Azderos, Northern Glaciers, Hvítreiðr.
The trade talks had gone more smoothly than expected. The duchy's side was quite surprised by Hvítreiðr's offering of magical creature meat and hide. Magical creatures were quite rare in the central lands, making them a valuable resource.
It didn't take long to reach an agreement, with the duchy also offering several local products in return. The Hvítreiðr side had also requested steel weapons, but Prince Cassius had declined, stating that he could not approve such a request on his own authority. Of course, they could discuss weapon trade again in the future.
Ülgen, reading the terms of the agreement while sitting with his subordinates in the chief's hall, smiled approvingly. "Well done, Linda. You have already made a significant contribution to our clan. I will make sure you have the necessary number of elite warriors with you on the trade expedition. I am confident you will not disappoint us in either trade or diplomacy," he said.
Linda nodded proudly. "This is just the beginning, my lord. If we proceed according to your plans, within a few years, Hvítreiðr will have plenty of products to trade."
The other warriors in the hall nodded as well. The reason they initially offered magical creature meat and hide was due to the abundance of magical creatures in the north, unlike in the south. Additionally, with their swift hunting tactics, they could hunt enough to sustain themselves, strengthen themselves, and trade.
Even after Ülgen left, they knew they had a trump card of sixth-tier strength resting in the tower to protect the city. However, this was no reason for them to become complacent. With their lord providing them with opportunities to reach unimaginable heights, none of them could afford to be idle!
The Young Conqueror, looking at the ambitious and excited expressions of his subordinates, felt a brief moment of regret for not being born human. But this regret quickly vanished due to the advantages of the power that came with age. Currently, the duchy's side was preparing their army for the return journey.
To foster their relationship, he had organized events where some of the clan warriors and duchy soldiers would go hunting together. Meanwhile, he had ordered a portion of the magical creature meat and hides they hunted during the Dromkez to be prepared for the trade expedition. Within three days, a trade group led by Linda would set out with the duchy's army.
Ülgen was sending Linda before her second blood blessing, as she had just received her first and, not being a warrior, the second would have been wasted on her.
After the plans were made, everyone left the hall to carry out their duties. Ülgen closed his eyes. An energy flow was constantly being provided to his body from Hvítreiðr. To outside observers, it seemed as if he had suddenly leveled up twice, but this was merely the increase in power in his dragon body reflecting in his human form.
Even before moving to the second phase of his plan with the Whitefang clan, he had the strength to easily kill eighth-tier magical creatures one-on-one. Now, he was much stronger. He could also feel that the size of his main body had increased. It was a relief not to have to lie to his mother about his power and size increase. Albiria, with her weak parental bonds, would at most think that Ülgen would be a bit more helpful in his wars with neighboring regions.
Thus, time passed quickly. A small camaraderie was developed through joint hunts between Hvítreiðr and the duchy's soldiers, and with the preparation of the trade expedition, they set off on the morning of the third day. Although they had not achieved their military objectives, the duchy group had gained different benefits and was not too displeased with the current situation.
The people of Hvítreiðr saw off the trade expedition with grandeur. There was excitement and curiosity in everyone's eyes. They were doing things that no northern clan had done before, and everything seemed to be going well. Therefore, the people had no intention of resisting any changes Ülgen brought.
Once the duchy and trade expedition disappeared over the horizon, everyone returned to their work. There were many buildings to be demolished in Hvítreiðr. They even had to tear down and rebuild much of the walls.
Due to the heavy workload, the soldiers' secondary duty was to assist in construction work. Not that any soldier complained, as even their lord Ülgen, with his superhuman strength, was helping with the tasks.
Four days after the trade expedition had left, Ülgen summoned all the warriors he had blessed with dragon blood to the hall. Thirty-eight second-tier warriors, Udin, Lothi, and Sven, stood quietly before Ülgen.
Erik, Gray, and Aral did not need a second blood blessing. The difference in power between when he blessed them and now wasn't that significant. However, Sven and the others had received his blessing five years ago. Of course, this wasn't the only reason. One of the leadership tips the Conqueror had learned at the Academy was to value the loyalty of long-term subordinates.
