Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 245 - 244 Don’t Be Presumptuous

Chapter 245: Chapter 244 Don’t Be Presumptuous

It was still that same tavern, still that same spot by the window, only this time the people meeting there had changed to two new faces.

Kefra was a woman, and not a bad-looking one at that. For a woman to make a name for herself among pirates, it was clear how ruthless she must be. Like a leopard, she toyed with a sharp dagger in her hand and said, "Half a month has passed, and that Red Dragon still hasn’t made any move."

"Be cautious. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until those fools test the waters and confirm there’s no danger before we act?" The speaker was a woman with dense black hair, wings, and a tail, with faint black scales visible on her face—marking her as a Half-Black Dragon Woman. "Can’t you be a little less impatient?"

"It’s not that I’m impatient; it’s that you, Amaphri, are too cautious," Kefra countered. "The Black Dragon is wild and ruthless. With Black Dragon blood in your veins, you shouldn’t be so cautious. You should charge into battle like those barbarians on the front lines."

"Who told you Black Dragons are wild and ruthless and love leading the charge in battle? That’s something Red Dragons love to do," Amaphri said as she elegantly ran her fingers through her black hair. "It’s true that Black Dragons, because of their cruel nature, are particularly infamous even among Colorful Dragons. But if trickery and deceit are useful, no Black Dragon would willingly face danger head-on."

Kefra leaned back in her chair, resting her hands on the back of her head, and curled her lip in disdain.

"Just between us," Amaphri said, scanning the surroundings discreetly, "recently, word’s been spreading everywhere—people at Watchtower Port are mocking that Red Dragon, saying it’s all bark and no bite, like a carnival of ridicule. That’s not normal... Why would such talk arise? I think it’s because everyone’s been oppressed by that Red Dragon for too long, and now they’re rebelling in desperation."

"Even if that Red Dragon isn’t as strong as they say..." Amaphri licked her lips, which looked especially lush due to traces of oil, "I have a bad feeling. Those fools might bring disaster upon themselves by provoking the Red Dragon."

"There are too many pirates in Moon Bay. A few less would be just fine," Kefra said, licking her dagger.

"If you rush off to Flash Sea impatiently, you’ll be the one to die," Amaphri scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I’m not scared. What’s there to fear?" Kefra shrugged. "If the Red Dragon is truly as strong as you say, even if I can’t fight it, can’t I still run away? He’s a Red Dragon—Overlord of the skies and Tyrant of mountains, not any kind of deep sea King. If I jump into the sea, is he going to chase me underwater?"

Amaphri nodded lightly, acknowledging Kefra’s logic. Red Dragons weren’t like Green Dragons or Black Dragons; they couldn’t inhabit both land and water, nor could they dive underwater... Still, the Golden Dragon, top of the Metal Dragons, was the most terrifying. Whether in hand-to-hand combat or in breath attacks, they were only stronger than Red Dragons. Plus, they could thrive on both land and water, with an additional Breath Weapon.

"What are you looking at?" Amaphri suddenly noticed Kefra staring out the window.

"That ship—isn’t that Andrea’s?" Kefra said. "He’s back so soon? Wonder how his haul turned out. Lots of people are heading toward the docks; let’s go check it out too."

The two women left the tavern one after the other.

Kefra leapt nimbly onto a rooftop, bounding and jumping across buildings. Amaphri used her wings to fly, moving even faster than Kefra. The two quickly arrived at the docks.

The pirate ship grew closer and closer.

Kefra raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun and squinted at the pirate ship, frowning. "Who’s that man? When did Blood Shark get a new captain? Andrea isn’t dead yet, is he? How could he allow that man to be so brazen?"

"Look at him, all hunched over and acting servile. That man’s already subdued him..." Kefra said, only to notice Amaphri clutching her chest as if caught in a stormy sea. "Are you... aroused?"

"Yes, I am," Amaphri admitted. "That man... deeply captivates me."

"And what about all your lovers?" Kefra teased.

"For the sake of true love," Amaphri said with an innocent expression, "I can only kill them."

Amaphri unfolded her wings and took to the sky, flying toward the pirate ship. As she drew closer, she saw the man standing at the bow of the ship. When his black eyes glanced at her, an inexplicable sense of terror gripped her heart. That wasn’t a man—that was a monster. Her chest tightened, and she turned around and fled.

...

...

Leon stood at the bow of the ship, paying no heed to the fleeing Half-Black Dragon Woman. She wasn’t bad-looking, but she reeked of decay. He swept his gaze over the docks. Crossbow cannons? Check. Heavy cannons? Check. No steel magic statues.

He decided to show these pirates a lesson—release some of the pent-up frustration from Danalan, where he had failed to vent after negotiating with the Elves. Without warning, he leapt from the ship’s bow. Before landing, he transformed into his Dragon Form—a massive Red Dragon. With a deafening roar, the docks were emptied of all but a few who managed to still stand.

"You, over there. Yes, you." Leon raised a claw and pointed at Kefra, a woman who somehow managed to remain standing in his presence. "Bring out your leader."

"You... who are you..." Kefra struggled to catch her breath, gripping her dagger tightly to suppress her terror.

"I’m talking to you." Leon waited a few moments. "Why aren’t you speaking? Are you looking down on me?"

Kefra opened her mouth with difficulty but couldn’t utter a word. That’s when Castanin appeared.

"What brings you here, Lord Leon?" Castanin, unaffected by the oppressive atmosphere due to being Undead, approached leisurely while everyone else trembled in fear.

"I remember you," Leon said, fixing his gaze on the Undead Admiral. "You came looking for me years ago on Volcanic Island."

"It’s been years, but Lord Leon has lost none of his grandeur," Castanin replied with detached politeness.

Leon caught a faint trace of disrespect in his tone. Though he initially intended to exchange pleasantries, his mood soured. "Enough nonsense. Go tell your leader... Why are there pirates in Flash Sea?"

"Pirates in Flash Sea... Surely such trivial matters don’t trouble someone as powerful as Lord Leon? A single Flame Breath from you could incinerate a pirate ship. Why come to us?" Castanin said.

Though his reasoning made some sense, Leon narrowed his eyes dangerously, his tone cold. "Cockroaches are endless. To truly eliminate them, you have to destroy their nest."

"Lord Leon, surely you jest," Castanin said. "Moon Bay is not a place where you can act recklessly."

"Oh, really? What if I just go ahead and act recklessly?" Leon extended his claws, casting an immobilization spell on Castanin before launching two Hand Palm Bombs straight at him.

To Castanin’s credit as an Undead Admiral, he managed to survive the two attacks specifically tailored to target Undead Creatures, though he was greatly weakened.

Leon, however, did not deliver a finishing blow. He paused and said, "I’ve had my turn to act recklessly. Now it’s yours."