The heavy rain pitter-pattered on the roof beams, but the downpour showed no signs of stopping. Although according to the time, it was almost dawn, looking out of the window, it was still a misty rainy scene, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Spring rain at dawn always calmed one's heart. Listening to the rain outside and enjoying hot cocoa by the fireplace would warm up my entire body, as if the fierce battle just now had been nothing more than a dream … Fine then, I'll just pretend that I didn't see the dragon knight Archduke who was still glaring at me angrily. At the same time, I was furious that I wasn't given a cup of hot cocoa. This was blatant racism!
"Even if I gave it to you, would you be able to drink it? If I really gave it to you, you'd probably complain that I was just messing with you. "
"Silly cat, leave some of your share for me."
"Heh heh, don't even think about it!"
Due to Lilith's sudden appearance, the originally tense situation was instantly resolved. After all, the Dragon Knight Johann had once been her bodyguard. In terms of seniority, Halent would even have to call Johann "Second Grandpa."
This was all a misunderstanding to begin with. Since neither side was injured or killed, it was quite easy to explain.
Even if the undead were capable of dealing with the nobles in the capital, they wouldn't be able to deal with the Dragons and the Dragon Knight. It was obvious that the Dragon Knight and the undead would never get along. And since the Dragon Knight Archduke held true power in the dragon knight army, being stationed in Nightrain City was, in a way, going against Emperor Roland's will.
Archduke Halent of Nightrain City had already declared that he didn't care what happened anywhere else. As long as the undead dared to enter his territory, they would be killed without mercy.
And not long after he said that, we arrived …
I wanted to bang my head against a wall when I heard this. Perhaps I really should take some time to donate some money to the God of Fate's church. At the very least, I could try to wash away my bad luck.
Especially since I heard that Halent himself was currently patrolling the city walls. If I hid in a carriage, I might have missed him, but I just had to openly sit in a carriage while the sentries on the city walls were all pointing at me. This was basically an insult to the Dragon Knight Archduke's dignity. How could I possibly tolerate this? And so, the following scene naturally occurred.
What surprised me slightly was that the Dragon Knight seemed to be completely aware of Lilith's identity. They also knew that she was a member of the Blood Tribe, yet they didn't show any signs of disrespect or hostility.
This was especially so for Sir Johann, who looked like he had just entered middle age, but was at least two hundred years old. His expression as he looked at Lilith was far too complicated. There was respect, gratification, pain, and so on. His emotions were so complex, and the rapid changes in his expression were breathtaking. He could just go on stage and perform.
"After all, we were all involved back then. Although it's not up to me to comment, the emperor back then, Princess Amelia … Sigh."
The elderly Knight kept sighing. However, Lilith had a calm expression. She pretended as if she didn't see the emotional Dragon Knight in front of her. She simply held Carolyn's hand and ate some desserts, tasted some tea, and warmed up by the fire to relax and drive away the coldness.
I had investigated Lilith's matter before. After Fina Milan transformed into the Blood Tribe Lilith Milan, that necrophilic prince Sinat was killed off not long after. Then, the throne was transferred to Sinat and the other members of the royal family. The original direct bloodline of the Bardi Kingdom's royal family had already been cut off … If I had to force a name, there was still Amelia in the direct bloodline. However, nobody in the Bardi Kingdom dared to hope that this ridiculously high ranking princess from two generations ago would ascend to the throne, not to mention leave behind any descendants who would inherit the throne.
This was something that had happened over a hundred years ago. Almost all of the old vassals from back then had died. A new emperor would bring new vassals. The so-called "legitimate" emperor was only the legitimate emperor for that period of time. Three generations had already passed into their graves, so who would still remember the emperor from three generations ago?
However, ordinary people might not remember, but the dragon Knight and dragon descendants from back then were still alive and well. They believed in the Knight's creed, so they still remembered the emperor they had been loyal to. Now that they saw that the princess who had been missing for over a hundred years was still "alive and well, of course they would be filled with excitement.
It was also because of Lilith that we "undead" were invited into the room. Otherwise, even if we were the so-called imperial envoys, we would still be able to go wherever we wanted. If we were killed, we could only say that we deserved it. After all, Orloss wouldn't possibly have a falling out with the dragon Knight over a single lich.
After interacting with each other for a short period of time, I could tell from their attitudes that rather than calling them an army, they were more like a big family. That Duke Johann was able to use his seniority to angrily rebuke Halent for his recklessness. Meanwhile, that icy-faced handsome Archduke Halent had a helpless yet irrefutable expression, as if he was a naughty child being reprimanded by his elders.
And as far as I could see, the famous Archduke Halent wasn't even the strongest dragon Knight. There were quite a few in the room who had stronger draconic might than him. At the very least, that elder, Duke Johann, was obviously a Saint-ranked existence.
"… Could it be that Her Highness Fina is acting as a lobbyist for the undead?"
Although Johann had an expression of hesitation, with his status, there were some things that needed to be asked. Everyone in the country knew that the dragon Knight army didn't get along with the undead. How could the proud dragons possibly obey the orders of the filthy undead?
