Chapter 479: Kai Xiusu's Persuasion
Before the towering, iron-bound gate—massive, imposing, and unyielding—Olivia stood, her gaze fixed upon the grand palace she had once called home. The familiar structure loomed before her, its spires piercing the sky, its stone walls whispering memories of a life long since changed.
The guards at the gate recognized her instantly—the former resident of this royal abode. They did not hinder her passage, but without explicit orders, they made no move to open the gate.
"You should be able to hear me," Olivia murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
She had experienced the Red Dragon’s overwhelming authority within the Empire—the kind that settled in the bones, the kind that made even the wind tremble. She knew, without doubt, that he had sensed her arrival.
And sure enough, a familiar sound echoed from beyond the walls, rippling through the air like a ripple across still water.
"Let her in."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
With a slow, grinding groan, the colossal front door creaked open. The heavy iron hinges shrieked in protest as the gate swung wide, revealing the inner sanctum of the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace.
"I haven’t been back in so long."
Olivia stepped through, her blue-gray eyes shimmering with a quiet light. The garden, the courtyards, the familiar stone pathways—everything was exactly as she remembered. Yet it felt different now. Not just a memory, but a place of weight, of meaning.
For nearly a year, she had lived in Isdalia, disguised as a human, clawing her way up through the political ranks until she earned a seat in the Lower House as a member of parliament. She had fought, endured, survived.
But this place—this palace—had been her prison.
She had only stayed here for a few months. A blink in the span of a century. And yet, those months had burned into her soul. The pain, the silence, the powerlessness—each moment had left an indelible mark.
And yet… she did not regret it. Not truly. There was a strange warmth in her chest, a strange fondness, even a quiet longing.
Did she still harbor anger? Hatred?
Perhaps. Even she wasn’t sure. It was a tangled knot of emotions—complex, shifting, impossible to name. And now, she had to face the very dragon who had imprisoned her, to make a request.
Her fingers tightened around the documents in her arms. Her steps quickened.
As she reached the main palace, the gate adorned with serpentine dragon heads groaned open. And there, coiled upon a throne that barely fit his immense frame, lay the Red Dragon.
Retracted horns. Broad wings folded like storm clouds. Pale gold vertical pupils, glowing with ancient intelligence. His body, massive and serpentine, filled nearly half the hall—so vast, so present, that the air itself seemed to tremble under his presence.
Strong. Dignified. Noble. And—perfect.
The words came unbidden to Olivia’s mind. She felt a strange, almost reverent awe, as if she stood before the legendary white-gold statue of Bahamut in the heart of the Clan’s ancestral lair.
Worse still—his length now stretched to forty meters. Even the elders of the Mervold Clan were not this large.
He’s grown stronger, Olivia thought.
And with that growth, the gap between them widened. She didn’t know why, but a deep, hollow ache settled in her chest.
After a long moment, she finally pulled herself back from the trance.
Her blue-gray pupils flickered—shifting, swirling with emotion.
She cleared her throat.
"Long time no see, Kai Xiusu."
"Long time no see, Member Olivia," Kai Xiusu replied, his voice low and resonant. Smoke—gray and wispy—drifted from his nostrils. A faint, sardonic smile tugged at the corners of his draconic face. "You’ve been making quite the stir in the Empire’s political arena lately."
Olivia blinked. "You… know what I did?"
"Of course," he said, chuckling. "A commoner in the Lower House, standing up to Duke Dolo’s proposal in full public session—causing a rift between the military faction and the government."
He exhaled, a plume of sulfur-scented vapor curling into the air. "Impressive. Truly. You know what the people are calling you now? The Flower of Justice."
He knew?
She had assumed, as Emperor of the Empire, he would be too distant, too aloof to care about a single proposal from a minor politician. But Kai Xiusu had not only known—it was as if he had been watching.
The rumors said he had been sleeping for centuries. That he was unaware, indifferent.
But now… she felt a spark. A thrill. Her cheeks warmed, a flush creeping across her face. She didn’t know why. But for the first time in a long time, she felt… seen.
Kai Xiusu tilted his massive head. "So, is that why you’re here?"
"Yes," Olivia said, nodding. Then, after a pause, she added, "But not only that."
"Oh?" He raised a clawed hand. "Then let’s start with the proposal."
With a flick of his claw, the documents in Olivia’s arms floated into the air. Flames danced around them, and words—neat, elegant, perfectly formed—popped into existence, hovering in midair like glowing embers.
Olivia’s eyes widened. Her breath caught.
This… this control over flame…
She had never seen anything like it. Even the legendary Mage Tralfranlo of the Arcane Hermitage, the greatest of his age, had never demonstrated such effortless, precise mastery over elemental energy.
Kai Xiusu skimmed through the text. A slow smile spread across his face.
"Solid idea," he said, shaking his head. "But too idealistic. It’ll never work in practice."
"Why not?" Olivia challenged.
"You’ve read The Theory of Social Security, haven’t you?" Kai Xiusu asked. "Gugus Golorf’s work. It’s quite popular in the Empire."
Olivia nodded. "It’s a valuable resource. Offers a lot of insight."
"True," Kai Xiusu admitted. "But consider this: high welfare systems send a dangerous signal. They ask, Does effort even matter?"
He paused, then continued, "Overuse leads to two major problems: first, rent-seeking behavior. Second, distorted market signals."
