Beneath the Red Dragon

Countess Batorri tilted her head back, her short hair cascading down, revealing a pair of round, white ears resembling ancient coins. She spoke, ”I wish to pledge my allegiance to you. As a sign of my sincerity, I am willing to lead all the soldiers and subjects loyal to me from my domain to join you, hoping to gain a certain status under the Dragon Group!”

Karon raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t quite understand why, as a human noble, and one of high rank—a countess—Batorri would abandon it all to pledge allegiance to him. Even though the Red Dragon was confident, he didn’t believe these humans would so easily submit to a Red Dragon the way monsters might.

So Karon asked, but the answer he received was unexpected.

”She has fallen into the void of life, sliding toward nothingness. Who can blame her for not being smart enough, yet liking to overthink? So she needs another way of life to seek the meaning of life. Simply put, she’s eaten too well!” Mage Hughes helplessly spread his hands, answering on behalf of the countess first.

Batorri smiled, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth. Though her eyes, like rippling blue water, revealed a hint of madness, she said softly, ”I like a life of thrill and despise a life of boredom, but I’m not willing to give up the dignity of the nobility to become one of those dusty adventurers!”

”Alright,” Karon nodded. He was quite familiar with this kind of existential questioning, as he had also gone through a period like this upon his first arrival in this world, until his free will gradually solidified, allowing him to discard those negative thoughts, and a more steadfast goal was born in his heart.

”Perhaps in the future, I might even have a warband formed by females,” Karon pondered. In the countries of the Northern Lands that worship valor, those women were no weaklings. Any ordinary thief daring to underestimate these women would have their brains bashed by these fierce females.

Moreover, the situation within the Dragon Group Territory was even more so; not only were there many female adventurers and powerful female warriors, but the monster clans never intentionally differentiated between genders except for breeding purposes.

”However, I don’t need you to bring back all the soldiers and subjects loyal to you; you should bring those neutral and those who oppose you instead,” Karon’s mouth curved into a strange smirk as he gazed into the countess’s beautiful green eyes. ”When you bring those people back, that will be the moment you swear allegiance to me!”

Countess Batorri clearly didn’t expect Karon’s request. Although her wide eyes held some doubt, she still bowed her head slightly, revealing her slender white neck, ”Yes, I will do as you wish!”

Karon turned around, his wings expanding behind him as he leapt into the sky, then in mid-air reverted from his Dragon Descendant form back into the massive Red Dragon.

With a whoosh,

the gust from the Red Dragon’s wings bent the orchard trees low, his body sweeping past the foot of the mountain beneath him where the newly formed Imperial Guards were stationed.

These tall Imperial Guards, each clad in iron armor, even their heads shielded by tight helmets, exposing only their eyes.

The weapons they carried were heavy broadswords, and the Imperial Guards stood at the mountain’s foot, watching every creature that dared approach the Dragon Nest. Though few in number, they exuded an aura of unyielding strength.

”Bring Yougu to see me,” the Red Dragon’s deep Dragon Language rumbled as his massive body swept by, then soared upwards, straight to the mountaintop. The roaring winds whipped the red capes of the Imperial Guards behind them, making them billow like vibrant flags.

”Yes,” the Imperial Guards, leaning on their broadswords, knelt on one knee, shouting in unison amid the clanging of colliding iron armor.