Misunderstanding

On a steep cliff face nearly perpendicular to the ground, more than a dozen enormous nests had been built. The nests used sticks as their framework, branches as supports, and dry grass collected from the Great Prairie as bedding, forming warm little homes for the Harpies.

But at this very moment, on their own territory, the Harpies could not feel the slightest warmth. They were facing an unprecedented foe—the Red Dragon.

Although they had the advantage in numbers and were on their home ground, the Red Dragon acted as if he were the master of this place, brazenly sizing them up and casually passing judgment.

"Your discipline is decent. You could be called well-trained. As expected of those trained by the Red Nest."

Ignoring everyone around him, Jose observed the Harpy flock. Most of the Harpies had gone out to search for prey, leaving only twenty-one behind to guard the nests.

Though these Harpies trembled like chicks in a cold wind before him, their morale had not collapsed. They still maintained a formation for aerial combat against large creatures, and their backbone was the unusual Harpy at the very front of the group.

Jose looked at the leading Harpy. She was twice the size of an ordinary member of her kind, and her blood-red feathers gleamed without the slightest hint of another color. Even more surprising was her exposed skin, which was snow-white and tender, and the neat little teeth in her mouth.

Judging by her skin and face alone, Jose would have thought he was facing an elegant elf rather than an ugly Harpy.

The reason for all this was naturally good genes.

"As expected of the bloodline of my Red Dragon race!"

The instant he saw the Harpy Chieftain, Jose realized that he had been mistaken before.

This Harpy Chieftain was neither a Dragonkin tainted with draconic aura nor a Dragonkin bound by a Familiar Contract. She was a true blood descendant produced by a dragon personally. That familiar fiery aura was undoubtedly from Red Dragon blood.

Seeing that the Red Dragon had yet to attack, Luna Bloodfeather secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This true dragon was no reckless fool. He had brought her tribeswoman here in his grasp, so he must have already investigated her circumstances. Yet he was still acting so unscrupulously. He clearly had the confidence to disregard her people.

They could not confront him head-on. They could only do their best to avoid conflict.

With that thought, she was the first to break the silence.

"Great true dragon, may the Evil Dragon Mother watch over you. May I ask why you have come to the Bloodfeather Clan?"

"Tiamat's gaze is no good thing for me."

Jose grumbled inwardly, his eyes bright as he stared at the Harpy Chieftain. "I came for your loyalty."

"Loyalty?"

Luna Bloodfeather studied the Juvenile Red Dragon before her and more or less understood. This Red Dragon was building his own power, and judging from his body length, that power was likely still in its infancy.

She was about to refuse when she suddenly recalled something important.

From what she knew of dragons, only dragons who had awakened spellcasting abilities and could form Familiar Contracts would begin building their own forces.

He had awakened spellcasting abilities just after entering the juvenile stage?!

Although dragons awakened spellcasting abilities during the juvenile stage, they did not necessarily awaken them at the very beginning. Rather, they awakened at some point during that period. The earlier that point came, the greater the dragon's potential for growth.

"Hey! Harpy! What is your answer?!"

The Red Dragon's demand jolted Luna Bloodfeather from her thoughts. She took a deep breath and made an important decision.

"It would be my honor to follow in your footsteps. However, I hope you can grant your servant one humble request."

A request?

Jose raised an eyebrow.

Making a request at this time could only concern the terms after submitting—an Essence Blood Contract, the division of duties, supplies, and so on.

Negotiation was certainly possible, but the initiative had to remain in his hands, and there was no better way to seize it than by displaying his strength.

"Do you think you are qualified to bargain with me?"

"On what grounds?!"

"On these insects beside you?!"

His words were utterly arrogant, but Jose had every right to be arrogant. He released the seal on the Phoenix Heart, allowing a trace of the vast amount of Fire Elemental energy stored within to leak out. Orange-red flames immediately blazed over his body, and the terrifying heat scorched the surrounding air until it warped and shimmered, as if the hottest summer day had arrived.

The Harpies screamed and retreated. Even from dozens of meters away, they still felt a wave of heat crashing into them, and their feathers showed signs of being singed.

"Th-this... what is this?!"

Luna Bloodfeather retreated rapidly, shock filling her heart. She was no ignorant ordinary Harpy—she was Dragonkin.

Although her cheap father, who had fallen on the battlefield of the final battle, had never cared about her as his daughter, her bloodline made her a privileged member of the Red Nest. She had received a formal mage education from childhood.

Neither the knowledge she had learned nor the fragments of draconic common sense she had glimpsed through her bloodline contained any record of the scene before her. She had never heard of such a thing!

But the power of the magic and the terrifying elemental fluctuations could not be faked. This dragon had definitely not awakened his spellcasting abilities only recently!

Suddenly, she thought of a possibility, and she could barely contain her excitement.

"Ancestor Bloodline!"

Nearly all races passed down from ancient times had been degenerating, and dragons were no exception. In ancient times, draconic bloodlines had been so potent that becoming an Ancient Dragon, Upper Ancient Dragon, or Far Ancient Dragon had merely been a natural stage of life.

But now, even becoming an Ancient Dragon had become the limit of life that only a tiny number of fortunate dragons could cross. This showed just how severely draconic bloodlines had degenerated.

Yet the path upward had not been completely blocked. Like many races, dragons also had a tiny chance of producing an Ancestor Bloodline.

Those with an Ancestor Bloodline differed from ordinary dragons from childhood. Their bodies were stronger, they grew faster, and they could occasionally obtain powerful Dragon Language Magic from ancient times through their Dragon Heritage.

To put it more specifically, the Red Nest Matriarch—Savannah, the ancestral Red Dragon who had thrown the entire world into turmoil by herself, fought against gods, and escaped unharmed—was one such being.

The potential of this true dragon before her was even greater than she had imagined!

At that thought, Luna Bloodfeather's face filled with joy. Her long-held wish had finally shown a glimmer of hope.

Jose, however, found it somewhat difficult to understand.

Am I seeing this right?!

After being treated so roughly, this pretty girl is actually showing an excited expression!

Stockholm syndrome?

If she makes an excessive demand of me...

"Respected true dragon, please do not misunderstand. I am not trying to threaten you. I only hope that, when it is within your power, you can help me lift this damned curse."

"A curse? What curse?"

Would that being really bother using a curse against a mere Intermediate Stage Mage Harpy? Was she that bored?!

Jose looked the Harpy up and down. She seemed to be in good spirits and did not look cursed at all.

Thanks to xiaotang246 for the 100-coin tip, and Yayla for the 500-coin tip.