Evil Red Dragon

In just a few days, the mine pit had been initially transformed.

The mine pit was cleared into a huge cave, about thirty meters high and the size of two football fields. High-temperature magic arrays were laid inside to maintain a high-temperature environment suitable for the survival of red dragons.

In the center there is a golden mountain, surrounded by crystals and gems to simulate a dragon's nest.

A large quantity of fresh game was piled up in one corner, which Isa led her knights to hunt in the surrounding forests for Cinsera to eat.

Cinsera was secretly transferred here. The chains binding her have been removed, but the entire mine is surrounded by a barrier to prevent her from escaping.

The dragon's breath struck the barrier, but only a flash of light appeared; the stone wall behind it remained completely undamaged.

"Let me out!"

Cincera roared for the nth time.

No one responded.

She collapsed on the golden mountain, growling at the other side of her soul:

"You want to tame me? Dream on! The red dragon will never submit!"

She then recounted how she had her fun on the gold mountain for the n+1th time.

Oh my god!

She was just a young dragon, yet she possessed wealth that even her mother didn't have.

This mountain of gold was made entirely of countless gold coins, gems and crystals, and it glittered under the magic lights.

Cinsera scratched at the coins with her paws, and the sound of the coins clattering dampened her anger somewhat.

She flicked her tail, rolled around on the gold mountain, and felt the hard texture beneath her and the weight of the wealth.

Although they were imprisoned, at least they could see and eat the treasures.

Cinsella squinted her eyes, making a satisfied gurgling sound in her throat.

The blood pact, however, was a source of trouble for her.

This is not an ordinary master-slave contract, but a deeper life bond.

Once the bond is formed, both parties share a portion of their life force, and their hearts will gradually become connected.

If the human named Elena dies, Cinsera will suffer a severe blow; conversely, if Cinsera dies, Elena will also pay the price.

This kind of checks and balances is more terrifying than simple control.

"Brother..."

Cinsera buried her head between her front paws, thinking of Alecto.

What would he do?

Footsteps sounded again.

Cinsera looked up and saw Elena and Helena walking towards her.

Elena changed into a hunting outfit that was easy to move in, and her red hair was tied into a high ponytail, making her look dashing and heroic.

"It seems you really like the gold mine I prepared for you."

Elena stopped in front of Cinsella and asked gently.

Cynthia responded with dragon breath, and flames poured down.

Helena raised her staff, and a magical shield instantly rose up.

Elena stood behind the shield, letting the dragon's breath wash over her calmly.

Only after Cinsella stopped catching her breath did she speak softly:

"Finished venting?"

Cinsera, panting heavily, snorted and turned her head to one side.

Helena put away her staff and muttered, "What a stubborn little fellow."

Elena took two more steps forward, ignoring Cinsera's growl:

"I think we should get to know each other better."

Cinsella slapped her tail, and gold coins scattered everywhere:

"Understand? Hmph! You humans are masters of deception!"

Ignoring the sparks still drifting in the air, Elena gracefully took out a wooden chair from her dimensional ring and sat down calmly.

Her long, slender legs crossed naturally, and the hem of her hunting outfit draped down.

"Helena, you should leave first. Let me have a proper talk with her."

Helena frowned slightly: "Are you sure?"

Elena's lips curved into a slight smile:

"It's alright, she doesn't have the ability to kill me."

"it is good."

Helena didn't waste any time and turned to leave decisively.

The footsteps faded into the distance until only the two of them and the dragon remained, and the air seemed to freeze.

Elena slowly raised her hand and touched the necklace around her neck.

With a soft click of the clasp, the necklace was gently unfastened.

The moment it left her skin, neatly arranged crimson dragon scales appeared beneath a few strands of red hair on her forehead.

Cinsela raised her head slightly, a look of doubt flashing in her eyes.

Why does this human have the aura of a red dragon?

"Did you feel it?"

Elena's laughter was tinged with self-deprecation as she raised her hand to gently stroke the scales on her forehead, her movements slow and delicate, as if touching a wound.

"This isn't decoration; it's something I was born with."

Her gaze pierced through time, looking towards the distant past:

"My mother was a half-dragon. The blood of a red dragon flowed in her veins, thin but pure. She was beautiful, so beautiful that the entire city of Itland was captivated by her... and she looked no different from an ordinary person."

"And I, whether it is misfortune or fortune, happened to inherit this bloodline, grew these scales, and became the only freak among all my brothers and sisters."

