Faced with the blast of scorching heat and the looming threat of death, Abir gritted her teeth. The oath she had sworn upon joining the Harpers and the image of Richard yielding flashed alternately in her mind.
Without question, she had wavered. She was no longer as resolute as she had been moments ago.
"Rest assured, I won't make you reveal Harper intelligence."
"Then... what do you actually want?"
The elf spoke with a tremor in her voice, already imagining the worst possible outcomes.
Cassius merely asked in a flat tone, "'Twilight Blade' Rhea, the half-elf paladin from Therenia—do you have any news of her?"
"Why are you asking about her?"
Hearing that name, Abir frowned. Never in her wildest thoughts had she expected the "Twilight Blade," who had caused such a stir within the elven realm, to have any connection to the red dragon before her.
In truth, Abir held no favorable impression of the half-elf, despite sharing a distant kinship with her.
Rhea stood right at the center of the power struggle between the Elven Queen and the Council of Elders, sending ripples through the historically stable realm of Therenia. A faction of conservative elders had even gone so far as to brand her a "vile mongrel" and a "thief scheming to steal power."
The reason was simple: the Queen wished to bestow the supreme blessing of the Elven Goddess upon this trusted subordinate of human blood, elevating her into a mighty Moonblessed. This brazen violation of high elven sacred tradition had provoked fierce resistance from the Council of Elders, sparking unrest that threatened to escalate into outright revolt.
Faced with the elf's hesitation, Cassius grew impatient.
"Do you think this is a request? You have no choice at all."
The red dragon seized her in his talons once more, gradually applying pressure. The crushing force pushed the breath from her lungs.
"Wait... I-I know!"
Rhea's whereabouts were hardly classified intelligence, and Abir had long harbored frustration over the unrest within Therenia. Under the pressure of survival, she chose to speak the truth.
"She is in Therenia, serving as a general under the Crown. That is all I know—truly! I haven't returned to my homeland in a long time. Even what little I know is merely hearsay from my kin."
Only then did the red dragon unclench his claws, carelessly tossing the bruised elf onto the ground.
This elf was still young and weak, with little access to Therenia's deeper secrets. She held little practical value to him, though she might serve as a bargaining chip against the Elven Kingdom.
After several Crown Wars in the previous epoch, the elves who had once ruled the continent had long since fallen into decline. For a race with such dwindling numbers, every single subject was a precious asset.
"Escort her back. Keep her alive," Cassius instructed offhandedly.
"I... survived?"
Abir found it hard to believe. The red dragon had truly demanded nothing dishonorable, merely asking for basic information.
It seemed the intelligence provided by the Northlands nobles was not entirely accurate—at least in her eyes, this red dragon was not the hopelessly depraved, monstrous fiend they had described.
"*Sigh*..."
Yet the memory of Richard's betrayal brought another heavy sigh from her chest. Her heart twisted with agonizing grief, a tangle of emotions with no outlet.
The tiefling guards escorted the elf back to the dark, damp dungeon, where she seemed destined to spend a long time.
***
*That 'old acquaintance' has likely stepped into the realm of legends by now,* Cassius mused to himself.
When they first crossed paths, the half-elf paladin had already breached the twentieth-level threshold, capable of slaying a red dragon single-handedly. Back then, he had been nothing more than a vulnerable wyrmling, fleeing in disgrace beneath her scrutinizing gaze.
Now, on the verge of bringing the entire Northlands under his rule, he needed to turn his ambitions toward the south.
Cassius still remembered that past humiliation. Though he felt no attachment to his nominal dragon mother, he still intended to make the half-elf who had once sent him scurrying pay a price. More importantly, she possessed something he coveted.
According to his memories of the storyline, after Rhea journeyed across various realms rooting out evil and spreading the renown of the "Twilight Blade" throughout the continent, she took that final step into becoming a legendary paladin. Afterward, she answered the Queen's summons to return to the Elven Kingdom, quelled the elders' rebellion, and received the divine blessing to become a Chosen.
In the future "Darkmoon Cataclysm," she would play an even more pivotal role—so prominent that the players jokingly dubbed her the "Elven Mary Sue."
At the thought, Cassius exhaled a plume of sulfurous heat.
*Tsk. The Northlands' power is still too meager. If I don't unify it within four years, we'll scarcely be able to weather Anzeta's demon invasion, let alone reach into the vast south.*
Just then, a tiefling guard called out from the doorway.
"Your Majesty, Lord Mezrolash has arrived."
"Send him in."
"Yes, Sire."
Mezrolash entered the great hall with practiced ease and dropped to one knee before the throne.
"Following your orders, I directed the 'Nocturne' unit to conduct a thorough sweep. We have uncovered twelve Harper spies within our borders. Under interrogation, they confirmed their organization is paying close attention to us. More may infiltrate the kingdom in the future to conduct low-profile espionage. How would you have us handle them...?"
"Make them spit out everything they know, then lock them away. There is no need to openly break with the Harpers just yet." Cassius sneered. "Once the kingdom's territory grows vast enough, they will strike my name from their list of so-called 'evil organizations.' They might even try to curry favor with us. When that time comes, these captives will serve as leverage to demand compensation."
"Understood, Master."
Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly and continued, "Mezrolash, as you know, I will soon enter a slumber lasting several years. When I wake, I expect to see a comprehensive intelligence network established within and beyond our borders, not this amateur outfit full of glaring holes."
"I will not disappoint you," Mezrolash replied calmly.
He had long since left behind the desperate days of fleeing for his life, having moved past the blood debt of his fallen kin. Now, his sole desire was to see this ever-expanding behemoth—the Kingdom of Cinders—flourish, securing greater influence and prosperity for his people within it.
The tieflings held a unique standing in the Kingdom of Cinders. They were present throughout the city defense forces across the realm—a coveted post by any measure.
Among the loyal retainers originating from the Cinder Nest, the tieflings were numerous and far more disciplined than the brutal goblins and ogres. Yet this favored status had also earned them resentment from many of the other vassal tribes.
Those chaotic goblins and kobolds were relegated to garrisoning the barren Storm Heights, while other unlucky vassals were dispatched to guard the frozen wastes. To them, the privilege of defending wealthy, thriving cities was an enviable luxury.
"You may withdraw."
"Yes, Sire."
Mezrolash took his leave.
Chapter 232