Translator: AnubisTL
"Blood for fuel, lamentations for wind."
"..."
Red-Silver Dragon Deborah blinked, her slender neck tilting forward slightly. Her crimson body, adorned with silver scales, shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
Garos's riddle was rich with concrete symbolism.
Blood, lamentations, broken spears, scorched earth—all were tangible images, making the answer relatively straightforward.
As a natural-born master of riddles, the Red-Silver Dragon pondered for a few seconds before declaring with unwavering certainty, "War! It's war!"
Under her expectant gaze, Garos nodded slowly, offering generous praise. "Correct. You're the most adept riddle-solving metallic dragon I've ever met."
Hearing this, the tip of Red-Silver Dragon Deborah's tail twitched upward, her joy unrestrained.
Inheriting the nature of red copper dragons, the most exquisite moments of her life were twofold: revealing answers to riddle-solvers wracking their brains, and unraveling meticulously crafted puzzles devised by others.
"More! Give me another one!" she urged. "I can answer one more, giving you an extra chance to command me."
The Red-Silver Dragon's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she gazed at Garos with hopeful anticipation.
Within the Metallic Dragon Clan, the red copper dragons (riddle dragons) and copper dragons (chatterbox dragons) were the two most unpopular dragonkinds. Few dragons, or indeed any intelligent creatures, were willing to engage with them in riddle-solving or conversation.
However, if one shared their interests, befriending these dragonkinds was remarkably easy.
Garos understood this well, but he shook his head, refusing to play further games with the red-silver dragon. Knowing when to stop was crucial; he couldn't always indulge her.
"You answered my riddle correctly," Garos said sternly. "I will allow you to accompany me on my adventure. But remember your promise: obey my commands. Otherwise, our alliance ends here."
The red-silver dragon nodded. "As long as it doesn't violate my moral principles."
Garos narrowed his eyes. "Suppose I were to incite war in the Frontierlands one day. Would that violate your moral principles?"
"Frontierlands?" the red-silver dragon asked, puzzled.
"The land beneath our feet—the buffer zone between the Sierre Wilderness and the Permafrost Tundra."
"You don't know this place?" Garos pressed.
The red-silver dragon's eyes widened in realization. "Of course I know it! This is where I was born. It's just that in my inheritance, this region is recorded as the 'Borderlands,' not the 'Frontierlands' as you call it."
After the explanation, the Red-Silver Dragon answered Garos's question, saying, "War is merely a means, not an end. The crucial question is: for what purpose?"
She looked at Garos and continued, "If it's for slaughter, to satisfy your own violent impulses, then I will refuse your orders. At most, I won't stand against you, but I will never become your accomplice."
Garos: "What about for wealth or resources?"
The Red-Silver Dragon shook her head firmly, her voice righteous. "That would be an unjust act, one I cannot condone."
Garos pondered for a moment, then asked, "What if you were to receive a share?"
Ahem! The Red-Silver Dragon suddenly covered her mouth with a claw, then declared with earnest seriousness, "Most creatures in the Frontierlands are ignorant and barbaric. When wealth and resources are consolidated in the hands of dragonkind, they can be put to far better use. This is a beneficial development for the Frontierlands!"
Garos asked no further questions.
He had likely grasped the Red-Silver Dragon's fundamental character:
Purely chaotic good.
She had moral principles, but few, and her bottom line was remarkably flexible.
A lawful good dragon like a gold-silver dragon would never initiate war solely for wealth or resources, nor would they support such actions.
They would punish the wicked and eliminate evil, and in the process, conveniently acquire wealth and resources.
At that moment, the familiars of the Ironforged Legion had already concluded their battle. They had slain the resisters, disarmed and stripped the surrendered, and taken them as prisoners. Now, they began clearing the battlefield.
They collected any intact equipment and supplies, even scavenging the corpses of the minotaurs.
Wartime logistics posed little challenge for the Ironforged Clan.
