Chapter 486 The Birth of an Offspring
"It's a pleasure to cooperate; this will be a win-win situation for both Aura and the Helmod Dragonflight."
A spherical token, crackling with tiny electric sparks, floated in mid-air. Red Iron Dragon gazed at it silently and spoke.
Kel'Thorg had only been gone a few days before the response from the Helmod dragons arrived.
The outcome was exactly as Galos had predicted.
The blue dragons that dwell in the distant Boiling Sea, after internal discussions, finally agreed to the covert cooperation and no longer insisted on demanding a formal alliance and recognition.
The dragons chose a handshake in the shadows rather than a vow in the sunlight.
"Blue Dragon... a born profit-seeker."
"When dealing with elves, humans, or even other dragons, they are always better able to control their innate arrogance and destructive desires than other members of their five-color family, putting the pros and cons before their emotions. This is their advantage."
Galos thought quietly.
"But cooperating with such a being... is essentially still like asking a tiger for its skin."
"In the end, who will become the hunter and who will become the prey depends on their own methods. The thoughts of the leaders of the Helmod Dragonflight are probably no different from mine."
Gathering his turbulent thoughts, Garos raised his dragon head and, facing the lightning orb, asked in a calm voice, "When do the Helmod dragon horde plan to land?"
After a brief silence within the keepsake, Kel'Drog's voice rang out.
"Soon, for us, this is not a long wait... about a hundred years from now."
Galos was silent for a moment.
A hundred years? That'll be soon?
This time span is enough for him to go through a complete dormant cycle, steadily transitioning from an adult dragon to a mature dragon, resulting in a qualitative leap in his power.
He shook his head slightly, then realized that there was nothing wrong with it.
Dragons have a very different concept of time than short-lived species, and for ancient dragons and prehistoric dragons that have lived for a long time, their concept of time is also quite different from that of other dragons.
"That's fine too."
"A hundred years from now, I will have a more solid foundation and strength, and I will be more confident when facing the Helmod dragons."
Galos pondered to himself.
He knew that ordinary ancient blue dragons might not have extremely high life levels due to their slow growth, but a leader dragon that could become the master of a dragon pack and stir up trouble in the perilous Boiling Sea for many years was no ordinary dragon.
These types of dragons are inherently highly talented and enjoy abundant resources.
In fact, their abilities often far exceed those of other peers of the same age.
Each of the three leaders of the Helmod Dragonflight must be treated with utmost care and caution.
"I'll wait and see."
Galos responded in a deep voice, then changed the subject and made a further request, "However, now that the cooperation has been finalized, I need to speak directly with the leaders of the Helmod Dragonflight, rather than always having to send messages through a messenger."
"This helps us build a more direct understanding and trust."
On the other end of the lightning sphere, Kel'Drog's voice was respectful and steady: "Your Majesty, I apologize for this."
"The three leaders are currently unable to communicate directly with you. Please understand that my role in communicating with you is not a sign of disrespect, but rather the best option based on efficiency considerations."
inconvenient?
Considering this centennial milestone... is it undergoing a crucial period of dormancy in order to break through a bottleneck?
Or are they in some secluded place where they cannot easily contact the outside world, or are they dealing with some tricky matters?
Hong Tielong did not voice his speculations.
He wasn't unreasonable; sometimes, pressing for details could destroy the fragile understanding that had just been established.
"I understand." Galos's tail swept lightly across the ground behind him, stirring up a little dust. "In that case, I won't force you. Just keep the channels of communication open."
"Thank you for your understanding and tolerance."
Kel'Thuzad breathed a sigh of relief, his tone becoming slightly more relaxed. "Furthermore, to express our sincerity in this cooperation, the Helmod Dragonflight will present a gift to the Kingdom of Aura three days from now."
"May the flames of the Kingdom of Aura never be extinguished."
As soon as the words were spoken, the light from the lightning ball token quickly dimmed, and the communication was cut off.
