Talk?
Talk about what?
The Platinum Dragon Lord shut his eyes tightly, making his refusal unmistakably clear.
"Are you really going to keep resisting at this point?"
"That Evil Tree is no ordinary existence. It is a benefactor personally acknowledged by our King."
The Brightness Dragon Lord shook his head helplessly and stepped closer. With a slight gesture, the World-Class Item, the Chalice floating in midair, tilted gently.
A steady stream of Water of Life poured down from it.
A soft emerald glow flickered as the Platinum Dragon Lord's shattered body began to heal at a visible rate under its nourishment.
[A World-Class Item said to bring the dead back to life. Truly a miraculous thing.]
Watching this, the Brightness Dragon Lord could not help but feel a surge of emotion.
Driven by a dragon's instincts, a trace of desire and greed surfaced in his heart, but it was quickly suppressed by reason.
He knew exactly what he could and could not covet.
A World-Class Item.
That was part of Nazarick's foundation. Even as a True Dragon Lord, he had no right to lay claim to it.
Being granted temporary access this time was already beyond expectation. Originally, it was supposed to be handled by that Dragonoid named Sebas.
Still, this worked out well enough.
At the very least, his efforts had not been in vain. He had already begun to earn the King's trust.
Prejudice in the human heart is like a mountain.
The Brightness Dragon Lord understood this deeply. Being a True Dragon Lord brought him not only advantages, but also trouble.
For now, his situation was still favorable.
Because he could provide value.
The knowledge he possessed and the Wild Magic he wielded were both assets.
Because of his strength, the NPCs did not make things difficult for him.
Because of the benefits he offered, he was getting along just fine.
It had been the same when he persuaded the Vampiric Dragon Lord to submit.
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary gathering.
But behind it lay hidden intentions.
That so-called dinner had actually been a bold test.
The Brightness Dragon Lord had three goals.
First, to bring together all the foreign Dragon Lords who had joined Nazarick, helping them become familiar with one another and form a small alliance.
After all, as outsiders in Nazarick, they were natural allies.
Where there are people, there will be conflict.
That much is unavoidable, even in Nazarick.
The NPCs may be loyal to the Supreme Ones, but there are now three of them. If their orders ever clash, who should be obeyed?
No matter whose command they follow, they would be going against the other two.
When power is not held by a single ruler, absolute loyalty no longer truly exists.
From what the Brightness Dragon Lord had observed during this time, many of Nazarick's level 100 Guardians were intelligent. Yet they either refused to think about this issue or chose to ignore it.
Even so, no matter how much they resisted, they would still unconsciously take sides.
For example, the King's offspring, the Dragonoid named Sephis, along with the Dark Elf twins.
Or the subordinate of the Undead, the demon called Albedo, and the unfathomable Pandora, among others.
Such is the nature of intelligent beings.
It might seem like unnecessary worry, and given the current situation, there should be no problems for at least several hundred years.
Even so, to prepare for the future, the Brightness Dragon Lord had already begun making quiet moves, treating it as a precaution.
As for his second objective, it was the bold test he had mentioned.
He wanted to see how his King would react under those circumstances.
Would there be punishment for disobedience? A light reprimand? Or something else entirely?
As for the result.
It was not too bad.
At least to some extent, the King tolerated their willfulness and even gave them a way to step back gracefully.
Merciful, yet in a way, dangerous.
When a beast that has been restraining itself finally reveals its true nature, the outcome is something that sends chills down the spine just imagining it.
"Platinum, Tsa, even if not for your own sake, you should at least think about your offspring."
"Think it over carefully while you still have something to bargain with."
Coming back to himself, the Brightness Dragon Lord let out a sigh and spoke with quiet gravity.
He knew the Platinum Dragon Lord would understand what he meant.
Those had been two of the purposes behind the last gathering.
As for the third, and final one.
Aside from reminding himself never to forget the price of betrayal, it had simply been for the Platinum Dragon Lord's sake.
Otherwise, why did he think the location had been set here?
The value tied to the Platinum Dragon Lord was enormous. Enormous enough that even he could not help being tempted.
Especially after this gathering of True Dragon Lords, that value had only risen further.
So the moment he learned that His Majesty intended to drive Deep Darkness into despair, he realized this was an opportunity.
That was why he had taken the initiative to bring up the Platinum Dragon Lord's existence.
What Deep Darkness knew, Platinum knew as well.
What Deep Darkness did not know, Platinum probably knew too.
After all, this fellow had another identity.
He was the Dragon Emperor's son.
"My offspring..."
"So what? This is nothing more than a play you and Vampiric arranged in advance for my sake."
Feeling his long-lost peak condition returning, the Platinum Dragon Lord opened his eyes and spoke in an even tone.
That Evil Tree had been planted here for a long time.
In the past, it would occasionally steal a bite or two, but it had never recklessly devoured his flesh like it had today.
It had even left him looking especially wretched.
If someone claimed there was nothing suspicious about that, the Platinum Dragon Lord would be the first not to believe it.
In the end, this was nothing more than a farce.
The Platinum Dragon Lord remained indifferent to it.
