Beneath the Red Dragon

"You refuse to join the Imperial government and don’t wish to become my companion. I have the right to expel you from the territories surrounding the Empire,"

After persistently pursuing to no avail, this Young Red Dragon immediately turned ruthless.

For a Red Dragon to humble himself like this is one thing, but to receive no respect at all, it’s truly a blow to this Young Male Dragon’s pride.

"Tch, Chris mentioned that the Empire’s Code allows us Wild Dragons to nest around the perimeter, as long as we don’t disrupt Imperial order and law. Kedelos, don’t try to fool me, I’m not one of those idiots,"

The Female Dragon Delos proudly swayed her slender dragon tail, causing the lush thorns and wild grass on the ground to rustle loudly.

"This is also a protective policy set by the Dragon Emperor for the race itself. Do you have the guts to defy the Emperor’s will? If you really have that courage and strength, even if your reputation worsens tenfold, I wouldn’t mind becoming your companion."

Kedelos straightened his neck, wanting to retort but couldn’t find the words. He could intimidate those less skilled in communication and rash Wild Dragons, but Delos, this Female Red Dragon, was not that kind of Red Dragon.

Before Kedelos’s muscle-bound, magma-filled brain could think of a retort, the high-pitched roar of fledgling dragons echoed through the field.

One by one, the brightly scaled fledglings stopped fighting, raised their giant heads, spread their wings, and together bared their milky white fangs to the sky, letting out wild roars.

The two Young Red Dragons quickly looked up to see two massive Giant Dragons descending from the sky, each comparable in size to Young Male Red Dragon Kedelos, if not larger.

These two dragons had spiky, horn-like structures on their heads resembling a sea of sharp teeth, and their jaws bore tooth-shaped protrusions like a beard made of fangs.

Their bodies were covered in black-gray skin with bony plates extending from their joints, forming protruding spikes. The tips of their tails bore scythe-like bony blades, and their broad, long wings clearly marked them as exceptionally quick dragons.

Although these two dragons did not unleash their Dragon Power, their overwhelming presence revealed a breed of dragon that Kedelos had never encountered—greedy, ruthless, and self-serving.

However, despite the formidable presence of these two dragons, they did not intimidate the group of fledglings in the field.

Under the dominion of the Golden Empire, these fledglings occupied the top tier, their innate pride and the strong military backing of the Golden Empire emboldening them to roar at two Adult Giant Dragons.

Though to the Adult Giants, the chirping Dragon Language of the fledglings was as laughable as the barking of puppies.

The Young Red Dragon Kedelos and Delos calmly rose from the hill, their wings still gathered, but their expressions had grown much colder.

In the nearby hill forest, the faint silhouettes of War Lizardman Reilly and the War Lizard Warrior Corps emerged, shadowy figures filling the hilly woods.

Several potent Armor-Piercing Magical Artifacts discreetly took aim at the two descending dragons.

While these War Lizards did not interfere with the Young Red Dragon’s romantic endeavors, they consistently remained vigilant for the future of the Dragon Empire.

"Are you a dragon of the Golden Empire?"

Ignoring the chirping fledglings, the two Adult Giants landed directly on the hill, facing the two Young Red Dragons, exposing their thick fangs and speaking.

Only then did the Young Red Dragon notice that one of the Adult Giants’ tails had a bloody, battered, hand-and-foot-broken person hanging from it, or rather, a dragon.

It was a dragon beaten and bound by the two Adult Giants, then tied to one of their tails.

The Young Red Dragon Kedelos nodded steadily, baring his fangs as he boldly declared, "I am indeed the Patrol Commander of the Golden Empire, Kedelos. You all had better not cause trouble around the Empire, unless you are looking for a beating."

A Gray-scaled Dragon furrowed its brow, unable to help commenting, "Why are you so impolite, just like a Wild Dragon? I’ve heard that the Giant Dragons of the Golden Empire are friendly to all dragon species, as long as other dragons don’t become their enemies."

"Oh, don’t misunderstand, he is the most reckless dragon in the Empire. Besides, he is a Red-scaled dragon. You know, not every Red Scale is as exceptional as the Emperor of the Empire. Moreover, not all Wild Dragons are this rude!"

The Female Red Dragon Delos gave her young companion a sidelong glance, speaking with coy sarcasm.

"Understood," another Gray-scaled Dragon nodded earnestly, then said, "In that case, you should take us to the dragons in the Empire who truly make the decisions because you do seem quite unreliable."

The Young Red Dragon’s face froze momentarily, and he muttered, "I am also one of the dragon rulers of the Empire. You can talk to me about anything, and only if it is beyond my ability to handle will it be referred to another Dragon Lord. This is also the Empire’s regulation."

"Furthermore, neither of you has mentioned your names or intentions, so I find that also lacking in manners!"

"I am Naluo, and he is Naka. We are brothers born of the same clutch," the elder Gray-scaled Dragon explained, "These are our pseudonyms on our travels. You see, we Gray Dragons are the most outstanding hunters among the Colorful Dragons, always requiring code names for our tasks."

"Naka and I have not been in Aikania for long, but we know some of the sordid dealings between the Golden Empire and the Southern Good Dragon Alliance,"

"Therefore, using our contacts and intelligence, we intercepted this posturing Silver Dragon Envoy sent by the Southern Good Dragon Alliance, gave him a good beating, and tied him up to deliver to you for handling."

The Gray Dragon known as Naluo declared loudly, "I’ve heard the Emperor of the Golden Empire is generous and a reputable monarch, so my brother Naka and I wish to use this token to see if we might establish ourselves here as a base."

"? Isn’t this your idea of reliability?"

Even with his limited knowledge, Young Red Dragon Kedelos was stunned by the Gray Dragon’s words. Except for Brass Dragon Holister, no envoy dispatched by the Good Dragon Alliance ever had a good outcome.

That Adult Golden Dragon is still tied up in the mountains by the Multi-armed Giant Mogyes, and now this Silver Dragon was captured by two Gray Dragons. The Golden Empire hasn’t even intervened yet.

So the Young Red Dragon could only mutter, "Fine, I’ll take you to see Alina then!"

The Gray Dragon named Naka smiled, whispering, "See, didn’t I tell you he’s unreliable?"

Young Red Dragon Kedelos snorted two strands of sparks from his nostrils, suppressing his heated mind, and roared towards the group of fledglings in the field.

"Roll over here, time to go back, you little brats!"

A scattered group of fledglings flapped their wings, clumsily flying over. A battered Red Dragon fledgling landed as well, its vertical pupils filled with anticipation, looking up at its mother, the Young Female Dragon Delos.

"Mother?"

The Young Female Dragon showed an impatient expression, stretching out her wings to shove her offspring aside, muttering, "Off with you, off with you. Staying here means I’ll have to worry about taking care of you, so hurry up and leave."

Thus, Young Red Dragon Kedelos, along with the two Adult Gray Dragons, flew towards the Empire’s domain, followed by a trailing line of fledglings.