Defeat the entire world with the power of one dragon!

Chapter 508 The Legend of the Grand Order, The Realm of Time

In the Royal Court of Valdor City, Kingdom of Lorthen

In the dead of night, the city sheds the hustle and bustle of the day. Patrolling guards, clad in light armor, pass by with soft footsteps. Only the quiet glow of the magic lamps remains in the royal court corridors, casting a dim light on the stone pillars and hanging heraldic banners.

The king's bedchamber is located deep within the royal palace.

Raymond was fast asleep on the large velvet bed.

He was in his prime, with a resolute demeanor. Even in his sleep, traces of fatigue from handling state affairs lingered between his brows, but the composure cultivated from long-term control of a powerful kingdom was not concealed by sleep.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Urgent military intelligence! From Theo!"

Suddenly, urgent knocking and shouting shattered the tranquility of the bedchamber.

Raymond suddenly opened his eyes, his lingering sleepiness instantly vanishing.

He did not respond immediately, but remained in a supine position, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

Raymond had a bad feeling about him.

But he knew that as king, he could never lose his composure.

He sat up, the silk pajamas making a soft rustling sound with his movements. He reached up to straighten his slightly disheveled undergarments, brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead, and then looked toward the door, speaking in a steady voice.

"Come in."

The door to the sleeping quarters was pushed open from the outside. The chief eunuch looked nervous, followed by a travel-worn messenger.

"His Majesty!"

The messenger's voice trembled slightly. He lowered his head and spoke rapidly, "The Kingdom of Theo... Silvershine City has been attacked!"

Raymond's gaze froze.

The messenger swallowed hard and continued his report: "Garos Ignas, that Red Emperor... He descended directly from the sky, broke through the two major protective arrays of Silvershine City within a minute, stormed into the hall, captured King Thorfinn alive, and then... then he left unscathed."

Raymond sat on the edge of the bed, motionless.

The blood seemed to freeze for a moment in his body, then suddenly accelerated and surged, pounding against his eardrums.

It took him several seconds to fully process the astonishing information contained in that sentence.

"Captured alive?" He repeated the key phrase. "In Silvershine City? The Red Emperor... personally intervened?"

absurd.

This was the first feeling that clearly surfaced in his mind.

Theo is an important part of the Lorthene New Federation plan, a key piece in curbing the expansion of the Kingdom of Aura and demonstrating Lorthene's authority.

Just a while ago.

He had just expressed his concern for Theo to the Red Emperor in the name of Lorthorn, implying that the emperor should exercise restraint.

How dare Aura?
That red iron dragon, Garoth Ignas, how dare it?!

After Lorthorn made his stance clear, Aura did not seek negotiation or de-escalation, but instead chose the most brutal and direct method: overturning the chessboard.

This is not just targeting Theo; it is a trampling on the prestige of the Kingdom of Lorthene!
"Just a short while ago... I had a conversation with it."

Raymond slowly stood up, walked to the low cabinet beside him, poured himself a glass of water to moisten his throat, and drank it: "It rejected the alliance invitation from the New Federation, and now it has abducted the king of my friendly nation, Lorthorn..."

"This dragon is truly unbridled and lawless!"

"Seriously...they don't take me, Lortherne, seriously at all!"

A surge of anger, deeply offended, rose within Raymond, burning away his reason.

He could almost see the arrogant vertical pupils of that red iron dragon and hear the mockery contained in its deep voice.

Is Lorthorn's thousand-year glory and the great achievements of its past kings to be so scorned by a beast in his time?
But then he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, repeating this three times to force his wildly fluctuating emotions to gradually calm down.

There can be no chaos.

Anger solves nothing.

The Red Emperor... Garo Ignas.

This legendary dragon has done many incredible things since it founded the Kingdom of Aura, and it cannot be measured by the standards of an ordinary king or leader.

It is a dragon, a powerful and willful evil dragon.

Raymond had a strong premonition.

If this incident cannot be handled properly, and if Aura, this eccentric troublemaker, cannot be dealt with, then his grand blueprint for rebuilding the Federation and restoring Lortheon's former glory may suffer a fatal blow, or even be aborted.

