"The Albert Family, that dark cloud hanging over our heads, has finally dispersed."
When the news of Count Mills' assassination finally reached the Red Iron Dragon in the Serre Wilderness, he smiled with satisfaction.
This was not just the demise of an enemy, but the eradication of a potential long-term problem, which brought him a great sense of relief and peace of mind.
To be frank,
even if Count Mills had only sent his family's private army to seek revenge in the wilderness, Galos was confident he could annihilate them, inflicting heavy losses on the Albert Family.
However,
for a Count residing deep within the Raymond Duchy to the south, enjoying noble privileges and legal protection, Galos felt somewhat out of reach with his power.
He couldn't really fly directly over the Albert Family's territory and swat the Count dead with a single paw.
Such simple, crude, and direct methods of Evil Dragons were not without precedent, but they almost never survived leaving the core regions of the Human Federation.
Galos never believed he could break through such an encirclement.
Instead, the unexpected arrival of the Knight of Flowers, Shar, opened up another avenue of thought for Galos, providing another possibility.
Evidently,
Count Mills had greatly overestimated his own manipulative skills and severely underestimated the independent will and initiative of the Knight of Flowers, Shar Haynes, as a tool.
He was certain that this young and renowned hero, like most adventurers blinded by fame, fortune, and favors, would, with just a little coaxing from him, the Count, and a description of the immense prestige and glory to be gained from crusading against an Evil Dragon, become hot-headed and rush into the wilderness without a second thought, becoming a sharp but mindless blade in his hands.
Unfortunately,
although the Knight of Flowers was young and inexperienced, and indeed deceived by the Count's hypocrisy and manipulated by carefully crafted lies,
he was by no means foolish or pedantic, and did not act entirely according to Count Mills' expected script.
"However, I really didn't expect the Albert Family's covert methods to be even darker than mine."
"They probably want to screen out talented children, making them view the family as their sole belonging and belief from the very core of their being, dedicating everything without reservation. So, after selecting suitable targets, they personally orchestrate accidents, artificially creating orphans, and then appear as saviors to adopt and brainwash them."
"In comparison—"
The Red Iron Dragon bared his sharp-toothed maw: "—I, an Evil Dragon in the eyes of the secular world, seem almost too upright and can be called kind."
Indeed, some nobles, beneath their splendid and respectable robes, hid unimaginable evil and filth.
It's no wonder that the first lesson many Paladins learn after entering society is often a strict prohibition against casually using spells like Detect Evil, ostensibly because such actions severely infringe on personal privacy and violate the basic tenets of a Paladin.
Thinking about it now, the deeper meaning is thought-provoking.
Nevertheless, the turmoil of the Albert Family can largely be considered over.
Those Rune Knights like Rod and Alchemist Sienna, who once held the family above all else and were willing to dedicate their lives to it, upon learning the cruel truth of their tragic origins, will now, with the same fervor they once supported Albert, desire to utterly tear him apart and burn him to ashes.
It can be foreseen that
the Albert Family, having lost its backbone and facing internal collapse, will soon find itself in a predicament where it cannot fend for itself, no longer able to attend to matters in the Serre Wilderness.
"Shar, come back."
"There's a new mission for you to complete."
Galos contacted the Knight of Flowers, who was currently away, through a communication stone.
At this moment, Charles Haynes was in the midst of an escape.
Although he had sealed off the scene with his Border Walker skills during the assassination of Count Mills, acting cleanly and leaving no trace of himself,
however,
in a transcendent world where magical power is ubiquitous, if those in power are determined to investigate regardless of the cost, even if no substantial clues are left at the scene, there are still ways to pinpoint the target.
The Albert Family, after all, was an influential Count's family within the Raymond Duchy.
The head of their family being attacked and killed within their estate caused no small shock in noble circles, leading to widespread unease.
The high command ordered a thorough investigation of the killer, sparing no expense to enlist powerful prophecy spellcasters for tracking, eventually zeroing in on—the renowned Knight of Flowers.
During the subsequent investigation, the Albert Family's hidden, unsavory dealings gradually came to light.
However,
to preserve the dignity and reputation of the entire noble class, other authorities chose to cover up and suppress the news, simply categorizing the incident as a revenge killing and, with a fabricated reason, issued a nationwide warrant for the Knight of Flowers.
Fortunately, Shar practiced both the Arcane Knight and Border Walker professional paths, having considerable experience with spatial movement and anti-tracking.
Although he encountered several dangerous encirclements during his escape, he ultimately resolved them without incident, drawing closer and closer to the wilderness.
The flow of time during the escape felt both long and swift.
Finally, one morning, the dust-covered but even more resolute Knight of Flowers crossed the final boundary, his figure reappearing on the desolate yet familiar horizon of the Serre Wilderness.
Finally, he stopped at Creekwood Town.
Green Dragon Ludwig, following instructions, officially handed over the responsibility of managing this increasingly prosperous wilderness town to Charles Haynes.
