Chapter 151: A Righteous Cooperation

  Shroud's speech finally ended, and the crowd erupted in righteous indignation, smming their tables in fury.

  "That vile dragon must pay the price!"

  "The tyranny of the Ember Kingdom will end!"

  "The justid order of the Northern Lands ot be destroyed!"

  "One day, his dragon head will be severed and used as a trophy!"

  Shroud surveyed the room, noting that the atmosphere was suffitly heated. Then, in a deep voice, he said:

  "Now, I have discovered a special method to trap that Red Dragon, but I am too weak to carry it out alone. I need your assistance."

  "..."

  The hall instantly fell silent.

  Those who had spoken so boldly moments ago suddenly appeared as if silenced by a mass spell, collectively holding their tongues.

  After all, talking was ohing, but taking a was ahe dragon was a terrifying creature that had single-handedly destroyed an army of 30,000. While many spoke of sying a dragon, none were foolish enough to risk their lives doing it.

  Shroud noticed the sile showed no sign of disappoi on his fabsp;

  These low-tier spellcasters were not the target of his recruitment efforts.

  His gaze shifted to the "Starlight" dy.

  Her blue-gray eyes radiated displeasure, with no hint of a willio respond.

  Skilled in reading people, Shroud had long observed that this "Starlight" dy, though a powerful spellcaster, was clearly inexperienced and indecisive—one might even call her "na?ve."

  This recisely why Shroud had dared interrupt her earlier. He would never have attempted such a thing with a more assertive high-level spellcaster.

  However, since he had questioned her earlier and diminished her dignity, she was clearly not someone he could recruit.

  With this in mind, he turned his attention to "Ember."

  The bck-haired, golden-eyed nobleman wore a look hteous indignation, as though he were eager to sy the brutal Red Dragon.

  Yes, he was the one.

  Powerful in spellcasting, backed by a formidable force, and possessing a sincere heart for justice—he was the perfect "fool" Shroud needed.

  Shroud, like Olivia, had noticed the subtle fws in the polymorph disguise and the high-born arrogahat came through in subsequent iions. This led him to suspect that "Ember" was very likely a gold dragon.

  Upholding justice was etched into the blood of every gold dragon. These obsessive creatures spent much of their time in disguise, dug "sting operations." Many killers and bandits lurking ie areas of the world met swift ends when their seemingly helpless victim revealed themselves as a disguised gold dragon.

  Gold dragons would not rest until wrongdoers were defeated aher killed or judged. They sought nothihan plete victainst evil.

  Shroud was willing to risk offending a high-level spellcaster to create an atmosphere of despair wrought by evil, all to lure this suspected gold dragon into his trap.

  As expected, "Ember" stood up with a resounding sp oable.

  "Bang!"

  He sneered as he surveyed the room and said in a loud voibsp;

  "Are all your procmations of justice mere words?"

  "Mr. Grey Hawk, I, along with the forces I represent, am willing to provide any assistanecessary to help you subdue that brutal Red Dragon!"

  "Lord Ember, thank you for stepping forward and tributing to the justid order of the Northern Lands."

  "o say more, Mr. Grey Hawk. Defeating the dragon is not only my duty but the responsibility of ah a righteous heart."

  "You... you... I don’t even know what to say anymore."

  Shroud rushed forward, tightly gripping Cassius’s hand, his expression one of overwhelming gratitude.

  "Su easy gold dragon to deceive. Ohey weaken each other, I’ll capture them both. Then I’ll bee the hero of the Northern Lands."

  Shroud thought to himself.

  "I will certainly give you my full 'support'."

  Cassius thought to himself as well, a traockery fshing in his golden eyes.

  Their hands csped tightly together, sealing a pact to vanquish the brutal Red Dragon terrorizing the Northern Lands, no matter the cost.

  —The se resembled the opening of an epic bard's tale, brimming with heroic idealism.

  Yet the reality of this moment was that an evil mage under a vampire and a Red Dragon in disguise were shaking hands, pledging to vanquish the Red Dragon himself—all in the name of justibsp;

  In this light, the se rofoundly absurd.

  Thus, the meeting cluded on a cheerful note.

  People marveled at "Ember's" righteousness and wished him success in sying the Red Drago peace to the Northern Lands and, more importantly, preserving their atus.