Aside from the centaurs, creatures like ogres, Hyena-Men, and graymane werewolves were inherently brutal and bloodthirsty. The bodies of their fallen enemies served as sustenance, and in times of extreme hunger, even their own dead were considered emergency rations.
Intelligent creatures from the civilized world viewed such practices as barbaric and savage.
But in the resource-scarce Frontierlands, this was a natural selection mechanism: the victors took all, gaining everything, while the defeated were stripped bare and left with nothing.
The familiars had endured a fierce and bloody battle.
Indulging their primal instincts, they tore apart the minotaurs' bodies on the spot, devouring the raw flesh and drinking the blood to replenish their exhausted bodies—no simple roasting or steaming required.
Garos landed on the ground, neither intervening nor participating.
Perhaps due to his fused humanity, Garos felt no appetite for humanoid creatures, but he didn't stop his familiars from feeding on minotaurs.
Setting aside Garos's personal reservations, minotaurs were actually excellent food, providing high-quality protein and energy.
Karu approached with heavy steps.
His body was covered in wounds, but given his robust vitality, they weren't life-threatening. He was currently clutching a minotaur head, devouring it with relish.
Garos took a closer look and recognized it as Chieftain Bloodhoof's head.
"My lord, please enjoy this minotaur head. It's the most delicious part. Eating it will make you smarter," Karu mumbled through a mouthful of horn, his voice muffled. Despite his messy eating, he remembered to offer the brain to the red-iron dragon, presenting the head to Garos with a reluctant gesture.
"No need," Garos replied, shaking his head.
A simple and honest smile spread across Karu's ferocious face. "Then... may I eat Chieftain Bloodhoof's remains?" he asked.
While his offer of the head was genuine, his primary motive was to obtain Garos's permission to devour Baal's corpse. He had been eyeing it hungrily, but since Garos had personally slain Baal, ogre tradition dictated that the corpse belonged to Garos as spoils of war. Karu couldn't simply take it for himself.
"Go ahead and eat," Garos said, having seen through the Gluttony Demon's intentions.
"Alright!" Karu curled into a ball and rolled toward Baal's remains, eagerly devouring the carcass.
The Gluttony Demon's growth depended on consumption.
Consuming high-grade food would raise Karu's life grade.
Though Chieftain Bloodhoof had burned away his demonic blood, leaving only a decaying corpse, the essence of life remained, making it a rare delicacy for Karu.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Red-Silver Dragon Deborah asked, her gaze shifting to the white dragon and red dragon feasting nearby.
Samantha was tearing into a mammoth carcass, while White Dragon Treacy ripped flesh from a minotaur giant, her face stained with blood, radiating a savage aura.
Garos shook his head slightly.
Dragon Valley had a stockpile of spices brought by merchant caravans. Compared to raw meat, Garos now preferred meticulously prepared, flavorful cooked dishes.
Now that he had the means, he indulged in gourmet meals as a rare indulgence in his rigorous training regimen.
Deborah observed the unique red-iron dragon, her gaze lingering on his rugged yet serene profile.
Neither participating in the feast nor stopping the violence, this contradiction made her scales itch with curiosity.
This red-iron dragon is so different from the evil dragons I know. Could he not be one? the red-silver dragon wondered.
Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound of wings nearby.
Turning her head, she saw the petite and delicate Fairy Dragon Vera.
The red-silver dragon was astonished by the existence of a planar dragon and equally surprised that Vera could coexist with the evil dragon horde. However, having noticed the fairy dragon while tailing Garos, she remained relatively calm.
Upon reflection, it made sense that a chaotic-good dragon like Vera could mingle with evil dragons.
As for herself, the red-silver dragon believed she wasn't truly associating with evil dragons.
Seeking adventure was only one of her goals; she had another purpose:
To stay by Garos's side and subtly influence him, gradually turning him into a good dragon!
"Hey, newcomer! You're joining Dragon Valley, right?" Vera circled around the red-silver dragon, chirping, "Remember, I'm third in line. As for you, you'll probably be sixth."
(End of the Chapter)
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