Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 205 - 204 I Didn’t Do It

Chapter 205: Chapter 204 I Didn’t Do It

Despite the Ancient Jade Dragon repeatedly claiming there was no conspiracy or malice, it did nothing to ease the tension in Leon’s tightly wound muscles.

Of course, Leon hadn’t drawn the Catastrophe Blade, nor did he flick out his claws and summon his full battle gear, indicating he hadn’t entered a combat state—he was just on high alert. Although he didn’t fully trust the Ancient Jade Dragon, he believed it to some extent.

After all, it wasn’t some malevolent Demon or devil but merely a Jade Dragon of a lawful neutral alignment. Moreover, he hadn’t provoked this Jade Dragon—or any Gemstone Dragon, for that matter—so there was no reason for an Ancient Jade Dragon to come seeking revenge.

"Everyone knows Jade Dragons are the craftiest and the most manipulative of the Gemstone Dragons," Leon hissed, his forked tongue flicking out as he glared at the Ancient Jade Dragon. "They delight in weaving illusions with their Spiritual Energy to deceive others. Don’t even think about leaving before explaining yourself clearly."

"I just wanted to take a look at you, that’s all." Surprisingly, for an Ancient Dragon—at least 800 years old—the Ancient Jade Dragon’s demeanor was uncharacteristically timid, like a well-behaved student caught watching something inappropriate.

"This isn’t some dragon’s den or tiger’s lair," Leon said dismissively, unaware of how intimidating he appeared to others. Granted, he was respected by many freed slaves, but the landlords and aristocrats whose homes he’d confiscated often raised far louder voices of protest.

"If you wanted to visit, you could have done so openly. Even if you didn’t know who to contact, wait for me to have time, hover visibly a few times in the sky to show goodwill, and slowly descend. Wouldn’t that have been better?" Leon said disdainfully. "Sneaking around invisible? Really? You’re not harboring some hidden agenda, coveting my treasures, are you?"

"Judging by your size, you’re at least an Ancient Dragon, aren’t you? At your age, you still don’t understand basic courtesy?" Leon, who had only a passing understanding of social niceties from his corporate days, said firmly, "Besides, there’s nothing extraordinary about me—just two eyes, one nose, and one mouth."

The Magma Land Shark poked its head out of the molten lava, glanced around, and sank back below.

"I was just planning to peek invisibly and then leave... If the rumors were true, I’d come back for a proper visit," the Ancient Jade Dragon muttered, stumbling over its words. "I didn’t know you had True Sight... You could see through invisibility. My invisibility—something even many powerful beings can’t detect."

Leon didn’t bother explaining that the Heavenly Eye Technique granted him not only True Sight but also the ability to detect Magic, leaving hardly anything capable of eluding his gaze.

"That’s not an Illusion, is it?" the Ancient Jade Dragon cast a cautious glance at Leon’s Red Dragon doppelgänger on the viewing platform. "If it were an Illusion, I wouldn’t fail to recognize it. I specialize in Illusions—Minor Illusions, High-level Illusions, Illusion Techniques, Mirages... I know them all."

"That’s no Illusion; it’s a real doppelgänger," Leon said, waving his hand. Immediately, his Red Dragon doppelgänger transformed into a single scale and flew back into his palm. By now, Leon had become increasingly skilled in the Downy Hairs technique.

By this point in the conversation, the Ancient Jade Dragon’s behavior had significantly reduced Leon’s wariness. Reflecting on the fact that Jade Dragons were the shyest of the Gemstone Dragons yet extremely curious, often camouflaging themselves with Spiritual Energy to observe settlements and their inhabitants from afar, he was inclined to believe the dragon harbored no malice or conspiracy.

"Don’t try to change the subject." Though Leon had mostly dispelled his suspicions, he still demanded a proper explanation. He snorted, "You still haven’t said—tell me more specifically—why did you want to come see me? And what do you mean by ’if the rumors are true’?"

"Uh, I just wanted to see if you were the Ruby Dragon," the Ancient Jade Dragon admitted. "There’s a rumor that you are the Ruby Dragon."

Leon’s mouth twitched as he recalled bluffing to Fiora in the past, claiming to be a Ruby Dragon rather than the feared Red Dragon.

Now it seemed his offhand boast had come back to bite him. Wasn’t there an old saying? Karma will catch up eventually.

"You’re a Gemstone Dragon—you should know there’s only one Ruby Dragon," Leon said flatly.

"His Majesty may have perished, but he will surely reincarnate. His Majesty has merely departed temporarily; he will return, bringing enlightenment, solace, and salvation to the Dragon Clan," the Ancient Jade Dragon said as it scrutinized Leon. "The rumor says you are the Ruby Dragon, and your behavior is nothing like a typical Red Dragon... I suspect you might be His Majesty reborn."

Leon had once entertained the idea of impersonating the Ruby Dragon to swindle benefits from the Gemstone Dragons devoted to Sadivo. But he’d dismissed the notion. First, he didn’t like the idea of pretending to be someone else. Second, impersonating the Ruby Dragon might attract powerful entities far beyond his ability to handle. In the end, a lie could never become truth.

"Do you even believe in rumors? You’re taking seriously the nonsense spun by bards?" Leon muttered, resolved to track down Fiora for answers when he had time and demand an explanation for spreading such absurd rumors. "If you think carefully, it’s impossible for me to be the Ruby Dragon."

