Chapter 191 Iron Dragon Gorton: Princess, elope with me! (Seeking monthly votes)

Time flies, and things change.

Eight years passed in the howling monsoon of the Serbian wilderness. The trade routes were repeatedly washed by the rainy season and cracked under the scorching sun. The border area was also attacked by cold waves from the south several times. Frost plowed the earth like a sharp blade, making the permafrost in the border area even harder.

Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Lorthen is undergoing a dramatic upheaval, with undercurrents swirling within it.

As the core of the Southern Federation, the palace of the Kingdom of Lortheron is magnificent, with gilded vines entwined on marble columns and crystal chandeliers reflecting the brilliance of gemstones.

Within this luxurious palace, the young Long Gorton enjoyed a life far exceeding that of ordinary princes and nobles.

He was first and foremost the princess's playmate, and also a top-tier monster, a powerful dragon, whose personality was not as fierce and savage as other evil dragons, making him very popular in the court.

Some nobles vied to invite Gordon to banquets, considering it an honor to sit at the same table with him.

When the Kingdom of Lorthen regularly holds monster gladiatorial tournaments, Gordon often attends as a special guest, and occasionally even personally "guides" the contestants, presenting a wonderful match and enjoying the cheers and applause of countless people.

Right now.

Gorton had just emerged from his dragon slumber as a teenager and was awakening from his comfortable bed.

Gordon's bed is not a traditional dragon's nest filled with treasure, but a giant dragon bed carved by elven craftsmen from ancient wood and filled with velvet and magical feathers to ensure a comfortable sleep.

Moreover, his entire palace, including his own dragon body, was cleaned daily by dedicated staff.

Even after years of slumber, his body remained spotless.

In addition, the long period of dragon slumber allowed Gorton to digest the accumulated fat energy, and his body returned to the normal appearance of an iron dragon, and his size was several times larger than that of an average teenage dragon.

His upbringing was just too good.

Gorton stretched out his body, and the scales on his body collided with each other, making a crisp sound.

Then I looked down again.

Oh my god, he can finally see his hind feet instead of his entire field of vision being filled with his belly.

"I swear on my dragon status that I will control my appetite, diet and lose weight, and become a majestic iron dragon, not a fat dragon."

Gordon thought resolutely.

Coo coo coo.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound came from my stomach.

Gorton's dragon face wrinkled, his empty belly making him feel uncomfortable.

"I need nutrition and energy after waking up, and I'm not fat now, so it's not time for me to diet. Let's eat first."

The iron dragon curled its tail around a small, exquisite bell and shook it gently.

The clear, melodious voice echoed outwards.

Soon after, waiters pushed carts filled with various kinds of food into Iron Dragon Gorton's private bedroom.

Before Gorton were staples such as roasted whole beef, cheese melted meat steak, and giant squid tentacles.

There are also desserts and drinks such as honey crystal tower, frosted berry jelly, and volcanic lava wine (a mixture of lava essence and dwarf spirits).

The Frostberry Jelly, transported from the Northern Icefields, was treated with a preservation spell to ensure that every bite is as fresh as if it were just baked.

After taking his first bite, Gordon couldn't control his appetite.

Having been starving for a long time, he ate heartily, devouring the food in a whirlwind until his belly was so full it seemed about to burst, before finally stopping, though he still felt a little unsatisfied.

"Where is my favorite moonlight dew?"

Gorton beckoned to a waiter and said, “Bring me a bucket of moonshine.”

Moon Dew is a magical elixir brewed by elves using a special process. It is very expensive and is known as liquid gold. It contains abundant energy and, most importantly, tastes extremely delicious. It is Gordon's favorite drink.

Before the attendant could reply, the bedroom door was pushed open again.

Princess Elena, adorned with a crystal hairpin and dressed in an exquisite gauze dress, entered.

"You're awake."

She said.

Gorton remained asleep for nearly seven years.

Princess Elena's appearance was not significantly different from seven years ago; her face was still flawless, her skin as smooth as milk without a single wrinkle, and her voice was still as melodious as a lark's.

but.

Her eyes, her expression, her demeanor.

However, she has gained a touch of maturity and melancholy, unlike the innocence of her former girlhood.

"Elena, look at me now! I'm all mighty and fierce again! Look at my scales, my claws, and my tail!"

Tie Long said excitedly.

He was slow to react and did not notice the princess's change.

Looking at the iron dragon, which was displaying itself in different poses with its round belly, Elena chuckled, as if a flower had bloomed, or as if she had returned to the carefree days of the past.

She sat down next to Tie Long and snuggled against him.

Iron Dragon tightly closed its scales to prevent the sharp edges from cutting Elena, while simultaneously curling its tail around Elena's waist, subconsciously tightening its grip slightly.

In the actions of dragons, this represents possession.

At some point, Tie Long's feelings for Elena changed. What started as a playmate gradually developed into a possessiveness that he couldn't quite explain.

"I want to drink Moonlight Dew."

Tielong's appetite outweighed his other desires, and he couldn't stop thinking about Moonlight Dew.

