Evil Red Dragon

Sometimes, Alecto would also encounter things that puzzled him.

A legacy called the Elegant Combat Art of the Red Dragon, which details how a red dragon should fight gracefully.

"...Does this really work?"

Alecto flipped through the pages with suspicion, discovering that the founder of this technique was an ancient red dragon known as the Wings of Elegance, named Merora, who ultimately died from being ambushed by an enemy while excessively pursuing the aesthetics of combat...

You can refer to this, but proceed with caution. Another strange piece of knowledge added to the list...

Meanwhile, Goron led his team through mountains, rivers, and plains for three weeks, and finally, on the afternoon of the 23rd day, they saw the outline of Greystone Town.

It was a small town built against the mountain, with a five-meter-high gray-white city wall winding along the mountainside, and several faded flags fluttering on the top of the wall.

The town wasn't large, but it was considered quite prosperous for a border region, with many caravans coming and going at the town gate.

"That should be Graystone Town."

Goron stood on the hillside, gazing at the town in the distance, and spoke to Rag behind him.

Rag squinted and examined:

"The city walls aren't high, but there are many guards..."

Goron turned to face the crowd, his expression serious:

"Rag and the others are too obvious. Just stay here and hide while we wait."

Rag nodded. This was something they had discussed on the way. The dragonborn's appearance was too obvious, so they could just meet him from the outside.

Mog and Ug had no objection to this.

Goron then looked at his people:

"Listen up, all of you! From now on, you must remember your identities. After entering the city, find a place to stay first, then go out in batches to check out the market. Don't take out all your goods at once; test the waters first."

The five orcs replied in unison, "Understood!"

Goron nodded: "Let's go. Remember, we're here to trade, not to cause trouble."

They all put on cloaks to cover their entire bodies and walked along the road toward Greystone Town.

The closer you get to a town, the more pedestrians you'll find on the road.

There were merchants driving horse-drawn carriages, travelers carrying luggage, and residents pushing carts...

Most people stared curiously at the team, whose members were all three meters tall.

But they weren't overly surprised; all sorts of strange and unusual things could be found in this area, and all they could do was quietly stay away.

Goron walked at a leisurely pace. He was all too familiar with that gaze, so familiar that he felt as if he had returned to the past.

Kargath grew increasingly uneasy, memories of being driven and hunted by humans resurfacing, blood seemingly splattering before his eyes, and wails echoing in his ears…

His steps gradually stiffened.

Fortunately, Goron noticed in time and pulled him to his side:

"What's wrong? Are you nervous?"

Kargath muttered, "No."

Goron smiled nonchalantly:

"Humans aren't actually that scary; most of them are incredibly weak, just like them!"

As he spoke, he pointed to an adventure team that was also heading to Graystone Town. They looked travel-worn, as if they had just returned from the wilderness, and their captain was only a level two warrior.

"And he, she, it... oh, that doesn't count."

Goron pointed out all the people on the road:

"What you see now can't even defeat the weakest warrior in our tribe. Have confidence. Only a small fraction of humans are worth our attention, but most of the time they don't care about us..."

"Is that so?"

Kargath seemed to be deep in thought.

Goron patted him on the shoulder:

"That's right. As a warrior of the orc race and the future shaman of the tribe, I can't be so cowardly."

Kargath nodded vigorously: "I understand!"

boom!

"Shh! Keep your voice down!"

The group of orcs walked straight to the city gate before the guards stopped them.

"Halt! You're acting suspiciously, hiding your heads and tails! Tell me! Who are you? What are you doing in Graystone Town?"

The head of the guards was a stern-faced middle-aged man with his hand on his sword hilt, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the ranks.

It gave the impression that he was ready to draw his sword at the slightest provocation.

Seeing the guards like this, Goron was not annoyed; on the contrary, he felt even more pleased.

That's right, that's absolutely right!

That's exactly how they look; they're practically identical.

He bowed slightly and replied in Common:

"Sir, we are wanderers from the west. We were attacked by monsters and scattered... We want to come here to exchange for some food, and then leave after this winter."

As he spoke, he quietly approached the captain...

The captain's eyes widened in anger: "What are you doing! Don't move!"

Goron slowly pulled a rolled-up fur coat from under his cloak and handed it to the captain.

"Hehe, this is fur from a two-headed wolf, top quality, please be lenient..."

The captain's eyes widened in disbelief.

Did he hear that right? A two-headed wolf's pelt?