In the overall plan of the Molten Iron Tribe, this frontier town in the wilderness is slated for further expansion and development in the future.
Since its primary target demographic is intelligent beings like humans, and there is a natural barrier and distance between humans and Dragons,
therefore, having a powerful, upright, and trusted human lord act as the spokesperson for the Dragon's will, responsible for maintaining daily order in the town, and conveying and executing policies, is undoubtedly the most ideal choice.
From the perspective of strength, reputation, and current circumstances, the Knight of Flowers was the most suitable candidate.
After this,
as news spread that the Molten Iron Tribe had legally acquired passage rights to the Scale Earth Rift Road rather than seizing them by force,
coupled with the Molten Iron Tribe's continuous clearing of fierce beasts and dangerous monsters in the surrounding areas, and strict prohibition of any form of robbery or extortion, the area's reputation for safety and order spread far and wide, attracting more and more people.
The number of merchant caravans traveling through the Rift Road increased significantly.
The number of adventurers, mercenary groups, and traveling merchants choosing to rest, resupply, or even reside long-term in Creekwood Town saw a continuous increase.
Even more remarkably, it even attracted Metallic Dragons, known for their goodness and order.
A young Gold Dragon visited Creekwood Town, praising the local order and publicly stating that the Molten Iron Tribe was not of the Evil alignment as rumored by the outside world.
The Gold Dragon, the leader of the Metallic Dragons, is powerful, noble, and symbolizes order and goodness.
For most humans, this is almost a creature that only exists in legends.
His visit and endorsement brought immense positive reputation to Creekwood Town and the Molten Iron Tribe; many adventurers traveled thousands of miles just to catch a glimpse of the Gold Dragon.
And the Gold Dragon seemed to quite enjoy this attention.
He would often, on a whim, gracefully land in the central square of Creekwood Town, or leisurely stroll along the newly paved streets, satisfying people's curiosity and bringing immeasurable positive renown to the town.
Where there are people, there are inevitably disputes, but with them also comes the circulation and convergence of wealth.
Days flowed by, intertwining clamor and tranquility.
The traffic on the Scale Earth Rift Road became increasingly endless, Creekwood Town quietly expanded, its facilities continuously improved, presenting a unique prosperity that was both wild in growth and orderly.
Additionally, the Molten Iron Tribe did not take advantage of the situation to aggressively expand its territory.
Instead, the tribe chose a more prudent strategy, consolidating its strength, deeply cultivating its core areas, and concentrating a large amount of resources and power into the management and defensive reinforcement of the Scale Earth Rift Road and Creekwood Town, making the place impregnable.
In the Serre Wilderness, known for chaos, danger, and the law of the jungle,
the territory under the rule of the Molten Iron Tribe unexpectedly presented a rare and precious scene of tranquility, as if time stood still.
However, many insightful individuals understood that this tranquility was likely just a brief lull before the storm.
As time passed, the situation within the Human Federation was accelerating towards turmoil and deterioration.
Following the initial outbreak of war between the Abel Duchy and the Haltay Duchy, several other duchies subsequently tore off their masks and brazenly declared war on each other.
Even more dangerously,
this melee did not remain at the level of independent actions but quickly evolved into a confrontation between two major factions centered around the Abel Duchy and the Haltay Duchy.
The flames of war began to spread and burn unchecked along the long borderlines between the duchies, showing signs of a prairie fire.
And while other duchies were busy attacking each other, plundering their rear, and destroying each other's war potential, the Molten Iron Tribe, situated in the wilderness, was also quietly participating in its own way.
Including but not limited to:
attacking the supply lines of the Abel Duchy, raiding and harassing their resource strongholds on the fringes of the Serre Wilderness, and so on.
These actions, though not fatal, were constantly depleting the war potential of the Abel faction and increasing the pressure on its front lines.
And as time passed, the clouds of war continued to accumulate, churn, and brew greater destruction over the southern lands.
Finally, the relentless march of time entered the New Era, year 258.
By this time, the Molten Iron Tribe's rule over the Scale Earth Rift Road was as solid as a rock, its territory was orderly, and its strength steadily increased.
Galos briefly left the bustling wilderness and returned to the Borderlands.
At this moment,
he stood quietly at the edge of Burning Steel Fortress's terrace, his eyes reflecting the scene in the valley.
White Dragon Teresa was there, training a newly joined white wyrmling.
The little fellow had been accidentally discovered by the tribe's Kobolds scouts in the northern ice plains several months ago.
When found, it was baring its sharp teeth, fiercely tearing and fighting with an equally hungry old ice wolf over half a frozen, rock-hard beast carcass, looking utterly disheveled.
After being brought back to the Borderlands,
the other Dragons showed consistent indifference and disdain for this ignorant, beast-like, noisy, and weak wyrmling.
Only White Dragon Teresa showed great enthusiasm.
Her attention to the other few young Dragons, who were gradually growing and steadily improving their ecological niche, decreased significantly, and she instead devoted more energy to this ignorant white wyrmling.