Ashen Dragon

"Tsk, I am no longer qualified to face His Majesty Bahamut, nor do I have the face to confront my own kin.

Now, the only thing I can do is to fully commit to Bahamut's path of justice to atone for my sins..."

Lord Titus shook his head slowly, looking at the azure sky, his voice deep and somber.

Upon hearing the Gold Dragon's riddle-like reply, Ed realized something was amiss and thought of many historical tales where those who defied the deities were punished.

The Dwarf King quickly lowered his head, "My apologies, Lord Titus, I did not intend to offend by prying into your past, and certainly, there was no intent to offend."

"I know."

"It's just... our strength is too weak now, relying solely on Aivendel's warriors, we may not be able to withstand the hundreds of thousands of Orc troops."

The Gold Dragon turned his head, looking towards the ruins beneath the walls, his long whiskers floating elegantly in the air.

"Don't worry, Lord Ed, if I remember correctly, the time should be nearly upon us."

"What time?" The Dwarf King looked puzzled.

But the Gold Dragon's mouth curved up in a mysterious smile on that wise face: "The time for the High Mountain Kingdom's allies to arrive in Aivendel City."

According to the storyline, after receiving the letter, the Elf Queen disregarded the Elder Council's opposition and immediately dispatched her Personal Guard to Aivendel to assist the Dwarves in resisting the Orc invasion from the south.

And among the reinforcements she sent was the infamous Legendary Paladin, the "Twilight Blade"—Rhea Nairuo.

"Heh, she really is an Old Acquaintance, or more precisely, an enemy."

Thinking of that powerful Paladin who had once compelled Cassius to flee in embarrassment, his heart was filled with complex emotions.

Although Cassius had little memory of that Dragon Mother he had only met once, the urgency and humiliation of having his life in someone else's hands still left a profound impression on him.

Decades have passed in the blink of an eye, and unexpectedly, when he met the Half-Elf Paladin again, his identity had become that of the revered "Ancient Gold Dragon."

"Whoosh—"

Before the words fell, the space below the city wall twisted with flickering white light.

Immediately after, under the nervous gaze of many Dwarf warriors atop Aivendel City walls, a glimmering Portal appeared and slowly opened.

Dressed in silver light armor and wielding a silver sword at her hip, the Half-Elf strode out boldly.

She lifted her head, revealing a beautiful yet aloof visage, her silver hair neatly tied behind her head.

The Half-Elf, looking at the Dwarves on the battlements, appeared slightly surprised to see the massive Gold Dragon, then gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"Respected Master of High Mountains, I come with the will of the King of Serenia, co-ruler of the Moon Elves, Her Majesty Ithel.

"We will honor the Holy Alliance that has lasted for thousands of years, together with our Shield Dwarf allies of the High Mountain Kingdom, to repel the Orc invasion."

Behind the Half-Elf, hundreds of pure-blooded Elves with pale skin and long ears emerged from the Portal one after another.

The Elves, clad in silver light armor, with silver longbows or wooden Magic Wands in hand, mounted on creatures like Pegasi and unicorns, good beasts with unique magic, appeared before everyone.

These were the Silver Moon Followers, the Personal Guard loyal only to Elf Queen Ithel, and represented the full extent of her power currently at her disposal.

To continue the sacred alliance of thousands of years and resist the southward invasion of the Orcs, this Queen, perceived as a puppet, had staked all her chips.

And Ed's expression was first one of astonishment, then an unrestrained ecstasy: "Lord Titus, your mastery of Divination Spells is truly... breathtaking."