He put down his water glass, turned to face the chief eunuch and the messenger, and his face regained the composure befitting a king.

"Convene an emergency imperial council meeting."

"Immediately notify the Commander-in-Chief of the Military, the Chief of Intelligence, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and..."

He paused slightly, his gaze becoming deep: "Please invite our ancestor Sodrian to come."

The name Sodrian seemed to possess a certain magic, causing the chief eunuch and the still-kneeling messenger to tremble slightly.

The chief eunuch bowed deeply: "Yes, Your Majesty."

He quickly turned around, signaling the messenger to follow, and the two hurriedly left the bedchamber, disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.

Raymond stood alone in the center of the bedroom, the night still dark outside the window.

He walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and the cold night wind rushed in, making his mind clearer. He gazed at the sleeping outline of Valdo, with the watchtower lights flickering in the distance.

"The Red Emperor... what a troublesome fellow."

He whispered to himself.

Half an hour later, in a small, confidential meeting room.

The atmosphere was somber as the senior officials of Lorthorn gathered.

The capture of the king of a friendly nation will have a tremendous impact.

The military commander-in-chief was the first to break the silence.

"This is a declaration of war! A blatant declaration of war!"

“Aura isn’t just slapping Theo, he’s slapping Lortheon in the face! A king of a friendly nation has been captured alive in his own court… Has there ever been such an absurd and vile precedent in the history of any nation?”

"We must respond with the strongest possible force, immediately sending reinforcements to the Theo border, and simultaneously issuing an ultimatum to Aura, demanding the unconditional release of King Thorfinn and a public apology and compensation for his barbaric acts! If they refuse..."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Then raise an army immediately and raze the Kingdom of Aura to the ground!"

Across from them, the intelligence chief, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes, spoke.

"Reinforcements? And then what?"

"A full-scale war with Aura?"

"The Aura are no longer the same as before. Their number of legends is indeed less than that of our country, but each one is not to be underestimated. Now, two more dragon legends have been added, and the Red Emperor himself... is a terrifying dragon that transcends common sense."

“A direct conflict with Aura would disrupt our plans and deplete the resources we have accumulated for rebuilding the Federation.”

"This is not good for us, Lortheron."

On the other side, the military commander frowned and said, "Are we just going to sit idly by? What prestige will the New Federation have then? What will the other kingdoms think of us?"

"Who would sincerely follow a leader who can't even protect the king of a friendly nation he promised to protect?"

He turned to the end of the long table, where King Raymond sat, who remained silent throughout.

The king had changed into formal everyday clothes, his hands were crossed on the table, and his face was calm and composed, revealing little emotion.

"Your Majesty, I insist that we must demonstrate our strength immediately!"

The military commander said in a deep voice, "Send troops to Aura, hurt them badly, and let the other kingdoms know just how powerful Lorthen is and how worthy of their following."

Raymond did not reply immediately; his gaze was lowered as he pondered quietly.

At this moment, the most senior Foreign Minister slowly spoke.

"Control, of course we have to."

"We absolutely cannot stand idly by when it comes to Theo's affairs, but we need a strategy for how to handle them."

He leaned forward slightly, his cane resting on the edge of the table.

"First, we need to make one thing clear: the Kingdom of Aura, at least in name, is still an ally of Lorthene. The old alliance is still in the archives, and it should not be treated as an enemy until the alliance is formally broken."

"Secondly, let's think about it from a different perspective."

"The Red Emperor's ruthless action in capturing King Thorfinn was undoubtedly fierce, but it also put himself and the Kingdom of Aura at a moral disadvantage."

"Today, the Red Emperor can deal with King Theo in such a way; tomorrow, will it use the same methods to deal with other kings or leaders who displease it?"

He paused, then his eyes gleamed: "However, this is actually a good thing for us."

The king looked toward the foreign minister.

After a long silence, he spoke for the first time, asking, "What do you mean by that?"

Under the watchful eyes of several people, the Foreign Minister smiled.

