When Moses declared himself a Grand Enchanter in the Legendary Continent, it sent shockwaves throughout the land. But another legend was about to make its return to the City of Dawn, the Legendary Golden Dragon, Jerot.
William had hoped that Jerot would return with a contingent of Golden and Silver Dragons, but to his disappointment, Jerot returned alone. As William observed Jerot's unhappy countenance, he couldn't help but sense that something was amiss.
Sacario, the Twilight Dragon, was an ancient species that had survived through the ages. According to the original blood Dragon, Sacario had the potential to become the leader of the dragon family. This had been Jerot's plan all along, to deceive Sacario into the Dragon Valley and groom him for leadership.
However, fate had dealt Sacario a cruel blow. Just as he had hatched from his egg, a cruel reality slapped him in the face. It was a profound insult to the dignity of the dragon family, for they could never accept a riding dragon as their leader. Regardless of Sacario's status as an ancient species from the first era, he had no chance.
Jerot's return to the City of Dawn raised questions. His research seemed to be focused on the diverse multi-ethnic environment in the city, leaving William perplexed.
Late one night, William met Jerot and engaged in a conversation that only deepened his confusion. The next day, Kanier, the Lord of the Royal Beast City, was scheduled to arrive in Dawn City to conduct business involving dragon eggs and uncontrolled dragons and wolves.
The Dawn Portal was a hive of activity when Kanier appeared. William was there to greet him, and the portal emitted a constant shimmer of light. Animal guards emerged one after another, leading dragons and wolves by chains.
The dragon blood forest wolves were an imposing sight, with their towering forms, sharp fangs, and black-and-white fur resembling mutated wolves. However, their vertical golden pupils hinted at a fierce bloodlust. These creatures appeared uncomfortable passing through the portal, and their howls filled the air. Some of the dragons and wolves were so unruly that they attempted to bite their handlers. Only the strength of the beast guards, who cast Spells and maintained control, prevented them from causing harm.
It became evident that the transmission hall was insufficient for handling these creatures. William promptly instructed Nock to lead the animal division in arranging the dragons and wolves in a military camp, preventing any potential disturbances.
The tension in the air was palpable as the handsome Prince, William, stood in the transmission hall, wearing a stern expression. Kanier, on the other hand, seemed dissatisfied with the dragons and wolves.
Kanier chuckled, attempting to ease the tension, "These dragons and wolves may have less than ideal temperaments, but their strength is commendable. With proper training, they could become formidable cavalry units. I've brought both males and females, so you could even start breeding them in the future."
William retorted, "Even the Beast Master fears their bites. How do you expect my people to ride them? Will our soldiers be bitten to death by their own mounts during battles?" He scoffed and chose to close his eyes, signaling his disinterest in further discussion.
While the ranks of these dragons and wolves were mostly middle-tier, their potential Bloodlines made them formidable. Several among them possessed epic and Legendary Bloodlines, marking them as superior mounts. The inability of normal soldiers to control these wolves did not pose a problem for the Dragon Blood Legion, thanks to the buffs provided by the formation of the Legion.
Kanier, seeing William's reaction, was also displeased. Both of them were in neutral territory, and Kanier felt it was inappropriate for William to act superior. He decided to be forthright, stating, "In any case, these creatures are yours for free. Even if you can't ride them, you can use them for meat. After all, our transaction isn't primarily about these mounts."
William finally relented, realizing that Kanier had a Point. He sighed and waved Kanier to follow him as they made their way to the conference hall.
Kanier, however, was not interested in idle conversation. He quickly retrieved the fire dragon eggs from the different space he carried with him. The massive red dragon egg was adorned with intricate lines of fire elements, and it seemed to absorb the magic of the fire element present in the conference hall.
As he handed over the dragon egg to William, Kanier inquired about payment, "Here are the dragon eggs, where are the Gold Coins?"
William observed the dragon egg with a hint of fascination, acknowledging the allure of dragons even in their egg form. Nevertheless, he remained cautious, "Are you certain this dragon egg can hatch?"
Kanier assured him, "Absolutely. This fire dragon egg is well-developed, and it's on the verge of hatching. If I didn't use magic to control it, it might have already broken its shell. Besides, even if I had the intention to deceive you, the Grand Enchanter in your family would easily see through it."
William then displayed the Gold Coins in his possession, but he hesitated to hand them over, carefully stating, "I'm not concerned about you selling me a fake dragon egg. I'm concerned about whether I can successfully hatch it. Since you're an animal master and claim it's about to hatch, why don't you hatch the little fire dragon yourself? Once it's hatched, we can discuss payment and delivery."
Kanier hesitated momentarily, considering the implications. He then asked with a sly smile, "Is there another dragon family in Dawn City? I'm worried that when the young dragon is born, they might sense it if there are other dragons nearby."
William smirked and replied, "What do you think? There are trees, and there are dragons in Dawn City."
Kanier nodded, acknowledging the presence of the Dragon Knight's family in the city. But a new thought seemed to cross his mind, and he proposed, "Your Highness William, I'm curious about your method of becoming a Dragon Knight. Would you consider selling that secret to me?"
