"A pleasure doing business with you. This will be a win-win for both Aura and the Helmod Dragon Clan."
The Red Iron Dragon spoke as he watched a spherical token, wreathed in tiny crackles of electricity, floating in mid-air.
It had been only a few days since Kaelthrog's departure, and the Helmod Dragon Clan's response had already arrived.
The result was exactly as Galos had predicted.
After internal deliberations, the Blue Dragons entrenched in the distant Boiling Sea had finally agreed to a covert cooperation, no longer insisting on a formal alliance and recognition.
The dragons chose a handshake in the shadows over an oath in the sunlight.
"Blue Dragons... natural seekers of profit."
"When dealing with elves, humans, or even other dragons, they are always better than their other chromatic kin at restraining their Innate arrogance and destructive urges, placing pros and cons before emotions. This is their advantage."
Galos thought silently.
"But cooperating with such beings... is essentially like bargaining with a tiger for its skin."
"In the end, who will be the hunter and who will become the prey depends on our respective methods. The thoughts of the Helmod Dragon Clan's leaders are likely no different from mine."
Reining in his churning thoughts, Galos raised his dragon head and asked the lightning ball token in a steady voice, "When does the Helmod Dragon Clan plan to make landfall?"
After a brief silence from the token, Kaelthrog's voice rang out.
"Soon. For us, it is not a long wait... roughly, in a hundred years."
Galos fell silent for a moment.
A hundred years? Soon?
This time span was enough for him to go through a full hibernation cycle, steadily transitioning from an adult dragon to a mature dragon, allowing his power to take a qualitative leap.
He shook his head slightly, then realized there was no problem with this.
The dragon race's perception of time was completely different from that of short-lived species, and for those Ancient Dragons and Wyrms who had lived for long ages, their sense of time was also different from other dragons.
"This is for the best."
"A century from now, I will have a more solid Foundation and power. At that time, I will have more confidence when facing the Helmod Dragon Clan."
Galos pondered in his heart.
He knew well that while ordinary Ancient Blue Dragons might not have an extremely high life Rank due to slow growth, a leader dragon capable of being the lord of a Dragon Group and stirring up trouble for years in the peril-filled Boiling Sea was certainly no ordinary creature.
Such dragons inherently possessed high talent and enjoyed vast resources.
Their strength often far exceeded that of others in the same age group.
Each of the three leaders of the Helmod Dragon Clan needed to be treated with caution; he absolutely could not let his guard down.
"I shall wait and see."
Galos responded in a deep voice, then changed the subject to make a further demand, "However, since the cooperation has been finalized, I need to speak directly with the leaders of the Helmod Dragon Clan, rather than always relaying messages through an envoy."
"This will help us establish more direct understanding and trust."
From the other side of the lightning ball, Kaelthrog's voice was respectful and steady: "Your Majesty, I apologize for this."
"All three leaders are currently indisposed for direct communication. Please understand that having me responsible for communicating with you is by no means a slight against you, but the best choice made based on efficiency considerations."
Indisposed?
Combined with the hundred-year timeframe... are they undergoing a crucial hibernation to Breakthrough a Bottleneck?
Or are they in some hidden place where communication with the outside world is difficult, or dealing with some thorny matters?
The Red Iron Dragon did not voice his conjectures.
He was not unreasonable; sometimes, pressing for details would instead destroy the fragile understanding that had just been established.
"I see." Galos's tail lightly swept across the ground behind him, kicking up some dust. "In that case, I will not force the issue, as long as the communication channel remains open."
"Thank you for your understanding and tolerance."
Kaelthrog breathed a sigh of relief, his tone becoming slightly more relaxed. "Furthermore, to express our sincerity regarding this cooperation, three days from now, the Helmod Dragon Clan will present a gift to the Aura Kingdom."
"May the flames of the Aura Kingdom never be extinguished."
As the words fell, the light of the lightning ball token quickly dimmed, and the communication was cut off.
Galos put away the token and then continued his previous training.
