Evil Red Dragon

Chapter 79 Arrival

Cyril has been in a bad mood lately; to be precise, he's mentally broken down.

As Alecto flew overhead, dragging Olivera along, as Olivera cried out pitifully for her brother Alecto, as he discovered that there was still a dragon realm on Red Peak—

Cyril was utterly desperate.

This is a red baby dragon from the Dragon Realm!

Moreover, Alecto was not only larger in size, but his magic was also stronger than his.

Bahamut above! Tiamat below! What kind of freak is this?!

Cyril lay in his cold, lonely lair, feeling his dragon life was shrouded in gloom.

"Dragon Domain————"

He muttered to himself, his voice echoing through the nest: "How old is he? How could he be—"

As a bronze dragon who had lived for nearly two hundred years, Cyril knew very well what the Dragon Realm meant.

The formation of a dragon realm requires two conditions: one is the complete control and transformation of a piece of land, and the other is a qualitative change in the power of the dragon itself.

Dragon Realm is the outward manifestation of the dragons' power, representing their complete conquest and transformation of a land.

Generally speaking, this requires strength at least at the age of adulthood, as well as decades or even centuries of managing the territory.

But what about Alecto?

Even disregarding age, judging solely from his physique, Alecto is definitely not yet a teenager; he's at most just entered adolescence.

And this territory of his was probably established in less than ten years.

What does this mean?

This meant that the red dragon's talent far exceeded his expectations, that its growth rate was terrifying, and that—

For the rest of my life, I may really not be able to escape it.

"What kind of monster did I mess with?!"

Cyril buried his head in his front paws and let out a muffled whimper.

Two hundred years of freedom, two hundred years of accumulation, all lost in a single day.

Even more tragically, he is now gradually losing even his resentment.

Although Alecto was domineering, at least he kept his word.

They promised to reward him, and they did; they entrusted him with the construction, and they actually gave him the authority to plan the city walls.

The feeling of being treated as a useful talent rather than a mere slave subtly alleviated his sense of humiliation.

"Could this be part of his scheme? —"

Cyril suddenly became alert.

A slap followed by a sweet treat is the most basic technique for managing subordinates.

Even knowing this, when he got the bag of gold coins, he still couldn't help but feel a shameful joy.

Cyril shook his head, banishing these distracting thoughts, and forced himself to focus on the important matter at hand.

But my thoughts kept drifting involuntarily to that even more terrifying question:

If Alecto continues to grow like this, if this red dragon truly breaks through to the legendary level, or even reaches a higher realm—

Then, as a vassal, wouldn't I also be—

"Bahamut—"

Cyril gazed at the top of the lair, a look of dejection in his dragon eyes: "It seems like my life has truly ended."

At the same time, in Greystone Town.

Night fell, but the lord's manor in the town center was still brightly lit.

The banquet hall had been rearranged, with a white tablecloth covering the long table and expensive candles in silver candlesticks, the flickering flames illuminating the delicious dishes on the table.

Bishop Linus sat in the main seat, a genuine smile on his face.

Today he changed out of his signature red robe and into a white robe, which made him look both dignified and approachable.

Sitting opposite him was Andre, the commander of the Holy Knights Order and a level six peak paladin.

He looks to be in his early 30s, but he is actually over 80, though the Holy Light keeps him in his prime physique and appearance.

Andrei's short hair was meticulously combed, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. Even when sitting at the banquet, his back was ramrod straight, as if he were ready to draw his sword and fight at any moment.

"Your Excellency Andrei, you must be tired from your journey."

Linus raised his glass, which contained Crimson Dew, a magical red wine from a southern vineyard: "The conditions in Greystone Town are simple; I hope you won't find them offensive."

"You're too kind, Your Excellency."

Andrei raised his glass in return: "It is our mission to sweep away darkness. Wherever light is needed, we will go."

The two exchanged a smile and drank their wine in one gulp.

Servants moved about during the meal, constantly bringing out new dishes.

Golden-brown, crispy roast suckling pig; roast goose drizzled with honey sauce; beef short ribs marinated in spices and slow-cooked —

These delicacies, considered luxuries in Greystone Town, were commonplace in Andrei's eyes.