  The meeting ended, and the attendees dispersed.

  Shroud left behind a teleportation coordinate, inviting Cassius to a secret location in the Bosk Duchy the following m to discuss the specifics of their colboration.

  Cassius did not leave immediately. Instead, he waited, knowing that the "Silver Star" Olivia would stop him again.

  Sure enough, she hurried after him, her blue-gray eyes glimmering with .

  "Angel, you ’t trust that human. He’s lying. My divination spells tell me he’s likely a servant of the vampire duke aainly no virtuous soul."

  "Of course I know."

  Cassius replied calmly.

  Olivia uzzled. "Then why did you agree to his pn?"

  Cassius gazed at the sky, his goldeeely with determination. "Because a greater evil looms over Aa, and I must unite all possible forces to elimihe rampaging Red Dragon."

  He looked at Olivia, raising an eyebrow.

  "Don’t worry. I won’t spare any evil. Once Grey Hawk helps me kill the Red Dragon, I’ll eliminate him without hesitation."

  "I will bring true justid order to Aa and all he. That has always been my goal."

  "You..."

  Olivia was stunned.

  In her seventy-some years of life, she had rarely entered gold dragons, spending most of her time among her fellow silver dragons.

  Uhe obsessive gold dragons, silver dragons didn’t see eradig evil as their duty. They preferred living among humanoid societies and enjoying life, only ag against aggressive enemies.

  Olivia had her own history of opposing the Cult of the Dragon, but she had never met a "gold dragon" so devoted to eliminating evil. It puzzled and moved her.

  Seeing the silver dragon ensnared, Cassius’s Silver-Tongued trait went into full effebsp;

  "My father, the a gold dragon Castro, oold me fifty years ago: 'With great power es great responsibility.'"

  "The world has granted us metallic dragons unparalleled strength, and we must bear the heavy responsibility of eradig all evil. That is the w of the world."

  Olivia couldn’t help but remark, "Angel, your father is truly a great and wise gold dragon."

  Cassius gazed into her eyes and said solemnly, "Olivia, I’ve already iigated. That Red Dragon is far strohan you imagine and even cast ninth-tier spells."

  Olivia’s blue-gray eyes widened in shobsp;

  "How is that possible?"

  As a high-level spellcaster with over fifty years of experience, Olivia knew well the difficulty of casting ninth-tier spells—a dream unattainable for most mages in a lifetime.

  But for a Red Dragon, not known for spellcasting and still in its youth, to wield ninth-tier magic was unfathomable.

  "Nothing is impossible."

  Cassius’s tone grew heavier.

  "So, if I don’t attend the Are Hermitage, it likely means the mission has failed. I will leave behind information about the Red Dragon at the battlefield in Northwind Fortress, detailing what I discovered at the cost of my life."

  "At that time, I hope you’ll find it and pass it on to the righteous."

  "Alright..."

  Olivia hesitated for a long moment before replying softly.

  "Angel, don’t think so grimly. Lord Bahamut will protect you. I hope to see you at the Are Hermitage."

  "Let’s hope so."

  Cassius replied indifferently, as if he had already resigned himself to his fate.

  Gazing into Olivia’s faintly glowing blue-gray eyes, he thought to himself that he had finally vihe silver dragon. Now he just had to wait for her to deliver everything to him.

  ………

  Strafburg, Avenger's Chamber.

  This was a secret base prepared by Duke Leo of the Bosk Duchy for Shroud and other exiles. Its location was so hidden that even the serpent spies of the Ember Kingdom knew nothing of it.

  Shroud and six former La court mages gathered here, waiting for their colborator’s arrival.

  Space distorted, and a portal opened.

  Cassius, in his noble guise, stepped through, surveying the mages in the room.

  To him, these were mere fourth-tier mages—not worth his attention.

  Shroud quickly approached with his ente, a fawning smile on his face. "Lord Ember, wele. We exiles have awaited this moment for far too long."

  Cassius spoke calmly, "The situation is urgent. There’s no need for pleasantries. As long as that Red Dragon remains, the Northern Lands are in stant danger."

  He paused, a skeptical expression crossing his fabsp;

  "I’m just curious—what gives you the fideo face that Red Dragon? Is it just these court mages?"

  "Of course not, please don’t worry, Lord Ember."

