Chapter 309: Invitation and Cooperation
Chapter 309: Invitation and Cooperation
“But...”
Olivia wanted to argue but found herself momentarily speechless, unable to say anything.
Because she realized once again that everything Cassius said was true. She too had been angry at the Northern lands’ treatment of people as “livestock,” but the elders of her clan only urged her to respect human customs and traditions, not to interfere recklessly.
Over time, all this oppression became normalized, and even she failed to notice the terrible inertia of such thinking.
The silver dragon once again fell into deep thought.
Snap!
Cassius snapped his fingers crisply, drawing her attention.
With his motion, a series of dynamic magical images appeared in mid-air, presenting mundane scenes of daily life for the citizens of the Ember Kingdom.
Scribes organizing documents in the archives; guards patrolling the streets; workers laboring on assembly lines; merchants loudly hawking their wares at the morning market; researchers conducting experiments in laboratories.
They might be exhausted, perhaps weary or even full of complaints, but one thing was certain—everyone was doing their utmost to live, striving towards their goals. Even Olivia could sense a thriving and vibrant energy.
As she observed these scenes and noted the silver dragon’s somewhat confused expression, Cassius spoke again to guide her:
“This is the kingdom I have built.”
“It’s not a simple dualism of good and evil, but a real and complex society.”
“Here, those once regarded as ‘gray livestock’ can at least live as ‘humans.’ They don’t have to die in the cold wind over a sack of wheat, kneel like dogs begging for food, or sacrifice their children for the commands of nobles.”
Another crisp snap of his fingers, and the once-beautiful images abruptly changed: emaciated serfs shivering in the cold wind; boys sold to nobles huddled in the corners of dark basements; slaves driven to the front lines under whips, treated like cattle.
This was not malicious distortion but a straightforward depiction of the darker sides of the Northern kingdoms.
Cassius knew that his arguments were especially persuasive to the inherently kind-hearted silver dragon, particularly a young dragon whose worldview was still incomplete.
At least on the surface, his kingdom appeared grand and glorious, hiding its “eating of people” in the shadows, manipulating invisible chains for profit. A young dragon with little societal experience would never notice these hidden truths.
By contrast, the Northern nobles were so blatant in their cruelty, so undisguised in their “eating of people,” that even Cassius, the “evil dragon,” thought them a bit extreme.
As expected, just as Cassius anticipated.
Olivia lowered her gaze, her heart beginning to waver.
“Perhaps... this is the justice I seek?”
“Is this the order that truly aligns with human nature?”
“Then everything I have done before is meaningless, even obstructing the progress of history?”
Staring deeply into the silver dragon’s lake-like eyes, Cassius pressed on:
“Olivia, as the supreme ruler of the Ember Kingdom, I sincerely invite you to join the kingdom.”
“Once the Anzeta Wasteland is unified, I will not ask you to become some so-called ‘Vassal of the Evil Dragon.’ You can even become a member of the kingdom’s council through proper procedures, giving a voice to the weak, helping those oppressed by the Northern nobles, and better realizing your aspirations.”
The red dragon’s voice echoed in Olivia’s ears, seducing her like a devil.
【The Silver-Tongued】
Under the supernatural charm that could distort reality, the silver dragon had already been deeply swayed, uncertain and trapped in a mire of hesitation and struggle.
In the past, she could rely on the radiant image of “Angel” to steady her will.
But after that encounter, everything had been revealed. The things she clung to vanished, dissolving like illusory bubbles.
“I don’t know.”
Olivia bit her lip, hesitating and unsure of what to say.
She had prepared an internal script, hoping to “save” Cassius, pulling him into the camp of kindness and justice, even converting him to Bahamut, the King of Northwind.
But reality proved that this was just her wishful thinking; she couldn’t even convince herself.
Throughout this conversation, Olivia had been entirely in Cassius’s grasp, falling into his carefully designed trap. Furthermore, she felt an inexplicable dependence on the red dragon, making it even harder to break free.
Cassius approached her and presented an offer she couldn’t refuse:
“The unification of Anzeta by the Ember Kingdom is an irreversible historical trend. As wise as you are, I’m sure you realize this. But you can use your power to accelerate this process, sparing more innocent people from sacrifice and allowing them to live better under the kingdom’s order.”
As he spoke, reality twisted, and a hellish battlefield appeared before them. Rivers of blood flowed, mountains of corpses piled up, and anguished wails filled the air. The sight made the silver dragon’s heart ache—she did not want to see such devastation, yet it was likely the near future.
This image finally shattered her last mental defense.
“I—”
Olivia’s lips trembled, her blue-gray eyes filled with turmoil.
At last, she looked up at Cassius with a complex expression and sighed softly in relief.
“I agree.”
“But you cannot force me to kill anyone, and I will only carry out the orders I deem right.”
For some reason, Olivia always felt powerless before the red dragon, as though she was forever being toyed with, unable to find a way to resist. The conditions she added were her final act of defiance.
Cassius revealed a pleased smile. A large and a small claw of differing colors clasped together.
“Excellent.”
“Then, let’s work well together.”
“Coincidentally, there is now a mission of great importance to the kingdom’s situation, and I believe you are the best candidate for it—the only candidate.”
Olivia immediately became alert, frowning slightly.
Her past experiences told her that every time Cassius smiled, nothing good would follow.
Sure enough, Cassius’ calm voice rang out.
“Your grandfather, ‘Silver Wing’ Oszedro, has already arrived in Anzeta. Unfortunately, blinded by hypocritical justice, he has chosen to support the Northern rebels. He will stand in the way of my unification of the North, so...”
“Cassius! You—”
Olivia trembled with anger, her voice carrying a hint of sobbing.
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