The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 261 - 3: Wicked Dragon Reappears

Chapter 261: Chapter 3: Wicked Dragon Reappears

Komer’s sharp gaze quickly detected the hidden trap in the other party’s words. The exploitation and processing of gem mines are far less complex and difficult than those of iron and copper, or other metal mines, and do not require high transportation conditions like coal mines. Gemstones and other valuable materials such as diamonds, amber, jade, and agate have always been major exports for the barbarians in exchange for food and other necessities of production and life. Under no circumstance should such mines be tossed out as a bargaining chip, even if they desperately needed his support. Yet, this fellow was so generously offering equity in a gem mine in exchange for concessions in military material allocations, raising inevitable suspicions.

"Hmm, gem mines are indeed a great temptation for the merchants of Caucasus, but the noble families with gem mines are fully capable of mining them themselves. Why then offer such favorable terms to outsiders? I find this somewhat puzzling," Komer cleverly avoided directly stating the intentions of the Caucasus Prefecture, and while gem mines might seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to merchants, there’s no such thing as a free lunch; secrets often lie hidden behind such offers.

Volen had no intention of deceiving Komer about this issue, and this was, in fact, the main purpose of his and Solos’s visit to Caucasus seeking assistance.

"Sir, not to hide anything from you, our Sanjia Tribe, no, our entire Mountain People Alliance has encountered a little trouble, but it’s more severe in our tribe," Volen licked his thick lips, not making any attempt to disguise the facts, "This gem mine was discovered by a Dwarf Professional Miner we hired, and both the quantity and quality of the mineral deposit are quite satisfactory. However, we encountered some trouble during our mining operations. Two Wicked Dragons have taken a fancy to this mine. They’ve settled here, driving away our miners, making it impossible for us to mine. Despite all our efforts, we still cannot drive them away."

Volen paused as if considering something, then after some deliberation, he continued, "Volen feels that Sir might be dissatisfied with the small number of Earth Dragon Cubs we presented, but Sir, it was not our intention to offend. The Earthwalking Dragons living at the foot of the Baden Gold Mountain only mate once a year, typically resulting in one to two dragon eggs per mating. Each female will guard and incubate only one of these eggs, and the remaining egg, when special techniques are used to hatch it, provides a young dragon which, after training, becomes a mount for the Earth Dragon Warriors of our Mountain people. However, before hatching, dragon eggs emit a special sheen, which, being irresistibly appealing to those Wicked Dragons that covet various kinds of jewels and luminous objects, become their prey. In the past years, our Sanjia Tribe has lost no less than fifty eggs, which means we’ve lost at least fifty Earth Dragon Warriors. But facing a mythical creature like the Wicked Dragon, our mountain warriors have a natural dread. Added to that, the terrifying power of a Wicked Dragon is too much. Hence, our reason for coming here is to seek Sir’s help, to help us drive these two Wicked Dragons out of the region."

So that’s it! It was only then that Komer suddenly realized why their terms were so generous—essentially asking him to snatch the food right from a dragon’s maw. However, Wicked Dragons usually lived at sea, so why had they uncharacteristically come inland? And two at once, no less.

Apparently sensing the skepticism in Komer’s eyes, Volen hastily added, "Sir, these two Wicked Dragons do not seem to have fully grown and according to our observations, are still in their youth. Ah, these two Wicked Dragons also seem to be a couple, which is why they appear together. Our gem mine is situated in the eastern foothills of the Baden Gold Mountain Range, not too far from the sea, so such a distance is trivial for Wicked Dragons."

"Mr. Volen, I think you overestimate my courage. Wicked Dragons are not creatures I dare to contend with. Heh, compared to an ogre, a Wicked Dragon is like comparing an infant with a strong man—who would dare to provoke its scales?" Shaking his head, Komer flatly refused the request, "This isn’t even a risky endeavor; it’s simply suicide. I may love gems and dragon eggs, but I treasure my life even more."

Hearing such a firm rejection, Volen was not discouraged; knowing that challenging a Wicked Dragon is common sense, he would have been suspicious had Komer readily agreed.

"Lord, these two Wicked Dragons are not as dangerous as you imagine. First, they are still young and do not possess the strength many adult Wicked Dragons have. Secondly, they don’t naturally reside here. They should be living at sea, yet for some reason, they came here a few years ago. If we can pose a significant threat to them, it’s likely that instead of risking their mate’s safety, the couple in love would choose to leave. We are only asking for them to leave."

"Mr. Volen, I fear you are underestimating the power of Wicked Dragons. They have lived here for a few years and as you said, must have accumulated quite a collection of gems and dragon eggs. Would they give up such a nest they’ve found so easily? Furthermore, if it were as simple as you say, you Mountain people could drive them off with your strength. Why come all the way to Caucasus for aid and pay such a high price?" Komer was unmoved by Volen’s words and retorted coldly.