Under the Red Dragon

In the Land of Gold, atop the mountains, stood the Dragon Clan's Royal Fortress.

Inside the deep and wide hall on the first floor of the Royal Fortress, illuminated by magical crystal lamps, the most central and exquisite golden lamp, resembling a giant chandelier, burned with raging flames. The fire core, excavated from the depths of the earth, ceaselessly radiated its heat and light.

The hall was surrounded by marble pillars intricately carved with acanthus scroll patterns, and the arched dome, like a celestial canopy, resembled a crystal glass painted with frescoes depicting countless dragons in battle and scenes of conquest in other dimensions.

The wide, thick walls around were adorned with paintings of the valiant warriors under the many Dragon Lords, engaged in fierce battles, and scenes of those warriors falling and transforming into loyal spirits, ascending to the Dragon's Sanctuary.

On the smooth, dark stone slabs that reflected dragon shadows, colossal black stone seats rose from the ground, arranged on either side of the hall's depths, flanking the central throne at the end of the hall, set upon a three-tiered platform against the wall.

Although the black stone seats were crafted in the style of stone chairs, they resembled massive stone beds, allowing dragons of various scale colors to freely choose a comfortable posture, whether coiled or prostrate upon their seats.

Nourished by wealth and food, each Lord Dragon's body had developed to far exceed that of wandering wild dragons. Every dragon's length surpassed ten meters in its juvenile stage; even the frailest White Dragon, Camid, had reached ten meters.

This made the dragons coiled and prostrate upon the black stone seats resemble small mountains, seated upon the hall.

The first convocation in this Royal Fortress also excited the dragons of the clan.

Although the Dragon's Royal Fortress nominally belonged to all dragons, few would set foot in this castle, representing majesty and royalty, for trivial matters.

Except for the White Dragon Camid, who had been Karon's shadow since childhood and didn't pay much attention to such things.

“Those girls at the celebration were truly enthusiastic, almost wearing a dragon out. I feel like the activities at the celebration were more tiring than a whole day of fighting,”

The excited Copper Dragon Alfred chattered incessantly to the Black Dragon Rosani beside him. This was a treatment he had never experienced as a lord, and being included in such an important gathering always made him feel accepted by the dragon clan.

Engrossed in these feelings, the Copper Dragon did not notice the strange look in the Bronze Dragon Alina's eyes. Most chromatic dragons did not have a concept of chastity, but many bronze dragons practiced monogamy. Unless something unexpected happened, a bronze dragon would not abandon its mate.

And the Bronze Dragon Alina came from such a family.

The Black Dragon Rosani lazily lay on his throne, his slender neck draped over the cool edge of the stone chair, his fearsome head hanging down, responding casually to the talkative Copper Dragon.

“Those enthusiastic girls may be lovely, but how can they compare to those wildly running wild horses? I have an idea, Alfred,”

The Black Dragon's drooping head twisted at an odd angle, his neck like a knotted braid. These chromatic dragons' slender necks allowed them to make such bizarre movements.

“What if, like the arena competitions, I held a horse racing contest? Wouldn't the winner be able to choose the best horses for me, saving me the trouble of going to observe and select them myself?”

The Copper Dragon Alfred's mouth twitched. Even with the shared aesthetic of all metal dragons, he couldn't understand why the Black Dragon was so fixated on those horses.

He could only attribute it to each dragon, or each creature, having its own unique fetish.

The dragons chatted amongst themselves, seemingly leisurely, but all were waiting for the arrival of the owner of the empty black stone throne at the end of the hall.

Karon Goggmora, the ruler of the territory, the leader of the dragon clan, had not yet appeared, which made the dragons somewhat anxious.

Dragons were not patient creatures. Even if they could endure temporarily for some purpose, they were mostly impatient.

Fortunately, many kobolds brought in wide wooden tables, covered them with exquisite tablecloths, and then carried in whole roasted wild cattle and sheep, seasoned with various spices, allowing the waiting dragons to eat.

Maidens also brought in basins of fruit and barrels of brewed fruit wine, calming the dragons' anxious hearts and allowing them to enjoy their food and snacks.

Thump, thump, thump,

A large shadow was cast from outside the wide fortress gate, the shadow of a massive evil dragon.

The dragons, who were eating, bit off the bones in their mouths, swallowed them, and stopped, looking at the shadow slithering on the ground like a snake at the fortress gate.

The massive Red Dragon stepped into the fortress hall on his shadow, heading straight for the throne.

The dragons all lowered their heads slightly, showing submission and respect to the leader of the dragon clan.

Karon strode heavily, ascended the three wide but not high stone steps, and coiled on his throne, nodding to all members of his dragon clan in response.

