MTLNOVEL Chapter 03: Dragon Valley (3)_2
Looking out over the landscape, there were probably tens of thousands of dragons. Except for the cliff close to the delegation's temporary residence, every cliff face had scattered dragon nests of various sizes.
Most were golden dragons, but there were also silver dragons, along with others that were more greenish in hue. The three types belonged to the branches of the Golden Dragon Clan. Those massive bodies in the cliffside nests were so conspicuous.
The magnificent scenery, the majestic dragons, even just a glimpse of it was enough to make one never forget for a lifetime. It was a sight full of legends and an epic aura.
From a distance, Gray could already clearly see the enormous waterfall on the other side of Dragon Valley. At the top of the waterfall, at the highest point of the entire valley, lay a golden dragon with a long beard. More robust and majestic than any other dragon.
At this moment, he was also quietly watching Gray.
A certain pressure emanated from all directions, making the dwarves feel like they couldn't breathe. But Gray remained exceptionally calm. He simply sat quietly on his horse, allowing Archil Norman to lead Tenidas step by step forward, through the woods, across the streams, past the clear, transparent lakes.
The wind blew gently, and the whole world was quiet, with only the birds dancing in the air.
Finally, they arrived in front of the largest waterfall.
Archil Norman silently turned around, made a gesture signaling the others to stop, then led the horse alone, bringing Gray further forward, until they reached the edge of the deep pool. He then crossed his hands over his chest, respectfully bowed to Gray, and stepped aside.
Spring water fell from high above, splashing water in the deep pool, making a thundering sound.
Gray sat alone on Tenidas by the edge of the deep pool, facing the Golden Dragon Great Elder. Behind him stood the whole Silver Moon Knight Order in full gear.
"Should I dismount to show respect?" Gray quietly asked the Black Cat inside his armor.
"I don't know either, their customs are really strange." The Black Cat responded softly, "Maybe you should wait a bit. Normally, if their customs were truly odd, there should be someone to guide you, like before."
The wind gently passed by, pushing down the wild grass around.
Time seemed to stand still.
For a while, until Gray felt he could hardly hold on, a loud voice finally rang in his ears, "Honorable Lord Lich King, as the Great Elder of the Golden Dragon Clan, I welcome you on behalf of the Golden Dragon Clan."
The voice was so loud that it could be clearly heard throughout Dragon Valley. Even the leaves trembled slightly.
Hearing this, Gray finally let out a slow breath. This seemed to mean that he didn't need to dismount.
"Respected Great Elder of the Golden Dragon Clan, as the Lich King of the White Bone Holy Light Court and the commander of the Silver Moon Knight Order, I thank you on behalf of the Court and the Order for your hospitality. Dragon Valley is the most wondrous place I've ever been. Every moment here astonishes me."
"Thank you for your praise. I too am amazed by you, especially your age. The two behind you are my old acquaintances." With that, the Great Elder's gaze shifted slightly to Aikleion and Lucy behind Gray.
"Yes, it's been a long time, Great Elder." Lucy spread her hands.
"It's been over ten thousand years," Aikleion sighed.
"Over ten thousand years," the Great Elder sighed softly, "I once thought that Liches would always hide underground, in their castles. Who would have thought, one day, they would come out for the same faith and participate in worldly affairs, led by a young Lich. That's what amazes me the most."
Saying this, the Great Elder's gaze slowly returned to Gray, "Your age, for me, is but a moment."
"Yes, you are right." Raising his head, Gray crossed his hands over his chest and solemnly performed a salute similar to Archil Norman's, "My age is but a moment to you. I have great respect for all my elders and sincerely hope to hear your teachings. That is the purpose of my visit."
"Hehehehe." The Great Elder laughed, "Your humility almost made me forget you are a Lich. Honestly... I hope you don't mind, but I've always thought that human knights were a joke, mere puppets created by Heaven. But today... hehehe, you surprised me."
All the dragons listened quietly.
"Is that a compliment, Great Elder?" Gray asked softly.
"Perhaps. But virtues can be very heavy, especially when all placed on one individual. Even for a Lich or a dragon, it is the same."
"If virtues are as heavy as you say, then respected Great Elder, I will bear the burden, just as I have done until now."
"I believe that. After all, you've already gone farther than anyone I know. But..."
Gray quietly watched the Great Elder.
After a pause, the Great Elder continued, "You have gone far enough. Haven't you thought about resting for a while? Or taking a step back. As I said earlier, your age is but a moment to me. Long life allows one to witness many things. There are many beautiful things that exist only for a moment, like shooting stars, fleeting. Though beautiful, they will always be just a decoration, not the trend of the world. Only the sun, having withstood the test of time, will continue to shine upon all things for a long time. If I were to place a bet, I would consider only the sun, not shooting stars, no matter how beautiful they appear."
After finishing, the Great Elder paused and quietly watched Gray.
The atmosphere around suddenly changed.
The members of the delegation were all stunned.
Richie widened his eyes slightly.
Anyone could hear that there was some hidden meaning within.
Time ticked away.
The Black Cat hidden in Gray's armor was also a bit confused, urgently thinking about how to respond.
However, before it could figure it out, Gray had already bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your kind advice, Great Elder. But I prefer to look at this issue from another perspective."
"What perspective?" the Great Elder asked.
"Have you ever heard of Elf History, Great Elder?"
The Great Elder fell silent, not answering.
Gray continued, "In the First Epoch of Elf History, beginning with the arrival of angels and demons on the Keltos Continent, it lasted a total of 1031 years. The Second Epoch lasted 9215 years. The Third Epoch, 3172 years. The Fourth Epoch began with the truce agreement between Heaven and Hell, and ended with the Battle of Salted Fish Port, spanning a total of 11271 years."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I want to say that times are changing. The long Fourth Epoch has ended, the old order of the continent has been broken, and a new era has arrived. This era is younger than I am. Great Elder, do you intend to place your bet on the concluded Fourth Epoch?"
Suddenly, the entire Dragon Clan was in an uproar with countless whispers.
The members of the Silver Moon Knight Order all smiled.
Gray still sat quietly on his horse, standing before the pool, looking up at the Great Elder like a statue.
"This answer is not bad, really not bad," the Black Cat muttered softly inside the armor, "It neither breaks relations, yet subtly expresses your own stance."
After a brief silence, the Great Elder slowly laughed, "Hehehe, well said. Though you are young, you indeed personally ended the long Fourth Epoch."
Closing his eyes, the Great Elder spoke softly, "Gods and demons, their efforts of ten thousand years, you destroyed it completely in just five years. It's something that no one with an age a hundred times yours has achieved. The reason you could do it, was not due to power or age. In fact, these two are the least important to you. Hehehe. So, young Lich King, what do you want our Golden Dragon Clan to help you with?"