Translator: AnubisTL
"Garos! It's time to pay my appearance fee!"
A floating message stone drifted before Garos, the familiar voice of Gold Dragon Alberto emanating from within.
He was the same gold dragon who frequently visited Creekwood Town, bringing a good reputation to the Ironforged Tribe.
Garos didn't even lift an eyelid, replying lazily, "Why bother? Just deduct it from the debt you owe me."
The other end of the message stone fell silent for a moment.
Then, Alberto's voice rang out again.
"No! Absolutely not! I—want—cash—now!"
"Even if these gold coins end up with you in the end..."
"At least! At least before they leave my claws, I can spend a little more time with these adorable little fellows, listen to their beautiful clinking, and feel their intoxicating warmth and luster!"
In order to secure a long enough rest period, Alberto had once again challenged Garos not long ago.
The outcome was predictable. Once again, he ended up knocked unconscious, and the debt he owed soared to a new peak.
At this rate, the chances of him ever paying it off were practically zero.
"Since you're so insistent," Garos said, his massive head nodding slightly as he spoke with magnanimity, "then go to the treasury in Creekwood Town. Find the Flower Lord and withdraw it from there."
Just as the words left his lips, he suddenly let out a massive, unannounced yawn.
When he snapped back to attention, a clear and irresistible drowsiness surged from the depths of his soul like a slowly rising tide, spreading through his entire body.
The feeling was unmistakable.
It meant his final dragon sleep of the juvenile stage was about to begin.
This slumber will definitely last more than ten years.
By the time I next awaken, perhaps all the duchies of the Human Federation will have plunged into all-out war, with even the kingdoms behind them personally intervening, fighting so fiercely they have no time for anything else. And then, I will officially enter the young stage and become a true young dragon.
Garos pondered silently.
What if the war sweeping the south ended abruptly while he slept, and he woke to find all factions had already shaken hands and completed a new round of resource redistribution?
Given the current situation—escalating violence, deep involvement from multiple powers, and a chain of hatred that grew more entangled by the day—the probability was minuscule.
The larger an organization, the more complex its internal web of interests, and the more protracted its wars were bound to be.
Even now, the kingdoms backing the federation remained hidden in the shadows, playing their games by supporting their respective duchy proxies, showing no obvious signs of stepping into the fray themselves.
And even if the situation escalated and they could no longer be satisfied with proxy wars, entering the fray personally would not bring a swift conclusion. Since their power gap was not vast enough to allow for a decisive crush, and the front lines were bound to be long and complex, a war between the kingdoms would inevitably become a protracted war of attrition, far from being decided in a short time.
After a moment's silence, Garos spoke to the gold dragon on the other end of the message stone. "Alberto, I am about to enter dragon sleep."
"During this time, if the Ironforged Tribe encounters any trouble they cannot resolve, I hope you will step in to mediate or handle it."
"In return, for each year that passes safely, I will waive ten percent of the debt's interest. If my slumber lasts long enough to offset the entire principal, I will pay you an additional generous reward."
Hearing this, Gold Dragon Alberto's tone instantly brightened, and he replied with exuberant enthusiasm.
"You're being too formal! We're brothers of the dragon race—do we really need to talk about such things? The Ironforged Tribe's affairs are my affairs!"
As he spoke, he seemed to have completely forgotten how he'd reacted when Garos first called him "brother" and told him not to worry about the compensation—he'd been as resistant as if his tail had been stepped on.
The next second, after a brief pause, Alberto quickly added, his tone now deadly serious: "Of course! Even brothers must settle their accounts clearly. When the time comes, not a single copper of the promised reward will be left behind."
After ending the transmission with the Gold Dragon...
Garos formally announced his impending deep slumber to the other dragons within Dragon Valley.
He would not be the only one to enter this state.
It was foreseeable that after him, his blood kin—Iron Dragon Solgorn, Red Dragon Samantha, and even Gordon, who was far away in the Federation—would soon follow suit and enter their own deep slumber.
As the Ignis Brothers fell asleep one by one, the responsibility for managing the Ironforged Tribe's affairs during this period would fall upon White Dragon Treacy, Blue Dragon Heliam, who was about to awaken from his own dragon sleep, Red Dragon Cahill, the juvenile black dragon, and the juvenile green dragon Ludwig.
To prevent these young or more impulsive dragons from making rash decisions, Garos had already issued clear instructions to his core familiar bosses: Gluttonous Demon Karu, Werewolf Russell, Wyvern Chief Tasha, Half-Centaur Elvie, Serpentfolk Blademaster Naris, and Grand Artificer Scott.
During the special period when all the Ignis Brothers were in deep slumber:
First: The tribe is forbidden from any form of external expansion and prohibited from initiating any large-scale conflicts.
Second: The overall development strategy of the tribe will shift completely to a conservative stance. The core objective will be: defend the existing territory! Consolidate defenses, stockpile resources, and build up strength.
Third: If the remaining dragons attempt to defy the conservative policy and forcibly implement aggressive strategies, the familiar bosses have the right to refuse to execute such orders.
The primary loyalty of those high-ranking bosses was to Garos. Without his personal authorization, it would be difficult for other dragons to truly command them.