That thing is a level three magical beast; I couldn't handle it all by myself.

More importantly, its glossy, smooth fur, along with a faint, exotic fragrance, made it a favorite among the nobility. It was consistently in high demand and short supply, and its quality was exceptional…

You can't even find this thing without spending fifty or sixty gold coins!

Selling this would be worth a year's salary for him; how many cups of Oak Medals could that buy?

That whisky, aged with oak, vanilla, and time, has a rich, smooth taste and a sweet, lingering finish...

He was jolted awake when his nephew elbowed him. He quickly loosened his grip on the sword hilt, grabbed the fur coat, and stuffed it into his nephew's hand.

The movements were swift and fluid, as if they had been rehearsed countless times.

"oh oh--!"

The captain looked at Goron with a smile on his face:

"I understand. Is this your first time here? Do you have any identification?"

Goron slowly shook his head: "No, we lost all our things while fleeing."

The captain chuckled, rubbing his right index finger and thumb together slightly, and drawled out his words:

"No? That's a bit of a problem—"

Gronn was silent for a moment, then took out another level-two magical beast fur from his pocket and handed it over, his voice extremely low:

"Sir, this is the last thing of value we have. Please do us a favor."

He cursed inwardly: I've never seen such a greedy human being!

The captain took it, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

He waved behind him:

"Alright, alright. Each person pays one silver coin for the city entrance fee. Goods leaving the city will be taxed according to their value. Behave yourself in town and don't cause trouble, understand?"

Goron took out ten well-worn silver coins and respectfully handed them over:

"Understood, thank you, sir."

These were all the human coins he had left over, but he didn't expect to have to spend them anyway.

The captain accepted the money and waved his hand: "Go inside."

The six orcs were then able to pass through the city gate and enter Graystone Town.

The streets were paved with cobblestones, and on both sides were houses with a mix of wood and stone structures, all of which were shops and stalls.

The blacksmith's shop echoed with the clanging of hammers, the tavern wafted with the aroma of beer and roasted meat, and pedestrians came and went on the street.

The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and horse-drawn cartwheels rolling over gravel blended together to create a bustling marketplace.

Kargath looked around curiously; it was his first time entering a human town.

"Let's find a place to stay first."

"Goron said in a low voice, glancing warily around."

They walked along the main street for a while, then turned into a relatively quiet alley.

At the end of the alley is a hotel called Old Oak. The signboard is faded and worn, but the oil lamp hanging in front of the door is still lit.

Goron gestured for the others to wait at the door, then walked alone towards the inn.

As soon as I opened the door, the smell of aged wood wafted out.

Behind the counter sat an old woman with a wrinkled face, who was mending clothes with her head down.

"Checking in at a hotel."

Goron's words were concise and to the point.

The old woman looked up, her gaze sweeping over his tall figure, her face expressionless.

"Ten copper coins per night, meals not included. How many rooms do you need?"

Goron took out two silver coins. He didn't have many coins left, but it was enough to cover basic expenses.

"Three rooms, for a five-day stay."

The old woman accepted the money and took out three keys from the drawer:

"Second floor, turn left, dinner is extra."

After getting the key, Goron returned to the entrance and led his people into the inn.

The stairs creaked under their feet, the room small and simple, containing only two wooden beds and a broken wooden table.

But at least we have a place to stay.

After settling in, Goron called everyone to a meeting in his room.

The windows were tightly closed, and the candlelight flickered.

"Let's split up now."

Goron lowered his voice:

"Batu and Bulun go to the market to check out the prices of furs and medicinal herbs. Don't ask too many questions at once; just act like ordinary sellers."

"yes!"

The two orc warriors nodded.

They exchanged a glance and chuckled. It was an old task.

"Kargas, come with me to the tavern. The tavern is where the best information is. We need to know if there's been any news in town lately."

Kargath swallowed hard, but nodded in agreement: "Understood."

Goron looked at the remaining two warriors: "You two stay at the inn and keep an eye on the goods."

After assigning tasks, everyone began to take action.

Batu and Bren stuffed the furs into their bags and left the inn, blending into the crowd on the street.

Goron and Kargath headed toward the busiest tavern on the main street.

The Eighth Dawn.

Pushing open the tavern door, a wave of noise hits you.

Dozens of tables were filled with all sorts of people.

Adventurers, merchants, local residents, mercenaries...

The firewood crackled in the fireplace, and the bartender wiped glasses behind the long bar counter.