Andrei slowly cut off a piece of suckling pig and put it in his mouth. After chewing slowly, he said in a low voice, "The Holy Light Knights and I cannot stay here any longer. Bishop Raphael of Twin Moon City is being suffocated by the Thirteenth Princess and needs me to take the Holy Light Knights back to help."

"What was the situation in Twin Moon City like before you came here?"

Linus asked casually, gesturing for the guard to pour Andrei another cup.

Andrei frowned slightly.

"Not good."

He put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "The Thirteenth Princess's methods are more drastic than I expected."

"Under the pretext of cracking down on aristocratic corruption, she has already purged three minor noble families in the past month, and now her target is Bishop Raphael."

Linus nodded; he had also heard about this information through church channels.

Twin Moon City is a key city in the northern border of the Kingdom of Calando, where the Church and the Royal Family have been vying for power for decades.

Originally, the two sides were evenly matched, with the church controlling most of the temples and believers in the city, while the royal family held administrative power and garrison power.

But Elena's arrival disrupted this balance, as the princess was clearly not satisfied with the superficial co-rule.

"When I was leaving, Bishop Raphael hoped that I could stay."

Andrei continued, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "He said that Elena seems to have the shadow of the Witches' Guild around her, and the city's defenses and church knights alone probably can't stop them."

"Witches' Association————"

Linus narrowed his eyes slightly: "Those rats hiding in the shadows have indeed been far too active lately."

"I even smashed up a tavern run by the Witches' Guild in town. They were so audacious as to openly use their organization's name as a signboard."

He paused, then changed the subject: "However, Your Excellency Andre, I think Bishop Raphael may be too pessimistic."

"Oh?"

Andrei looked up at Linus.

"How so?"

"What Princess Elena wants is nothing more than actual control of Twin Moon City."

Linus said slowly, "The royal family and the church are ultimately allies. At least on the surface, her purging of nobles and suppression of church power are ultimately aimed at consolidating her own power base, not at completely breaking ties with the church."

He picked up his wine glass and gently swirled the deep red liquid inside: "Let her have Twin Moon City. As long as those dozens of surrounding towns remain under our control, and as long as the trade routes to the North are still in the hands of the Church, Twin Moon City will be ours sooner or later."

"A lone city can't cause any trouble."

Andrei remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words.

As a paladin, he was better at fighting than politics, but he still had basic judgment.

Linus's point is not without merit.

The importance of Twin Moon City lies in its radiating influence, rather than the city itself.

If the surrounding villages and resource points are still in the hands of the church, then the Thirteenth Princess is only occupying an empty shell.

"Your Excellency sees things clearly."

Andrei finally nodded: "But the Holy Light Knights cannot stay in Graystone Town for long. I have received orders from the Archbishop that after resolving the threat here, we must set off for Twin Moon City by next month at the latest. Every day of delay increases the pressure on Bishop Raphael."

Linus smiled.

It was a smile of complete confidence.

"Your Excellency need not be in a hurry regarding the time."

He put down his wine glass and leaned forward slightly: "In fact, I have a plan that might make the Holy Light Knights' short stay in Graystone Town generate far more value than expected."

Andrei raised an eyebrow: "I'd like to hear the details."

Linus did not answer directly, but stood up and walked to the huge map hanging on one side of the banquet hall.

That was a detailed topographical map of Graystone Town and the surrounding area, with resource points and monster lairs marked in different colors.

"Lord Andrei, look here."

Linus's finger landed on the location of Graystone Town: "Graystone Town is located north of the Endless Mountains. It has a good geographical location, abundant regional resources, and is rich in medicinal herbs and rare magical beast materials. After decades of development, it has met most of the conditions for building a city."

Andrei also stood up and walked to the map to examine it carefully.

As an experienced commander, he quickly noticed something amiss.

"This place definitely has the potential to become a city."

He pondered for a moment and said, "But the risks are equally enormous. The dragonborn you mentioned, aren't they nearby?"

"The location is still uncertain, but it should be near the Endless Mountains, since they have nowhere else to go."

Linus nodded: "But that's the key."

He turned around and looked directly into Andrei's eyes: "If the Holy Knights can take this opportunity to completely eliminate the threats around Graystone Town, not only the Dragonborn, but also the powerful magical beasts lurking in the area—"

Linus grew increasingly excited: "Then Graystone will transform from a small outpost into a core stronghold radiating throughout the entire region."

"At that time, I will personally apply to the archbishop to establish a permanent teleportation array here."

