Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 274 - 270: A Kind Mother and a Filial Child

Chapter 274: Chapter 270: A Kind Mother and a Filial Child

Salovis could be considered half of the mistress of Volcanic Island. With her leading the way, a stranger Red Dragon entering the island did not arouse the vigilance of the patrolling Salamanders.

Salovis still showed some semblance of a conscience—or perhaps she lacked the boldness—to go as far as directly escorting Anglistra to Leon’s treasure vault. That vault held legendary artifacts, and if Anglistra could not curb her greed and attempted theft, the consequences would be unpredictable.

The high Volcano Top was inhabited only by Salamanders.

Salovis was certain that Leon was currently residing in the villa at the mountain’s base. Leon preferred staying in his human form and living among mortals. With a sharp flap of her wings, she dived down swiftly, transforming into a cute young girl with reddish mid-length hair. She looked at the Tiefling maid standing at the villa’s entrance and asked, "Is my brother inside?"

"Yes, he is."

Anglistra landed right behind Salovis, transitioning into a stunning red-haired beauty. Surveying the surroundings, she asked, "Why does he enjoy turning into a human and staying in such a tiny place?"

"You’ll have to ask him yourself." Salovis shrugged and pushed open the door.

Leon was reclining on the sofa reading a book when he saw Salovis leading in a captivating beauty. Her waterfall-like red hair cascaded down to her waist, her perfectly sculpted features radiating elegance with sharp edges that added character, and her deep, piercing eyes framed a figure of dazzling proportions, exuding mature allure. Instantly, he sat up.

Leon’s Heavenly Eye Technique required expenditure of mana to activate and he didn’t bother using it while on Volcanic Island. As a result, he initially failed to recognize Anglistra’s identity.

"Looks like you’re living the good life," Anglistra commented, casting a sideways glance at Leon. She noted that he was seated on the sofa, a coffee table before him piled with an assortment of food—fruit, dried meat, and pastries—all exquisitely laid out.

"I like this. I want this." Anglistra’s eyes fixated on the enormous Red Coral gifted by the Ocean Goddess’s priest, placed in the corner of the living room, unable to look away.

A pleasingly beautiful woman can easily elicit goodwill, but it stops there. Leon frowned, his mouth twitching, as he said, "Who are you to say ’I like this, I want this’?"

Clearly, this woman had been brought over by Salovis.

Turning to Salovis, Leon demanded, "I need an explanation."

"Brother, take a closer look at who she is," Salovis prompted.

Leon narrowed his eyes slightly, activated the Heavenly Eye Technique, and instantly recognized the crimson-haired beauty’s true form. He said, "A Red Dragon? Your friend? Why has she come looking for me?"

Upon hearing this, Anglistra reluctantly relinquished the Red Coral, placed her hands on her hips, and said, "You still don’t recognize who I am?"

"My name is Anglistra. Do you remember now?" she teased. "Without me, you wouldn’t be who you are today."

"Anglistra..." Leon muttered the name, exerting effort to recall. It wasn’t that he was irresponsible—it was simply unthinkable: wasn’t she his absentee Mother Dragon?

"Ah, you remember!" Anglistra laughed heartily. "It’s been years, hasn’t it? I didn’t expect you to grow this much."

"I hear you’ve become the Lord of Giant Dragons?" Anglistra continued. "Sheltered flowers can’t survive storms; only by braving the tempest can they become vibrant roses... It looks like you didn’t waste my painstaking efforts."

"Your painstaking efforts?" Leon was baffled. He considered himself shameless enough, but clearly there were even worse offenders. "After hatching, did you feed me even once? Even for a Red Dragon, isn’t it unheard of to abandon one’s baby dragon while still in the nest?"

"Were it not for your insistence on leaving my lair, why would I not feed you?" Anglistra replied shamelessly, "You insisted on venturing out to fend for yourself... I’m an enlightened parent who allowed you to choose your own path."

Leon opened his mouth but found himself momentarily unable to refute.

"Alright, bygones are bygones. We should look ahead now," Anglistra said. "Seeing you living so well now is enough to satisfy me."

"And then?" Leon asked, staring at Anglistra, convinced her arrival wasn’t just for this sentimental reunion.

"Being the Lord of Giant Dragons must be exhausting," Anglistra said passionately, "but don’t worry, your mother is here now—I’ll help you."

Leon thought about Salovis.

If his sister could travel great distances to seek his help, why couldn’t his mother show up chasing his reputation?

Leon had a poor impression of Anglistra, aware that Red Dragons were all inherently chaotic and evil. Compared to the orderly evil of Blue Dragons and Green Dragons, they were undoubtedly worse as parents.