"Sit cross-legged and close your eyes. Begin to draw in the surrounding aura using the technique I taught you." Without hesitation, all the warriors followed Ülgen's words. The effects of dragon blood were truly chilling.
Seeing everyone quietly absorbing the surrounding aura into their bodies, Ülgen lightly cut his wrist and formed a circle encompassing them all with his blood. After completing the circle, he began to murmur magical words. His words seemed to resonate with the blood forming the circle and the surrounding aura.
Of course, a normal blood blessing wouldn't require such effort and blood. However, Ülgen wanted this group to be Hvítreiðr's core strength before he left. His next return might take quite some time. While the power of Olpar, whom he had turned into a puppet, would increase, it couldn't stray too far from the Hvítreiðr region.
During the time that would pass, Hvítreiðr needed to regularly attack the northern clans and capture their people. Natural population growth wasn't sufficient to advance their power. Therefore, he wanted his men to be warriors capable of withstanding the wrath of enemy clans.
As time passed, the blood in the circle began to move and seep into the warriors' bodies through their pores. Despite their experience, the warriors who had received the first blood blessing seemed to be struggling considerably. Many were red and sweating for several minutes.
Of course, the determination and power levels of Sven, Udin, and Lothi allowed them to endure better than the rest of the group. The reason they all endured such hardship was due to the invasive nature of dragon blood. Despite being suppressed by Ülgen, the dragon lineage was one that could challenge the warriors' wills.
Still, no warrior lost consciousness and thus missed out on the benefits of the blessing. Their determination pleased Ülgen. Talent was something he could easily compensate for with his racial knowledge as a Conqueror. However, a person's will was largely up to themselves. Although there were methods within the Conqueror's collective knowledge network to strengthen will, they were exclusive to their own race and designed in a way that other races could not use.
"The time has come. Sven, accept the energy flow from the tower," Sven, sensing the end of the blessing, heard Ülgen's voice in his ear before he could relax.
Then a torrent of energy began to shake his body. The aura he was drawing in seemed to have liquefied! However, he did his best to prevent the aura from going out of control and damaging his body. The more he endured, the more the energy increased.
Losing his sense of time, he thought he heard the sound of shattering glass. And suddenly, it became relatively easier to endure the energy. His heart pounded with excitement as he realized the reason for the glass sound. He had ascended to the fourth tier! This made him one of the rare warriors in the north to reach the fourth tier before turning twenty!
Shortly after, the energy flow stabilized, and he felt his strength increasing even without focusing. When he opened his eyes, he realized that everyone else had already awakened and was looking at him with admiration.
Lothi suddenly patted his shoulder, "Sven, brother, I'm glad you reached the fourth tier!" The others joined in, giving him a small cheer. Although, the supposed small cheer almost deafened Sven.
Udin grinned but simply nodded instead of saying anything. Meanwhile, Sven couldn't help but be surprised as he noticed the auras of a few others in the hall. "Five of us have also reached the third tier! I think that deserves even more celebration!" he said, immediately shifting the focus to his brothers who had risen to the third tier.
After another wave of cheers, Ülgen raised his hand, and everyone fell silent. "Well then, brave warriors of the Whitefang clan. The power you now possess eliminates any concerns I had about Hvítreiðr's fate. Now go, go and celebrate your new strength with your friends!" These words caused most of the warriors to excitedly stand up, salute, and leave the hall.
Today would be another joyful day for Hvítreiðr. However, Sven, Udin, and Lothi remained. Although they were happy with their increase in power, the thought of their lord leaving was troubling. They even considered begging Lord Ülgen to stay.
"I understand your thoughts, but with my current situation, staying here would only bring disaster to our people. Therefore, grow stronger until I return. Grow strong so that when I come back, we can shake the entire north!" After these words, Ülgen sent the trio out of the hall, despite their reluctance.
His plans were not unshakable, of course, but his northern subordinates were not yet at a level where they could offer him advice on his plans. Feeling the flow of Hvítreiðr's energy into his body, Ülgen quietly rested on his throne. Donating his blood to bless forty-one warriors was quite exhausting for an immature dragon like him. He needed to gather his strength to ensure there would be no issues during his journey the next day.