"Once the teleportation array is completed, there will be no more obstacles between Graystone Town and Twin Moon City, and the church's resources and personnel can be deployed at any time."

He paused for a moment, letting the idea ferment in Andrei's mind.

"Think about it, Your Excellency."

"A new city, completely controlled by the church, possesses abundant resources and guards the northern route. At that time, no matter how the situation changes in Twin Moon City, we will have a solid foothold here."

A glint of light flashed in Linus's eyes: "And this credit will be credited to the Holy Light Knights, under your name, Commander Andre."

Andrei remained silent.

He stared at Graystone Town on the map, his mind racing.

As a paladin, his primary mission is to spread the faith of the God of Light and to eliminate darkness and evil.

But if, while fulfilling its mission, it can also expand the church's territory and establish a new strategic foothold—

This is undoubtedly a tremendous achievement.

More importantly, Linus's proposal solved a practical problem: the Holy Light Knights had to get to Twinmoon City as soon as possible, but the threat from Graystone Town did need to be dealt with.

If a strategy of thorough eradication rather than targeted elimination is adopted, although more troops will be deployed initially, once successful, it can solve the problem once and for all.

"How long will it take?"

Andrei finally spoke.

"If we go all out, it will only take a month."

Linus had already calculated: "The Holy Light Knights have a hundred knights, and with the church's armed forces that I've mobilized, the total strength will exceed three hundred. Combined with the local adventurers and mercenaries of Graystone Town, forming a thousand-strong extermination force won't be a problem."

He pointed to several markers on the map: "Let's start with the most immediate threat, the dire wolf pack in the northwest. These level 3 magical beasts are numerous, but low in intelligence. We can take them out within a day with a heavy knight charge combined with divine purification."

Andrei listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

The plan sounds feasible.

The Holy Knights are best at this kind of direct, head-on elimination, using their absolute strength and equipment advantage to crush all enemies.

"But there's a problem."

Andrei suddenly said.

"You mentioned before that you suspected those dragonborn were backed by red dragons. If that's true, and if we encounter them unexpectedly, then—"

Linus's smile faded slightly.

"Are you aware of that prophecy?"

Andrei curled his lip and said nonchalantly, "I know, but there are so many red dragons in the world, who knows which one it is? Recently, a new adult red dragon has appeared in the south, known as the Flame Tyrant."

Linus said slowly, "Regardless of whether it is him or not, if the Red Dragon really gets involved—we must send that one out."

"If we really have to send that out—"

Andrei said slowly, "Then this roundup won't be so worthwhile."

Once that thing is activated, it will consume a lot of resources, and he will have to produce a detailed report after the battle.

The thought of writing that long and tedious report gave Andrei a headache.

Therefore, he does not want to start it unless absolutely necessary.

"but----"

Linus shook his head and corrected him, "We are not just stopping the resurgence of evil, we are also seizing land for the Church."

He returned to the table, raised his glass again: "So, Lord Andrei, are you willing to join me in securing this victory for the God of Light?"

Andrei remained silent for a moment.

Then, he also raised his glass.

May the light endure forever.

Two wine glasses clinked lightly in the air, making a crisp sound.

The night outside the window grew even darker.

On the streets of Greystone Town, patrolling church knights carried torches as they walked by, the sound of their armor scraping against each other particularly clear in the silence.

The candlelight in the banquet hall cast long shadows of the two people on the wall, swaying with the flickering flames.

Night fell as darkness as ink, and the hustle and bustle of Graystone Town gradually subsided, leaving only the occasional drunken shouts and curses from the new tavern.

Linus stood by the study window, gazing into the darkness in the distance.

Andrei had already taken his leave two hours earlier. The Holy Light Knights' headquarters were located outside the town, and the commander insisted on living with his subordinates.

Paladins' stubbornness is always reflected in these details.

"So, you still haven't found them?"

Linus turned around and looked at the figure sitting in the shadows.

Ronan slowly emerged from the darkness, the candlelight illuminating his face.

"No, Marcus and the others are still searching. Perhaps they've already migrated away—"

Linus shook his head slightly.

Impossible. Once a red dragon has chosen its lair, it rarely changes its location.

"Increase your efforts and keep searching. I don't believe we can't find them; they must still be there!"

'

Ronan nodded helplessly and stepped back.