GoldSea Town has now become a small city. After the last attack and destruction by the Fishmen tribe, many buildings were torn down and rebuilt.
Giant ogre Fafna, the newly appointed administrator responsible for all matters in the town, upheld the view that bigger is better for True Dragons, and thus re-planned and rebuilt the town.
After the last Fishmen tribe attack, the entire town's planning and reconstruction had shifted a certain distance away from the shore, ensuring ample time and distance to deal with sudden situations at sea.
The docks and coastline that were originally close to the town now belonged to the area outside the city and were not included in the small city's plan, but they were still encompassed by the city's defense system.
The newly recruited Gnoll Spellcaster and Kobold Spellcasters, led by several dragonkin, became the rotating guard teams stationed at the seaport. GoldSea Town is currently the focal point of the Dragon Clans Territory, and thus receives a concentration of power.
Meanwhile, two hundred Kobold Soldiers are responsible for patrolling the seaport's safety and order as a daily security force. In addition, the True Dragon also ensures that one of the two Blue Dragons will come to this place daily for Residency and patrol.
The sea and sky are the Blue Dragon's home turf; a Blue Dragon, controlling storms and tides, is the best choice for guarding the sea.
With continuously incoming population and ongoing expansion, the town has now become a city covering an area of about five square kilometers. The wooden wall, sixteen meters high, surrounding the city has a total perimeter of over eighteen thousand meters.
Fortunately, this area is on the edge of a lush forest, so the enormous timber is inexhaustible, and there is no need to worry about the basic materials for building the city.
Including merchants and adventurers coming and going, plus the permanent residents, the population of various races other than the True Dragon's dependents here is approximately close to twenty thousand.
However, with the continuously increasing active population, the city's construction cannot be three-dimensional like modern civilization; it can only maintain the city's layout by expanding its land area.
Moreover, at the Red Dragon's instruction, to prevent a continuous chain reaction of fires in the city where most buildings are made of wood, newly built structures maintain a certain safe distance from each other.
Four wide streets, capable of allowing sixteen massive Earth Dragon beasts to pass through simultaneously, crisscross in a cross shape, leading directly to the city's four main gates, and sixteen smaller streets connect to each other via these four main streets.
Seventy-two small alleys connect to neighboring streets, forming a complete and regular urban transportation network with ninety-two main streets and alleys.
Although in a horizontally laid out city with inefficient space utilization, twenty thousand people still cannot fill this city, which is planned to be enormous, thus the entire city, even with many areas still under construction, appears somewhat empty.
However, once the entire city's framework is established, it will only need sufficient population to fill it in the future. Under the leadership of Giant Demon Fafna, the city's basic operations have gradually gotten on track.
Each tall city gate has a team of strong Centaur Warrior and Kobold dependents guarding and patrolling to prevent another incident similar to the Fishmen tribe's attack on the town.
These warriors are all clad in well-made leather armor, holding iron spears and swords in their hands.
Under the diligent labor of Dwarf Kragon and his apprentices, even these combat-average Kobold warriors were equipped with iron swords. With this, led by Centaur Warriors, these soldiers are sufficient to withstand attacks from any wild beasts and common monsters.
And in the still-incomplete arrow towers built above the city gates, there were also some human soldiers mixed in.
These were mercenaries and adventurers who had settled here and pledged allegiance to the Dragon clan, temporarily assigned by Giant ogre Fafna to the city defense guard force.
A city's patrol and security team cannot be entirely composed of dragonkin and dependent monsters. Adding some humans quickly gains the trust of city residents and visitors, even if it's just superficial trust, but it can quickly stabilize people's morale.
So when Nora and the other villagers who had been abducted here got off the large ship after their initial panic, they followed the soldiers maintaining law and order towards the distant small city before them, carefully scanning their surroundings while chattering in amazement.
"This is simply a big city! When I used to pass through the direct cities of those noble lords, none of those towns were as spacious as this one."
"I thought we were coming to a wilderness, but I didn't expect it to look much better than most towns."
People disembarking the ship gasped in amazement at the sight of the town before them, not just the villagers who lived in the wilderness, but also some pioneering immigrants who had been recruited.
This instilled in these people a glimmer of confidence and hope for the future; at least they were not facing a desolate monster land, but had a sturdy city that could serve as a place of stability.
