"It's you, after all."
Alberto stared at the Red-Silver Dragon and questioned, "A hybrid of a Copper Dragon and a Silver Dragon, why are you here siding with Evil Dragons?! You are even attacking your own kin alongside them. Were you coerced or bewitched?"
Seeing support from kin only to be backstabbed—the Gold Dragon was not pleased.
"Hey! You stuck-up Gold Dragon, what are you screeching about here?!"
The moment Alberto finished speaking, a crisp yet provocative voice suddenly rang out. The Faerie Dragon Vera flew sharply in front of Deborah.
Her colorful wings flapped rapidly. She straightened her petite body, placed her claws on her hips, and assumed an arrogant posture.
"Look clearly, this is The Borderlands, the territory of our Ignas Dragon Flight!"
"There is no room for an outsider like you, a stuck-up dragon, to run wild! If you dare to speak to us in that tone again, or show that annoying, stuck-up Face again—"
Vera's voice rose sharply, and she bared her sharp teeth: "Be careful, or I, Lady Vera, will stuff your noble Gold Dragon rear with explosive fruits and let you taste a spicy sensation."
Planar Dragon... This land really is full of hidden talents.
Before seeing it with his own eyes, he found it hard to imagine that The Borderlands, considered a remote and desolate place, could gather so many dragons with such diverse forms and unique Bloodlines.
He took a deep breath and steadied himself.
He did not get angry at the Faerie Dragon's provocation but simply stared at the Red-Silver Dragon, waiting for her answer.
Under Alberto's gaze, the Red-Silver Dragon wrinkled the skin between her brows and said coldly:
"Alberto, put away your prejudice and try to think carefully with that brain of yours, which is even dumber than a White Dragon's."
"What kind of Evil Dragon could govern a land that was originally chaotic, disorderly, and driven by survival of the fittest, bringing it into such good order?"
"What kind of Evil Dragon would show mercy when having the absolute upper hand, and not twist your head—filled with 'conquest' and 'order' but utterly foolish—off your neck and smash it to pieces?"
Deborah's words were aggressive.
She did not leave even a shred of Face for her noble Gold Dragon kin.
Alberto, however, was speechless and unable to retort.
The Red-Silver Dragon Deborah did not stop because of his silence.
She looked down at the battered Gold Dragon below and let out a cold snort from her nose.
"In my opinion, you are the one who looks more like an Evil Dragon wearing golden scales, trespassing on others' territory and using force to extort and plunder under false pretenses!"
Just as Alberto's throat moved, and he instinctively wanted to justify his motives and actions,
Deborah seemed to have already seen through his thoughts and abruptly interrupted his words: "Keep your excuses."
"As a Metallic Dragon, I know what you are thinking."
"You are merely coveting the wealth accumulated in this land, or perhaps you are drooling over this thriving territory itself."
"That is why you find some grand-sounding reason, like those 'innocent' river beasts or our 'evil' rule, as a starting point for provocation, intending to defeat the original lord of this place and then naturally take over everything here!"
"Am I right?!"
The Gold Dragon Alberto panted heavily, his broken chest heaving.
He was silent for a few seconds, then said: "You are right, but I don't think there is any problem with that."
He looked at the Red-Iron Dragon and said resolutely: "My only mistake lies in underestimating the strength of the lord of this place and being too arrogant, starting a war while knowing nothing."
Alberto was a very self-centered Gold Dragon.
He would not change his mind because of a few words from Deborah.
From the Red-Silver Dragon's perspective, Garros was a warrior who had lived in prejudice and discrimination since childhood but did not complain, did not become twisted, and fought against injustice with a positive attitude.
But from the Gold Dragon's perspective, or rather, from the perspective of many bystanders,
The King of Molten Iron was an out-and-out, oppressive, and powerful Evil Dragon, a lord who ruled The Borderlands with an iron fist.
"Alberto, your thoughts are not without reason."
"From your words just now, I can feel your ambition and understand your desire."
The Red-Iron Dragon suddenly spoke, saying: "The fact that such true thoughts from the heart are not acknowledged only shows that there are many mediocre people in this world and few clear-headed ones."
Alberto's bright golden dragon pupils suddenly contracted, and his massive body trembled slightly.
Unexpected!
Completely unexpected!
The Red-Iron Dragon who defeated him and stepped on him...
Not only did he not mock his arrogance or humiliate his failure,
But he actually agreed with his philosophy, which countless kin denounced as heretical and extremely paranoid?
Rarely—no, almost never—had a dragon so directly acknowledged his path.
In an instant, the figure of the oppressive Red-Iron Dragon in front of him became inexplicably pleasing to Alberto's eyes, and even the pain from his broken bones and curled scales seemed to have lessened significantly!
"Perhaps there was a misunderstanding between us."
Alberto nodded in agreement and then said: "You are a hybrid Evil Dragon, but I can feel that you are different from other foolish and violent Evil Dragons; you have unique insights and understanding."
Feeling the Gold Dragon's hostility wane,
Garros nodded imperceptibly.
He had been unrecognized for years, surrounded by questioning and reproach.
Alberto claimed not to care about other dragons' attitudes, but he also had a desire for approval. The more heretical and stubborn one was, the more one essentially cared about others' approval.
[Dragon Taming Art: Gold Dragon Chapter]
[Gold Dragons are traditional and stubborn; accepting their unacknowledged philosophy can make them look at you differently.]