Galos put the token away and continued his previous training.
Although the war with Theo has ended, Galus's time has become increasingly tight recently, with almost no free time.
His growing power never satisfied him; a sense of crisis always followed him.
Basic physical training and resistance training are essential daily routines.
Besides these.
True Sight, the Claw of Annihilation, and the Anti-Magic Domain are all areas he is currently focusing on, and he has devoted a lot of time to them.
Galus was thoroughly enjoying it.
He could clearly feel his slow but steady progress on this path.
Time slipped away quietly amidst arduous training.
The three-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.
On this day, a message came from the distant Boiling Sea and, through the whispers of the wind, merchants, scouts, and even magic, quickly swept across the countries of the Romanian plains.
The Red Emperor, Garoth Ignas, a descendant of evil dragons, sided with the hypocritical metal dragons, and the Kingdom of Aura under his rule colluded with the lowly human kingdoms.
Such acts are a complete betrayal of the dragon blood flowing within them and of their own noble race.
In light of this, the Helmod Dragonflight officially declares war on the Kingdom of Aura!
From this day forward, any encounter between the dragon Van Helmod and its retinue and the dragon Aura and its people will inevitably ignite a bloody war to the death!
The language was strong and the stance was clear.
That's the gist of the message.
"Declaring war... instead of pretending not to know each other, well, that can barely be considered a gift."
Red Iron Dragon muttered to himself.
For the Helmod Dragonflight, the safest course of action would have been to completely ignore the Kingdom of Aura, treating it as if there had never been any contact or agreement, and simply cooperating in secret.
Such a high-profile declaration of war will put them in a more prominent position and attract more potential hostility.
In contrast, the image of the Kingdom of Aura in the eyes of other nations has slightly improved.
The fact that the infamous Helmod Blue Dragonflight declared war on them as traitors perhaps further demonstrates the trustworthiness of the Kingdom of Aura.
The reason for saying "barely" is that the Helmod Dragon Clan is already infamous and has no worries about its debts.
Having another "enemy" like the Kingdom of Aura has negligible impact on them in reality.
The slight image advantage that Aura gained as a result was hardly a decisive factor in the complex power struggles on the Romanian plains.
Moreover, the two countries are separated by a vast territory, making a substantial conflict highly unlikely.
Unless a large-scale war breaks out in the future, this news will soon be forgotten by the nations and become an insignificant record in the archives.
Galos stopped dwelling on it.
He shook his head, banishing distracting thoughts, and once again focused his mind, immersing himself in the daily, tedious, yet rewarding process of self-discipline.
Time flies, and seasons change.
The snow on the Dragon Ridge Mountains melted and accumulated again, and the color of the forest changed from emerald green to golden yellow, and then covered with silver white.
This kingdom on the plains writes its own history with the changing seasons.
July, 346 AD.
The exhausted Kingdom of Rebos and the dominant Kingdom of Lorthern sat down at the negotiating table.
They began a long negotiation that would be a great undertaking for humanity, outlining a series of terms including the specific amount of war reparations, the scope and details of territorial cessions, trade, troop deployments, and political privileges.
This marked the beginning of the end of the Second War between the Nations on the Romanian Plain.
May of the 347th year of the Gregorian calendar.
With the powerful support of the Lorthorn Legion, the army of the goblin kingdom of Matna advanced with unstoppable momentum and finally broke through the last line of defense of the dwarven kingdom of Kambrook.
The isolated and helpless royal family of Cambrook was forced to surrender.
Like Rebos and Theo, it embarked on a humiliating path of defeat and negotiation.
November, 348 AD.
The war between the kingdoms of Ryan and Sak, which once belonged to the same ancient kingdom but were divided by civil war, did not end despite the mediation of other major powers.
Historical grievances, territorial disputes, and blood feuds between royal families.
These factors will drive both countries to bleed to death.
