Having settled on the first, second, and fifth rewards, Caesar felt a mysterious force envelop his Red Dragon form. It was a tingling sensation akin to waves lapping the shore, a dual pleasure for both body and soul. This half-hour serenade of contentment gradually faded away.
Boom!
Suddenly, an overpowering wave of drowsiness hit Caesar. It reminded him of the growth slumber when he transitioned from a young dragon to an adolescent, a slumber which substantially boosted his strength. This time, however, the feeling was even more potent.
Resisting the urge to succumb to sleep, he glanced at the floating magical scroll before him. Crafted on exquisite paper and engraved with amethyst runes occasionally brightened by azure lightning, Caesar skillfully coiled his tongue around it and swallowed. The dragon's tongue was a marvelous thing, capable of incredible feats of dexterity that surpassed even the human hand. Many dragons preferred to use their tongues to secure their prized possessions, carrying them wherever they went.
This scroll contained a formidable seventh-tier spell. Should Caesar face an enemy beyond his strength, he would no longer release a mere flare of dragon fire but unleash the seventh-tier spell Infernal Thunderstorm, promising a spectacle for his foes.
Calling upon Aurelian, he briefly charged her with Diana's care and the oversight of his domain. With that, Caesar delved into his dragon's lair. The snapping and crackling lava, so invigorating and reminiscent of a mother's embrace, enticed him to close his eyes in quiet contentment. Red Dragons thrived in ardent climes, the heat granting growth and acting as a mighty barrier during their rest.
Overcome by an incessant wave of lethargy, Caesar couldn't resist any longer and plunged into a profound sleep.
....
Silvermoon Kingdom.
Among the thirteen countries of the Emerald Continent, the Silvermoon Kingdom ranked modestly in terms of overall strength. A year ago, due to Duke Cassius's rebellion, the actual control of the country shifted.
The capital, Silvermoon City, was the kingdom's largest and most prosperous urban sprawl. After Duke Cassius seized it, he swiftly relocated most of his family's power base there. With a formidable army to quell dissent, he forced an increasing number of noble factions to capitulate.
Boom!
In the Royal Garden, the echoes of a tremendous rupture split a decorative hill cresting ten meters tall.
Adorned in a golden cape, Duke Cassius held a silver greatsword channeling a tumultuous power tinged with a sinister aura.
"Any news of Princess Diana?" he inquired casually as he rested his sword, addressing a knight standing in the shadows.
The knight felt uneasy in the duke's terrifying aura. Even as a sixth-order Lightning Knight, he felt oppressed. After a deep breath, he reported, "Intelligence suggests that Princess Diana's last known location was within the Karl Mountains. Knight Captain Kestev led Griffin Knights to track her down but vanished without a trace. It's unclear if they met with disaster or if the princess wielded some royal trump card."
The mention of the knight prompted a shadow of displeasure across Duke Cassius's face.
Almost all of Silvermoon's royal lineage had been purged by him, with only a puppet monarch and the elusive Diana remaining. Initially, he didn't prioritize her pursuit but still dispatched a mid-tier Griffin Knight with an armory of fifth-tier magical scrolls to prevent mishaps. The confounding failure only intensified his intrigue.
Observing Duke Cassius quietly, the knight ventured, "Furthermore, our infiltrator within the neighboring Morningstar Kingdom reports no sign of Princess Diana seeking refuge there."
The Morningstar Kingdom—a nation mightier than Silvermoon—boasted rich resources, with no less than three high-level mages and over ten superior warriors on the public record. The loss of Silvermoon's court mage had left an insurmountable void; high-level warriors, while formidable, lacked the mage's deterrent capability.
A high-tier mage could, with sufficient arcane materials, establish a spellbinding tower, facing down even a coalition of high-tier warriors with confidence—if not potential domination.
Historical precedents in the Aerlan World attested to spellcasters' propensity for miraculous feats, often becoming the fulcrum of legend.
The proximity of Silvermoon and Morningstar was benign, thanks to the intervening Karl Mountains—a creature-infested haven that offered a buffer of security for both kingdoms. The perils therein stayed any warfare ambitions, the threat of engagement invariably ensuring attrition by monstrous hordes rather than enemy soldiers.
Previously, Diana's escape through the Karl Mountains aimed for Morningstar sanctuary—beyond Cassius's reach, her life would be spared. Yet, unbeknownst to him, she reveled in newfound happiness as the consort of a dragon and mistress of a monstrous domain, relinquishing any thoughts of seeking external aid.
"Should she have disappeared, she will emerge eventually, or perhaps she has already perished under the claw and fang of beasts. Let's not waste more of our resources on her," Duke Cassius said coolly, exuding confidence bolstered by his dark pact. Sacrificing the royal bloodline of Silvermoon had substantially amplified his prowess, bringing him to the brink of the stuff of legends. The unique essence coursing through him now shielded him with an air of invincibility, even against high-level spellcasters.