Chapter 251: Olivia (4)
“Tinia?” Kai Xiusu turned his head, discovering the White Dragon entering the Palace.
Tinia hurried forward, bowing her head respectfully before the Red Dragon, speaking softly in the refined manner she had learned in court. “Master, you’ve awakened. You… have grown even stronger.”
Her vertical pupils burned with devotion—fervent, almost fanatical.
Kai Xiusu stared at the White Dragon before him, giving a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
He hadn’t expected the task he’d given Lanpu to be completed so well. This remarkably intelligent White Dragon had, in just three years, mastered speech and the most basic courtly etiquette.
On the ground, Olivia stirred weakly, her eyes barely cracking open as she saw the approaching White Dragon. A faint, mocking whisper escaped her lips:
“Hmph. Associating with a ‘White Beast’—truly, the stench of the Five-Colored Dragons clings to you.”
The words struck a raw nerve.
Tinia flared her wings, arching her back, and let out a guttural snarl from deep within her throat.
“Roar—!”
“Master, let me tear this damned Silver Dragon apart!”
Before she could lunge, Kai Xiusu seized her by the nape and effortlessly yanked her back mid-air.
“Tinia. Do not act rashly. That Silver Dragon still serves a purpose to me.”
“But Master! She spoke to you with such insolence!”
“Grrr! Let me rip her to shreds!”
Even as she was held aloft by the scruff of her neck, the White Dragon thrashed and clawed in midair, eyes blazing with fury, as if she could devour the Silver Dragon with her bare teeth.
Kai Xiusu sighed inwardly.
Even after meticulous training, her instincts remained unchanged.
So it really does come down to the old method.
With a casual flick, he tossed her onto the ground.
“Obey my orders.”
Tinia tumbled across the floor, rolling several times before slowly rising to her feet. She stood rigidly behind the Red Dragon, her expression sullen—but a smug, hidden satisfaction flickered in her eyes.
She still glared at the Silver Dragon with venomous intensity.
If looks could kill, Olivia would have been slowly tortured to death a hundred times over.
“Ugh…” Olivia twisted again, her wings fluttering weakly as she strained against the Rune Array.
But it was futile. The effort only added more charred scars to her silver-scaled body.
Kai Xiusu loomed over her, his towering presence oppressive. His voice remained calm, devoid of emotion.
“Silver Dragon. Stop struggling like a caged beast. Unless your Life Tier reaches Ancient Dragon level, resistance is pointless. Only submission is the true shortcut.”
“The kingdom needs spellcasters like you. Rather than chasing after empty notions of ‘eradicating evil,’ your magic could make far greater contributions. Think about it—haven’t you already seen those Mechanical Factories? With your spells, you could boost productivity, feed the hungry, and give the people real sustenance. That is true justice in the hearts of most.”
“Of course, I care only for my own benefit. But this reputation—this image—is vital for you, stiff-backed metal dragons.”
He let out a quiet, mocking laugh.
“Still, if you wish… you might one day break free. After another eight hundred years.”
The thought of being imprisoned for a millennium sent a ripple of cruel satisfaction through Tinia, who stood behind the Red Dragon, smirking triumphantly.
“Pathetic Silver Dragon. This is what happens when you defy Master. You’ll never escape!”
She wore the air of one who borrowed the strength of a mighty tiger.
Under the insatiable drain of the Rune Array, Olivia’s life force had dwindled to near extinction.
Yet in her eyes, a flicker of unwavering resolve remained—no sign of submission.
No one knew what was keeping this young Silver Dragon alive.
Something was sustaining her, from within.
“Impossible.”
“You’re living in a foolish fantasy.”
Kai Xiusu merely glanced at her—already knowing the outcome—and turned away.
Only one sentence remained in the air:
“Then… watch and wait.”
The Wagner’s Dragon Binding Array—a masterpiece forged by the Dragon-obsessed Black Wizard—was a cruel, vicious spell. It greedily siphoned a dragon’s life force, converting it into raw magical power. The bound dragon remained alive, kept at the barest threshold of existence, never fully dead, never truly free.
Under its influence, Olivia’s body was paralyzed. She could not move, could not rise. Her entire being was fused to the ground.
All that remained was thought.
And the silent, unending torment of the mind.
Tears welled in her eyes once more, sliding down her silver cheeks, falling like cold rain onto the stone floor.
She couldn’t remember how she’d reached this point.
She didn’t know how she’d endured this long.
Even she was stunned by her own inexplicable resilience.
But now, she was trapped in a desperate situation.
It was too late.
Her mind drifted back to her debates with Kai Xiusu.
She replayed his words again and again, searching for flaws, loopholes—anything to discredit him.
But she couldn’t find any.
And then she realized—he might not be lying.
His words clashed violently with everything she’d been taught.
Yet they were logically consistent, forming a self-contained system.
There was no grand rhetoric, no empty promises, no clever tricks.
Just cold, unyielding reality laid bare.
And it was that very simplicity that left her speechless.
Maybe… he’s right.
The thought crept into her mind—and she immediately crushed it.
After all, she had seen the prosperity of Northwind Keep with her own eyes.
She knew the bloody darkness of the Lakanman rule.
She’d felt the new life stirring in the peasant laborers.
But still, she instinctively refused to admit it.
If Kai Xiusu was telling the truth…
Then what of Anher’s death?
Was it all just a farce?
And what of her own sacrifice—risking her life to fulfill a promise?
Was it all just senseless nonsense?
She knew that if she accepted this truth, everything she’d believed in would crumble.
She would fall into the abyss of nihilism.
The “King of the Burnt” was not the monster she’d imagined.
He wasn’t the typical, bloodthirsty Red Dragon driven by hunger and cruelty.
He wasn’t a greedy tyrant.
In fact, he was more rational than most Northern nobles she’d met.
Every action he took had a clear purpose, a logical reason.
The only flaw?
His identity as a Red Dragon—the eternal villain among the Five-Colored Dragons.
“No… he must be hiding a greater goal.”
“He might unleash a cataclysm that spans the entire continent. And I must stop him.”
She tried to shake her head—only to realize her neck was locked in chains, immovable.
But… am I not just making excuses for myself?
Using the most malicious speculation as my shield?
“Anher… what should I do?”
A bitter smile curled on Olivia’s lips.
Slowly, she closed her weary eyes—exhausted, broken, and lost.
(End of Chapter)
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