Although the war with Xio had ended, Galos's schedule had recently become even tighter, with almost no leisure time.
The growth of his power never satisfied him, and a sense of crisis always followed him like a shadow.
Basic physical training and resistance training were daily essentials.
Besides these.
True Sight Eyes, Claw of Extinguishing Law, and the Magic-Forbidden Domain were the directions he was currently focusing on, investing a significant amount of time into them.
Galos never tired of it.
He could clearly feel his slow but steady progress on this path.
Time passed quietly amidst the arduous tempering.
The three-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.
On this day, a piece of news came from the direction of the distant Boiling Sea. Carried by the whispers of the wind, merchants, spies, and even magical transmissions, it quickly swept through the The Nations of Romania on the Romanian Plain.
The Red Emperor, Garos Ignis, as a descendant of Evil Dragons, had actually associated with hypocritical Metallic Dragons, and the Aura Kingdom under his rule had even colluded with the lowly human nations.
Such actions were a complete betrayal of the Evil Dragon Bloodline flowing within him and of his own noble race.
In view of this, the Helmod Dragon Clan formally declared war on the Aura Kingdom!
From this point forward, whenever a Hermoode dragon or their Dependents encountered an Aura dragon or its subjects, it would inevitably lead to a bloody battle unto death!
The wording was fierce, and the stance was clear.
The above was the general content of the news.
"A declaration of war... rather than pretending not to know each other. Well, this can barely be considered a gift."
The Red Iron Dragon murmured to himself.
For the Helmod Dragon Clan, the safest approach would have been to completely ignore the Aura Kingdom, acting as if there had never been any contact or agreement, only cooperating in secret.
By declaring war so high-profilely now, they would place themselves in a more conspicuous position and attract more potential hostility.
In contrast, the Aura Kingdom's image in the eyes of other nations would slightly improve.
The notoriously fearsome Hermoode Blue Dragon Group declaring war on them as traitors might better prove that the Aura Kingdom was trustworthy.
The reason he said "barely" was that the Helmod Dragon Clan was already infamous, with so many enemies that one more didn't matter.
Having one more "enemy" like the Aura Kingdom had a negligible actual impact on them.
And the slight benefit to Aura's image from this was hardly a decisive bargaining chip in the complex games of the Romanian Plain.
Moreover, with the two countries separated by a vast territory, it was impossible for a substantial conflict to break out.
Unless a large-scale war truly broke out in the future, this news would soon be forgotten by the various nations, becoming an inconspicuous record in an archive.
Galos stopped dwelling on it.
He shook his head, casting aside distracting thoughts, and focused his mind once more, sinking into the day-after-day, incredibly dull yet rewarding self-tempering.
Time flew by, and the seasons changed.
The snow on the Dragon Ridge Mountains melted and accumulated again; the color of the forest turned from emerald green to golden yellow, then was covered in silver-white.
This kingdom on the plain wrote its own history amidst the changing of the seasons.
July, new calendar Year 346.
The exhausted Kingdom of Rippos and the dominant Kingdom of Lothorn sat down at the negotiating table.
They began what was, for humans, a long negotiation regarding the specific amount of war reparations, the scope and details of territorial cessions, trade, troop stations, political privileges, and a series of other clauses.
This marked the beginning of the end for the Second War of the Romanean States on the Romanian Plain.
May, new calendar Year 347.
With the powerful support of the Lothorn legions, the army of the Goblin Kingdom, Matna, advanced with irresistible force, finally breaking through the last line of defense of the Dwarf Kingdom, Cambrook.
The isolated and helpless Cambrook royal family was forced to announce their surrender.
Like Rippos and Xio, it embarked on the path of humiliating surrender negotiations.
November, new calendar Year 348.
The war between the Lain and Sack Kingdoms, which once belonged to the same ancient kingdom and had split due to civil war, did not cease despite the mediation of other major powers.
Historical grievances, territorial disputes, and royal blood feuds.
These drove both countries to bleed themselves dry.
The war ended with a pyrrhic victory for the Lain Kingdom.