“This gathering is not only for the anniversary celebration, the dragon clan's banquet, but also to fulfill the dragon clan's agreement,”

Karon, high on the throne, swept his majestic head across every dragon, and said, “I promised to turn the lush forests into the dragon clan's granary, to turn the vast grasslands into the dragon clan's pasture, and I have done it.”

“I also promised that even through difficulties, I would bring you back to the territory, back to our home, and I have done it,”

“I also promised to build a civilization belonging to dragons here, to develop the dragon clan into a strong clan, and this is taking shape,”

“And now, it is time to fulfill another of my promises,” Karon's thick claws flexed slightly, gently tapping the black stone throne, emitting a dull sound.

Kobold guards carried chests of treasure, boxes filled with gold coins and gems, laboriously into the deep, wide fortress hall.

“According to the dragon clan's agreement, dragons will be rewarded annually based on their contributions and merits to the dragon clan, and dragons who have harmed the dragon clan will be punished. More work, more gain; less work, less gain,”

Karon's majestic vertical pupils swept over every dragon and said, “Therefore, Germot receives the most rewards, followed by Akziel, then Dos and Rosani, Antajena, Kleinya, then Alina and Alfred, and Camid is last.”

“So, does anyone have a different opinion?” Karon's deep, sonorous voice echoed in the fortress hall, calmly meeting the gaze of every dragon.

No dragon had any objection. Even the White Dragon Camid, who was closest to Karon, did not receive more treasure because of their close relationship, which seemed quite fair to the dragons in the clan.

And the Copper Dragon Alfred and the Bronze Dragon Alina were quite surprised. They didn't know that the dragon clan had such an agreement. This was also an incredible thing for these two metal dragons who had gradually become familiar with the territory.

Even the most generous metal dragon leader would not give even a silver coin from their treasure hoard to other companions. The division of spoils was the division of spoils; the two had completely different meanings.

Moreover, it was the leader of the chromatic dragon family, who held the highest position. Those chromatic dragon leaders would only treat the dragon clan members as objects to be exploited, only to a different degree than their familiars.

This made the two metal dragons feel a deeper sense of belonging to the dragon clan. Even for the sake of treasure, they would fall in love with the dragon clan.

The White Dragon Camid scratched the bulge on his neck, feeling rather embarrassed. He thought that getting the least amount of wealth would be a disgrace to the dragon.

Because even in this unique dragon clan, there was the same vanity and comparison rooted in every creature.

Seeing that no dragon raised any objection, Karon nodded, letting the castle guards send the boxes of treasure to their respective owners.

The White Dragon Germot had the most treasure chests in front of him. He lowered his head with satisfaction, sniffing among the boxes of gold coins and gems. The scent of these shiny trinkets was intoxicating to a dragon.

The White Dragon Camid hugged his treasure chest and began to count with his slender claws, counting to three thousand before resting his head contentedly on the shiny gold coins.

All the members were enjoying this moment of harvest, which made the sense of accomplishment from their previous hard work even more fulfilling.

“Very well, I have fulfilled my promise to you as agreed. Next, it is time for you to give me a response to my promise,”

Karon's immense body was like forged steel, carved stone, with dense scales and a looming dragon shadow.

His wide head quietly moved forward, leaning slightly from the high black stone throne, giving the other dragons an especially strong sense of aggression and oppression.

“Our territory is gradually becoming prosperous, our people are gradually increasing, and our strength is growing day by day, but this is not the goal I am satisfied with,”

Karon's vertical pupils quietly lit up, and leaping flames burned in his pupils. He brandished his exceptionally thick fangs, and each word echoed in the dragons' ears.

“I will build an unprecedentedly strong civilization, which will be the fulcrum of my strength, and it will also be a long ladder for you to climb to power,”

“When I wake up from my slumber in the adolescent stage, I will formally establish a kingdom belonging to dragons, and I will also clear all obstacles around the territory and conquer all the territory within sight.”

Accompanied by the Red Dragon's strongly aggressive words, in the hall, those naturally cold and beastly vertical pupils lit up one by one. Even those bright magic crystal lamps and the raging fire core could not hide the dragons' gazes.

The dragon blood in their bodies gradually boiled, and the evil dragon's blood of destruction and conquest was also stirring.

“But this is not my goal, it is far from satisfying me. I will explore the wider sky, the vast earth, the deeper ocean, until these become my nourishment and help me reach the summit!”

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“And the response you need to give me is, do not slack off. I only hope that you can always stand by my side, have the same goals as me, and work hard for it!”

Karon stopped speaking, calmly waiting for the response from the dragon clan members.

“Of course, since we were hatchlings, we have been like this! Karon,” the Blue Dragon Dos responded first, although this blue dragon couldn't help but reach out his dragon claw to touch the scratch marks on his forehead where the horn had gradually disappeared.

