Kaelzrog.
After the Legendary Realm Ancient Dragon from Helmode Dragon Brood finished speaking, he quietly stared at Red Iron Dragon opposite, waiting for his answer.
Opposite me, Garos was speechless for a moment.
Those from other places come to Aura to beg for food!
This sentence appeared in Red Iron Dragon's mind inexplicably at this moment.
Although the specific circumstances are somewhat different, his thoughts at the moment are somewhat similar.
The power of Helmode Dragon Brood is a fact. They can always be active under the encirclement and suppression of the Raging Tide Dragon Realm and multiple coastal city-states, and even develop a frightening reputation in the Boiling Sea area. This in itself proves their strength.
Moreover, they are dragons on the order side, at least they claim so.
But no matter how they try to cover it up, it can't change the fact that they are a group of robbers and a group of pirates.
Robbery of merchant ships, ransacking ports, and demanding ransoms... these acts of burning, killing, and looting have long been recorded on wanted notices in coastal countries, and have been told as scary stories by countless sailors.
"By forming an alliance with them, we may be able to get a powerful boost."
"But the image that Aura Kingdom and I have been working together for many years will quickly collapse and be destroyed in a short period of time. I will immediately be dragged into the water by Helmode Dragon Brood and become the target of everyone in the entire continent."
Garos weighed it silently in his heart.
The risk is too great.
Aura has just ended the war with the Theo Kingdom. The newly occupied land needs to be digested, internal construction needs to be promoted, and diplomacy with neighboring countries needs to be maintained... Now is definitely not the time to openly ally with a notorious dragon group.
However, what if you refuse directly and forcefully?
Kaelzrog represents the entire Helmode Dragon Brood. This dragon group can stand in the Boiling Sea for hundreds of years, and its leader must not be an easy person.
Garos has never been a person who likes to make enemies at will.
He needs to find a suitable explanation that can reject Helmode Dragon Brood's request for alliance without completely breaking his relationship.
In fact, if you can not make an open alliance with this group of dragons and avoid getting burned, but at the same time find a way to use their power and turn it into your own assistance, that would be the best strategy.
Red Iron Dragon's silence lasted for a long time.
This silence caused Kaelzrog to misunderstand.
He thought that Garos was seriously weighing the pros and cons of forming an alliance and was hesitating rather than thinking about rejecting it, so he decided to strike while the iron was hot and further elaborate on the benefits of forming an alliance with Helmode Dragon Brood.
"Ignas Your Majesty."
"When we select a landing site and establish a country belonging to Helmode, if Aura Kingdom can formally recognize and support it and publicly conclude an alliance, we will definitely give generous rewards."
He leaned forward slightly to give his words more weight.
"The vast sea area, seabed mineral veins, rare seafood, magic materials controlled by Helmode Dragon Brood..."
"All of these will be opened to Aura with priority for trade under the most favorable terms."
"And more importantly, no matter what kind of threats Aura faces in the future, whether it is the coalition forces of the human kingdom or the covetousness of other hostile Dragonkins, with just one call, Raging Tides and thunder from Helmodes will follow."
"We will make all enemies understand that attacking Aura is an enemy of us.
As he spoke, fine electric light crackled at the tips and edges of his dragon horns, making the surrounding air glow slightly.
"Your Majesty, this is a win-win situation, no, this is a common victory for all ambitious dragons."
"You have torn a hole in Northern Frontier's Dragonspine Mountains, proving with iron and fire that dragons can build their own kingdom outside of human rules. Now, let Helmode drive another nail in the western coast."
"We form an angle with one to the north and one to the west, supporting each other."
"The kingdoms on land will be suppressed by us. In time, the coast and hinterland of the entire continent will be sheltered by dragon wings."
Evil Dragon...Garos slightly wrinkled the scales between her foreheads.
Kaelzrog mouthed "Evil Dragon", which was so natural, as if Garos was also one of them.
But Red Iron Dragon has never admitted that he belongs to the Evil Dragon camp, at least not in public.
Aura's journey to founding a country was certainly accompanied by wars and conquests, but it was carried out within the framework of the established rules of each country.
He has the testimony of the Metal Dragon Realm, a relatively legal declaration of war, and the signing of a post-war treaty... all of which are completely different from the naked robbery of Helmode Dragon Brood.
"Kaelzrog, I need to correct your statement."
Red Iron Dragon said directly.
Blue Dragon was slightly startled, and his eyes focused on Red Iron Dragon.
"Aura Kingdom rose from the wilderness and established a firm foothold in Northern Frontier. This does not mean that "Evil Dragon can easily establish a country." These are two different things."
