The Pitch

Instantly, the great hall fell into absolute silence. Though Navin kept his head bowed, confidence filled his face. Dragons, no matter how peculiar, were greedy creatures at heart; it was their immutable nature. And he was certain that no dragon could resist the price the Kingdom of Cassander was offering: millions of square kilometers of territory and mountains of gold coins. It was enough to drive any human ruler mad, let alone a covetous dragon. Thus, he merely waited in silence—waited for the "Red Emperor" before him to agree, waited to carry the wonderful news of securing a powerful ally back to His Majesty. Sure enough, Cassius's voice echoed through the cavernous hall, but the words caused Navin's expression to freeze. "No." "I cannot agree to your request. Convey my thanks to King Otis for his kind intentions." Navin took a step forward and pressed anxiously, "Why, Your Majesty?" "This is a marvelous opportunity! As long as you ally with our Kingdom of Cassander, not only will you receive millions of gold coins, but your empire will also reap countless benefits—you could even expand your territory southward..." "As I have said, I have always been a monarch who loves peace and holds his people dear." A faint, knowing half-smile played across Cassius's face as he explained at an unhurried pace: "My nation has only just begun to recover from war, and my subjects were only recently liberated from the oppression of the Northlands nobility. For the Empire today, the most important matter is to recuperate and rebuild, not to wage war in every direction." "Return and tell King Otis that I send my blessings, wishing him a swift recovery of his ancestral lands and the rekindling of Holy Fadlan's glory." "As for me... I am merely an ordinary monarch who desires peaceful development." *How could that be?* Navin's pupils shrank, his face flooded with disbelief. He simply could not fathom that a greedy red dragon would abandon profits ripe for the taking. Had Navin truly stumbled into some freak stroke of luck and encountered a dragon diligent in governance and devoted to his subjects? What a joke! Who would ever imagine such words being used to describe a red dragon? He would sooner believe that through some lapse on Lord Amaunator's part the sun might rise in the west than believe a red dragon would pass up benefits within arm's reach—especially on an excuse as utterly absurd as "holding his people dear"! *Perhaps... the price simply isn't high enough yet.* *They just need to sweeten the pot.* At that thought, Navin gritted his teeth and declared with resolute force, "If Your Majesty will only take the field, King Otis is willing to grant the Empire an additional five million gold coins, as well as share a vast wealth of magical lore!" Sure enough, the red dragon seemed to waver. "I see King Otis's sincerity. He is indeed worthy of being that man's eldest son." Navin's face immediately lit up with joy. This was a necessary price. Five million gold coins still fell within the preauthorized allowance. If it meant returning to report a successful mission to His Majesty, it was entirely acceptable. Little did he expect Cassius to pause. "However... this matter concerns the livelihoods of the Empire's people. It still requires careful deliberation." "But Your Majesty..." Navin attempted to plead further. Yet Cassius's expression chilled, cutting him off: "Let us leave it at that. Do not test my patience, nor presume to guide my decisions." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Then we shall take our leave and disturb your rest no longer. May Amaunator watch over you." Navin bowed resentfully in farewell. *Perhaps...* *Does this red dragon truly care about his people?* Navin sighed helplessly, pondering in his heart. Yet little did he know, his initial guess had been entirely correct. The reality was that Navin had vastly underestimated the red dragon's greed. It was not that Cassius harbored no covetous designs on the Kingdom of Thrace; rather, his greed was far grander. He hungered for far more than a few million gold coins, and far more than two-thirds of Thrace's territory. He wanted the entirety of the Fadlan Empire, the whole of the Feanso Continent, and even the world of Elezerg itself. Allowing the Kingdom of Cassander to gain the upper hand in the Battle of the Three Emperors did not align with his plans, nor was it worthy of his ambition to swallow Holy Fadlan whole. Soon, under the watchful escort of tiefling soldiers, the delegation from the Kingdom of Cassander departed in a fluster. They had arrived bearing chests of treasure, only to return empty-handed in bitter disappointment. Inside the palace, Cassius did not rest. Instead, he grinned. "The Cassandrians have departed." "Enter... guest from the Kingdom of Thrace." The secret envoy from the Kingdom of Thrace, Dayev Marshall, stepped nervously into the interior of the palace from the side hall under the watchful eyes of the ogres. As it turned out, no sooner had the envoy from Cassander arrived than Dayev had followed close on his heels to the palace gates, only to be escorted to the side hall to wait. At this moment, his expression was dreadful. Just moments ago, he had overheard the Kingdom of Cassander's plot to ally with the Cinder Empire and besiege the Kingdom of Thrace—an absolute geopolitical catastrophe for his homeland. Cassander had even offered terms so tempting that Dayev's very soul had shuddered. Fortunately, the dragon emperor had not agreed. Yet Dayev did not relax in the slightest. Nor did he buy that rhetoric about "holding his people dear." The Red Emperor's refusal meant only one thing: the Cinder Empire wanted something out of the Kingdom of Thrace. With that thought, Dayev drew a deep breath and, fueled by grim resolve, walked before the dais and bowed low. "Good day, Your Majesty Cassius." Cassius offered no pleasantries, merely gazing down at him with those pale-gold eyes. "What the envoy from Cassander said just now... you heard it all, didn't you?" Sweat instantly beaded on Dayev's forehead. He replied in a low voice, "I am merely an envoy from the south. How would I dare eavesdrop on Your Majesty's conversation?" "Heh..." Cassius sneered. "Worry not. You only heard it because I wished you to hear it." Dayev felt no relief at those words; if anything, his tension doubled. For he knew the true test had only just begun. "So... give me a reason." Sure enough, Cassius spoke once more. An invisible pressure seemed to descend, weighing heavily upon Dayev's shoulders until he could barely breathe. "A reason not to attack Thrace." "Five million gold coins, a wealth of magical knowledge, and two-thirds of the Kingdom of Thrace's territory—that is the price Cassander offered me." "And you... what price can you offer me?" Beneath the dragon's shadow, Dayev looked up trembling, and in those deep, pale-gold pupils, he saw bottomless greed.