While the idea of going to Dragon City was good, it was quite hard to execute in practice.
Dragons had long been associated with slaughter, madness, arrogance, and moodiness. They were extremely temperamental.
As a beastman who had reached the pinnacle of the ninth rank, Lysfer knew more about these things than most.
She was also aware of the way their temperaments matured as they grew older. Adult and prime dragons often fit the mold of the stereotypical dragon. Many times a country was destroyed overnight due to falling afoul of one’s temper.
On the other hand, the older members of their race were a lot more sensible and affable. They were practically polar extremes compared to their younger selves, and as long as they were not provoked, they had no problem with extending goodwill to others.
‘Primordial dragons should be far older than ancient dragons. So the dragon that has occupied Central City should not be too brutal…’
Lysfer thought this way, but she was still worried.
Beastmen were not brainless creatures, but they preferred to use their muscles to solve problems. As a beastman that had reached the ninth rank, it was impossible for her to be too dull.
“If only I had reached legendary rank…” Lysfer sighed.
Anyone at the legendary rank would be respected wherever they were. As the title itself implied, they would be venerated in their eras and be the principal protagonists of whatever age they lived in.
If Lysfer was really of legendary rank, then even if she had lost, she would not have found it difficult to gain significant status under another power.
Though the ninth rank and legendary rank were but one rank apart, the distance between them was immense. And if one managed to traverse it, their entire being would change.
“But becoming a legendary rank is even harder than what it takes to become all of the ranks before it combined.”
Lysfer sighed but cheered up again. Ninth rank going to legendary rank was not the same as legendary rank to demigod rank. Going from legendary rank to demigod rank not only relied on resources and aptitude but also unreal amounts of luck. Personal efforts and struggle still formed a major part of transitioning from the ninth rank to legendary.
Lysfer felt confident that she would take this step in her lifetime.
“Your Highness, big bro! The clan has finished eating. Let’s take a short break and continue our journey.”
At this time, another bearman walked over from those who were resting. As far as any could tell, he was almost indistinguishable from the bearman next to Lysfer. This was because they were twins.
“Thanks for your hard work. Let’s move after a short break. The desert is too dangerous, and they say that a large number of scorpions live underground. After the fight with the sludge monster in the swamp, it’s best we avoid unnecessary battles. As a beastman, I had never been afraid of fighting, but now, we are not allowed to fight!” said Lysfer.
The bearman brothers nodded their heads in agreement.
“Your Highness, have you decided our next destination?”
The bearman’s brother could not help but ask.
“Central City… No, according to those people from the caravan, the city is now called Dragon City. We will go to Dragon City!”
Lysfer stood up. Her gaze was cold and ruthless, like a lone wolf walking on the prairie.
“We are not yet close to Dragon City, and we don’t know how much danger we will encounter on the way there. I just hope that our clansmen can hold out and that the lord there accepts us…” Lysfer fell silent before continuing once more, “The caravan also said that the dragon announced that he was willing to accept the allegiance of any race. Heh heh, let’s just hope that isn’t a fabrication.”
“We will likely lose some more clansmen. Nevertheless, we need to make the journey. After we cross this desert, we might find some prey that can give us enough rations to reach Dragon City. Even if I have to die, I will make sure you guys get there”
Lysfer spoke with a cold solemnity.
In this journey, she did as she said. Every time they encountered an enemy, she would rush to the forefront. With her powerful strength, she exchanged her wounds for the survival of more of her clansmen. This was something that clan chiefs needed to do.
Unlike human generals and lords, beastmen chiefs rushed to the forefront. It was only then that other beastmen would grant their allegiance.
“Inform the clan to set out. Our destination – Dragon City!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
……
Dragon City was a strategic force surrounded by many powerful adversaries.
On a mountain ten kilometers away, a guard post had been set up there with two elven guards watching over it.
The San Soliel Mountains were covered with snow, but the view at the top of the guard post was wide, capable of seeing tens of kilometers to the east. As long as a group of more than a hundred people moved together, it was impossible to hide from this post unless powerful magic was used.
The two elves wore thick cotton robes. They chatted while gazing at the distance.
In fact, elves were not suitable for guarding in a cold place, but the two elves were willing to do this difficult task.
They only needed to keep watch for a week and then rotate with someone else. Thinking about the rewards that they would receive for their performance, they had no complaints about the poor condition.
“Eh? Do you see something there?”
One of the elves suddenly pointed to the distance. The elves had excellent eyesight, allowing him to see dense black dots in the distance slowly advancing towards the city.
“Those are… beastmen? Could it be that the beastmen had sent some troops to attack Dragon City?”
“No, those don’t look like soldiers. Unless they’ve gone crazy, they wouldn’t dare send such a small army against Lord Galakrond… Moreover, you should take a look at them. Most of them don’t even look like soldiers.”
“Go ahead and inform the guards protecting the city. You should also inform the lord of what is happening here.”
One of the elves spoke, but he was not afraid of these beastmen. Let alone the mighty Lord Galakrond, just a few elven soldiers sent out from Dragon City was enough to get rid of this force. That said, he still maintained a militant wariness.
The other elf nodded, “Then I’ll go ahead and inform them first. You should be careful not to be discovered by them. Try to follow these beastmen to see what they are planning to do.”
The elf blew a whistle, and a snow leopard ran from the distance. He mounted it and after saluting to his companion, soon disappeared into the snowy distance.
Soon, Louie and the elves received the news, causing an army of a thousand strong to assemble and await the arriving group of beastmen.