CH486 As the Wind Blows In Pangea... I
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Meanwhile, in the Pangea Plane...
News of the interplanar travel tragedy that had befallen Earl Drake Furyâs sonâAlex Furyâquietly spread through the upper circles of the Virellian Empireâs nobility.
These were not ordinary aristocrats.
They were juggernautsâfigures who stood at the peak of not only the Virellian Empire, but the entire Arun Continent.
Being as intelligent and well-informed as they were, It didnât take long for them to put the pieces together.
And when they did, their eyes turned toward the unholy alliance formed by the heirs of Wastelander and Reichart, alongside the scion of Machholt.
All attention shifted to Ashen Castle, waiting for the Mad Earlâs response.
Yet weeks passed.
Nearly a full month.
And still... nothing emerged from the City of Ashes, aside from an elevated patrol presence by its guards.
But instead of calming anyone down, it only made the nobility more uneasy.
No one mocked Earl Drake Fury for his silence.
Quite the opposite.
They feared it.
Drake Fury was infamous for his panache and unpredictability. His inaction didnât feel like hesitation, nor weakness. It felt like patience.
Like a predator lying still in tall grass.
And many suspected that when he finally struck, he wouldnât strike wildlyâhe would strike precisely, at the very core of each of the three Houses.
Where it would hurt the most.
Only a few people eventually realised something even more sobering.
The Houses the Earl was poised to move against were not ordinary noble families, they were a Dukedom, and two Grand Dukedoms.
When that reality truly sank in, even hardened nobles couldnât help but shudder.
Such was the infamy of the Mad Earl.
To think that everyone in power would naturally assume that a mere Earl would dare challenge three Dukes...
In fact, to the extent that they felt uneasy simply because he hadnât acted yet.
An unease that drove many to investigate further.
And in the course of their inquiries, they uncovered another detailâone that sent an even greater ripple through upper society.
The Mad Earlâs cub hadnât travelled alone.
Alongside him were Zora Frost-Pendragon, daughter of the Drakeslayer...
...and Princess Eleanor Ludevicusâan Imperial Princess of the Virellian Empire, and the Elarion Empire.
The moment those names entered the conversation, the atmosphere within the noble circles changed entirely.
Because now...
This wasnât merely the tragedy of a noble heir.
It was a spark that could ignite empires.
Alas, much like the Mad Earl himself, neither the Drakeslayer nor the Imperial Family made any public statement on the matter.
In fact, rumours spread that the Imperial Sun had personally sent letters to both Ashen Castle and the DragonHold Enclave.
The message was simple:
Do not act.
The Imperial Sun had decreed that the assassination attempt against Alex Fury, Zora Frost-Pendragon, and Eleanor Ludevicus was... in line with the traditions of the Virellian Empire.
And as such, neither the Mad Earl nor the Drakeslayer could carry out retaliation without directly defying the Imperial Sun.
Such was an act of treason.
Now, all eyes turned to Ashen Castle and the main spire of DragonHold, waiting to see what these two dangerous men would do under the weight of an Imperial command.
On this day, unbeknownst to the observers watching the DragonHold Enclave...
A silver, serpentine dragon entered the Dragonspine Mountain Range.
It moved with unsettling discretion, slipping deep into the mountain range until it reached a secret locationâone where an unseen portal lay hidden from mortal sight.
With trembling limbs, and a reluctance that bordered on fear, the dragon stepped through.
It did not emerge until half a day later.
When it finally returned, it flew out of the Dragonspine range like a bandit granted amnestyâfast, silent, and desperate to be gone.
Only after it had cleared the mountains did the powerful Legendary Dragon dare to open a spatial gate, vanishing toward parts unknown.
It came and left without causing even the smallest ripple.
A feat almost unheard of among dragonkindâespecially among those infamous for their insufferable arrogance.
The silver Legendary Dragon reappeared above another mountain range âThe DragonMourn Highlands.
It dropped like a lance from the heavens, descending into the heartland of the Highlands with violent speedâbefore slowing at the last moment and landing within sacred territory.
This was a place forbidden to all but the strongest dragons of the Pangea Plane.
A domain where even dragonkind needed permission to tread.
As soon as it landed, the silver dragon rose againâlevitating just above the ground as though kneeling was beneath it, yet too tense to stand fully proud.
It addressed those already waiting.
They were twenty-four Elder Dragons, gathered in silent judgement.
The Elder Council.
The pinnacle of authority within the Dragon Clan of the Pangea Plane...
...and the power that made dragonkind a force feared across the entire Arun Continent.
Among them, a behemoth gold-scaled dragonâso immense the mountain beneath it could barely endure its weightâshifted.
