Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 950 - 949: Dragon and Priest

Supreme Speaker of the Five Kings Council, Andar.

It is said that this elder is one of the oldest dragons in Talronde, active from before the chaos of the Ancient Era and surviving to this day as an ”Ancient Dragon.”

Long before coming to Talronde, Gawain had already supplemented his knowledge about this nation through Melita Ponia, which naturally included brief introductions to the upper echelons of Talronde. Therefore, the name ”Andar” was not unfamiliar to him. Moreover, he knew something else—this seemingly elderly ”Ancient Dragon” rarely leaves the deep hall of the council, with their few departures over the past millennium being countable on one hand.

It seems likely due to extreme old age that he usually rests in his ”throne” in dragon form, and to appear in person like today, even specifically transforming into human form, clearly indicates the Speaker’s attitude.

Realizing this was a gesture of hospitality, Gawain promptly adopted a matching formality: ”It is an honor to meet you, Speaker. On my way here, I have already seen—Talronde is a truly remarkable nation, and I believe this journey to Talronde will leave a very profound impression on me.”

Speaker Andar smiled warmly, slightly turning his body in a gesture of invitation. After Gawain stepped to follow, the elder spoke with a smile: ”We have not formally invited representatives of other races here for many years—aside from ’wanderers’ who occasionally arrive on this land by accident, the last formal visitor was many millennia ago, when the rulers of the Loren Continent were a species with three pairs of limbs...”

”Last season’s civilization,” Gawain looked at the Speaker, also smiling slightly, ”It seems that was indeed a long time ago.”

”Yes, a very long time... We’ve always been observing the world outside Talronde, yet we’ve almost never brought anyone or anything from the outside world here,” Speaker Andar nodded, ”I hope you find our welcoming ceremony satisfactory—on the basis of Dragonkin customs, we’ve tried our best to consider human habits, but the differences between us are large, so if something makes you uncomfortable or uneasy, please feel free to mention it.”

”It has been very considerate,” Gawain immediately said, ”However, I am more interested in the itinerary ahead—Melita did not provide me with detailed plans.”

Speaker Andar led the guests away from the platform, and the now human-formed Melita Ponia followed closely. They crossed the connecting bridge between the platform and the main palace building, heading towards the inner courtyard of the Council Headquarters. In this exceedingly vast and magnificent dragon hall, Gawain felt his voice echoing like he was in a valley.

”I apologize for not informing you of the detailed itinerary, which is indeed a lack of courtesy, but this is because our gods had not previously issued detailed instructions,” Speaker Andar walked beside Gawain, the elder’s voice echoing in the corridor filled with splendid carvings, ”The gods... They are enigmatic, their arrangements often carry deep meanings, and conversely, when they are slow to make arrangements, there is also deep meaning.”

”Have they now made the arrangements?” Gawain glanced at the Speaker beside him. In discussing the deity ruling Talronde, while he did not intend offense, he found it difficult to feel reverence and worship like the Dragonkin, so he chose to speak with the most ordinary attitude—because, after all, he was invited by the god to stand here today, ”Frankly speaking, my main purpose here is not to explore exotic customs, but to fulfill an appointment, so I’m more concerned about when I can meet your ... ’Dragon God.’”

”Of course,” Andar nodded, ”When you entered Agondale’s airspace, the Sanctuary issued clear instructions—after the welcoming banquet, you will meet them. We have prepared the Sanctuary of Agondale, during which time high-ranked Dragon Priest Helagor will personally guide and accompany.”

High-ranked Dragon Priest... Corresponding information quickly flashed in Gawain’s mind from what he had received via Melita Ponia:

Helagor, the highest spokesman for ”theocracy” within Talronde’s society, serving as a strong divine envoy beside the gods for many years, and like Speaker Andar, an ”Ancient Dragon” surviving from the ancient era. However, it is said this divine envoy received blessings from the gods, possessing ”a more perfect eternal life than the Supreme Speaker,” thus always maintaining a relatively youthful appearance.

No dragon knows Helagor’s true age, nor when Helagor began serving as a divine envoy beside the gods. According to Melita Ponia, almost all Dragonkin’s memories have Helagor as a saint beside the gods from the very beginning.

Gawain reined in his recollections, smiling slightly: ”Then I very much look forward to this meeting—and before that, I am also curious about the culinary delights in Talronde that differ from the human world.”

