Translator: AnubisTL
"Even the naturally righteous gold-silver dragons, if placed in Garos's circumstances, might not have fared any better," Red-Silver Dragon Deborah declared, her voice flowing like a clear spring, sincere and resolute.
"Please respect him as you respect me. He is not a 'born-evil red-iron dragon,' but a warrior who has endured countless trials and still clings to his true nature."
She fixed her parents with a defiant gaze, her dragon eyes blazing with unwavering determination.
"This child must have suffered greatly on his path to adulthood," Serena murmured, her gaze softening with pity as she looked at the red-iron dragon, clearly moved by Deborah's impassioned words.
The silver dragon's expression softened slightly as well.
Due to the prevailing sentiment among metallic dragons, they had all entertained the idea of adopting evil dragons, guiding them toward redemption and virtue.
Alas, if only Garos were a hatchling or young dragon, they would have undoubtedly chosen to adopt him.
But Garos was already a juvenile dragon, past the age for conventional education. Moreover, he seemed to possess his own strong convictions, setting him apart from typical evil dragons.
The silver dragon's expression relaxed further, like ice melting into water.
"Garos isn't a bad dragon!" Fairy Dragon Vera suddenly flapped her wings and flew forward, her small face tense as she swore, "I vouch for him with my own name!"
The planar dragon, silver dragon, and red copper dragon had already noticed the fairy dragon's presence, but their focus had been on Garos until now.
With the atmosphere easing, the silver dragon turned to the interrupting fairy dragon and asked, "Fairy Dragon, why are you in the Material Plane? I thought your kind lived in the fairy wilderness."
The fairy dragon replied frankly, "I was accidentally swept here by a spatial rift."
"Do you want to return?" the silver dragon suddenly asked. "If you wish to return to the fairy wilderness and your homeland, I can help you."
Assisting the weak was something lawful good dragons occasionally enjoyed doing. Moreover, the fairy dragon was kin. Within his capabilities, the silver dragon felt he could help her return to the fairy wilderness.
Vera paused, then grew troubled.
"I do and I don't," she said, conflicted. "I miss the unicorn elder and my pixie friends, but I also don't want to leave here."
The silver dragon didn't press her.
"I'll give you time to consider," he said.
Upon hearing this, Fairy Dragon Vera remained rooted to the spot, her internal conflict deepening.
Meanwhile, the silver dragon scrutinized Garos's blade-like features, as well as traits inherited from both red and iron dragons. He suddenly asked, "Are you a descendant of the Iron Maiden and Mountain-Burning Wings?"
The silver dragon had once visited the Sierre Wilderness and possessed some knowledge of the evil dragons there.
The Iron Maiden was an adult iron dragon with a life grade of approximately 16, while Mountain-Burning Wings was a prime-age red dragon whose age and life grade were roughly equivalent to those of Silver Dragon Frostmark.
Mountain-Burning Wings?
Garos had never heard of this name, but he was very familiar with the Iron Maiden.
—The familiars of the iron dragon maiden Leticia revered her as the Iron Maiden.
"My mother is the Iron Maiden you speak of," Garos replied. "As for my father, I know little about him. Perhaps he is Mountain-Burning Wings."
The iron dragon maiden had never mentioned his red dragon father, and Garos himself had never felt any curiosity about this absent figure. He had never asked about him, so he remained ignorant.
He had been fatherless since birth.
Poor evil dragon.
Still, it was probably for the best that Mountain-Burning Wings hadn't been around.
That creature was a born villain.
Edri's gaze turned cold and sharp as he slowly said, "Mountain-Burning Wings, the Red Dragon Gorsas. I've fought him before and am very familiar with his qi. His qi is similar to yours."
Similar qi.
Unless there were unforeseen circumstances, it was almost certain that Garos had inherited Gorsas's bloodline.
Since Gorsas had been mentioned, Garos decided to ask about him. "What kind of dragon is he?"
Serena stepped forward and lightly patted the red-iron dragon's hard arm scales. "Your father? He's an utterly chaotic evil dragon."
"Even among red dragons, few are as violent, chaotic, arrogant, and ferocious as that madman."
"He destroys for the sake of destruction, wrecks for the sake of wrecking, and kills for the sake of killing."
"His title comes from melting more than one of the Lothurn Federation's mines into magma and slaughtering all the guards."
The silver dragon sneered. "And it wasn't for profit or resources. He simply wanted to destroy things for amusement and to vent his rage. He eventually paid the price for his brutality. The Lothurn Federation's strongest warriors ambushed him, and he barely escaped with his life. Now he's vanished without a trace."
He sounded like a formidable dragon.
