After a few twists and turns, passing through a cramped dirt road that ran through sand, mud, and weeds, the troops stopped again in the Black Cedar Forest.
Count Brendel and Roy were already there waiting to receive them.
Through the small window, he looked around and did not find any traces of a camp. There were few people here, the environment was harsh, and poisonous creatures were everywhere. It was hard to imagine that a lord would stay in this place.
There were also very few guards around him, only a few dozen people, but they were all capable and seemed to be the trusted aides chosen from the loyal troops.
Caesar got out of the carriage.
"Welcome."
Count Brendel looked the same as before, his eyebrows and clothes were the same, but in the assessment device, his ability value was only five, much lower than the attendants around him.
This time it should be a real person, right?
Caesar thought.
Without much formalities, the Brendel led him to a temporary straw hut and sat down. In the simple environment, they began to sign the contract and become allies.
The content of the contract had been drafted long ago, and the count had already written the name "Stein Brendel", waiting for Tangerine to arrive and hand it directly to him.
Caesar took it, glanced at it, put it on the short table, and wrote "Garen Tangerine" again. Then he put the feather pen aside and stared at the Brendel's reaction.
The contract still did not take effect.
The count paused, a trace of surprise and annoyance flashed in his eyes, but then he concealed it well and said with a smile, "Lord Tangerine, Brendel has shown full sincerity.
Now it's your turn. "
"No."
He said, "Now it's your turn."
The bonfire was burning, and a few bolts of lightning flashed across the gloomy sky.
Roy slowly got up, and even he did not know why he took two steps back.
He stared at the Forest Sprite that had been silent and weak, and his brows furrowed.
What's going on?
Suspicion filled his chest, and Count Tangerine's inexplicable words made him feel uneasy.
We've confirmed it.
Roy tried to comfort himself. Don't be so paranoid, listen to what this noble is going to say next.
"What are you talking about?
I've already signed my name to the God of Freedom. Now it's your turn. Please sign your real name, Your Excellency. "The count was slightly annoyed, but he still explained.
"My true name is Caesar Ortoronzo Tangerine.
Perhaps you have never heard of this name, but this voice, Roy — "
Count Tangerine had always maintained a gentle smile, but in this paragraph, his voice was gradually changing. From the elegant tone of an ordinary southern noble, he quickly turned into a deep, hoarse voice, "— I think you should remember."
The crackling of the bonfire echoed in the camp, as if the stones were responding to it. Roy gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, his whole body shivering.
Black Dragon.
"Bang!"
Brendel also noticed the problem and quickly flipped over the short table in the straw hut. His trusted knights immediately reacted and swarmed over.
"Send us away!" The count shouted.
At the same time, the spellcasters who had been standing silently behind him raised their staffs. None of the guards were slow to react.
However —
The Dustless Land.
The illusory ripples not only dispelled the spellcasters' spells, but also destroyed all the magic items. Under the incredulous gazes of the people, a giant claw reached out from the smoke, and the huge Black Dragon stood with its head held high, occupying their entire vision.
The first to die were the spellcasters. The Great Wizards, whose magic power was sealed, were as fragile as thin paper in front of the black dragon. They were smashed into a pile of mush by the sharp claws. Their flesh and blood were mixed together with the black robe, no longer distinguishable.
Brendel wanted to escape, but he suddenly stopped after taking a step forward. His defensive items had lost their effectiveness, and endless flames surged and poured down on him. His screams were drowned out by the surging flames.
In the next second, the count's clothes and skin began to evaporate, and Stein Brendel fell down, instantly turning into charcoal.
At the back, the deformed servants bared their fangs and claws and fought with the knights. Some of them wanted to escape and call for reinforcements, but they were immediately hit hard and swallowed by the flames.
"Whoosh."
One, two, three — a total of three poisonous arrows were shot towards the black dragon's mouth, eyes, and ears. However, none of them were effective. They were either engulfed by the flames in the air, blocked by the hard eye membrane, or sunk into the ears without causing any damage.
At this time, only Roy could barely maintain his calm. He did not escape, knowing that no one could be faster than the Black Dragon.
The count's second son gripped the bronze sword hilt tightly, glanced at his brother who was too scared to move, and decided to take the risk.
Instead of retreating, he charged towards the Forest Sprite who had been staying beside the Black Dragon.
The scorching heat burned Roy's back like a raging inferno. He began to run, knowing that if there was anything that could help him find a way to survive, it could only be the Forest Sprite.
[I have to use it to threaten the Black Dragon.]
That was Roy's only thought. The knight beside him used his longsword to strike the deformed monster in front of him, but before he could find another opponent, the flames swept through his body, and he rolled on the ground, wailing in pain.
Fire, fire everywhere, it was like a fiery hell.
As he ran, the distance between them was quickly shortened.
But just when he thought he was about to reach the Forest Sprite, the destructive flames swept past him, leaving a wide scorch mark on the ground. His hope was extinguished like a candle in the wind.
"I surrender."
There was no other way. Roy decisively threw down his weapon and showed his empty hands to the enemy. He glanced at his brother who no one cared about and said: "I surrender on behalf of the Brendel family. Let me live, and everything of Kaki's will be yours from now on."
Caesar looked down at the weak but powerful human, greedily enjoying the surging pleasure of being in control of life.
"I can work for you. If you give me a little support, I can control the entire Laiyin Kingdom, and use all the power of the kingdom to help you."
Roy tasted the blood in his mouth, as well as the smell of cooked meat and ashes in the air, and said: "I can swear to all gods that I will always be loyal to you, never take revenge, and never betray you."
He waited for the Black Dragon's reply.
But there was no reply.
The huge black claw grabbed Roy's body, pinching, twisting, twisting twice. Blood and bones seeped out from the gaps between the claw and flowed down with the force of gravity.
Previously, Caesar had hesitated for a moment, not because he was considering whether to let Roy live, but because he was considering whether he should pry the secret of the method to force others to swear loyalty to him.
In the end, the Black Dragon gave up on this plan.
Nothing was free. If you wanted to obtain unimaginable power, you would have to pay an unimaginable price. Some things that were beyond your knowledge were better not to be tainted.
Since he didn't even know about it, he naturally wouldn't come to him if there was anything.
Throwing away the flesh and blood that was no longer recognizable as a human, the Black Dragon opened his mouth and roared silently. In the blink of an eye, all the humans in the area were killed. Not a single fish escaped the net, and not a single person was left alive.
Immediately after, the shapeshifting monsters that had settled down began to disguise themselves again, transforming into the appearance of the Brendel family members and knight attendants.
"Leave, I want to burn this place and destroy these traces."
Caesar looked around and then said to the shapeshifting monster leader, "Kaki, I'll leave the human affairs here to you for the time being. Listen to my orders and don't let me down."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
The clan leader disguised as Count Brendel knelt in front of him and kissed the Black Dragon's toes, "Everything we have is yours."
The flames surged like a volcano erupting, and the land was completely engulfed in flames. The Black Dragon's breath burned everything.
After a long time, Caesar spread his wings and returned to his territory with the little guy clinging to his neck.
— —
End of Volume One.