the bottom line amount of compensation, the scope of cedible interests, and other restrictions... These specific terms were discussed and drawn up by you and several of the Excellencies Legendary Realm present here, and were finally submitted to me for review."
"After that... prepare for formal peace talks with the Aura Kingdom."
Oliver Chapman, the Theo King, has completely accepted the cruel reality at this moment.
However, in the deepest part of his eyes, there was still a fire burning that refused to be completely extinguished.
Human life is short, but it also grows faster.
Throughout human history, its development has never been as straight as a line, but as a sudden leap like a staircase.
And their resilience, one of their most powerful advantages, lies in their ability to withstand huge blows and humiliation, and then burst out with amazing strength in desperate situations, giving birth to heroes who can turn their fate around in a very short period of time.
Theo suffered an unprecedented defeat today, his vitality was severely damaged, and his dignity was shattered.
However, perhaps it is in this darkest moment that there is a greater opportunity to give birth to an amazing talent that can rise like a comet one day in the future and have the ability to challenge or even surpass the Red Emperor.
In short, King Theo is betting on the future.
Two days later.
Aris Province capital, Iris City.
This prosperous city Theo, famous for its rich purple iris flowers and fine silks, lost all its past bustle and color on this day, and the tall city gates were completely pushed open.
There were no fully armed soldiers or generals visible on the city walls.
In the city, the main road extending inward from the city gate was clean. Both sides of the street were crowded with Theo civilians who had been ordered to come to greet them. They were wearing their best clothes, standing silently, or leaning against their families, with confusion written on their faces.
Anderson, a wealthy old nobleman, is standing right in front of the city gate.
He was wearing a gorgeous dress that represented the governor's status, and his chest was covered with medals, but his face was as pale as paper, and the hand holding the scepter was trembling slightly.
Behind him were the main provincial officials, all of whom looked gloomy.
Time passed slowly in unbearable silence.
Finally, changes began to appear on the distant horizon.
The smoke and dust gradually rose up, at first it was just a thin line, and then it quickly expanded and rose, like an overwhelming sandstorm. In the smoke and dust, countless terrifying figures could be vaguely seen moving, and the dull thunderous footsteps and flapping of wings could be heard.
The terrifying sense of oppression, even though they are far away, is already coming towards us.
The governor's legs weakened and he almost fell to his knees, but was barely supported by the adjutant beside him.
The smoke is getting closer.
Aura Legion appears in the field of vision, warriors of all races from the wilderness are fully armed, like a moving steel jungle.
Then, boom!
An indescribable sense of majesty and oppression descended wildly.
All Iris City's greeters, no matter nobles or commoners, involuntarily softened their knees and fell to the ground, burying their heads deeply, not daring to look directly.
The smoke separates to both sides.
The huge dark red figure suddenly landed in front of the city gate.
Red Emperor, Garos·Ignas, are here.
He has restrained most of Dragon Might, but with his mountain-like beast body, just a glance is enough to make all creatures feel heartbroken.
His vertical pupils swept across the crowd kneeling on the ground, across the open city gate, and across the city that had no will to resist.
Finally, Red Emperor's eyes fell on the governor at the front.
Anderson The Governor was so excited that he used all his strength and in the most humble manner, he knocked his forehead on the ground covered with fine sand and shouted loudly.
"Aris Province Governor, Anderson Ferguson, on behalf of all Iris City officials, nobles and people, I would like to welcome the great Aura Emperor, Garos·Ignas to the Iris!"
"May the glory of Your Majesty be as immortal as the sun, moon, and sky, Eternal Realm!"
"May your Majesty's majesty, like the towering mountains, endure forever!"
"Iris City All city gates have been opened! All weapons and equipment have been sealed! All inventories have been inventoried and recorded! Your Majesty, please come to the city for inspection!"
His voice echoed in front of the empty city gate.
Immediately afterwards, the officials and noble representatives behind him also echoed with trembling, "Your Majesty is welcome..."
The sound was weak and scattered at first, but not long after, similar sounds began to sound intermittently among the kneeling civilians on the streets in the city. These sounds converged into a low and vague sound.
Red Iron Dragon looked at them quietly.
"Lead the way."
He said, his voice as low as thunder.
As if he had been granted amnesty, the governor bowed his body, like the humblest guiding servant, and walked tremblingly at the front.
Red Iron Dragon takes a step forward and walks into Iris City.
Every time his claws fell, the ground would tremble, and the shadow of his body would completely cover the people kneeling on both sides.
Behind him, Aura's monster legion poured into the undefended city like a black tide. The dragons and flying creatures in the sky let out louder or sharper screams, and the sound of wing membranes breaking in the wind enveloped the entire sky.
It is June 3rd, 344th year of the New Calendar.
The scorching sun is rising, and the irises that have been blooming all spring are beginning to wither in the wind.
Theo Kingdom Yaris, one of the six major provinces, announced its change of ownership without a battle. Two-Ao War The curtain came to an end temporarily, and the two countries began peace talks.