The Human Alliance of the Nali up ahead had new movements, which was an urgent military matter for the southern Red Dragon Court. The first thing Rafael did upon returning was to go issue corresponding orders, and she also needed to confirm the army’s current situation.

Fisher didn’t go in with her; he just waited for her in the city, and could take the chance to observe the situation here.

The city that had risen here did not have a specific name. Even though they had lived here for a few years, this place was not a permanent dwelling for the Red Dragon Court, so they still continued to use the name of their original stronghold: Sunset Valley.

But in truth, this place was still quite a distance from the actual Sunset Valley where the Bat Species lived.

Originally, before the Red Dragon Court raised its banners, they had been biding their time at Sunset Valley on the southernmost edge near the coast, but ever since Rafael ignited the war on the South Continent and began to make a name for herself before the world, Sunset Valley had become a target of all, and had been bombarded by numerous warships from the Western Continent.

Even hiding beneath the ground couldn’t escape Schwali’s cannons and Magic, so later they migrated a distance northward, entering the hinterland beneath the mountains, while turning the original Sunset Valley into a defensive line.

At this moment in the city of Sunset Valley, many different kinds of demi-humans were passing by, and of course there was no shortage of Humans among them. That was why Rafael said that things became much more convenient after coming here. At least right now, him standing on the street waiting would not look out of place—though demi-human women often glanced over, seemingly wondering since when an attractive Human male had appeared here.

Of course, Fisher didn’t think their gazes were between man and woman; he figured they were only suspicious of whether he might be a spy from the north.

The residents here were plainly dressed, all busy with their own tasks, as if each person was operating efficiently like a component in a machine.

"Fisher."

Just as he and Emhardt were taking in their surroundings, Rafael returned from behind him. Only, unlike her eye-catching armored appearance when she came, she was now dressed in a light red robe that concealed everything on her body.

Right after that, she draped the robe over Fisher as well, turning the two of their outfits into a "matching couple’s set."

"Rafael?"

Fisher glanced at Rafael, whose face was hidden under the cloak. The brim of the cloak was loose, just enough to contain the pair of soul horns on her head so they wouldn’t protrude awkwardly.

"This is the attire of the Praying Tower. Same as you, I can’t just show my face openly either, otherwise we’ll be surrounded in no time... When I returned before, I always came back with the army; the onlookers at the sides could block up the entire street, and a few years back it almost caused an accident... This is better. Neither of us will draw attention."

Rafael looked at the bustling city around her, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help lifting slightly.

It was obvious she had poured great effort into the Dragon Court she founded. She wanted this kind of peace to bloom across the entire South Continent, so that they would no longer be scattered and bullied as in the past.

Of course, they would have conflicts among themselves as well, but the main contradiction at present was still with the northern Green Dragon Court and the Nali.

"They respect you a great deal..."

"I don’t know either."

Fisher smiled faintly and took another look at this Dragon-man Species who had grown up beside him. He didn’t say much, merely followed her toward their next stop: the Household Affairs Court.

"...Because the war still hasn’t ended, we’re still using the wartime system here in order to be able to allocate resources as directly as possible. For many matters, the Praying Tower requires direct intervention and handling by Dragon Court officials. The Household Affairs Court is such an institution—Mier is working inside right now."

It wasn’t long before, amid this intermittent introduction, the two of them had already crossed the streets and the busy residents of the Red Dragon Court, arriving at the depths of the city, the heart of the Red Dragon Court.

In the past, within the glorious and vast Fermat Baha Dragon Court, these concrete administrative institutions not only existed separately from each other, but were also projected horizontally down to lower levels.

The four Dragon-man Tribes had long been the Dragon Court’s units for administering the four directions, and beneath them similar institutions carrying out the same duties were established. They not only belonged under the management of the four-branch Dragon Court, but were also directly subordinate to the Fermat Baha Dragon Court. In the years of the past, such a system helped the Fermat Baha Dragon Court properly govern the South Continent—until they perished.

And this also made it very hard for Fisher to imagine that a unified country with such a complete system and culture could vanish from the long river of history in a single night. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

But he also understood that behind a speed that surpassed ordinary imagination and rules, there had to be an extraordinary power at work.

For example, according to what Rafael had said, if the Fermat Baha Dragon God was still alive now and still lying within the ruins of the Dragon Court, then why did he not take action when the Dragon Court perished? Was it really because the Dragon-man Species was weaker than the other two Mythical Species, so that Fermat Baha, who revered strength and savagery, did not value them?

Fisher felt that was unlikely. The Fermat Baha Dragon Court worshiped him as a God and as the Source of their bloodline; it couldn’t have been entirely one-sided...

Or perhaps the problem the Dragon Court faced back then was extremely severe, and the result Fisher saw today was already what had been achieved after Fermat Baha had taken action.

If that were the case, then it would mean this: even as a Demigod, he still could not protect the Dragon Court created by his own offspring...