The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases
Chapter 72 - 70: The Other Side

Chapter 72: Chapter 70: The Other Side

"You wouldn’t mind if I ask your retinue a few questions, would you?"

Nifadora then inquired, just as he expected. In theory, she could have asked directly. However, now, as a protégé under David’s wing, it was imperative that she convey her respect to him. The Red Dragon, however, didn’t seem to care much about this yet.

"Of course." David immediately gestured with the tip of his tail to Rosinde, his first retainer. Rosinde was not far off, seemingly doubting life itself, as if muttering to some non-existent person.

"My Lord." Rosinde immediately snapped out of his trance and came before David, kneeling on one knee.

"You may ask," David said, jerking his chin towards Nifadora.

Nifadora inclined her head in acknowledgment and asked the devoted Barbarian, "Regarding the ’Dragon Blood Warrior Ascension Ritual’ taught by the Elves, besides you, who else knows about it?"

Upon hearing the question, Rosinde, who had been somewhat excited, suddenly looked grim. He said with a bitter smile, "Apart from me, currently the only other person who knows the specific steps of the ritual and the required materials is my uncle, the clan chief."

Indeed... David and Nifadora exchanged a silent glance.

"Tell us more," David commanded.

Rosinde opened his mouth and continued his truthful account. "Originally, I intended to make it public, benefiting all Highland Barbarians, and even my wife’s Ogre clan. With this, perhaps in less than fifty years, with the effort of just three generations, we could potentially push our entire Highland Barbarians’ combat strength to a peak. This would completely free us from our subservient position to the High Elves and end the disputes over food and territory. Perhaps one day, the Highland Barbarians could even unite and launch a counterattack on the New Continent..."

David and Nifadora exchanged knowing smiles. They were smiling at the Barbarian’s naivety. It was an almost impossible task, at least not as easy as he envisioned. Human nature, after all, is inherently selfish.

And indeed, Rosinde continued with a resigned laugh, "But when I presented my vision, along with the professional heritage of the Elves, to the clan chief, I received a cold reprimand. He made me swear to secrecy, telling me that if I truly made it public, it would only lead to endless conflicts between the tribes and merciless slaughter from ’the Children of My Father’—no, from the ’Children of Barbarians.’ Under my uncle’s stern warning, I was hesitant all the way to the Dragon Nest. Therefore, up to this point, only the surrounding tribes that my uncle persuaded to move from Katjana are aware of this matter. After the battle in the South Foothills, these tribes, having lost a great deal of their able-bodied members, have gradually shown a trend towards integration under my uncle’s orchestration. According to my uncle’s wishes, only those Barbarians who agree to join our tribe by marrying in or by swearing an oath with their beast spirits are granted the qualifications to become Dragon Blood warriors and the right to study Elf professions and Martial Techniques."

Hearing this, David had a fairly good grasp of the situation. He had originally thought that the Barbarians of the Old Continent were on the verge of a major update, about to be promoted to the darlings of the era. Now, it seemed it wasn’t that this Barbarian was unwilling, but rather that another variable had emerged, forcing these Barbarians to bide their time and develop covertly.

"This ’Children of My Father,’ bah, ’Children of Barbarians’—what on earth are they?" David asked directly.

Rosinde had already experienced divine power burning through him once. He was still contemplating how to explain to his Dragon Lord while avoiding another such strike when Nifadora, the Green Dragon beside them, interjected, "They’re a group who take their patron deity’s name as their own title. They function as fanatical believers organized around their tribes—a cruder form of church, really."

Meaning, the Children of Uthgar!

Prompted by Nifadora, Rosinde naturally became talkative, his words filled with contempt and resentment. "This group that invokes the name of their god, the Children of Battle, nearly monopolizes the right to communicate directly with the deity. They also dominate virtually all vocational paths for every Barbarian in Skanis. To learn the ’Barbarian Path,’ one must either pledge allegiance to that false god through their ritual or bribe those extremely greedy individuals with a hefty sum. These ugly and shortsighted fellows," he continued, "completely disregard the inherently weak and oppressed state of us Barbarians, constantly exploited by the Elves. Compared to being exploited by Elves, they are more terrified of war—a war that could wipe them out and strip them of their power."

At this point, the Barbarian also began to emulate the Green Dragon Nifadora in pledging loyalty. "One day, I, Rosinde, will completely eradicate these corrupt roots that leech upon all Barbarians! We will step out of that false god’s shadow and embrace the great and generous Chromatic Dragon Queen!"

But the actual effect was more like a clumsy attempt at flattery that slipped and landed squarely on the Dragon’s pride, making them wince. It made David cringe, left the Green Dragon feeling sheepish, and caused the nearby Red Dragon and White Dragon to glance around uncertainly.

To be honest, of the four Chromatic Dragons present, not one could be considered steadfast in their faith toward the Dragon Queen; even a general belief was a stretch for them. There was a simple reason: belief in the Dragon Queen cost money! Whether it was making sacrifices to the Dragon Mother to connect to the Pillars of Faith, inviting the Dragon Queen to witness an oath, or praying for divine boons—none of these were affordable for their "penniless" faith. Actually, to be perfectly honest, considering the clarity of the Dragon Queen’s feedback, the reliability of her witnessed oaths, or the potency of her divine boons, she probably ranked among the top deities. Strictly speaking, the cost-effectiveness of her required sacrifices, when spread out, could even be considered quite reasonable compared to other churches. But... who were her followers? Dragons—a bunch of misers who found spending their money more painful than losing their lives. Thus, a saying also circulated among the followers of the Chromatic Dragons: Only when one abandons the instinct of Greed can one embark on the path to greatness. Yet, this was scoffed at by almost all Dragons. Because it was a truth so obvious it was practically nonsense. Every damn dragon knew that, for crying out loud. There was even a profession known as the Deification Dragon. One only had to devour all of their treasure to embark on the path to godhood. However, the journey to becoming a god was still incredibly distant, like a skyscraper whose foundations had just been laid. But that led back to the same old problem: with their treasure gone and the joy of pursuing wealth lost, what meaning would life hold for these Dragons?

To alleviate the awkward and strange silence, David smacked his lips, his gaze returning to his retainer, Rosinde, who looked as if he thought he had once again said something wrong. "I believe you already know the truth, so let me put it this way," David began. "Your Dragon Blood Warrior Ascension Ritual is originally a rite belonging to us Dragons. I am bound to reclaim it for my ancestors and forbid it one day. So, my retainer Rosinde, I now give you a choice: Will you go and reclaim it for me now? Or will you accompany me to the New Continent, and deal with this matter when we return?"

Even Rosinde, a Barbarian, finally understood his Dragon Lord’s implication. This was practically condoning his tribe’s enjoyment of this rare path to power before the Dragon Lord reclaimed his ’dragon grace’!

The thought that more of his kinsmen, and other Barbarians who joined the tribe, could escape the exploitation and control of the Children of Uthgar... that they could gain extraordinary power comparable to Barbarian Warriors or beast spirit shamans, and perhaps even, like him, join the Red Dragon Lord’s ranks... This vision of a glorious future captivated Rosinde.

He took a deep breath and answered in a solemn voice, "I wish to follow my Lord to the New Continent. Having spent my entire life in this bitterly cold land, I want to go to the other side of the sea and see it for myself. I’ve heard the scenery there is magnificent."

David immediately raised his dragon claw, pointing towards the azure sea to the west, and said jokingly, "Then you might be destined for disappointment. Beyond the sea... lies the enemy."