However, "Fina" was also a vampire among the undead. Although she probably had nothing to do with the undead in the capital city, it was necessary to ascertain the reason why she came with the lich "Rex", as well as the standpoint she stood on.
However, Lilith directly shook her head upon hearing this.
"I've already said that I'm currently Lilith, a member of the Church of Law, not Fina Milan. I don't want to care about the Bardi Empire's matters, nor do I have the ability to. We're here for something else. As for the lich Rex … "
She shot me a questioning look. The meaning in her beautiful eyes was quite obvious: "Should I expose you or not? If you want to reveal your true identity, do you want to say it, or do you want me to say it for you? "
I nodded but didn't say anything. Although the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" wasn't necessarily correct, it was still better than being misunderstood as an Undead Emperor's subordinate. Otherwise, there would likely be an irreconcilable conflict between the two of them, and it would be impossible for us to pass through the fortress.
"… This person who just beat up Archduke Halent is Lord Roland, famous for being petty and narrow-minded, Roland Mist."
Before I even finished speaking, Halent abruptly stood up. The shock and disbelief on his face were quite obvious. He knew who I was.
I lightly spun the magic ring in my hand, and a sudden flash of light tore apart my false disguise. The moment that my physical body returned to me, I immediately snatched the silly cat's cup of hot cocoa and finished it in one gulp. Being able to enjoy the sweetness of food instead of watching others eat and drink from the side was truly wonderful.
The silly cat gritted her teeth in anger, but she knew that this wasn't the time for revenge.
"The Undying Roland!?"
"Yongye! The evil Undying King! "
Even though I had clearly stated my identity, it seemed that the dragon Knight's vigilance only increased. That Johann was even directly touching the hilt of his sword. Was my reputation really that bad?
"As the only Undead Emperor in the past thousand years, as well as the most classic demon king in all the fairy tales for the past several hundred years, can you at least have some self-awareness? My dear 27th place on the Calamity Rankings. "
"That's right, 46th place on the Calamity Rankings, Heloise, I welcome your reminder. I've heard that due to our recent performance, even though you've disappeared from the world for a long time, your ranking has still risen. Just by not appearing in public, you're able to make others fear your existence even more. How does that feel? "
"… It's unfortunate that my sect should have kicked you out back then."
While I maintained a serious expression on my face, Heloise and I continued chatting as usual through our mental connection. However, the dragon Knight's side was already quite restless. They had their own information channels, so of course they knew that Roland Mist was Emperor Yongye, the only Undead Emperor in the recent generation.
"Could it be that he's also in cahoots with other Undead Emperors from other dimensions? I just heard that he caused a huge commotion in the Northlands. What's he doing here now? "
A person's reputation was like a tree's shadow. In the eyes of the Dragons, no matter how noble a mortal's status was, it would only be for a short moment. The ones truly worthy of respect and even fear would naturally be the undying who managed to reach the top one step at a time. As for those on the Calamity Rankings, they were all out-and-out monsters.
"Then that Abomination just now was the Carnivore Ah Dang? Did I manage to escape with my life? "
Even the Blue Dragon Sishusler, who had transformed into a muscular man, felt some lingering fear. More than one or two dragons had died at the hands of this famous Xiluo War God. In front of Ah Dang, who was using his full power, even an Ancient Dragon would be nothing more than a mouthful of food. So what if Ah Dang crushed a slightly famous adult dragon?
By the way, one of Ah Dang's forms was also on the Calamity Rankings. It was just that not many people knew about it. Actually, if it wasn't for me stopping him, Ah Dang's dragon form would have long since trampled Sishusler to death.
Originally, the dragon Knight's dragon form had believed that they had the overall advantage, which was why they had so calmly invited an uninvited guest to their fortress for a discussion. However, just looking at the former Undead Emperor before them, their so-called chances of victory had never existed. It would seem that Ah Dang had let off the seemingly superior dragon squadron.
Lilith continued her introduction as if she didn't notice the suddenly tense situation at all.
"Yep, he's also Aunt Amelia's good friend and junior. This time, we've come to help Aunt Amelia."
"Relax, this time, we're probably on the same side. At the very least, I don't have any good impressions of uninvited guests."
"Lady Amelia?"
The one who asked this question with a nervous tone was a rather tall female dragon Knight. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and the silver scales on her forehead were quite obvious. She also had two curved dragon horns on her forehead. No wonder she would wear a full helmet when she was outside.
I recalled that she was a dragon Knight from two generations ago. Her name was Lucia. Judging from how nervous she was, she was probably related to Amelia.
"Yes, Aunt Amelia and I were both at Port Victoria. My body was immune to the Dimensional Descent, but Aunt Amelia stayed there. "
"How is that possible! How could that lady … "The female dragon Knight Lucia had an expression of astonishment, as if she couldn't believe that Amelia had met with misfortune.
"Scourges usually live longer. I can guarantee that Amelia is fine. It's just that she probably met with some trouble, which is why we're here. Can you let us pass? "
I took over the conversation. My patience and time were both limited, and I was already quite close to my goal. If the situation allowed for it, I would have set off long ago.
