Defeat the entire world with the power of one dragon!

Chapter 442 Population Migration, Two Lords

Time is like a fierce wind, carrying dust and messages of change, rushing forward without stopping.

Before we knew it, the heat of late summer and early autumn faded away, replaced by a growing chill.

In the border region near the northern permafrost tundra, fine, white snowflakes have begun to fall from the gray sky, quietly adorning the earth with a touch of pristine silver.

However, in many other parts of the Serbian wilderness, the scene remains vibrant and bustling.

New cities, planned according to grand blueprints, are gradually taking shape, with towering walls rising from the ground. Along the winding border, fortresses and watchtowers are springing up one after another, forming a preliminary defense network. The road system connecting the kingdom's territories is like an ever-extending network of veins, delivering vitality to every corner of the wilderness.

The skeleton of the Kingdom of Aura is being rapidly filled with flesh and blood, making it appear increasingly magnificent and orderly.

At the same time, just as many far-sighted intelligent beings had predicted.

When a powerful, stable new order, with astonishing development potential, rises in this once chaotic wilderness, the flow of people in the surrounding areas will inevitably change.

As the Kingdom of Aura and the Red Iron Dragon Emperor's prestige grew stronger.

In particular, the story of "Emperor Red Iron Dragon fighting four against one and killing four legendary figures of the Dragon Worship Cult" spread far and wide after being passed down by word of mouth and embellished.

Many of the previously hesitant and wavering intelligent beings could no longer suppress their inner impulses.

A massive wave of migration ensued.

Numerous different intelligent species, including powerful individuals acting alone as well as large clans or tribes, surged forth like tides from the southern borderlands of the kingdoms that bordered the Ser Wilderness, and from the vast and secluded mountain forests, eventually converging and flowing towards the rising Kingdom of Aura.

Among this migrating torrent are some powerful and intelligent monster races.

For example, a rather large flock of griffins left their ancestral nests on steep peaks and cliffs, crossed thousands of miles, and came to the vast wilderness under the sky.

They flew in flocks, their wings intertwined, like moving dark clouds swirling and soaring across the sky.

Finally, accompanied by the loud cries of eagles and roars of lions, they landed in a mountainous territory designated for them.

Out of respect for this force, Iron Dragon Sorog personally received these griffins who had traveled from afar.

They possess sharp eyes, a pointed beak, an eagle-like head, limbs with ferocious claws, and a body as strong as a lion, along with a pair of enormous wings covered with layers of feathers... All these features together outline the majestic form of the griffin.

Among this flock of griffins, the leader was exceptionally large, far exceeding the size of its kind.

Even more striking are the long, slender feathers that grow from the edges of its wings, which gleam with a metallic golden luster in the sunlight.

This is a very rare and exceptionally noble branch of the griffin family.

—The Golden Griffin possesses the potential to step into the realm of legend.

"Your Highness, we have heard of the illustrious reputation of the Kingdom of Aura and the Red Iron Dragon Emperor, and we deeply admire them. Therefore, we have traveled a long way to come here with our entire tribe to seek refuge with you. We humbly request that the Kingdom accept us."

The golden-feathered griffin lowered its head and spoke in a clear and fluent Common Tongue.

Sorog's gaze was steady and sharp as it fell on the leader of the golden-feathered griffins, carefully examining this powerful monster that surpassed him in both size and life level.

His decision to meet them personally was not only due to the sheer number of griffins, which constituted a force to be reckoned with, but also because of the immense power of the Golden Griffin leader himself.

This leader's life level is at least level nineteen, and it is very likely that it has even reached level twenty.

Only beneath the legend.

"Before you came to the Kingdom of Aura, with your strength and the size of your tribe, you must have been a powerful monster lord in your own right."

Iron Dragon Sorog slowly spoke, saying, "Now, look me in the eyes and tell me the real reason."

"Why would you abandon the territory and status you have cultivated over time and travel thousands of miles to a country that is still unfamiliar to you? Don't try to fob me off with those empty platitudes about reverence for the Dragon Kingdom."

As he spoke, a glint of psionic energy appeared in Tie Long's eyes.

His gaze was piercing, as if it could penetrate the body and look directly into the soul.

Under the gaze of the Iron Dragon, the Golden-feathered Griffin remained silent for a moment, as if organizing its thoughts or weighing the pros and cons.

A few seconds later, it spoke again: "You are right, Your Highness, I was indeed once a lord."

"The reason I chose to leave is that, in addition to my strength, my wisdom surpasses that of most of my kind."

"This wisdom has given me the ability to see the situation clearly, but it has also brought me more troubles and a sense of powerlessness."

"Originally, we lived in a mountain range in the Kingdom of Theo for generations, with our own hunting grounds and airspace. To outsiders, we may have seemed very powerful and majestic."

"But I know very well that all of this is just an appearance, a fragile illusion."

"The humans of the Kingdom of Theo allow our existence and have never actually sent legendary experts to annihilate us, but this is by no means because they are kind-hearted or stupid and incompetent."

"On the contrary..."