"I’m just a Red Dragon," Leon said, glancing down at the shimmering scales on his body. "At most, my scales are a bit unique—they resemble rubies because they retained their baby dragon appearance. They haven’t darkened with age into the deep crimson typical of adults, nor have they thickened and hardened to resemble metallic armor."

"Take a good look." Leon stood and spun gracefully in place, an unusual display of cooperation to prevent misunderstandings he couldn’t afford. "In every way, I look like a Red Dragon, don’t I? Not a Ruby Dragon."

"My mother is a Red Dragon. My sister is a Red Dragon. I am also a Red Dragon," Leon declared. "Our whole family are Red Dragons."

Fiora, as a young Bronze Dragon, was easily charmed by Leon’s lies. However, for an Ancient Jade Dragon—one deeply knowledgeable about Sadivo and experienced—the claim of Ruby Dragon lineage was easy to debunk. Yet the dragon remained somewhat reluctant, unwilling to let even the faintest possibility slip by. "Could there be a chance..."

"There’s no such chance," Leon cut off the Ancient Jade Dragon decisively. "I am a Red Dragon."

"If you’re still skeptical, you can stay here on my Volcanic Island and observe me for a few days—just don’t misunderstand me," Leon shrugged. "Besides, if I don’t let you observe, you’ll just sneak around spying anyway... I only have one request: Tell the other Gemstone Dragons I am not the Ruby Dragon. I don’t want them bothering me. Too much trouble."

"I knew it wouldn’t be that simple," the Ancient Jade Dragon sighed.

Leon said nothing, waiting. When it became clear the dragon wasn’t leaving despite knowing he wasn’t the Ruby Dragon, he asked, "Do you still have something else to say? You believe I’m not the Ruby Dragon by now, right?"

The Ancient Jade Dragon hesitated. Initially, it was only concerned with whether Leon was the Ruby Dragon. Now, having been denied, curiosity about Leon’s earlier spell use began to grow—it was something the dragon had never seen before.

Jade Dragons might be shy, but 800 years of life as an Ancient Dragon had certainly bolstered its thick skin.

Besides, Jades were the craftiest and most manipulative of the Gemstone Dragons—especially one as seasoned as this Ancient Dragon.

The Ancient Jade Dragon nodded, forming an idea. "I still have some doubts... That spell you used earlier—it doesn’t look like something a mortal could wield. Only gods could possess such power. It seems like something only a deity’s avatar might have."

Leon paused, momentarily stunned by the Jade Dragon’s words. Some "ordinary" spell gifts from his Golden Finger were easy enough to explain. But those higher-tier abilities were another story. For example, the Soul Summoning Mantra could be classified as Evil Technique while the Samadhi True Fire was somewhat common. However, Sleeve of the Universe was a signature skill of Albion’s Earth Immortal Ancestor. And techniques like Vajra Body and Downy Hairs? They were signature Divine Skills of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, Sun Wukong...

"You’re a teenage dragon. If you’re not His Majesty reborn, how can you possibly wield such powerful spells?" The Ancient Jade Dragon narrowed its eyes slightly.

Initially, it just wanted an excuse to see Leon’s spells up close to satisfy its curiosity. But now its suspicions were rekindled.

Leon hesitated, momentarily at a loss for how to explain. "Why I can use such powerful spells—that’s my secret... Anyway, I’m not the Ruby Dragon. I’m not your Majesty reborn. I’ve already provided proof—whether in appearance or the fact that I can’t use Spiritual Energy at all."

Leon nodded to himself with conviction, baring his fangs and flexing his claws as he spoke menacingly, "Perhaps I could fight you to prove it. A real battle, fought with full force—there’s no way I could fake that."

"No fighting," the Ancient Jade Dragon quickly declined. "Just show me that spell you used earlier. That’ll be enough."

"You’re pushing your luck," Leon muttered, realizing what the dragon was after.

"You want me to perform? What do you take me for? A street performer?" Leon scoffed. "If it’s for you specifically, only then would I consider demonstrating it. What do you say?" He seriously pondered testing his spells on the Ancient Jade Dragon, curious about their effect on a powerful opponent, but hesitated. "Fine, I can demonstrate for you—but in exchange, you must share your knowledge with me."

Leon was suddenly reminded of all the reference books and supplemental materials he’d read. Some were canon to this world, while others seemed like fanfiction or homebrew. Sometimes, he wasn’t sure what was real and what was fabricated, leading to embarrassing early missteps—such as shouting true names carelessly after being newly hatched.

When it came to gods—how to ascend, their power levels—he realized he’d never seen reliable information in the reference books. At most, he’d encountered mentions of divine avatars or offspring. As for narratives of igniting Divine Fire, ascending to godhood, and gaining Divine Positions, Divine Power, and Divine Authority? He’d only seen those in novels.

This was, after all, a world based on DnD—neither Forgotten Realms nor Albion. It was riddled with homebrew and creative liberties. Who could say what gods truly were in this setting?

As Leon’s power continued to grow, he knew he’d confront deities sooner or later. In fact, he’d already been unwittingly embroiled with divine schemes—for instance, Tiamat had already attempted to manipulate him. To prevail, one must "know thyself and thy enemy."

After contemplating for a moment, the Ancient Jade Dragon spoke. Knowledge wasn’t like treasure—treasure was gone once given away, but knowledge remained even when shared. "Deal."