After the assembly, Seleria secluded herself in a separate room with her mother and the two great dragons.
"Hmm, Sheraza, you've raised a worthy daughter," Siferina displayed a fond maternal smile to her distant great-granddaughter.
"Oh, Lady Siferina, she takes after her father with her bravery," Sheraza shyly averted her eyes. Even though she was already an adult by dragon standards, next to the matriarch, she still felt like a little girl.
"Well, well, you don't have to call me 'Lady' anymore. I hope that in a couple of centuries, we can overcome this misunderstanding. Of course, there will be many challenges," the dragoness leisurely sipped the tea brought by her attendants.
"Yes, sadly, many dragons have lived for centuries, knowing only how to serve their elders. But even longer, the elder dragons have lived, feeling like the highest echelon of society," Serazar pensively scratched his chin, "In fact, I don't know what to do with those who have spent their entire lives in servitude; how do we now prepare them for a new life?"
"Not all young dragons dream of living as servants to their elders; my mother is a living example of that," Seleria thoughtfully closed her eyes. "We need to offer everyone a choice now. They are no longer obligated to serve their masters, and if they receive proper education, they can pursue any other profession. If you will no longer be a secluded clan, they can go to Leran and find a new home there."
"Of course, the laws of Leran apply to dragons and protect them as well," Sheraza joined the conversation again. "If they can gradually integrate into the lives of ordinary people—perhaps by working as traders, healers, blacksmiths, or teachers—the people of Leran will stop thinking of us as an arrogant, contemptuous clan."
"Hmm, it might be a good idea, but then we'll have to approach each individual differently," Siferina replied.
"That's only natural. Right now, only the elder dragons have received a decent education. The dragon-servants have been taught literacy and etiquette, with minimal knowledge of the outside world. The slaves, on the other hand, only know what they must do to serve their elders. And I want you to change that. If we start nurturing self-awareness equally among all dragons, we might finally become the great clan we appear to be," Seleria sighed sadly. "Right now, the Red House seems to me nothing more than a group of slave traders. But we have so much more to offer the world. In ancient times, red dragons were renowned as skilled jewelers and smiths capable of crafting enchanted weapons."
"But the creation of enchanted weapons involves using ancient magic, which we can't simply give into the hands of humans," Sheraza chimed in again.
"However, I can use the power of the ancient gods," the princess sneered. "If you think you're the only ones capable of crafting such weapons, you're mistaken. Krito, my confidant, managed to learn the language of the ancient gods on his own and has already created several unique specimens of magical weaponry. But he made them only for his comrades and has no intention of mass-producing them. However, the Nordic blacksmiths are a different story. I've seen the axe of a northern princess; it bore symbols resembling ancient scripts, and some of them indeed possessed power. Perhaps the Nords are the only ones seriously considering using dragon script to enhance their weaponry, and it has yielded some results. These are unsettled times, and many warriors wouldn't refuse a blade imbued with special properties. If you miss your chance now, it might be too late later."
"Hmm, so you're suggesting that we completely change our approach to trade relations with the outside world?" Siferina thoughtfully clasped her hands in front of her.
"The way Leran sees the Red House now can hardly be called trade relations," Sheraza sadly shook her head. "In reality, you are the wealthiest clan in Leran, but only because you've been amassing wealth for over four thousand years. You are entirely self-sufficient because these islands provide everything you need. And you increase your wealth by collecting tolls from trading ships and through the extraction of gold and precious gemstones that this land is rich in. Only occasionally do you trade with the leaders of other families, offering them beautiful gems or "unique" slaves in exchange for the goods you need. But you could process the precious stones and create truly exquisite items. Red dragons command flames at their will, and this opens up inexhaustible possibilities for creativity. I understand that you value Leran's currency little, but then you could negotiate with the mint to issue your own coins that would have equivalents in other currencies."
"You propose quite far-reaching plans for us. How long have you been planning all this?" Serazar's serious gaze made Sheraza ponder.
"I...," Sheraza wasn't sure if it was worth revealing everything to the rulers. But they had been on their side for a very long time, so they could be trusted. "I've always wanted to change our clan, even before I left you. I read a lot and learned more about the past of red dragons than anyone else knew, but I understood that I would never have the strength to change all the dragons. But when I learned that I was expecting a child, I wanted Seleria to live in a world where dragons wouldn't despise each other; I wanted her not to be ashamed of her origins. I long realized that someone else was behind the advice of the ancient dragons, someone who was pushing the clan in the wrong direction, and he had to be stronger than all of you combined. So, I wanted my daughter to be even stronger, so that if necessary, she could destroy him. That's why I insisted that she be taught by the best master in Leran, possibly the only one who would know the secret of the crimson flame."
"And who is this master?"
