"Father! Wow, you've become even more majestic! The luster of these scales, this Aura! I saw that giant fireball you made from the Royal Court just now; it was so cool!"
The voice of the Iron Dragon Ophelia rang out.
Compared to Galkro, her size was several sizes smaller.
However, her posture was equally vigorous, with muscular lines that were symmetrical yet powerful, and the golden patterns on her scales had become very distinct.
The young Iron Dragon flapped her wings and landed lightly on the edge of the platform beside the Red Emperor.
She naturally approached and snuggled up next to Galos's majestic body.
Using her faceplate and dragon horns, she affectionately rubbed against her Dragon Father's arm guards, letting out a satisfied purr. "Even though it's been decades, you've always been in my heart, occupying the highest position—the one and only!"
Immediately, her gaze shifted, landing longingly on the pile of glittering gems in front of the Red Emperor.
Galos chuckled softly.
He reached out a claw, rummaged through the pile of snacks for a few moderately sized gems, and pushed them toward her.
"Take them and play."
The Little Iron Dragon got her wish and happily raked the shiny treasures over with her claws, clutching them tightly to her chest. The scales on her cheeks even opened up slightly in joy.
"Thank you, Father! Father is the best!"
Below, the Red Dragon Galkro watched this scene, a flash of envy crossing his eyes for a moment.
He envied Ophelia for getting the gems, and he also envied her ability to be close to their Dragon Father without any restraint.
He himself could absolutely never act spoiled like that.
"Should I... also try to learn from Ophelia and act spoiled with Father?"
An absurd thought suddenly popped up. Galkro imagined himself leaning in next to his father, rubbing heads, and saying "Father is the best" in his deep, steady voice...
Hiss—!
The young Red Dragon's scales almost stood on end on the spot. A strong sense of awkwardness swept over him, making him quickly shake the terrifying thought out of his mind.
Too frightening for a dragon.
Just then, he felt a gaze watching him from the direction of the throne.
"Galkro."
"I am here, Father."
The young Red Dragon immediately focused his mind and straightened his posture.
"I see the battle scars on your body."
Galos said in a calm tone, "Good. This proves you haven't wasted your time, nor have you failed your Bloodline and my expectations. You are on the right path."
Galkro's heart skipped a beat.
Receiving such direct affirmation from his Dragon Father was more exhilarating than obtaining treasure.
"Catch."
"This is a reward for your hard work until now."
Several fire-element gems favored by Red Dragons traced a graceful parabola through the air, flying toward Galkro.
Galkro was stunned for a moment, then quickly reached out his claws to catch them carefully.
He grinned, revealing sharp fangs, and a joyful smile bloomed on his face.
"Thank you for your reward, Father! I will continue forward and never fail your recognition!"
Galkro's sonorous voice rang out.
Galos looked around the hall, his gaze sweeping over the dragons, then looked back at Galkro and asked, "Where are your other brothers and sisters?"
"Laria, Isanola, and Sarya."
Hearing his Dragon Father ask about the other offspring, Galkro lowered his head and replied, "Reporting to Father, after reaching young adulthood, Laria left the kingdom alone."
"He said... he wanted to emulate the path you took back then."
"Starting from nothing, relying on his own wisdom and strength to first conquer and rule some scattered clans and tribes, and then step by step, personally establish a dragon kingdom of his own."
"My sister Isanola went back to the Fubo Dragon Domain with Mother."
"As for Sarya..." Galkro paused and said, "She is still in the Eternal Frozen Tundra of the North. She said the harsh environment there and the Abyssal Rift that has been active in recent years are the best places to temper one's will and body. So, she resides on the edge of the Abyssal Rift's influence zone, training herself by hunting demons."
As expected... his previous feeling wasn't wrong.
Laria, the Red Dragon who seemed steady, rational, and good at thinking, was actually the most ambitious among the offspring. Moreover, he would actually put it into practice rather than just talking.
Just then, a whisper sounded in his mind; it was the voice of the Iron Dragon Sorog.
"That kid Laria is currently in a no-man's land near the Matna Goblin Kingdom. He has occupied several hilltops that are easy to defend but hard to attack as his territory, calling himself the Red Lotus Lord. He has gathered about three thousand Dependents, mainly Gnolls and Goblins, along with a few Ogres and Orcs he beat into submission."
"Additionally, his territory is within the regular monitoring range of our magical satellite."
Galos tilted his head slightly, casting his gaze to his right.