Goron found a table in the corner and sat down, with Kargath sitting next to him.

Soon a guard came over, and Goron ordered two large glasses of ale and a large stew.

"Have you heard? The royal envoy is almost here."

A merchant at the next table was saying to his companion, "It's said that the thirteenth princess is here in person."

Goron's ears twitched slightly, but he remained expressionless, simply sipping his ale.

"Really? What would such an important person do in a small place like ours?"

"My companion asked, puzzled."

"Who knows? But the mayor has been very busy these past few days, repairing the streets and preparing a banquet. I guess he's going to put on a grand feast to welcome the princess."

"Hey, that fatso is all about sucking up..."

The conversation gradually shifted to other topics, but Goron took note of the key information.

The thirteenth princess of the royal capital is about to arrive, for reasons unknown.

Just then, the tavern door was suddenly pushed open, and three adventurers dressed in leather armor strode in.

One of the bald, burly men shouted as soon as he entered:

"Boss! Three glasses of wine, ribs popping! Damn, what a terrible day!"

Many people in the tavern recognized them, and someone asked loudly:

"Red, what's wrong? Got some tough nut to crack again?"

A bald, burly man named Reid plopped down at the bar, took a big gulp of the strong liquor the bartender handed him, and then panted heavily as he said:

"Don't even mention it! That forest in the northwest has been incredibly strange lately! We took on a quest to collect moon lilies, and we almost didn't make it back!"

"What happened?"

A crowd gathered around curiously.

Red shouted:

"A lot of magical beasts are running this way, as if they're hiding from something. Some high-level magical beasts have also come out. It's really unbelievable."

Goron's grip on the wine glass tightened slightly.

Beast tide?

"What are you hiding from?"

Someone pressed for details.

"Who knows? Anyway, we don't dare go any deeper, and we've abandoned the mission."

Red took another swig of wine.

The conversation quickly shifted to other things, but Goron was no longer getting any useful information.

He winked at Kargath, and the two finished their ale in one gulp, then got up and left the tavern.

By the time I got back to the street, it was already dark.

The oil lamps along the street were lit one after another, turning the road into a dim yellow hue.

"Captain, what they said..."

Kargath spoke in a low voice.

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

Goron interrupted him and quickened his pace.

Meanwhile, the mayor's mansion was brightly lit.

Baron Oddo paced anxiously in his study, his face covered in sweat, clutching a newly delivered letter in his hand.

"Three days...only three more days..."

He muttered to himself.

There was a knock on the study door, and the city defense captain pushed it open, his face unusually serious.

"My lord, the patrol reports that the capital's flag has been spotted ten miles outside the town. The advance party of the envoy has arrived."

"So fast?!"

Baron Oddo nearly jumped up: "Didn't you say it wouldn't arrive until next week?"

"Perhaps the trip was sped up."

The city defense captain said in a deep voice:

"Sir, we need to prepare to receive you immediately."

"Ugh."

Baron Oddo walked to the window and gazed at the town's silhouette against the night sky:

"I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse... Go and prepare."

"Yes, sir."

The city defense captain saluted and withdrew.

Baron Oddo stood alone by the window, the secret letter in his hand crumpled into a ball.

The letter came from the capital and contained only two brief sentences:

"Be careful with your words and actions, and avoid making mistakes."

"No mistakes allowed, absolutely no mistakes allowed..."

Baron Odo muttered to himself repeatedly.

At the same time, in a room at the Old Oak Inn, Goron was listening to reports from Batu and Bren.

"The market is doing well."

Batu said:

"A level 1 monster hide can sell for 10 to 20 gold coins, a level 2 hide for 30, and a good level 3 hide for over 100. The price of medicinal herbs is also stable, especially healing herbs, which are in short supply."

"We asked several businessmen, and they were all happy to buy it."

Brun added.

Goron nodded:

"Good job. We'll start selling in batches tomorrow, only a portion each day, and we'll do it discreetly."

"Captain, news from the tavern..." Kargath couldn't help but ask.

Goron gestured for him to wait a moment, walked to the window to make sure no one was eavesdropping outside, and then returned to the table to sit down.

"The rumors in the tavern match what we know, except that no one seems to be talking about the disappearance of that reconnaissance team."

"That royal envoy..."

Batu frowned.

"It could be a coincidence, or it could be related."

Goron said in a deep voice:

"In any case, we need to be more careful. Everyone must travel in pairs and is not allowed to go out alone. Once the transaction is completed, leave immediately."