Evil dragon has a warm heart
Chapter 399 - 399 398 The Great Spirit of Sacrifice

Chapter 399: Chapter 398: The Great Spirit of Sacrifice Chapter 399: Chapter 398: The Great Spirit of Sacrifice Flying Dragon Knights, right in the midst of Shadowflame Volcano, completed their team formation.

A total of twelve Flying Dragon Knights, Russell and Count Merlin would join the Dragon Blood Knights, guarding the Dragon Blood Knights as they patrolled the border.

Meanwhile, the other nine Flying Dragon Knights formed teams of three to go hunting on the Snowfields—Drella was a newcomer, so he followed behind Kunbifu’s team of Flying Dragon Knights to learn, making it a four-member Flying Dragon Knight team.

Baron Roman, though he did not come, had Russell take his place and join a team in his stead.

The meeting ended.

The Flying Dragon Knights dispersed, but Count Merlin had Russell stay behind, the grandfather and grandson still sitting cross-legged in the midst of Shadowflame Volcano.

Gazing at the Shadowflame Dragon in the magma.

“Russell.”

“Grandfather, please speak,” Russell replied.

“You must be wondering why your grandfather insists on being so reckless, tempting the Snow Giant Da to act,” Count Merlin said, looking at the Shadowflame Dragon.

“Somewhat,” Russell answered. “But I can still understand the overall intent.”

In the March newsletter, the Council of Elders’ decision had been clearly announced: first, the Demon Subduing Order would continue to be carried out, and second, the Knight Regiments were called upon to advance to the Snowfields, to further undermine Snow Giant Da with a strategy of pulling the fuel from under the pot.

“Indeed, Snow Giant Da presses in step by step, hoping to besiege my Grand Duchy into distress,” Count Merlin said with a cold laugh. “I will do the opposite. Snow Giant Da has been repeatedly dealt heavy blows, and I won’t give it a chance to catch its breath!”

“Many will die, Grandfather,” Russell said.

“Knights are like crops in the field, one batch after another,” Count Merlin said coldly. “If this can delay Snow Giant Da’s recovery time, then the sacrifice is worthwhile, and I am also willing to make that sacrifice.”

Russell was taken aback.

Then he understood something and also looked at the Shadowflame Dragon: “Grandfather, this is His Highness Shadowflame’s intention, isn’t it?”

Trading time for time.

Delaying Snow Giant Da’s time to recover, granting the Shadowflame Dragon time to heal, and more importantly, it gave Russell and Little Dream Dragon time to grow.

Clearly, this tactic was the Shadowflame Dragon’s plan, for only the Shadowflame Dragon knew that delaying until the birth of the Little Dream Dragon would spell the downfall of Snow Giant Da. No one else, including Count Merlin, could have such confidence.

Even in the eyes of most people, Snow Giant Da was the stronger party.

The two encounters between Snow Giant Da and the Shadowflame Dragon had shattered the illusions of many about the might of the Shadowflame Dragon.

The Shadowflame Dragon seemed… too illusory.

The Shadowflame Dragon in the magma offered no response, yet Count Merlin casually smiled, “Why can’t it be my decision?”

“Because, Grandfather, you don’t know the source of confidence for His Highness Shadowflame,” Russell smiled.

Count Merlin glanced at the Shadowflame Dragon and then at Russell, having his suspicions, he stroked his beard and laughed, “It seems, Russell, that you and His Highness Shadowflame have already reached a strong understanding, confident in completely resolving Snow Giant Da.”

“Although there is an understanding,” Russell said to Count Merlin for the first part, then looked directly at the Shadowflame Dragon for the latter, “Your Highness Shadowflame, there’s no need to rush so, is there? We have time on our side.”

To nurture the birth of the Little Dream Dragon.

Russell could go hunting Snow Demons on the Snowfields himself, after all, he did not need to fear Snow Giant Da, and could take or leave the Ice Soul Pearls as he pleased.

Gurgle Gurgle.

The magma churned.

The Shadowflame Dragon, which hadn’t stirred for a long while, suddenly opened its eyes, and magical draconic language resounded together, “Beyond the Shadowflame in the south, a new power is converging. Da, the urgent task at hand is that Shadowflame can’t wait any longer.”

“A new force is coalescing?” Russell frowned, puzzled. “Are you saying that another Snow Giant has been born?”

