MTLNOVEL Chapter 08: Dragon Valley (8)_2
The Golden Dragon Great Elder perched atop the mountain peak was stunned.
Elder Gjestav let out a slow breath.
"I think you've surpassed Dean, really. This is progress. I must take back what I said earlier. You truly are an excellent negotiator. The key is, you are persistent and resolute. As a negotiator, this might be more important than excellence." The Black Cat remarked.
...
At the outskirts of Dragon Valley, amidst the wind and snow, several black dragons hovered in the sky, quietly listening to the continuous dragon roars emanating from the valley.
"Are we too late...?"
"It looks like it."
"This is indeed a tough opponent."
"Should we still go in?"
"No, this situation is beyond our ability to change." The leading black dragon quietly turned around, flying towards the distance.
The other black dragons followed suit and left.
...
Years later, when the Golden Dragons recalled this moment, they still felt a myriad of emotions.
Without using any force, the Lich King conquered the entire Golden Dragon Clan in an unprecedented manner.
The wind blew gently, and the green trees swayed lightly in the breeze.
A peaceful and beautiful night in Dragon Valley. Gray elucidated, they listened quietly. Gray roared, they echoed his call. Gray fell silent, they grieved with him...
*Wrapped in passion, they believed everything Gray said.*
*Although they were just words, without even an intense debate, it ignited the flame in the hearts of the Dragon Clan. It broke the Golden Dragons' long-standing practice of isolation, bringing an unprecedented change to the entire Golden Dragon Clan.*
...
The next morning, an old man appeared before Gray.
His hair was graying, his beard long, and he wore the white robe unique to the Golden Dragon Clan. Beside him were many other Golden Dragons dressed similarly.
Elder Gjestav gently supported him.
The bright sunshine shone over Dragon Valley.
Golden dragons descended from the sky, transforming into human forms, standing before Gray.
"This is our Great Elder," Elder Gjestav said softly.
"Honored Great Elder, it's a pleasure to see you again," Gray crossed his hands over his chest and bowed respectfully.
"Congratulations, young Lich King." Taking a deep breath, the Great Elder said in a loud voice, "You have passed the test. I have heard the voices of my people. You have convinced us. Not with your words, but with your conviction, your faith, and the path you have walked. Your actions, as you preached, are bright and lofty, making us feel insignificant. The Golden Dragon Clan will become your steadfast ally. We will step out of Dragon Valley and join you in fighting your enemies, realizing our shared dreams. You must know, this is very different from our original plan."
"Thank you." Gray bowed slightly again.
Suddenly, thunderous applause erupted around them. Members of the Silver Moon Knight Order cheered, and the Golden Dragons celebrated. Even those who hadn't come and remained in their nests on the cliffs let out celebratory roars. The sounds rose and fell.
Of course, some dragons responded with silence. However, they were in the minority.
In the warm atmosphere, Richie's gaze at his father grew increasingly fervent.
Catherine quietly watched Richie from the side.
Gently patting Gray on the shoulder, the Great Elder said, "We will draft the formal alliance agreement, which will take some time. Therefore, we hope you can stay in Dragon Valley for a few more days so we can finalize everything at once."
"It would be my honor," Gray replied softly.
Soon, unlike the previous two days of free activities, Gray's schedule was filled to the brim. He needed to meet with various elders of the Golden Dragon Clan, discussing and refining the details of the alliance agreement.
In fact, this was Gray's first time signing an alliance agreement.
A verbal agreement needs only a few words, but putting it in writing is unimaginably complicated. Since it was a cross-racial agreement, it required writing in multiple languages simultaneously, including Draconic, Abyssal, Sacred Tongue, Elvish, Common Tongue, and Necrotic Tongue, among others. Almost no one present could do all these translations, so Gray had to do it himself. As for the two liches, Aikleion and Lucy, who accompanied him, they acted as Gray's translators. After all, as a young lich, Gray couldn't possibly be familiar with so many languages.
Each language version had countless words that needed deliberation and refinement.
Undoubtedly, this was a significant victory.
During this time, with nothing to do, Richie had become familiar with the Golden Dragons. Due to his status as the Lich King's son, he was given great privileges by the Golden Dragons, even being allowed to access their treasured scrolls.
When Richie fluently read the contents of a scroll in Draconic, Archil Norman, standing beside him, was astonished. He couldn't imagine this was a child only a few years old.
"Did you study Draconic?"
"Yes."
"Have you studied other languages?"
"Of course."
"Did Lord of the Lich King make you learn it?"
"No, I wanted to learn it myself. I like everything related to magic. Draconic magic is one of the most powerful magics in the world."
"But Draconic is also one of the most difficult languages in the world."
In response to Archil Norman's amazement, Richie only returned a meaningful smile.
*Unlike Gray, who longed for the beauty of dreams, nothing could stop him from pursuing power.*
*When Gray was traveling, he studied magic.*
*When Gray was waging wars, he studied magic.*
*When Gray was pursuing and elucidating his dreams, he was still studying magic.*
Being the Lich King's son gave him great convenience in accessing any magical system in the world. Catherine, Abod, and Delia provided him knowledge from the Heaven system, Vivian and Sarina told him about the Hell system, and regarding the Undead system, he could consult Bruto and other liches of the White Bone Holy Light Court.
*It should be said, they were a subtle father and son.*
*The father was a steadfast idealist, the son, however, was a practical realist to his core. Nothing could stop him from pursuing power.*
*You could say as a "half-lich," he actually resembled a lich more than his father did.*
...
Meanwhile, news spread, and the Black Dragon Clan was in an uproar.
"How did he do it? Just with his mouth? He had no leverage to trade with the Golden Dragons. Did the factions close to us not act to sabotage?"
"Things happened too quickly, they didn't even have time to react, the entire momentum has completely tilted towards him."
"Impossible, this is not in their interests!"
"He didn't talk about interests at all."
"Then what did he talk about? What else is there to talk about besides interests?"
"I...I can't describe it. Regardless, he indeed accomplished it. Originally, those close to us and those who supported him were in the minority, but now his supporters have become the majority. The Golden Dragon elders have taken the opportunity to form an alliance with him. In our initial estimate, the worst-case scenario should have been the Golden Dragons choosing neutrality. But now, the situation is far worse than we imagined."
"So what should we do now? Accept all of this?"
"What else can we do?"
"If we accept this, then we are headed for a crushing defeat. The Black Dragon Clan will be weakened for thousands of years, maybe even more. We must find the most vulnerable point in their stance and resolve the issue in one go. Time is no longer on our side."