Moreover, judging by the current strength of White Dragon Treacy and the other juvenile dragons, they probably couldn't even defeat those high-ranking familiar bosses in a fight.
"Treacy, you are currently the oldest and most experienced among the dragon pack."
"After I, Solgorn, and Samantha all fall into slumber, you will need to shoulder the responsibility of commander, ensuring the tribe lives through these days peacefully. Do not actively cause trouble. Focus everything on stockpiling strength and consolidating our foundation."
"Can you do it?" Garos called the White Dragon to his side and spoke earnestly.
"Don't worry, Garos!"
White Dragon Treacy straightened her slender neck and spoke earnestly, "If we view the Ironforged Tribe as a single entity, then after you all enter your deep slumber, the tribe's overall ecological niche will inevitably experience a temporary decline."
"During this stage, patience and restraint are the wisest courses of action."
"Once you all awaken and collectively enter your young stage, the tribe's ecological niche will undergo a massive leap... That will be the best time for us to reveal our true strength once again."
Hearing Treacy's clear and rational analysis, Garos felt confident that she would not do anything rash while he was asleep.
In fact, she would probably prefer the entire tribe to completely withdraw and hide away like turtles.
In the days that followed, Garos detailed his will and all the precautions for the deep slumber period to every dragon blood retainer and core familiar boss. He also held a lengthy and meticulous working meeting with his blood kin brothers and the other dragons remaining behind.
Only after every arrangement was finalized and nothing was left to chance did Garos spread his massive wings, take to the sky, and leave Dragon Valley.
The red-iron dragon soared through the crisp, clear skies of the Frontierlands.
Before long, he arrived above another valley blanketed in a dazzling, vibrant red.
He looked down, his gaze sweeping over the valley floor densely packed with red maple trees. In the peak of their season, the leaves—a fiery crimson—swayed and rolled in waves with each passing breeze, a sight of breathtaking beauty.
Red Maple Valley—the ancestral territory of Silver Dragon Adrian and his kin.
A year ago, when Deborah's dragon slumber had begun, she had returned to this secure sanctuary to sleep beneath the protection of her parents' barrier. Now, Garos had chosen this same place for his own slumber.
He beat his wings, gradually descending.
Just as he crossed the valley's threshold, Garos felt a faint resistance, like passing through a thin film of viscous water. The next moment, the resistance vanished, and he was inside.
With a thought, Garos activated his Star-Self Appearance.
Sure enough, he saw it: a massive, intricate magical barrier, its surface etched with countless shimmering runes. Like an inverted bowl, it sealed the entire valley within its embrace.
The barrier's strength was astonishing.
Garos could freely pass through it only because the Silver Dragon Adrian had once left a passage mark upon him.
He circled slowly in the air above Red Maple Valley, his gaze quickly locking onto a figure in a clearing below.
Deborah lay curled in a loose coil, her slender dragon body covered in brilliant scales. Fiery red maple leaves had drifted down upon her and the ground around her. Her sleeping posture was serene and elegant, as if she had become one with the beautiful valley.
Garos did not approach, unwilling to disturb this tranquility.
Unlike Deborah, he lacked the profound sense of security that allowed her to slumber undefended in the open. He needed a more secluded place.
After a moment's thought, the red-iron dragon turned his gaze to a clear stream winding through the valley.
His massive body descended, wedging itself into the riverbed. Using his powerful claws and fangs and his immense strength, he quickly carved a temporary dragon nest into the rock wall along the riverbank.
Inside the dark, damp makeshift lair, the red-iron dragon brought out all the black oil crystals he had stored.
When the drowsiness within him grew most intense, nearly irresistible, he took a deep breath and swallowed all the black oil crystals in one go. Immediately after, he devoured as many magic gems and various precious metals as he could manage.
Under normal circumstances, such a massive influx of high-energy substances would have triggered a volcanic eruption of power within his body, demanding immediate, high-intensity exercise to vent the excess energy.
But now, the unique physiological state preceding his dragon slumber changed everything.
In this state, a dragon's body could digest, absorb, and convert energy with an efficiency far beyond its normal capacity.
After swallowing the vast hoard of treasures, Garos felt no violent surge of power. Instead, the energy seemed to settle slowly within him, releasing its pure essence in a gentle, steady stream. Like a warm current, it seeped into his limbs, scales, and marrow.
This soothing nourishment brought him immense comfort, and the profound drowsiness washed over him like a tide, pulling him under.
After this long sleep, he thought, my dragon heart will likely complete that crucial evolution.
This will be a qualitative leap, he thought. Entering the young stage, I will surely become even more powerful.
But this is only the beginning. I will evolve, step by step, to a height where no one can kill me.
With these thoughts, the red-iron dragon's consciousness gradually blurred and faded, finally sinking into a deep slumber.
Time flowed silently in the shifting shadows of swaying maple leaves.
Meanwhile, the red-iron dragon's heart, which had once beaten like a war drum, gradually slowed its rhythm. Its pulses became long and drawn-out, eventually growing so faint they were almost imperceptible, as if completely enveloped in an invisible, thick cocoon.
(End of the Chapter)
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