Translator: AnubisTL
"Sixth?"
Red-Silver Dragon Deborah wasn't pleased with her ranking. Her gaze swept over the tiny, kitten-like fairy dragon, and seizing the moment, she blew a gust of qi at the creature.
Watching the fairy dragon stagger and tumble in the gale-force breath, Deborah narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. "Little one," she said, "I should be second. Only Garos deserves to be above me here."
The arrogance of the metallic hybrid dragon surged through her bloodline.
Deborah could accept Garos's dominance; after all, she had lost to him more than once.
But other dragons ranked above her? That was unacceptable.
The fairy dragon flapped her butterfly-like wings, spinning several times before regaining her balance.
"I have a name," she chirped. "You can call me Vera."
"As for the order, it's based on when we arrived, right?"
She enjoyed playing around and wasn't offended. Giggling, she counted on her tiny claws. "Garos is first, Samantha is second, and I'm third."
"You came last, so you're sixth."
The red-silver dragon glanced at the white dragon, who was devouring her meal with crude abandon. "Are you saying even the white dragon ranks higher than me?"
The fairy dragon blinked. After a moment's thought, she said, "Treacy is fifth, but she's Garos's 'prisoner.' She's working for him to repay her debt after being defeated, so she's not a true member of Dragon Valley."
Looking up at the red-silver dragon, the fairy dragon added encouragingly, "Strictly speaking, you should be fifth! One step closer to the top—aren't you happy?"
The red-silver dragon had no reply. She turned her head dismissively, refusing to engage further in this trivial conversation. This childish ranking was clearly just the fairy dragon's amusement, not worth taking seriously.
Just then, the red dragon Samantha and the white dragon Treacy finished eating and approached Garos's location one after the other. The two evil dragons glared at the metallic dragon with unfriendly eyes.
Among the chromatic dragons, red dragons and silver dragons have always been rivals. Given the chance, the powerful and malevolent red dragons delight in enslaving silver dragons, subjecting them to repeated humiliation.
As for the white dragon,
White dragons and silver dragons both possess ice attributes and prefer similar habitats, leading to frequent clashes. The outcomes are predictable: the white dragon invariably flees in disarray.
The silver dragon aura emanating from the red-silver dragon displeased both Samantha and Treacy.
However, Samantha, having learned from past mistakes, understood that it was best to restrain her claws and fangs while weak. She refrained from uttering arrogant taunts or provocative insults toward the red-silver dragon.
Treacy, adhering to the principle of "kings do not meet," believed that monarchs should avoid direct confrontation. But since they had already come face-to-face, she decided to extend a measure of courtesy and refrain from provoking conflict.
The red-silver dragon turned to Samantha and suddenly spoke, a hint of approval in her silver dragon eyes: "You and Garos are siblings, aren't you? No wonder you solved my riddle. You're remarkably intelligent, unlike the red dragons I've encountered before."
Even red dragons who could cooperate in solving her riddles earned her amicable regard.
Hearing Deborah's praise, the hostility in the red dragon's eyes diminished considerably.
That damned metallic dragon is actually being polite?
The red dragon's thorn spikes softened slightly as she said, "You're quite impressive yourself. Your riddles are intricate and ingenious. Aside from myself and Garos, I can't imagine anyone else solving them correctly."
Though she secretly found the riddles simple at the time, the red-silver dragon nodded graciously at the red dragon's self-praise and flattery, offering no rebuttal.
"Metallic dragon, do you hail from Red Maple Valley?" White Dragon Treacy asked.
The red-silver dragon didn't even glance at her, offering neither a look nor a reply. She had no desire to communicate with the White Scale.
Ignored, the white dragon bristled with anger, her tail smashing the hard-packed earth as she let out a heavy, cold snort. She ceased trying to engage the red-silver dragon, inwardly cursing the metallic dragon's lack of appreciation.
"There are only five dragons here," the red-silver dragon said, her gaze sweeping over the assembled dragonkind. "Vera, did you miscount?"
"No! Solgorn is still slumbering. He's the fourth to arrive, even later than me," the fairy dragon emphasized, still fixated on the order of arrival.
At that moment, sunlight bathed the ravaged battlefield, illuminating the devastation.
The Ironforged Legion's familiars were piling intact weapons and armor into iron mounds.
Broken blades were also gathered into separate heaps.
This scrap metal would be transported to the Sulfur Hills, where it would be reborn in Red Dragon Samantha's alchemical furnace, smelted into new weapons and equipment.