"Fear is a powerful adhesive."

“Some kingdoms that were previously hesitant or indecisive about joining the new federation, or that had doubts about Lorthern, may now empathize with King Thorfinn’s plight and feel a strong sense of crisis.”

The Foreign Minister chuckled and said, "We, Lortheon, now need a target that will make other kingdoms wary or even fearful."

"This will allow them to unite more closely under our Lorthene banner and seek protection."

"The Red Emperor and his kingdom are playing this role for us."

He looked at the king and continued, “Therefore, Your Majesty, our primary strategic objective now should not be to immediately engage in armed conflict with Aura. Instead, we should use this matter to isolate Aura diplomatically and in terms of public opinion, accelerate the consolidation of the internal unity of the new federation, and more quickly draw those panicked kingdoms into our system.”

“As for Theo…” Minister Ethan picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.

"With King Thorfinn captured, Theo is bound to be in turmoil. We can act immediately to support a reliable and pro-Lothern candidate to stabilize the situation in Theo and prevent it from collapsing further or even descending into civil war due to the king's disappearance."

“A stable and reliable Theo can serve as our springboard or shield.”

In the eyes of the high-ranking officials of the Kingdom of Lorthen, Theo's value lies in his ability to restrain Aura.

In the early days of Aura's founding, the kingdom was unstable and surrounded by powerful enemies. At that time, Lorthern was happy to see this happen and provided some support almost free of charge, hoping that this northern beast could tear the kingdom apart and weaken the kingdom of Reibers.

Lorthorn got what he wanted.

But who could have predicted that, under the leadership of the Red Emperor, the Kingdom of Aura would grow at an astonishing speed, and even begin to influence Lorthen in turn?

So, things are different now.

Theo has gone from being an adversary that needed to be attacked to an ally that needed to be supported to contain Aura.

The debate then continued.

The content mainly revolves around the clash between two approaches: 'tough counterattack' and 'slow influence'.

King Raymond listened quietly, his eyes deep in thought, weighing the pros and cons.

A moment later, a soft cough was heard. Almost simultaneously, everyone looked up and turned towards the source of the sound.

Sometime later, the tightly closed door was opened.

A figure stepped out from the dim light of the corridor outside the door and into the bright light of the hall.

It was a figure that looked very young.

He looked very young, with the face of a boy of about seventeen or eighteen, with smooth black hair, a peaceful brow, and clear eyes, yet also as if he had been through many years. He wore an unremarkable old round shield and an old-fashioned longsword at his waist, dressed simply.

Whether it's a shield or a longsword, you can see many tiny cracks and even small nicks on it.

It's as if it has accompanied its owner through countless fierce battles, weathered many storms, yet was never abandoned.

At the same time, the moment this boy-like person stepped into the hall, an indescribable and peculiar feeling enveloped everyone.

It felt like a kind of... stagnation.

It was as if the light, the flow of air, and even the propagation of sound around him became slow and clear, the light cast a halo around him, and the trajectory of suspended dust particles was visible to the naked eye.

Sodrien Lorthern.

A member of the royal family, an ancestor of King Raymond, who lived for over four hundred years.

At the same time, he is known as the 'Royal Charioteer' and is the strongest living being in the Kingdom of Lorthen.

Below him, during the postwar period of rapid development, Lorthern produced a relatively young Grand Master, but neither his strength nor his experience could compare to Sodrian.

Two legendary figures coexisted in the same era, which is the source of the confidence for the Kingdom of Lorthen in its attempt to recreate its former glory.

"Ancestor, you have arrived."

King Raymond rose from his seat, gave the boy a slight nod, and addressed him with respectful honorifics.

Other high-ranking officials also rose and bowed in greeting.

In Lorthorn, Raymond is the nominal king, in charge of government affairs, but Sodrien Lorthorn is the undisputed pillar of the kingdom, the uncrowned king.

If Sodrian were willing to devote his time to governing the country, he could easily take the throne himself.

However, not all legends are as omnipotent as the Holy King, who is knowledgeable and exceptionally talented in many fields.