...

The top of the royal temple, the residence of the gods, the holy breath has descended upon this place.

”My Lord,” Helagor immediately saluted respectfully to the figure appearing before the popes, ”You have returned.”

”Mmm,” the figure with golden hair standing before the popes responded with a single syllable, then cast a gaze downward, ”Helagor, they have all arrived, haven’t they?”

Helagor bowed his head. Although he was curious about where the goddess he served had suddenly gone during the past short period, he cautiously controlled his curiosity and exploratory desire: ”Yes, they have arrived as scheduled. According to your instructions, I conveyed the decree to the Five Kings Council that a meeting would be arranged after the welcoming banquet.”

”It’s not an audience, it’s a meeting, Helagor,” the voice from the popes corrected immediately, ”They are guests I invited.”

”...As you say.”

The Dragon God nodded, then casually asked: ”Tell me what you know—in seeing the real Talronde, what reactions did the guests have?”

”Amazement, surprise, astonishment—undoubtedly, everything in Talronde is enough to shock outsiders,” Helagor said, ”However... Their reactions aren’t just that.

”The reactions of the two human women are fairly normal, showing the expected amazement towards Talronde’s advancements and prosperity, as well as normal curiosity towards those unseen things from the outside world. But the human emperor you invited, the male human named Gawain Cecil... His reactions seem somewhat peculiar.”

”Peculiar?” The Dragon God raised an eyebrow, ”Helagor, you rarely use such ambiguous words.”

”Indeed peculiar, My Lord,” Helagor pondered for words, sharing the ”abnormal” details discovered during his covert observation, ”That human showed amazement when he saw Talronde, but his surprise was far less than I’d predicted. When he saw those unusual things, he seemed to be more thoughtful than astonished—yes, thoughtful; he seemed to constantly think and frequently showed hard-to-detect confusion. It gave me a sense... Talronde did not bring the expected shock to that human; he was surprised by what he saw but not bewildered, as if he had seen similar sights before, and his amazement... was simply because he didn’t expect those things to appear here.”

As he spoke, Helagor further deliberated, before hesitantly saying: ”It gives me the feeling that the human seemed to always observe and judge us with a detached yet arrogant attitude, which certainly is not normal, My Lord.”

The voice from the popes remained silent for several seconds. Then Helagor heard the god’s voice sound unhurriedly: ”...Seems quite interesting.”

”My Lord,” Helagor looked up, with a hint of curiosity, ”Why do you want me to focus on observing these things? Is the human emperor’s reaction upon seeing Talronde... Is this matter important?”

”Just curious,” the god seemed to be in a good mood, the tone seemingly carrying a trace of laughter, ”Have you never thought about it, Helagor? That human... He has done many things in his mortal kingdom, and the traveling dragons brought back much interesting information—about systems, knowledge, ways of thinking. Superficially, that human just integrated and quietly promoted these changes, but his actions have already exceeded the knowledge and ways of thinking he should possess... That couldn’t naturally emerge from the environment he lives in, at least not in his generation. Helagor, don’t you find it quite intriguing?”

Helagor felt his breathing quicken slightly, but he said nothing.

He only heard the calm, deliberate continuation of the God’s voice:

”Gawain Cecil... the ’resurrected’ mortal hero. On the surface, he seems just like an ordinary human, but unfortunately... not quite enough.

”Helagor, get ready. The banquet in the lower halls won’t last too long—just as I am eager to meet him, I believe he is also very eager to meet me.”

...

”I hope you are at least somewhat satisfied with our food and music,” Melita approached Gawain with a smile, ”To be honest, these two things are probably what the Dragonkin are least skilled at—at least from my perspective. We excel more in dealing with stone and metal, like the art of sculpture and forging, but as for cuisine... the food in Talronde is quite bland.”

”But to me, all of this seems wonderful.” Gawain complimented, as he glanced around the magnificent hall, over the tables of the banquet—he was likely the only human monarch this season to dine in Talronde. The banquet naturally reflected the sincerity of the Dragonkin in hosting guests, but to be honest, the Dragonkin cuisine wasn’t as rich and colorful as he had imagined. The main dishes at the banquet were mostly various meats, the side dishes mainly fish, with grains and vegetables merely as garnishes, not even considered food. This did hint at the usual dietary habits of the Dragonkin, but as Melita said... somewhat bland.

