Beneath the Red Dragon

Every patrol team of Kobold soldiers is equipped with at least one Caster, allowing them to quickly respond and relay messages when they encounter difficult problems.

A seemingly ordinary but exceptionally large carriage travels down a street wide enough to allow sixteen gigantic Earth Dragons to pass simultaneously, heading out of the city.

A pure and beautiful face is revealed from the window of the carriage; it is Liya Ciser, the former princess of the Gata Empire.

Liya Ciser looks at the bustling scene in the Golden City, as if she were looking at the former royal capital of the Gata Empire. The people living in this city seem happier, stronger, and more vibrant than the common residents of the Gata Empire.

However, she is not troubled by the changes in the Giant Dragon Territory; rather, she is pondering about her father, the current Duke Charal Cesar.

Liya always feels that her father has changed. Even though Charal Cesar sent his most beloved daughter out under the pretext of training, Liya feels her father intentionally or unintentionally distances himself from her, sending her away.

Although Dragons and their kind are enemies, and both sides would annihilate each other on the battlefield, business in private must go on.

This time, Liya was entrusted with an important task: not only must she purchase some needed treasures at the auction, but she also needs to expand the scale of arms trade with the Giant Dragon Territory.

However, in today’s Giant Dragon Territory, which is already transforming into a formal kingdom, the auction is managed solely by relevant intermediate officials from the Golden City. She cannot access the top officials overseeing arms trade, as such important, corruption-prone transactions must be approved by the Dragon Lord governing the Golden City - Blue Dragon Doss.

But currently, Blue Dragon Doss is not inside the towering city fortress, so Liya plans to travel to other cities with her group of Guards, seeking approval from another Giant Dragon Lord.

"Hey," Liya suddenly sighs, drawing the curtains, and addressing her loyal Guard, Nali, disguised as a personal steward: "Last night, which noblemen accepted the invitation from that Beastman?"

"No human noble would agree to meet with a Beastman, even if he is a Beastman Nobility, Your Highness," Nali, who looks to be in his prime at around fifty, appears far from aged and dim as many humans of his age do.

"I don’t know what that Beastman Nobility wants to do, privately contacting so many nobles, just a plain banquet? Beastman Nobility can’t tolerate human arrogance and disdain either."

The youthful Liya is no longer the simple princess she once was; time indeed results in growth, whether it be wisdom or folly.

"I hear those Beastman Kingdoms are close to the tribes left behind by Beastmen on the prairie, they often trade via the Dragon Group Territory."

"And they once tried to obtain a foothold within the Dragon Group Territory, thus they heavily networked with officials from the Land of Golden, trying to persuade them to influence the Dragon Lords ruling over this territory."

Appearing composed, Nali speaks quietly while observing this last remaining descendant of the Sesha Clan.

Liya’s delicate eyebrows furrow as she contemplates the connections, then somewhat surprisedly asks, "Could it be that these Beastmen are eyeing the Dragons, interested in this fertile land nurtured by the Dragons?"

"But how can this be? Although the Beastman Kingdom is powerful enough, this is a united Dragon Group, they have numerous loyal Beloveds, this is almost a Dragon Kingdom already."

Nali’s eyes reveal a hint of a satisfied smile; he looks at the pure princess and smiles while speaking: "If Dragons were truly unbeatable, there wouldn’t be so many tales of dragon-slaying in Icaria World, Your Highness,"

"With a strategic plan, a hundred Warriors can kill a Young Dragon, yet in an unguarded state, a Young Dragon can destroy a small country. In battle, power and wisdom go hand in hand."

The steward, appearing to be thirty, laughs: "Also, Dragons have an unbreakable iron rule; they must enter sleep at the end of their age group to seek growth."

"Under such circumstances, unless they encounter life-threatening danger, it’s hard to awaken these Dragons. According to estimations, most Dragons in the group will enter sleep."

"Most importantly, the bond of the Dragon Group, the Red Dragon ruling everything, will also step into sleep; at that time, the Dragon Group will have no leader, even with many Beloveds, it’ll be hard to muster strength to resist the Beastmen."

"It’s possible the other Evil Dragons, when facing danger, might take the chance to divide treasures within their territory, and flee with their Beloveds, those Evil Dragons are proud yet inwardly fragile, haha."

This steward, who has diligently guarded the Charal Cesar Clan since childhood, is evidently a wise man, educating his future lord, the family heir.

"Do the Beastmen not fear other human countries sending legions to oppose them?" Liya’s knitted brow hasn’t relaxed; her little head might already be sparking ideas.

"Haha, as long as the Beastman Kingdom doesn’t attack human nations on the continent, the human Nobility surely won’t intervene; I know the nature of those nobles, no, perhaps describing it as human nature would be more apt."

...

In the sky above, Dragons soar; Young Red Dragon Kedelos flies at the front, with Blue Dragon Akzhi and Blue Dragon Carlette in the middle, having conversations.

Although Blue Dragon Carlette has resolved to rejoin the Dragon Group, the weight of having betrayed the group feels overwhelming, causing Carlette to have feelings of apprehension akin to wanting to escape from guilt as she approaches familiar grounds.

One can only say during her weak years, witnessing the slaughter where her family’s adult Blue Dragons fell one by one at the hands of that hunter profoundly shocked this female Dragon, terrifying her and turning her into a timid giant Dragon.

Meanwhile, teenage female Green Dragon Ali, followed by her subjugated Two-legged Flying Dragons, trails behind several giant Dragons.

Although this female Green Dragon is enslaved by Blue Dragon Akzhi’s bondage contract, upon seeing the prosperity in the Dragon Group Territory, she rather came to feel that this isn’t so bad, deciding to take it easy after seeing the richness, knowing resistance is futile, might as well enjoy.

She looks at the distant hills, blazing flames, and towering peaks, with extremely strong Red Dragon aura, yet it’s not the aura of the young Red Dragon ahead.

The Green Dragon touching and attempting to sense this feels a deeply oppressive and heavy sensation, as if even this mountain peak is invaded by its master’s will, making it exceptionally aggressive and ready to suppress any daring perception.

There’s also the mountain peak of the Green Dragon, its massive Green Nest Palace also makes her feel envy.

And then the mountain of the Black Dragon and the Blue Dragon’s lair, incredibly, she senses the aura of a Metal Dragon, letting this young Green Dragon clearly experience the strength of the Dragon Group.

"Perhaps joining this mighty Dragon Group isn’t bad,"

Inside, juvenile Green Dragon Ali thinks, yet a peculiar taste, subtle but enough to draw her attention, begins wafting in from afar in the breeze, sparking her curiosity.

The female Green Dragon turns her head, gazing toward the source of this strange taste, a continent opened within the distant forest, where a group of splendidly dressed Guards encircle a wide carriage, traveling down the avenue.

That’s where the source of the taste is.

"What is this taste? Doesn’t seem like something a creature could emit; I haven’t smelled it before, why does it feel so familiar?"

Green Dragon Ali sniffs mid-air, entirely unaware that her scales and Dragon Horns have dimmed slightly, as if her life force is slowly waning with time.

"How strange, this taste makes me want to feast lavishly, even devour the Dragons ahead of me!"