  Shroud replied with an awkward ugh.

  He retrieved an a part scroll from a hidden et.

  Cassius narrowed his eyes, instantly on guard. He could sehe dangerous aura emanating from it—a forbidden spell desiget dragons.

  【Wagner’s Dragon-Binding Array】

  Eighth-tier juration.

  Created by the "Dragon-Mad Neancer" Wagner, who, obsessed with dragons, developed this spell to study them indefinitely.

  Due to a dragon's immense power, this spell required at least twenty casters w together or a legendary spellcaster using true dragon blood and scales as pos. It could bind a dragon of any stage below a.

  Wagner was a name Cassius reized—a notable boss in Aa’s history.

  A tury ago, Wagner had been abducted into the Cult of the Dragon, forced to serve evil dragons and dracoliches. When a starving Red Dragon devoured his wife whole, Wagner went mad.

  From then on, Wagner became fanatical about dragon power. He captured white dragons in Aa, built the Eternal Night Demon Tower, and even transformed his own daughter into a half-human, half-dragon monstrosity, earning him the title "Dragon-Mad Neancer."

  Cassius frowned, his tone carrying a trace of anger.

  "This is from the Eternal Night Demon Tower?"

  "How dare you colborate with that madman Wagner?"

  Shroud, clearly startled that Cassius knew of the mysterious neancer, quickly defended himself, "No, we don’t know the in of this scroll. We only want to use it against the Red Dragon."

  Cassius replied coldly, "Mr. Grey Hawk, I believe you guess my true identity."

  A powerful aura of oppression emanated from him. Cold sweat trickled down Shroud’s forehead as he stammered, "Of course, you’re a gold dragon, a defender of justid order."

  Cassius snorted dismissively, exuding the proud demeanor of a gold dragon.

  "Good. As long as you uand. Human, I will cooperate with you, but don’t think any tricks."

  "Yes, Lord Ember."

  Shroud wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

  "Lord Ember, our pn is this: you’ll revert to your true form and ehe Red Dragon directly, luring him to a predetermined location where we’ll activate the array and bind him."

  "Of course..."

  "We’ll also need your scales and blood."

  He sneaked a g "Ember," relieved to see no ge in his expression.

  Cassius raised another obje.

  " these few mages alone cast this eighth-tier spell?"

  Shroud answered respectfully, "I’m gathering spellcasters from across the nd, but few have responded. It may take several months to prepare."

  Cassius replied bluntly, "We don’t have that much time. The people of the Northern Lands are in stant danger."

  Shroud admitted relutly, "But spellcasters are so scarce..."

  Cassius interrupted without hesitation, "I have dozens of spellcasters under my and who be summoned immediately. I also have allies in Northwind Fortress who provide a secure area to pce the array."

  "So, when we begin?"

  "One month."

  Shroud answered holy.

  "Ordinary mages least a month to learn how to inscribe parts of the array. It’s too advanced and only be inscribed once, after which it’s fotten. I will be the primary troller of the array."

  "Good. I’ll start sending my spellcasters here gradually. I hope in a month’s time, you’ll succeed."

  "Yes, Lord Ember."

  ………

  Northwind Fortress, 【Magical 】 Guild Headquarters.

  "501, 502..."

  "We’re making a fortuely!"

  Charlotte, a fourth-tier mage and guild leader of Magical , was gleefully ting gold s in their warehouse. The guild had retly earned a fortune by taking on tasks around the city.

  Suddenly, his interface updated with a faission.

  【Hidden Mage】

  [Former La court mage Shroud is pnning revenge against the Ember King Cassius. Recruit 20 pyers, disguise them as Ahe Gold Dragon’s followers, and infiltrate the Avenger's Chamber in the Bosk Duchy...]

  [Rewards: 15,000 fa tributions per person, 2,500 gold total.]

  "Aurnission, huh."

  Charlotte initially grumbled but froze when he saw the reward n, his eyes widening.

  "Whoa, the rewards are insane!"

  His guild, known for excelling at double-agent missions, was well-prepared for this. This could be their path to immense wealth.

  "Woohoo, let’s go!"

  "Everyone, get moving!"

  "Magical , follow me to victory!"

  Ign the odd looks from ordinary residents, Charlotte shouted aedly in the guild headquarters.

  FAL