His brother, the Iron Dragon Sorog, was savoring a giant cream cake decorated with berries and honey while communicating with him in his mind.
Galos asked in his mind, "You've been watching him in secret?"
Sorog responded, "Of course, Laria is my nephew after all; he has blood similar to mine flowing through him."
"And... I admire his ambition and drive. It reminds me of you when you were young, and myself."
"So, I'll look after him a bit. I'm also curious to see what he can achieve on his own. Of course, I'm just watching; I won't intervene directly unless absolutely necessary. This is his own trial."
A flash of understanding crossed Galos's eyes.
After a brief thought, he said to Sorog in his mind, "You can lend him a hand when necessary, but other than that, let him venture out on his own."
"This is the path he chose."
"Understood," Sorog replied concisely, taking another large bite of cake. "I know the boundaries. A greenhouse cannot raise a tree that can withstand wind and snow."
Galos withdrew his gaze and looked back at the festive scene in the hall, his thoughts shifting slightly.
As time passed, his descendants would only increase, spreading their branches and leaves, being born and growing generation after generation.
When that time came, perhaps he would only pay significant attention to those offspring who showed extraordinary talent, achieved amazing feats, or were at key junctures.
He didn't intend to interfere too much with the paths these descendants chose for themselves.
A dragon's life was long, and future possibilities were diverse.
Providing basic guidance and then letting them fly on their own to find their own sky was perhaps a more suitable way for a Dragon Family.
Galos picked up an adamantite ingot, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed slowly, making a crunching sound.
His gaze swept below.
Galkro had already returned to his seat.
While enjoying the delicacies, his claws constantly opened and closed, and the muscles on his dragon arms rose and fell accordingly.
Even during the feast, the Red Dragon Galkro did not forget to train.
Ophelia lay beside her Elder brother, happily fiddling with the gems her father had just given her, occasionally picking one up to look at it against the firelight, letting out satisfied grunts.
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.
The great dragon feast was drawing to a close, but it hadn't truly ended yet.
However, the atmosphere in the hall was already completely different from the beginning.
The dragons and lords were no longer focused on the delicacies before them or immersed in the performances of the attendants. Instead, they gathered in twos and threes, talking in low voices, occasionally glancing at the Red Emperor's towering figure.
Galos stretched his dragon neck, his joints making a slight popping sound.
Ten consecutive days of eating and resting had caused his condition to climb to its Peak.
Then, his gaze fell on the Iron Dragon Sorog.
Noticing his brother's gaze, Sorog, without pause, skillfully constructed a mental connection network. Then, at Galos's signal, this link extended toward the other end of the hall.
The Red Dragon Samantha was bowing her head, talking in low tones with her Red Dragon nephew.
When the link was established, within the Mental Network of the three dragons, the flow of time seemed to slow down. The external clamor turned into blurred background noise, like hearing the sound of rain through thick glass.
Galos's voice slowly rang out in their consciousness.
"Sorog, Samantha. You have both touched the barrier of Rank 20. Gordon, who is in the Lothorn Kingdom, must be the same. The Legendary realm seems close at hand, but it is actually as distant as the stars."
He paused slightly and said, "In the Fubo Dragon Domain, I hold an opportunity to use the 'Ancient Tide'."
"For a dragon stuck at the limit of their realm, it is a key that can allow a dragon to truly step into the Legendary Domain."
Upon hearing this, Sorog's conscious fluctuations came through: "I know of this wonder. Some time ago, Deborah, Alberto, and Nasha returned to the Fubo Dragon Domain one after another. From their words, I inferred it was precisely to use the power of the tide to Breakthrough to Legendary."
In the Fubo Dragon Domain, Metallic Dragons who reached the limit of Rank 20 indeed had the chance to use the Ancient Tide to charge toward the Legendary realm.
But the opportunity was not free; even for kin, a price had to be paid.
It was either performing dangerous missions for the Dragon Domain to expel powerful enemies, or offering a vast amount of treasure sufficient to fill a cave.
Galos continued, "I have decided to give this opportunity to you first, Sorog."
"After you step into Legendary, you can better manage the kingdom and deal with possible future storms. As for Samantha, you won't have to wait long. I will contact the Elders of the Fubo Dragon Domain to exchange for more slots—it's nothing more than missions or treasure."
He was not a formal member of the Fubo Dragon Domain, but he had a good relationship with it.
The Metallic Dragon Elders had clearly stated they didn't mind giving Galos extra slots, provided he could complete certain missions assigned by the Dragon Domain or offer treasures of sufficient weight.