Or perhaps that was only how it seemed.
"It is indeed a farce, but there is one thing you got wrong. Vampiric and I never intended to deceive you from the start."
A faint smile appeared on the Brightness Dragon Lord's face.
He was not a fool. There was no way he would come up with such a flawed plan.
For ancient True Dragons like them, lies were far too fragile. They could be seen through with ease.
And that, just so happened to be part of their plan as well.
"Platinum, since you could tell I used Wild Magic to influence your offspring's emotions, then you should have noticed this too."
"The premise of so-called guidance is that those emotions genuinely existed in his heart to begin with~"
At that moment, the Vampiric Dragon Lord spoke up.
At some point, he had moved to the corner, a mocking expression hanging on his pale face.
As an Undead being, Water of Life instinctively disgusted him.
He could not help feeling a little annoyed.
That Brightness Dragon Lord really had to interfere, even during a meal.
"There is no need to keep making excuses for yourself, Tsa. Your offspring was angered by what happened to you. He even reached the point of wanting to act."
"He really does hate you, yet unexpectedly, he also cares about you."
"That is an undeniable fact."
Watching the Platinum Dragon Lord's expression gradually change, the Brightness Dragon Lord continued speaking at an unhurried pace.
The bond of blood was like those unbroken threads inside a snapped lotus root, hard to sever completely.
The Brightness Dragon Lord might seem unconcerned with his own offspring, but that was only because his descendants were all mixed-bloods rather than pure-bloods, and none of them had inherited Wild Magic.
The Dragon Princess was proof enough of that. Toward this offspring, who had inherited Wild Magic through her Talent, the Brightness Dragon Lord had become exceptionally attentive.
The reason he left the Dragon Princess in the Dragon Kingdom was also to let her grow on her own.
After all, among dragons, it had always been customary to cast young dragons out of the cave and force them to survive on their own.
"..."
The Platinum Dragon Lord fell silent. Like an ostrich, he had been avoiding this issue all along.
Rather than caring, he would have preferred for this offspring, whom he had never even met, to resent him. That would have made things easier for him.
His convictions were as firm as stone, yet in some ways, his thoughts were tangled beyond reason.
"Take a look. This is the moment your offspring was born."
Seeing the time was right, the Brightness Dragon Lord tossed out a crystal ball.
It gleamed like a radiant pearl, emitting a faint, mysterious light. Within it was the scene of the young dragon's birth.
The Platinum Dragon Lord's already conflicted expression changed drastically. Shock filled his eyes.
"The Curse of the World!"
"Heh, how ironic. You see yourself as a [Guardian of the World], yet your own offspring was cursed by it."
"Platinum, all those centuries of persistence and effort, what a complete joke."
The Vampiric Dragon Lord's mocking laughter echoed around them.
Just as he said, it was a cruel joke.
The Curse of the World had not fallen upon the offspring of the Eight Greed Kings, but instead upon the Platinum Dragon Lord's child.
You protect the world, yet the world ensures your bloodline ends.
Especially for someone who saw himself as a [Guardian of the World], the irony was unbearable.
"Now you understand why your offspring hates you. It has nothing to do with Nazarick. It is because of you."
"His birth came from you, yet because of you, it became a tragedy."
"He hates you because you made his existence meaningless."
"He believes our King is his true father, because he wants to prove to the one who gave him a second life that his existence has meaning."
The Brightness Dragon Lord spoke each word clearly.
On this point, he was not lying. He had only exaggerated slightly.
The young dragon did not truly hate the Platinum Dragon Lord. He was simply lost and uncertain.
He needed something to fill the emptiness within him, so he began directing his feelings into hatred toward the Platinum Dragon Lord.
In a way, he was brainwashing himself.
Strange as it was, it worked.
The conviction born from that deliberately guided emotion would become the driving force behind his growth.
Just as Demiurge once said.
The Platinum Dragon Lord's offspring was even more special than expected.
"The mistakes of the past should not be borne by later generations. Back then, the Dragon Emperor ignored all warnings and insisted on summoning a World-Class Item, bringing disaster upon dragonkind."
"Tsa, the reason you see yourself as the [Guardian of the World] likely stems from this, does it not?"
The Brightness Dragon Lord continued to press against the Platinum Dragon Lord's mental defenses.
Their plan was simple.
First, use his offspring to pull him out of his self-imposed detachment.
Then push further, forcing him to dwell on the issue and sink deeper into thought, disrupting his state of mind.
Finally, use that very topic to break his will and turn the so-called Guardian of the World into a hollow title.
So far, everything was going smoothly.
But it needed one last push.
Seeing the Platinum Dragon Lord beginning to doubt himself, the Brightness Dragon Lord and the Vampiric Dragon Lord exchanged a glance and gave a subtle nod.
"Platinum, about the Thirteen Heroes. Your former leader. I am curious, why did you betray him? I heard you two got along quite well."
The Vampiric Dragon Lord spoke with a faint smile.
"Riku… I…"
The Platinum Dragon Lord's inner turmoil deepened. If he could, he would never bring up the Thirteen Heroes.
In the end, the leader's death was closely tied to him.
Guilt.