"Wow, these Kobold look so well-behaved, even better than my dog!" a small boy with clear, naive eyes tugged at his parents' sleeves, pointing at the Kobold guards escorting the slave group.
This remark drew an angry glare from the Kobold nearby. "This human child is really annoying to the Kobolds. I am a noble dependent of the dragon clan." The Kobold guard silently tightened his grip on his weapon, afraid it might fly out if he wasn't careful.
His parents quickly covered the little boy's mouth, repeatedly apologizing to the Kobold guard: "We are sorry, Kobold Lord, the child doesn't know any better, he talks nonsense!"
"Hmph," the Kobold guard proudly twisted his dog-like head, too lazy to bother with these foolish mortals.
"Look, that's a True Dragon, a Blue Dragon!" A child gasped, and the entire group became agitated with surprise. Some villagers who didn't understand the situation were even so scared they wet their pants, with liquid dripping from their crotches.
The Kobold guard had no choice but to patiently wait in place for these ignorant mortals, secretly enjoying the shocked and panicked expressions on the faces of the group of mortals.
The Blue Dragon Dos leaped out of the deep blue sea, a huge sea fish in his mouth, soaring upwards.
The Blue Dragon's taste is somewhat similar to Bronze Dragon's, both enjoy the taste of Fishmenand sharks from the sea. Other various types of sea fish are also delicious snacks for the Blue Dragon and Bronze Dragon.
However, due to the Dragon clan issuing a racial hunting order against Fishmen, it's very difficult to find traces of these monsters' activities in the nearby sea. Those sharks also sensed the presence of their natural predators in this sea area, so they rarely swim here.
The Blue Dragon Dos also has the duty of patrolling the sea and cannot go too far for food, so he just casually picked a lucky red flag tuna as his snack.
Splash! The Blue Dragon Dos landed at the city gate, dropping the enormous five-meter-long sea fish on the ground, and said to the city guards, "Two of you, take this fish to the Halfling chef's restaurant and have him prepare a delicious meal for me!"
The Blue Dragon Dos then spat out two pearls from his mouth, one large and one small. These pearls were found by the Blue Dragon while hunting in the sea, but the Blue Dragon didn't value them, so he gave them out as payment and compensation for their efforts.
"Give the large pearl to the Halfling chef, and tell him it's enough to cover half a year's worth of meals for me. Take the small pearl for drinks, as compensation for always running errands for me."
The Blue Dragon Dos's deliberately amplified voice boomed. These True Dragon, at Kalon's suggestion, had been consistently demonstrating their attitude, an attitude different from other chaotic monsters.
Of course, a True Dragon's greedy nature would not be so generous, but under Kalon's influence, the True Dragon within the Dragon clan had already come to view this behavior as an exchange of benefits, rather than simply giving things away for free, so Blue Dragon Dos was not stingy.
"Yes, Lord Dos," several guards smiled broadly and saluted the Blue Dragon. The human soldiers and Kobold guards discussed it, then went to summon other companions to cover their absence, and then joyfully carried the huge sea fish into the city.
The Blue Dragon Dos, meanwhile, squatted leisurely at the city gate, surveying the newly arrived batch of territory members. He was trying hard to put on a benevolent expression, but the massive, thick horn on his Blue Dragon head and his ferocious face really didn't have much of a positive effect.
These True Dragons now looked at the members arriving in their territory as if they were seeing glittering gold coins; each group that arrived gave the True Dragon a sense of accumulation, just like watching the gold coins in their nest increase one by one.
"Hmm, the quality of this group of people is quite good. Although there are many elderly and children, their physical condition is excellent. They will definitely become capable citizens within the Dragon Clan Territory." The Blue Dragon Dos was very satisfied with the mental state and physical condition of these humans before him.
Although this group of people appeared somewhat thin due to their impoverished lives, humans who could survive in the wilderness were extremely tough.
"But next time, Rosani should be the one to act. Black True Dragon are the most cunning and insidious. Rosani should enjoy this deceptive performance," Blue Dragon Dos scratched his horn, a habit he had long developed when thinking.
"Oh, Uncle Farn, these True Dragon don't seem as fierce and cruel as the bards say, liking to snatch humans and children as snacks. Instead, they're much kinder than those tax collectors who come to the village, and that Blue Dragon looks so majestic, that big horn looks really powerful."