If he chose the latter, the required amount would be far higher than what an ordinary Metallic Dragon needed.
But Galos was not worried about this.
As the ruler of a nation, his treasury was unfathomable.
Moreover, his resistance to treasure had already been tempered to be as hard as steel over the past hundred years.
Trading gold and gemstones for a blood relative's promotion to Legendary Rank? This was a deal that couldn't be more worthwhile.
As for his other blood relative, Iron Dragon Gordon...
His situation in the Lothorn Kingdom was somewhat delicate.
If he were to rashly promote to Legendary Rank, even with his connection to the Crystal Princess, and even having grown up in the royal court since childhood and being regarded as "half a Lothorn dragon," his identity would immediately become sensitive.
The influence of a Legendary Dragon was too immense; human kingdoms would not allow such an existence to stay for long.
They would either find a way to completely incorporate him as a royal vassal or impose layers of restrictions and be wary of him at every turn.
Otherwise, if a Legendary Dragon were to suddenly go mad, it could cause a devastating catastrophe.
Perhaps... it was time for Gordon to return.
Galos thought to himself.
Leaving him in Lothorn back then was a decision made after multiple considerations.
To consolidate the alliance, demonstrate trust, and also to place a pair of eyes for Aura beside the southern hegemon.
Now, times had changed. Aura was no longer that fledgling kingdom in need of Lothorn's support; beneath the surface of harmony, the undercurrents between the two nations were growing increasingly turbulent.
Gordon's mission had, in fact, long been completed; there was no need for him to remain in Lothorn anymore.
"Link Gordon in as well."
Galos said, "It is time to hear his own thoughts."
Sorog did not say much.
The tentacles of the Mental Network extended from his consciousness, guided by Bloodline, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, winding towards the direction of the Lothorn Kingdom.
About half a minute later, a consciousness connected to the network.
"Galos! My dear brother, the great Red Emperor! You have finally awakened. I can feel that the stagnant waters of The Nations of Romania are about to surge again because of your awakening!"
Gordon's consciousness transmitted emotions of excitement.
"Aura is holding a feast for my awakening, which has not yet ended, and your seat has always remained empty."
Galos responded calmly, then cut straight to the point: "We are currently discussing matters of the Legendary Rank."
"Sorog will receive an opportunity for a Breakthrough, and Samantha is also in line. Gordon, you should have also reached the limit of level twenty by now. What are your plans for the future?"
"You no longer need to stay in Lothorn; you can return to Aura at any time."
He threw the choice over to him.
The network fell into a brief silence.
"Legendary..."
Gordon's conscious fluctuations gradually stabilized: "Yes, I have felt that barrier; it's so solid it gives me a headache. But the same blood flows within me as in you—the blood of Ignas."
"Even if I am not as exceptionally talented as you all, I am confident that I will one day cross this hurdle."
"And I am still young; I am in no hurry for this."
He changed the subject: "As for returning to Aura... Brother, over these years, my thoughts have changed."
Galos nodded slightly. "Tell me about it."
He noticed the change in Gordon's manner of speaking.
As the years passed, this once least intelligent blood relative had indeed grown quite a bit, with a tone that held more composure and deliberation.
"When Aura was first founded, I longed every moment to escape this exquisite and magnificent cage, to return to where dragons should dwell, to soar through the skies with you all and tear enemies apart with claws and teeth."
"I was fed up with the red tape of the human court and tired of those hollow pleasantries."
"But as time went by, I gradually gained a different... understanding."
Galos's interest was piqued. "Tell me more."
Gordon's conscious fluctuations rippled: "Brother, Sorog, Samantha—I have resided in a human kingdom for many years, surrounded entirely by Short-lived Species."
"I witnessed with my own eyes the aging and death of the previous king, OBrien."
"I also witnessed Elena's process of gradually aging from a human girl and eventually transforming into a Fire Spirit; that was an essential transformation, almost equivalent to death and Rebirth."
"And there is more."
"There were some nobles I was once familiar with whose children grew up under my nose, inherited titles, and then had children of their own. The people I knew aged and passed away one by one, and new faces constantly emerged in the royal court."
"The Lossern Royal Court is like a play where characters change and masks shift, but only the stage remains constant."
"Do you know what I have learned from all of this?"
After a short pause, Gordon's consciousness became deep: "Time, the power of time."
"For humans, twenty years is enough for an infant to grow into a youth and for black hair to be tinged with silver frost; a hundred years is enough for a Family to rise and fall."
