Translator: AnubisTL
"The Albert Family—the dark cloud that has forever loomed over our heads—has finally dissipated."
When news of Earl Mills's assassination reached the Sierre Wilderness and finally fell upon the ears of the red-iron dragon, he wore a satisfied smile.
This was not merely the downfall of an enemy, but the eradication of a potential long-term threat. The thought brought him a profound sense of relief and peace of mind.
To be honest, even if Earl Mills had only dispatched his family's private army to the wilderness for revenge, Garos was fully confident he could have annihilated them all, inflicting a devastating loss upon the Albert Family.
However, against the Earl himself—a man residing in the heart of the Duchy of Raymond in the south, shielded by noble privileges and the law—even Garos's power was somewhat insufficient to reach him.
He couldn't simply fly all the way to the Albert Family's territory and swat the Earl to death with a single blow.
There were precedents for such crude and direct methods by evil dragons, but none of them had ever survived their departure from the core regions of the Human Federation.
Garos never believed he could fight his way out of such a situation.
On the contrary, the unexpected arrival of Flower Knight Charles had opened another path for Garos, offering another possibility.
It was obvious.
Earl Mills had grossly overestimated his own mastery of manipulation and severely underestimated the independent will and agency of his tool, the Flower Knight Charles Haynes.
He was certain that this young, renowned hero would be just like the vast majority of adventurers—blinded by fame, fortune, and gratitude. He believed that with a few well-placed words from his Lordship, painting a picture of the immense prestige and glory to be won by slaying an evil dragon, the young man would rush headlong into the wilderness, becoming a sharp but brainless blade in his hand.
Unfortunately for the Earl, while the Flower Knight was indeed young, inexperienced, and deceived by the Earl's hypocrisy—manipulated by his carefully woven lies—he was by no means a fool or a puppet. He did not follow the script Earl Mills had written for him.
"Still, I never expected the Albert Family's hidden methods to be even darker than my own," Charles remarked. "They must be screening for children with innate talent, then brainwashing them from the bone to see the family as their sole allegiance and faith, demanding their absolute devotion. Once they've identified a suitable target, they personally orchestrate an 'accident' to create an orphan, only to swoop in as saviors to adopt and indoctrinate them."
"By comparison—"
The red-iron dragon bared its fangs in a grin. "—I, an evil dragon in the eyes of the world, seem almost too open and honest. I could even be called kind."
Indeed, beneath the ornate and elegant robes of some nobles, there lay evil and filth beyond imagination.
No wonder the first lesson many paladins learned upon entering society was the strict prohibition against using spells like Detect Evil without cause. The official reason was that such actions severely violated personal privacy and contravened the basic tenets of a paladin.
Looking back now, the true reason was far more intriguing.
Regardless, the turmoil surrounding the Albert Family would likely come to an end here.
Rune Knight Rhodes and Alchemist Sienna—those who had once placed their family above all else, willing to sacrifice their lives for it—had learned the cruel truth of their own tragic origins. The more fervently they had once supported Albert, the more desperately they would now yearn to tear him apart and burn him to ashes.
It was foreseeable.
The Albert Family, having lost its core and facing internal collapse, would soon be too preoccupied with its own survival to concern itself with the affairs of the Sierre Wilderness.
"Charles, come back."
"There's a new mission for you."
Garos contacted the Flower Knight, who was currently away, using a message stone.
At this very moment, Charles Haynes was on the run.
Although he had used his Boundary Walker skills to seal off the scene during the assassination of Earl Mills—executing the act cleanly and leaving no trace of his presence—the reality was different.
In a transcendent world where magic permeated every corner, if the powerful were determined to pursue a target at any cost, they could still lock onto their prey even without any physical evidence.
After all, the Albert Family was an influential Earl family within the Duchy of Raymond. The assassination of its head within his own manor sent shockwaves through the nobility, sowing panic and unrest.
The higher-ups ordered a ruthless investigation into the killer, sparing no expense to hire powerful divination spellcasters. Ultimately, they locked their target on the infamous Flower Knight.
As the investigation unfolded, the Albert Family's dark, clandestine dealings gradually came to light.
And yet...
To preserve the dignity and reputation of the entire nobility, the other ruling powers chose to cover up and suppress the news. They simply characterized the incident as a revenge killing, fabricated a reason, and issued a nationwide warrant for the Flower Knight's arrest.
Fortunately, Charles had mastered both the Arcane Knight and Boundary Walker class paths, making him adept at spatial movement and anti-tracking. Although he faced several perilous ambushes during his flight, he managed to escape them all without permanent harm, drawing ever closer to the wilderness.
Time seemed to flow both endlessly and swiftly during his escape.
Finally, one morning, the dust-covered but more resolute Flower Knight crossed the last boundary, his figure reappearing on the desolate yet familiar horizon of the Sierre Wilderness.
Ultimately, he settled in Creekwood Town.
Following the instructions above, the green dragon Ludwig officially handed over the authority and responsibility for managing this increasingly prosperous frontier town to Charles Haynes.
