Recently he'd been utterly absorbed in study, becoming a complete homebody.
Unless absolutely necessary, he truly didn't want to go out.
But the Dwarf Kingdom was a thousand-year-old power; he had to show some face.
Time slipped quietly by… One month later… Oh my, oh my.
One month later… Draco, dressed in formal black attire, set out for the Dwarf Kingdom in a luxurious carriage with Sebas and the Pleiades.
A thousand years ago, the dwarves built a splendid metropolis inside a vast cavern at the foot of the Dragon's Range.
After founding the nation, they named it the Armed State of Dwargon.
Under three wise monarchs, the dwarves unleashed their talents, earning world renown for craftsmanship and military might.
Their crafts span everything from ordinary construction and forging to medicine, currency, and magical implements.
The world's most precious coin, the amethyst, is minted in the Dwarf Kingdom.
Militarily, they've remained neutral for a millennium, fielding seven powerful knightly orders.
In addition, there is the king's personal secret unit—the Sky-Soaring Knights.
Every knight within the Sky-Soaring Knights had reached A-rank strength, and they were equipped with the nation's specially-made, high-quality gear.
While they might not be much in the face of Nazarick, they were considered a top-tier power when looking at the entire world.
The Dwarf Kingdom was a nation where multiple races coexisted.
The country currently held fifty million dwarves and fifty million from other races, making it a superpower with a population of one hundred million.
The current King of the Dwarves, His Majesty Gazel, was the third-generation monarch.
Three hundred years had passed since his succession, making him a veritable living hero.
In his youth, Gazel received guidance from the Hakurou in the forest, and since then, he had continuously honed his sword techniques and his'sword heart.'
Even after being hailed by the world as the Sword Saint, he did not slacken in the slightest.
His strength had already reached the realm of a Human Saint, equivalent to the level of an S-rank Awakened Demon Lord.
As for this bilateral visit, since the Dwarf Kingdom had been the one to initiate the invitation, the welcoming ceremony was quite grand.
The Dwarf Kingdom was located to the north of Nazarick, and the distance was actually not very far.
Nazarick's caravan took only three days to arrive at its destination.
Upon reaching the entrance to the kingdom, many dwarves were already there to welcome them.
Of course, there were also many curious onlookers among the populace.
The most eye-catching among them were the beautiful Elves.
Draco didn't pay much attention to this, as quite a few lived within Nazarick as well.
Accompanied by a group of attendants, Draco walked slowly toward the royal palace.
The Pleiades followed closely behind with elegant postures.
The group soon arrived inside the royal palace.
Just as Draco stepped into the hall, he saw a dignified middle-aged man standing up from the throne directly ahead.
"Welcome, everyone, to our Dwargon."
His voice resounded through the entire hall, deafening and filled with the aura of a high-ranking ruler.
"Hello, His Majesty Gazel."
Draco replied with a polite smile.
"His Majesty Lionel, please take the seat of honor."
Gazel gestured with his hand, and Draco nodded, taking his designated seat.
"Hehe, to be able to create a commercial superpower in just two short years, His Majesty Lionel is truly formidable."
Draco replied modestly, "It was merely luck. I was originally just a commoner, but destiny was thrust upon me."
Hearing Draco's words, Gazel laughed heartily. "His Majesty Lionel is truly humorous."
"His Majesty Gazel is the one who is truly impressive; I greatly admire your ability to manage a nation of over a hundred million people so efficiently."
"His Majesty Lionel overpraises me."
After the two of them exchanged a few rounds of flattery, they got down to business.
"So, His Majesty Gazel, what exactly is the reason for inviting me here this time?"
"There is no rush. You have traveled a long way; why not rest for two days first? We can talk in detail after the banquet is over."
"Since His Majesty Gazel says so, I shall graciously accept your hospitality."
Draco sighed inwardly; this old fox definitely had something to ask of him, which was why he was being so courteous.
However, Draco wasn't worried about anything; with his powerful strength as his trump card, he had no need to fear any schemes or plots... Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest.
"Run!"
"Help!"
Eren and the other two were sprinting desperately, throwing all dignity aside, with a large swarm of house-sized red ants behind them.
Shizu's physical condition was deteriorating by the day, and the Ifrit within her was showing signs of going berserk.
Even the Anti-Magic Mask she wore on her face could no longer suppress it for much longer.
She was currently avoiding combat as much as possible, and at this moment, she could only helplessly run along behind the three of them.
"It's all Big Bro's fault! Why did you have to go and poke an ant nest for no reason?!"
"How was I supposed to know that lump of stuff was a Red Ant nest?!"
"I say, you guys should try to think of a solution first!"
Eren and the other two were arguing in a mess when suddenly, they felt a whistling sound coming from behind them.
They looked back and were instantly scared out of their wits.
A giant red ant, seemingly the leader, was rapidly chasing them down from behind.
"Oh my god!"
Eren couldn't help but swear and quickly sped up.
Just then.
Shizu sighed; it seemed she had no choice but to act.
With that, she drew the long blade from her waist, and scorching flames immediately covered the blade.
"Fire Blade Slash!"
With one strike, a fire blade several meters long slashed out, splitting the red ant at the very front directly in half.
But this was far from enough; a massive number of ants were still charging frantically from behind.
"Fireball."
With a wave of her hand, three large Fireballs instantly appeared in her palm and were smashed toward the surroundings.
BOOM!!
A series of explosions rang out, and most of the red ants in the front were directly charred, while the rest were flipped over onto the ground.
Shizu charged directly into the ant swarm, continuously casting fire magic.
Her movements were extremely agile and elegant; she wielded her long blade with great vigor, moving as light and nimble as a fluttering butterfly.
Flames erupted, and any red ant that came within ten meters of her was roasted into charcoal.
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