"Kings will grow old and die."
"Nobles rise and fall; a Family that is prominent today might be forgotten tomorrow."
"But what about for me? Twenty years is but a slightly long slumber, and a hundred years is just a few pages in the long scroll of life. My lifespan is still very long, long enough to spend decades cultivating a relationship, a hundred years to subtly influence a Family's Legacy, and even longer... to weave an invisible web."
Red Dragon Samantha's consciousness sent out a wave of confusion.
"So, what exactly do you want to do? Retire in Lothorn?"
Gordon smiled and stated his thoughts. "I want to stay in Lothorn and use the vast scale of time to gradually infiltrate every corner of this nation."
"Through influence, guidance, and subtle conditioning, I want to become the uncrowned king of this land, letting the future of Lothorn flow unconsciously in a direction beneficial to us."
"This requires ultimate patience."
"And I have always remembered your teachings, Galos. I may not be smart enough, but I never lack patience."
Sorog's thoughts came through calmly: "The human world is unpredictable."
"A single change of the throne or a political purge could be enough to make your decades of effort go down the drain. Furthermore, how can you ensure that you won't be assimilated by Lothorn's interests over the long years? When the number of times you drink with human nobles exceeds the times you meet with your blood relatives, and when you start considering problems using their way of thinking, at that time, whose brother will you truly be?"
Gordon's answer was firm and decisive: "Because I will never forget what I am."
"When I look down upon those human faces hurrying back and forth, I will always know that I am a dragon and your brother. This is something that time cannot erase."
Galos had been listening quietly all along, and only now did he speak slowly.
"A long-term plan; it sounds quite feasible, utilizing the most fundamental advantage of dragons—a long lifespan. However... I do not support it."
Gordon's consciousness was visibly startled.
He did not rush to argue, but only asked in confusion, "Why?"
Galos grinned, an invisible smile transmitting through the network: "Because I have awakened, and because the peace between Aura and Lothorn may not last much longer."
Gordon understood his meaning instantly.
"Brother, do you want to... go to war with Lothorn?"
Galos shook his head slightly: "No, it is Lothorn that wants to go to war with us, and this battle is highly likely unavoidable."
"Until then, you can continue with your plan and find something for yourself to do. Perhaps... at a critical moment, your presence can have an unexpected effect."
The relations among The Nations of Romania have never been static.
Alliances can be torn up, friendships can be betrayed, and today's allies may become tomorrow's mortal enemies.
Galos had long seen through all of this.
After all, the Aura Kingdom was not a nation dominated by humans; its ruler was a dragon, and its core strength was the Dragon Group. Such an existence, as long as it revealed even a hint of expansionist ambition, would be enough to make the human kingdoms of all Romania lose sleep.
And Aura's expansion was inevitable.
The number of dragons was growing, Legendary Dragons would be born one after another, and Galos's own strength was steadily increasing.
The kingdom's existing territory and resources were gradually becoming insufficient to satisfy this ever-expanding appetite.
If it did not expand outward, internal conflicts would accumulate and surge like underground magma, eventually erupting into a disaster that would tear the kingdom apart. At that time, without the existence of the kingdom machinery, Galos's growth rate would inevitably slow down significantly.
All along, his evolution talent primarily acted on the transformation of his essence.
The growth of his life Rank could not do without the support of massive resources.
Moreover, through some conversations with Sorog during the feast, Galos had already learned of the changes in the world during his slumber.
The advancing Orc Empire and the Meteor Catastrophe that descended upon the continent of Orotara.
All of these made him feel uneasy.
Thinking further of the Holden Empire's Abyss Development Project, Galos instinctively felt that the world would likely become quite dangerous in the future.
For this reason, he could not stop his pace of becoming stronger.
"The suppression from the various nations will arrive soon, and we will never sit and wait for death."
"Before that, we will be the first to strike."
The Red Emperor raised his head slightly, his gaze seemingly penetrating the walls of the banquet hall, crossing the undulating mountains and winding rivers, gazing at the vast southern lands.
"The first step is to completely turn the entire Xio Kingdom into Aura's Xio—not a nominal vassal, but true Aura territory, making it a part of us."
He said.
Once upon a time, in that war that swept across the continent, he had been unable to control his own destiny, drifting like duckweed and only able to try his best to secure benefits for himself in the cracks.
But now, the flames of war would no longer be ignited by others.
This time, the one holding the fire would be himself.