Leon believed birth-giving couldn’t compare to nurturing. Neglecting to raise one’s offspring was a grave sin, but he couldn’t entirely deny that giving birth was worth at least some gratitude—especially since his Mother Dragon had, in certain ways, shielded him. She allowed him to live in her territory and arranged for the Chief Mage Edwin to offer him considerable assistance.

"Though you didn’t raise me, you gave me life. I’ll remember that favor," Leon said resolutely, "I’ll allow you to live on my Volcanic Island—provided you follow my rules."

"You want your mother to follow rules?" Anglistra raised an eyebrow incredulously. "I’ve lived for countless years, always the one imposing rules—never the one adhering to them... I don’t even follow my own rules."

"Rules are meant to constrain the weak," Anglistra added, "not the strong."

At this, Leon finally understood: his mother wasn’t here to join him but to replace him. Leaning against the sofa back, he chuckled, "Since you know I’m here..."

Leon paused. "Have you never heard of what I’ve done—for instance, killing an adult Red Dragon in the Lost Plateau, annihilating Frost Giant villages, and besieging Elves in their city?"

"Salovis told me all about it," Anglistra tilted her head at Leon, smirking. "She told me she’s never seen you slay an adult Red Dragon or destroy Frost Giant villages. She told me you’ve been beaten up by Elves and even had to negotiate peace with them..."

Leon looked at Salovis with an odd expression, only to see her sticking out her tongue playfully.

"Is what she said true?" Anglistra pressed further. "I doubt she’d dare lie to me."

"What she said makes sense," Leon admitted, pursing his lips.

"So the adult Red Dragon kill is fake, the Frost Giant massacre is fake, but the one hundred thousand Gold Coins—those can’t be fake, right?" Anglistra said. "I heard from Salovis that you have one hundred thousand Gold Coins."

"The one hundred thousand Gold Coins are real," Leon affirmed. "I’ve calculated over the past few days—my total cash indeed exceeds one hundred thousand."

"Then don’t you forget... I gave Edwin shelter and support, funding his experiments. Originally, I should have earned a hundred thousand Gold Coins from it, but because you meddled, I ended up with nothing. So now you owe me a hundred thousand Gold Coins," Anglistra declared. "You promised to repay me."

"Yes, I did promise that then," Leon nodded cheerfully.

"So..." Anglistra pressed further, "when others owe me money, I charge them interest. But you’re my child—I won’t charge you interest."

"Forcing a child to owe one hundred thousand Gold Coins—is this something any mother would do?" Leon squinted dangerously. "I can give you the hundred thousand Gold Coins, but I’m warning you: once you take them, don’t expect me to acknowledge you anymore."

It was merely a question of disowning her as his mother. Anglistra thought for a moment and ultimately decided that one hundred thousand Gold Coins were far more important than a son. She replied, "No problem! As long as you give me the coins, you can disown me... but I’ll still acknowledge you. Haha!"

"Then it’s settled." Leon sneered coolly. "I thought one hundred thousand Gold Coins was impossible to spend all at once after having just acquired it... one hundred thousand is no small sum. Mother, do you have anything to store it with?"

"I can shift into my dragon form and carry it effortlessly." Anglistra’s breath came a little quicker. "Do you really have one hundred thousand Gold Coins? How did you earn so much?"

"Don’t worry about how I earned it; the fact is, I have it." Leon patted his thigh and stood up. "This house is too small for you to transform into your Dragon Form without breaking it... Let’s head outside."

Leon stepped out of the villa, heading toward the beach. With a flourish of his hand, he conjured ten large, open chests. Each was filled to the brim with glittering Gold Coins. "Here’s your one hundred thousand Gold Coins," he announced.

A hundred thousand Gold Coins—Anglistra couldn’t contain her joy. She rushed toward the chests, bent down carefully, dipped her hands into the gold, and lifted a hefty handful. Gazing at the coins, she found herself inexplicably distracted, but in her daze, she clearly saw the five-headed Dragon Queen Tiamat beckoning her warmly, inviting her to the Divine Country.

Startled, Anglistra immediately released the coins, and the vision of Tiamat vanished.

Anglistra picked up a handful of coins again, only for Tiamat to reappear.

A shadow loomed nearby. That immense shadow had several heads—wait a moment, was the mighty Dragon Queen Tiamat truly present?

Looking up with alarm, Anglistra saw a towering Red Dragon with three heads and six arms. Each arm clutched a sword, their shimmering surfaces gleaming, all crafted from refined gold. The dragon was adorned in Dragon Armor with an unmistakable Elf-inspired design—it was breathtakingly stunning...