The golden griffin's voice carried a hint of suppressed anger, "Our feathers, our claws, our beaks... even our bones and blood are excellent magical mediums and alchemical materials for those humans!"

“Every now and then, adventure groups or even armies come to attack us.”

"I am wary of the power of the legends and cannot arbitrarily eliminate those who seek to destroy me. I can only watch helplessly as my people are constantly being harvested."

"They will even despicably seek out and steal our unhatched eggs, bringing them back to tame and enslave them, using them to create their proud griffin riders!"

"........."

After listening to the Golden Griffin's angry and humiliating account, Sorog understood the reason for their migration.

In short, this exceptionally intelligent golden griffin was unwilling to continue being a stifling lord in the human kingdom. After hearing about the wilderness kingdom established by the dragons, he hesitated for a while before finally deciding to come and join them.

The only issue to consider now is:

Accepting this flock of griffins will likely provoke dissatisfaction from the Kingdom of Theo, and could potentially become a trigger for diplomatic friction.

But what about that?
The Kingdom of Aura and the Kingdom of Theo are geographically close and have a history of grudges. Moreover, both sides are close to the two powerful, mutually hostile kingdoms of Lorthen and Rebos, respectively.

The two sides were inherently, or even destined, to be adversaries.

Even if one more incident like this occurs, it won't affect the overall situation.

Having figured this out, the massive head of the Iron Dragon Sorog nodded slightly, a smile spreading across his face.

"The Kingdom of Aura welcomes your choice and arrival."

He said in a deep voice, “Here, as long as you abide by the laws of the kingdom and fulfill your obligations, you will gain a far wider and freer hunting ground and the right to soar through the sky than ever before.”

"This is the dragon's promise to you."

Upon hearing this, the griffin leader's tense nerves relaxed.

It folded its wings completely to its sides and lowered its head deeply towards the iron dragon.

Thank you for your acceptance.

"From this day forward, our claws and beaks will fight for the territory of the Kingdom of Aura, and for the noble dragons!"

Iron Dragon Sorog nodded slightly in response.

Today, the Kingdom of Aura has no shortage of undeveloped land; what it truly lacks is a sufficient number of wise citizens willing to abide by the rules.

With the Golden Griffin's formidable strength and the size of its clan, the Kingdom of Aura will gain another lord.

However, Iron Dragon Sorog wouldn't immediately bestow upon them the position and authority of lords. At the very least, he would wait for this griffon clan to perform sufficient service for the kingdom, fully demonstrating their loyalty and ability. Only after testing and evaluating them would he grant them important responsibilities; this was the prudent approach.

Following the Golden Griffin clan, various other races also came to join them.

Besides the gnolls, kobolds, and lizardmen, which are relatively common in the wilderness, there are also some creatures rarely seen in daily life, such as tree spirits, shapeshifters, and turtlemen. Even some wyverns with dragon blood flowing through their veins have been attracted by the prestige of the Red Iron Dragon Emperor and have traveled all the way here.

As for powerful creatures at the lord level, the Golden-feathered Griffin is not the only one.

The Yamata no Hachiko-leopard, a giant black leopard with four snakes on each shoulder, led a pack of four-headed and six-headed leopards.

Similarly, they also come from the Kingdom of Theo, which is relatively close to the Kingdom of Aura.

This Yamata no Suzaku leader's life level has reached level 20, the same level as the Golden Griffin.

As time went by, many more humans came to seek refuge with them.

Free people and serfs struggling to survive under the oppressive rule of the old kingdom's aristocracy and heavy taxes.

They heard from various sources that a new kingdom had risen in the wilderness, and that as long as they swore allegiance and obeyed the law, they could obtain their own land, plenty of food, and dignity as intelligent beings. So they took their families and, disregarding the risks of the journey, crossed the border and headed toward this land of hope.

Some talented artisans, scholars, and low-ranking mages who are not valued by their country due to unfulfilled potential or incompatibility with their ideals and personalities.

They were drawn to the Kingdom of Aura, which was in a period of rapid development and urgently needed talent. They hoped to realize their own value here and obtain a status and resources that were difficult to achieve in the rigidly hierarchical old kingdom.

In fact, some of them were exiles and mercenaries who had committed crimes in the southern countries and were wanted by the authorities.

They viewed this emerging land, where laws were newly established and order was not yet fully solidified, as an ideal safe haven or a new goldmine full of opportunities.

…………

In short, for various reasons, all sorts of intelligent beings eventually set foot on the territory of the Kingdom of Aura.

As a result, the household registration officials in Crimson Flame Royal City and various newly established cities became exceptionally busy.

Review, register, allocate, guide... the kingdom is efficiently absorbing these fresh talents and integrating them into its rapidly growing body.

"Two lord-level monsters? Hmm, I understand. As for how to arrange them, you can make flexible arrangements based on the situation."

In the Dragonspine Mountains, Red Iron Dragon has just completed a round of intense training and is communicating with Iron Dragon Sorog through telepathic connection.

Galus was not surprised by the influx of a large number of new people.

