Southern Atlan Continent, Kingdom of Lothern, deep within the Royal Court.
In the vast and magnificent hall, Crystal Princess Elena stood alone, her slender figure appearing all the more graceful in the grand space.
The interior of the hall eschewed gaudy and redundant decorations; only in the very center stood an astrolabe, quietly waiting.
It had a unique design, appearing to be composed of countless precisely interlocking miniature planets and complex star trails, with countless magic runes engraved on its surface, emitting a deep and mysterious light throughout.
She took a light, deep breath.
Afterward, Elena walked with light steps to the space directly beneath the giant astrolabe.
A beam of deep blue light mixed with countless fine runes swept over, silently verifying Elena's authorization as a Royal Princess.
"Good day, noble Princess Elena."
The astrolabe emitted a soft hum, and an elegant female voice came from within. This voice was not a cold mechanical synthesis, but rather carried a certain indescribable, warm emotion akin to humanity.
"Good day."
Elena responded politely.
She stared at the rotating star trails and got straight to the point: "Serel Wilderness, some noteworthy events happened on that land last night. I wish to see it with my own eyes."
Those Magic Satellites that hung high outside Planet Bernardo like stars, watching over the various continents, mostly belonged to the vast Empire.
However, there were also a few brilliant and powerful Kingdom satellites dotted among them, quietly revolving in the night sky, silently observing the events unfolding on the ground.
For instance, the Kingdom of Lothern, with its deep heritage and outstanding magic and alchemy skills, had spent huge sums and top-tier technology to secretly control more than one such eye from the heavens.
Although their coverage was not as extensive as the Empire's, they were by no means insignificant.
Their power was connected and controlled through astrolabes placed in various locations.
As a highly respected princess in the Royal Court.
Even without leaving her home, living deep within the palace walls of the Royal City, Elena could still use the Royal Court's astrolabe to gain a broad perspective, overlooking all living beings, and discern the changing winds and clouds unfolding outside.
The light at the core of the astrolabe pulsed steadily, responding:
"Please provide the specific coordinates and time node you wish to observe, Your Highness."
Elena fluently recited a string of numbers—the precise coordinates of the mine in the middle of the Serel Wilderness in the Duchy of Abel, famous for its high-quality saltpeter—and clearly added: "The time anchor is from last night, in the dead of night."
Upon receiving the precise space-time coordinates, the core of the astrolabe paused slightly.
Immediately.
It began to rotate in reverse.
Hum—!
Beams of brilliant light erupted from the center of the astrolabe, filling every inch of the magnificent hall in an instant.
Light and shadow intertwined, twisted, and reorganized.
Building a shocking, lifelike dynamic scene.
The image began at the moment the Red-Iron Dragon, like a world-ending baleful star, wrapped in red flames and golden thunder, tore through layers of dark clouds from the high heavens and crashed down violently.
That rugged, sturdy figure, radiating boundless ferocity and a sense of power, was clearly reflected in Elena's field of vision.
She subconsciously blinked her beautiful eyes, almost holding her breath.
Her fingers moved slightly, freezing, enlarging, and zooming in on the image... Her gaze carefully examined every steel scale and every muscle line of Garros, inch by inch.
Deep down in her heart.
She really found it hard to connect this ferocious, unstoppable dragon with her own fat Iron Dragon, currently lying on the courtyard carpet, round and lazy, yawning.
If not for the repeated and rigorous cross-verification.
She absolutely could not believe that this Red-Iron Dragon, like an Incarnation of natural disaster, was actually the blood-related brother of Gorton!
Elena moved her fingers again, letting the stagnant, heart-stopping scene of destruction continue to flow.
She felt as if she were in an immersive, real-life drama, witnessing with her own eyes how the Ignas Dragon Flight, with a crushing and unstoppable posture, turned the solid stronghold the Duchy of Abel had operated for many years, along with the desperate soldiers and magic golems within, into powder and ruins in a short time.
A moment later.
She saw that decisive scene.
—The Red-Iron Dragon took a deep breath, spitting out the Dragon Breath that destroyed everything toward the saltpeter mine.
In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains swayed. The terrifying chain reaction of explosions was like hellfire awakening, the soaring flames steaming the rain curtain, blooming in the deep night sky into a flower woven from pure destruction, blood, and death—the cruelest and most gorgeous firework!
The image froze again.
That blooming flower of death became the only light source in the hall at this moment.
"How beautiful..."