"That, I cannot say. It's a secret of the royal family, unknown even to the closest dignitaries. But when Seleria was finally able to awaken the power of Saraz, whom all dragons revered, I understood that someday she would change dragons' attitudes towards herself. After all, you constructed such a class system, believing that the closer the kinship to the dragon-god, the stronger and nobler the dragon would be. But if the power of a god awakened in a simple half-blood from a distant generation, many would want to get rid of her. That's why I insisted that Seleria display her power at the right moment. All red dragons sensed Ultras's return, even I did, and then I realized that the right time had come."
"Hmm, I suppose I did the right thing by bringing you to the palace," Siferina smiled enigmatically. "Such an intelligent girl had no place serving some conceited old dragon."
"Aah, it seems I've been dancing to someone else's tune all this time, but it doesn't matter," the princess reclined in her chair. "I trust you to change the clan, but please inform me of all important changes, and of course, if someone intends to leave the clan. Mother will help you establish relations with Leran."
"Tell me, Princess," Serazar looked at the girl with doubt, "Leran may be a more free country than its neighbors, but slavery and blatant social inequality still exist there. Why, then, did you decide to change the red dragon clan?"
Seleria gave a mysterious smirk and closed her eyes.
"I would like to change all of Leran, and I will try to do that when I become the queen. But since such an opportunity presented itself, why not try it first with the Red Clan? If even the tradition-bound red dragons can overcome their inclination towards inequality, then perhaps the rest of the world can learn from them, don't you think?"
"Haha-ha, with such a ruler, it will be much more interesting than with the previous one," Serazar smiled contentedly and exchanged glances with Siferina.
In Nodrune, at that time, the guards were trying to find the runaway princess.
"Could it be that she really went to the mountain?" the queen impatiently toyed with her braid. "Silly girl, it's not like chasing bears through the woods."
"Mistress Freya," Holdr entered the hall with a report, "Hilda is not in the city, and neither are several members of the 'Heart of the Storm' guild. It seems they left together, but not all of them. One girl from the guild wants to talk to you."
"Mm?" Freya noticed Asura standing by the door. After exchanging a glance with her husband, she addressed the guest, "Let me guess, she asked you to deliver a message to us?"
"Yes."
"And only now?"
"Yes, she didn't want you to know earlier and send a pursuit after them."
"That's foolish. In any case, I wouldn't have sent a pursuit after her."
"Why? She's your daughter."
"Think about it. They're not going for a walk; they're heading into the mountains, most likely to battle a formidable opponent. Even if the Valkyrie squad catches up with them, they'll be exhausted. And if they have to fight this unknown enemy right away, they'll only hinder each other. A mountain battle is not like a petty scuffle with a bunch of orcs in some remote part of Verania. Let's hope they're a well-coordinated team capable of handling it on their own."
"And you're not worried about her?"
"Should I be? Do you think they went to certain death and put the heir of Nordrune at risk?" The queen's cunning eyes narrowed suspiciously, causing Asura to break out in a cold sweat.
"No, they'll manage. But you could sometimes behave like a loving mother."
"Hmph, I love her in my own way. If I coddled her, she would never have grown into such a worthy young woman. You may go."
The queen signaled the girl, but she didn't hurry to leave.
"I'm not done yet. Hilda asked you to show me the tomb of the ancestors."
"Hoo...," Freya looked at her husband.
"Leave us alone," the jarl ordered the guards, and soon only the three of them remained in the room. "Why would she tell you about that place?"
"She said they might give me some information about who attacked Askarez...," Asura hesitated for a moment. "And that I might find out what happened to the heart of the White Goddess."
The rulers exchanged wary glances.
"Hmm, these hair and your weapon..." Freya chuckled, "that means you are from the Yukitori clan. Well, I can guide you, but I can't guarantee you'll return. Are you willing to risk it for information of dubious value?"
"Absolutely, it concerns my clan too. I must figure everything out myself."
"Alright then, let's go," the queen rose from her throne and headed towards the staircase in the depths of the throne room.
Once again, the path led deep underground to the vault beneath the hill, deep below the castle.
"So, this is the strange place in front of the treasury?"
"Yes, the ice-bound door is the entrance to the tomb."
"However, you won't find any ancestors' bodies there," Siegfried smirked.
"Then what is it?"
"It's not that simple to explain. You'd better see it for yourself, that is if you survive," Freya's face stretched into a malicious grin.
"Are you deliberately trying to scare me?"
"Nah, I'm just warning you. Not many have returned alive from there, though those who did became much stronger. But after the last unfortunate incident, I decided to prohibit anyone from visiting the tomb. The risk was too great."
"What could be so dangerous there?"
"Cold... and nothing more. If you can endure it, you'll learn the truth. But if not, you'll become nothing more than snow covering the tomb's floor."