I originally thought that since I said so much, it would be quite easy for her to let us pass, but the result was that she kept looking at me with awkward expressions. It seemed that there was a problem.
…
After passing Nightrain City, we would be able to reach Port Victoria in another fourteen to fifteen days.
However, the road that used to be easy to walk on had now become a black land that seemed to be poisonous. The slightly corrosive smell was nauseating. The formerly prosperous commercial port had now become a wasteland. Dense dark clouds constantly covered the sky, and even the ominous crows had fallen to the ground. This place had now become a forbidden zone for the living.
A group of wild wolves were being chased by a gigantic SemiDragon. In their panic, they entered this forbidden zone. Not long after they entered this black land, they slowed down and finally collapsed. Not long after, the stronger SemiDragon hunters collapsed as well, and a new group of zombie wolves and bone SemiDragon appeared.
According to the Undead Emperors' expectations, the area around Port Victoria wouldn't be affected much if the Dimensional Door was successfully opened. This was why Orloss had finally approved of this plan. However, due to certain reasons, things changed.
Just like how a blocked sewage pipe would leak out from somewhere else, the magical forest's dimensional power had changed the direction of the corrosion.
Apart from the undead, no one would be able to withstand such a negative energy zone. Although the undead would actually receive buffs in such a zone, even the undead were quite anxious. After all, the dragon knights had already issued an ultimatum: the moment this negative energy swamp entered human territory, which meant that Nightrain City's territory would be the time for war between the undead and the undead.
The area in between the swamp of negative energy had become a buffer zone between the undead and the undead. Every day, dragons and gargoyles would patrol the sky. Of course, every time the dragons and gargoyles encountered each other, several gargoyles would appear on the ground.
Not a single merchant group would choose to enter such a sensitive area in such a situation. As long as we left Nightrain City, it was likely that the undead would notice.
After learning about the situation ahead of us, it would be almost impossible for us to quickly pass through if we didn't want to startle the undead. We could only slow down and gather as much information as we could. If possible, I would contact Amelia. I wasn't lying. I truly didn't believe that anything would happen to Amelia.
But right after we finished our business here, Little Red mysteriously came looking for me. Judging from how she was trying to stifle her laughter, it seemed that she had discovered something interesting and wanted to share it with me.
"Hey, Roland, do you want to know why they have so many dragon descendants? Also, those Dragon Knight?"
"Hmm? Isn't that another family's secret? You know about it? "
"Tsk, what secret? I knew with a single glance. Didn't you notice that Halent and his dragon Sishusler really resemble each other? No matter if it's appearance or smell, they're 90% similar. They're definitely twins!"
I recalled how Sishusler had transformed into a brute, and then thought about that pretty boy Halent. They were twins? I suddenly felt like there was something wrong with Dragons' sense of beauty.
"Wait a moment, Dragons' sense of beauty? That means that in the eyes of Dragons, Halent and Halent are basically twins! Alright, I pretty much understand what's going on. No wonder these dragon descendant Knight have the same bloodline as their mounts. So they're all relatives. "
No wonder Little Red was laughing up her sleeve. This really was a scandal about the surface Dragons.
Most dragon descendants were born from the union of dragons with other creatures. In the mortal plane, all sorts of SemiDragons' bloodlines were of great research value. It was indeed true that dragons were lustful by nature, but some unions weren't simply because of love. In such a situation, as a "byproduct", it would be quite difficult for a half-blood to receive sincere treatment from their parents.
Of course, it would be impossible to just ignore this. If a dragon descendant used their natural power to take revenge on society, not only would the irresponsible parents of the half-blood children be punished, even the entire Dragons would be humiliated.
"So, that so-called Dragon Knight squadron is probably just another type of nursery."
If a dragon descendant with a sufficiently high bloodline obtained the assistance of their bloodline source (parents) and paid a certain price, they would be able to transform into a true dragon through a bloodline ritual. However, the prerequisite was that the dragon descendant would have to be sufficiently powerful. It was likely that they would have to be at least Gold rank, and they would need to grow to a certain age.
A dragon descendant's growth would take a long time. A relatively safe environment would be necessary. It would also be easier to obtain experience and wisdom in the complex human society.
No wonder there were so many young dragon descendants in the Dragon Knight squadron. It would seem that parents who didn't want to take care of their children would toss their children into the Knight squadron. Young dragon descendants with long lives would receive the Knight's influence and brainwash from a young age, so they wouldn't do anything foolish.
As for the dragon mounts, they were likely siblings sent here to accompany them through their long childhood. Spending several dozen years playing with their younger siblings was nothing to a dragon.
My guess was that if a dragon didn't have any siblings, some unlucky dragon descendant would be sent here to be their guardian for a period of time in order to test their temperament. And since they were all siblings, it was only natural for them to ride on their backs.
"Haha, no wonder they're all rookies. So they're all unlucky ones who have children. Eh, what are you looking at? "
"Oh, it's a letter from an old dragon. I heard that it was left for me by someone I know. Evelyn? What a strange name. Little Red, have you heard of it before? "
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