"My success is based on specific timing, strategy, and... a certain degree of external recognition."
"If Helmode Dragon Brood wants to land and establish a country, with the evil reputation you have left behind and those well-known evil deeds, you will face far more resistance than Aura did at the beginning. You will not only have to fight against the defenders at the target location, but may also attract joint intervention from multiple surrounding kingdoms, or even a formal crusade from the Metal Dragon Realm."
He looked directly into Blue Dragon's eyes and continued, "I am not belittling Helmode's power, I am just stating a fact."
"I appreciate your ambition, but you must also realize that the path you have chosen is difficult."
On the opposite side, Kaelzrog did not show anger when he heard Red Iron Dragon's straightforward and even sharp remarks.
In the traditional Evil Dragon values, evil names and evil deeds often carry a certain alternative meaning of praise, which means power and deterrence.
He just grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth suitable for tearing apart prey.
"Your Majesty, the dragons naturally understand what you said."
Kaelzrog said, "We have been dealing with the Boiling Sea and Raging Tide Dragon Realm for hundreds of years, and we have countless conflicts with other coastal city-states. We are very aware of how many bounties we have on our heads and how many pairs of hateful eyes we have behind us."
His huge head was slightly raised.
"However, since we Helmode Dragons have decided to land and establish a country, we are already ready to face all challenges."
"We will not fight a battle that we are not sure of; we will not implement a plan that has no chance of winning."
Blue Dragon's words revealed strong confidence.
This confidence is not blind arrogance, but the confidence accumulated after numerous conflicts with Bloodshed.
"Does this group of dragons have any special support that makes them dare to make such a decision?"
Garos thought to himself.
If you think about it carefully, the ruler of the Evil Dragon group that is still active and even growing despite the continuous attacks of the Raging Tide Dragon Realm cannot be a fool.
They chose to plan to land and found the country at this point in time, and they must have carefully considered and evaluated the risks and benefits.
You may even have some key information or bargaining chips.
Just as Red Iron Dragon was thinking about it in his mind, Kaelzrog's voice suddenly dropped a little lower.
"Your Majesty, about you... I have heard many interesting rumors, I don't know whether they are true or false."
"What rumors?" Garos asked.
Blue Dragon's vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and electric light circulated around the edges of his eye sockets.
"It is said that you have a close relationship with some Metal Dragon and even some Metal Dragon Realm."
Kaelzrog said slowly, "You once won the championship in a competition organized by the Radiant Dragon Realm; you were ambushed by the Legendary Realm Bronze Dragon on a certain trip, but you were ambushed by the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm Under the guarantee of, and with the order of Gold Dragon King, he left Dragon Realm unharmed... There are different versions of these stories, but the one I told should be closest to the truth."
Garos The scales between his forehead are slightly wrinkled.
Aura was witnessed by Metal Dragon when the country was founded. This incident was widely spread, so it is not surprising that Blue Dragon knew about it.
But Radiant Dragon Realm's championship, Bronze Dragon's ambush, Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm's intervention... these things are not widely known to the outside world.
"Where did you hear these things?"
he asked.
Kaelzrog smiled slightly.
"It seems that these stories are true."
"As for the source. Our dragon group has been entrenched in the Boiling Sea all year round. It has long been commonplace to be enemies with the Raging Tide Dragon Realm. Of course, we must do our best to understand the enemy and collect all possible intelligence information."
"It was also in the process of sorting out this information that we accidentally heard about your deeds."
"A Evil Dragon, who is both Chromatic Dragon and Ferrous Dragon Bloodline, maintains a distant relationship with multiple Metal Dragon Realm... This is striking enough in itself. If you follow these clues, more details will surface."
Garos stared at Blue Dragon.
He thought for a few seconds and then asked, "Since you already know that I have dealings with the Metal Dragon Realm, and there may even be a certain degree of friendship, why do you still come here and try to form an alliance with me?"
"Aren't you worried that I will reveal your plan to the Metal Dragon Realm, or draw a clear line with you?"
Kaelzrog heard this and let out a laugh as deep as thunder.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
He stopped smiling and his tone became serious.
"You have the blood of both Chromatic Dragon and Ferrous Dragon, which are incompatible with Metal Dragon's nature, just like water and fire are incompatible."
"Those guys who claim to be kind and noble, can they really understand your ambition and dominance? Will they really support Aura's future expansion wholeheartedly?"
Blue Dragon leaned forward and closed the distance with Red Iron Dragon.
"Metal Dragon's friendship is based on your current superficial compliance with order and restraint on your own ambitions."
"Once you show a stronger desire to conquer, or touch their tenets in any other way, do you think those Metal Dragon will still stand on your side without hesitation?"