She lowered her hand, her face expressionless.

"As far back as I can remember, these scales have been my greatest secret and my greatest shame."

"In the palace, everyone saw me as an outsider, and they called me a bastard in private."

"In order to survive, and so that my mother, who was not of noble birth, could suffer less scorn in the court... I had to wear this disguise necklace since I was a child."

Elena lifted the necklace and swayed it gently.

"It made me look normal, like a princess who meets everyone's expectations... but I know I was never that."

Cinsela remained silent.

This is not a lie; it is the bitterness and resentment that Elena has kept buried deep in her heart for years.

"Do you know? I'm destined to have no official status!"

Her voice suddenly rose, and suppressed emotions burst forth.

"In everyone's eyes, I'll always be a freak! Even my father and mother wouldn't look at me!"

Elena suddenly looked up, staring directly at Cinsella, her eyes burning with rage:

"So I studied with all my might—swordsmanship, magic, politics, military strategy… I learned everything, working harder than anyone else!"

"I will become powerful, so powerful that no one will dare to question me, powerful enough to seize the throne of Kalando with my own hands! To become the Queen of Kalando!"

Her nails dug deeply into her palms.

"If he won't give it to me, I'll go get it myself! With this bloodline they consider lowly!"

Elena abruptly stood up, her gaze sharp and intense, staring directly at Cinsella:

"Cinsera, the blood pact binds us together, which may not be what you wanted. But for me, it means I have finally found someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me."

She extended her hand forward, palm up, a gesture that seemed to extend an invitation and also to show sincerity:

"You say the Red Dragon will never yield? But what I need has never been servants; what I need are partners."

"On the day I am crowned Queen of Calando... the entire kingdom's wealth will be yours to command! Mountains of gold coins, rivers of jewels!"

"You will possess a treasure trove comparable to that of an ancient dragon king, and your name will be sung alongside my glory!"

Cinsela's breathing suddenly became rapid.

The scene Elena described struck a chord deep within the red dragon's soul, fueling its yearning for wealth and glory.

Her description of the entire kingdom's wealth painted a vision that stirred the dragon's heart.

"And you! Cinsera!"

The sound echoed in the empty mine, each word clear and distinct.

"They will be the guardians of the empire, sharing all its riches with me!"

A brief silence fell over the mine, with only Cinsera's slightly rapid breathing echoing softly.

Elena remained silent, simply watching Cinsella quietly.

She knew that Cinsella's proud heart was wavering violently, and ambition and a yearning for wealth were quietly growing within her.

After a long silence, Cinsera finally spoke again, but her previous hostility had largely subsided:

"...Human, you're good with words. But anyone can make empty promises."

Elena smiled.

It was a confident smile that dispelled the gloom on her face and brightened her entire appearance.

"Time will tell, Cinsera."

Chifeng Territory.

The wait was long and agonizing.

Every day, at dawn and dusk, Gru would stand on the mountain and look southeast.

But there was nothing there, only the cold wind of approaching winter blowing across the bare mountain ridge.

Time passed day by day.

The estimated round-trip time at the start of the trip quickly passed, and we exceeded it again.

The camp's food supplies were dwindling at a visible rate, and the daily rations were being reduced.

The wounded were recovering extremely slowly due to malnutrition.

Anxiety lingers in everyone's heart.

"Could something have happened?"

At night, Gru came to Kula's stone house and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

The firelight danced on his worried face.

Kula remained silent for a long time before slowly saying:

"The journey is difficult, the weather is turning bad, and the transaction may be delayed... Let's wait a little longer."

But the waiting period is also approaching the limits of their physical endurance.

Food was running out, the hunting yielded almost nothing, and even the few tuberous plants they had planted earlier were sparse and pitiful, providing hardly any energy.

Goron and his men returned to Chifeng Territory ten days later than expected.

When the caravan pulling the heavy carts appeared at the end of the mountain road, the orc on the lookout could hardly believe his eyes, fearing it was just his imagination.

He rubbed his eyes, and after confirming that everything was correct, he blew the horn with all his might.

woo-

A deep, resonant bugle call swept across the camp.

At first, the people in the camp were a little confused, but then Gru was the first to react. They rushed out of the house and looked southeast.

"They're back! They're back!"

Gru roared, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The camp erupted in excitement.

All the orcs and trolls who could walk, whether warriors or women and children, poured out of their houses.

