Beneath the Red Dragon

Aikania, Northern Continent, Modir.

Spring has arrived, everything is flourishing, sunlight dappling, emerald fields blooming.

On the plains of Modir, many farmers start to become active, busy sowing seeds for summer and autumn harvests.

Modir, rather than a nation, is more like a conglomeration of several cities and villages and wilderness forming a super-large urban radiation area.

The once Duke Modir led his twenty-eight knights from nothing to build the Modir Duchy, occupying six provinces. It has now declined.

From a territory comparable to a large duchy to being eroded into lands ruled by middle-to-small nobility, it’s a history of a noble family falling from its peak.

Without progress, standing at the pinnacle means already beginning to retreat.

This is also the norm for most noble families.

However, Modir has recently had an opportunity for revival; the reason is its sea harbor located by the coast, not large but stable enough.

Thanks to the Northern Wastelands, the kingdom created by the Dragon Group has risen. The sea route along the northern coast is already called the Sea Golden Road.

Though Modir doesn’t have any special products or resources, it can still bring a substantial tax revenue each year to this small country by relying on the seaside port.

But in the past half-month, Modir has faced a very dangerous predicament.

A Giant Dragon, upon hearing about the wealth of Modir’s seaside port from somewhere, brazenly flew to the nearby Short Mountain by the sea to nest.

This abominable Giant Dragon not only declared to seize the port and demanded a hefty protection fee monthly but also wanted people from nearby villages to choose the most beautiful maiden for a beauty contest.

The port guard once launched a siege against this Giant Dragon but was easily repelled by the dragon, making the dragon’s arrogance even more rampant.

The thirteenth generation of Modir’s bloodline ruling the entire territory, Viscount Fallo had no choice but to dispatch his most formidable Holy Knight, commanding an elite corps of three hundred territorial knights to expel and repel this Evil Dragon.

Be aware, the entire Modir family has only three thousand legion warriors in regular standing; having a standing legion of three thousand in such a noble-structured social system already counts as considerable strength.

To deal with this Evil Dragon, Viscount Fallo not only sent out one tenth of the elite warriors and core commanders but also spent quite a few Gold Coins to recruit many wandering Mages, Priests, and Druids as Adventurers, forming an army to subdue the Evil Dragon.

When Holy Knight Elise, commanding three hundred elite corps, led the thousand backup support corps and the recruited dragon-hunting squad to the Short Mountain cluster on the wasteland outside the port, they saw a dozen people in cotton robes crying below the Short Mountain cave.

Holy Knight Elise’s eyes flashed; although these people wore ordinary clothing, each donned cotton robes to resist the chill of spring, evidently not from impoverished families, likely from affluent town households.

"Bring them over, ask them what’s going on!"

Elise gestured, letting warriors go inquire.

The rest of the elite soldiers had already unloaded Dragon-Hunting Crossbows and Nail Cannons from the support corps’ carts, began assembling, arranging layers of defenses and traps around the Short Mountain cave.

Recruited Casters and Priests were using Magic Detection to assess the cave, while also setting up a Magic Array to ensnare the dragon around the cave.

Druids drawing power from Wild Strength and recruited two Paladins guarded the Casters closely, preventing unexpected situations.

Several recruited Minstrels began strumming, casting the aura of courage over warhorses and warriors, resisting the impending Dragon Power.

Only one formidable Paladin, wearing exquisite Chain Armor but without a helmet revealing golden hair tied back, stood with white hands gripping her Treasure Sword next to Holy Knight Elise.

This powerful Paladin, standing beside the warhorse-riding Holy Knight Elise, didn’t appear weak at all, her aura even more vigorous.

Her beautiful face, solemn and proud, elevated this Female Warrior’s charm.

"Commander, these are townsfolk," the squad leader forcefully brought them over to prevent affective interference with the action, then reported discovered circumstances.

"According to them, the Giant Dragon often flies to the town, going door by door selecting beautiful maidens, those chosen are taken by the Giant Dragon to its cave,"

The squad leader’s face showed some anger, saying: "But once these maidens are captured to the cave by the dragon, they never appear again."

Holy Knight Elise’s thick eyebrows furrowed instantly, a chilling killing intent emanating around.

Yet fiercer rage and killing intent unfolded from the golden-haired Paladin, her pale fingers nearly welding onto the sword hilt.

The fate for maidens captured by the dragon is insidious; they either serve the dragon, becoming its plaything and slave, or are consumed like food by the dragon.