Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

The dragon court's high platform was perpetually swept by a biting, fierce wind that howled across the steel-hard scales of the behemoth, producing a low, mournful wail.

The Iron Dragon Gordon landed here.

He raised his head to look at the increasingly majestic and towering figure ahead. There was not much sense of distance in his eyes; instead, they held a trace of affectionate joy. He took a step forward, drawing closer, his tail wagging merrily behind him.

"Oh, my dear elder brother."

"You actually managed to make a Mandate willingly pledge allegiance."

He spoke, shaking his head, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement:

"I originally thought you were going to kill him. While that would have solved some problems, it would have been a terrible waste. This outcome is much, much better. For us now, it's simply the best possible scenario."

As he spoke, he shuffled even closer, his dragon form appearing exceptionally relaxed before Garoth.

The Iron Dragon understood clearly that the Aola Kingdom had actually been harboring a significant hidden danger all along.

To put it simply, this danger was the growth speed of the dragons.

Under the guidance of the Emperor himself and some of the kingdom's policies, the growth rate of the Aolan dragons was already much faster than that of ordinary dragonkind. Yet even so, for a dragon to step into the legendary realm still required centuries of accumulation.

As for the crown-level above that, and even the Mandate of Heaven, those were things that seemed even more distant and unreachable.

In the entire Aola Kingdom, Garoth, the Red Emperor, stood in a tier of his own. His power was of a completely different order, separated from all other dragons by an insurmountable chasm.

This situation had both advantages and disadvantages.

The benefits were obvious.

Garoth's prestige was at its zenith. In the hearts of Aola's people, he was almost equivalent to a living deity, like a living sun hanging high above the kingdom, his dragon might radiant, illuminating all directions.

Countless subjects worshipped him with fanaticism, from the depths of their hearts, requiring no coercive measures to maintain.

Moreover, Garoth's original intention in establishing the kingdom was not to cultivate a group of comrades who could fight side by side with him; he had his own considerations.

The drawbacks were equally clear.

If Garoth were to be pinned down and unable to extricate himself in a crucial battle, then the Aola Kingdom, when facing a truly formidable enemy, would expose a lack of trump cards. Apart from the Emperor himself, the kingdom had no other top-tier combatant who could hold their own.

But now, with the existence of a Mandate personally subdued by Garoth, this situation was broken.

Without damaging Aola's original advantages, Reinhardt's allegiance greatly compensated for the kingdom's weakness.

"During the days you were slumbering, I was truly on edge, not a single day truly at peace," Gordon continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"Every time I heard news of the White Scourge stirring up trouble in the Cold Water Ocean, I prayed in my heart, praying that she wouldn't suddenly take a fancy and land to cause trouble for us."

"Otherwise, although our kingdom has vast territory and strong soldiers, truth be told, there was no one who could stand before her and hold the line."

"Now it's different."

His tone became much more earnest as he said, "With a Mandate stationed here, at least we don't have to be as apprehensive as before. Even if the White Scourge really came, we would have someone capable of crossing blades with her."

The Wanfa White Dragon acted alone, always a solitary dragon active in the Cold Water Ocean region.

She had no dragon horde under her command and formed no alliances with any kingdom.

If she one day suddenly took a fancy and launched a surprise attack on Aola, and Garoth happened to be absent, the situation would truly be ugly.

But with Reinhardt, it was different.

With him here, coordinating with other crown-level and legendary beings, effective resistance was possible. Mandates could check each other, and the remaining crown-level and legendary beings would at least have the power to fight, even a slight chance to repel her.

After all, a Fate Legendary was, in the end, still a legendary.

Within the same legendary tier, numbers could determine the outcome of victory or defeat.

Garoth gazed at the distant sea of clouds and spoke calmly, "A living Mandate is more valuable than a dead one."

The Iron Dragon Gordon nodded deeply in agreement, adding, "Yes, if we had killed Reinhardt back then, the best outcome would have been turning him into a Heroic Spirit, forcing him to serve Aola. But that would have come at too great a cost."

The key issue was that a human Mandate's strength largely relied on their Domain.

The Domain was a power that only a living legendary could wield, but Heroic Spirits had no Domain.

If Reinhardt became a Heroic Spirit, he would immediately fall to the weakest tier among Mandates, utterly incomparable when standing alongside other Mandates.

Moreover, his future progress would then rely solely on resources like spiritual essence crystals being forcibly piled on him.

The top-tier talent that had allowed him to reach his current height in such a short time would vanish completely with the Heroic Spirit conversion, never to be recovered.