But his ferocity far outweighed his rationality. He acted without regard for consequences, driven by madness. No wonder he was known as a thoroughly chaotic evil dragon. In comparison, Red Dragon Samantha seemed remarkably docile and sensible, Garos thought.
Glancing at the silent red-iron dragon, the Good Dragon felt a pang of sympathy. His stern expression softened slightly as he warned:
"Even his own offspring would receive no special treatment from that tyrant. If you ever catch a scent similar to your own, flee immediately. Otherwise, I guarantee Gorsas will plunder all your wealth and enslave you to his service. Provoke him, and he might kill you in a fit of rage."
The red-iron dragon's expression remained unchanged, though he nodded slightly.
He shared a bloodline with Gorsas, but there was no father-son bond between them, let alone any debt of gratitude for upbringing. If they ever crossed paths and Gorsas harbored malicious intent, he would show no mercy. He would feel no guilt in beating his red dragon father to a pulp.
Garos never underestimated himself.
With his innate talent and ample resources, it wouldn't be long before he could face mature dragons without fear. As long as he avoided Red Dragon Gorsas until then, he would be fine. According to the silver dragon, Gorsas was no longer in the Sierre Wilderness, and likely not even in the Frontierlands, making an encounter highly improbable.
"Garos," Edri said, no longer calling him "Red-Iron Dragon" but using his name, subtly closing the distance between them.
A faint smile appeared on Edri's face as he slowly continued, "When I first met you, I admit I harbored some prejudice. But your actions have dispelled those biases. I'm both surprised and delighted to see a hybrid dragon like you."
Perhaps it was Garos's origins that stirred Edri's sympathy, or perhaps it was a case of loving the child because of the parent.
The silver dragon extended a gesture of goodwill.
Sensing his friendly attitude, Garos reciprocated, "The misunderstanding has been resolved. I too wish to coexist peacefully with metallic dragons."
Seeing the rift between the red-iron dragon and his father begin to heal, Deborah felt genuinely happy, her tail wagging joyfully.
Gradually, the atmosphere in Dragon Valley grew more harmonious.
The silver dragon Edri and the red copper dragon Serena were curious about Garos's upbringing and astonished that a juvenile dragon could possess such an extraordinary physique and a life grade surpassing even that of adult gold dragons.
Garos skillfully embellished his personal history, understanding dragon nature well enough to make both the silver dragon and the red copper dragon feel comfortable, gradually earning their favor.
As for his unique traits, Garos attributed them to a sudden mutation in his hybrid innate talent.
As time passed and the sky gradually brightened, transitioning from deep black to gray-blue, the dragons had grown quite amicable.
Edri, now in his human form, stepped forward, seemingly having fully accepted the red-iron dragon. He chuckled and patted Garos's dragon scale.
Feeling its hardness and thickness, the silver dragon remarked, "Garos, among all the juvenile dragons I've encountered, you are the most exceptional and robust. I'm curious—what kind of power lies within this body that resembles a living weapon?"
He smiled warmly and suggested, "How about a friendly spar, just to test our skills?"
Serena gave the silver dragon a peculiar look, then seemed to remember something, blinked, and chimed in, "Guidance from a mature dragon would greatly benefit a young dragon like you. Edri rarely offers such guidance."
The silver dragon chuckled. "It's hardly guidance, just a friendly spar."
"I won't use any class skills or spell-like abilities. We'll fight using only our dragon bodies and basic combat techniques."
He smiled slyly. "You might even have a chance to win."
Garos pondered inwardly, curious about the gap between himself and a mature dragon of the silver dragon's caliber.
A creature with a biological level of 18, possibly even 19.
In the wild, Garos would have avoided such an encounter, temporarily retreating. But this opportunity for a sparring match was too rare to pass up.
He nodded. "Very well."
Before he could finish his polite formalities, Garos saw Edri, the silver dragon, burst into laughter. Then, his smile vanished abruptly, his expression turning cold and hard.
Damn! I let my guard down!
The silver dragon is trying to trick me! The old fox has ulterior motives, wanting to vent his anger by beating me senseless.
The red-iron dragon's heart tightened as he realized his mistake.
But then he remembered Edri's words: no class skills or quasi-spell skills allowed. He quickly regained his composure.
He's already made the promise. Edri will have to keep his word.
Silver dragons were the strongest sorcerers and spellcasters among the main class dragons, but their physical strength was far from top-tier. In a purely physical battle, the outcome was far from certain.
Garos tensed, lowering his limbs slightly, muscles coiling like springs.
Roar!
Edri unleashed a primal dragon's roar, dispelling his transformation magic. His body swelled to its full size, massive silver wings unfurling as he revealed his true form.
(End of the Chapter)
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