Chapter 332: Chapter 285: The Strange and Impatient Golden Dragon (Part 3)

Whew.

A strong gust of wind rose, accompanied by the faint sound of metal friction.

The elegant figure of Red Silver Dragon Deborah hovered slightly above the watchtower, like a gliding hawk, then gracefully folded her wings and landed beside the Red Iron Dragon.

She adjusted her posture, sitting with a noble and elegant demeanor, her four legs slightly together beside the Red Iron Dragon.

"What are you looking at?"

Deborah’s slender neck tilted slightly, her eyes fixed on Galos.

Carefully avoiding the fierce, sword-like spines on Galos, she gently poked his broad and sturdy shoulder with the tip of her agile and delicate tail.

"The future."

The Red Iron Dragon’s answer was exceptionally concise, his gaze still locked on the southern horizon.

Upon hearing this, Red Silver Dragon Deborah instinctively followed Galos’ gaze, looking toward the distant southern wilderness sky.

But soon, she withdrew her gaze, refocusing on the Red Iron Dragon beside her.

"It seems you’re ready to return to the Sel Wilderness."

She knew Galos’ past — he was forced by circumstances to retreat to this wild and barren borderland.

Although in this land, he step by step established a vast foundation and became the formidable King of the Borderland.

But in Deborah’s view.

A flame deep in Galos’ heart never extinguished.

Whether to wash away the shame of being forced to leave, to avenge past grievances, or for the far richer and more enticing resources and infinite possibilities of the wilderness, returning to that homeland was both reasonable and imperative.

The Red Silver Dragon tilted her head, curiosity in her voice:

"So... what specific opportunity or event... made you finally decide to return to the wilderness at this time?"

She wanted to know the straw that broke the camel’s back, compelling Galos to make his final decision.

Galos did not turn back; he succinctly outlined the situation regarding his contact with Crystal Princess Alina.

"The Lothern Federation?"

Deborah’s eyes instantly flashed with clear astonishment and concern.

"You want to get involved in the internal affairs of that colossal entity? Galos, isn’t this a bit too risky?"

"That’s an enormous federation composed of many powerful kingdoms, with a deep foundation and power. Its waters are deep enough to drown a Giant Dragon, even one at the Legendary Realm, making it hard to handle a problem as big as the Lotheren Kingdom."

Galos shook his head.

"Deborah, you’ve got one thing wrong."

He slowly turned his head, looking at the Red Silver Dragon, correcting her misunderstanding.

"The potential collaboration partner with me, or rather with us, the Molten Iron Tribe... has never been the entire Lothern Federation, not even the Lotheren Kingdom itself."

"The one I’ve been talking to is merely a princess named Alina."

With a slight pause, Galos said, "Moreover, this Princess, due to her youth spent immersed in the study of magic and not actively participating in the brutal power games within the Royal Court, does not hold a position within the complex power network of the Lotheren Kingdom that can influence the kingdom’s decision-making."

"However."

"The resources she controls—especially that rich magic crystal vein—are of unparalleled value and scale, incomparable to those of ordinary noble lords, exactly what we currently need."

"More importantly."

"Up to this point, the true rulers at the pinnacle of power, representing the core of the Federation such as Lothern and Ripos, have shown no intention of getting involved directly, stripped and ready for a fight."

"The current ignition of war and battlefield presence at the borders are only conducted by their subordinate duchies, particularly the Abel Duchy and Haltai Duchy, which stand in fierce opposition upfront." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"By reaching a partnership with the Crystal Princess, we can participate and potentially exert influence, but only limited to the ’duchy-level war stage.’"

The Iron Dragon Bloodline within Galos gave him an extraordinary strategic foresight, granting him clear insight into the current situation.

The current Lothern Federation already has two major faction camps internally.

One faction, still considering themselves orthodox, believes the towering tree of the Lotheren Kingdom won’t easily topple and chooses to continue supporting its leadership as kingdoms and duchies.

The other faction comprises those unsatisfied with the existing order, disgruntled with resource and power distribution, and eager for a reshuffle. Among them, the strongest and most ambitious is the Ripos Kingdom, whose composite national strength is second only to Lotheren.

At the core of these two camps, Lotheren and the Ripos Kingdom, both colossal entities, currently remain restrained like silent volcanoes, not engaging in direct combat.

Other kingdoms remain as steady as a rock.

They choose to let their duchies act as proxies, representing their will in combat.

The victory or loss of these duchy wars signifies much more than the survival or demise of the duchy itself but also represents the kingdom behind it, showcasing its tactics, power, and resolve in this proxy war.

Their success or failure will influence other superficially aligned, but truly undecided, mid-small kingdoms and duchies, silently observing decisions.

—Whether to continue supporting the seemingly orthodox but declining Lothern

—Or to lean toward Ripos, full of enterprising spirit and transformational ambition.

"That Crystal Princess Alina is by no means dull."

"She would not naively believe that relying solely on a group of us wicked dragons who rose in the wilderness could directly shake the tall structure of the Federation’s internal complexity, altering the fundamental situation of the entire Federation."

"However—"

"Participating in and influencing the wars between the lower-level duchies, exerting strength in the framework of proxy warfare... this is entirely possible and has room for operation."

To Galos, leading the Dragon Group and the Molten Iron Tribe into the Sel Wilderness to seize its rich resources inevitably meant confronting those duchies occupying the resources.

In this process, if he could also receive an additional sponsorship from the Crystal Princess, whether it was the coveted treasure resources in her hands or her valuable intelligence support regarding the Federation’s internal dynamics, it would undoubtedly be a splendid addition, empowering him further.

As the two conversed.

He and the Red Silver Dragon almost simultaneously sensed a familiar aura approaching rapidly from afar.

They turned their heads in unison, their sharp eyes focused intensely in the direction from which the aura came.

Beyond the horizon.

A dragon-shaped silhouette shining with pure golden light was rapidly enlarging in their vision.

Soon, Alberto appeared over Dragon Valley, folded his wings, and landed on the opposite cliff of Burning Steel Castle.

"Galos! I challenge you."

For some reason, Alberto seemed somewhat impatient, speaking solemnly as soon as he landed, with a tone that betrayed a sense of urgency.

Galos did not immediately respond, his slit pupils narrowing slightly, his gaze firmly fixed on the significantly changed form of the Golden Dragon.

Compared to a few years ago.

Alberto’s physique had transformed from a supple dragon body to one tending toward sturdy and brawny. The muscle contours beneath the golden scale armor appeared slightly raised, the scales became denser and heavier, and his claws and teeth seemed sharper.

His level of robustness had become somewhat akin to a Red Dragon of the same body length, with a noticeable increase in his aura of Long Wei.

However.

Alberto’s eyes showed some uncharacteristic bloodstains, and his tail kept swaying back and forth, giving the impression of some irritability, not befitting the esteemed and calm demeanor of a Golden Dragon, as if he hadn’t rested for a long time.

"You seem in a hurry, but don’t rush."

After pondering for a moment, Galos said, "I am not interested in senseless challenges without meaning."

"As the challenger, what are you willing to offer?"

"Or rather, what reward are you willing to put up to match the value of this challenge, to spark my interest in accepting it?"