Sodrian devoted almost his entire life to honing his combat skills and improving his combat prowess. He had little interest in, and considered himself not good at, the trivial matters of state.

His role in Lorthorn was more that of a transcendent guardian.

Sodrian walked slowly and stopped a short distance from King Raymond.

"I already know the general outline of Theo's situation."

“The Red Emperor, Garo Ignas… He is more unpredictable than your father anticipated, and is a… rather dangerous being.”

His voice sounded somewhat aged, quite different from his face.

Across from him, Raymond felt a chill run down his spine and asked, "How did the ancestor make his judgment?"

Sodrian pondered for a moment and said, "His own legendary level is not too high, but he can easily break through the magic arrays guarding the royal court on both sides and capture the king alive."

"In terms of destruction, he surpasses us humans in the highest rank."

"Moreover, he should possess certain skills in breaking spells or anchoring space."

Upon hearing this, Raymond pressed on, asking the most crucial question: "Ancestor, if you... were to personally confront him, are you confident of victory?"

Sodrian remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he looked at the king again.

"I cannot give you a specific answer until we have actually made contact and clashed."

"Battles at the level of rank, domain, characteristics, and racial legend have too many variables. Even the environment and luck at the time can affect the final result."

At this point, he slightly changed the subject.

"However, since I enjoy the offerings of generations of the Kingdom of Lorthern and live in a country established by my ancestors, compatriots, and descendants, I naturally bear the responsibility of protecting the continuation and prosperity of Lorthern."

"Your father, the former king, O'Brien."

"His assessment of the Red Emperor during his lifetime was complex. He admired the power and wisdom of this dragon king, but he also keenly realized that this dragon might one day appear on the opposite side of Lorthorn's interests and become a huge problem."

"Therefore, he specifically entrusted me with this task before his death."

Sodrian's voice lowered slightly, becoming more serious, as he continued, "If future kings, after careful consideration, ultimately determine that the Red Emperor's existence poses a significant threat to the Kingdom of Lorthen that must be eradicated..."

"Then I will spare no expense to personally organize and carry out the decapitation of the Red Emperor."

At any cost.

He said the words "at all costs" very softly, but everyone present felt a chill.

That could very well mean an unconventional battle, or even... a willingness to perish together.

Raymond's heart raced, and a complex mix of emotions flashed in his eyes.

Beheading the Red Emperor?
Although the ancestor didn't directly answer whether he was 100% certain, since he made a promise to spare no expense, Raymond didn't believe the Red Emperor would easily survive if he truly decided to go all out.

Sodrien Lorthern, the "Royal Charioteer," did not earn this title out of thin air.

Sodrian's legendary path was not based on any rare or powerful bloodline or hidden profession.

He was initially just an ordinary shield-and-sword warrior, following a very common path in the warrior system.

This approach often performs only moderately well compared to others at the same level.

However, Sodrian honed the ordinary to its extreme.

Through day after day, year after year of honing his skills, through countless tedious dawns and nights, he honed his swordsmanship and shield-wielding techniques to an unbelievable level. He was also quite talented and had the kingdom's resources to support him, so his level steadily increased.

Then, at the moment of his ascension to the Grand rank, his domain was strengthened.

The originally ordinary swordsman underwent a fundamental transformation and sublimation, allowing him to glimpse and master a trace of the great power to interfere with the time dimension!

Although it was only a trace, it was enough to transform him completely.

In the application of shield magic, Sodrian can extend the field to the shield surface.

If you can block an enemy's attack just before it hits your shield, you can not only provide absolute defense, but also reverse all the damage and injure the attacker instead.

In swordsmanship, the effect of the domain is even more wondrous.

If he can dodge an attack at the last second, his domain will affect the flow of time, making the flow of time on his body relatively faster, and his own perception will be able to keep up with the changes in time, thus allowing him to counterattack the enemy at an unimaginable speed.

They all have an abnormally high requirement for timing, allowing no room for error.

But Sodrian possesses unparalleled skill, always able to capture the perfect moment in the blink of an eye.