However, for a newcomer like Gawain, some unique flavors in these foods could compensate for the blandness.

”To be honest... I was previously troubled by a peculiar question,” he suddenly said, ”about your diet—is it based on your dragon form or human form, given the stark difference between your dragon bodies and human shapes? This question might be a bit rude, but... these foods couldn’t possibly fill a dragon several dozen meters long.”

”...Only you could focus on details most would never consider,” Melita was momentarily taken aback, then couldn’t help but laugh, ”But you’re right—these foods can’t satiate a dragon.

”We certainly need to consume energy by dragon standards, but in our dragon form, we don’t need to be so particular about food—taste and oral sensory skills are weak in our dragon form. We can’t even tell the difference between raw and cooked meat, so we don’t entertain guests or dine with them in dragon form, especially when the guests are much smaller... you know, it would not only seem coarse but also be quite risky, such as... accidental injuries.

”In our human form, we can handle and enjoy more refined foods, as you’ve seen—we choose to host in human form not only because it appears friendlier to most intelligent beings but also because this form helps us enjoy fine food.”

Gawain originally asked out of curiosity, not expecting to hear such interesting details. After listening to Melita’s explanation, he couldn’t help but mutter, ”So dragons have two meals—a tastings and a filling one?”

”Most dragons without much sophistication only have the second meal—especially with the prevalence of convenience foods; almost all young dragons nowadays have no patience for cooking or eating those troublesome natural foods,” Melita shook her head. Although she was a young dragon herself, she sighed like an old dragon, ”Of course, the ones at the banquet are the sophisticated ones, so after dining with you, we’ll go back and have another meal...”

Gawain: ”...”

”Feels like I’ve gained useless knowledge!” Amber, who wandered over holding a chicken drumstick, casually remarked, perfectly echoing Gawain’s thoughts.

As the banquet was drawing to a close, Gawain noticed someone who looked like an attendant enter through a side door of the hall. They quickly approached Speaker Andar and whispered something.

”Looks like ’this session’ is about to end,” Gawain turned his head to Melita, ”I guess someone will ask me for an appointment soon.”

Melita curiously glanced in the direction of the Speaker, and almost at the same time, the old man turned and walked toward them.

”I hope our hospitality has been satisfactory,” Speaker Andar indeed approached Gawain and said, ”Our God just sent a message. If it is convenient for you all now... He wishes to meet you at the Upper Sanctum.”

Gawain looked back, then turned his head to the Speaker: ”Does that include the two friends I brought?”

Speaker Andar nodded: ”Yes, it includes them.”

”No problem, we’re convenient now.” Gawain immediately smiled, and beside him, Amber, who was gnawing on a chicken drumstick, glanced at her beloved chicken leg upon hearing this—she seemed ready to say she was not very convenient, but under Gawain’s implicit gaze, she immediately put down the chicken drumstick: ”Convenient, convenient, very convenient...”

As for Veronica, standing not far away, she seemed fully prepared.

”That’s good,” Speaker Andar nodded, ”Then please follow me—Lord Helagor is already waiting outside the hall, and he will take you to the Upper Sanctum.”

Following the Speaker, Gawain, Amber, and Veronica quickly crossed the banquet hall. After passing through a huge golden gate that resembled a castle gate, the music in the hall suddenly became faint, and Gawain immediately saw a male wearing a light gold robe and a golden crown standing in the wide and quiet corridor.

Around the man, there were no attendants or guards to be seen.

Is that the highest representative of the theocratic part of Talronde’s society, high-ranked Dragon Priest Helagor?

As this thought emerged in Gawain’s mind, the male who had his back to him sensed the change in aura, turned around immediately, and nodded slightly to greet: ”Guests, I have come to guide you to the Upper Sanctum—you may simply call me by name, Helagor.”

Gawain nodded, about to respond, but his gaze froze in the next moment.

His eyes were fixed on Helagor’s face and did not move for a long time.

He remembered this face.

In the center of the Eternal Storm, in that placid and timeless space, he had seen this face!

This was the one who stood atop the Iron Tower, like a commander at the heart of the battlefield, confronting ”They” alongside the guardians of the Dragonkin!

(Oh my!)