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"Father! Wow, you have become more powerful! The luster of your scales and your momentum! I just saw the big fireball you created in the royal city. It's so handsome!"
The voice of Iron Dragon Ophelia sounded.
Compared with Galkro, her body shape is several times smaller.
However, her figure is equally strong, her muscle lines are well-proportioned yet powerful, and the golden texture on her scales has become very clear.
Young Iron Dragon flapped his wings and landed lightly on the edge of the platform beside Red Emperor.
She naturally came closer and nestled next to Garos's majestic body.
She used her face armor and dragon horns to rub the dragon father's arm armor affectionately, and purred with satisfaction. "Although I haven't seen you for decades, you are always in my heart, and you occupy the highest position, no one else!"
Immediately, her gaze shifted, and her eyes eagerly fell on the pile of sparkling gems in front of Red Emperor.
Garos smiled softly.
He stretched out his paw, pulled out a few medium-sized gems from the pile of snacks, and pushed them in front of her.
"Let's play with it."
Little Iron Dragon got what he wanted, and happily used his paws to pull over the shiny treasures, and held them tightly in his arms, with the scales on his cheeks opening happily.
"Thank you, father! Father is the best!"
Below, the red dragon Galkro looked at this scene, with a moment of envy flashing in his eyes.
He envied Ophelia for getting the gems, and also envied her for being able to get close to Father Long without restraint.
He himself would never be able to act coquettishly like this.
"How about... I also try to imitate Ophelia and act like a spoiled child with my father?"
A ridiculous idea suddenly came to mind. Galkro imagined the scene where he rubbed his head next to his father and said in a calm voice, "Father is the best"...
Hiss--!
The scales on the young red dragon's body almost stood up on the spot, and a strong sense of awkwardness swept through his body, causing him to quickly throw this terrible thought out of his mind.
It's so scary.
At this moment, he felt the gaze coming from the direction of the throne.
"Galkro."
"I'm here, father."
The young red dragon immediately calmed down and straightened his body.
"I saw Battleworn Mark on you."
Garos said with a calm tone, "Very good, this proves that you have not wasted your time, you have not let down your bloodline and my expectations, and you are walking in the right direction."
Galkro's heart beat suddenly.
He was more excited to receive such direct affirmation from Father Long than to obtain the treasure.
"Go on."
"This is a reward for your hard work so far."
Several fire gems that the red dragon loved drew beautiful parabolas in the air and flew towards Galkro.
Galkro was startled for a moment, then quickly stretched out his paw and carefully caught it.
He grinned widely, revealing sharp fangs, and a smile full of joy bloomed on his face.
"Thank you for your gift, father! I will continue to move forward and never let you down!"
Galkro loud voice sounded.
Garos looked around the hall, glanced at the dragons, then looked at Galkro again, and asked, "Where are your other brothers and sisters?"
"Laria, Isanora, and Salia."
Hearing Father Dragon ask about the other heirs, Galkro lowered his head and replied, "After Young Adult Stage reported to his father, Laria left the kingdom alone."
"He said... to follow in your footsteps."
"Starting from scratch, relying on his own wisdom and strength, he first conquered and ruled some scattered clans and tribes, and then step by step, he personally established a dragon kingdom of his own."
"Sister Isanora, she went back to the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm with her mother."
"As for Salia..." Galkro paused and said, "She was still at Permafrost Tundra at Northern Frontier. She said the harsh environment there was Abyssal Rift, who has been active in recent years, is the best place to hone his will and body, so he lives on the edge of the Abyssal Rift influence zone and trains himself by hunting Demon."
Sure enough... what I felt before was right.
The seemingly calm, rational and thoughtful red dragon Laria is actually the most ambitious among his descendants, and he will actually put it into practice instead of just talking.
At this moment, a whisper sounded in his mind, the voice of Iron Dragon Sorog.
"That kid Laria is currently in an unowned land near the Matena Goblin Kingdom. He occupies several hilltops that are easy to defend and difficult to attack as his territory. He calls himself Red Lotus Lord, and his subordinates gather together. He gathered more than three thousand dependents, mainly Gnoll, Goblin, and a small number of Ogre and Orc who were conquered by him."
"In addition, his territory is within the regular surveillance range of our Magic Satellite."
Garos tilted his head slightly and looked to his right.
