Chapter 72: The Red Dragon and the Dragon Orb (1)
Several dragons flew into the Black Dragon’s sanctuary.
Usually, the sanctuary is a place where either ancient dragons, nearing the end of their lives, or newly born dragons reside. These dragons are required to stay in the sanctuary to receive knowledge passed down from the elder dragons.
For dragons, the sanctuary is a sacred place where death and birth coexist. This rule was not only upheld by the Black Dragons but also respected by other dragons.
The elder, who could be considered the leader of the sanctuary, was currently absent due to the long and drawn-out peace agreement to end the war between the Red and Black Dragons. Therefore, the one responsible for the sanctuary at the moment was the oldest ancient dragon, **Dihegma**.
At this time, **Nies**, a dragon in his youth, seized the opportunity to visit Dihegma. Dihegma was like an uncle to Nies.
Nies, who was in the middle of his thousand-year lifespan, was known for his combative personality and was seen as the leader of the younger dragons.
There was a clear reason why Nies visited the sanctuary while the elder was away. As soon as he saw Dihegma, he began to complain.
“Uncle! How long do we have to tolerate that arrogant human? I believe it’s time to ignore that promise!”
Dihegma immediately understood the meaning behind his nephew’s words. After all, it was unusual for the dragon race to have made a promise to mere humans.
However, Dihegma was an ancient dragon. He rarely got agitated. He simply responded calmly to Nies’ question.
“I understand what you’re trying to say. But a promise is a promise.”
It was always the same answer. But today, Nies had no intention of backing down. The elder’s absence was his chance. This might be his only opportunity. That’s why Nies had prepared thoroughly before coming.
“But uncle! You know full well how few dragons are left that can bear children. This is a matter of life and death for the Black Dragons! Especially since **Rurin** is one of the few at her age who…!”
Nies abruptly stopped speaking. He realized that if his true intentions came out, it would be problematic.
Though it bothered Nies that a female of his clan, one he felt should rightfully be his, was captured by a human, he intended to appeal with other arguments today.
It was fine to have relied on the Red Dragons in a time of need, but there was no reason to continue bowing to them.
They were the greatest race on Earth. It made no sense to be concerned about others’ opinions. That was Nies’ belief.
“Regardless, isn’t what I’m saying true? Recently, there has been a sharp decline in females. Too many died in the last war! If we continue to stand by, we will face decline. How much longer must we be led around and trampled by the Red Dragons? Uncle! There’s no way peace with them will last! The survival of the Black Dragons is at stake. A promise with humans can’t be more important than the survival of our clan! It’s meaningless!”
“Calm down, Nies. We cannot go against the elder’s will.”
“With all due respect, uncle. What do you think of the disgrace brought upon us by **Beren**, the elder’s daughter? A person who has such a traitor as a daughter shouldn’t still be elder! I believe it’s time for you to take that position!”
“Nies! You are going too far. Keep your mouth shut!”
Dihegma’s aura filled the sanctuary. His voice, tinged with anger, startled Nies into silence. Dihegma glared at him for a moment before speaking again, his tone still stern.
“Indeed, Beren committed a great crime. It was treason. But that has nothing to do with the elder. It is not a valid reason. However, if you keep speaking like this, it sounds as if you have a plan. A way to bring back Rurin and punish that human without bringing shame to the dragons?”
Dihegma was not fond of **El**, either. His thoughts were much like Nies’. He just believed there was no way around it. Besides, the promise aside, that human was certainly beyond ordinary.
If all the young dragons rallied together, it would be different, but that would only make them a laughingstock among other races, including the Red Dragons.
As Dihegma questioned him, Nies’ face lit up with excitement, and he quickly replied.
“Of course, I have a plan. A way to create justifiable grounds for action! No matter how powerful that human is, he’s still just a human. This time, we’ll finish it for sure. If everything goes according to my plan, there will be no harm to our clan, uncle!”
Nies’ confidence was overflowing. That confidence was why he had come to see his uncle. He was fully prepared to act as soon as he got the green light.
To take revenge on that arrogant human. And to claim Rurin. These two desires consumed Nies’ mind.
Ever since he was young, Nies had tormented Rurin, seeing her as a filthy creature. The fact that the human had taken what he believed was his infuriated him.
As always, the only fun to be had with a filthy creature was to trample it underfoot.
For Nies, this was even more enjoyable than the games he played in the human world.
“A plan, you say? If it’s justifiable, I won’t oppose it. As long as there’s a legitimate reason.”
It was true that the number of dragons being born was decreasing. So, it was also true that young dragons who could increase the population were incredibly valuable. Dihegma slowly nodded his head.
Of course, this was a backward way of thinking.
If El had been here, he would have scoffed at the idea.