The war ended in a Pyrrhic victory for the Kingdom of Ryan.
With the fall of Sark, all members of the royal family were executed, legendary warriors either died in battle or fled far away, while some chose to surrender to Ryan.
April, 350 AD.
With Repos and Cambrook affixing their national seals and signing their names on the harsh terms of the surrender treaty, the Second Romanian War, a conflict that lasted for nine years, finally came to an official end.
Aura, Lorthern, Matner, Ryan.
They were all on the list of victorious nations.
Among the defeated nations were Theo, Rebos, Cambrook, and the Kingdom of Sak, which has since disappeared from the map and become a historical term.
“Mien”.
In the Dragonspine Mountains, Garros summoned the heroic spirits under his command.
This man was a general in the Kingdom of Sark during his lifetime, and he died during the earlier First Federal Civil War.
"I have some news for you, which may not be good news."
Galos said, "The Kingdom of Sak, which you served in your lifetime, no longer exists. The Kingdom of Ryan has achieved final victory."
Mien's body trembled suddenly, and the light around him rippled noticeably.
He remained silent for several seconds, but finally let out only a barely audible sigh.
“The people of Sak… have not truly disappeared.”
Mien said, "They just... merged into Ryan. We share the same bloodline and similar culture. We are brothers who are one entity in two parts."
Red Iron Dragon's gaze narrowed slightly, and its tail swayed gently behind it.
“I know about the shared history between Sack and Lane.”
Galos said slowly, "But I'm curious, given your understanding of your homeland, how will the surviving people of Sak view the kingdom's destruction and its annexation by Ryan? Will they rebel in anger, or... silently accept it?"
The heroic spirit Mien fell into even deeper thought.
"Most people... will probably gradually accept it."
He finally pondered and said, "The languages, customs, festivals, and many ancient traditions of the two countries are actually quite similar."
"Ordinary farmers, artisans, and merchants focus on survival and family, not on who wears the crown."
"Historical grievances reside more in the hearts of nobles and officers."
"Now that the outcome is decided, the winner takes all. For most ordinary people, accepting the new ruler and continuing their lives is the best option."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, there will be rebels, nostalgics, and those who dream of restoring their country; it's impossible for them to be completely absent."
"However, their numbers... will probably be far fewer than the scale of a normal uprising after the fall of a country."
Galos listened quietly, a thoughtful glint in his vertical pupils.
The war between Ryan and Sack was not without external intervention in its later stages.
As an ally of Ryan, the Kingdom of Lorthen intervened to mediate and attempt to bring the two countries to a standstill.
But Ryan, blinded by rage, ignored his ally's advice, while Sack stubbornly chose to fight to the bitter end, until he was utterly defeated and killed.
"Ryan won the war, but at a great cost."
Galos thought to himself, "Their gains are also enormous, with their territory nearly doubling, and the potential of their integrated population and resources. If they can be successfully integrated, Ryan's strength will leap forward in the next few decades, and they may even challenge Lortheron's position within the alliance."
"But the prerequisite is... that they can stabilize the situation."
Based on the historical and cultural speculations of the Heroic Spirit Mien, the process of Ryan integrating Sark should have been relatively smooth, with limited resistance and minimal trouble, and should have gone very smoothly.
However, the intelligence Galos possessed indicated that the reality was quite the opposite.
In the Kingdom of Ryan today, in the newly occupied former territory of Sak, resistance activities are rising one after another. Restoration armies and guerrilla forces are springing up like mushrooms after rain, one after another. The constant fighting in various places has left the Ryan royal family, whose national strength has been greatly damaged and whose army is exhausted due to the long war, in a state of utter distress. They are unable to recover from the wounds of war, let alone enjoy the fruits of victory.
This is completely different from what Mien had predicted.
"The countries on the Romanian plain have never been simply allies and enemies."
Galus's mind is as clear as a mirror.
