Crassus rubbed his cheek whiskers, looking helpless once more. He had seen many rigid, stubborn kin who followed every single precept of their race like monks, performing the exact same routines day in and day out.
—And this newly joined kin before him was likely just that sort, afflicted with the moral puritanism so common among gold dragons.
Was Crassus supposed to tell him that this was His Majesty Bahamut's own will?
Crassus pondered for a moment before replying in a deep voice, "Titus, though we follow justice, the world is not simply black and white. Sometimes... compromise and sacrifice are necessary.
"Just as with that red dragon, all we can do is try our utmost to guide him onto the righteous path, steering him to become a force to resist the Dragon Queen.
"We must reform more souls, turning them into followers of justice. We should undertake enduring yet subtle actions in the name of goodness, intervening wherever they are needed, while striving to cause as little harm as possible in the process—this, too, is part of Bahamut's dogma."
Cassius did not yield an inch, even "subconsciously" spreading his wings as he continued his impassioned rhetoric. "That does not mean we should retreat and endure in silence!
"Lord Crassus, please believe me. You think you are placating that red dragon, yet little do you realize—this will only make him more unscrupulous, until he transforms into a monster even more wicked than the Dragon Queen!
"Blind indulgence only invites greater insolence. Only the iron fist of justice can make the strayed understand the true meaning of righteousness!"
Cassius rose to his feet, gesturing with his dragon claw, his tone extraordinarily earnest. The gold dragons present could not help but nod one after another, silently giving their support and approval.
The younger gold dragons—such as Anhel—even followed Titus's lead, leaping to their feet in excitement and cheering repeatedly, already acting like devoted admirers.
"Lord Titus is right! We gold dragons cannot stand idly by!"
"Indeed, that is our benefactor!"
"In the name of Bahamut, no matter how powerful the enemy is, we cannot give up!"
Clearly, compared to Crassus's seemingly callous "policy of appeasement," these gold dragons—possessed of an immense moral compass and largely afflicted with moral puritanism—resonated far more with "Titus's" speech.
What was more, Cassius possessed the Silver Tongue trait. His words carried immense emotional resonance, far more persuasive than the great wyrm gold dragon's dry explanations.
Had he been placed in an early-twentieth-century Munich beer hall right now, he could easily have stolen a certain art student's future job.
*They are only juniors after all; they do not understand what a third-generation progenitor dragon means to the clan, or even to the entirety of dragonkind...*
Listening to the indignant voices of the gold dragons, Crassus let out a deep sigh and shook his head. He knew it would be difficult to change this unfamiliar kin's mind.
Any gold dragon capable of reaching the ancient dragon stage was an elite of their race. They usually possessed greater perseverance than ordinary dragons, but they were also often more stubborn, impervious to easy persuasion.
As the Archon of the Feanso Gold Dragon Council, all Crassus could do was minimize losses.
With that in mind, the great wyrm gold dragon spoke in a heavy voice: "Titus... I grant your request. You may go assist Walter. However, the younger kin shall not accompany you—it is far too dangerous."
Cassius nodded and replied steadily, "Naturally. I would never drag these young gold dragons into danger with me. They are not yet ready to shoulder such a burden."
"Lord Titus!"
"Grandfather Crassus, I am willing to go to North Aethel!"
Crassus ignored the anxious pleas of the young gold dragons, merely scolding softly, "Nonsense."
The mighty Frightful Presence of a great wyrm gold dragon rolled outward. The young gold dragons, who had been eager to volunteer just moments before, instantly trembled. Their heads were pinned down against the table, unable to even unfurl their wings.
"With your strength, you wish to partake in a battle of this caliber? Going there would only make trouble for Titus!"
Having disciplined these overambitious young dragons, Crassus finally turned his head, looking at Titus with a gaze mixed with regret and a hint of envy.
As a fellow gold dragon, he understood this ancient gold dragon's thoughts all too well. Had he not been the exact same way once?
Over a thousand years ago, he too had been young and spirited, relentlessly dedicated to pursuing the path of justice. He had once charged alone into the heart of chromatic dragon territory, thwarting the Dragon Queen's plots.
