"Mmm…" Rynar slowly opened his eyes, his vision hazy as if something had clouded them. After a while, he finally managed to pry them open.
"Where… am I?" He looked at the animal hide covering him and the wide, low wooden bed beneath him, utterly bewildered.
For a moment, he felt like a monk trying to figure out an impossible riddle.
Ah, great! Rynar, this poor kid, drank himself into a blackout last night. Sitting on the bed in deep thought, it suddenly dawned on him…
"I think… I drank all night with them, didn't I?" Rynar's mouth twitched. Damn it! Alcohol really causes trouble!
"Oh right! System check-in!" Rynar slapped his forehead and quickly muttered.
"Ouch! That hurts!" he winced, the hangover taking hold.
Normally a paragon of sobriety, Rynar rarely touched alcohol, but last night he had been completely swept up in the revelry. Now, he was suffering the full wrath of a hangover.
"Check-in successful! Congratulations, Host, on obtaining the Wind Dragon Essence Crystal!"
"Huh? A dragon crystal?"
Rynar scratched his head, struggling to remember its significance.
He vaguely recalled that dragon crystals were valuable, but his pounding headache blocked his thoughts.
Creak!
Rynar pushed open the door.
"Water… is there water?" He weakly addressed a group of knights standing guard outside.
"Your Majesty, you're awake!" The lead knight was overjoyed to see him emerge.
"Of course! Here, Your Majesty—this is elven moon-honey water, excellent for curing hangovers!"
The knight quickly produced a golden flask, unscrewed the top, and handed it over reverently.
Gulp, gulp! Rynar tipped the flask back, drinking it in one go.
"Not bad! It's pretty sweet!" Rynar declared, handing the flask back to the knight casually.
"Where are Caslow and the others?" he asked, scanning his surroundings and noticing a few familiar faces missing.
"This way, Your Majesty," a centaur waiting nearby said softly.
"All right!" Rynar stretched his legs and followed.
"Your Majesty, how did you sleep last night?" Bardel greeted him with a smile.
"Terribly! Damn it! Who was the one pouring drinks for me last night?"
Rynar scowled at the group seated at the table. If he could remember who it was, they'd be getting a good slap for their trouble!
The group simultaneously turned their heads away, clearly all accomplices to the previous night's disaster. None dared meet Rynar's eyes.
"Your Majesty, you really can't handle your alcohol! Last night, you got so drunk that you puked all over me," Caslow remarked cheekily, clearly enjoying himself.
"Are you serious?" Rynar's eyes widened. No way! Had he truly embarrassed himself in front of the centaur tribe? Worse, had he puked in front of his subordinate?
"Er… Forget I said anything!" Caslow quickly backtracked.
"…" Rynar facepalmed. Great! His reputation as a dignified leader was utterly ruined.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Bardel. I trust you to fulfill your duties as a lord and not betray my trust.
May you expand our borders and secure more resources for yourself and your people!"
Rynar said with a smile to the centaur leader. Bardel was the first non-system vassal he'd managed to recruit.
Though the process had been challenging, a mix of persuasion and coercion had ultimately secured the alliance.
"Your Majesty…" Bardel hesitated, almost shy.
"What is it?" Rynar looked at him curiously. Bardel, a burly centaur, looked as awkward as a bride on her wedding day.
"My people and I… we need iron weapons and armor. Our current equipment is… inadequate," Bardel admitted sheepishly.
"Oh, that's it? No problem! Send someone to Riverguard in a few days. Whether it's purchasing standard equipment or custom orders, it's all possible," Rynar replied after a moment's thought.
Fully arming the centaurs posed little threat to him, as Rynar commanded a force of over a thousand.
Even if the 300-strong centaur tribe turned rogue, his forces could crush them.
In a field battle, losses might occur, but with fortifications, even 50 Elaris Woods Rangers could decimate them.
The centaurs' natural durability and bond weren't much compared to the rangers' deadly precision.
"Let's go! No need to see me off. Secure your territory quickly! I'm leaving the defense of this region to you. I hope it won't become a weak point in Riverguard's defenses!"
Rynar warned solemnly. Bardel's forces would now take over part of the eastern defensive line, allowing Rynar to redeploy his troops elsewhere.
However, if the centaurs proved as unreliable as the forest elves had been, the consequences would be… unthinkable.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty! As long as our men breathe, no enemy will cross our land!" Bardel declared with a rumbling voice.
"I believe you!" Rynar responded without hesitation. The centaurs' strong territorial instincts had been evident during their earlier skirmishes.
"Oh, by the way, I obtained a Wind Dragon Essence Crystal. Any idea what it's for?"
Rynar asked, casually twirling a fist-sized, shimmering green crystal in his hand. In the sunlight, it appeared dazzlingly beautiful, with intricate dragon markings swirling in the surrounding air.
"What? A Wind Dragon Essence Crystal? Are you sure it's an essence crystal?" Caslow froze, then trembled with excitement.
"Yes. Why?" Rynar asked indifferently, unaware of Caslow's barely-contained enthusiasm.
"Your Majesty, may I… may I take a look?" Caslow's voice quivered as he asked.
"Sure, catch!" Rynar tossed the crystal behind him without a second thought.
Caslow lunged to catch it, terrified it might hit the ground. Though dragon crystals were nearly indestructible, letting one drop felt like sacrilege.
"Your Majesty, do you know what this crystal represents?" Caslow asked, his face a mixture of awe and reverence as he gingerly wiped the crystal with a handkerchief.
"No idea," Rynar admitted flatly.
"Phew!" Caslow took a deep breath to calm himself.
"This crystal can elevate a Tier 5 wind-element user to a Tier 6 titled rank!
Even more astonishing, it can enable a wind-element drake to undergo an ancestral evolution into a wind dragon!" Caslow explained, swallowing hard.
"Is it really that powerful? Then this is a priceless treasure!" Rynar was stunned. He'd had no idea the crystal held such incredible value.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Though the evolution process can take years or even decades, the result is guaranteed.
Such essence crystals are so rare that even during the Empire's golden age, there were only a handful, and most were already used.
These crystals form only when a dragon patriarch dies naturally," Caslow explained reverently, reluctantly returning the crystal.
"Keep it," Rynar said casually, without turning around.
Since Caslow was the only wind-element drake knight under his command, there was no point in hoarding it. Better to convert it into strength.
"Your Majesty…" Caslow's voice choked with emotion.
"It's just a crystal. Don't overthink it," Rynar replied lightly, oblivious to the fact that Caslow's loyalty, if measurable, would have skyrocketed to 200% or beyond at that moment.
Clutching the precious crystal, Caslow silently vowed his eternal loyalty.
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