They put down their tools and stumbled towards the camp entrance.

Kula was carried on a makeshift stretcher by two orcs, while Gru strode ahead.

When they arrived, Goron's group was already surrounded by his people who had come after hearing the news.

Gronn, Batu, Bren, Kargath, and the troll warriors Ragg, Mog, and Ugg, all looked weary from their long journey, but their eyes shone with an astonishing light.

Behind them were nine fully loaded carts, piled high with dried meat covered with tarpaulins.

"Goron!"

Kula's voice trembled as she sat on the stretcher.

"Great Shaman!"

Goron strode forward, knelt on one knee before Kula, a relieved smile on his face:

"We're back! We haven't failed you!"

Gru walked up to Rag and the others, patted Rag on the shoulder, and then looked at Mog and Ug, everything was understood without words.

"Jerky! It's jerky!"

A quick-thinking orc boy lifted a corner of the tarpaulin covering the edge of the cart frame and saw that it was full of jerky bags. He couldn't help but cheer.

This cheer ignited everyone's emotions.

The hungry tribespeople erupted in cheers and shouts, and many even had tears in their eyes.

The worries, anxieties, and despair brought on by hunger over the past month were completely washed away by joy at this moment.

Goron stood up, faced all his people, and shouted in a loud voice:

"There's a huge amount of dried meat here! And a batch of healing potions! We're safe this winter!"

"Very good!"

"There's hope!"

"Long live Chief Goron!"

The cheers were deafening.

Gru walked up to Goron and asked in a low voice:

"Was the journey smooth? Why are you so late?"

Goron's expression turned serious:

"We've run into some trouble. Martial law has been declared in Graystone Town, and food supplies are under control. We had to go through some trouble to buy some through the black market. Also, a big shot has arrived—the thirteenth princess of the capital and her Silverwing Knights. The entire Graystone Town has been taken over."

Kula and Gru exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.

The princess's personal visit to the border town was no ordinary event.

"I'll give you more details later."

Kula said, "Now, let's unload the cargo, take inventory, and distribute the food so everyone has enough to eat!"

"yes!"

Under the command of Kula and Gru, the troll and orc warriors immediately sprang into action.

Together they pulled the vehicle to an open area in the center of the camp and began unloading.

Bags of dried meat were unloaded and piled up into a small mountain.

Kargath carefully took out the healing potions from the dimensional bag and handed them to the shaman apprentice who was in charge of looking after the wounded.

The aroma of food and the scent of hope permeated the entire Chifeng territory.

The campfire was relit, and a thick broth simmered in the large pot.

Each member of the tribe received twice as much food as usual, and long-lost laughter and satisfied burps echoed throughout the camp.

After a quick wash, Goron arrived at Kula's stone house, where Gru and several core members were also waiting.

He gave a detailed account of the entire trip.

From successfully selling fur-covered magical plants to the predicament of being banned from selling grain, the process of finding the black market, buying grain at high prices, sneaking out of the city in a caravan, and what the Silverwing Knights saw and heard during their arrival.

"...The princess's purpose is unclear, but Graystone Town is heavily guarded now, and we must not get any closer in the near future."

Goron concluded.

After listening, Kula pondered for a long time:

"The princess has come in person, accompanied by an elite knightly order; she must be quite a target."

"It might be related to the missing reconnaissance team, or it could be for some other purpose."

"In any case, this is a dangerous sign for us. The master is still asleep, and we must be even more vigilant."

Gru nodded: "With this batch of food, we can at least survive this winter."

"The breeding area must be rebuilt as soon as possible, and planting should be expanded after spring. Strength training cannot be stopped, and the patrol area must be increased."

"besides."

Kula added, glancing at the bag of fireheart seeds:

"Kargas, here's a bag of seeds for you. Choose a spot near a magma heat source to try planting them. If successful, we might have another stable source of resources."

"Yes, Great Shaman!"

Kargaz solemnly took the seeds.

After the meeting, Goron walked out of the stone house.

Night had fallen, but the campsite was much brighter and warmer than usual.

Around the campfire, orcs and trolls sat together, sharing their food.

The children frolicked around the adults' legs, their laughter ringing out.

He watched all this, a hint of relief appearing on his tired face.

Although the road ahead is still full of unknown challenges, at least tonight, his people can have a full stomach and a good night's sleep.

They brought back not only food, but also hope for Chifeng to get through the harsh winter.