"I have a deep prejudice against the Metallic Dragon Race. Tell me more."
Garros did not refute the Red-Silver Dragon's assessment; instead, he proactively stretched his neck forward, signaling her to continue her explanation.
As a Red-Iron Dragon raised in a cruel environment, he knew better than anyone the fatal consequences that erroneous perceptions could bring—if he could avoid this cognitive trap in advance, that would naturally be for the best.
The Red-Silver Dragon folded her wings and adjusted to a more comfortable position.
"First, you must understand that within the Metallic Dragon Race, those extremists who blindly shout for combat the moment they see an Evil Dragon actually make up a tiny, tiny minority."
She raised her claw to gesture as she spoke: "When the vast majority of Metallic Dragons encounter an Evil Dragon, their first reaction is to try and guide the other party to change their alignment, after all."
Deborah lowered her voice and said: "Chaotic Evil Dragons are the truly dangerous scourges."
"Just like the Red Dragon, Black Dragon, and White Dragon races among the Chromatic Dragon."
Her tone became serious as she continued: "They are prone to producing lunatics who act with complete disregard for the consequences. Even among the relatively lawful Green Dragon and Blue Dragon, completely out-of-control individuals can appear. These chaotic Evil Dragons not only endanger other races, but even we of the Dragon Clan ourselves are affected."
Wind and snow swirled between the two dragons.
The Red-Silver Dragon paused for a moment, then said: "But alignment is never an immutable label."
"Especially those traumatized Young Dragons; if they are kept in a state of abuse or exile for a long time, they are even more likely to slide into the abyss of chaos."
"So, if you can take in these abandoned Young Dragons and Young Dragons,"
Deborah's eyes lit up, as if she had thought of something interesting: "You don't need to turn them into the Good alignment—as long as you can shift them from chaotic to lawful, in the eyes of the rational Metallic Dragons, this is an achievement worthy of praise."
Creatures of the Good alignment, if tainted by chaotic attributes, could possibly be even harder to get along with than those of Lawful Evil.
An Evil alignment combined with a chaotic alignment is simply a walking hazard.
Garros tapped his claw lightly on the ground, lost in thought.
If it were truly as the Red-Silver Dragon said, then his perspective was a bit limited. In the eyes of Metallic Dragons, chaotic Evil Dragons were the most dangerous. Among the same Evil creatures, Lawful Evil was actually acceptable compared to Chaotic Evil.
Although Lawful Evil Dragons were likewise unwelcome.
But compared to those chaotic lunatics who had no logic to speak of, they were at least predictable and negotiable targets.
"For example, my Red Dragon father, whom I have never met."
Just listening to the few brief descriptions from the Silver Dragon Adrie back then, Garros could feel just how dangerous of a dragon his Red Dragon father was.
The Red-Silver Dragon squinted her eyes cunningly: "Imagine, if the number of Lawful Evil Dragons you cultivate is large enough." At this point, her voice rose slightly, and she said with some anticipation: "Perhaps even the Platinum Dragon God would cast a gaze of approval."
"I'll pass on that," Garros flicked his tail warily.
There are no free gifts in this world; he was unwilling to have any connection with gods.
The gap in levels between the two sides was too great.
If he were noticed by an existence capable of deciding his own fate, Garros, who had a bit of paranoid delusion, would feel extremely uneasy because of it.
Heaven knows what consequences the whims of those supreme existences might bring.
After calming down, Garros took a deep breath of the biting cold air: "Dragon Valley will not take in Evil Dragons without restraint; keeping the number within a reasonable range will suffice."
He calculated silently in his heart.
Even if he took in and cultivated dozens or hundreds of Lawful Evil Dragons, it would be but a drop in the ocean in the vast, multitudinous planar worlds, and nowhere near enough to attract the special attention of gods.
Even if believers pray to gods every day, unless they have reached a certain Rank themselves, it is difficult to attract their attention and response, let alone non-believers.
Let alone Young Dragons.
Adult or Mature Adult Dragons who think they can attract the favor of gods are truly overestimating themselves.
"I'm going to start training."
The Red-Iron Dragon collected his focus and invited Deborah: "Together?"
The Red-Silver Dragon curled her tail and readily agreed.
The wind and snow continued, and time passed neither too quickly nor too slowly.
In the outskirts of the capital of the Kingdom of Lothern, the newly built Starfire Monastery.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and as the sky just began to brighten, nearly a hundred children were already spaced out on the bluestone plaza, lined up in a training formation.
Steam rose from their exposed skin; their faces were young, but their eyes were exceptionally resolute. Sweat poured down like rain, but not a single one cried out in misery, and there was no complaining whatsoever.
These children were the reserves for the Divine Dragon Sect, taken in by the Gem Merchant Guild and handed over to the Starfire Monastery.
They were all orphans and beggars without parents, and after a rigorous, even magical screening process by the Gem Merchant Guild, it was ensured that each one had a resilient will, possessed a heart of gratitude, and was worth cultivating.
At this moment, the children were conducting basic training for the Divine Dragon Sect path.
They maintained the Dragon Coil Stance, standing on one leg like a curled dragon tail, with a heavy stone hanging from their ankles. Most of their bodies were swaying left and right, trembling constantly, while they gritted their teeth, trying their best to keep their legs raised and not let the stone touch the ground.
The one with the best performance was a ten-year-old boy.
His eyes were covered with a black cloth, but his movements were meticulous; his body was like a rock, without the slightest tremor, and he performed exceptionally well among the group of children.
