Chapter 284 No one understands dragons better than me

"King Lorthorn is seriously ill and cannot be cured."

Gorton's voice was clearly transmitted into the depths of Red Iron Dragon's consciousness through the bond of blood ties.

"The atmosphere in the palace was mysterious. Those princes who usually seemed respectful and humble, those dukes and grand dukes, were now like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, holding their breath and anxiously waiting for the final moment that would determine the fate of the kingdom."

As the towering pillars suddenly collapsed and began to teeter on the brink of collapse.

The existing rifts and conflicts within the entire Lorthern Federation have widened further.

Beneath the calm surface of the lake lies a turbulent and dangerous whirlpool.

The current King of Lortheron, already advanced in years and with diminished energy, should have been able to lay down his burdens and enjoy his retirement. However, the escalating crisis of division within the Federation, coupled with the mountain of heavy political affairs and the overwhelming psychological burden that was enough to crush a giant, left him exhausted and finally collapsed, falling seriously ill.

His physical and mental state was like a candle flickering in the wind.

They heard a secret report from Iron Dragon Gordon about the king's critical illness.

Hong Tielong felt a chill run down his spine.

After thinking for a few seconds, he said, "A serious illness... What kind of terrible disease could have put someone who possesses the resources of the entire Kingdom of Lortheon and can mobilize countless top doctors and rare magical artifacts in him?"

Iron Dragons responded, "I don't know the specific cause, but I guess it's because of the soul."

The people of Lorthorn are known for their martial spirit.

Moreover, as direct descendants of the legendary founding emperor, all members with royal blood receive rigorous training and unlimited resources from birth, making them far superior to ordinary people in the conventional sense.

but.

One crucial fact cannot be ignored.

The current king's talent and abilities are only mediocre among all the monarchs of Lorthorn. In addition, his personality contains a hint of laziness, which means that although he reached level 20 at his peak in his prime, he gradually declined as he aged.

Throughout his life.

They also failed to successfully enter the legendary realm that symbolizes power and a qualitative change in life.

His ability to live to such an advanced age, far exceeding the limits of ordinary humans, is largely due to the accumulation of longevity treasures and massive resources hidden in the royal family's coffers, which forcibly broke through the limits of his own life potential.

It was fine before.

However, the escalating internal divisions and turmoil within the Federation, like a relentless hammer blow, repeatedly struck his already fragile mind and body, finally triggering a chain reaction of collapse.

His condition was like a snowdrift suddenly collapsing from the summit of a snow-capped mountain, rapidly and uncontrollably sliding downhill.

This eventually led to the depletion of the soul's essence, inevitably resulting in a serious illness and collapse... In Galos's view, this was a logical and unsurprisingly normal thing.

After a moment's thought, Galos posed a crucial question to Iron Dragon.

"Gordon, when was the news that King Lorthene was confirmed to be seriously ill and could not be cured... confirmed and spread within the royal court?"

Iron Dragon Gorton, on the other end of the mental link, thought carefully for a moment and then replied, "About seven days ago."

"The chief royal physician and several high-ranking mages have jointly confirmed that the king's condition has deteriorated to the point of no return. He is now almost entirely being kept alive by the legendary life-sustaining artifacts treasured in the royal treasury."

"Even if he can stay alive and even recover somewhat, he will be severely affected and probably won't have many years left to live. He will likely spend most of his time in a weak state."

Deep within the Steel Burning Fortress.

Red Iron Dragon suddenly opened his eyes, a thoughtful light flashing intensely within them.

The time when King Lorthorn was confirmed to be critically ill was seven days ago.

This date was not long after another major event that shook the Federation—the day when the Duchy of Abel broke off relations and formally declared war on the Duchy of Haltai, and the Duchy of Haltai responded without hesitation with a declaration of war as a strong counterattack.

Just as the king fell critically ill and the royal court descended into chaos and suspicion.

The two principalities, which had been locked in a tense standoff on the border and engaged in long and arduous diplomatic negotiations in an attempt to find a compromise or at least maintain a semblance of peace, suddenly issued a declaration of war that was a fight to the death.

coincide?

Perhaps... this really is just a low-probability coincidence.

However, Galus never readily believed in the word coincidence.

He is more inclined to believe that behind this seemingly accidental coincidence lies a deeper, inevitable reason.

Hong Tielong closed his eyes again, immersing his mind in the bond of blood ties.

He calmly pressed further, "Gordon, how many people outside the royal court know that the King is critically ill?"

Iron Dragon Gorton immediately responded: "Because this concerns the succession to the throne and the stability of the Federation, it is a top-level secret. The information is strictly controlled and circulated only within the innermost circle of the Royal Court. Only those princes, high-ranking officials, and a very small number of core court mages who truly hold great power and high status know the inside story! As for me—"

Gorton's voice carried a hint of smugness:

"—I only found out when Elena confided in me privately about her father's illness, filled with worry."

That means there are only two possibilities left.

The first possibility is that the fact that the two duchies of Abel and Haltai declared war when King Lorthen was critically ill was purely a coincidence.

The second possibility is rather sinister: within the core circle of the Lorthorn Royal Court, there exists another, or even more, deeply hidden moles besides Gorton. Moreover, this person's position is definitely not low; they must be a top-level figure who has immediate access to the core secrets of the king's critical illness.

Galos's habitual way of thinking led him to almost instantly rule out the first naive option, not believing it to be just a coincidence.

He tacitly accepted the second, more sinister possibility.

“Gorton”.

Galos said, "The situation in Lortheron and the entire Federation is currently turbulent. All forces are like taut bowstrings, and the atmosphere is becoming more tense and dangerous every day."

He emphasized:

"Incompetence, gluttony, laziness... the camouflage you've so carefully created in the Lorthorn court is excellent, very effective."

"You must keep going, without letting up for even a moment."

"Only in this way can those real schemers and ambitious people completely ignore your existence and regard you as a harmless, even laughable, pet. Only then can you play an unexpected role at the most crucial moment."

Galos understands me best!

Those disgraceful actions were merely a carefully crafted disguise by me, Gordon! They were my protective shield, a way to endure humiliation and lull the enemy into a false sense of security in the dragon's den of the royal court! All the sacrifices I made... were foreshadowing for the grand future of the dragon race!

Iron Dragon Goldon felt that every word Red Iron Dragon said struck the depths of his soul, accurately expressing his true thoughts and ambitions!

"Remember this!"

Galos's voice rang out again, calm and composed.

"Don't be too impatient, don't be misled by the current chaos and act rashly. We have a long life that can be measured in hundreds or thousands of years, and we have plenty of time to wait."

(End of this chapter)