Annan saw Olmedo emerge from the Portal, surrounded by Luoxi and the others.
He exchanged a glance with Olmedo from afar, and they understood each other at once.
Annan left matters outside to Olmedo and led Wilson into the Golden Palace.
Grand Lord Raymond had saved Annan a great deal of trouble—he had gathered all the lords in one place, sparing Annan the need to scour their domains with the Blue Dragons.
Illymoyas, Captain Reyne, and the others raced back and forth through Golden City, driving away the dragons like farmers chasing sparrows from their autumn harvest.
What was happening now would give them stories to tell for the rest of their lives—the Oskulas Mercenary Company had herded dozens of Blue Dragons around!
The Golden Palace, once resplendent, looked as though robbers had ransacked it. Golden murals and floor tiles had been stripped away, exposing bare stone, while the Palace's corners had been melted or hacked off.
The only thing left intact was the enormous statue of the goddess standing before the Palace. It remained there not because the Blue Dragons revered the gods, but simply because they could not move it.
There were also quite a few naked men shivering in the cold wind.
At first, Annan thought they were Grand Lord Raymond's kept men, driven out of the Palace. Then he remembered that the guards of the Golden Palace wore golden armor—
Serves them right!
Wait... my golden armor!
Inside the Golden Palace, the servants huddled in corners, trembling. The Blue Dragons had little interest in these scrawny people, though they had given them quite a fright.
Annan remembered the way and led Wilson straight to the collection room. He placed both hands on the door handles, then looked back. "Be ready..."
Wilson took a deep breath. "I