The Sack capital fell, the royal family members were all executed, and Legendary experts either died in battle, fled to distant lands, or chose to surrender to Lain.
April, new calendar Year 350.
As Rippos and Cambrook successively stamped their national seals and signed their names on the harsh terms of the defeat treaties, the Second War of the Romanean States, a conflict that had lasted for nine whole years, finally officially came to a close.
Aura, Lothorn, Matna, Lain.
They were all on the list of victor nations.
The Ranks of the defeated included Xio, Rippos, Cambrook, and the Sack Kingdom, which had already vanished from the map and become a historical term.
"Mien."
In the Dragon Ridge Mountains, Galos summoned the Heroic Spirit under his command.
This man had been a general of the Sack Kingdom during his lifetime and fell during the earlier First Federal Civil War.
"I have some news for you. It might not be good news as far as you're concerned."
Galos said, "The Sack Kingdom you swore fealty to in life no longer exists. The Lain Kingdom has achieved the final victory."
Mien's body suddenly shuddered, and the light surrounding him rippled noticeably.
He remained silent for several seconds, eventually letting out only a faint, almost inaudible sigh.
"The people of Sack... have not truly vanished."
Mien said, "They have merely... merged into Lain. We share the same Bloodline and similar cultures; we were originally brother states, two parts of a whole."
The Red Iron Dragon's gaze narrowed slightly, and the dragon tail behind him flicked gently.
"I am aware of the shared history between Sack and Lain,"
Galos said slowly, "but I am curious. Given your knowledge of your former country, how will the remaining people of Sack view the fall of their kingdom and the fact of being annexed by Lain? Will they resist in anger, or... accept it in silence?"
The Heroic Spirit Mien fell into a longer period of reflection.
"Most people... will likely accept it gradually."
He finally murmured, "The languages, customs, festivals, and many ancient traditions of the two countries were nearly identical to begin with."
"For ordinary farmers, craftsmen, and merchants, the focus of their lives is survival and family, not whose head the crown rests upon."
"Historical grievances exist more in the hearts of the nobility and military officers."
"Now that the outcome is decided and the winner takes all, for most commoners, accepting a new ruler and continuing with their lives is the best choice."
He paused for a moment and added, "Of course, there will certainly be resistance, those who feel nostalgic, and those who dream of restoring the kingdom. It's impossible for there to be none at all."
"However, their numbers... will likely be far smaller than the scale of an uprising following a typical national downfall."
Galos listened quietly, a thoughtful light flickering in his vertical pupils.
The war between Lain and Sack had not been without external intervention in its Late Stages.
As an ally of Lain, the Kingdom of Lothorn had stepped in to mediate, attempting to get both countries to cease hostilities.
But Lain, eyes red with bloodlust, did not take their ally's advice, and Sack stubbornly chose to fight to the death until their complete defeat.
"Lain won the war, but at a heavy cost."
Galos thought to himself, "Their gains are also immense—nearly doubled territory, and the potential of integrated population and resources. If they can digest this smoothly, Lain's strength will leap forward in the coming decades, perhaps even challenging Lothorn's position within the alliance."
"But that's provided... they can stabilize the situation."
According to Heroic Spirit Mien's speculation based on history and culture, Lain's integration of Sack should have been relatively smooth with limited resistance and few troubles. It should have gone very well.
However, the intelligence Galos possessed showed that reality was exactly the opposite.
In the current Lain Kingdom, resistance activities were erupting one after another across the newly occupied lands of Sack. Restoration armies and guerrilla forces were springing up like mushrooms after rain, one batch after another. The fires of war were constant in various regions, leaving the Lain royalty—already exhausted and depleted by the long war—in a state of utter distress, unable to recover from the wounds of war for a long time, let alone enjoy the fruits of victory.
This was diametrically opposed to the outcome Mien had predicted.
"The states on the Romanian Plain have never been simple allies or enemies."
Galos saw the situation clearly.
The relationships between the states were intricate and complex; even within the same camp, there was fierce competition and suspicion.
