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"Ooh."

Luna found Caesar beneath a canopy woven from green leaves.

All around stood great blue spruces and ancient elms. The black dragon lay half-reclined, his neck resting flat on the ground, his sharp claws scratching at the earth as he wrote characters no one could understand.

He's grown so fast. As she watched Caesar's beautiful glossy black scales gradually shift into the dark gray of camouflage, Luna could not help thinking.

She felt she should not interrupt his thoughts. Whenever Caesar fell silent, he became extraordinarily grave, even somewhat frightening. So the Forest Fairy swallowed the words that had risen to her lips and waited quietly.

A gentle breeze stirred the treetops, making them rustle, and Luna's thoughts became equally tangled.

It seemed Caesar Ortorenso had entered adolescence, the beginning of sexual maturity. Would he start looking for a mate?

He definitely would, right?

She looked at Caesar's ferocious horns, sharp fangs, and powerful body... In the eyes of dragonkind, this fellow was surely the ideal choice for producing offspring together. There would definitely be many female dragons who liked him. For some reason, the Forest Fairy suddenly became a little angry.

At that moment, Caesar finally rose slowly and shook the dirt from beneath him.

"Luna."

Seeing her standing there, Caesar said, "The Stone Crow Clan has gradually gotten on track. I was thinking about the next arrangements."

He had not needed to explain himself to the little creature, but Caesar was willing to say more. Though the Forest Fairy had been forcibly abducted by him, she had now become one of the few beings the black dragon could communicate with.

"There's something I think I should tell you."

Luna shook her head, indicating that she did not mind waiting a little. "A great many humans have appeared near the Stone Crow Clan."

"That's normal."

Caesar extended a claw and let the little creature sit in his palm. "The dry season is approaching. Many people remembered the fruit pulp that caused such a stir in the markets last year, the kind that could dispel the Flame Demon Curse. They came to investigate the Stone Crow Clan, hoping to catch some clue or trace."

He sneered inwardly. Whether on Earth or in Eladia, there was never any shortage of such petty thieves who wanted to reap without sowing.

"It's different."

Little Luna shook her head expressionlessly. "I saw the watchers from before, but this time is different."

"Caesar." She emphasized the name. "Do you think ordinary watchers would move in groups of three or five, carry standardized weapons, and spread themselves around the tribe?"

"Standardized weapons?"

The black dragon froze for a moment, then lowered his head to look at the little creature in his claw, staring directly into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"If there is nothing wrong with my eyes."

Luna confirmed it with absolute certainty. "These humans began appearing one after another along the edge of the tribe's territory at some point. They wore light armor of a uniform style, and unfamiliar patterns were painted on their short swords."

"Also, I saw that nearly every one of them carried the same thing, concealed beneath wrapped cloth. Judging by its shape, I guessed it might be a hand crossbow."

Luna grew more serious with every word. "They had quivers tucked into their leggings."

Caesar came to a complete stop on his way into the lair. After hearing Luna's description, his expression turned grave as he muttered, "Scouts."

In Eladia, such people should have been called rogues. But professional rogues rarely used hand crossbows; they had superior bows to choose from. Under normal circumstances, a bow of the same draw weight fired three to four times faster than a hand crossbow.

The hand crossbow's only advantage over the bow was that it could remain aimed, allowing its user to pull the trigger at any moment on a commander's order and maintain uniformity. If they tried to do that with bows, then when pre-battle negotiations dragged on too long, the archers would be exhausted to the point of collapse.

Only armies equipped hand crossbows.

These people were scouts sent by an army.

"Do the orcs know?"

Caesar felt uneasy. This was no child's game. The appearance of scouts was itself a signal, indicating that certain human powers were preparing to make a move against them.

Damn it. Things have only just gotten on track. Couldn't they give us a little more time?

"They know, but humans have been appearing more often lately, and they do not seem to have taken it seriously. The chain of information stopped with Gar; even Sifu was never informed." As an intelligent long-lived being, Luna likewise understood the gravity of the matter, and she spoke quickly.

"Then I'll have to trouble you to make another trip."

Caesar raised the little creature in his hand, allowing her to flap her wings and take flight. "Go inform Sifu of this. Ask him to come to my lair for a discussion. Also, tell the warriors to take up their weapons and prepare for battle."

"Okay." Luna answered.

When Sifu entered the Black Dragon's Lair accompanied by Gar, the orc high commander, he could not help being astonished by the other party's living habits. Caesar's lair was nothing like the filthy, squalid place described in books. Instead, it was exceptionally dry, neat, orderly, and well arranged.

"Lord Caesar, your residence fills the orcs with admiration," the old shaman flattered him.

"That is thanks to our child of the forest."

Caesar glanced at Luna, who had seated herself inside a little house built of stones. He did not continue the subject, instead asking Gar, "Have the warriors begun preparing?"

"The children can hardly wait."

Sifu answered for Gar, his brow furrowing into a knot. "But forgive the orcs' slowness, I have a question. Is the situation truly as serious as the Forest Fairy says?"

"I'm afraid it's even more serious than that."

Caesar nodded solemnly. "When a weak race occupies abundant resources, it becomes a disaster—something that makes others' eyes burn with envy and greed. I knew this day would come eventually. I just did not expect it to arrive so quickly."

Without waiting for Sifu to respond, Caesar continued, "Allow me to remind you that when you return, you should have the women and children prepare to move. The Stone Crow Clan may need to migrate at any time."

Caesar never placed his hopes on an enemy's weakness or stupidity. He had to prepare an escape route in advance. Burning one's boats and staking everything on a single throw sounded grand and imposing, but when the moment truly came, people would understand just how unreliable it was to put all their eggs in one basket.

The other side could not possibly be unaware that the Stone Crow Clan had a great mage. Yet they still intended to move against the orcs under such circumstances, which meant they likely had complete confidence.

Caesar had no choice but to treat this with caution. While preparing for battle, he also had to leave himself a way out.

Hearing this, Sifu's expression also turned grave. He knew Caesar and understood that this black dragon would not speak without cause.

"I understand." The old leader nodded heavily.

"We will never allow those little ones to threaten the tribe. We'll wait here. As long as they dare come, the orcs will strike them a crushing blow." High Commander Gar slammed his fists together, his words ringing out like an oath.

"No!"

Yet the black dragon sighed and shook his head at him, as though he did not agree with Gar's words.

The straightforward orc immediately grew anxious. "My lord, we have armor and weapons now. Please rest assured, the orcs will surely fulfill their promise to you!"

"I said no."

Caesar repeated himself with greater emphasis. Then he rose into a half-sitting position, stared at Gar, and said, "Waiting will only bring destruction."

"You should take the initiative and weaken the enemy's strength as much as possible."

The black dragon finally bared his fangs. "Go. Go now. Take your weapons and clear out the humans outside like sweeping away trash. Leave no one alive."