It stirred, then turned its massive, watchtower-sized head toward the silver serpentine dragon.
"What did the Elder say, Zilbris?" it asked.
The silver dragon was indeed none other than Zilbrisâthe spatial dragon who had given Alex the Voidheart Core just a few months ago.
After hearing what the foolish humans had done in their desperation to earn their draconic favourâfor the sake of the entire Dragon Clan of the Pangea PlaneâZilbris had been nominated...
No.
More accurately, forced, to present their case before the Elder of the Dragon Clan across the universe and the myriad planesâ
The Ancient Dragon, Uthvaazgol.
They had hoped to capitalise on the arguably cordial relationship between Zilbris and Alex, using it to secure an audience with the Ancient Dragon.
To explain... To plead their innocence... To make it clear that the dragon clan had nothing to do with the disappearance of his daughter and disciple.
Zilbris, still irritatedâand no small amount furiousâat being pushed into such a dangerous expedition, looked at the golden elder dragon coldly.
"The Ancient One said he doesnât blame us for what happened," Zilbris announced. "He considers it the fate of his disciple and daughter."
The Elder Dragonsâpowerhouses of the Pangea Planeâs Dragon Clanâreleased a collective sigh of relief.
And who could blame them?
They had witnessed the strongest among themâslain.
A true dragon well into Class 7, killed with little more than a glance.
Dragons were insufferably arrogant, yes... but they werenât delusional.
They knew when to bow their heads.
Especially when the other side was a dragon as well.
Zilbris continued, "He also ordered us not to get involved in the affairs of humans."
"Not get involved?" a feminine voice sounded.
It came from an azure dragonâone whose body was strangely smaller than the other Elder Dragons, yet whose wings were the largest among them.
"What does that mean?" she asked. "Does it mean we should decline the humansâ attempts to court us?"
Zilbrisâs expression eased slightly.
After all, she was the only Elder Dragon present whom he still held any genuine respect for.
"I didnât dare ask," Zilbris replied. "But from his tone... I believe he doesnât want us to accept or decline the humans. We are meant to simply watch them fight amongst themselves."
"What should we do?" another dragon voiced his concern. "If we donât take a strong stance, the dragonkin and dragonoids will likely side with the humans."
"Then let them," Zilbris said flatly. "The Ancient One only wants true dragons not to interfereâto simply watch the show. If the lesser dragons wish to support or oppose the humans, then that will be their problem."
The Elder Dragons looked at Zilbris with mild surprise.
After all... he had once been counted among those âlesser dragonsâ himself.
But even so, they couldnât deny he was right.
The Dragon Clan referred to all beings with dragon bloodâamphipteres, wyrms, drakes, and other lesser breeds.
Yet in the eyes of the upper echelons, the true Dragon Clan consisted only of true dragons.
As such, they were far more indifferent to the plight of lesser dragons and dragonkin than most outsiders realised.
âAnd by letting the lesser dragons pick sides... we hedge our bets without suffering any losses,â the Elder Dragons thought.
âNo matter which faction wins, they would have been helped by the "Dragon Clan".â
Brilliant.
Zilbris swept his gaze across them coldly.
A flicker of disappointment passed through his eyes.
âSince when did dragons become schemers like humans?â he thought bitterly. âHow far "dragons" have fallen.â
His eyes narrowed.
âNo wonder the Ancient One doesnât care about the clan.â
In truth, Zilbris hadnât met Merlin or Uthvaazgol at all.
He had returned only because a residual force from the Ancient Dragonâs lair had kicked him outâcoldly and carelessly, as though he were nothing more than dust on the wind.
The Ancient Dragon couldnât even be bothered to rouse a single wisp of Will from his slumber to speak to him.
Such an act would have cost a being of his pedigree absolutely nothing... which only made the message clearer.
Uthvaazgol didnât care for the Dragon Clan.
Zilbris had feared that such indifference might eventually morph into something far more dangerous for the clan, so he had delivered a false messageâhoping to keep the Elders cautious, restrained, and out of the Ancient Oneâs way.
However, even then, he couldnât afford to take chances.
If another dragon decided to travel to the DragonHold Enclave and seek an audience with the Ancient One, his deception would be exposed instantly.
So Zilbris gave the discontented faction within the clan a path to vent their frustrations elsewhereâsomething loud enough to distract them, yet harmless enough not to invite the Ancient Oneâs attention.
The fact that he himself was scheming was not lost on him.
âWhen one roams in muddy waters... it is impossible not to become muddy as well.â
A complicated sigh echoed through the depths of Zilbrisâ mind.
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