No country was willing to see an overly powerful neighbor suddenly rise beside them, even if that neighbor was currently an ally.
Aura itself was no exception.
Although Galos had not directly intervened in Lain's affairs for the time being, he knew that undercurrents were already surging.
"If I had disregarded everything back then and forcibly annexed all of Xio..."
Galos couldn't help but recall the choice he made after breaking through the Cui Luan Mountain Range.
"Setting aside whether it would have triggered intervention from Lothorn or other powers midway, even if I had succeeded, the internal turmoil and resistance I would be facing now would likely be ten or a hundred times more troublesome than Lain's current situation."
"Governing a vast land filled with hatred and a vastly different culture is far more difficult than winning a war."
"Furthermore, my identity being what it is would make me a target for even more opposition."
This thought made him even more determined in his previous strategy of steady progress.
Power is the Foundation, but using power wisely is perhaps even more important than the power itself.
He dismissed the contemplative Heroic Spirit Mien and continued his training.
But before long, a communication from the Fubo Dragon Domain interrupted his progress.
Light and shadow emerged from the communication tool, twisting and interlacing.
Soon, a clear and graceful dragon-shaped projection appeared before him.
It was the Crimson-Silver Dragon, Deborah.
Her face carried an unconcealed joy.
"Galos."
Deborah said lightheartedly, "Our children... have all hatched from their shells."
The moment Galos heard this news, his spirits couldn't help but be jolted.
Nine years.
From the incubation of the dragon eggs to the hatching of the Young Dragons today, it had spanned the entire duration of the Second War of the Romanean States.
His first batch of direct blood descendants had finally officially arrived in the world.
"How is their condition? Are there any Innate deficiencies?"
"Are they all pure-blooded Red Iron Dragons? Have they inherited any of the... unique traits I possess?"
Galos blurted out a series of questions, his speaking pace a few notches faster than usual.
He still placed quite a bit of importance on his own offspring.
"Patience, dear, have patience."
A flash of cunning light crossed Deborah's eyes, appearing to enjoy Galos's rare moment of urgency. "The children are all healthy and full of vitality. As for the other details..."
She deliberately drew out her words, keeping him in suspense.
"I will have them live and grow in the Fubo Dragon Domain for a period of time first."
"Here, they will hear Legendary stories about their father, the great Red Emperor. They will encounter more dragons of different ages and personalities, broadening their horizons and learning basic dragon etiquette and knowledge."
"Once they have safely passed their most vulnerable Young Dragon stage and reach the age of six, I will personally bring them to the Aura Kingdom, to the Crimson Flame Royal City, and to you."
"As for their names, their respective special skills, their personalities and appearances..."
"You will know all of that when the time comes. Trust me, Galos, they will certainly bring you surprises."
Galos took a deep breath and nodded gently.
He understood Deborah's approach.
Raising and educating the newborn Young Dragons in the Fubo Dragon Domain, where the dragon culture was dense, was beneficial for them to establish a stable dragon identity and avoid being prematurely influenced by chaotic or weak instincts.
This was not a bad thing.
Galos also did not wish to see any chaos among his descendants.
However... Galos's gaze carefully traced Deborah's projection.
After becoming a mother, her beauty seemed to have undergone a deeper and more abundant transformation.
"Deborah," the Red Iron Dragon's voice lowered, carrying a hint of heat, "you have become... even more beautiful. The children can stay in the Dragon Domain for now to receive the care and teaching of their elders, but you..."
He leaned forward slightly and said:
"Can you return to the Crimson Flame Royal City first? I hope you can accompany me for a while."
During adulthood and the prime of life, the physiological and psychological desires of the Dragon are at their most active and intense stage.
Relying on his powerful will, Galos had fought against his instincts for years, pouring the vast majority of his energy into increasing his strength and living a very disciplined life.
This did not mean that desire did not exist; it was simply strictly managed.
However, appropriate indulgence was necessary.
At the right time, the dam also needed to be opened in a controlled manner to allow the torrent to be soothed; this was part of maintaining physical and mental balance.