Yet after becoming the Gold Dragon Archon, Crassus bore far heavier burdens upon his shoulders—the order of the world, faith in the deities, the future of the clan...
Beneath such crushing weight, he could no longer follow his heart and act with single-minded devotion as he once had. Instead, he constantly had to weigh decisions, make compromises, and gingerly preserve that fragile balance.
Crassus took another deep look at Titus and said, "Titus, I must remind you once more: this is a battle with virtually no chance of victory.
"By your strength alone, defeating that red dragon is impossible. Even with the messenger from Mount Celestia, success remains improbable. Your primary mission is to keep Walter alive if at all possible..."
"I understand, Lord Crassus."
Cassius met the great wyrm's gaze, the corners of his mouth curling upward into a slightly bitter smile. "Yet if one never tries, how can one ever know whether the enemy can be overcome?
"No one is invincible. If an unforgivable sinner such as myself can become a burning candle, bringing a sliver of light to the world before the end, I shall be well content..."
"Elder Titus..."
The young gold dragons present were deeply moved, stirred by this ancient gold dragon's willingness to sacrifice his life to uphold justice.
Even the ancient dragons and wyrms sighed in admiration; they had not expected a kin of comparable age to possess such sublime resolve.
Crassus stepped forward slowly, retrieving a necklace set with a gem pendant from beneath his scales. In a solemn voice, he said, "Titus, may Bahamut, Lord of the North Wind, watch over you..."
And so, under the watchful eyes of over a hundred gold dragons, Titus—or rather, Cassius—solemnly bowed his head, allowing the great wyrm gold dragon to place the necklace around his neck.
"I shall never fail your expectations."
Cassius promised word by word. His resounding, forceful voice echoed through the vast Hall of Justice, instilling a calm and steadfast strength.
[Platinum Sacred Heart]
Grants the wearer the protection of Bahamut, capable of warding off fatal harm at critical moments.
In the depths of his mind where none could see, however, Cassius was gloating secretly: *Splendid! Worthy of the wealth of the gold dragons—to swindle a peak legendary item just like that!*
Yet the gold dragons in the Hall of Justice knew nothing of the dark thoughts harboring within this "Elder Titus" who had stepped forward. They clapped their claws in applause, their faces filled with admiration.
...
North Aethel Plains, Corinth. The crisp autumn air was brisk, and the north wind howled.
"Your Grace, please wait inside. We will inform you the moment there is news."
"No need. I am of godblood. With my physique, a little wind hardly concerns me."
Walter Graham flatly rejected the captain of the guard's suggestion. Standing atop the battlements, he waited with palpable tension, pacing back and forth with an anxious expression.
—For today was the day the reinforcements promised by Gold Dragon Archon Crassus were due to arrive.
His journey to Mount Celestia had left a profound impression on him. Even someone as formidable as the great wyrm gold dragon Crassus had appeared startled and evasive upon hearing Cassius's name.
This had only driven home one realization even more deeply to Walter:
—By his strength alone, holding back the Cinder Empire's southward march was impossible, let alone defeating that red dragon.
Thus, over the past few days, he had traversed the entire Feanso Continent and even reached into the multiverse. To seek aid, he had called upon every connection accumulated over centuries, but unfortunately, few responded.
With strife raging across the Feanso Continent, very few factions were willing to make an enemy of that terrifying red dragon for the sake of so-called "righteousness and justice."
By now, the allies Walter had gathered included wizards of the Arcane Hermitage, rangers of the Harpers, and that "Messenger," Barachiel.
Though he had assembled a considerable force, reinforcements from the gold dragons remained paramount to him. After all, metallic dragons were the most adept at contending with chromatic dragons.
Right then, the startled cries of soldiers interrupted his thoughts.
"Look up there!"
"Wh-what is that?"
"Amaunator above! I've never seen such a colossal dragon!"
Walter hurriedly looked up, gazing into the sky with immense excitement, finally catching sight of the long-awaited gold dragon reinforcement he had yearned for.
"This is..."
High in the sky flew an enormous golden dragon, easily over thirty meters from snout to tail.
His body was clad in golden scales like armor forged of pure gold, gleaming with metallic luster and etched with intricate, mysterious patterns.
