Translator: AnubisTL
As the silver moon of the Goddess Suren gradually faded across the deep blue sky, the sun, representing light and life, slowly rose from the distant horizon.
Bearing his battle-scarred body, the red-iron dragon returned to Needleleaf Valley from the Quenching Highlands and landed.
"Garos?!"
Samantha and Vera exclaimed in unison, their eyes sweeping over the red-iron dragon's body and taking in the shocking injuries.
The bleeding had stopped, but the shattered dragon scales, broken dragon horns, and unnaturally twisted claws all testified to the ferocity of the battle.
"You're injured—seriously injured," Vera said, her voice trembling.
Neither dragon had ever seen Garos so badly wounded, and both felt a chill of fear.
"A price worth paying," Garos said dismissively, waving a claw.
His physique was stronger than that of ordinary dragons, and while the injuries would have been considered severe by Samantha and Vera, they had not yet reached the critical stage for Garos—though they were close.
"Though the journey was fraught with twists and turns, I emerged victorious in the end."
Garos produced the diamond crystal core, displaying it before the two dragons.
Though usually composed, the victory in war and the successful defense of his territory brought him an undeniable sense of joy and pride. A small part of him even felt the urge to boast about his spoils.
Garos, like all of dragonkind, possessed a certain vanity.
In normal times, he would suppress such emotions.
Now, the first rays of dawn illuminated Needleleaf Valley and the diamond crystal core. The morning light bathed the already dazzling core in a golden glow, making it shine even more brilliantly.
The fairy dragon and the red dragon stared in a daze, mesmerized by the glittering treasure.
"It's truly beautiful," the fairy dragon murmured, her admiration genuine.
The red dragon, as if losing her senses, approached Garos like a marionette, her claw reaching out to snatch the core. But when she met his gaze, she suddenly snapped back to reality, offering an awkward smile.
"My dear brother, let me touch it—just once," Samantha pleaded.
Before she could finish, Garos swallowed the diamond crystal core whole, storing it within his stomach.
His eyes gradually regained their normal clarity, and his mind cleared.
Samantha snapped out of her daze, her gaze returning to Garos's scarred body. Driven by greed for the spoils of war, she said, "You should have brought me on the war against the stone giants. I am a powerful and noble red dragon, a natural-born warrior."
"My claws and fangs could have torn those stones to shreds."
"If I had been there, I guarantee you would have won even more easily."
Garos had not brought any of the Needleleaf Valley's familiars or followers on the raid of the Stone Giant Camp.
Garos's territory had expanded far beyond its former scope.
He now controlled multiple resource points—pastures, mines, and river channels—and an entire trade route.
The problem remained:
How to defend these holdings and continue to expand.
Garos knew all too well that with the changing of the ages and the passage of time, the era of giant creatures like dragons and giants had long since passed. Now was the age of small and medium-sized beings like humans and elves.
These races were numerous, their ranks filled with powerful individuals, and they possessed immense creativity and potential for growth.
Even most dragons had been driven to remote wildernesses and oceans, forced to eke out survival. The prosperous continent was now dominated by human empires, Elven Empires, and dwarven empires—not dragon empires.
Dragonkind are like fallen nobles.
They remain lost in the glories of ancient times, dwelling on past glories while maintaining an air of haughty superiority and arrogance.
And this...
...is one of the key factors hindering their resurgence.
They fail to recognize the current situation and are blinded by their own arrogance.
If a red dragon like Samantha were to acquire a territory the size of Garos's, she would undoubtedly become wildly inflated with pride. She would stride about, disowning all ties, convinced of her invincibility, and inevitably provoke a powerful entity, leading to her own destruction.
Garos constantly battles the arrogance inherent in his dragon nature.
He knows that the more successful he becomes, the less he can afford to relax.
He is not yet powerful enough to disregard risks and act with impunity.
The dangers of the wilderness remain ever-present.
His thriving territory today could be targeted tomorrow by greedy adult evil dragons or the Lothurn Guard, who see evil dragons as targets for their campaigns, plunging him into grave peril.
Therefore...
...he always keeps an escape route open.
For instance, none of the Ironforged Clan's familiars are aware that Garos has a chosen group hidden in Needleleaf Valley, nor are they privy to his daily movements.
To the familiars of the Ironforged Clan, Garos was always elusive, his whereabouts secret and mysterious. No one knew when he might suddenly appear.
If they were to accidentally attract the attention of a powerful enemy in the future, and the Ironforged Clan were attacked or investigated, they wouldn't be able to reveal Garos's true location, because they didn't know where he was either.
"Samantha's red dragon blood is acting up, making her unable to settle for a peaceful life. This is a hidden danger."
In the eyes of a red dragon, scars were marks of merit and glory. As Red Dragon Samantha grew, her desire for battle and bloodshed intensified. Even her games of manipulating ants were actually a way to satisfy this craving.
"Should I banish Samantha?"
Garos shook his head slightly.
He wasn't an absolutely heartless evil dragon; years of companionship had forged some affection between them.
More importantly, Samantha could refine black oil for him.
The black oil Garos drank during battle was further refined by Samantha, resulting in higher quality that could be more rapidly converted into energy upon consumption.
The Ironforged Clan had an ogre alchemist among them.
However, this ogre only knew how to craft weapons and armor, using alchemy to enhance their properties.
Unless there were large alchemy golems, normal creature clans had no need for black oil, and alchemists wouldn't bother learning to refine it.
By expelling Samantha, Garos would have to learn alchemy and the art of refining black oil himself.
Not that he couldn't.
But such repetitive and tedious work would drain his time and energy.
The sorcerers under his command lacked the magical and learning talent of dragonkind, so he couldn't rely on them in the short term.
Moreover, he couldn't allow the red dragon to remain an unchecked threat.
"Garos, I want to fight! I want to spill blood, not just stay in the rear with alchemy!" Samantha complained.
Garos pondered for a moment, then turned to the red dragon and asked, "Samantha, do you enjoy combat?"
The red dragon snorted flames and nodded without hesitation.
"For what purpose?" Garos pressed.
Samantha thought for a moment, then excitedly replied, "For glory! To make my name echo through the heavens!"
The red dragon's arrogance, pride, and vanity were unmatched among dragonkind, so Samantha's answer was exactly as Garos had expected.
Garos blinked, then suddenly understood. "You mean you want to achieve widespread fame and renown?"
"Exactly, Garos! You understand me so well," Samantha said approvingly.
Of course, though I'm not an evil dragon myself, I understand them well. A barely perceptible curve touched Garos's lips as he said, "In that case, you should focus on alchemy rather than chasing fame through combat."
Suspicion flickered in the red dragon's eyes.
"Garos, are you trying to trick me? I'm smart, wise, and have my own ideas. I won't fall for your tricks again," she declared.
Garos remained impassive. "Almost all red dragons are skilled in combat. Compared to them, what are your strengths? How will you ensure you stand out among the many red dragons, becoming remembered and revered?"
Samantha opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.
"Yeah, yeah, Samantha, what are your strengths?" Vera, the Fairy Dragon, chimed in from the side, her voice full of curiosity.
Garos stepped forward and patted the red dragon sister's shoulder. He spoke with earnest sincerity, "My dear sister, your strengths lie in your wisdom. You're the most brilliant red dragon I've ever met! Your talent for alchemy leaves me in awe, and your intelligence is far beyond my reach."
Across from them, with each of Garos's words, Samantha's head tilted slightly higher. Her tail began to sway from side to side, its frequency increasing rapidly.
(End of the Chapter)
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