Lizardfolk spoke Draconic, which they believed had been taught to them by dragons in ancient times.
Lizardfolk tribes dwelling within a dragon's domain usually offered tributes to win its favor. Evil dragons, in turn, would exploit lizardfolk to serve their wicked ends, turning them into raiders and pillagers.
Drawing upon the lore handed down since antiquity, the old shaman had made what might well be the right choice.
"Let us hope so."
"All I want... is to keep our tribe alive."
Watching the valley rapidly fill up, Ak quietly led his people toward an out-of-the-way corner.
Back in the caves, over twenty of their kin had been swallowed by the horrors lurking in the dark. They could not afford any more losses.
"It will be as you wish," the old shaman murmured calmly, eyes fixed on the retainers bustling past.
Unlike naturally evil races, these lizardfolk were more akin to cold-blooded reptiles.
They had no traditional moral concepts, considering good and evil to be entirely alien notions. They were truly, strictly neutral beings—yet when circumstances demanded, they would slaughter without hesitation and do whatever it took to survive.
Meanwhile, the squabbling over territory dragged on.
*Roaaar—*
With piercing shrieks, the twelve wyverns descended, forcefully staking claim to the valley's broadest ledge of rock.
Goblins and kobolds scrambled out of their path, terrified of being crushed by an oblivious beast—a calamity none of them could survive.
Yet a moment later, an even louder roar echoed from above.
As the undisputed hero of the battle, the chimera—despite being covered in wounds—swept into the assembly with furious momentum, chasing away several wyverns.
Its colossal bulk claimed a vast expanse of space for itself, and not a single soul dared approach.
"Brainless brute."
Standing right at the front, Langpu caught sight of the swaggering chimera nearby. He deliberately pushed up the disproportionate silver-rimmed spectacles on his nose, his expression dripping with disdain.
Yet as a genuine elder of the valley, the head steward of Cinder Nest, and one of its few spellcasters, he certainly had the right to act so.
"Indeed, indeed!"
"Who doesn't know that you're the master's true confidant?"
Seizing an opening, the kobold Jinya slipped to Langpu's side, fawning with an ingratiating grin. Flanked by the ten-foot-tall ogre, he looked all the more shriveled and hunched.
Ever since he crossed the hobgoblin commander Duoluo last time, Jinya had firmly resolved to latch onto this ogre mage's thigh. Only by doing so could he secure the kobolds' place in the lair and barely hold their own against those goblins.
Langpu gave a noncommittal grunt, though inwardly he was thrilled.
"Boss, me so hungry."
"Is Master gonna give us meat?"
"Master called so many goblins over, he definitely agreed to let us eat goblin meat!"
The ogres chatted loudly without the slightest restraint. Their words made the scalps of nearby goblins tingle with dread, prompting them to scurry even further away; some even considered reporting the matter to Duoluo.
Langpu's face darkened at the sight. He struck the ogre who started the topic, Datou, over the head with his club.
"Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eating!"
Datou rubbed his head, looking utterly aggrieved, and opened his mouth to make an excuse.
With a stern face, Langpu summoned the crowd of ogres together.
First, he used a branch to sketch the outline of a goblin in the dirt, then wrote a word in Common beside it. Pointing at it, he said in as gentle a tone as he could muster:
"Come, repeat after me: comrade."
"Food!" the ogres bellowed in unison.
Langpu's smile froze. His expression turned grim, the veins on the hand gripping his club bulging.
Although they had lived together as allies for some time, the observing goblins grew all the more terrified. They wished they could slip away right that second, terrified some thick-headed brute would truly snatch them up and devour them.
Not far away stood the hobgoblin commander, Duoluo. Watching Langpu discipline the ogres, a flicker of resentment flared in his small yellow eyes—last time, it was this very ogre who had stirred up trouble and made a fool of him before the master.
"Look at these ogres."
"Who knows if there's anything in their heads besides food."
"How could creatures like this ever manage Cinder Nest properly?"
With arms crossed, the hobgoblin spoke casually to the bugbear beside him. His voice was not loud, but exceptionally clear, easily carrying to everyone nearby.
Though the ogres could not fully understand his words, they could tell from his tone that he was mocking them. Raising their heavy clubs, they closed in to confront him.
"Rrrgh!"
"Goblin wanna become snack?"
Several burly bugbears immediately stepped in front of the hobgoblin commander. While not as tall as the ogres, they were every bit their match in brawn, and far better trained.
Even the ordinary goblins cowered forward, offering what meager reinforcement they could muster.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"Ugly brutes, back off!"
The ogre mage stared coldly at the hobgoblin shielded behind the bugbears, then spoke:
"Commander Duoluo, the master already warned you last time. I hope you've learned your lesson and won't stir up trouble without cause."
Though phrased like friendly counsel, to Duoluo's ears, it sounded like veiled mockery.
The hobgoblin's temper flared instantly, his crimson skin flushing an even deeper red.
"Langpu, what are you implying?"
The ogre mage looked down on him and replied, "The master himself convened this assembly. If you dare cause trouble here—I needn't tell you how that will end."
"Hmph, we shall see."
"Follow me."
With a cold snort, the hobgoblin turned and led his subordinates away toward another area.
Duoluo's face was as dark as could be.
He had never intended to start a brawl with the ogres on such an important occasion; he had only wanted to score a cheap verbal victory and erode Langpu's prestige. He had never expected to end up with egg on his face, coming out of the exchange looking worse.
Leading several kobolds, Jinya sidled up to Langpu, his expression more obsequious than ever as he poured on shameless flattery:
"Those crude goblins don't know what's good for them. How could they ever compare to your wisdom?"
Seeing the goblins who had bullied them eat humble pie was music to the kobolds' ears.
*ROAAAR—*
A deep, majestic roar echoed from high above.
Instantly, all the assorted monsters in the valley—whether bickering, cursing, snarling, or wrestling—froze in their tracks and looked up toward the sky in unison.
A hush fell over the valley, all commotion vanishing at once.
The red dragon swept down from the heavens, wings unfurled, and landed upon the highest cliff top.
His shadow cast downward, blanketing the countless retainers.
The master of this gathering had finally arrived.
Chapter 37