Having gained Dihegma’s approval, Nies secretly met with **Veint** of the Red Dragon clan. This was proof that El was more of a thorn in their side than their supposed enemies, the Red Dragons.
Moreover, Nies’ ultimate goal was to become the next elder. To achieve that, he needed the honor of being the dragon who erased the greatest shame of the clan—bowing to a human.
Being the leader of the young dragons wasn’t enough for Nies’ ambitions.
Not only had they been helped by El, but there were also rumors that a dragon of their clan was being held hostage, causing them to be secretly looked down upon by both the Red Dragons and the Gold Dragons. The younger Black Dragons were also quite dissatisfied.
Thus, Nies planned to eliminate El to solidify his position. As Dihegma mentioned, however, he needed justification. That’s why Nies made a proposal to Veint and his faction, who were involved in a power struggle within the Red Dragon clan. He hoped they would take the bait.
“Let’s help each other out. Have you ever heard of ‘exchange killings’? Though the Reds and Blacks are eternal enemies, sometimes it’s necessary to cooperate in secret.”
“Exchange killings? And what’s in it for me if I help you?”
At Nies’ words, Veint sneered and looked at his group. Six dragons had gathered in a large ravine.
Nies, seeing Veint’s reaction, gave a slight smile as he gazed at him.
“I’ve heard there’s a Red Dragon living near **Grayke**. I’d like you to use that dragon. Lure him into a trap. The reward will be substantial. Isn’t your goal to take control of the Red Dragons? We all know that the **Ronel** faction is your biggest obstacle.”
“You little wretch! Where did you hear such nonsense? Ridiculous. I have no obstacles.”
Despite his words, Veint’s demeanor had clearly changed. The mocking smile that had previously been on his face was replaced by a more serious expression. In truth, Ronel was indeed a thorn in Veint’s side—more so than even his enemies, the Black Dragons.
“Hm, go on.”
Veint, showing more interest, urged Nies to continue with a tone that suggested he was listening now.
“If Ronel is a thorn in your side, then I also have one. That insolent human, El.”
“A human? Ah, you mean the arrogant human who consumed the Lord’s Heart.”
Veint immediately understood and nodded his head. El had fought with the Red Dragons before, so this was not surprising.
“Arrogant, yes, but he has nothing to do with me. For me, Ronel is far more bothersome than a mere human.”
“Exactly, that’s the point.”
“That’s the point?”
“You don’t have legitimate grounds to take care of Ronel yourself, do you?”
“No, I don’t.”
Nies, already knowing the answer, asked as if he were confirming, and Veint subtly nodded in agreement.
“We’ll take care of Ronel.”
“Ronel?”
As a combat race, the Black Dragons are fewer in number than the Red Dragons, which is why they were overwhelmed in the last war. However, in a one-on-one battle, the Black Dragons are stronger.
Among the Gold, Red, and Blue Dragons, the Black Dragons have always been the race with the most powerful offensive abilities.
However, with their numbers in decline, they had faced an era of hardship.
“An ambush won’t be difficult. You may fail and risk exposing yourself to your kin, but I’m different. Plus, I can borrow the power of the treasure from the sanctuary. I have Uncle’s permission.”
Of course, he didn’t mention the part about conspiring with the Red Dragons. He only talked about the plan to trap and eliminate El.
“So? What do you want me to do?”
Veint responded immediately. If Ronel were to be dealt with, that would be more than satisfactory. Handling him himself would attract too much attention, and if he were caught leaving evidence behind, there would be chaos.
However, if Nies dealt with it, at worst, it would reignite the war between the Reds and the Blacks.
Of course, if Nies had a valuable treasure from the Blacks, then it wouldn’t be impossible to take care of Ronel without anyone knowing.
It was a gamble Veint was willing to take.
For that reason, Veint bit the bait. Nies smirked, knowing he had succeeded, and nodded his head.
“As a result of the last war, dragons attacking human cities are currently prohibited by the agreement. If we strike first, we’ll only be giving other races a reason to retaliate. But if we’re punishing a killer of our kind, that’s a different story. That’s where the Red Dragon I mentioned earlier comes in.”
“The Red Dragon you mentioned earlier?”
“Exactly.”
“Oh, the one living near Grayke?”
“That’s right. According to my sources, that insolent human was spotted near the Dwarven Mountain, which lies in that Red Dragon’s territory. Isn’t that a good enough pretext? If a Red Dragon from that region is found dead near Grayke, whether killed by a human or another dragon, we’ll have a reason to seek revenge. If it weren’t for that Red Dragon being close to El, you and I wouldn’t have met, but it just so happens that everything lined up. All the pieces are in place, now we just need to act.”
“Hahaha!”
Veint burst into laughter at Nies’ words. The laughter, filled with the Red Dragon’s power, echoed through the deep mountain ravine.