"There may be a few Metal Dragon who have a good personal relationship with you and will not be your enemy."
"But most Metal Dragon will definitely regard you as a target that must be eradicated."
Garos didn't answer immediately, just listened quietly.
What Blue Dragon said is not wrong to a certain extent.
Garos himself has never fully trusted Dragon Realm. He always maintains a certain degree of vigilance and distance.
But it is undeniable that Dragon Realm's background is indeed very important to him now. This relationship has prevented him from a lot of unnecessary troubles and also bought him time to develop.
As for what the future holds... that's not something that requires foresight now.
"Look at history, Your Majesty."
The voice of Kaelzrog continued, "How many times, Metal Dragon has joined forces with the human mage and Paladin to strangle our ambition in the cradle."
"They regard us as the embodiment of evil and disaster, and they even do not hesitate to join forces with other races to kill their own kind."
Blue Dragon's words gradually Bloodburst, and the electric light all over the body became active, jumping and flickering between the scales.
"Your Majesty, what is flowing in your body is the blood of Evil Dragon after all."
"And Evil Dragon should be with Evil Dragon after all."
"Instead of placing your hope on those Metal Dragon who will leave sooner or later due to conflict of ideas, it is better to form an alliance with Helmode Dragon Brood who truly understand you, support you, and have the same natural pursuit as you."
"Those Metal Dragon? are never worthy of complete trust."
"Let's not talk about other Dragon Realm, let's talk about the Raging Tide Dragon Realm."
"Today, drastic changes are taking place there, and the number of Dragonkin who regard Evil Dragon as enemies that must be eradicated is increasing. In the future, their attitude towards you will not be substantially different from how they treat us."
"And we, Helmode Dragon Brood, are the allies you should really choose."
"We will not bind you with hypocritical creeds, we only believe in the strong bond formed by strength and interests."
After Blue Dragon finished speaking, his huge body leaned back slightly, giving Red Iron Dragon room to think, waiting for Red Iron Dragon's final response.
Garos remained silent, his brain working rapidly, weighing every point in Blue Dragon's words.
I have to say that Kaelzrog, as the messenger of Helmode Dragon Brood, does have excellent eloquence and insight.
What he said was not completely unreasonable.
There is uncertainty in the friendship of the Metal Dragon Realm. With the development of Aura in the future, the possibility of conflict of ideas does exist, and a strong Evil Dragon ally can indeed provide a lot of help.
However, Garos is also very sober inside.
If we really openly form an alliance with Helmode Dragon Brood, it will definitely do more harm than good.
Regardless of whether they intend to use themselves and use Aura Kingdom as a shield, even if their sincerity can be guaranteed, this "friendship" is accompanied by too many risks and uncertainties.
As for Metal Dragon, Raging Tide Dragon Realm under Bronze Dragon King may cause trouble in the future.
However, Radiant Dragon Realm and Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm currently have a clear and friendly attitude towards Garos.
This relationship was hard-won, and he couldn't give it up easily for a group of pirate dragons.
"I need to think of a way..."
Garos said to himself in the bottom of his heart.
"We must not only avoid being tied to Helmode's chariot immediately, but also try our best to use the power of this group of dragons for our own purposes, or even use them in turn."
Red Iron Dragon pondered for a few seconds, and the ideas gradually became clear in his mind.
A feasible plan is slowly taking shape.
"Helmode Dragon Brood's ambition and your praise for me, I already understand."
"The picture you painted really fascinates me; the hidden dangers you pointed out to me are also reasonable..."
Hearing this, Blue Dragon Ancient Dragon's expression did not become relaxed, but became slightly solemn.
He has lived a long enough life and has witnessed countless negotiations and negotiations.
An opening statement like Garos that first affirms and expresses understanding is often followed by a "but", and the content after the "but" is usually a rejection or a substantial modification of the conditions.
Noticing the change in Ancient Dragon's eyes, Garos's voice only paused slightly.
Immediately afterwards, he did not shy away and changed the subject.
"However, I cannot agree to your request for recognition of the founding of the country and the conclusion of an alliance."
Kaelzrog's neck muscles tightened obviously, but he restrained other reactions and just asked in a deep voice, "Your Majesty Ignas, on behalf of Helmode Dragon Brood, I came across the mountains with the greatest sincerity."
"If you want to expressly reject our covenant, please at least give me a sufficiently convincing reason."
"I might as well report the truth to the leaders so that they can understand your considerations."
His tone remained polite, but there was a hint of displeasure deep down.
Garos nodded slightly.
"I also hope to see the rise of another country led by the giant Dragon Lord. That means we are no longer alone, and it means that the age of dragons may really be returning."