Heroic Spirit conversion was always the last resort, never the first choice.

Take the former Flower Knight, now the Heroic Spirit Shire, for example.

He died in the battle against Gorthax and was converted into a Heroic Spirit.

From then on, whether he could grow stronger depended entirely on how many spiritual essence crystals Aola was willing to feed him. This was essentially a massive drain on resources.

Shire's talent couldn't compare to Reinhardt's; that was a fact.

But if he were still alive, with his foundation, he would have had a real chance to impact the crown-level. And with his spatial talent, he would have been a relatively strong presence even among crown-levels, not inferior to anyone.

As for Reinhardt.

After severing the entanglements of his past, with his experiences from years of struggle and his innate talent, in the future, he might even have the potential to impact that higher realm, to impact Immortality.

"How effective were the spiritual essence crystals I condensed from the souls of the Tri-Crowns?" Garoth withdrew his gaze from the distance and turned to look at him.

"Pretty good."

"Following your previous instructions, they were used for the Sanctuary, mainly to strengthen Shire."

"After absorbing them over this period, Shire's spiritual essence intensity has already reached the crown-level, and it's still rising. Based on the current trend, it should reach around level thirty-two," Gordon replied.

Garoth nodded slightly; this result was within his expectations.

At the same time, mentioning the Sanctuary made Gordon's thoughts more active, and he smoothly shifted the topic.

"Elder brother, there are still several crown-levels imprisoned inside the Sanctuary."

He began counting on his claws, saying, "The Southern Domain's Crown of Magic, the Crown-level Ranger, the Crown of Protection, and the Eastern Alliance's Crown of War. Just these four are weighty enough. And there are even more legendary beings locked up in the capital's dungeons."

He shuffled closer, his tail swishing back and forth behind him.

"Shouldn't we take this opportunity to have a good talk with those other kingdoms?"

"Just like the Romania nations back then, have them sign integration treaties with us, acknowledging Aola's supremacy, publicly recognizing Aola's suzerain status, accepting our garrisons, paying tribute on time every year, and doing everything according to our rules."

He grew somewhat excited, his words speeding up. "What's the situation in those kingdoms now? The crown-levels who stood against us are either dead or captured. They can hardly even muster a single crown-level now. What do they have to challenge us with?"

"We're just one step away from becoming the number one surface power in Atlan!"

After speaking, he looked at Garoth with eager eyes, waiting for his elder brother's approval.

Garoth remained silent for a moment.

"Not urgent," he said. "Wait for those kingdoms to send their own people over."

Gordon was momentarily stunned, then his eyes shifted as he pondered the meaning behind the Red Iron Dragon's words.

"That's right too," he said, thinking aloud. "Those main kingdoms must be in complete chaos right now, hearts in turmoil, no one knowing what will happen next. They are more anxious than we are, much more anxious. It should be them bringing gifts, wearing smiles, coming to beg us for a chance, not us actively seeking them out."

Garoth didn't speak, only giving a slight nod.

Gordon rubbed his claws together and shuffled even closer.

"Can we... take bigger steps now?"

"Over these years, Aola has always prioritized stability, avoiding action if possible, avoiding taking action if possible. Now that you're awake, and those crown-levels who dared to act have been dealt with, shouldn't we... be a bit more... radical?"

Garoth looked at him and asked, "What do you want to do?"

Gordon's eyes lit up; clearly, he had been calculating this question in his heart for a long time.

"For example, the Farrel side," he immediately said. "They have a black oil field over there, quite sizable, with a good location, not far from our border, just separated by a mountain ridge. Cross over it, and it's right there."

After speaking, he fixed a burning gaze on Garoth, waiting for his elder brother's response.

Hearing "black oil," Garoth gave a slight nod.

"The mutual non-aggression pact from back then should be torn up," he stated. "Don't worry about their reaction. You go and handle it."

Gordon nodded heavily, already starting to calculate the specific action plan in his heart.

But he wasn't in a hurry to leave. The excitement on his face slowly receded, as if he had suddenly remembered something important.

"About Reinhardt..." His voice lowered, becoming cautious. "Although he has pledged allegiance, we don't have any contract here that can completely control a Mandate."

"So I want to ask, can we be sure he is controllable?"

This was an unavoidable question. The weight of a Mandate was too heavy, so heavy that within the entire Aola, apart from Garoth, no dragon could steadily handle it.

Hearing this, Garoth turned to look at him.

There were no ripples in his eyes as he looked at his younger brother for a few seconds before speaking, countering with a question:

"With a contract, he can be controlled?"

