Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 316 - 311 Curiosity

Chapter 316: Chapter 311 Curiosity

This is a fantastical world, filled with mysterious powers. It embraces both materialism and idealism... Leon himself didn’t know whether his description was accurate. Despite living for decades, his understanding of this world was still far from deep, and he hadn’t grasped its essence.

Firearms and ammunition might be considered powerful weapons on Earth, but Leon couldn’t guarantee they would possess the same effectiveness in this world. After all, mathematics is the universal language of the cosmos, but physical phenomena and chemical reactions might not follow the same rules.

In any case, success would bring joy to all, and failure would merely result in wasting tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of gold coins. It wasn’t a big deal. Cutting off these thoughts would prevent anxiety over it in the future, which wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

"Are you sure it doesn’t have any side effects?"

"... Requiring vast resources to refine it could be considered a side effect, I suppose."

"If it can truly extend my lifespan, I’m willing to work for you. Besides, I love research."

Becoming a lich was no simple matter—it required profound expertise in necromancy. Otherwise, one could only resort to striking deals with evil demons, evil gods, or other dark entities. For instance, most mages who aspired to become liches would seek the Undying Demon Monarch, Ocas.

Transforming into a vampire was another path to eternal life, but it came with numerous restrictions, such as being trapped beneath burial soil. Even if a vampire retained memories from their mortal life, genuine feelings would wither and twist over time. Love turned into yearning; friendship devolved into bitter jealousy.

Praying Skill was the most powerful spell available to mortal beings. However, the larger the wish, the more likely the outcome would go awry. Using Praying Skill to obtain eternal life had an eighty-to-ninety percent chance of transforming someone into a sentient statue.

Edwin didn’t possess the ability to become a lich, nor did he want to transform into a vampire. As a mage, he understood how unreliable Praying Skill could be. With his lifespan nearing its end and presented with a method to extend his life without major sacrifices, he had no way to refuse.

"Here’s the elixir of immortality for you."

"Let me make this clear—if you take what’s mine, work for me diligently... I’m not one of those stingy Red Dragons. If you perform well, I won’t hesitate to reward you, but I despise betrayal more than anything in this world."

Successfully persuading Edwin marked a nearly perfect journey to the Belen Kingdom. However, leaving just yet was impossible. The reason was simple: Edwin had lived in the Belen Kingdom for decades, and it was impossible for him to leave everything behind and simply follow Leon. He needed time to sort out various matters.

In truth, it was rare for Leon to visit the Belen Kingdom, and he didn’t plan on leaving so soon. He hadn’t seen the Frost Worm yet, and he wanted to take his time enjoying the snowy landscapes.

Instead of seeking out Isily, Leon took a map of Belen Kingdom and its surrounding areas from Edwin and departed.

He strolled through Bern’s most famous White Wind Street.

The Belen Palace stood in the plaza—a building alternating between blue and white hues. It stood three stories tall, stretched over 200 meters in length and more than 100 meters in width, forming a closed rectangle. It surpassed the grandeur of his castle and mansion significantly.

The summer palace was nestled in the forest—a suburban residence of the Beren Royal Family. Its exterior was simple and solemn, but its interior was luxuriously decorated.

Steel Bone Fortress was located on the right riverbank in the city center.

Leon spent three days wandering through Bern before deciding to venture outward.

The ice sheet rose, piercing through jagged cliffs, where it fractured into deep ravines. Ice Rock Canyon was worth a visit.

Crown Glacier was situated in the northern part of the Belen Kingdom. As its name suggested, there was no frozen soil nor forests blanketed with snow—it was entirely ice. No vegetation grew there, and no living creatures survived.

Leon recalled that there were eleven geological features on Earth, and his home country had ten of them—the only one missing was the fjord. Fjords were distinctive terrains carved by glaciers, usually found in high latitude and cold regions. They possessed a unique beauty, and having come such a long way, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

Before mastering the 72 Transformations, Leon could only revert to his dragon form to travel—a rather inconvenient method, to be honest. Now, he could freely assume any shape. With a mere shift, he transformed into a snow owl, flapped his wings casually, and flew out of Bern.

At the same time...

Isily, having failed to locate an adventurer’s guild in Bern—since Bern, as the capital of the Belen Kingdom, lacked ruins nearby and any monsters that occasionally appeared were quickly driven away, making adventuring opportunities scarce—considered the high cost of living in Bern and decided to stay at her Silver Dragon uncle’s manor to mooch meals.

After spending a few days lounging in the suburban estate, Isily suddenly remembered that she could ask her uncle about Leon’s identity.

"Uncle Mognis, I’d like to ask you something." Isily always acted quickly.

Disguised as a human merchant, Mognis had plenty of work to do—but no matter what responsibilities he had, answering his adorable niece’s questions took precedence. "What do you want to ask?" he replied.

"Have you heard the name Leon before?" Isily asked.

"Who is he?" Mognis inquired, his knowledge no broader than Isily’s.

"A dragon," Isily said, recounting her encounter with Leon. "I suspect he’s a Silver Dragon because he’s exceptionally skilled in human form. He must have lived as a human for at least a few decades."

Mognis pondered for a moment but came up with no leads. Shaking his head, he said, "Neither from our clan nor any other clan have I heard of a Silver Dragon named Leon."

"Do you think there’s a chance he’s a Golden Dragon?" Isily speculated thoughtfully, nodding to herself. "He seems to dislike the cold but feels completely unbothered by heat."

"I haven’t seen him, so I can’t jump to conclusions," Mognis replied. As an earnest Silver Dragon, he added, "If he’s unwilling to reveal his identity to you, he must have his reasons. I think you shouldn’t pursue the question too aggressively—it’s not polite."

"I don’t intend to..." Isily said with a sway of her head, "It’s just that..."

"He mentioned knowing the Metal Knight, and I’m planning to meet the Metal Knight. Under such circumstances, not knowing his identity makes me feel uneasy." Isily wasn’t easily fazed by anything, but her comments served more as an excuse for her behavior than expressing genuine concern.

As expected, Mognis cared little for politeness anymore. "What’s so special about the Metal Knight that’s making you go to such lengths?" he asked.

"That’s none of your concern," Isily pouted. "It’s my love, my passion."

"Is he trustworthy?" Although Isily was a dragon, the so-called Leon was one as well, and Mognis had every reason to feel concerned.

Sitting with her legs folded, Isily hugged her knees and tilted her head to gaze at Mognis. "Isn’t that why I came to you, Uncle?"

"I’ll go with you to meet this Leon," Mognis said seriously.

"No way, I refuse," Isily shook her head like a rattle. "If people knew I didn’t trust him and brought an elder along, how am I supposed to show my face in the future?"

"How about inviting him over for a meal?" Mognis suggested.

"Not a chance," Isily replied. "If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t casually visit a friend or relative’s home."

"Let me think of something," Mognis mused for a moment. "I have a pair of glasses that can activate True Knowledge Technique once every so often."

"Wow," Isily exaggerated. "Uncle actually owns something that amazing."

"Remember to return it once you use it," Mognis added. "It’s a very valuable magic item."

"Okay, okay, okay," Isily dismissed him casually.

"I’m serious," Mognis said, "If you don’t return it, I’ll go straight to your parents."