"I also hope to have a strong ally who can support each other at critical moments."
"However, timing and cost do not allow me to make the choice you expect."
"Aura Kingdom has not yet established a stable foothold. It has just ended the war with the Theo Kingdom and signed a treaty. The newly occupied land needs time to be digested and integrated. At this moment, if we openly form an alliance with a notorious Blue Dragon pirate group, we will immediately become the target of public criticism across the entire continent."
Kaelzrog opened his mouth, as if he wanted to refute.
He said, "Your Majesty, risks and rewards have always coexisted. We Helmode Dragon Brood also have other Evil Dragon allies. As long as we are well prepared and act quickly..."
Garos raised one front paw and made a pause gesture, interrupting him:
"Hear me out, messenger."
Kaelzrog took a deep breath, swallowed back the unfinished words, and remained silent.
"I am not rejecting Helmode's friendship, nor am I disapproving of your strength."
Garos said unhurriedly, "On the contrary, I think Helmode Dragon Brood is worth making friends with. Keeping in touch with you and cooperating at some levels will be of great benefit to Aura's future development."
"But the way of cooperation needs to change."
Kaelzrog's vertical pupils narrowed slightly, revealing an inquiring look.
"What does your Majesty mean?"
Garos said, "Aura and Helmode Dragon Brood will not have any formal covenant."
"We need to keep a distance from each other, and even maintain a hostile relationship with each other in the eyes of other races."
Hearing these words, Blue Dragon's eyes flashed with thoughts and surprise.
"You mean..."
"On the surface, we are enemies of each other, or at least strangers to each other, but secretly, we can exchange intelligence, provide material support, and even engage in some covert cooperation.
"In this way, powerful forces can join forces without being immediately regarded as a huge risk by mainland countries, so they join forces to deal with it."
Garos nodded with satisfaction.
He acknowledged Blue Dragon's quick understanding.
"Yes, this kind of relationship is more flexible and harder to target than a covenant exposed to the sun."
"We can adjust the depth of cooperation based on actual circumstances without being bound by overt treaty obligations."
Kaelzrog's huge head hung slightly and fell into silence for a long time.
Obviously, Red Iron Dragon's proposal completely exceeded Helmode Dragon Brood's prior expectations. He needed time to digest it and evaluate the pros and cons.
After a few seconds, he raised his head again and looked sharply at Garos.
"However, this also means that Helmode Dragon Brood needs to face all the pressure during the landing process alone, which is not consistent with our original intention of seeking allies and sharing risks."
This Ancient Dragon is really not easy to fool...
Garos thought in his heart, but the expression on his face remained unchanged.
"Kaelzrog, you are right."
Red Iron Dragon did not refute, but admitted it frankly.
"In this mode, Helmode Dragon Brood really needs to face huge pressure alone."
His voice paused slightly, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he said, "However, since Helmode Dragon Brood dares to plan to land and establish a country, and behaves so confidently, he must have been fully prepared for the difficulties he is about to face."
"Aura's secret support will effectively reduce the difficulty of your success and reduce unnecessary losses."
"If Helmode Dragon Brood still doesn't have the confidence to stand on this basis... I think there may be no need for us to conclude a formal alliance."
The significance of allies is to increase the chance of victory, not to take the risk of defeat.
The meaning of Garos is very clear.
If Helmode Dragon Brood himself is not sure of victory, then any form of alliance will be a castle in the air.
Kaelzrog was silent.
His huge head was slightly lowered, and the lightning flashed rapidly in his vertical pupils, as if thunderclouds were brewing under his eyes.
Clearly, he was rapidly weighing the pros and cons of the proposal.
Red Iron Dragon's plan is completely different from Helmode Dragon Brood's original plan, but if you think about it carefully... it doesn't seem to be unfeasible.
Although covert cooperation cannot immediately share the pressure on the surface, it can provide substantial assistance while avoiding premature exposure and triggering a comprehensive encirclement and suppression.
After a few seconds, Kaelzrog raised his head.
"Your Majesty's proposal... I need time to consider it carefully, and I also need to discuss it in detail with the leaders of the dragons."
Kaelzrog said, "This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by me alone."
"I will bring the entire content of today's conversation, as well as your specific proposals, back to the Boiling Sea, and report them to several leaders. The final decision will be made jointly by them."
"As it should be."
Garos nodded, "No matter what your final decision is, I hope we can maintain communication channels."
"One more friend is better than one more enemy."
"A win-win situation is what I expect."
Kaelzrog took a deep look at Red Iron Dragon, wanting to read more information from the majestic face covered with dark red scales.