“Conquest and war are noble virtues that every red dragon will not refuse,” the female Red Dragon Kleinya's vertical pupils also burned with flames. This mother dragon, even among all the female red dragons, had an especially fierce personality.

“You know, Karon, I'm just a white dragon, I'll just follow behind you, I'll bite whoever you tell me to bite,”

The White Dragon Camid hugged his treasure chest and muttered.

“I only hope that those opponents will not surrender easily, I will bring them a feast of slaughter and death,” the Black Dragon Rosani showed a cruel smile on his face.

The White Dragon Germot raised his head from the treasure chests, “The dragon clan is a whole, you said that, Karon, you are the king of the dragon clan, coordinating the will of all dragons!”

“My king, Antajena will never disobey your will, even if I don't get your favor!” The Green Dragon Antajena's eyes were flattering and slightly resentful.

The Blue Dragon Akziel directly lowered his head, showing obedience to the Red Dragon, “My king, Lord of the Dragon Clan, the supreme ruler of the territory!”

The Copper Dragon Alfred and the Bronze Dragon Alina looked at each other face to face, everything was in their eyes, they also lowered their proud heads, and the heavy, undulating dragon language echoed in the hall: “My King!”

Karon, high on the throne, nodded slightly and waved his hand to let the guards and maids waiting in the corner bring up the food and wine again.

After unifying the future goals of the dragon clan and reaching a consistent pace, the dragon clan's banquet officially began.

Meat, wine, and fruit like flowing water were brought up by the dragon's familiars and enjoyed by the dragons.

The hired orchestra also stepped on exquisite carpets and sat down in the hall, striking cheerful rhythms and notes.

And a group of dancers wearing fiery gauze, with silk scarves on their heads and faces, exposing their delicate navels, and bare feet, shook the bells on their wrists and ankles, dancing a lively dance in the center of the hall.

These fiery dancers attracted the attention of many male dragons, especially the two male dragons whose reproductive functions had been fully developed. Their throats gurgled, constantly pouring down barrels of increasingly hot wine, still unable to extinguish the fire of desire in their bodies.

Fortunately, the Red Dragon, high on the throne, suppressed the desires in these two male dragons' bodies, preventing them from engaging in some improper acts on the spot.

Especially a certain bronze dragon, who was constantly looking at a certain male dragon who was enjoying himself, greatly deterring the male dragon.

Until they were full of food and drink, and the moon in the sky gradually hung high in the middle, Karon stood up from the wonderful banquet and took the lead out of the fortress.

“Let's go, let's see how brilliant our territory will be tonight.”

The other dragons followed the Red Dragon out of the fortress, standing on the top of the mountain, looking at the lights of thousands of homes at the foot of the mountain and in the distance.

A tall figure with dragon horns facing the sky was already standing in front of the Dragon Sanctuary, next to the huge golden bell.

All around were the heroic spirits who resided in the sanctuary during the day to receive nourishment. These heroic spirits would occasionally appear around the mountains during the day, observing the changes in the territory.

However, the bodies of the dead cannot be seen by the living, and the words of the dead cannot be heard by the living, so the residents at the foot of the mountains never discovered the heroic spirits that occasionally appeared.

Only a very few lucky individuals would see the souls wandering near the Heroic Spirit Graveyard.

When the moon reached its zenith, at a moment that quietly descended, the figure standing before the sanctuary stretched out his hand and heavily struck the silent golden bell.

Dong, dong, dong,

The sound of the golden bell was solemn and grand, echoing from the summit of the mountains.

Then, spreading in succession, the golden bells in cities and villages rang without being struck, the continuous sound of bells echoing throughout every part of the territory.

Shoom, bang,

Streams of fireworks simultaneously ascended into the sky at this moment, exploding into brilliant light, ten thousand families' fireworks, rising into the air together, illuminating the darkness and the night sky.

The old year has passed, and the new year has arrived.

Karon stood among the dragons, his gaze filled with satisfaction as he watched this scene, the dragons around him also immersed in the beauty of this moment.

Step, a solid figure appeared from behind Karon, and then merged into his body.

……

"Sister Carlitte, don't you have any family? Then celebrate the New Year with us," the little girl Nora leaned against the window of the newly arrived neighbor next door, standing on tiptoes as she called into the house.

"Come out quickly, Sister Carlitte, the city is setting off fireworks, it's very beautiful," the little girl Nora's shouts were drowned out by the sound of explosions.

Inside the house, a young woman with long blue hair walked out of the darkness, took the little girl Nora's hand, and looked up at the fireworks blooming in the sky, muttering, "Family? I don't even know if I have one!"

"Let's go, let's set off fireworks too," the young woman with long blue hair sighed, and suddenly a smile bloomed on her face.