Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 171 - 170 Another Use

Chapter 171: Chapter 170 Another Use

"I’m back again."

So far, what Leon cared most about was his equipment. Comparatively, ruling Watchtower Port could be put on hold.

On the second day after returning to Watchtower Port, after bidding farewell to Tassera and inspecting the work of the Efreeti and Cecilia, he once again went to the Lost Plateau. At this moment, he was descending toward the Cloud Giant’s castle.

The Cloud Giant Mankus was tending to his garden. Pumpkins as big as carriages no longer caught his attention—he was aiming for pumpkins as big as small houses. When he saw the Red Dragon appear in the sky, circling once before landing in his courtyard, Mankus felt a headache coming on.

"Last time, I asked you to help me find a Fire Giant Furnace Master who could craft dragon armor. How’s the search coming along?" Facing the enormous Cloud Giant, Leon did not shift into human form but maintained his dragon form.

For now, he lacked the strength to act as he pleased. At the very least, when dealing with giants, it was necessary to maintain a certain level of deference. If possible, he still hoped to resolve things peacefully by seeking out some Fire Giants to craft equipment for him.

Given the circumstances, the best option would be to find a Fire Giant Furnace Master skilled in traditional Rune Magic to help. This way, he could at least acquire a piece of rare-grade equipment.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t consider outrightly seizing the Fire Giant Fortress and forcibly enslaving Fire Giants to work unless he had no choice.

Firstly, when facing Fire Giants who might slack off or harbor ulterior motives, he would have no effective countermeasures. Most importantly, while he could enslave ordinary Fire Giants, he had no way of compelling the powerful Fire Giant Furnace Masters to work for him.

"I trust you haven’t forgotten the task I gave you," Leon continued, entirely forgetting that the Cloud Giant was not one of his subordinates.

Red Dragon! I am NOT your subordinate. Mankus really wanted to say that but held back, remembering how his Storm Hammer one struck the Red Dragon’s head, only to be bounced back.

This Red Dragon just had an unpleasant way of talking. Surprisingly, he was willing to negotiate—a far cry from other Red Dragons who arrogantly demanded tributes. Otherwise, he would fight to his last breath... Mankus quickly convinced himself to let it go and said, "I found one."

Giants value rank and hierarchy. Even the most accomplished Fire Giant Craftsman would rank lower than the poorest Cloud Giant. As a Cloud Giant, ordering a Fire Giant Furnace Master around was somewhat difficult, but simply finding one was an almost effortless task. Such a trivial matter—Mankus didn’t mind helping the Red Dragon ask around.

"I’ve acquired refined gold and mithril," Leon said, striking the ground with his tail. "Now I need you to establish contact with this Fire Giant Furnace Master so they can craft equipment for me."

"I’ve already made contact..." Mankus paused, then added, "I told them you were a Silver Dragon. If I didn’t say that, they wouldn’t agree to craft equipment for a Red Dragon..."

The animosity between giants and dragons ran deep. However, when it came to trade, profits could change the narrative entirely. In this case, relations between Fire Giants and Red Dragons were particularly strained due to frequent territorial disputes. Convincing a Fire Giant to forge equipment for a Red Dragon was indeed challenging.

Mankus’s approach was something Leon could fully accept. He was a pragmatic dragon who didn’t sweat the small stuff as long as the problem was resolved.

Mankus rambled on at length, but his true intent came out in the last part of his speech: "The Fire Giant Furnace Master is the finest of Fire Giant Craftsmen. To enlist their help, you’ll need to pay. Normally, they don’t ask for money—they prefer refined gold, mithril, or slaves. It was only after my persuasion that I convinced them to accept Gold Coins instead."

Mankus quoted a figure that made Leon’s eyes widen in shock. "How much? Say that number again—how much? This is outright robbery! We rob others, not the other way around!"

"I’m aware of your giants’ complex hierarchical system of organization. On a large scale, and even within smaller circles, Cloud Giants rank themselves by wealth. That’s why every Cloud Giant is obsessed with accumulating wealth..." Leon couldn’t help but issue a threat. "If I seize your castle right now, it should be enough to cover the cost."

"The money isn’t for me—I wouldn’t take even a single coin from you," Mankus grumbled. This was true; he simply wanted to stay as far away from the Red Dragon as possible. There were countless ways for him to make money—no need to provoke the dragon unnecessarily.

Leon stared at Mankus for ten seconds. Believing the Cloud Giant was not lying, he said, "I don’t want to resort to plunder, but sometimes I have no choice... I’ll go raid a few Fire Giant Fortresses, gather the materials, and hand them to you, so you can take them to the Fire Giant Furnace Master to craft my gear."

Mankus was stunned by Leon’s words. "You’ll raid Fire Giant Fortresses and then give me the spoils? That won’t work! People might think I orchestrated the heist. Either way, I’d be labeled an accomplice."

