Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 222 - 221: The Delegation

Chapter 222: Chapter 221: The Delegation

For Leon, each passing week was tough, especially Mondays, which were the hardest.

Now, he had essentially achieved the three pinnacle pursuits of life: spiritual freedom, financial freedom, and time freedom. Weeks, even years, flowed by without much concern—eating, drinking, sleeping, and letting time pass leisurely.

The day Salovis left wasn’t great weather-wise—dark and dreary. About half a month later, when she returned, the weather was splendid, with clear skies and a stretch of azure blue.

It just showed how unbalanced the technology in this world was. While villagers in rural areas were still riding ox-carts, Githyanki scouts were zipping around the world on airships.

With her came a Githyanki delegation, arriving on a Star Realm speedboat—barely ten meters long, typically used for patrolling the Star Realm plane or rapidly searching for specific items in the Material Plane. Due to limited cargo space, there was no additional armament beyond personal weapons.

"I’m back!"

"More, give me more!"

"Beef, lamb... Bring it all here!"

Salovis yelled for food as soon as she landed. When the Tiefling maid served the dishes, she immediately began devouring them, acting like a starving ghost reincarnated.

Leon had long been used to this behavior.

Initially, he hadn’t understood it either—how could a Red Dragon possibly go hungry? It wasn’t until he asked her that he found out. Red Dragons working for the Githyanki, and living in the Star Realm, practically didn’t need food—as growth is impossible in the Star Realm, eating, drinking, and other bodily functions are naturally unnecessary—or, more accurately, impossible to satisfy.

Sibling bonds don’t form purely from shared blood—it takes effort to nurture them. Having lived together for a brief period during their baby dragon phase wasn’t exactly a "depending-on-each-other-for-survival" situation. Leon simply regarded Salovis as a distant relative; he wouldn’t allow her to meddle in the powers of the Volcanic Island, nor would he care too much about regulating her eating and drinking habits.

Salovis liked to eat, and Leon didn’t mind—so long as she didn’t eat herself fat like that chubby dragon Siboqia, whose neck was barely visible due to her girth, Leon had no intention of stopping her.

"Let her be, she’s my little sister." For family reasons, he felt inclined to provide basic support, only disciplining her if she acted out—scolding when necessary, striking when needed—the Githyanki delegation was much more important anyway.

The Githyanki delegation consisted of six members.

Leon only recognized Biska, a powerful Githyanki knight who, interestingly, wasn’t the leader.

The leader was a Caslak squad captain named Duens, carrying a Star Realm Silver Sword, partnered with a rather arrogant Red Dragon named Grice, currently in Dragonborn form with a hostile expression.

The Githyanki Supreme Commander—the army’s overall leader—has ten Caslak squad leaders under their command. A Caslak squad leader holds significant status among the Githyanki, and Leon certainly wasn’t being slighted.

The delegation had undoubtedly come to discuss cooperation with Leon.

"We are here to negotiate an alliance..." The Githyanki were known for their belligerence, and such people were usually quite straightforward. After brief introductions, Duens cut right to the point without beating around the bush unnecessarily: "We heard that Lord Leon wishes to form an alliance with us?"

"Not an alliance—cooperation," Leon corrected.

"That’s close enough." Duens paused. "I’m not the best negotiator, so please forgive me, Lord Leon..."

While Duens was the Caslak squad leader and delegation head, he was mainly responsible for decision-making. Someone else handled the detailed negotiations, which wasn’t unreasonable.

"This is Cecilia, my subordinate—a Green Dragon." Leon had already sent an Efreeti to summon Cecilia from the forest, entrusting her with the negotiation responsibilities.

"Hello!" Cecilia greeted warmly, presenting herself in an innocuous, harmless manner.

While Green Dragons aren’t as powerful as Red Dragons, they are still grand dragons, ranking third among Colorful Dragons. Not a single Githyanki dared to show disrespect.

The Githyanki naturally hoped that Leon would join them in the Star Realm to tip the balance of power in the ongoing Star Realm conflicts.

But Leon wasn’t some impoverished teenage Red Dragon or an underprivileged young man from remote regions forced to migrate to urban areas to earn a living. Looking at Salovis’s disdain for the Star Realm, he had zero interest in such proposals.

The Githyanki wanted to establish a nursery on Leon’s land under his protection, which wasn’t an unreasonable request.

In return, Cecilia proposed a condition—having been educated by Leon’s earthly knowledge—that Watchtower Port could serve as the Githyanki’s Material Plane hub, with the stipulation that all their transactions be conducted there.

Such cooperation wouldn’t be resolved in a day or two, so Leon listened in briefly before leaving, only to find Duens and his Red Dragon companion Grice following him out.

"I heard Lord Leon is nicknamed Cliff Sword, a truly rare Red Dragon who wields a sword." Duens stood by Leon watching the ocean. "It’s the first time I’ve heard of a sword-wielding Red Dragon."

Here it comes, thought Leon.

