A Dragon against the Whole World

"You want to give me fifty units of Black Oil Crystal?"

When Galos received the message from Iron Dragon Gordon through the blood connection, he felt a surge of surprise. The thick dragon tail thumped on the ground, leaving deep furrows, his heart was not quite calm.

However, he quickly took several deep breaths to suppress the surging emotions.

"Tell her I don’t need this reward for now."

He responded in the blood connection.

The reason is clear, most of Ripos Kingdom’s camp outposts in the wilderness are now within the power range of other Regional Kings. If he continues to attack these outposts, there will inevitably be direct conflict with the Mountain King or Fungus King.

This contradicts his current strategy of steady development.

The benefits are enormous, but the potential risks are also high.

Galos is not ready to change his current development strategy for this.

On the other side, Iron Dragon Gordon seemed to have predicted this and immediately said, "I guessed you might say that."

"However, Galos, Alina has emphasized that this is not a transaction nor a payment."

"She clearly stated that this is a free gift, requiring us to do nothing, and will be directly given to us."

Gift?

Red Iron Dragon fell into a brief contemplation.

A gift without immediate repayment, the meaning is unspoken, and although it is said to be free, there is actually a price behind it, to be treated with caution.

After a period of contemplation.

Ultimately, he decided to accept this goodwill.

"I understand, please thank her for the gift on my behalf."

Galos said to Gordon.

He was well aware that the war among the Southern Countries is a prolonged struggle, unlikely to see an end anytime soon.

Even if the Lotheren Kingdom fails to secure victory, with its deep heritage, it will not easily crumble, at most its national power will be damaged, its status will decline, but no matter what, it remains a giant kingdom that has stood for a thousand years.

Maintaining a good relationship with such a potentially powerful ally is more beneficial than detrimental at this stage.

"There’s one more thing, Galos."

Gordon’s tone became particularly serious.

He relayed word for word, without omission or alteration, what King O’Brien of Lothern Kingdom said when he personally visited the training ground.

After listening to Gordon’s recitation, Galos’s expression became solemn and focused.

However, he did not show any signs of tension or panic.

The fact that the Crystal Princess’s transactions with the Dragon Group were known to the king did not come as a surprise to him.

Within the Royal Court, few things can truly escape the Iron Blood King’s eyes.

As for the king’s seemingly friendly gesture, its subtext was more like a kindly reminder or an invisible delineation.

He allows this cooperation to exist, but hopes the Giant Dragon will exercise restraint and not harm the Lotheren Kingdom’s interests.

Moreover, the king’s attitude itself conveys a message.

——He does not view the actions of the Dragon Group in the wilderness as a threat.

This is the most normal reaction.

In the eyes of those who rule giant kingdoms and gaze upon broader battlefields, the conflicts between Regional Kings in the Sel Wilderness are merely "hens pecking," once the southern conflict settles, no matter the victor, a Legendary Powerhouses leading an elite corps can easily sweep the wilderness, restoring order.

On the contrary, the news of Lothern King deciding to lead a personal campaign surprised Galos.

The king clearly discontent with being confined to the throne, intends to emulate forebears, stabilizing rule with notable military achievements, possibly even expanding territories.

At this point, Iron Dragon Gordon couldn’t resist commenting, "Arrogant humans!"

"Although he’s legendary, the battlefield is unpredictable, knives and swords know no eyes, even legends face the risk of falling, leaving the stable royal court for perilous terrains is not a wise move."

He paused, then inquired, "Galos, what do you think?"

Red Iron Dragon slightly shook his head, with a deep gaze, said, "Right or wrong, it’s too early to conclude."

History is always written by the victors.

The Lotheren Saint King also chose to lead a campaign back then, perhaps initially regarded as a risky move, but now the annals only sing praises of his martial achievements and honors.

Time will reveal the ultimate right and wrong.

With Galos’s current perspective and information, he cannot judge the success or failure of King O’Brien’s actions.

Additionally, the news about the imminent awakening of Legendary Guards also caught Galos’s attention.

Once those ancient entities enter the battlefield, they will significantly tilt the scales of war, forcing opposing factions to deploy their deep reserves. In terms of historical accumulation and legendary heritage, the Lotheren Kingdom undoubtedly holds the advantage.

King’s personal campaign, surrounded by Legendary Guards...

If the front line achieves successive victories as a result, the morale of the Lotheren faction will soar to the extreme, possibly shaking some powers that were originally wavering, or even supporting the Ripos Kingdom.

Galos speculates that this is possibly the scenario King O’Brien hopes to see.

With overwhelming force, breaking the stalemate.

Nonetheless, regardless of the final outcome, the intensity of southern conflicts will inevitably escalate rapidly, entering a stage of fierce heat.

This is not good news for Galos.

"The longer the Southern Countries’ war remains stagnant, the more time I have for stable development. Conversely, if the war quickly decides a victor, I will lose this precious window."