The relationships between the countries are complex, and even within the same camp, there is fierce competition and suspicion.
No country wants to see a neighbor suddenly rise to power, even if that neighbor is currently an ally.
Aura herself is among them.
Although Galos has not directly intervened in Ryan's affairs, he knows that undercurrents are already brewing.
"If I had disregarded everything and forcibly annexed the entire Theo..."
Galos couldn't help but recall the choice he had made after conquering the Emerald Mountain Range.
"Leaving aside whether it will trigger intervention from Lorthern or other forces along the way, even if it succeeds, the internal turmoil and resistance it faces now will probably be ten or a hundred times more troublesome than the situation Ryan is currently in."
"Governing a vast land filled with hatred and diverse cultures is far more difficult than winning a war."
"Besides, given my identity, I'll likely face even more targeting."
This idea further solidified his previous strategy of proceeding cautiously and steadily.
Strength is fundamental, but using strength wisely is even more important than strength itself.
He dismissed the pensive spirit Mien and continued his training.
But not long after, a communication from the Fubo Dragon Domain interrupted his progress.
Light and shadow emerged from the communication device, intertwining and swirling.
Soon, a clear and beautiful dragon-shaped projection appeared in front of him.
It was Deborah, the Crimson Silver Dragon.
Her face was filled with undisguised joy.
“Garos”.
Deborah said lightly, "Our babies... have all hatched."
Upon hearing this news, Galos was instantly jolted.
Nine years have passed.
From the moment the dragon egg began to gestate until the hatchlings emerged today, the entire Second War of Nations has taken place.
His first direct descendants were finally born.
"How are they? Do they have any congenital deficiencies?"
"Are they all purebred Red Iron Dragons? Did they inherit some of my...unique characteristics?"
Galos rattled off a string of questions, speaking a few minutes faster than usual.
He valued his offspring quite a bit.
"Patience, darling, be patient."
A sly glint flashed in Deborah's eyes, seemingly enjoying Garus's unusual eagerness. "The children are all healthy and full of energy. As for the other details..."
She deliberately dragged out her words, keeping everyone in suspense.
"I will let them live and grow in the Fubo Dragon Domain for a period of time first."
"Here, they will hear legendary stories about their father, the great Red Emperor, and will come into contact with dragons of different ages and personalities, broadening their horizons and learning basic dragon etiquette and knowledge."
"Once they have safely passed through the most vulnerable period of their fledgling stage and are six years old, I will personally bring them to the Kingdom of Aura, to the Crimson Flame Royal City, and to you."
"As for their names, their special skills, their personalities and appearances..."
"You'll find out then, believe me, Garus, they'll definitely surprise you."
Galos took a deep breath and nodded slightly.
He understood Deborah's actions.
Placing newborn dragons in the Fubo Dragon Domain, a place steeped in dragon culture, for early nurturing and education helps them establish a stable understanding of the dragon race and prevents them from being prematurely influenced by chaotic or weak instincts.
This is not a bad thing.
Galus also did not want to see chaos among his descendants.
but……
Galos's gaze carefully traced Deborah's projection.
After becoming a mother, her beauty seemed to undergo a deeper and richer transformation.
“Deborah,” the red iron dragon’s voice deepened, tinged with heat, “you have become…more beautiful. The children can remain in the Dragon Realm for now, receiving care and guidance from their elders, but you…”
He leaned forward slightly and said:
"Could we return to Crimson Flame Royal City first? I hope you can stay with me for a while."
Adulthood and prime of life are the periods when dragons' physiological and psychological desires are most active and intense.
With a strong will, Galos constantly fought against his instincts, devoting most of his energy to improving his strength and living a very disciplined life.
This does not mean that desires do not exist; they are simply strictly controlled.
However, appropriate indulgence is necessary.
At appropriate times, the dam needs to be opened in a controlled manner to allow the torrents to slow down; this is part of maintaining physical and mental balance.
(End of this chapter)
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