While his brother, Iron Dragon Sorog, was having a mental conversation with him, he was putting a giant cream cake decorated with berries and honey into his mouth, savoring it carefully.
Garos asked in his heart, "Are you following him secretly?"
Sorog responded, "Of course, Laria is my nephew after all, and his blood is similar to mine."
"And... I admire his ambition and action. It reminds me of you and myself when I was young."
"So, I will keep an eye on him for a little while. I'm also curious about what he can achieve on his own. Of course, I'm just watching. I won't interfere directly unless it's absolutely necessary. This is his own trial."
A glimmer of understanding flashed in Garos's eyes.
After thinking for a while, he said to Sorog in his heart, "You can help him when necessary, but other than that, let him go on his own."
"This is the path he chose."
"Understood." Sorog responded succinctly and took another big bite of cake. "I understand the rules. You can't grow a big tree that can withstand wind and snow in a greenhouse."
Garos withdrew his gaze and looked back at the scene of celebration in the hall, but his thoughts turned slightly.
As time goes by, his descendants will only grow more and more, and they will be born and grow generation after generation.
At that time, he may only pay more attention to those children who have shown extraordinary talents, achieved amazing achievements, or are at critical junctures.
He does not intend to interfere too much with the paths chosen by these descendants.
A dragon's life is long and its future possibilities are diverse.
Providing basic guidance and then letting them fly and find their own sky may be a more suitable method for the dragon family.
Garos picked up a Adamantine tablet, threw it into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and made a crunching sound.
His eyes scanned below.
Galkro has returned to his seat.
While he was enjoying the food, his paws kept opening and closing, and the muscles on Dragon Arm rose and fell one after another.
Even during the banquet, Red Dragon Galkro never forgets to exercise.
Ophelia was lying next to his brother, happily playing with the gems his father had just given him. From time to time he would pick up a piece and look at it in the firelight, letting out a grunt of satisfaction.
In the blink of an eye, the time came ten days later.
The dragon's feast is coming to an end, but it's not really over yet.
However, the atmosphere in the hall was completely different from the first time.
The dragons and lords no longer focused on the delicious food in front of them, no longer immersed in the performances of the attendants, but gathered together in twos and threes, chatting in low voices, and looking at the majestic figure of Red Emperor from time to time.
Garos stretches the dragon's neck, and the joints make a slight crackling sound.
After ten consecutive days of eating and resting, his condition reached its peak.
Then, his eyes fell on Iron Dragon Sorog.
Noticing his brother's gaze, Sorog skillfully built Mind Link's network without even pausing. Then, at Garos's signal, the connection was extended to the other end of the hall.
The red dragon Samantha was lowering her head and talking quietly to her red dragon nephew.
When the link is established, in the Mind Network of the three-headed dragon, the flow of time seems to slow down, and the noise from the outside becomes a blurred background sound, just like hearing the sound of rain through thick glass.
The voice of Garos slowly sounded in the consciousness.
"Sorog, Samantha. You have all touched the barrier of level 20. Gordon located at the Lothern Kingdom, I think it is the same. The realm of the Legendary Realm seems to be close at hand, but in fact it is as far away as the stars."
He paused slightly and said, "In the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm, I have an opportunity to use "Eternal Tide"."
"For the dragon stuck in the Extreme Realm, it is a key that allows the dragon to truly set foot on the Legendary Realm."
Hearing this, Sorog's consciousness fluctuated. "I know this wonderland. A few days ago, Deborah, Alberto and Nasha returned to the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm one after another. From their words, I speculated that it was to use the power of the tide to break through the Legendary Realm."
In the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm, Metal Dragon, who has reached the limit of level 20, does have a chance to use Eternal Tide to impact the realm of the Legendary Realm.
But the opportunity is not free, even if you are of the same race, you have to pay a price.
Either perform dangerous missions for the Dragon Realm, drive away powerful enemies, or offer a large amount of treasure enough to fill the cave.
Garos continued, "I decided to give this opportunity to you first, Sorog."
"After you step into the Legendary Realm, you will be able to better manage the kingdom and deal with possible storms in the future. As for Samantha, you don't have to wait too long. I will contact the elders of the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm to exchange for more places, which are nothing more than tasks or treasures."
He is not a formal member of the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm, but he also has a good relationship with the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm.
