Chapter 5: The Original Dragon King ( Part 1 )
The dragons elegantly sat on a wooden chair, legs crossed, and calmly replied, “Why not?”
Wow. Leon thought. You two are already best buddies sharing the same pants, huh?
He chuckled and playfully flicked Rebecca’s forehead. “You crazy girl, stop calling her that. I’m not that close with your ‘sister-in-law.’”
Rebecca:?
Sure, sure. You two just keep pretending you’re not close.
“See you next time,” Leon waved goodbye to the master-disciple pair before heading to the cave entrance with Rosvitha.
The dragons spread her wings and, half-turning her head slyly winked at Rebecca.
Rebecca returned the gesture with an ‘OK’ sign.
Watching their interaction, Tiger couldn’t help but ask, “Are you two sending secret signals?”
Rebecca grinned and whispered mysteriously, “Dad, your disciple’s married life… is about to get a lot more colorful.”
…
At midnight, in the empire, Nacho Salaman entered a roadside inn covered in dust from his travels.
After exchanging a secret code with the innkeeper, the innkeeper led Nacho to a private room upstairs.
Standing at the door, Nacho knocked softly, cleared his throat, and respectfully said, “Lord Elrandi, I have returned.”
A deep male voice immediately responded from inside the room, “Enter.”
“Yes, my lord.” Nacho pushed open the door, and the innkeeper, sensing the situation, discreetly closed it behind him before leaving.
Inside the room, the man called Elrandi sat by the tea table on the balcony, legs crossed, staring into the heavy night.
A teapot rested on the table, steam swirling lazily from its spout.
Nacho remained at the doorway, standing at the entrance. Without Elrandi’s permission, he dared not take another step inside.
After a brief silence, Elrandi spoke slowly, “Blai, Jaggus, Hammi, Felix, Walton, Kayla, and including Ravi and Sta before them, since I assigned this mission to you, eight Dragon Kings have died in total. I want to know, is it so difficult to kill Leon Cosmode, Nacho?”
Nacho at the door stiffened, his whole body tense. He swallowed carefully, not daring to make any unnecessary noise.
Eyes wide, cold sweat trickled down his temple. After a long pause, Nacho replied, “It was an accident, my lord. I watched him vanish into a spatial rift. Who could have expected him to return…”
“I don’t believe in accidents, Nacho.”
In other words, don’t give me that nonsense.
Nacho pressed his dry lips together, bowing as he spoke, “Apologies, my lord, it was my negligence that… led to these losses.”
Elrandi snorted coldly, then changed the topic, “Come and sit. I brewed some tea.”
“Yes, my lord.”
With Elrandi’s permission, Nacho finally dared to step forward into the room, heading toward the balcony. He sat on the opposite side of the tea table, still visibly nervous.
“You’ve had a long journey, take a sip of tea to soothe your throat.” Elrandi didn’t look directly at Nacho, still gazing out into the night.
“Yes, my lord.”
Nacho held the cup with both hands, taking a small sip.
The tea had already begun to cool, and the flavor was less than pleasant.
But Nacho knew, Elrandi never called him here just for tea.
However, he didn’t dare ask outright.
Serving under such a leader, the most important rule was: speak less, do more.
“How is the tea?” Elrandi asked.
“It’s very good, my lord.”
“Is that so? This tea is called ‘Red Robe’ and comes from the eastern continent.”
Elrandi paused, then slowly turned his head to look at Nacho for the first time. “It was also your father’s favorite tea.”
Hearing the word father from Elrandi’s lips, Nacho froze for a moment.
He instinctively tightened his grip on the teacup, not daring to respond.
Noticing the tension in Nacho’s expression, Elrandi continued, “After Victor was executed by Leon, you took on the task of killing Leon. I trusted you, which is why I let you oversee Ravi and the others. But the results you’ve delivered have been, to say the least, unsatisfactory, Nacho.”
Gulp—
The bitter taste of the tea filled Nacho’s mouth. He swallowed with difficulty, his heart pounding in anxiety.
He understood the meaning behind Elrandi’s words:
You’re done with this job.
“Although the Dragon Kings made their own decisions on specific actions, the overall plan involved you, didn’t it?” Elrandi asked leisurely.
“…Yes, my lord.”
“Hmm, that’s what we originally agreed upon with the dragons when we first started this cooperation.”
Elrandi sighed. “But losing eight Dragon Kings in such a short time, not to mention Konstantin from long ago, Leon Cosmode has indeed taught both us and the dragons a harsh lesson.”
“My lord…”
“The dragons have already recalled Adam to deal with Leon. And as for our empire, we must also make some changes. Don’t you agree, Nacho?”
His words were clear.
Nacho wasn’t foolish. He immediately stood up, speaking rapidly, “Please give me one more chance, my lord! I can lead the Dragon Kings and kill Leon Cosmode!”
“I’ve already given you many chances, Nacho.”
Elrandi remained unmoved by Nacho’s plea. “But the facts show that this task is far beyond your capabilities. Perhaps…”
Elrandi glanced down at his cup of Red Robe tea, smiling faintly. “You’ll have to find another way to get your father out of prison.”
“My lord!”
Thud—
This time, Nacho directly knelt in front of Elrandi, clutching his trousers, pleading in panic, “I beg you, my lord, give me one more chance, one last chance! I will—”
“Enough, Nacho. Taking on an impossible task just to clear your father’s name was foolish from the start.”
“My lord! I, I—”
“The tea has gone cold, Nacho.”
“……”
Elrandi sneered, shaking off Nacho’s grip. He stood up and strode toward the exit of the room.
Without pause, without giving Nacho any further opportunity to pledge loyalty.
Loyalty?
Hah, the empire has no shortage of ‘loyalty’.
Countless people were firmly in Elrandi’s grasp. There was no need for a Nacho Salaman.
…
Footnotes:
- Tiamat (提亚马特)– Tíyàmǎtè: In Mesopotamian mythology, Tiamat is a primordial goddess of the ocean, often depicted as a dragon or sea serpent. In this context, she is presented as the Dragon God of this fictional universe.
- The First King (第一位王)– Dì yī wèi wáng: This term refers to the first inheritor of the Dragon God Tiamat’s legacy, a figure of immense importance in dragon lore, revered as a heroic leader.