His name was Aster; he had been blind since childhood, but his other senses were exceptionally keen.
He could smell various scents in the air, feel the fluctuations of the airflow as snowflakes brushed past, and hear the most minute sounds.
Perhaps because he was blind and could not see the bustling or ugly sights of this world, he possessed a concentration during his cultivation that surpassed ordinary people, and his progress was the fastest, making him the'Senior Brother' of the Starfire Monastery.
"Spine like a rising dragon!" The loud, resonant voice of the Divine Dragon Monk Balder exploded.
This burly monk, who was shirtless in the snowy weather and had a dragon tattoo on his body, struck a pose similar to a dragon soaring, stretching his spine with sounds like popping beans.
The children changed their postures simultaneously.
There were boys and girls among them; most of their movements were green, but they tried their best to imitate the instructor's movements.
As time passed, they would sometimes raise their heads like Young Dragons, and sometimes stretch their arms like wings, striking one Dragon posture after another.
"Remember! The posture is just the appearance, just the vessel; the true core is 'Qi'!"
"Feel the circulation of your breath, and capture that trace of Qi."
Balder walked among the apprentice monks, and while speaking, he reached out to correct the posture of a boy with a hard face and fierce eyes.
This boy was named Theros, eight years old this year, with many scars on his body.
He was also a beggar, but unlike other beggars who were timid and inferior, when the Gem Merchant Guild found him, he was beating a stray dog that was fighting him for food to death, punch by punch, just for a piece of bread.
Just at this moment, the ground suddenly shook, as if some gargantuan entity had landed outside.
However, after feeling the tremor of the ground, the children present could not help but show happy smiles.
"The great King of Steel has arrived, you little crawlers, hurry up and welcome him!"
The Iron Dragon Gorton walked with uneven steps and'squeezed' into the monastery, followed by his attendants, who brought over a large quantity of delicacies that ordinary people had never even heard of.
Even though the food was sealed in boxes, just the tiny bit of aroma that leaked out made the children present unable to stop drooling.
"Balder greets you." The Divine Dragon Monk in charge of the Starfire Monastery bowed and saluted, his movements somewhat reserved, but his gaze toward the Iron Dragon was filled with awe and admiration.
He was a member of the Dragon Heart Society, a dragon-admirer who took pride in being close to the Dragon Clan and doing things for the Dragon Clan.
"Rise, you have worked hard." The Iron Dragon laughed and pulled a bottle of court magical potion from beneath his scales, casually stuffing it into the Divine Dragon Monk's hand: "A small gift, take it. Drink it when you are tired; it can replenish your physical strength."
Giving a gift upon meeting. For those of higher Rank, it could win their favor; for those of lower Rank, it could win over their hearts.
This was a social tactic the Iron Dragon had learned through interacting with nobles. Besides Princess Elena, he would collect his shed scales or teeth and fashion them into small gifts to give to other princes, princesses, and even the king.
The value aside, receiving a small gift from a Dragon certainly felt different.
Returning to the main topic, the Iron Dragon couldn't bear to just scatter gold coins; however, magical potions, which were more expensive in real value but were not gold coins or gems, he would give away as soon as he said so, without feeling any heartache.
"Thank you for your generosity." The Divine Dragon Monk said with a joyful look, bowing his head.
"Little crawlers, why did I not hear your cheers?" The Iron Dragon walked into the plaza with heavy steps, deliberately putting on a straight face as he said.
"Welcome, great King of Steel!" The children let out a cheer, very happy at the arrival of the Iron Dragon Gorton, their synchronized children's voices resounding throughout the plaza.
This was already Gorton's third time coming.
When he went out with Princess Elena and accompanied her in charitable activities, he guided her to the Starfire Monastery and expressed his partiality and curiosity toward the Divine Dragon Monk. Subsequently, it was only natural for him to come here, bringing high-grade food and his own guidance to the Starfire Monastery.
Actually, it couldn't really be called guidance. Just like now.
"Little crawlers, come and feel a real Dragon!"
After receiving permission, the children ended their training and one by one surrounded the Iron Dragon Gorton, touching his scales up close, observing his appearance and posture, and feeling his aura.
Although the Iron Dragon's body was huge, his chubby appearance did not have much of a sense of viciousness. It was truly impossible to be afraid of him.
"You, little thing named Aishah, are you not afraid of me anymore?" The Iron Dragon extended his claw and gently tapped the thin, weak girl whose body was like a bean sprout.
Hearing the Iron Dragon's inquiry, the girl who used to be skin and bones from hunger and was timidly waiting for death in a corner now dared to say boldly: "I'm not afraid; you brought us good food, I like you!"
"Rest assured, with the great King of Steel here in the future, you will no longer go hungry." The Iron Dragon flapped his wings and said heroically.
Not just for the mission, he himself also enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by stars. When mingling among the pile of children like this, the Iron Dragon Gorton had a feeling that he was omnipotent, being treated as a 'deity', which greatly satisfied his vanity.
Scattered snowflakes fell continuously. Yet, inside the Starfire Monastery, it was not cold.
The 'King of Steel' got along very harmoniously with the future Divine Dragon Monks. When those children looked up at the Iron Dragon, there was no fear or dread of the alien Dragon in their eyes, but rather, they were full of awe and admiration.
The seeds sown here by the Ignas Siblings were quietly taking root and gradually sprouting.