The elders of Metal Dragon have made it clear that they do not mind granting Garos an additional quota, provided that he can complete certain tasks assigned by the Dragon Realm or offer a sufficient amount of treasure.
If you choose the latter, the required amount will be much higher than that required for ordinary Metal Dragon.
But Garos is not worried about that.
As the leader of a country, his treasure trove is unfathomable.
Moreover, his resistance to treasure has been honed over more than a hundred years until it is as hard as steel.
Exchange gold and gems for blood relatives to be promoted to the Legendary Realm? This is a very good deal.
As for the other blood relative, Iron Dragon Gordon...
His situation at the Lothern Kingdom is a bit delicate.
If you are promoted to the Legendary Realm rashly, even if you have a relationship with Crystal Princess, even if you grew up in Royal Court and are regarded as "half a Lothern dragon", your identity will immediately become sensitive.
The influence of the Legendary Realm dragon is too great, and the human kingdom will not allow such a being to stay for a long time.
Either find a way to completely incorporate him into a vassal of the royal family, or place restrictions on him and be on guard at every turn.
Otherwise, if a Legendary Realm dragon suddenly goes crazy, it can cause devastating disasters.
Maybe... it's time to bring Gordon back.
Garos thought to himself.
Letting him stay at Lothern back then was a decision based on multiple considerations.
Strengthen the alliance, show trust, and also place a pair of eyes for Aura next to the southern overlord.
Nowadays, time has changed, and Aura is no longer the new kingdom that needs the support of Lothern. Under the superficial harmony, the undercurrent of the relationship between the two countries is becoming increasingly turbulent.
The mission of Gordon has actually been completed long ago, and there is no need to stay with Lothern.
"Link Gordon as well."
Garos said, "It's time to listen to his own thoughts."
Sorog Not much to say.
Mind Network's tentacles extended out from his consciousness, using his blood as a guide, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, winding in the direction of the Lothern Kingdom.
About half a minute later, a consciousness connected to the network.
"Garos! My dear brother, the great Red Emperor! You have finally woken up. I can feel that Romanian States, this quiet lake, is about to stir up trouble again because of your awakening!"
Gordon's consciousness conveys excitement.
"Aura is holding a feast for my awakening, and it hasn't ended yet, but your seat is always empty."
Garos responded calmly and then got to the point, "We are discussing the matter of the Legendary Realm."
"Sorog will get a chance to break through, and Samantha is also in the queue. Gordon, you should have reached the level 20 limit now. What are your plans for the future?"
"You no longer need to stay at Lothern, you can return to Aura at any time."
He threw away the option.
The network fell into brief silence.
"Legendary Realm..."
Gordon's consciousness fluctuations gradually calmed down. "Yes, I feel that barrier. It is so strong that it gives me a headache, but the same blood as yours flows in my body, Blood of Ignas."
"Even if I am not as talented as you, I am still confident that I will be able to overcome this hurdle one day."
"Besides, I'm young and I'm not in a hurry about it."
He changed the subject. "As for returning to Aura... brother, my thoughts have changed over the years."
Garos nodded slightly. "Tell me and listen."
He noticed the change in Gordon's conversation.
As time goes by, this blood relative who was once the least intelligent has indeed grown up a lot, and his tone has become more calm and thoughtful.
"Aura When the country was founded, I longed all the time to escape from this exquisite and gorgeous cage, return to the place where the dragon should live, soar in the sky with you, and tear apart the enemy with my claws."
"I've had enough of the red tape of the human courts, tired of the futile meanderings."
"But as the years passed, I gradually came to a different... understanding."
Garos's interest was aroused. "Tell me in detail."
Gordon's consciousness fluctuated. "Brother, Sorog, Samantha, I live in the human country all year round, surrounded by short-lived species."
"I witnessed with my own eyes the aging and death of the previous king O'Brien."
"I also witnessed the process of Elina gradually aging from a human girl to Fire Spirit. It was an essential transformation, almost equivalent to death and rebirth."
"There's more."
"There are some nobles that I was familiar with, and their heirs grew up under my eyes, inherited titles, and then had their own heirs. The people I was familiar with grew old and passed away one by one, and new faces kept emerging in Royal Court."
"Lothern Royal Court is like a drama, the roles change, the masks change, but the stage remains the same."
"You know what I learned from all of this?"
After a brief pause, Gordon's consciousness became deeper. "Time, the power of time."