The Iron Dragon Gordon opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but for a moment, he didn't know how to respond. He wanted to say 'it's better than nothing,' but the words felt too feeble even as they reached his lips.

Garoth looked into the distance again.

The sea of clouds churned beneath the high platform, a vast expanse of white, boundless and endless. Sunlight poured down from higher up, spreading a golden blanket of light over the cloud layer.

"Mandate traits are incredibly varied, and Domains are even more diverse, with all kinds existing," he spoke unhurriedly. "Some can distort space, some travel through the gaps of time, some come and go freely within dreams... What kind of contract do you think could lock down a Mandate who is single-mindedly determined to betray?"

He paused briefly before saying:

"For a Mandate, so-called absolute control is nothing but a joke. There has never been anything in this world that is truly absolute."

"Reinhardt's Domain is light and darkness," Garoth continued. "He can conceal all aura in darkness, purify negative states in light. If he is dead set on tearing up a certain contract, do you think he couldn't find a way?"

The Iron Dragon's tail stopped wagging.

His expression became serious, fine lines creasing the scales on his forehead. The entire dragon grew quiet.

"Then what do we do?" Gordon said. "A Mandate is too dangerous. If he suddenly turns against us one day, apart from you, none of us can stop him. He alone could turn the Red Emperor Capital upside down."

"This is completely a double-edged sword, and frighteningly sharp at that."

"We can't place our hopes on his loyalty. That's too unreliable. Loyalty is something that exists today but might be gone tomorrow. Humans are fickle. His allegiance might have been sincere when he pledged it, but who can guarantee how long that sincerity will last?"

He poured out the worries in his heart all at once.

Garoth didn't answer immediately.

Compared to Sorog, Gordon was still quite inexperienced. If Sorog were here, he wouldn't ask this question. Sorog knew what to do.

However, Gordon was still growing. He had improved a lot over these years and shouldn't be judged too harshly...

Garoth thought silently to himself.

He looked at the Iron Dragon, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Do you remember what you were responsible for before you took charge of running the kingdom?"

Gordon was momentarily stunned, not expecting his elder brother to suddenly ask this.

He tilted his head, thinking back seriously.

"I was responsible for... reshaping the perspectives of other kingdoms," he answered honestly, a hint of nostalgia in his tone. "Theo, Reebos, Lothrian, Matna, Cambruk... I basically handled all those kingdoms that later became our vassals. Their people initially had no goodwill towards Aola; saying they hated us to the bone wouldn't be an exaggeration."

"After all, we had just finished fighting a war. People died, blood was shed. Hatred isn't something you can just let go of."

The Red Iron Dragon asked, "How did you do it?"

Gordon's eyes lit up, and he slightly raised his chin.

This was one of his proudest jobs. Every time it was mentioned, he couldn't help but become animated. Although Sorog had guided and advised him in the early years, the specific tasks later were basically completed by him alone.

He had worked on it for many years, with remarkable results. The transformation of vassal kingdoms like Theo was the best proof.

"There were many methods," he began listing, counting on his claws.

"Various means, used depending on the situation."

"Education is a long-term approach. Cultural infiltration is faster. Benefit exchange is the most direct—give them advantages, let them taste the sweetness, let them know that following Aola is more profitable than following others."

"However, in the end, it's about changing their mindset, making them feel from their hearts that following Aola leads to a better life and allows them to realize their own value more fully."

"Theo is the best example."

His tone carried a trace of pride. "On the streets of Theo now, if you ask anyone randomly, few remember the Twin-Ao War of those years. They only know that the Red Emperor is their protector, the great existence who re-established their pride and honor. They take pride in being part of Aola. This kind of transformation isn't something that can be exchanged with swords and contracts."

The Iron Dragon spoke fluently, becoming more and more articulate as he went on.

Hearing these words, Garoth slowly nodded.

"Then why do you think we should use contracts, or other coercive means, on a Mandate?" he asked, his tone calm. "The essence of these two matters is the same."

The Iron Dragon Gordon was slightly taken aback, falling into thought, as if vaguely grasping something but not yet fully understanding.

Garoth looked at him, his gaze calm and profound.

"Reinhardt is a Mandate, that's correct," he continued. "But first and foremost, he is a person."

"He has desires, the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures. He has people and things he cares about. He has thoughts, weighs pros and cons, makes judgments between different choices. Like ordinary people, he has things he cannot let go of, and he also feels pain and fear like ordinary people."