An emotion almost nonexistent among dragons had tormented him for centuries.
And now, it grew even heavier.
Learning that his offspring had been cursed by the world.
The two burdens of guilt combined, amplifying each other far beyond their sum.
As a result, his resolve to protect the world became increasingly fragile.
He knew full well this was the Brightness Dragon Lord's scheme, yet he could not suppress the turmoil inside him.
"Tsa, remember what I said."
"While you still have something to bargain with."
"Take a look at this. That fool Deep Darkness is digging his own grave. I hope you seize this chance."
The Brightness Dragon Lord took out a magic scroll.
It detailed the reckless actions of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord.
Attacking Cocytus, killing the captain of the Sorcerer Kingdom's guard, imprisoning and attempting to convert a Player, even plotting to attack Nazarick and seize the Guild Weapon…
Compared to that, the Platinum Dragon Lord, who had only fought Shalltear once, could be considered lightly at fault.
The Platinum Dragon Lord took the scroll absentmindedly.
"Think it over carefully. You have seven days. No one will disturb you during that time. I hope you will give me a satisfactory answer."
"Otherwise, your offspring…"
At that, the Brightness Dragon Lord simply shook his head.
The Platinum Dragon Lord immediately understood.
Recalling what had been said about the Evil Tree's benefactor, his heart tightened.
This was a threat.
An undisguised one.
A rare trace of anger surfaced within him.
Thinking back on everything he had endured, the frustration only grew stronger. The chains binding him began to glow faintly, suppressing the aura that was starting to rise.
The Brightness Dragon Lord said nothing more and turned to leave.
His goal had been achieved.
All that remained now was to let time take its course.
Meanwhile, the Vampiric Dragon Lord drifted forward like a phantom, appearing in front of the Platinum Dragon Lord. He bared his sharp fangs in a grin and, under the other's furious gaze, casually poured himself another cup of Dragon Blood.
"Platinum, let me leave you with a piece of advice."
"What's so bad about a world ruled by Players? As long as the one ruling is a dragon, isn't that enough?"
"Back then, humanity rose by borrowing the power of the Six Great Gods. Why shouldn't we follow the same path and, under our King's guidance, restore the Dragon Race's former glory?"
"The old king is gone. A new king must rise. The strong rule. That truth has never changed."
With that, the Vampiric Dragon Lord swaggered out of the cave, his voice lingering in the air.
The Platinum Dragon Lord said nothing. He simply closed his eyes, sinking into silence as if deep in thought.
...
Outside the cave, a figure had been waiting for quite some time.
It was a burly Dragonoid.
He stood far taller than an ordinary human, his muscles sharply defined as if carved from stone, radiating raw strength.
His skin bore the sheen of dragon scales, glimmering with a mysterious light. Sharp horns jutted from his head, and his eyes were vertical pupils glowing crimson.
A layer of hardened scales covered his body like armor, granting him formidable defense.
This was the true form of Sebas Tian, the head butler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
As a Dragonoid, once he revealed his full form, his close combat ability was unquestionably the strongest among Nazarick's guardians.
"The purity of his Dragon Blood is already nearing its limit."
"What a terrifying aura. If he fully transforms into a dragon, he might even be able to match that Swordmaster fellow in close combat."
The Brightness Dragon Lord observed him, thoughts surging beneath a calm exterior.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sebas-dono."
"No need to mention it."
"Still, it has been quite some time since I've taken this form. It does bring back memories."
Sebas rolled his neck, scales shifting as his joints cracked sharply. At the same time, he lowered the two figures he had been carrying.
They were none other than the unconscious Evil Tree and the Platinum Dragon Lord's offspring.
Even though this was the edge of the Sixth Floor, letting those two run wild was not an option. So before the plan began, the Brightness Dragon Lord had sought out Sebas.
While he and the Vampiric Dragon Lord dealt with the Platinum Dragon Lord, Sebas had been responsible for stopping the battle between the Evil Tree and the young dragon.
"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
"Mm, go ahead."
Sebas nodded, returning to his usual butler attire. He picked up the young dragon and departed the Sixth Floor in a flash.
The Brightness Dragon Lord watched until he disappeared from sight.
"For someone with such overwhelming power, his temperament is surprisingly decisive. And he still shows a trace of compassion toward the weak."
The Vampiric Dragon Lord walked over.
"He does not agree with our plan. If that young dragon truly tried to attack the Platinum Dragon Lord, he would definitely step in to stop it."
The Brightness Dragon Lord replied calmly, then turned his gaze.
"Let's go. It's time to report to our King."
...
Before long, the unconscious Evil Tree slowly woke up.
Like a lost child, it looked around in confusion and instinctively tried to return to the cave.
But an invisible barrier, solid as an iron wall, blocked its path.
The Evil Tree tried several more times, only to fail each time. In the end, it could do nothing but take root at the cave entrance, looking utterly dejected.
It had been beaten up for no reason.
And now it could not even go home.
Even with its limited intelligence, a deep sense of sorrow welled up inside it, as if it might burst into tears at any moment.
Brightness: Did you really think there was no reason I let you eat your fill today?
***
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