After a moment, he spread out one of his front paws, with the center of the paw pointing upward.
A trace of arc condensed between his claws, eventually forming a blue sphere the size of a fist. There seemed to be thunder and lightning and whirlpools circulating inside the sphere, exuding weak but stable magic fluctuations.
"This is a token, Your Majesty, please put it away."
Blue Dragon handed out the sphere. "When we make a decision, we will contact you through it."
Garos stretched out his claws, gently picked up the ball, and played with it between his claws.
Seeing this, Kaelzrog fully extended its wings, and the textures on the wing membranes lit up one by one.
"Ignas Your Majesty, the deep sea and volcanoes may be thousands of miles apart, but burning ambitions never distinguish between regions."
Phew!
The huge wings flapped suddenly, and the strong air flow whipped up a whirlwind.
His figure soared into the air and rushed straight into the sky. At the same time, he summoned a thick black cloud to cover his figure and breath, and soon disappeared into the Dragonspine Mountains vast sky.
When the dark cloud completely disappeared from the field of vision, Garos slowly withdrew his gaze.
White Dragon Beskar, who had been silent for a long time, came over with undisguised admiration in his tone.
"Your Majesty, you are so clever."
"With Helmode Dragon Brood, use them as a shield."
"In this way, we can not only strengthen our influence on Romanian Plains, but also get more attention and support from the Metal Dragon Realm, making them feel that Aura has a firm stance."
"Haha, a win-win situation means we win twice!"
Garos turned his head and looked at White Dragon beside him.
"False and false?" Red Iron Dragon repeated the word, and then slowly shook his head, "No, Beskar, what I said to Kaelzrog was not false."
White Dragon was stunned for a moment.
Garos's eyes returned to the sky where Blue Dragon disappeared.
He said, "The cooperation with Helmode is indeed what I want."
"A powerful group of dragons trying to land and establish a country can divert the attention of more kingdoms and Raging Tide Dragon Realm, which will be of great benefit to the development of Aura."
He paused, and a deep light flashed across his eyes.
"It's just that if something happens to Helmode Dragon Brood in the future... we can easily sever the relationship. As long as there are no formal covenants on the surface, everything else will be easy to handle."
Beskar suddenly realized it, and a understanding expression appeared on Long's face.
Between Aura and Helmode, it is best to maintain a fuzzy state that can advance and retreat.
If Helmode Dragon Brood develops smoothly, Aura can secretly benefit; if they encounter major setbacks or are even on the verge of collapse, Garos can cut off the relationship without hesitation, or even add insult to injury.
"Garos, you are actually very suitable to be Psionicist."
Amethyst Dragon's whisper sounded faintly.
"Before this, I always felt that you mainly relied on that Iron Dragon blood relative to handle such matters, so that Aura Kingdom could develop in an orderly manner, and you could just focus on your own strength. But now, I still underestimate you."
"I just don't like cumbersome negotiations, but that doesn't mean I'm not good at it."
Garos looks straight ahead and responds from the bottom of his heart.
A few days later.
A place where sunlight can never reach, a deep, dark and secret depth of the ocean trench.
The water pressure here is enough to crush steel, and the darkness is as thick as substance. Only the cold blue light of certain luminous creatures occasionally passes by, reflecting the huge and ferocious outlines.
Waves of undercurrents surged and echoed here along with heavy and slow breathing.
The three Elder Dragon leaders of Helmode Dragon Brood have fully understood the intentions and proposals of Garos from the information brought back by Kaelzrog.
"Without public recognition, or even appearing hostile to each other... but secretly working together in alliance?"
The first sound sounded, as low as thunder under the sea, with a certain playful meaning.
"Ha, that Red Emperor... was able to establish a huge Dragon Kingdom power on land. He really has extraordinary wisdom and is not some stupid dragon."
The second voice answered. There was no emotion or anger in his tone, only calm analysis.
"He wants to take advantage of us. He doesn't really want to form an alliance, at least not the kind of alliance we expect."
The third voice spoke slowly and to the point.
"Yes, but don't we want to use Aura Kingdom?"
The first voice sounded again, with a hint of coldness. "The so-called alliance has always been nothing more than mutual use. We and he both know each other well."
A brief silence.
Only the undercurrent and the sound of the giant beast's breathing intertwined in the darkness.
"In any case, his proposal... does have merit."
The second voice finally said, "Just agree first."
"It is better to cooperate in the dark than to be completely alone. Looking at the future, who can really have the last laugh and who will be the biggest winner."
"Second."
"Agree."
The whispers gradually fell silent.
The undercurrent continues to surge, and in the deep ravine without light, the dragon's will has made its decision.