“Shadowflame does not know, but Shadowflame must prepare,” the Shadowflame Dragon said, and then closed its eyes again.

Count Merlin, who naturally also spoke the language of dragons, took over, “Whether it’s a new Snow Giant or not, Snow Giant Da must be eliminated as soon as possible. With dangers both ahead and behind, it’s the Shadowflame Grand Duchy that is truly at risk. Along with issuing the Demon Subduing Order, I plan to send Mel on a mission to the Scorching Torrent Kingdom to state our case.”

“Will the kingdom send aid?”

“I don’t know.”

“Eh.”

“Truth be told, my strength is too limited to see the world as the dragons do. So what that Dragon Knight King truly intends, is beyond my conjecture,” Count Merlin sighed. “All I can do is humanly possible and leave the rest to fate, hoping that the King, considering the difficulty of human survival, will provide assistance.”

“But, Grandfather, you’ve said that maybe the kingdom has long harbored the thought of sacrificing our nation,” Russell thought of a terrifying possibility.

Perhaps the Scorching Torrent Kingdom had known of the newly born Snow Giant all along.

To utterly eradicate this Snow Giant, they would not hesitate to sacrifice the Shadowflame Grand Duchy in exchange for the kingdom’s border stability.

Count Merlin stretched and yawned, “I do not know; human efforts have their limits. My only wish right now is to eliminate Snow Giant Da. As for whether another Snow Giant will appear, let His Highness Shadowflame worry about that.”

A short while later.

With a voice that held neither joy nor sorrow, the magic power dragon language resounded, “Little Merlin, focus on your work. When the time comes, sacrificing Shadowflame might indeed be the best option. Now go, Shadowflame has a few words for Russell.”

Count Merlin stood and bowed, “Then I will take my leave.”

After Count Merlin had left, the Shadowflame Dragon still had its eyes closed, yet dragon words were swirling around Russell’s ears, “The strife between ice and fire has not subsided in five thousand years, and it will not end with Shadowflame. Russell, you and Ice Cream are fortunate to have Shadowflame’s protection.”

“Yes, Your Highness Shadowflame,” Russell admitted.

If he lived in the Scorching Torrent Kingdom, he might have already been seized by that Dragon Knight King to be experimented on like a lab rat.

A man who is innocent may be blamed for possessing a gem.

Ice Cream, an unborn dragon, paired with Russell, was akin to a child flaunting gold at a busy market intersection; being robbed was inevitable.

Fortunately, the Shadowflame Dragon had no knight, no constraints of “human nature,” and its “dragon nature” was too proud to stoop to stealing from a junior. Thus, Russell was able to grow up safely and slowly with the Little Dream Dragon, awaiting the day of their revealing.

“You could be even luckier,” the Shadowflame Dragon spoke.

“What do you mean?”

“Sacrifice varies by the situation; one type is to sacrifice land, another is to sacrifice a dragon,” the Shadowflame Dragon spoke calmly, “If necessary, Shadowflame will choose to sacrifice itself to save the Shadowflame Grand Duchy, where you and Ice Cream can erupt anew from the ashes of the Shadowflame Volcano!”

The Shadowflame Dragon opened its eyes, with Russell’s reflection in its vertical pupils, “Standing atop Shadowflame’s remains, rebuild the Shadowflame Grand Duchy!”

Russell and the Shadowflame Dragon locked gazes.

In that instant, he was flooded with indescribable emotions. A majestic dragon spoke openly of life and death as if it were just a fleeting landscape on the human journey, beautiful yet quickly forgotten.

“We haven’t come to that point, Your Highness Shadowflame,” Russell responded.

“Of course, we haven’t come to that point!” the Shadowflame Dragon lifted its head high, gazing into the expanse of the sky, “Kill Snow Giant Da, and Shadowflame will be greatly replenished. When Ice Cream is born and we join forces to slay the other Snow Giant, Shadowflame will be replenished once again!”

The more it spoke, the more excited the Shadowflame Dragon became, “Once replenished, Shadowflame will personally wrest hope from Torrent’s clutch, making this vile thief, pay its hope as the price, roar roar roar!”

The mood shifted abruptly.

Watching the excited Shadowflame Dragon, Russell was speechless; the emotions stirred by the dragon’s willingness for self-sacrifice evaporated.

But this did not prevent him from going along with the Shadowflame Dragon’s words, “Your Highness Shadowflame, Ice Cream and I will certainly help you take back hope.”