I am a wicked dragon, and you want me to fall into goodness?

Chapter 104 Six Months Later, Green's Awakening (4.3k)

This doesn't seem like a negotiation; it's more like accepting the surrender of a loser.

Gabriella Linsie Hunt’s cheeks flushed red at a visible speed.

That wasn't shame, but a flush of extreme humiliation and anger.

This is not the treatment a king of a race should receive.

His emerald green eyes surged with turbulent emotions, including resentment, anger, and deep concern for his people behind him.

She stared intently at Puse, as if trying to find a flaw in his eyes, but all she saw was naked threat and arrogance.

Leon's breathing was heavy, his chest heaving violently. He wanted to say something, but Gabriella stopped him by raising her hand.

After a long while, Gabriella suddenly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, all the ripples in her eyes had faded, leaving only a deathly stillness.

Her voice was hoarse, carrying an unusual heaviness: "I—surrender."

After she lowered her head, Pu Se made no attempt to hide her audacity and went even further: "One word from you isn't enough."

"I want you to immediately issue an order to summon all those in important positions within the Long-Eared Clan—nobles, generals—to Starfall City."

"I want to convene a legislative assembly!"

"At this conference, in front of everyone, the laws and regulations of the Starshine Royal Court will be finalized. I have not invited a delegation that is merely for show."

Gabriella knew perfectly well what Pousser was planning.

Once all the nobles and generals of the Long-Eared Clan are summoned to Starfall City, the backbone of this Long-Eared Clan will fall into the cage carefully woven by this blue dragon, just like her.

At that time, he only needs to fabricate a charge of "treason" or "dissent" to imprison them one by one and completely sever the resistance of the Long-Eared Tribe.

Without a core leadership, the remaining clansmen were like a pile of loose sand, completely at his mercy.

This was not a legislative assembly at all; it was a complete trap.

"Your Highness, the nobles and generals of the Long-Eared Clan are responsible for guarding various parts of the forest—if they are hastily assembled, there is a risk of monster attacks."

She tried to stall, trying to buy her people a chance to catch their breath.

Kepu Se clearly had no patience to listen to her explanations; his eyes seemed to see right through her thoughts.

"I'm only giving you three days. After three days, I want to see all the key figures of the Long-Eared Clan in the royal palace of Starfall City."

"I don't have much patience, Gabriella." His words struck Gabriella's heart like a hammer blow.

"This Legislative Council meeting is not a bargaining chip for you to negotiate with; it is a destiny you must accept."

Blue Dragon's gaze swept over the silent, trembling Long-Eared Clan nobles behind him, before settling back on Gabriella's face, which was filled with suppressed humiliation.

"Is it about allowing your people to wear the cloak of peace and integrate smoothly into the Starshine Royal Court?"

"Whether you let the flames of war engulf every inch of the Long-Eared Tribe's forests, and let your people become the souls of the Red-Toothed Knights—it's all up to you."

Puse continued to issue orders: "List all the nobles and generals of the Long-Eared Clan, including the clan leaders guarding the borders, clearly outlining their names, abilities, and positions, and invite them over."

He turned his head slightly to look at Cedric, who had been standing silently in the corner: "Then hand this list over to Cedric for review."

He would check the list one by one.

Cedric lowered his head, paused almost imperceptibly upon hearing this, and then bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys."

His voice remained respectful, yet carried a hint of hardness that was difficult for others to detect.

After all, he was once the great sage of Elijah. How could he not know the power structure of the Long-Eared Clan and the background of its core members?

Those clan leaders who guarded the borders, those generals who held military power, those nobles who handled clan affairs—their names and abilities.

They're all old acquaintances.

Now, however, he has to take the list written by Gabriella herself and check it one by one, sending all these former colleagues, now prisoners, into Pousser's cage.

"Cedric once served as a great sage in Elia, and he knows better than anyone how many important positions the Long-Eared Clan holds."

"If anyone is missing from the list, or if anyone dares to skip the event under some pretext—I will slowly make you aware of the consequences."

Poseidon's gaze swept over everyone in the hall: "Once the core members of the Long-Eared Clan have all arrived, the Starshine Royal Court will prepare its army to attack—the Black Dragon Malcolm."

"I—I'm going to start a war!!"

These words struck the hall like a thunderclap. Karen looked up abruptly, her heart filled with turmoil.

Starfall City had just integrated the various races, and half of the Red Fang Knights' forces were still clearing out monsters in the forest. Their foundation was still shaky, so where would they find the strength to spare?

Cedric was not only struggling with the words but also deeply shocked. He knew all too well the terror of an adult black dragon, and had even confronted that monstrous beast face to face.

