"Saladin, tell me, is Kargon just boasting? If we get to the Dragons Territory and find out that guy lied to me, even if you stop me, I'm going to kick his butt hard!"
Several short, stout Dwarves leaned weakly against the ship's cabin, their muscular bodies appearing like useless decorations under their dispirited expressions.
These Dwarves, who preferred living deep in underground caves or on high mountains, were formidable warriors on land, brave and unmatched, but on water, they were a bunch of weaklings because they suffered from seasickness.
Even after a period of adaptation, these Dwarves on the ship were like frost-bitten eggplants, devoid of their usual vitality.
Saladin, a Dwarf who braided his yellowish-brown beard into delicate little pigtails, leaned weakly on his great axe, his voice as weak as if he were sick.
"Cough, cough, Kargon likes to brag, but he wouldn't lie to his friends, Jara. If Kalon really lied to us, I'll join you in hanging him up and then painting his bird with red chili water!"
"Haha, I like that suggestion," a weak voice sounded, and Jara, another Dwarf with a thick beard, laughed loudly.
"Whoo-hoo, we're here! We're almost at the Golden Land!" Cheers from the crew and many others came from the ship's deck.
These seemingly weak Dwarves perked up, one after another, walking out of the cabin, onto the deck, and looking into the distance.
The azure sky was clear for thousands of miles, almost blending into the equally clear, shallow sea of the same color, giving these Dwarves the feeling that the ship was traveling in a crack between heaven and earth.
Especially as they approached the Golden Coast, the number of ships coming and going gradually increased, making the wide sea crowded. Ships flying the flags of various noble territories and merchant group symbols sailed past, a thousand sails competing.
In the distant sky, countless gulls and swallows took off and landed near the coast, and some seabirds even dived directly into the sea, catching their prey from the water.
A massive blue Dragon was soaring in the sky near the coast, dispelling the dark clouds and storms gradually gathering in the distant sky, to prevent heavy rain from affecting the transport in nearby harbors.
And in the distant Golden Coast, which was already visible to the naked eye, a massive white castle was built on a huge reef extending from the land into the sea, its tall, straight white body like a cliff standing in the ocean.
Countless ships sailed not far from the castle, their tall sails not even half the height of this castle.
In the waters near the harbor where many ships were docked, there were also countless fishermen driving small boats to fish for fish and shellfish in the nearshore, each grinning as they cast their woven fishing nets.
And young men and boys were actually riding dolphins and sharks in the sea, herding fish for their families.
"Whoo-hoo, let's see whose partner is stronger! Charge!"
These boys and young men, while riding various dolphins and sharks to herd fish, happily shouted and cheered, competing for speed, seeing whose partner could swim faster in the sea.
A boy with a worried expression patted the octopus under him, whispering to comfort his partner, "Don't be disheartened, Octopus, even if we're not as fast as them, we have more hands."
There was even an exceptionally strong boy who was riding a massive killer whale, battling the waves in the deep waters in the distance, herding large schools of fish that were clearly visible even from the deck.
There were also some medium-sized merchant ships, staying in the deep sea, with Fishmen jumping into the sea under compulsion, retrieving giant clams and treasures from the deep sea for these merchants.
Many of these fish-like creatures driven by humans were intelligent and spiritual marine creatures that the True Dragon had subdued and tamed to influence and control the sea areas of the territory.
These creatures had a natural affinity for the residents of the Dragon Clan Territory, and many were willing to form partnerships with the people of the Dragon Clan Territory. The price was that they had to be given a small half of the fish caught in the fishermen's nets.
This was a win-win relationship for both sides; with the help of these creatures, fishermen would catch more fish.
And these creatures also didn't need to catch prey one or a few at a time; each time they hunted, it would take a lot of time to fill their stomachs.
And some other marine creatures were due to magic enslavement scrolls.
The former wandering Mage Lazi, unable to bear the exploitation of his companions who treated him like a beast of burden, closed his small magic shop out of exhaustion.
And because the recruitment price offered by the Dragon Clans Territory was so tempting, this skillful wandering Mage, along with several of his companions, joined the Dragon Clans Territory, becoming one of the Mages loyal to the Dragon clan.
It must be said that although the wandering Mage Lazi's magical attainments in other areas were not considered brilliant, he had a unique talent in drawing magic scrolls.
An ordinary Mage's success rate in drawing scrolls being 30% was considered Passed (qualified), reaching 50% was excellent, but Mage Lazi's success rate in drawing scrolls astonishingly reached 85%, no wonder this Mage was treated like a beast of burden.
However, after joining the Dragon Clans Territory, the wandering Mage no longer had to work as hard as before. He was now assigned to the Dragon clan Basic Academy, serving as a professor of magic scrolls.
He was responsible for teaching the knowledge of drawing magic scrolls to the students.
This increased the supply of magic scrolls, and their prices also dropped somewhat.
In addition, the Dragon Clans Territory now began to emphasize basic cultural construction and had established quite comprehensive cooperation with the High Mage Association.
Now, every child newly born and grown to five years old, or any resident who had not been tested before and was not older than fifteen, could go to the qualification testing agencies under the Department of Magical Integration for testing.