However, Alberto's situation was special, and whether this was effective for other Gold Dragons remained to be verified... Garros thought to himself.
Through Deborah's words and Alberto's own speech and performance,
Garros had already sensed that the Gold Dragon before him was different from a normal Gold Dragon, somewhat heretical, and had the possibility of an alignment shift. This also meant there was a probability of recruiting him.
Regardless of Alberto's own temperament,
His innate Gold Dragon identity, which symbolized justice and order, was an extremely precious shield.
If he could tie the Gold Dragon to the Molten Iron Tribe's chariot and make him charge into battle, it would undoubtedly have excellent results for the Molten Iron Tribe's cause.
The Oath of Conquest he made could be used to conquer on Garros's behalf.
The Oath of the Crown could also be to guard the crown of the King of Molten Iron; the Paladins who took the most Oaths of the Crown were the guardians of the royal courts of various kingdoms.
If the Gold Dragon Alberto could be successfully recruited,
With the strength of a dual-oath Gold Saint Dragon, he would undoubtedly become the number one 'fierce general' under Garros.
As for the Red-Silver Dragon,
Garros was still counting on the potions and items from the Silver Dragon's old father, Adrie. Unless she requested it herself, he would not let her go to the battlefield to charge; the task of guarding the rear was more suitable for Deborah.
"Misunderstanding..."
The Red-Iron Dragon's massive dragon head nodded slightly, as if carefully considering the weight of the word.
Then, his low voice broke the short silence: "I do not deny that."
His gaze turned to the young Gold Dragon, the understanding in his eyes slowly receding.
"Alberto, as the defeated, let us now discuss the matter of compensation."
Wanting to recruit absolutely did not mean indulging without principles!
When dealing with a Gold Dragon as proud, conceited, and high-minded as Alberto, one must be tough! Only by making him pay a price and realize the boundaries could subsequent 'cooperation' be built on a solid foundation.
"I can return the wealth I previously took from your stronghold in full."
Alberto bit his fangs and said.
Making a dragon spit out wealth that was already in its pocket was no different from carving a piece of flesh from the depths of its Dragon Heart! But he knew he was in the wrong on this trip, so he could only endure the pain of parting with it.
"Return the wealth that already belonged to my Molten Iron Tribe exactly as it was."
"And then just pretend nothing happened?"
"How could there be such an easy and cheap good thing in the world."
The Red-Iron Dragon stared at the young Gold Dragon, counting the process of his crimes.
"First, this battle, which broke out due to your unilateral provocation, caused unignorable damage to the territory of my Molten Iron Tribe—the land was torn, the riverbanks collapsed, and the territory was damaged."
"This repair cost needs to be borne by you."
"Secondly, your unscrupulous intimidation and extortion of my dependents earlier made those poor, weak children terrified, unable to sleep at night, and left extremely serious collective psychological trauma. This directly affected our normal trade order and delayed the precious time for earning wealth."
"This loss also needs to be compensated by you!"
"Finally, the act of plundering and extortion seriously violated the laws and rules of The Borderlands and also requires punishment."
"Based on all of the above, Alberto, you must pay punitive damages."
Hearing this, Alberto's dragon tail tightened, and his eyes were resistant.
"Red-Iron Dragon, don't go too far." The scales on his neck lit up slightly again, and he asserted: "If I want to retreat, you cannot stop me."
To prevent this paranoid offspring from committing evil acts,
The magic scales left by his elders could only be used three times and did not have strong offensive capabilities, mainly focusing on defense and speed buffs. Although it would waste one opportunity, he reckoned he could use this to break out of the encirclement.
"Retreating is clearly just running away in a sorry state."
The Red Dragon Samantha puffed sparks from her nostrils and sneered.
The self-conscious Gold Dragon glanced at the Red Dragon and ignored her words.
The road of conquest would not be smooth sailing.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
He had long anticipated that the path to realizing his life's value would be difficult, full of thorns and mud, so he would not be discouraged by a momentary setback.
Several Evil Dragons paced slowly, surrounding the Gold Dragon.
The atmosphere became tense and solidified again, and Alberto was ready to activate the magic scales at any time.
At this moment, the Red-Iron Dragon waved his claw, signaling his companions to relax.
Seeing this scene, the Gold Dragon's pupils contracted slightly again.
Those Evil Dragons, who should have been unruly, fierce, at odds with each other, and difficult to tame, stopped their pressing approach at just one gesture from the Red-Iron Dragon and stopped calmly, only staring at him coldly.
Then.
The Red-Iron Dragon's gaze looked deeply at Alberto a few times, carefully, as if re-evaluating, and then a mysterious smile curled up at the corner of his mouth.
"I am not a dragon who quibbles over trifles."
Garros's voice suddenly became unusually calm and tolerant.
"The rules you broke and the destruction you caused in The Borderlands are essentially trivial matters."
He said: "Since you ignore the rules, are unwilling to accept punishment, and act like an Evil Dragon, I don't mind ignoring this matter, or even treating you as a companion."
Hearing these friendly words, the Gold Dragon's expression changed.
"Every creature must bear the cost of breaking the rules."
He said in a deep voice.
The Red-Iron Dragon did not care: "Let's leave it at that, Gold Dragon brother; this was just an insignificant misunderstanding."
The Gold Dragon shook his head stubbornly.
"No, you must punish me!" He said resolutely.