The bodies of the minotaurs and their mounts were not left to rot in the wilderness.
The minotaurs, armored rhinoceroses, and mammoths were skillfully skinned and dismembered. Tendons were hung on makeshift smoking racks, while fat was stored in jars.
The instinct for survival in the harsh wilderness was etched into these creatures' genes.
Every piece of meat would be dried into hard, board-like jerky strips, and every bone would be crushed and boiled to extract the last drop of marrow.
They knew the value of every scrap of food and would waste nothing.
Garos issued orders for a portion of the familiars to garrison the captured Bloodhoof Clan territory.
The Bloodhoof Clan territory was ravaged by the recent siege, but not completely destroyed. The fortress-like walls had many breaches, but remained largely intact, and many stone huts and other structures still stood within.
The most valuable assets were the totem pillars.
The Bloodhoof Clan's totem pillars were crafted from wealth accumulated through legitimate trade and territorial expansion. They obtained precious magical materials like Star Silver and Magic Branchwood through trade along the Estonian Great River, and the shamans spent years forging each pillar, making them incredibly valuable.
Nearly all of them had been damaged or destroyed.
However, if the Ironforged Clan's sorcerers and shamanic groups studied them, there was a chance they could be repaired. If that proved impossible, the main bodies could be broken down and sold, still yielding a substantial profit.
Furthermore...
The Bloodhoof Clan's stronghold was located in the Fertile Plains, a relatively small area that, unlike the barren Frontierlands, lived up to its name. Lush grasslands and wild berry bushes nestled among birch forests made it a carefully chosen territory.
But from this day forward, the Bloodhoof Clan's territory would become a stronghold of the Ironforged Clan.
The Fertile Plains would now belong to the Ironforged Clan.
"Elvie, Zachary, Jorgic," Garos addressed the three centaur bosses. "Your centaur tribes will take over the Bloodhoof Clan's territory. Battle groups will allocate combat units to assist you."
Centaurs can unleash their full power when charging across open plains, and their herbivorous diet makes them well-suited to the Fertile Plains.
The Fertile Plains are best managed by them.
Their previous territory held no value and was poorly located, making it easily abandoned.
During the recent war against the Bloodhoof Clan, the valiant centaurs distinguished themselves by leading the charge, proving their worth.
Currently, the centaurs and ogres are the two strongest tribes under the Ironforged Clan. With proper cultivation, they can provide a steady stream of fresh recruits for the Crimson Iron Cavalry and Starbreaker's Hammer.
In addition to these tribes, the Ironforged Clan now controls resource points such as the Obsidian Mine, Armored Rhino Ranch, Raw Iron Mine, and Spikebeast Ranch.
Since becoming more active in the Frontierlands than they were in the Sierre Wilderness, the Ironforged Clan's banners have gradually spread across the southwestern corner of the Frontierlands, claiming Dragon Valley, the Fertile Plains, Sulfur Hills, and the Giant's Ruined Fortress. Though they arrived only recently, their scale already surpasses their former holdings in the Sierre Wilderness.
"Steel Will suffered forty percent casualties."
"Crimson Iron Cavalry suffered twenty percent casualties."
"Starbreaker's Hammer suffered thirty percent casualties."
"Annihilation's Eye suffered ten percent casualties."
"..."
At that moment, the Warband Leaders quietly reported their battle losses.
The war against the Bloodhoof Clan had not been an overwhelming victory. It had been a fierce struggle, with the minotaurs proving stubbornly resistant and putting up a strong fight. The Ironforged Clan had also suffered significant casualties, paying a considerable price for their victory.
Garos fell into a brief silence, pondering the situation.
Though they had won the battle, the losses among his chosen had stretched his already limited manpower even thinner.
"With more strongholds and territories, we now need to garrison more resource points," he mused.
"Yet our chosen's numbers haven't increased—in fact, they've decreased. Managing our current territory with our current manpower is becoming strained."
Garos's gaze swept over his familiars as he considered the matter.
The war against the Bloodhoof Clan had taken a heavy toll on his chosen. Apart from slaves, there were no fresh recruits to replenish their ranks, while the territory under his control had expanded dramatically. This made it difficult to maintain adequate control.
Should we strike while the iron is hot and conquer more clans to expand our chosen's numbers? the red-iron dragon thought, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
The Frontierlands lacked organized, powerful legions or established nations, consisting only of various clans, tribes, ferocious beasts, and demonic creatures. Since arriving here, Garos's ambition had begun to swell.
(End of the Chapter)
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