MTLNOVEL Chapter 01: Green Dragon_2
When Andrew heard the news of Gray's victory, he almost fainted.
*Can you understand that feeling?*
*Just a few years ago, he was the Chief Mage of the Mage Alliance. Although he gained the position by pretending to be human, he was still a Great Mage, right? A prestigious and noble Great Mage. Although, because of his identity, he was forced to cooperate with the court and follow their commands to do some dirty work. But it didn't matter much. After all, his opponents were always weaklings that he could crush with a flick of his fingers. His days were quite comfortable.*
*Then, he took that damned mission... You know, the one in Lion King City, to deal with Gray. And then, he messed up. Not only did he mess up, but he also became Gray's servant, becoming a member of the Silver Moon Knight Order.*
*He was almost in despair. After all, even as an elf, there was no way he could outlive a Lich. This meant he would have to stay in the Silver Moon Knight Order for his entire life.*
*How did he feel about staying in the Silver Moon Knight Order?*
*Well... it's hard to say. At first, he just wanted to survive and then find a way out. After a while, he actually started to agree with Gray's way of doing things. But...*
"I think there should be justice in this world. Someone should uphold justice, and someone should punish the wicked. Gray is doing the right thing. But I hope that when I am the wicked one, I am not punished. You know, everyone wants to do as they please, and Blood Elves are the same."
Overall, that statement was a true reflection of his inner thoughts.
"I am happy to applaud justice, but I hope it has nothing to do with me. Especially when I am the one doing bad things."
If he could, he would have left the Silver Moon Knight Order long ago. After all, he was different from others; he was one of the strongest in the Order, second only to Gray, Catherine, and Vivian. Without the bondage of the oath, he could have lived much more comfortably, just like before he joined the Knight Order.
Later, the opportunity came. Gray got into trouble, his identity exposed, and was in a perilous situation.
There were two reasons why he didn't go to save Gray: one was cowardice, fear of dying, and the other was that he had long wanted to leave. Even if he hadn't wanted to leave, he would have run away out of cowardice.
*So, that's how it went. He ran away. After surviving under Gray for four years, he fled on the eve of Gray's true rise, giving up the honor and status that were within reach. He even abandoned the opportunity to walk openly in the human world as a Blood Elf.*
*Could it get any worse?*
*Of course it could. Gray became the Lich King, and he became the most wanted fugitive on the continent.*
*Could it get any worse than that?*
*Gray had immense power, and he had to forget his past and leave. Contact with anyone from his past could lead to betrayal and being handed over to Gray. It didn't matter how powerful his magic was, because those coming after him would be Catherine, Vivian, and even the Liches from the White Bone Holy Light Court. He stood no chance against any of them.*
*There was nothing he could do but run.*
*In fact, he had done this before: when he first escaped from his kin. This was the second time, and he was quite skilled at it.*
He laid out a map and quickly selected a destination for his escape—north. Gray's forces were in the south, so running north was the way to go. The Gustav Empire was not an option, but the Lunbak Empire could be considered.
"The journey is long, and I need to find a way to solve the problems along the way. After all, it's too easy for humans to see through my disguise. I need to come up with a solution."
Find help?
No, Andrew thought of an even better solution: disguise himself as an ordinary Blood Elf and end up in the hands of a selected slave trader.
Since elf slave trade was illegal, the slave traders would certainly find a way to smuggle him to the Lunbak Empire without anyone knowing. This way, he wouldn't have to think about anything, and someone would naturally solve the problem for him.
Moreover, because Blood Elves were precious, the slave traders would ensure he was well-fed and treated well along the way, let alone mistreated. That would never happen.
All Andrew had to do was deal with the slave traders with magic once they reached a suitable place.
In fact, this wasn't the first time he had done this; when he first escaped from the Blood Elf homeland, he often did this. He tricked his way into food and drink, hid his identity, and sometimes even made money. After all, slave traders were often quite wealthy.
Originally, the entire plan was going smoothly. The slave traders went to great lengths, taking all sorts of deserted paths, while Andrew leisurely stayed in the carriage. In a few months, they crossed most of the continent and finally arrived within the borders of the Lunbak Empire.
Harvest time had finally come. Andrew had just opened his shackles, ready to rob the slave traders to fund his new life, when... they were attacked by a green dragon.
"So, where exactly did she save me? The mercenary group? Why don't I remember anything about a mercenary group? And I don't think I've ever seen her. If I had, I would definitely remember her. After all, she is quite beautiful."
Sitting on the bed, Andrew's head faintly throbbed, probably because he had been unconscious for a day and a night. In his memory, he was preparing to cast a spell when he was hit hard by the green dragon's tail and fell unconscious. Honestly, that hit was really brutal. It's a wonder he's alive.
After thinking for a long time, Andrew couldn't make any sense of it, so he lay back in bed and drifted off to sleep again.
...
The territories of the Lunbak Empire were vastly different from the southern human city-states and even the northern Gustav Empire. Most of it was plain land. However, having many plains didn't mean it was fertile; often, it was quite the opposite.
The so-called plains were mostly deserts, sandy lands, and permafrost... In short, there were very few good places. Barren, and cold. The most precious areas were two vast grasslands and two rivers.
By land area, the Lunbak Empire was larger than the Gustav Empire. But in terms of usable land area, it was only on par with the Isaac Kingdom. In terms of population, it was at best a match for the Bert Duchy.
However, in terms of military power, it was again on the scale of the Gustav Empire. In fact, one could argue that the Lunbak Empire was even stronger.
Yes, it was that kind of a place. Strong military, poor, and due to isolation by the Gustav Empire, its influence on the human world was minimal. Most of the time, when people considered the human states on the continent, they would even deliberately overlook it. For instance, the court had never established a diocese here.
Even today's White Bone Holy Light Court hadn't extended its power here.
Why was that?
Because the "humans" here weren't strictly humans.
Besides proper humans, many other species lived here openly and with citizenship rights. These included dwarves, werewolves, beastmen, one-eyed giants, gnomes, goblins, and various other mixed races, some of which they couldn't even name themselves. Since they not only intermingled but interbred, even the pure humans living here were given a new label by humans elsewhere—"Barbarians."
At the same time, Lunbak was known as the most free place because it was almost in a state of anarchy—a true "freedom." Nominally an empire, in reality, the emperor's control over the country was very limited. Some city-states and tribes didn't even recognize themselves as part of the Lunbak Empire. This was why, despite its mighty military, the Lunbak Empire couldn't defeat the Gustav Empire. It had too many internal battles in addition to its fights with the Gustav Empire.
This was also why Andrew chose this place, because it was chaotic enough. Throw someone in, no matter how powerful, and they wouldn't be found.
...
*Gently dozing off again for a while, Andrew woke up once more, now driven by hunger.*
"Didn't they say they would make me dinner? What's taking so long? They didn't back out, did they?"
Holding onto the wall for support, he wobbled to his feet and pushed open the nearby door.
And then...
Well, he saw a green dragon squatting in front of his door, with its mouth wide open, breathing dragon fire into a stove.
Andrew's hair stood on end, and he froze, staring blankly.
The green dragon turned its head and looked at him.