William's interest was piqued, and he offered a bottle of wine, inviting Kanier to sit and discuss the matter further. Kanier clarified, "I'm not looking to buy it; I believe a fair trade would be exchanging it for this dragon egg."
Amused, William retorted, "A trade for the method to become a Dragon Knight? I could get ten dragon eggs for that."
[Ding]
[Ding: Kanil's favor with you has decreased by 300 Points.]
William feigned ignorance as the notification appeared. Kanier's expression remained unchanged, and he simply extended his hand, saying, "Give me the space ring. I'll hatch the fire dragon now. I can't just run away within your territory, can I?"
"Very well," His Royal Highness agreed, handing over a space ring filled with Gold Coins.
Kanier waved his hand to dispel the magic around the dragon egg, causing the magical energy in the conference hall to intensify. As Kanier pressed his hand on the dragon egg, he chanted an incantation under his breath. In the otherwise silent hall, faint clicking sounds could be heard.
Three seconds later, a resounding roar echoed through the room.
"Ouch"
A tiny red-scaled fire dragon emerged from the eggshell. Its body was merely half a meter in length, but its wings spanned nearly two meters.
William wasted no time and used soul control to target the young fire dragon.
"Ouch!"
The little fire dragon, initially filled with joy, suddenly cried out and fell to the ground in agony as the soul control took hold.
Successive soul control commands were directed at the hapless creature. It hadn't even had a chance to taste its own eggshell, let alone enjoy its newfound life, before it was subjected to the torment of soul control, much like the Dusk Dragon before it.
Kanier observed with wide eyes, witnessing the little fire dragon's suffering. He realized that William's soul control was somewhat different from his own.
However, both methods were equally effective, albeit with a lower success rate. Kanier couldn't help but wonder if this kind of soul control, marked by a low success rate and accompanied by torture, was the key to becoming a Dragon Knight.
"Does this mean that becoming a Dragon Knight involves this type of soul control with a low success rate?" Kanier pondered aloud.
Unfortunately, his musings were cut short as the conference hall's walls suddenly exploded, and an enraged middle-aged man burst through the wreckage.
William, who had been employing soul control, was caught off guard. He hastily picked up the little fire dragon from the ground and thrust it towards Kanier, shouting, "Damn it! I told you I didn't want to buy dragons! I have no interest in buying dragons! You insisted on buying and selling them!"
Kanier almost choked on his own blood at William's words. He thought, "You just used soul control on it so mercilessly, and now you claim you don't want to buy dragons? How can you blame me for this?"
However, the appearance of the tall, enraged figure was the more pressing issue. It was evident that this individual was a Legendary Golden Dragon.
William, feigning ignorance, inquired awkwardly, "How did you come back?"
The Golden Dragon, Jerot, seething with anger, didn't immediately respond. He pushed William aside with force, causing the prince to crash into a wall.
Guards quickly entered the room and fixed their gaze on Jerot, but William gestured for them to stand down. Kanier, on the other hand, was terrified.
Meanwhile, Jerot approached Kanier step by step. His ability to sense the life force of the newborn dragon had likely brought him here.
"Are you Kanier, the Lord of the Beast City?" Jerot inquired, displaying knowledge of Kanier's identity.
"Yes, yes, yes," Kanier stammered, overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events.
"I knew your father," Jerot replied, still visibly angry. "But I never expected his son to engage in the clandestine trade of dragons. However, we'll address your actions later."
Jerot cast a disapproving glance at Kanier and then turned his attention to William, leaving the room with the little fire dragon cradled in his arms.
Kanier was left dumbfounded, seated on the floor, utterly bewildered by the situation. He muttered to himself, "It's over, it's all over."
William, on the other hand, maintained his facade of ignorance and panic. He called out to Kanier, "Give me back the space ring! I just lost 100 million Gold Coins and the fire dragon. Do you want my money to vanish into thin air?"
Kanier retorted, "If you hadn't attempted to befriend the Golden Dragon family, would this transaction have been discovered? If you lost the fire dragon, it's your problem to deal with."
The prince's anger was palpable as electrical arcs flickered around his body. However, he refrained from taking any direct action against Kanier.
He watched as Kanier, accompanied by a group of animal guards, left Dawn City. William's hope of retrieving his money seemed bleak.
William narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly, saying, "Brother Jerot, I told you I'm an honorable Dragon Knight. When I heard someone was trying to sell dragon eggs, I decided to rescue these adorable little creatures, even if it cost me 100 million Gold Coins!"
Jerot, still seething with anger, responded, "Don't think I'm unaware of your ulterior motives. But there must be an explanation for Kanier's audacity to buy and sell dragon eggs and young dragons."
Jerot clenched his fist but restrained himself from taking any drastic actions against William. He then turned and left the room with the little fire dragon in his arms.
The tiny fire dragon was bewildered and distraught. It seemed to cry out silently, "Why have you thrown me back to this strange man again? Boss, don't leave me!"
However, Jerot, the Golden Dragon, remained uninterested in the young fire dragon's pleas, and William's and Kanier's fates remained intertwined, albeit in the most unexpected of circumstances.