Chapter 185: A Happy Accident
Evernight Territory, Valley Base.
Kaito sat upon his throne, cradling Bochi in his arms, rhythmically stroking the soft, blue slime. Bochi was so comfortable its entire body trembled slightly, emitting a satisfied, purring sound. Below, Skele-Pride and Ignius, now in his dragon-man form, knelt on one knee. Skele-Pride's soulfire pulsed calmly as he reported the detailed situation of the trip to the Dragon's Nest.
Ignius, however, felt a touch of nervousness. He stole a glance upward, his gaze sliding past Skele-Pride's shoulder to land on the skeleton seated upon the throne.
Is this the Sovereign of the Evernight Empire? he wondered. He looks... rather ordinary? No, that can't be right. There's no way someone who could make a monster like Skele-Pride submit willingly is ordinary.
Ignius took another peek. The skeleton was currently focused on petting the slime in his lap, poking the blue, gelatinous mass with his bony finger. The slime seemed to enjoy it, its body puffing up and down.
This scene... how should I put it? It's kind of cute? No, no, definitely an illusion. Ignius quickly averted his eyes, forcing himself to maintain a posture of reverence.
"And that, my Lord, was the situation." Skele-Pride's report concluded. He bowed his head, awaiting the Sovereign's response.
Kaito's hand froze on Bochi. His mind was currently occupied by a single thought: What the hell?
He had sent Skele-Pride to the Dragon's Nest to negotiate. To talk nicely. To talk in a friendly manner. If that failed, a little intimidation was fine, too. But what happened? The guy walked in and immediately hacked four dragons to pieces. Then he resurrected the dead dragons into bone dragons. Finally, he triggered a full-scale war, resulting in the Empire gaining several thousand bone dragons.
Does he call this negotiation? This is a declaration of war!
Kaito took a deep breath. Forget it. At least the outcome is good. The Dragonkin had joined the Empire and were willing to participate in air transport. Greed was already arranging the training. Even though the process was absurd, the result met his expectations.
Perhaps this was what they called... a happy accident?
Kaito rubbed his own skull. "Well done." He tried to keep his voice as calm as possible.
Skele-Pride raised his head, his soulfire pulsing more intensely. "Thank you for your praise, my Sovereign."
Kaito waved a hand. "Since the Dragonkin matters are arranged, you should go back and rest."
"As you command." Skele-Pride rose and left the council hall. Ignius followed suit, preparing to depart with him.
"Wait." Kaito spoke up suddenly.
Ignius stiffened and turned around.
"You must be Ignius?"
"Yes, my Lord," Ignius lowered his head respectfully.
Kaito examined the dragon-man. Tall, streamlined muscles, crimson scales covering his skin—he was quite imposing. Dragon horns extended from his forehead, and a tail swayed slightly behind him. Overall, he truly fit the image of a Dragonkin warrior.
"Skele-Pride tells me you have impressive strength," Kaito said casually.
Ignius blinked. "You are too kind, my Lord. My strength is meager; it is not worth mentioning in the presence of Lord Pride." Ignius answered honestly.
Kaito smiled. "No need to be humble. Being able to hold out for so long against Skele-Pride is already quite remarkable." He paused. "Follow Skele-Pride well in the future. Between us, he was the first undead ever born in the Evernight Empire."
Ignius felt a stir in his heart. This Sovereign... he doesn't seem as terrifying as I imagined.
"I understand, my Lord."
"Go." Kaito waved his hand.
Ignius bowed and backed out of the council hall. Only after the doors closed did Kaito let out a sigh of relief. He placed Bochi on the armrest of the throne and leaned back against the chair.
"Bochi," Kaito poked the slime's squishy body. "Tell me, why are my subordinates getting more and more ridiculous?"
Bochi tilted its body, unable to comprehend the question. Kaito sighed. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand even if I told you."
Hearing this, Bochi instantly became displeased. It puffed itself up, two tiny tentacles extending from its sides. It mimicked a human by putting its hands on its hips, striking a pose that clearly screamed, Who are you looking down on? Unfortunately, Kaito didn't pay it any mind.
He stood up from the throne and walked outside. No, I have to go find Greed personally and ask about the exact situation regarding the Dragonkin settlement. Although Skele-Pride reported that everything was going smoothly, he was still a bit uneasy. What if these dragons cause trouble in the city? What if the residents are afraid of them?
The more Kaito thought about it, the more his head ached. As he stepped outside, he ran straight into Greed, who was walking toward him.
"My Sovereign," Greed bowed slightly. "I was just coming to find you."
Kaito nodded. "How are the arrangements for the Dragonkin coming along?"
Greed pulled out a file. "Everything is proceeding smoothly. As of now, three thousand and twenty-seven adult dragons have signed up for the Air Corps training. The curriculum includes flight regulations, cabin management, and emergency response. They are expected to be officially on duty in a week."
Kaito felt a bit more at ease hearing the data. "And the residents' reactions?"
Greed flipped through the file. "There was indeed some panic initially. After all, the Dragonkin's reputation on the continent isn't exactly stellar. But after we issued the official announcement regarding the Dragonkin joining the Empire, things improved significantly. Especially when the residents saw the Dragonkin in their dragon-man forms—the fear diminished noticeably. Some residents even thought the dragon-men were 'cool' and took the initiative to strike up conversations."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Greed nodded. "Indeed, especially among the female beastkin residents. They are quite interested in the dragon-men's appearance. A few of the younger dragons even found themselves being surrounded by onlookers."
Kaito's mouth twitched. Why did the tone of the world suddenly get so strange?
"That's fine, then." He waved his hand. "Keep an eye on them. Make sure no trouble breaks out."
"As you command." Greed put away the file and turned to leave.
Kaito stood in the hallway, looking out at the sky. The matter of the Dragonkin was settled for now. Next... he thought of the plan he had set earlier. The Empire's development was on the right track, with all industries steadily advancing. Perhaps it was time to consider the next step.
Kaito turned and walked toward his study. Bochi clung tightly to his shoulder, emitting a purring sound.
Meanwhile, in a tavern in Iron Fortress Territory, several adventurers sat huddled around a table, debating heatedly.
"Have you heard? The Dragonkin have joined our Evernight Empire!" A burly warrior slammed his hand on the table. "I saw it with my own eyes! Those dragons turned into dragon-men and were walking down the street!"
"For real?" The mage next to him pushed up his glasses. "Don't the Dragonkin avoid leaving their nest in large numbers?"
"It's the absolute truth!" The warrior gestured excitedly. "I even chatted with a red dragon! He said they're going to be in charge of the Empire's air transport! Soon, riding a dragon will be cheaper than riding a bone dragon!"
The others at the table stared at each other.
"That's too ridiculous, right?"
"Just how does the Evernight Empire pull this off?"
"They even managed to tame the Dragonkin?"
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