Or rather
It was precisely because he possessed such extraordinary skills that he received a corresponding domain enhancement when he achieved the Grand rank.

The pinnacle of skill, and the Grand Domain that holds the secrets of time.

The combination of these two factors made him both the strongest shield and the sharpest sword in the Kingdom of Lorthen.

"Although the Red Emperor is strong, his physical body alone is comparable to a natural disaster, but in front of the ancestor Sodrian who can interfere with time, he would probably have a hard time gaining an advantage, and might even be restrained... The power of time is really too transcendent."

Raymond's thoughts were in turmoil.

"If our ancestor could go a step further and break through to the Heavenly Mandate level, he might be even more terrifying than our Holy King ancestor in terms of combat."

“It’s a pity,” he sighed inwardly. “Time waits for no one. After reaching the highest level, our ancestors’ appearance and physical functions returned to their most youthful state, but their actual lifespan did not increase as a result, leaving them with no hope of reaching the Destiny Realm.”

He gathered his scattered thoughts and refocused his attention on the crucial decision at hand.

Decapitating the Red Emperor would solve the biggest variable, Aura, once and for all.

Given the Aura Kingdom's distorted structure, which heavily relies on the Red Emperor, the entire kingdom would collapse and fall apart in the blink of an eye if it lost this dragon.

At that time, this most dangerous troublemaker among the Romanian countries will no longer exist.

But what then?

The Foreign Minister's words echoed in my ears once again.

The existence of Aura and the Red Emperor is actually a good thing for his grand plan to rebuild the Federation.

If the Romanian states continue in their current state, with each kingdom paying lip service while secretly resisting, when will he be able to make Lorthon great again?

Will he live to see that day?

Conversely, if a powerful, barbaric, and unruly public enemy like the Red Emperor exists, constantly stimulating the fears of the surrounding kingdoms and making them feel that their safety is seriously threatened, then their desire to seek refuge and band together for warmth will be unprecedentedly strong.

Lorthorn would naturally be their first choice for allegiance.

The cohesion of the federation may actually be formed more quickly as a result.

Using the fire ignited by the Red Emperor, forge the new federation he desires!

Thinking this, the contemplation in Raymond's eyes was gradually replaced by determination. He raised his head and looked again at the Grand Ancestor standing in front of him, a resolute expression on his face.

"Ancestor Soderrian".

“My father’s dying wish for you was very necessary and the most responsible arrangement for our kingdom. However, I believe that beheading should be our last resort, not our first choice at this moment.”

Sodrian listened quietly, his youthful, handsome face showing no change in expression, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Human life is too short. In order to explore higher realms within his limited lifespan, he has been immersed in cultivation for many years. He is neither good at nor interested in deeply understanding the complex and unpredictable affairs of state.

Since the current king, after discussion in the royal council and his own consideration, believes that now is not the time to behead him, he will not act rashly.

He is Lorthorn's guardian, not his decision-maker.

"The decapitation plan will be put on hold for now."

Sodrian glanced at the King and added unhurriedly, "Raymond, you are the King. Your judgment dictates the course of the kingdom. If at some point in the future you change your mind and decide that the Red Emperor, this threat, must be eliminated..."

"Tell me when the time comes."

After saying this, his figure gradually blurred and disappeared into the council hall.

The remaining high-ranking officials looked at each other, and finally their gazes all fell on the king.

The meeting then continued, and the details of some specific actions were finalized.

After the final plan was finalized and everyone dispersed, the deep night outside the window began to show some light, and dawn was approaching.

The king was walking up a set of steps.

When he arrived at the terrace of the highest tower in the royal court, the sky was already turning a clear, pale white. The night was receding silently like the tide, and the city of Valdo was gradually awakening in the morning light, its outline clearly defined.

"Red Emperor... the fire you have started is exactly what I want. Let's see who can better control the flames and achieve their goal in the end."

The king stood in the brisk morning breeze, his gaze sweeping across the vast land.

Bathed in the light of the rising sun, it seemed as if flames were burning in his eyes as well.

Its name is ambition, its name is aspiration.

(End of this chapter)