The little girl Nora supported her grandmother, following closely beside Village Chief Farn, quietly conversing with her uncle. Perhaps it was good fortune from the heavens, the bumpy journey had not caused any accidents to her elderly grandmother, so the little girl's mood was now a mix of anxious anticipation and joy.
Farn, who was once the captain of the True God Church's Knight Order, although his strength was half gone, his eyesight had not disappeared. When Nora mentioned the True Dragon, Farn clearly saw the passing Blue Dragon's posture become more arrogant, his already robust chest and abdomen puffed out even more, and his head unconsciously lifted higher.
Farn's lips curved into a slight smile as he patted Nora's little head, then stepped through the tall city gate.
The wide, tall city walls seemed to separate two worlds. Upon entering the city, these people felt the bustling human sounds and the coming and going of people on the streets. Even the wide streets, comparable to those in the main cities of noble territories, gave everyone a feeling of jostling shoulders.
This was the area near the seaport, and also the area with the most transient population. Currently, almost all people are active in this urban area, which brought an extra shock to these villagers from the desolate wilderness.
Even though they had raised their expectations when they saw the city, they hadn't expected life in the city to appear somewhat prosperous.
"Is this the distant Monster Land? The True Dragon's Kingdom? Incredible, those bandits really didn't deceive me." Many humans originally didn't believe that a kingdom belonging to True Dragon and monsters would be very stable; in their stereotype, a monster land was what they considered normal.
Watching the people coming and going on the streets, the True Dragon's dependents, those monsters and humans, were no different. All races lived together peacefully in this land, and even the most ignorant Ogre had become remarkably orderly.
Although some conflicts and frictions were always unavoidable, they quickly became harmonious under the suppression of the large clubs wielded by the city defense guards, who were comprised of various races.
Shops, taverns, blacksmiths, tailor shops, merchant guild trading halls, and markets for scattered goods—this place, which was just a small town to the True Dragon, was a sufficiently large city for these humans and was on the path to prosperity.
Farn stopped, looking at the scene on the street, and released Nora's hand. He said thoughtfully, "Nora, perhaps we really can find a stable life here, a future with hope. Who says a True Dragon's Kingdom cannot be a place of light!"
...
"Stop, unknown True Dragon! Goldsea City does not permit outsiders to fly over; otherwise, it will be considered a provocation and invasion." The human soldiers on the watchtower had already notched their whistling arrows onto their longbows.
The improved bows had changed from flat-backed longbows to recurve longbows, increasing their range by a notch. The whistling arrows fired by the soldiers from the watchtower were enough for all the soldiers in the city to see.
The other Centaur Warriors and Kobold guards also picked up their weapons, facing the two young True Dragons descending from the sky without any fear. Even the Kobold dependents, who often fled from battle, had the courage to wield their blades against other True Dragons before the Red Dragon and his Dragon clan were defeated by other True Dragon.
Not to mention these more dominant Centaur, they provided the Red Dragon with sufficiently resilient mental power, and the Red Dragon, in turn, fed his will, belief, and power back to these loyal Centaur Warrior.
However, because this connection from the soul and mind was too subtle, neither party had ever discovered this issue.
The Red Copper Dragon Alfred and the Bronze Dragon Alina stopped at the city gate. Having come to the Dragon Clan Territory, it was only right to abide by the Dragon Lord's rules. This was a consensus among all True Dragon, unless a True Dragon wished to start a war.
So, the two young True Dragons used their shapeshifting ability to transform into human form. All True Dragons, upon reaching their youth, could find knowledge of shapeshifting in their True Dragon inheritance. However, among the Chromatic Dragon, only Green Dragon generally liked to transform into human form, while the rest of the Chromatic Dragon preferred their original shapes.
Red Copper Dragon Alfred was a slender, tall young man with yellowish-brown hair that made him look a bit malnourished, while Bronze Dragon Alina transformed into a tall, full-figured young woman, her greenish-blue hair shimmering in the sunlight, giving her an exotic charm.
"Any other demands, esteemed loyal guards?" Red Copper Dragon Alfred shrugged indifferently, joking.
"Goldsea City welcomes you, esteemed True Dragon from afar," the Centaur Warrior captain bowed, signaling the other guards to clear the way.
The two young True Dragon, transformed into humans, gracefully stepped into the newly emerging city.