The dragon's powerful magic resistance —

Malcolm Mor is teeming with monsters, and the Black Swamp Forest is a terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. At present, the various races of the Starshine Royal Court have not yet truly submitted to its will.

Without laws, people's hearts are not at peace.

Such a hasty start to the war offers no benefit whatsoever; it's no different from sending someone to their death.

Gabriella was also greatly shocked, feeling like she had been tricked, but it was too late now.

She could only observe Karen and Cedric, trying to judge their stance from their reactions.

Cedric could no longer contain himself and stepped forward to bow, his voice filled with undisguised earnestness.

"Your Highness, you are far too hasty in your pursuit of the Black Dragon!"

He looked up at the blue dragon, his tone grave: "The black dragon Malcolm has been entrenched in the Black Swamp Forest for many years, commanding many cruel monster legions."

"The Starshine Royal Court's power has just stabilized, the Long-Eared Clan's forces are not yet fully mobilized, and the Red Fang Knights have divided their troops to exterminate monsters. To rashly start a war at this moment—"

"We are currently facing a severe food shortage, and a unified system has not yet been fully established. We simply do not have the capacity to wage war."

The hall fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. A glimmer of hope flashed in Gabriella's eyes, and Karen nodded silently, awaiting Pousser's response.

Puser smiled and replied, "Fine! Since you don't want to start a war, then you might as well cover your ears."

Did this evil dragon give in so easily?

Everyone in the hall was taken aback. Gabriella's blue eyes narrowed suddenly, and an ominous premonition rose in her heart.

Puser said nonchalantly, "As for those long-eared tribes who escaped from Elia, the Levi people can let them rot and stink in the swamp."

After saying this, he stopped looking at the various expressions on the faces of the people in the hall and turned to walk out of the hall.

Karen almost instinctively stood up, and just as Puse was about to step out of the palace, she asked, "Your Highness Puse, what do you mean by that?"

After stopping, Puse completely ignored Karen, turning to Cedric and asking sarcastically, "Cedric, when you led the Levi people from Elia to Starfall City, did you pass through the Blackswamp?"

Cedric replied, "I did pass through the edge of the Black Marsh after leaving Elijah."

At that time, Malcolm was leading his monster army to plunder treasures within Elia's territory, so they did not encounter a large-scale monster army.

A mocking look appeared on Puse's face: "I just came back from the Black Swamp Forest. You guys were lucky to escape, but that doesn't mean others will be so fortunate."

"Cedric, why aren't there a continuous stream of your fleeing kin from the East? That's because the fleeing Elias and Long-Eared Clan have long been blocked by the Black Dragon's forces."

"After Malcolm returned to Blackswamp, his monsters guarded the surrounding territory so tightly that it was impenetrable."

"Anyone who runs into a fleeing person either becomes food for monsters or is driven deep into the swamp to be fed poisonous insects, unable to even utter a cry for help."

Puse sighed pitifully, "Your people are suffering terribly!"

"Are you really not going to save them? There are tens of thousands—even hundreds of thousands—of your own kind there. Aren't you going to give it a try?"

Cedric was struck dumb, staggering back a step, his face ashen.

The faces of Elijah's former subjects flashed before his eyes, making the old sage's expression extremely unpleasant.

Puser turned to Karen and offered a gentle reminder: "Karen, if you want to save your people, you need to clear out some of the scattered monster legions under the Black Dragon's command first."

"They are the key to blocking your own kind. Eliminate these scum first, and we can tear open a road from Elia to Starfall City."

"If you're lucky enough, you won't even run into that ugly black worm."

Pu Se slowly turned around. He had given the warnings he needed to, and staying here was just a waste of time.

As he was leaving, the blue dragon seemed to remember something and offered a suggestion to the king of the long-eared tribe.

"I forgot to tell you, Gabriella, the area under your feet right now is land specifically allocated to the Long-Eared Tribe to build their palace."

"Three days later, in addition to those noble generals, it would be best to bring along the skilled craftsmen from the Long-Eared Tribe who are also good at construction."

"After all, from now on, you and your people will be living here, so the place can't look too ugly or too shabby."

He paused, then stated definitively: "For the next few decades, you will not be able to leave this land."

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Above Starfall City, a royal banner embroidered with a silver dragon fluttered high, officially announcing the establishment of the Starshine Royal Court.

However, both the Levi people and the Long-eared tribe prefer the more widely used name.

The Dragon King's Court!!

The once scattered long-eared tribes and other tribes were all incorporated into the royal court's territory.

The Long-Eared Clan's palace was located on the designated land in the eastern part of Starfall City.

The order of the royal court was initially established, with a framework of separation of powers among the legislative, law enforcement, and judicial branches.