"You won’t do this, you won’t do that—are you deliberately working against me?" Leon roared. "When a tiger doesn’t bare its fangs, you think it’s a sick cat... I feel I’ve been quite reasonable. Any other Red Dragon would’ve stolen your castle by now."

Mankus believed Leon. Any other Red Dragon would have likely resorted to plunder immediately. However, he was no pushover either. Strong Cloud Giants feared no Red Dragon. Although giants rarely convened in large numbers, none were truly isolated. Every clan or individual knew their closest neighbors’ locations. A single call could summon aid.

"Speaking of which, I still haven’t settled the score with you for last time," Leon snorted and exhaled sharply. Unfortunately, no smoke or flames came out.

"I already compensated you and the Green Dragon," Mankus retorted loudly.

"That was two times ago. You apologized to me and my companion back then," Leon countered. "I’m talking about the last time—you claimed to have been misled by slander and coaxed us into dealing with Cultists. We went, only to encounter a Mature Red Dragon."

"I didn’t coax you—you acted of your own volition," Mankus rebutted but sounded somewhat guilty.

"Whether you did or didn’t, you know it better than anyone," Leon retorted. "Do you have any idea how badly injured I got fighting that Red Dragon? Do you know it took me years of recovery before I dared venture out again as a young dragon?"

Without mentioning exact specifics, Leon exaggerated where convenient and downplayed where it suited him, becoming something of a statistical manipulator.

"Wait a second," Mankus suddenly interjected, "Did you just say you defeated him? Angmog? Back then, you were still a juvenile dragon, weren’t you? A juvenile dragon beating a Mature Red Dragon?"

"You know I’m no ordinary Red Dragon," Leon reflected before stating, "You’ve probably never seen my full strength. Maybe I should give you a demonstration."

"No, no, that’s not necessary," Mankus waved him off quickly. He pondered: No wonder Angmog had been so quiet the past few months—it turned out he had been defeated and injured. If this defeat was so severe, or so unique, no wonder Angmog was biding his time.

Leon noticed the change in Mankus’s gaze. "Compared to a few years ago, I’ve grown stronger. So... how are you going to settle this?"

"I’m not a Demon," Leon added, rising to his feet and flexing his wings. "The amount you mentioned can definitely be negotiated—how about a 50% discount? I’ll hand over all the refined gold and mithril I have right now, and you cover the rest. Consider it a loan—I’ll pay you back later."

"This..." Mankus mumbled. Of course, he was unwilling—trusting a Red Dragon was difficult. If it were a lawful and good Silver Dragon, he might begrudgingly agree.

"How about I leave you collateral, then?" Leon suddenly recalled a recent acquisition. How fortuitous—it would come in handy. "An artifact capable of altering destiny."

"What kind of artifact?" Mankus was intrigued.

"A set of Impermanence Cards," Leon replied. He wasn’t especially attached to the cards. They were merely a collector’s item in his eyes. Offering them as collateral carried no emotional weight.

The Impermanence Cards, as a legendary artifact, contained immense power. They weren’t suited for storage in the Sleeve of the Universe’s limited space. Since his castle and villa weren’t yet built—thereby lacking a vault—the cards might as well be entrusted to the Cloud Giant for safekeeping.

Additionally, the Impermanence Cards might draw attention from others—figures like the Comet Pioneers, Death Fear Punisher, and Blazing Sky Barrier. It might be better for the Cloud Giant to test the waters. Moreover, the female-faced Sphinx was still alive and might cause trouble.

"The Impermanence Cards are rare treasures," Leon persuaded. "You Cloud Giants love gambling, don’t you? Imagine a gathering where others pull out ordinary decks, and you present the Impermanence Cards. You’ll be the star of the show."

Mankus was tempted.

"Don’t push your luck," Leon decided to apply some pressure. "If you keep hesitating, I might get angry again."

"Fine! Fine," Mankus relented.

Whether it was the Tear Claw, the Dragon’s Jaw, or dragon armor, all these counted as magic equipment, which could be adjusted during the crafting process. It didn’t matter whether a Red Dragon or Silver Dragon wore them. The only restriction was that ultra-large dragons couldn’t wear gear meant for large dragons, and vice versa. Hence, Leon didn’t need to provide specific measurements.

Leon handed over the refined gold and mithril to the Cloud Giant as a deposit and then left the Lost Plateau shortly after.

How long it would take to obtain the equipment was uncertain. Even with the skilled craftsmanship of a Fire Giant Furnace Master, it might take six months to a year. This was because Leon placed high demands on the Tear Claw and Dragon’s Jaw. For the dragon armor—beyond looking stylish—he had no requirements. After all, no armor, no matter how exquisite, could compare to the resilience of his Vajra Body.

With that hopeful thought for the future, Leon returned to the Volcanic Island, dove into the volcano’s molten lava, and shut his eyes to rest.

Having settled the equipment matters, another task was ticked off the list. Now, the question was whether Tassera could convince the Brass Dragon to come over. If not, he would have to handle it himself. By comparison, the issue of ruling Watchtower Port seemed far less urgent.