The clean, neat, and grand appearance of the city and its architectural planning left the two of them dazzled. Even a large city like Hobbes, the imperial capital of the Catha Empire, felt crowded due to its excessive population and gradual expansion.
Of course, the most important thing was cleanliness. Along the way, Green Goblin wearing armbands were constantly cleaning up trash with brooms, and some Green Goblins would catch people littering on the streets and pull on their sleeves, demanding a fine of five copper coins.
The two True Dragons found it hard to imagine the dirty and smelly Green Goblin being associated with the word 'clean,' so they remained very interested throughout their journey.
Only upon entering the bustling streets did the differences between the two True Dragon become apparent. Red Copper Dragon Alfred focused on the dazzling array of strange goods and the bulging coin purses at the merchants' waists.
The Bronze Dragon Alina focused on the conversations people were having and the many laws and regulations posted on notice boards along the way. She would occasionally use her beautiful appearance and tall figure to entice the peacekeepers patrolling the streets, hoping to learn more from these peacekeepers and soldiers.
Of course, one couldn't expect these monster dependents to have high morals or professional ethics. So, Bronze Dragon Alina gradually pieced together a general understanding of the situation within the Dragon Territory from many people's mouths.
Thus, Bronze Dragon Alina also became more energetic.
"Look, Alina, that's the administrative office that governs this city. The Giant ogre Fafna, the administrator those dependent guards mentioned, should be inside," Red Copper Dragon Alfredpointed to the crowded, tall building ahead.
The two True Dragon walked forward to see what was happening.
"What's your name? What skills do you have? Did you come alone?" a human scribe stood on a high step, asking a middle-aged man at the front of the crowd surrounded by soldiers below.
"Respected sir, my name is Roan, and I am a blacksmith. I can forge some ordinary weapons and farm tools. I also have two children and a wife," the middle-aged man replied, somewhat timidly pointing out his family members.
"Very good, you stand to the right. Next!" The human scribe wrote down the information in his ledger and continued with his work.
The Bronze Dragon Alina nodded silently, then shook her head, and suddenly whispered, "Although the Dragon Clans Territory is developing towards order, many aspects are still under chaotic management, and there are many problems. If I were to do it, I would do it better."
The Red Copper Dragon Alfred chuckled. He really hoped this female True Dragon would stay, as that would give him more time and opportunities to pursue Alina. So, he whispered in response, "This Giant ogre Fafna doesn't seem as knowledgeable or profound as you. Perhaps you could replace her in governing this seemingly promising city."
A look of pride welled up on Bronze Dragon Alina's face. She felt it was only natural that she was more knowledgeable than the administrator, Giant ogre Fafna. This was due to both the arrogance of a True Dragon and her confidence in her own knowledge.
"Let's go. I still need to see other situations within the territory. It's too crowded here now, no need to rush to meet the True Dragon," a confident Alina summarized her observations and knowledge.
She planned to give the True Dragon, whom she was about to meet, a big surprise, to make them understand how outstanding her abilities as Alina were.
This job, she, Bronze Dragon Alina, was determined to get it, and no one else could stop her!
Alfred and Alina wandered around the city. Even as a True Dragon, Red Copper Dragon Alfredwas getting a bit tired.
Alina not only became more and more excited along the way, but she also bought many novel things whenever she saw them. Red Copper Dragon Alfred gloriously became a porter, carrying large and small bags, enjoying the surprised gazes of the city residents all the way.
Finally, Bronze Dragon Alina's steps stopped in front of a tall building with a sufficiently vast area. The Red Copper Dragon Alfred peered through the gaps in the large and small bags. Several wooden signs with large words in the common language hung horizontally over the entrance of this building.
The Red Copper Dragon Alfred unconsciously read aloud, "Dragon clan Basic Academy. What is this? Is it a place for True Dragons to study?" Alfred was puzzled, looking at the two stern-faced Kobold guards standing on either side of the academy gate.
"This is a place where the Dragon Lord provides for the people in the territory who need to learn and understand knowledge," Bronze Dragon Alina said in a muffled voice, looking at the notice board hanging on the wall.
For the first time, Bronze Dragon Alina showed a serious expression. She had learned a lot of information from the notice board.
This True Dragon Academy was sponsored by the Dragon clan who ruled this place, and every citizen who wanted to learn knowledge could enroll.
Adults only needed to pay five coppers to enter the academy and learn literacy and some basic knowledge.