He thought he would get Moon Dew by asking, but to his surprise, Elena looked troubled: "I'm sorry, Gordon, Moon Dew is too expensive. I can't afford it right now."

Tie Long was slightly taken aback.

Expensive? In his mind, such a word should not exist in Elena's dictionary.

Across from her, Elena explained softly, "The royal family is now leading the way in cutting spending, and even we princesses and princes are no exception; our monthly allowances are gradually decreasing."

"Cut spending? Why?"

Tie Long asked unexpectedly.

The Kingdom of Lorthen is the core of the Federation, enjoying countless offerings and abundant resources, making it the most powerful and wealthiest kingdom in the Federation.

Royal families have always been extravagant, and their treasuries contain almost inexhaustible wealth.

Cut spending?

That doesn't make sense.

Elena sighed, unable to suppress her urge to confide in someone.

She lowered her voice and whispered, "Just recently, the Holy King failed to break through and died. Although the royal family immediately blocked the news, the unusual phenomena at the time of the Holy King's death could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of some powerful people, and sooner or later everyone would know."

Gorton's eyes widened, a jolt of surprise washing over him.

The Holy King, whose full title is Holy King Lorthorn.

He also has a more widely known identity.

He rose to power eight hundred years ago, leading the Kingdom of Lortheon to sweep across the southern kingdoms and establish the Federation as its ruler.

The Holy King Lorthorn was exceptionally talented, skilled in both magic and martial arts, and was a top genius among humans. He embarked on the path of legend before the age of thirty, and continued to go further and further on that path.

However, this cannot change its essential nature as a short-lived species.

Unless one abandons their human identity and extends their lifespan through methods such as immortality transformation or elemental life transformation, the maximum lifespan of a human legend is unlikely to exceed a thousand years, and they will gradually weaken after passing their peak.

Transforming into other life forms will affect one's way of thinking.

Lord Lorthorn maintained his human identity and pondered how to achieve immortality while retaining his human identity and mind.

Therefore, at the age of five hundred, he began to go into seclusion to study the art of immortality, no longer showing his face, and gradually retreating into the background.

However, all nations are aware of the power of the Holy King Lorthorn.

Although he has lived in seclusion for centuries, his reputation still hangs like a sword of Damocles, preventing other nations from acting rashly and maintaining the facade of peace and prosperity in the Federation.

However.

Supported by the Holy King, this towering pillar, the Kingdom of Lorthen, this great tree, is gradually decaying.

The royal family of today is no longer the glorious family it once was.

The current king is indulging in pleasure and, despite the nation's resources, has failed to reach the realm of legend. He is now old and frail. None of the princes and princesses are capable of shouldering great responsibilities, and the talent in the royal bloodline seems to have dissipated with the passage of time. Eight hundred years of peace have made the entire kingdom's mechanisms bloated and sluggish, with vested interest groups firmly controlling resource allocation, and truly talented individuals lacking opportunities for advancement.

Nowadays.

With the fall of the Holy King.

The nations remained submissive, but beneath the surface of calm lay an undercurrent powerful enough to tear the federation apart.

The Kingdom of Lorthorn felt threatened and began to allocate more resources to the military, with even the royal family reducing its spending.

But no one can be sure when war will break out.

At that time, the vast Lordaeron Federation may fall apart.

Elena's narration was like a key, clicking open Gorton's long-dormant Iron Dragon instincts.

The details about border frictions, fiscal deficits, and aristocratic infighting were automatically reorganized in Iron Dragon's unique military thinking, transforming into a strategic map of raging war.

The light spots reflected from the royal crystal chandelier appeared to him as if they were the flames of an impending war.

He sensed an impending storm, a sense that the building was about to collapse. The thorns on his body stood up slightly, and his scales gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen.

Even the once-powerful magic empire could not last forever, and the dragons that once ruled the world have now become 'monsters'. Some glorious names have now become dust in history.

Now it was his turn to witness firsthand how the giant ship Lorthorn sank.

The principle that prosperity inevitably leads to decline seems to be an inescapable law.

The Kingdom of Lorthen has passed its peak and is on the decline. It may soon be dismembered and divided up by other kingdoms. Unless a figure like the Holy King appears, this process will be difficult to reverse.

Once he realized this, the magnificent palace, in Tie Long's eyes, became a prison full of danger.

It was the wilderness of Sel, where he was born, that truly stood out.

When the storms sweep through the southern kingdoms and they lose their original order, they will have no time to care about the wilderness. The dragons that live in the wilderness will be able to find peace amidst the chaos and take advantage of the internal strife or even division of the federation to rise up.

After thinking about it carefully.

Iron Dragon Gordon stretched out his head and brought his head close to the human princess.

"Elena".

His vertical pupils narrowed to two thin lines as he gazed at the seemingly calm clouds outside the window, and said with unprecedented seriousness: "The crown will become a noose, and the formal attire will turn into a shroud."

"Lotharne is like a castle in the air right now, and it could collapse at any moment."

He paused, then said solemnly, "Come with me. We'll leave the royal court and head to the wilderness."

(End of this chapter)