"Some things don't disappear just because he became a Mandate."

The Iron Dragon nodded thoughtfully, seeming to understand a bit.

"Don't add too many filters to Mandates just because their tier is high, don't think of them as too special," Garoth said slowly. "Do you think there's any essential difference between a Mandate and an ordinary person? No, they just have greater power, live longer, and see further."

"Being a Mandate doesn't represent omnipotence. Their wisdom, judgment, and emotions all have traceable patterns."

"Even deities are not omnipotent."

He withdrew his gaze, looking again towards the boundless sea of clouds in the distance.

"As for the double-edged sword you're worried about..."

"Whether a sword has an edge depends on who wields it, not on the sword itself. No matter how sharp the sword, if the wielder doesn't know how to use it, the possibility of injuring themselves is greater than injuring the enemy. Conversely, if the wielder knows how to use it, then it becomes the most handy weapon."

Gordon's eyes revealed deep thought, and he remained silent for quite a while.

A few seconds later, he suddenly grinned, a look of sudden enlightenment almost overflowing from his face.

"Elder brother, I understand," the Iron Dragon Gordon said.

He adjusted his train of thought slightly and continued, "Regarding Reinhardt, after he recovered from his injuries, he first returned to Theo. From this, it's clear he still has feelings for this country. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone back to take a look after so long."

Garoth asked, "So, what do you plan to do?"

The Iron Dragon chuckled and began to plan.

"First, I want to reshape an identity for him," he said, his pace neither fast nor slow. "The allegiance of a Mandate is no small matter. It can't be treated casually; it needs proper arrangement so that everyone understands what it signifies."

"We can't let people think he's a defeated, surrendering stray dog. That's not good for anyone."

"How about the title 'Guardian Deity of Theo'?"

He turned to look at Garoth, as if seeking his elder brother's opinion, but his eyes already held the answer.

"Not a conqueror's lapdog, not some defeated warrior, but a hero guarding his homeland."

"I will let all Theoans know that their Light of Theo didn't die or run away, much less was enslaved. He merely ventured out, carrying the desire to protect Theo, traveling and adventuring, honing his blade. Now he returns successful, ready to continue guarding this land he deeply loves."

His words sped up, and his tail began to wag along.

"I will build Reinhardt into a hero of Theo, a hero worthy of admiration."

"As for the past conflicts, the bloodshed, those were problems arising from different eras and different environments. The times have changed, the environment has changed, and people change too. The return and awakening of a hero is more valuable than the fall of a hero."

"The Light of Theo, having lost his way, now returns, pledging allegiance to the great Red Emperor, jointly safeguarding the peace and prosperity of Atlan."

"This matter itself can be told as a beautiful tale, a story of good repute."

"Famous in youth, suffering setbacks and traveling far, returning at the Mandate realm, battling the Red Emperor, having a sudden realization, choosing allegiance... I will arrange for some people to spread this story, have bards compose his experiences into ballads and biographies."

"This will be a tremendous boost to Theo's popular sentiment."

"A living Mandate guardian deity is more effective than anything. For Reinhardt himself, this is also a kind of... binding."

He weighed his words before continuing:

"When everyone regards him as a guardian deity, he himself will be more willing to play that role."

"Once all these things are done, Reinhardt will be one of our own. He will stand from our perspective, sincerely maintaining our rule, because he will discover that maintaining us is maintaining himself."

Garoth looked at him and slowly nodded.

"Go ahead and do it. I'll be watching with interest," he said.

He extended his claw and patted the Iron Dragon's shoulder. That claw was larger than the Iron Dragon's entire head, but the force was light, as if patting a child's shoulder.

"Leave this matter to me. You can rest assured," the Iron Dragon Gordon chuckled, his dragon face filled with eagerness. "I feel frighteningly clever right now."

He opened his mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, smiling until his eyes narrowed into slits.

Not long after the main matters were discussed, the Iron Dragon took his leave. He spread his wings, leaped into the air, his massive body steadily unfolding in the wind, quickly disappearing into the cloud layer, leaving only the sound of the wind echoing between the high platforms.

Garoth stood alone in this place, his gaze passing through the sea of clouds, looking towards the direction of another distant continent.

Arotala.

"With a Mandate stationed here, in a while, I can go to the Arotala side with more peace of mind. And incidentally, meet Cerora in reality," he thought silently to himself.

Even before his slumber, he had this idea—to go to the Arotala Continent and probe its realities. He just hadn't been able to get away. But now, with Reinhardt holding the fort, he could put this long-shelved plan into action.