Unmarried children, however, were allowed to enroll for free, without incurring any fees.
But after receiving education at the academy, they had to pledge to serve the territory after completing their studies, and this pledge would be lifelong.
If they chose to pay tuition, they could only complete the general literacy course education through the academy; other knowledge would not be open to them.
And for everyone who entered this academy, the common language would be taught as the basic language. Besides this, languages of various races such as Elven, Giant, and Troll languages must be discarded.
Only Dragon Language was offered as an advanced elective. Only elites who could complete their studies with excellent grades and pledge loyalty to the True Dragon could choose this language.
Alina could perceive with her True Dragon senses that there were quite a few members in this academy, most of whom were descendants of True Dragon dependents. Those mischievous Kobold cubs and Centaur cubs were not well-behaved in front of the human teachers.
But the badges made from True Dragon scales worn on the chests of each human teacher gave them the power and courage to ruthlessly suppress them, and the teaching whips made from the toughest wood in the forest gave every cub who tried to challenge the teacher a profound lesson.
There were also quite a few human children, who were descendants of humans permanently settled in the Dragon Territory. They appeared incredibly well-behaved and obedient compared to the mischievous Kobold and Centaur cubs, their eyes gleaming with anticipation and admiration as they looked at the dignified teachers.
"It seems I should revise my plan," Bronze Dragon Alina's formerly proud heart settled. She realized that the Dragon Lord of this place clearly had a clear plan for a future kingdom. Those chaotic managements were merely minor issues caused by rapid expansion and insufficient manpower.
Dong, dong, dong,
The heavy bell rang, and the quiet academy instantly became as lively as a herd of wild horses let loose. Countless cubs ran and jumped out of their classrooms, frolicking in the academy square.
Occasionally, a few bold cubs would try to rush out of the academy and onto the street, only to be beaten back by the Kobold Soldiers guarding the academy gate. As they beat the cubs, making them yelp, they mumbled, "This will teach you not to behave! All you think about is playing all day. You'll end up like me, only good for guarding the gate."
Just then, a tall figure walked out of the academy. This was a magnificent Centaur Warrior, his body covered in fine scales, indicating his noble Dragonborn status.
The Kobold guards on both sides immediately bowed and said, "Lord Chiron, you've worked hard."
Centaur Warrior Chiron nodded expressionlessly and walked out.
The Red Copper Dragon Alfred, as if seeing a savior, quickly called out, "Chiron, Chiron, come here! It's Alfred."
The Centaur Warrior wanted to pretend he didn't know the Red Copper Dragon Alfred, but he knew the Red Copper Dragon was his master's friend, and for high-level transcendent beings like them, discerning a person's identity was even simpler, as every creature's aura had a unique manifestation. So, he could only reluctantly walk over.
"Lord Alfred, why have you come here at this time? My Lord will surely be very pleased by your arrival."
Bang! The Red Copper Dragon Alfred quickly threw all the large and small bags on him to the Centaur, even hanging some particularly heavy parcels on the Centaur Warrior's broad back.
Only then did he take a breath and say, "I was curious about the situation in Kalons territory, so I came to take a look, and incidentally accompanied this beautiful lady, who is knowledgeable and has unique insights into governing a territory."
"Alina will showcase her talents here, and I believe the Dragon clan will welcome her. But Chiron, you are a powerful warrior, why are you in this place? Do you also need to study?" The Red Copper Dragon Alfred said, pretending not to see the expression on the Centaur Warrior's face.
"Patrolling, patrolling," Chiron continued expressionlessly. "The True Dragon attach great importance to this, and I must manage this place well for the True Dragon, lest these foolish Kobold make mistakes."
Chiron didn't wait for the the Red Copper Dragon to continue speaking and said directly, "Since that's the case, I shall lead the two esteemed True Dragon to the Dragon Nest. Since you've come all this way, I didn't expect two esteemed guests to bring gifts. Lord Kargon and the other True Dragon will surely be very pleased."
The Red Copper Dragon Alfred was immediately stunned and secretly glanced at Bronze Dragon Alina's expression. The young female True Dragon let out a low snort.
Red Copper Dragon Alfred wanted to speak but hesitated, then wanted to speak again but hesitated again. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth and could only follow behind the Centaur with a dejected look on his face, heading towards the Dragon Nest.