"For humans, twenty years is enough for a baby to grow into a young man, and for black hair to be stained with silver frost. A hundred years is enough for a family to grow from its rise to its decline."
"Kings grow old and die."
"Nobles rise and fall. A family that is prominent today may be unknown tomorrow."
"But what about me? Twenty years is just a slightly longer sleep, and a hundred years is just a few pages in the long scroll of life. My lifespan is still very long, long enough to use decades to manage a relationship, use a hundred years to subtly influence a family's inheritance concept, and use even longer time to weave an invisible web."
The consciousness of red dragon Samantha was filled with confused fluctuations.
"So, what do you want to do? Retire at Lothern?"
Gordon smiled and expressed his thoughts. "I want to stay at Lothern and use the long time scale to gradually penetrate every corner of this country."
"Through influence, guidance, and subtle influence, I want to become the uncrowned king of this land and let the future of Lothern flow in a direction that is beneficial to us without knowing it."
"This requires extreme patience."
"And I always bear in mind your teachings, Garos. I may not be smart enough, but I never lack patience."
Sorog's thoughts came calmly. "The human world is unpredictable."
"A change of throne and a political purge are enough to wipe out decades of your business. Moreover, how do you ensure that you are not assimilated by Lothern's interests in the long years? When you drink with human nobles more often than you meet blood relatives, and when you start to think about problems in their way of thinking, then, whose brother are you?"
Gordon's answer was unequivocal, "Because I will never forget who I am."
"When I look down at the human faces hurriedly coming and going, I will always know that I am a dragon and your brother. This fact cannot be erased by time."
Garos has been listening quietly, and then slowly spoke.
"A long plan that sounds quite feasible and takes advantage of the dragon's most fundamental advantage, its long lifespan, but... I don't support it."
Gordon's consciousness was obviously startled.
He was not eager to argue, but asked doubtfully, "Why?"
Garos grinned, an invisible smile transmitted through the network, "Because I have woken up, because the peace between Aura and Lothern may not last long."
Gordon understood what he meant instantly.
"Brother, do you want to... start a war with Lothern?"
Garos shook his head slightly. "No, it is Lothern who wants to start a war with us, and this war is highly likely to be inevitable."
"Before that, you can continue with your plan and find something to do for yourself. Maybe... at a critical moment, your presence can have unexpected effects."
Romanian States relationships are never static.
Covenants will be torn apart, friendships betrayed, and today's allies may become tomorrow's mortal enemies.
Garos has already seen through all of this.
After all, Aura Kingdom is not a country dominated by humans. Its ruler is a giant dragon, and its core power is a group of dragons. Such an existence, as long as it shows a trace of ambition for expansion, is enough to make the entire human kingdom of Romania sleepless.
The expansion of Aura is inevitable.
The number of dragons is growing, Legendary Realm dragons will be born one after another, and Garos's own power is also steadily increasing.
The kingdom's existing territory and resources are gradually unable to satisfy this growing appetite.
If it does not expand outward, internal conflicts will accumulate and surge like underground magma, and will eventually erupt into a disaster that tears apart the kingdom. By then, without the existence of the kingdom machine, the growth rate of Garos will inevitably slow down significantly.
All along, his evolutionary talent has mainly affected his essential changes.
The growth of Life Level cannot be separated from the support of massive resources.
Moreover, through some conversations with Sorog during the banquet, Garos already knew the changes in the world during his sleep.
The attacking Orc Empire, and the Meteor Catastrophe that descended on the Orotara Continent.
All this made him feel uneasy.
Thinking about the Holden Empire's Abyss Development Project. Garos, I intuitively feel that this world may become quite dangerous in the future.
For this reason, he cannot stop his efforts to become stronger.
"Suppression from various countries will come soon, and we will never sit still and wait for death."
"Before that, we will take the lead."
Red Emperor raised his head slightly, his sight seemed to penetrate the wall of the banquet hall, looking over the undulating mountains and winding rivers, staring at the vast southern land.
"The first step is to turn the entire Theo Kingdom into Aura's Theo. It is not a nominal vassal, but a real Aura territory, making it a part of us."
he said.
Once upon a time, in the war that swept across the continent, he had no choice but to drift with the tide like a duckweed. He could only strive for his own interests in the cracks.
But now, the flames of war will no longer be lit by others.
This time, Fire-Bearer will be himself.