In the overall planning of the Ironforged Tribe, this remote wilderness town would be further expanded and developed in the future.
Since its primary target audience was intelligent creatures like humans, and there existed a natural rift and sense of distance between humans and dragons...
Therefore, having a powerful, righteous, and deeply trusted human lord serve as the spokesperson for the Will of the Dragon—responsible for maintaining the town's daily order and communicating and implementing policies—was undoubtedly the ideal choice.
Whether in terms of strength, reputation, or current circumstances, the Flower Knight was the most suitable candidate.
After this...
As news spread that the Ironforged Tribe had legally obtained the right to use the Scaly Earth Rift Road rather than seizing it by force, and as they continued to clear the surrounding areas of ferocious beasts and dangerous demonic beasts while strictly prohibiting all forms of robbery and extortion, the region's reputation for safety and order spread far and wide, attracting more and more people.
The number of merchant caravans traveling along the Rift Road rose significantly.
The number of adventurers, mercenary groups, and wandering merchants choosing to rest, resupply, or even stay long-term in Creekwood Town saw a sustained surge.
Even more remarkably, the town even attracted metallic dragons, known for their goodness and order.
A young gold dragon visited Creekwood Town, praising the local order without reserve and publicly stating that the Ironforged Tribe was not as evil as outside rumors suggested.
The gold dragon—the Head of the Metallic Dragons, powerful, noble, and a symbol of order and goodness.
For the vast majority of humans, such a creature existed only in legend.
His visit and endorsement brought an immense boost to the reputation of Creekwood Town and the Ironforged Tribe. Countless adventurers traveled thousands of miles, drawn by his fame, just to catch a glimpse of the gold dragon.
The gold dragon, it seemed, relished the attention. On a whim, he would gracefully descend upon the town's central square or leisurely stroll along the newly paved streets, satiating the people's curiosity and bringing immeasurable prestige to the town.
Where people gather, conflict is inevitable, yet such gatherings also bring the flow and accumulation of wealth.
Days flowed by in a tapestry of bustle and tranquility.
The Scaly Earth Rift Road saw an ever-increasing stream of carriages and horses. Creekwood Town quietly expanded, its facilities continuously improving, displaying a unique prosperity—wildly growing, yet perfectly orderly.
Furthermore, the Ironforged Tribe did not seize the opportunity for aggressive expansion. Instead, they adopted a more prudent strategy: consolidating their power and focusing on their core territories. They poured vast resources and strength into the management and defense of the Scaly Earth Rift Road and Creekwood Town, forging the area into an impregnable fortress.
All of this took place within the Sierre Wilderness, a land notorious for its chaos, danger, and the law of the jungle.
This territory, ruled by the Ironforged Tribe, displayed a rare and precious tranquility, as if time itself had slowed to a peaceful halt.
Yet, many discerning observers understood that such peace was likely but a fleeting lull before the storm.
As time passed, the situation within the Human Federation accelerated toward chaos and deterioration. After the Duchy of Abel and the Duchy of Haltai initially ignited the flames of war, several other duchies tore off their masks of diplomacy and brazenly declared war on one another.
More dangerously, this melee did not remain a fragmented series of skirmishes. It rapidly evolved into a confrontation between two major factions, centered around the Duchy of Abel and the Duchy of Haltai. The fires of war began to spread and burn wildly along the long borderlines between the duchies, threatening to consume the entire land like a prairie fire.
And while the other duchies were busy attacking one another, plundering rears, and destroying each other's war potential, the Ironforged Tribe, nestled in the wilderness, was quietly participating in its own way.
Their actions included, but were not limited to:
Striking the logistics and supply lines of the Abel faction, and raiding and harassing their resource outposts on the fringes of the Sierre Wilderness.
Though these strikes were not fatal, they continuously bled the Abel faction's war potential, intensifying the pressure on their front lines.
As time flowed on, the storm clouds of war continued to gather, churn, and brew over the southern lands, threatening an even greater destruction.
Finally, the relentless march of time stepped into New Era Year 258.
By this time, the Ironforged Tribe's rule over the Scaly Earth Rift Road had become as solid as rock. Their territory was well-ordered, and their strength steadily grew.
Garos had briefly left the clamor of the wilderness and returned to the Frontierlands.
At this moment, he stood silently on the edge of the Burning Steel Citadel's terrace, his eyes reflecting the scene in the valley below.
White Dragon Treacy was there, training a newly joined white young dragon.
The little one had been found by the tribe's kobold scouts in the Northern Ice Plains several months ago. When discovered, it was in a wretched state, baring its fangs and fighting a similarly starving old icefield wolf over half a frozen-stiff beast carcass.
After being brought back to the Frontierlands, the other dragons had shown nothing but consistent indifference and disdain for this ignorant, beast-like, noisy, and weak young dragon.
Only White Dragon Treacy had shown immense enthusiasm. Her attention to the other little dragons, who were steadily growing and ascending the ecological hierarchy, had waned considerably. Instead, she focused more of her energy on this ignorant white young dragon.
(End of the Chapter)
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