Princess Elena whispered, her eyes rippling with brilliance, clearly reflecting the blooming flower of death.
If she were just an unrelated bystander, witnessing this scene would only make her feel trembling and deep fear.
But she was different.
She knew clearly that this firework, which shook the wilderness and lit up the night sky, bloomed for her! It was the fulfillment of the Ignas Dragon Flight's promise to her.
This meant.
She finally possessed a fulcrum to leverage the balance of war and defend the glory of the Kingdom in her own way.
A sense of joy and satisfaction quietly spread in her heart.
After quietly appreciating the beauty of this frozen firework for a moment, she seemed to wake up from a shocking dream, turned off the astrolabe, turned elegantly, and left the hall.
Following the familiar path, she arrived at the courtyard exclusively for Iron Dragon Gorton to rest, which was covered with thick, soft carpets.
Iron Dragon Gorton was originally lying on the carpet in boredom, his huge belly rising and falling slightly with his long breaths.
Seeing Elena's figure appear at the entrance of the courtyard, he immediately perked up, propped up his huge body, and asked with a hint of expectation: "How is it? Are you satisfied with this gift from The Dragon Flight?"
The Crystal Princess walked to him with elegant steps and nodded slowly.
"Of course, I am satisfied." Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying a hint of joy and happiness.
Immediately, she added: "Gorton, tell your kin that I like this gift very much."
Her voice paused slightly, as if she remembered some ancient maxim. She looked at the Iron Dragon and said: "I have heard an old saying—Steel and mead cannot be enjoyed alone; those who fail this path will have their names spat upon by the gods."
Elena reached out and gently patted the thick forepaw of the Iron Dragon, which was covered with cold metal scales, the corners of her lips curling into a smile.
"The Ignas Dragon Flight will receive my return gift very soon."
The Red-Iron Dragon had presented a gift she liked, so she, as the Crystal Princess, naturally would not be stingy with a return gift.
This was not just an exchange of treasures, but a declaration of her firm support.
As for the Federal Garrison in the Serel Wilderness and the small troubles that might arise later, she had already taken care of them.
"What about mine? I am also an indispensable part of the Ignas Dragon Flight! I am an important link!"
Iron Dragon Gorton immediately brought his huge head over, affectionately rubbing against Elena's arm, shamelessly asking for his own share of the hard-earned fee and commission.
Elena did not answer immediately, just tilted her head slightly, staring at Gorton's huge body carefully and for a long time with a gaze that carried a bit of novelty and consideration, making the Iron Dragon feel inexplicably goosebumps.
"Uh... Elena, your eyes are a bit strange,"
Gorton couldn't help but say in a muffled voice: "What are you thinking about? Are you considering what treasure to give me?"
Silence for a few seconds, the air seemed to freeze.
Elena sighed quietly, then said extremely solemnly: "Gorton, I was thinking... perhaps it is time to seriously consider reducing your monthly food budget."
While speaking, her gaze swept over the Iron Dragon's overly prominent belly line.
It was fine before when she hadn't seen a truly powerful and strong dragon, and felt that the Iron Dragon's round and rich appearance was quite honest and cute.
But now, the perfect physique of the Red-Iron Dragon, full of strength and beauty, was deeply imprinted in her mind, making her unable to help but have a thought of transforming her own fat dragon.
"No way!!"
Gorton's heart sank, his huge dragon head immediately shook like a rattle in a strong wind, his resistance was evident, and even the ground of the entire courtyard seemed to be shaking slightly.
"Food money is my lifeblood! Elena! You can't be so cruel!"
Looking at the Iron Dragon's exaggerated reaction, Elena changed the subject and said: "How about this, let's set an incentive plan. For every hundred pounds you successfully lose, I will reward you with a thousand Lothern gold coins, no cap."
She threw out a tempting condition.
Iron Dragon Gorton really didn't have to worry about food and drink in the Royal Court, with all kinds of rare food available, but in terms of treasures that could really make his eyes shine and that he could freely control, Elena had always been quite strict and didn't easily let him touch them.
Hearing the condition Elena offered, Gorton's eyes widened instantly.
One thousand gold coins for one hundred pounds of weight?
This deal seemed doable.
"Okay!!" He puffed out his chest suddenly, trying to suck his belly back in, his thick dragon claws slapped heavily on the carpet, declaring firmly: "It's a deal! Elena!"
"For the gold coins, I must earn at least ten thousand gold coins, no! Twenty thousand!!"