Leon glanced sidelong at Duens, already guessing his intent. On one hand, Duens was curious about a sword-wielding Red Dragon; on the other, he wanted to gauge Leon’s strength. If Leon’s reputation turned out to be unfounded, cooperation might falter.

After all, Leon wasn’t joining the Githyanki as a Red Dragon—he was acting as a faction leader collaborating with them. The distinction meant everything when rewards like the proverbial Golden Finger weren’t guaranteed.

Duens’s curiosity was no doubt fueled by Biska’s accounts: Cliff Sword commanded a teenage Blue Dragon, a teenage Green Dragon, and an Efreeti, along with a swarm of Salamanders—but there were no accounts of Cliff Sword personally fighting.

"If you’d like to witness it..." Leon, accustomed to settling matters with his fists, offered indifferently. "I can spar with you."

"Better if I spar with you!" Grice interjected, his arrogance palpable. "Let’s see which is stronger—sharp teeth and claws, or the blade... It’s my first time hearing of a sword-wielding Red Dragon."

"May I ask if you’ve reached adulthood?" Leon stared at the Dragonborn Red Dragon. He’d seen dragons assume forms of humans, half-elves, or elves, but this was his first encounter with one in Dragonborn form.

"I’m definitely older than you." Grice folded his arms. "I heard you’re Salovis’s brother? She’s a teenage dragon, which makes you a teenage dragon too, doesn’t it?"

"By the way, Salovis is quite beautiful. I rather like her—I’m waiting for her to hit young adulthood so she can lay me a clutch of eggs," Grice said, stroking his chin.

While Leon didn’t particularly dote on Salovis, she was still his sister. "Yellow-scaled brat, get lost."

Leon stared at Grice, wondering why this Red Dragon was so intent on riling him up. Ultimately, he chalked it up to a Red Dragon’s innate chaotic-evil nature—acting impulsively based solely on mood rather than logic or benefit.

"Have you not heard that I killed an adult Red Dragon?" Leon couldn’t help but ask.

"You’re rambling—are you afraid?" Grice challenged. It was hard for him to believe how a teenage Red Dragon could possibly kill an adult—unless it was already injured or overwhelmed by a group...

Considering a teenage Blue Dragon, teenage Green Dragon, teenage Red Dragon, plus an Efreeti teaming up to kill an adult Red Dragon wouldn’t be impossible. Not even a Death Knight could withstand such cooperation.

But Grice, judging by his own perspective, felt that if Leon had managed such a feat, he wouldn’t still be living quietly on a small volcanic island, governing Watchtower Port—a port that seemed wealthy enough for exploitation.

"I’m afraid I might accidentally kill you," Leon replied, casting Grice a casual glance. He was convinced the Red Dragon’s arrogance had been fueled, at least partially, by Duens silently egging him on. "You’re partners, aren’t you? Why don’t both of you come at me together?"

Grice refused to answer directly. Leon couldn’t gauge his age easily, but even assuming he was an adult, it wasn’t plausible for any adult Red Dragon to still serve the Githyanki.

Otherwise, the Githyanki Lich Queen Vilakis would simply "bestow ascension" upon them—devouring any strong Githyanki individuals who might threaten her reign, draining their souls and absorbing their power. This left the Githyanki without true high-tier warriors.

The Githyanki army’s Supreme Commander challenge rating was barely 14, while a Caslak squad leader’s challenge rating hovered around 12—not higher than that.

Even if enhanced combat synergy resulted in a sum greater than its parts, Leon couldn’t envision them posing a serious threat.

"Are you underestimating me?" Grice erupted with fury, reverting to his Dragon Form—a truly impressive figure.

Salovis, having eaten well, rushed over upon recognizing Grice. Knowing the fiery tempers of Red Dragons, she eagerly asked, "Are you two going to fight?"

"You’re just in time," Leon said. "Go get Biska."

"Why?" Salovis asked.

"For a duel," Leon replied. "All of you come at me together—it’s too easy otherwise."

"Just because you killed one adult Red Dragon..." Grice roared, "Don’t get too full of yourself."

Leon merely smiled faintly.

News spread about Leon preparing to fight Duens and Biska—a Caslak squad leader and a knight—alongside two Red Dragons. As expected, Cecilia abandoned the negotiations and rushed to the beach, joined by the Efreeti and Tassera, who came to spectate the commotion.

Leon finally transformed into his Dragon Form—a massive Red Dragon, substantially larger than his sister but comparable in size to Grice. He seemed... ordinary by appearance.

"That’s your full size?" Grice sneered, baring his teeth. "I can’t fathom how you’d kill an adult Red Dragon."

Leon ignored Grice, instead grinding his teeth, donning the Dragon’s Jaw guard, flexing his claws before equipping Tear Claw gauntlets, and spreading his wings to cover himself with Dragon Armor. Finally, he stood upright, reaching out to summon the Fine Gold Greatsword—a behemoth weapon materializing seemingly out of thin air.