Bathed in sunlight, layers of golden halos encircled the dragon, presenting a majestic scene reminiscent of a divine descent.
In an instant, words like dawn, morning sun, and daybreak sprang to the minds of all the soldiers, causing them to lower their guard instinctively.
*Roar—*
The gold dragon craned his neck and loosed a long, resonant roar.
Then, beating his wings, he flew in that distinctive undulating motion, gliding gracefully through the air before finally landing on the ramparts and folding his wings.
Even though his movements were nimble, the immense weight caused the entire city wall to shudder noticeably.
Looking down at the human before him, Cassius maintained a solemn posture and spoke slowly: "Good day, Lord Walter. I am the ancient gold dragon Titus.
"I have come by order of the Gold Dragon Council, in the name of His Majesty Bahamut, to assist you... in repelling the red dragon's invasion."
"Amaunator above, thank you for coming!" Walter stepped forward in haste, deeply emotional, the feathered wings at his back trembling.
An ancient gold dragon! As the cream of the crop among true dragons, every single ancient gold dragon was extraordinarily precious. This was a tremendous boon to him.
It seemed the great wyrm Crassus was loyal to old ties after all; though outwardly reluctant, he had still extended a helping hand in the end.
"Titus..."
Walter repeated the name. As if recalling something, he looked up in slight astonishment.
"Are you... the Dragon of Dawn, the Wings of Daybreak sung of by the bards? The gold dragon who helped the dwarves repel the orc invasion?"
"Mortal hyperbole, nothing more," Cassius said mildly, tacitly acknowledging the identity.
"Wonderful, truly wonderful..."
Walter murmured to himself. Matters were even better than he had imagined; he had never expected Crassus would dispatch an ancient gold dragon who had defeated a chosen of a deity.
He looked up once more; the insignia upon the gold dragon's chest gleamed brightly. His identity was beyond doubt—he truly was a member of the Gold Dragon Council.
"Lord Walter..."
Cassius merely spoke his name softly.
Walter immediately realized that he had little time to spare, not even enough to compose his emotions—the red dragon in the north had long been watching greedily and could sweep south at any moment.
"Lord Titus, please follow me. We have made every preparation to repel the red dragon's invasion. And you are the final piece of the puzzle."
Walter led Cassius into the city and arrived at the war council hall.
There, the godblood noble poured out everything he knew without hesitation. He explained the defensive deployments across North Aethel in detail to Cassius and introduced allies from all corners of the world—including the "Messenger," Barachiel.
"No matter how powerful that red dragon is, with our combined might, we can force him to flee in defeat—or even meet his end here..."
Walter spoke with mounting fervor, rambling on as though trying hard to prop up his own confidence.
Yet he had no idea that he was personally leaking every shred of intelligence to his greatest enemy, the very target of this campaign—Cassius.
Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly, quietly listening to Walter's briefing and memorizing every detail.
*Ruler of Lunia, Barachiel the Messenger... yet another quasi-deity.*
*Heh... I'd like to see what these celestials are truly made of.*
...
Cinder Empire, Dragonblood Mountain.
Coiled upon the throne was the red dragon. His mountain-like form, easily over fifty meters from snout to tail, rose and fell with each breath, dense white plumes of sulfurous smoke billowing from between the fangs of his gaping maw.
—This was the Emperor of the Cinder Empire, supreme sovereign of Anzeta: Cassius Claubau Norixius.
Tongues of fire leaped from fissures in the ground, blazing continuously like growing trees and wild grasses.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, a thunderous roar reverberated as an incomparably mighty pressure descended. A searing gale swept across the entirety of Dragonblood Mountain, and scalding magma gushed from the earth.
The master of this domain had awakened!
*Shing—*
The red dragon snapped his eyes open. Fire danced within his pale gold vertical pupils, brimming with a chilling battle intent.
The corners of Cassius's mouth curled slightly, a sinister grin spreading across his crimson draconic visage.
Extending a massive claw, he pointed its sharp tip at a spot on the map before him. "Since they can hardly wait, then let it be as they wish—we start with North Aethel.
"It is time... to let the world witness my might!"
Chapter 604