Beneath the Red Dragon

”No one will agree that those nobles can survive in this world. We are the Gogomola Dragon Group; we created the Golden Empire. No one can survive after offending us!”

Holister nodded, watching batch after batch of ships beginning to arrive on the sea below Lonely Cliff. He knew it was time for him to leave.

”Then I will tell those nobles to prepare a fine coffin for themselves!” Holister said with a smile as he walked down from the mountain top.

Sometimes, just a turn marks the end of an era — the Brass Dragon felt it would witness the start of another era at the foot of the mountain top.

Perhaps those kings had already arrived, but remained hesitant, and thus did not show themselves.

But when ships bearing the Frost Giant King’s banner sailed to the island’s temporary harbor, ships with other kings’ flags also emerged one by one from the distant sea.

It’s worth mentioning that, although the Frost Giants are an exceptionally formidable race, this time the Frost Giant King Ragna Heg’s fleet had to mortgage some unallocated rare minerals from the Frost Plain to lease large ships from the Golden Empire to make this expedition possible in time.

The flags fluttered, drums and horns played to orchestrate majestic music. In the Golden Empire, led by the Song Dragons, the musician corps composed the Venerable King’s Music, carrying the features of the Giant Dragon Realm — vast and grand.

The Imperial Legion Warriors sang the greetings of the king loudly, shaking the entire sea area, even the Frost Giant King Ragna Heg, relatively familiar with the Golden Empire, couldn’t help but be affected by this atmosphere.

With the escort of Frost Giant guards and led by the Imperial Dragon King, they ascended step by step as royalty climbs.

Next came Alvin, the Elf King of the Elf Kingdom. This Sun Elf had golden hair and stunning beauty, but his strength wasn’t exceptional. He ascended the mountain accompanied by Elf guards and the Dragon King.

Following were the Multi-armed Giant Mogyes from the Divine Forsaken Mountain Range, Emperor Charal Cesar of the Hobis Empire, and finally, the Monarch of the Beastman Kingdom Bossel Lane.

The appearance of these kings and the resounding Venerable King’s Music stirred the densely packed sails on the sea.

Even those able to manipulate a small realm’s commerce in the shadows were merely insignificant onlookers before these kings and dared not overstep.

Though the Ancient Blue Dragon from the sky couldn’t resist drifting closer over the island, even though its vision could clearly see everything.

Banner after banner whipped in the wind, ascending to the top of Lonely Cliff.

Atop the summit, within the giant royal tent crafted by magic, blazed bright bonfires.

Rough rock surfaces were laid with thick plush carpets, where maids had already arranged assorted good wines, meats, fruits, cakes, and desserts on the long green-brown tables lined along the carpets.

This caliber of food might not satisfy the guests’ appetites but was enough as a form of ceremonial hospitality in the wild.

In the center of the tent, pigs, cattle, and sheep were roasting over gentle fires, wafting subtle oily aromas.

And a massive magic sand table displayed mountain ranges and ravines, all true and lifelike — a geographical outline of the entire Northern Continent.

Inside this enormous royal tent, already some esteemed kings awaited the later arrivals.

Until the towering figure of the Beastman Kingdom’s Monarch Bossel Lane stepped into the tent, he realized not only were various Dragon Kings in Dragon Descendant forms gathered, but other kings were quietly savoring the Golden Empire’s brewed wines.

None seemed willing to speak first to the Golden Empire’s Emperor amid the solemn atmosphere, lest they lose some initiative.

”Please be seated, esteemed Beastman King,” said the Dragon Descendant seated at the main position.

”Didn’t expect to keep the esteemed kings waiting here so long, it’s truly my neglect,”

Bossel Lane spoke as he calmly seated himself, scanned the tent, and abruptly focused on the kings present, knowing this was indeed the beginning of the assembly.

Karon Gogomola appeared in the form of a Dragon Descendant, yet his aura still captivated, as if surveying fellow kings within the tent with the gaze of an emperor who swallowed mountains and seas.

His face was covered by scale and horned face armor, making his exact expression unclear, but everyone knew it was becoming serious and formal.

”Every power-holder understands deeply that politics entails filth, darkness, scheming, repeated compromise, and testing before wielding a decisive critical edge,”

”But those are the deeds of the weak-hearted; I dislike such conduct,” Karon Gogomola’s dark golden eyes seemed to simultaneously stare into each king’s eyes.

”Therefore, I shall not overly indulge in courtesy nor waste your time but candidly and grandly announce the purpose of inviting you here for an alliance.”

”I appreciate your candor,” the Multi-armed Giant Mogyes — though only two meters tall in his shrunken form, with knotted muscles on his strong physique resembling ancient tree roots — spoke.

The Elf King displayed a curious expression, albeit he came to resolve disputes in the war against the Dark Elves, he eagerly wanted to understand the true intent of the Giant Dragon Emperor.

The Beastman Kingdom’s King and Hobis Empire’s Emperor had long cast their gazes upon the central magic sand table of the Northern Continent within the tent while listening attentively to the main party’s words.

Only the Frost Giant King, Dark Elf King, and the Lord of the Dark Nest complacently rested, savoring the wines and foods before them, seemingly as if this gathering were more akin to an outing.

”The purpose of inviting you this time, first, concerns the Golden Empire’s war,” Karon Gogomola’s gaze swept across the Beastman King Bossel Lane, the Emperor of Hobis, the Multi-armed Giant Mogyes.

Before he slowly spoke: ”This war is inevitable, so to alleviate surrounding threats, the Empire intends to form an alliance with the Beastman Kingdom, Hobis Empire, and the Divine Forsaken Mountain Range’s kings.”

”So, in some respect, it is fair to say, the alliance in this Golden Empire assembly must achieve its goal no matter what.”

Bossel Lane furrowed his brow, withdrew his gaze, looked up, resembling a lion ready to strike.

He spoke in a deep voice: ”Since forming an alliance naturally involves mutual interest, the Golden Empire, despite its strength, cannot expect other realms to act according to your will with mere words.”

”Rather than empty talk, the Beastmen might as well accept the Southern Nobles’ friendship!”

”If it’s merely this, then coming here seems like wasting my time,” the Multi-armed Giant Mogyes faintly frowned and spoke slowly.

Charal Cesar also withdrew his gaze from the Northern Continent’s sand table, looking at the Dragon Descendant with profound meaning: ”Being surrounded by the Golden Empire’s army, our lives seem to be in the Golden Empire’s control.”

”Under such circumstances, wanting to disregard other interests is not impossible! But who can we blame? Only our naive trust in others’ facades.”

Charal Cesar’s blunt words made the Dragon Kings’ gaze more intense, yet the kings remained as unmovable as mountains, with heavy breaths enveloping the tent anew.

Karon’s laughter broke the tent’s silence; he said with a faint smile: ”Of course, it’s not that simple, even if we don’t achieve an alliance, I’ll ensure each king safely returns to their realm.”

”But if you don’t choose me, it means you’ll have to face me!”