Then the Department of Magical Integration would assign courses based on the talents and strengths of these individuals.
The territory did not require these individuals to have profound magical attainments or power; it only required them to be diligent and responsible in their finally assigned positions.
Magic production could also have a streamlined production model.
As a result, the prices of many magical items within the territory were driven down. Although the techniques of these individuals were not sufficiently brilliant, and the materials used were all inferior and reduced, they were cheap enough.
Outside, a genuine magic enslavement scroll started at five silver coins, but in the Dragons Territory, it only cost three silver coins or even less.
Some magic scrolls used for practice could even be bought for just one silver coin. Although such scrolls only lasted for a short year or two and required the use of related scrolls again, these scrolls were the best sellers because an ordinary family could afford them.
"No matter if Kalon lied or not, I've decided to forgive him," the Dwarf Jara said happily, "I love this place."
Jara held a bowl full of iced fruit wine, the chilling ice cubes swirling in the rich wine. He took a satisfying gulp, letting out a burp.
"Mmm, I love this place," Jara said.
It wasn't just the sights and sounds on the way into Golden City, the crowded and prosperous atmosphere like a wealthy city in the Central Continent, the streets bustling with people, and the shouts of merchants filling the entire city.
Nor was it just the various races and creatures, though they had conflicts and friction, they coexisted harmoniously: the short but cunning Green Goblin, the rude and honest brown-skinned Orcs;
Barbarian covered in totems who spent money without a thought, Trolls who could only enter the city gates after bathing, red-eyed Gnoll, and Human residents who always loved to haggle with vendors, etc.
Nor was it just the Golden City's unique Greek-style architecture, which, to cater to the True Dragon's aesthetic, embraced the idea that big is good, and giant is beautiful, resulting in solemn, elegant, magnificent, and sublime styles.
There were also the clean and wide flagstone pavements covering the entire Golden City, the public toilets set up every other street, and the bustling True Dragon Library.
There was also the Dragon clan Academy, where many students always tried to rush into the street only to be driven back by the Kobold Soldiers guarding the gate, and the most lively True Dragon Arena and the exciting Gladiator Arena.
Most importantly, those cups of iced fine wine made these Dwarves feel an infinite fondness for this city.
The climate in the True Dragon's territory was mostly hot, so the merchants and residents in the territory had developed the practice of chilling wine with ice.
But in other places, ice, something that didn't seem like a luxury, was a daily luxury that only some nobles could freely use.
Moreover, although the Dragon Clan Territory's grain was not yet sufficient for large-scale wine production, its fruit resources were practically endless, so various flavors of fruit wine also became a popular specialty product of the Dragon Clans Territory.
"Burp," the Dwarf Saladin also let out a satisfied burp. He raised his voice and asked the wine merchant, the Dwarf's naturally loud voice standing out even in the noisy environment.
He asked, "Burp, brother, honestly, the taste of iced wine is damn good. I, Saladin, simply love this feeling."
"But honestly, brother, glug glug, burp, only nobles are worthy of using such clean and pure ice,"
"Glug glug, I've never tasted anything like this before. How can you use them in such cheap alcohol? Ice is much more expensive than alcohol, burp!"
The wine vendor was a Halfling. These clever and capable opportunists could find a place anywhere, especially in settlements of various races.
The Halfling smiled. These Dwarves were excellent customers, always generous when drinking. It wasn't that they could pay for two cups with one, but rather that they ordered a dozen or more at once, which was dozens of times the sales volume of those humans who preferred to buy half a cup at a time.
The Halfling extended his finger and pointed to the distant, cloud-shrouded mountain peak, which seemed to be at the edge of the sky. That was the Nest of Dragons, the capital of the territory, and the location of the Warriors' Sanctuary.
On a flat plain, a person's eyesight, not considering air visibility and other factors, can see over a hundred kilometers away.
An ordinary person's eyesight can see a point of candlelight dozens of kilometers away, but from a high mountain, one can see six hundred li into the distance.
Although the Golden City is more than four hundred li from the Nest of Dragons, on the one hand, the eyesight of these Dwarves is much better than that of ordinary humans, and the tall forests in the areas around the Golden City have been cleared, so they do not obstruct their vision.
On the other hand, the mountains where the True Dragonss reside are constantly drawing energy from deep within the earth's core to grow. The highest peak has already reached over two thousand meters. Although not very high, it is enough for these Dwarves to already see the faintly visible mountain peak in the distance.
"This is the property of Lord Camid and Young King Germott. Thanks to the generosity of the Dragon Lord, these ice cubes are supplied to the territory at an extremely low price,"
"If your vision were as far-sighted and sharp as those powerful Dragon Lords, perhaps you could even see many people collecting ice on the twin mountain peaks!"
The Halfling boasted proudly.
In fact, even a True Dragon's eyesight is not enough to see hidden figures in mountains hundreds of kilometers away from the ground. However, the territory's residents always boast and deify their rulers positively, or disparage and demonize them negatively.
"Oh, what a business-savvy True Dragon, a generous Lord," Seradin smacked his lips and exclaimed, "Come on, brother, give us another big cup! Your craftsmanship is simply superb, just as excellent as my weapon forging skills!"
