Chapter 198 : Chapter 198
Chapter 198. Dragon Mother Arrives, and They Talk
The clouds in the distance were torn apart by a majestic aura. Five enormous silhouettes broke through the night, their Dragon Scales gleaming with a cold, hard luster beneath the moonlight. They were the Domain Giant Dragons under Dragon Mother Daenerys’s command.
She rode on the neck of the leading red-gold Giant Dragon, her purple-gold robe snapping in the wind. Her voice carried the unique majesty of Draconic Speech.
“Little William, are you hurt?”
William shook his head and patted Darwin’s neck.
“Thank you for your concern, Lady Daenerys.”
Isabella’s gaze shifted between the Dragon Mother and the five Giant Dragons, and her brows furrowed slightly.
She tightened her grip on the Pegasus’s reins, and her tone returned to the rigid formality of a Temple Knight.
“Your Highness William, since your reinforcements have arrived, I will not disturb you further.”
She raised her eyes to William, her gaze as sharp as a spear.
“Tomorrow morning, I will lead my team to Despair Fortress to receive you. I ask that Your Highness keep your promise and wait for us. Otherwise…”
The warning in the latter half of her sentence was hidden beneath her calm tone, but it carried an unquestionable weight.
After saying that, she turned her horse around. The Four-Winged Pegasus spread its wings and rose into the air, its silver-white light cutting through the night sky. The three Temple Knights followed closely behind her and soon vanished into the horizon.
Only the Gold Legion, Dragon Mother’s Giant Dragons, and the faint Dragon Breath lingering in the night wind remained on the wilderness.
Daenerys leaped down from the red-gold dragon’s back and walked up to William. Her fingertips lightly brushed across Darwin’s scales.
“That little girl from the Holy Light Empire is rather imposing.”
Then her tone shifted, and her purple-gold eyes darkened.
“The people of the Blackgold Empire have set their sights on Dragon Island?”
William nodded.
“Their scheme is vast. They want to use me to draw out the Grand Elder. But why? Are they not afraid of a Demigod? Or do they have some way to counter him?”
Daenerys sneered. The five Giant Dragons behind her let out low growls at the same time, shaking the ground slightly.
“Little William, let us return to Despair Fortress together. This time, I will personally hold Despair Fortress. If they dare come, I will let them taste Dragonfire.”
“Oh, right. What did that little girl mean when she said she would come to receive you tomorrow?”
William shook his head.
“Who knows?”
He looked in the direction where Isabella had left, his brows slightly furrowed.
The Holy Light Empire had always acted with an unquestionable forcefulness. He could not guess how many calculations were hidden behind this “rescue,” but he also understood that he had no room to refuse.
Setting aside the fact that they had just relieved his crisis, the sheer scale of the Holy Light Empire alone was not something he could easily defy.
Daenerys patted the red-gold dragon’s neck. The Giant Dragon gave a low hum and slowed down, waiting for the Gold Legion to catch up.
“I have heard the elders of Dragon Island say that no one schemes more shrewdly than the Holy Light Empire.”
She glanced at William.
“But you do not need to worry too much. With Dragon Island behind you, they still will not dare touch you.”
William smiled and urged Darwin forward to follow.
Dragon Island’s protection was real, but he understood even more clearly that there were no eternal allies, only eternal interests.
The Holy Light Empire’s sudden helping hand was definitely not merely an act of “kindness.”
The night gradually paled, and the outline of Despair Fortress grew clearer ahead.
The massive city walls were like a sleeping giant beast. The torches on the battlements formed a winding band of light, illuminating the figures of the guards above the crenellations with striking clarity.
When the Gold Legion’s banner appeared in sight, a familiar horn sounded from the walls.
It was a signal from their own side.
Daenerys did not enter the city. She merely reined in the dragon on a hill outside the fortress.
“I will guard this place. If there is any movement, I will be able to detect it. Whether we fight or run, I will inform you.”
The Gold Legion entered the fortress in orderly ranks. The heavy city gate slowly closed behind them with a dull rumble.
William dismounted and looked at the brightly lit interior of the fortress. His taut nerves finally relaxed slightly. But he knew this was only a temporary respite.
Tomorrow’s meeting would be the true test.
He raised his head and looked toward the hill outside the city. There, a faint halo of Dragon Breath flickered.
With Dragon Mother coordinating from outside, at least he would not have to face enemies from both front and rear.
He then walked into the fortress command room and looked at the assembled Legendary Combatants before turning his gaze to Kru.
“Pass down the order. Strengthen security. No one is allowed to enter or leave without authorization.”
Kru accepted the order and left. His figure soon disappeared at the end of the corridor. William raised a hand and rubbed his brow.
He told the Legendary Combatants to go rest. Aganzo and Archmage Irene seemed hesitant to speak, but when they saw William’s condition, they ultimately said nothing and followed the others out of the command room.
At that moment, William was the only person left in the fortress command room. Outside the window, the sky had changed from pale dawn to faint gold, and the horn calls from the city walls carried the chill of morning as they announced the beginning of a new day.
He took out a Communication Crystal and contacted Ancestor Fenlilan. The two of them spoke for a long time. Only when a report came from outside did he end the communication.
The residual warmth of the Communication Crystal still lingered in his palm, and Ancestor Fenlilan’s voice seemed to remain beside his ears.
“Do not wade into the muddy waters of the Barbarian Tribes anymore. Both Blackgold and Holy Light have their eyes on you. If you keep dragging this out, you will only be surrounded and crushed.”
The words were crude, but the reasoning was sound. William’s fingertips tapped lightly on the table, and his gaze fell on the open map. The markings of the Barbarian Tribes had been circled again and again in cinnabar by him, but in the end, all of it turned into a soft scoff.
Once ambition started burning, it was difficult to extinguish.
But he was not foolish enough to gamble the fate of an entire kingdom on it.
“Your Highness, the Holy Light Empire’s Knight Order has arrived.”
Tos reported from outside the door, his voice carrying a hint of caution.
William put away the map. When he stood, his sword gave a soft ring inside its sheath.
“Understood.”
He straightened the straps of his armor. The face reflected in the bronze mirror carried the exhaustion of a sleepless night, but his eyes were still sharp.
The sunlight outside the corridor was just right, falling across the bluestone pavement of the fortress, bright enough to dazzle the eyes.
William looked toward the city gate, where the silhouettes of Four-Winged Pegasi had faintly appeared.