Chapter 159: Draconic Tradition
The Valley Base, Inside the Log Cabin.
Greed was in the middle of delivering the latest intelligence brief.
"Master, according to recent field reports, multiple Great Dragons have manifested across the continent."
Kaito sat upright in his coffin, the Soul Fire in his sockets flickering with annoyance. "Multiple? Give me a hard number."
Greed unfurled a scroll. "Thirteen confirmed individuals, currently distributed along the Empire's frontier provinces. They are primarily targeting remote settlements, seizing gold bullion and high-value artifacts. Witnesses from the raided sectors assess their strength between Tier 4 and Tier 5."
Kaito took the file, scanning it with a clinical eye. The records were meticulous: time of assault, geographical coordinates, loss assessment, and eyewitness testimonies.
Red Dragons, Green Dragons, Black Dragons...
The spectrum was certainly diverse. They had enough variety to fill a bag of rainbow candies. Kaito set the parchment on the desk.
"Where are they coming from?"
Greed answered instantly. "According to the archives recovered from the human capitals, these dragons originate from the Great Dragon's Nest—a sovereign sanctuary located in the heart of the Great Sea. Every spring, the Nest dispatches a group of adult dragons to escort the season's brood of Dragon-Beasts to the mainland. Traditionally, these escorts linger on the continent for a period, wandering as they please and gathering 'tribute' for their hoards."
"This has been a sanctioned tradition of the Dragon race for centuries."
Kaito's brow furrowed. "A tradition?"
"Indeed," Greed replied. "The former human kingdoms usually adopted a policy of 'managed apathy.' As long as the dragons avoided the national capitals and kept the damage within acceptable margins, the governments refused to provoke them. A Great Dragon is a formidable individual unit, and they are scattered; the logistical cost of a total war was deemed too high by the previous lords."
Kaito let out a sharp, cold snort. "So, the kings simply allowed the dragons to bully their border subjects for sport?"
Greed went silent for a moment. "Precisely, My Lord. In the eyes of the old world, the people of the frontier were... 'statistically negligible' assets."
Kaito stepped out of the coffin, beginning a slow, rhythmic pace across the wooden floor.
"Negligible?"
"Those territories belong to the Evernight Empire now. Which means those residents are my assets."
"Anyone who lays a hand on the Empire's property will find that the interest rate on that debt is paid in blood."
Greed bowed low. "The Master's wisdom is absolute."
Kaito skidded to a halt. A Tier 4 or 5 dragon was a nuisance, but not a strategic threat. A single Millennary Commander could likely handle one. However, the variables were too high. They were scattered across the entire frontier. Dispatching a slow-moving army would be inefficient. Moreover, who knew how many more of those lizards were waiting in the clouds?
"Summon the Six Generals," Kaito commanded. "Leave Greed here to manage the administration."
Greed blinked. "Master, you intend to..."
Kaito's voice left no room for debate. "They will handle the cull personally. I want to ensure that not a single dragon within my borders dares to bare a claw against my subjects."
"Furthermore," he added, his tone darkening, "I want them to investigate the temperature of the Dragon's Nest. If these raids are merely the acts of rogue individuals, we kill them and move on. But if this is an organized campaign sanctioned by the Nest..."
Kaito's Soul Fire flared with a jagged, violet light.
"...then we shall have a very long conversation with the Dragon Lords."
"By your command, My Lord. I shall arrange the transmission immediately."
Thirty Minutes Later.
The Six Generals—everyone except Greed—had assembled in the Strategic Council Chamber. Lust, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, and Pride. Six pinnacle undead sat opposite one another in a silence that hummed with kinetic energy.
Kaito sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over them.
"Uninvited guests have breached our borders." He slid the file into the center of the table. "Great Dragons. From the Nest. They are raiding the frontier, seizing wealth, and damaging the Empire's labor force. I require you to eliminate these pests."
Skele-Wrath slammed a hand onto the table. "Leave it to me, Master! I promise to rend those overgrown lizards into leather scraps!"
His Soul Fire burned with a violent, manic heat. His entire frame radiated a desire for slaughter.
Skele-Envy let out a mocking sneer. "You? Try not to get yourself cooked into bone-char before the fight even starts, barbarian."
Wrath whirled on him, his Od flaring. "What was that?!"
"I'm calling you a scrub," Envy replied flatly.
Skele-Pride crossed his arms, looking down his nasal bone at the duo. "For once, Envy is correct. Wrath, if you are lacking in 'Skill,' perhaps you should return to the training grounds."
Wrath and Envy snapped their heads toward Pride simultaneously. The next second, Wrath launched into a high-speed, rhythmic barrage of verbal insults directed at both of them—performing a sort of "Evernight Rap" that left the room vibrating with his fury.
Gluttony watched the three of them bicker, then glanced at the "spectator" duo of Sloth and Lust, who were clearly enjoying the show. He wondered why Greed always got the quiet office jobs.
"Master," Gluttony rumbled, "the specific coordinates of the targets?"
Kaito gestured to the file. "Greed has already mapped them out. Each of you is assigned a sector. Clear out any dragon that has initiated hostilities against the Empire."
"However," Kaito paused for emphasis. "If you encounter a dragon that has not attacked, do not initiate combat. Observe them. Record their behavioral patterns. I need to know if this is a series of isolated incidents or a coordinated invasion."
The Six Generals nodded in unison. "Understood, My Lord."
Kaito stood up. "One more thing." His Soul Fire pulsed with a sovereign gravity. "This operation is more than a simple pest control. It is a message to the entire continent: The territory of the Evernight Empire is inviolable. Anyone who touches my people—be they dragon or god—will pay the price."
The room fell into a heavy, absolute silence. Then, the Six Generals dropped to one knee.
"BY YOUR WILL, MASTER!"
The deployment began immediately.
Lust, possessing Avarice (the newly named Adjutant), completed her handover the fastest. She simply dumped a mountain of paperwork into Avarice's arms.
"Handle these," she commanded. "If there's an emergency, consult the Master."
Avarice stared at the tower of scrolls in his arms. "Wait, General Lust! These reports—"
Lust didn't even look back. "Aren't you my Adjutant? This is why you exist. Do your job."
Avarice could only let out a defeated rattle of his ribs.
The handovers for Wrath and Envy were similarly efficient. Wrath handed command of the Fearless Vanguard to his senior Millennary Commander. "While I'm away, stick to the patrol schedule. And keep an eye out for dragon-scales."
Envy was even more casual, issuing a few telepathic barks before vanishing into a teleportation gate.
Sloth hesitated for a second before his handover to the Audit Department, wondering if he should actually put in effort to select the candidates personally. Ultimately, his nature won out; he delegated the selection to a subordinate and shuffled off.
Only Gluttony and Pride remained. Their handovers were the most complex. With the State Affairs logistics teams temporarily deployed for reconstruction, the Aegis Legion had taken over the Empire's food production and distribution—a massive logistical operation. Gluttony had to ensure every data point was accounted for.
Pride, meanwhile, managed the most tangled web: security, patrols, judiciary hearings, and city maintenance. He had to ensure the Punishment Legion wouldn't miss a beat while he was hunting.
The two worked in their respective offices, seals slamming onto parchment and commands flowing through the link. The gears of the Empire turned, fueled by the relentless industry of the dead.
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