The Halfling smilingly brought out the wine barrel and refilled the drinks for these Dwarves who had stayed in this area for several days without leaving.
As for Kargom, the Dwarf blacksmith official who had proactively written to recruit friends, he had been temporarily forgotten by these Dwarves.
Perhaps only when all the money on these Dwarves was spent on alcohol would they remember their fellow clansman, Kalon, who was still waiting for news.
...
"Daddy, daddy, can this be eaten?" "No, that can't!"
"Daddy, daddy, what's that? It looks delicious, can it be eaten?" "That can't either!"
"Daddy, you smell delicious, can I take a bite!" "..."
Two chubby little snakes blinked their round black eyes, looking very cute, but their words were not so cute.
The two Titanoboas were less than a meter long after birth, but they had fat heads, big mouths, and wanted to taste everything except their own eggshells.
The whole small lamb Kalon had the Elf maid serve was swallowed whole by these two chubby Pythons, one bite per snake, completing their first meal since birth.
Currently, the two snake cubs, whose bellies were only slightly bulging if not looked at closely, were being carried by Kalon's tail tip to the front of the castle, whose main structure was almost complete.
The wide and tall castle, large enough for a True Dragon's body to easily enter and exit, has now been largely completed externally, thanks to the efforts of countless slaves and War Treants. Especially after the War Treants joined, the construction speed of the castle significantly increased.
Now, the wide backyard outside the castle has also been completed, but it is bare, with no ornamental plants planted yet, and the fountain with the True Dragon statue in the center of the garden has not yet drawn water, all awaiting subsequent repairs.
Kalon's arrival did not alarm the diligently building slaves and Treants. The accompanying Elf maids had already driven the other craftsmen out of the garden, creating a quiet environment for Kalon.
Kalon came to the center of the garden, next to the fountain, where he would plant the World Tree seed.
Although the safest place in the entire territory is certainly Kalon's Dragon Nest, the extreme magical presence in that place is not suitable for the growth of the World Tree, and the volcano connected to the earth's core is also not an environment the World Tree likes.
So Kalon chose to plant the World Tree in the backyard of his future Fortress, which will also become the most heavily guarded place in the future.
Moreover, he is not worried that the space in this place will hinder the future growth of the World Tree. Kalon does not need to use spatial magic; the World Tree will naturally have the ability to open up space after it grows.
Two slender Elf maids were swinging hoes, digging a pit in the ground.
Although Kalon could complete these tasks with a single spell, he never suppressed his subordinates' desire to perform. This is a good thing for a ruler.
The two Pythons that slipped off Kalon's tail tip wiggled their chubby bodies and swam to the busy, sweating Elf maids.
The slightly larger snake cub extended its still pink forked tongue to probe the pheromones in the air, then blinked its round black eyes and asked Kalon, who was squatting nearby, with an expectant look: "Daddy, can these two be eaten?"
The other snake cub, slightly smaller but equally chubby, also widened its round eyes, waiting for Kalon's answer with an expectant look.
The two Elf maids swinging hoes beside them suddenly stiffened. Although they knew this Red Dragon would not casually dispose of those around him, the True Dragon's character was always unpredictable in the hearts of these Elves.
They dared not guarantee what the Red Dragon might do.
"Heh heh," Kalon's massive body, even when squatting, was like a red boulder. In his eyes, the two Titanoboa cubs were like two small worms, beings that could be crushed with a single finger.
He lowered his head slightly, his naturally indifferent, perfect ruby-like crimson eyes approaching the two expectant snake cubs, like an incredibly terrifying giant beast staring at ants beneath its feet.
"You two, although you have unexpectedly gained my affection, this affection is not unlimited indulgence," Kalon's crimson vertical pupils showed a hint of impatience with the mischievous children.
"You had best quickly learn and understand what should be done and what should not be done, otherwise, if you make an unbearable mistake, I don't mind letting other True Dragon taste a delicious snack!"
"Oh, Daddy, don't scare me, your temper is too fiery!" The larger snake cub blinked its eyes and quietly retracted its tongue.
"Daddy, daddy, don't eat us," the slightly smaller snake cub's round eyes widened, and it said in a soft, childish voice, "From now on, we'll only eat what Daddy allows us to eat, and things that don't listen to Daddy!"
Kalon retracted his head. He scratched his chin with his True Dragon claw, and suddenly felt that these two snake cubs weren't all that mischievous.
"How about, one of you is named 'Can Eat?' and the other 'Cannot Eat'?" Kalon nodded slightly, indicating that his idea was great!
"Daddy, daddy, that name doesn't sound good," the smaller snake cub said softly, "Can you give us another name?"
"Alright, let me think again!" For the first time, Kalon conceded on a matter he had already decided.
While thinking, Kalon threw the World Tree seed into the soil and had the Elf maids bury it.
As soon as it was buried and watered with spring water taken from the magical spring in the Green Field Forest Plane, a tender green sprout eagerly emerged from the deeply buried soil.
A tender sapling swayed its branches and leaves in the breeze, making its request to Kalon, "Daddy, I want a name too!"