The legislative power was in the hands of the Legislative Assembly appointed by Poseidon. Cedric, as Elijah’s former sage, was appointed as the chief of the assembly, responsible for sorting out the laws of the various tribes and compiling the royal court’s legal code.

Because of the differences in customs between the Levi and the Long-eared Tribe, the Emirs, Spencers, and Nords also have different cultures.

In this regard, once the argument started, it almost drove Cedric crazy.

The old nobles of the Levi were the most vocal.

They pounded on the wooden table in the council, shouting and spitting as they argued that only by restoring the hereditary aristocracy could the royal court's order be brought back "on track."

"The Levi people's city-state survived only because their nobles guarded the four corners of the land!"

A Levi nobleman with a thick beard slammed his fist on the table: "Now that the Dragon King's Court has unified all the races, it is only right that we meritorious nobles should hold power."

"Why should those lowly tribes be considered equals to us?"

These words instantly ignited a powder keg.

The representative of the Long-Eared Tribe, his face ashen, slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Absurd! The Long-Eared Tribe has never been subject to the rule of the Levi people for generations."

"Now that we are under royal jurisdiction, we will never allow you to ride roughshod over us!"

The elder of the Emir stroked his beard and slowly began to speak: "Noble rule? Have you all forgotten the old days when the Levi nobles fought for power and made Elia a chaotic mess?"

Representatives from the Spencers and Nords echoed this sentiment, each arguing their case logically.

The council chamber immediately descended into chaos, with shouts and curses rising and falling, almost lifting the roof off.

Cedric sat in the head seat, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples.

He coughed loudly, trying to quell the chaos, but the people, blinded by anger, wouldn't listen.

This parliament is for discussion and debate; if you can't win the argument, then you've truly lost.

As a great sage, Cedric cannot use force here. If he does, who will dare to speak loudly in the future?

I might as well let you make the laws all by yourself.

Moreover, although you are a great sage, you are also a Levi. Who can guarantee that you won't bend the law for personal gain?

Exhausted by the parliamentary disputes, Cedric finally went to Pousser late one night, carrying a thick stack of contentious drafts.

The candlelight inside the palace was dim. The blue dragon was coiled on the towering throne, its eyes lowered as if it were resting, but in reality, it heard all the noise outside the palace.

Cedric placed the draft below the jade steps in the hall, bowed, and spoke with obvious exhaustion.

He detailed the differences among the representatives of various ethnic groups, from the Levi nobles' hereditary claims to the Long-eared tribes' insistence on autonomy, and the Emirs' and Spencers' differing interpretations of their tribal rules and customs, his words filled with a sense of helplessness and anxiety.

Pu Se slowly raised his eyes, his dark blue vertical pupils completely calm.

He didn't even glance at the draft; he simply swallowed a gold nugget slowly.

The crimes of the Levi knights who attacked the Long-Eared Clan, and the Long-Eared Knights who attacked the Levi, have been determined.

Apart from a few of the leaders who died, all the remaining knights were taken to mines, and they will probably spend the rest of their lives in the mining area.

Pusser made a decision quickly.

The rules he established were simple and brutal, dividing the royal court's legal code into two levels: the supreme law and the racial law.

The supreme law is above all laws.

The Dragon Royal Court has jurisdiction over serious crimes, including treason, rebellion, and instigating racial conflicts, which are all within its territory.

Racial laws are left to be formulated by each race and can only bind members within the race, handling civil disputes and minor offenses within the race.

Furthermore, every provision of the race law must be based on the premise that it does not violate the supreme law.

When Cedric brought the two-tiered legal framework established by Pousser back to the council chamber, the noisy argument eerily quieted down for a moment.

When he clearly explained the core principles that the Supreme Law governs serious crimes of the Royal Court, racial laws govern minor matters within the tribe, and that no racial law may overstep the Supreme Law, the council chamber was initially silent, then erupted in waves of praise.

Cedric stood in the chief's seat, looking at the harmonious scene before him, and his lips twitched.

He knew very well that these people's praise was never due to the fairness of the law.

It's not because they all found their own share of benefits within this framework.

Cedric had no choice but to compromise for the time being, because these guys possessed knowledge, and in this kingdom where commoners couldn't even count, the Star Kingdom still needed them.

He thought to himself, "It seems the academy His Highness mentioned needs to be established as soon as possible. Let's see how these guys can be so smug then."

In the initial establishment of the royal court, Green was sleeping within a group of natural caves.

Finally, it slowly woke up.

She shook her head, her eyelashes trembling for a long time before she slowly opened her eyes.

Before my eyes was a gray, misty cave ceiling, crystals gleaming coldly on the walls, and an earthy, musty smell in the air, and a bit... I'm so hungry!