He knew that as his prestige grew and spread, it would bring many challenges and potential enemies, but it would also attract more creatures who longed to change their status quo and seek refuge or opportunities to come and join him.

This is the result of power and order, and it's perfectly normal.

"It is worth noting that the two powerful monster leaders, as well as most of the intelligent creature groups that came to join us, came from the Kingdom of Theo, which is adjacent to our territory. The same is true for the human immigrants who came to join us; most of them also came from the border towns or villages of the Kingdom of Theo."

Tie Long added, "Such a large-scale loss of population could not possibly go unnoticed by the higher-ups of the Kingdom of Theo, and they certainly wouldn't sit idly by."

Hong Tielong responded, "This was inevitable."

"We have taken over the wilderness that the Kingdom of Theo considered its backyard, and they will not swallow this insult. The conflict between the two countries will only deepen, and they will regard each other as a thorn in their side, with no possibility of reconciliation."

He paused slightly and continued, "Among those human immigrants pouring in, there is a mixed bag. There may be quite a few spies and agents sent by the Kingdom of Theo. Remember to have Russell and his scouts intensify their investigation and make sure to find these hidden dangers."

"At the same time, more outposts and fortresses need to be built along the border between the Wilderness and the Kingdom of Theo."

"We need to be prepared and take precautions against the Kingdom of Theo in advance."

Sorog nodded at the other end of the mind link and replied, "Yes, I've thought about it and am already making arrangements."

After a moment's thought, Tielong took the initiative to change the subject.

"According to our agreement with the Kingdom of Lorthen, the warlock advisory group and high-ranking artisans they have dispatched are arriving in our country one after another."

"Those personnel who have already arrived have begun to plan a more efficient road network for us after completing the handover with us, imparting advanced knowledge and skills in construction and manufacturing, and setting about guiding the construction of the alchemy industrial system."

His voice paused slightly, then he said with a hint of hesitation, "They ask for nothing in return and adopt a very humble attitude, but I'm wondering if there are some potential costs hidden within this?"

Sorog has always been deeply wary of the human kingdoms.

Even after years of working with Lorthern, with Gorton acting as a bridge, he still couldn't gain Lorthern's complete trust.

Galos replied calmly, "A price? Of course there is one."

There is never a free lunch in this world, nor is there any generous gift given without cause or expectation.

"Lotharne is willing to give us these benefits not for any so-called simple investment, and it has nothing to do with Gorton."

Red Iron Dragon raised its head slightly, its gaze seemingly piercing through space, looking towards the distant south.

He said in a deep voice, "Leaving aside other aspects of the impact, the fact that we can effectively counterbalance the Kingdom of Theo is enough to achieve Lorthern's goal, and the effect is remarkable."

The fierce war that swept through the southern countries has temporarily subsided, but the undercurrents and power struggles between nations have never truly disappeared.

Relations between the nations remain tense and delicate, with an invisible struggle constantly taking place.

Against this backdrop, supporting a potentially powerful wilderness kingdom is tantamount to gaining a strong ally while effectively restraining and weakening the energy and resources of a rival kingdom.

These strategic gains are as important to the Kingdom of Lorthen as a victory in a direct battle.

However, on the other hand, the benefits that the Kingdom of Aura gained in this process were also real.

Even without the active support and cooperation of the Kingdom of Lorthen, the Kingdom of Aura and the Kingdom of Theo would most likely still become adversaries due to geographical, resource, and historical issues.

The current cooperation between the Kingdom of Aura and the Kingdom of Lorthen can be described as a win-win situation where both sides get what they need.

Just as Garros was analyzing the pros and cons of his relationship with Lorthorn, the mental fluctuations of Iron Dragon Sorog suddenly fluctuated at the other end of the mental link.

Galos keenly sensed this change and asked directly, "What's wrong? Is something else?"

Sorog collected his thoughts and then said, "It's about inviting the Messenger of Good Fortune."

“Our envoy to the Goddess of Fortune cult has arrived safely and conveyed our willingness to cooperate and a special invitation to Bishop Alia to the church leadership.”

"The church responded positively and expressed its willingness to send personnel to the Kingdom of Aura for detailed discussions."

"But... they told our messenger that around the time of our official founding ceremony, the messenger of good fortune went to the distant continent of Aurotara to carry out an important mission."

"The church is also unable to determine exactly when she will be able to complete her mission and return."

"Therefore, the people of the Church of the Goddess of Fortune suggested that they could send another highly experienced bishop to discuss the cooperation with us in detail."

The continent of Orotar is located west of the continent of Atlantis.

It is the land where the Elven Empire of Nausir reigns supreme.

Similar to the continent of Atlantis, the continent of Aurotara, in addition to the dominant Elven Empire, also has many other entities such as kingdoms, duchies, and independent city-states established by various races, and has not achieved complete unification.

The Red Iron Dragon swung its thick tail, kicking up some dust on the ground.

He instantly realized that this was probably not just a simple coincidence.

The lucky charm happened to travel to the continent of Aurotara at this particular moment, probably because her lucky attribute was working invisibly.

(End of this chapter)