"The Empire is still growing—fast. Productivity is vital. Your proposal? Unrealistic. It would crush the spirit of initiative."
He spoke with such calm, such precision, that Olivia found herself listening intently. She even pulled out a spell-scroll, jotting down notes.
For a moment, she was back in that quiet night—discussing philosophy with Anher. The image of the golden youth, the scholar, the idealist… it merged in her mind with the red dragon before her.
Even though it was all a disguise, the resemblance was uncanny. And the memory… it felt real.
"Alright," Kai Xiusu said, yawning. He stretched his massive wings with a soft thump, then exhaled a puff of white, sulfur-scented smoke. "I get it. I’ll revise it. Bring it back when you’re ready—I’ll review it again."
Olivia nodded, collecting the now-grounded documents. "Understood."
Kai Xiusu stared down at her, his golden eyes unblinking, his presence so overwhelming it pressed against her like a physical force.
"Olivia… is there anything else?"
Her gaze flickered. She hugged the documents tighter, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear.
She remained silent for a long time. Then, slowly, she lifted her head. Her eyes locked onto his.
"Kai Xiusu," she said, her voice quiet but firm, "I don’t think your Empire should develop this way."
Kai Xiusu blinked—just once. Then, amusement flickered in his eyes.
"You mean this way? What exactly do you mean?"
"I’ve always believed you’re not the kind of dragon who trades lives for gold," Olivia said, her lips pressed into a thin line. "But I’ve heard from my people in the South. Your Empire is flooding the crumbling Faldran Empire with weapons—weapons that commoners can use."
She paused, her voice growing heavier. "Cassander, Thrace, the Kingdom of Seleucus… their mortals are slaughtering each other with weapons from the Ashen Empire. The Central Great Plain—drenched in blood. The Holy City… reduced to ruins."
She clenched her jaw. "I’m happy to see the Empire thrive. But I won’t let it grow on the blood of the people of Fadalan."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Please stop. Stop selling those cruel, evil weapons. That’s what I want to say."
Kai Xiusu let out a soft, amused chuckle.
Classic Silver Dragon rhetoric.
He could have predicted her words before she even spoke them. Just like last time, when she begged him to stop the conquest of the Northlands.
Even after all she’d been through, she was still naive. Still full of ideals. Like so many of her kind.
She believed words could change a soul. She didn’t realize—she was the one being changed.
He didn’t answer directly. Instead, he extended one clawed finger.
Whoosh.
An invisible force snatched a blade from a distant weapon rack. It soared through the air, landing in front of him, its edge gleaming with cold light.
"Is this blade evil?" Kai Xiusu asked.
Olivia frowned. "No… not necessarily."
She could smell it—the familiar scent of fire and iron. The dragon was about to spin another lie.
"What if I told you this blade belonged to a brutal brigand? That he used it to slaughter over a hundred innocent civilians?"
Olivia hesitated. "Then… yes. It would be evil."
Kai Xiusu shook his tail. "No. The blade is not evil. The hand that wields it is."
Silence.
Olivia’s breath caught.
He had a point.
Kai Xiusu continued, his voice calm, almost gentle. "Consider the war in Faldran. You’re mistaken. We didn’t cause the war. The war caused us to sell weapons."
He sighed, a sound that carried the weight of centuries. "Even if I had stayed out, the three princes would have fought. Thousands would have died. Innocents. Families. Children."
He looked at her, his golden eyes unblinking.
"I regret it deeply. But if war was inevitable, why not use it to benefit my people? Why not earn gold to feed them, to build, to protect?"
He gestured around the palace. "Look at what we’ve achieved. The military industry has created thousands of jobs. It has brought wealth. It has kept countless citizens from starving."
He leaned forward, his voice soft, sincere.
"As Emperor of the Ashen Empire, I cannot stop the war in Fadalan. But I can ensure my own people don’t suffer."
He paused, then added, as if stating a truth beyond debate:
"Weapons are innocent. The one who pulls the trigger is guilty.
War is evil. But selling weapons? That is a noble act."
The words hung in the air.
Kai Xiusu looked perfectly at ease. Calm. Confident.
He silently watched the Charmer +1 effect on his character sheet.
His face was already red. He couldn’t blush more, even if he tried.
And in a way—he wasn’t lying.
He twisted the truth, turned profit from war into a virtue, and made himself the savior of his people.
But if one looked beneath the surface—beneath the polished rhetoric—there was the truth: the Empire’s true capital armor class was built on blood, plunder, and the suffering of others.
Olivia fell silent again.
She searched for flaws in his argument. But her mind was blank.
After a long pause, she exhaled, face burning.
"You’re… arguing."
She had no real counter.
This dragon—this Red Dragon—always found a way. He always turned her questions into his victories.
And she… she was changing.
Kai Xiusu spread his claws, feigning helplessness.
"Our researchers created these weapons for defense. To protect our borders. To secure national safety. What’s so wrong with that?"
Olivia opened her mouth—then closed it.
She stared at him. That smirk. That calm. That certainty.
She thought: I’ll convince you. I will.
Kai Xiusu rose slowly from his throne, his massive form towering over her.
"Human wars are complex," he said, his voice now grave. "They aren’t about simple good or evil. They’re not something your kind—Silver Dragons—should meddle in."
He paused. "Your elders warned you, didn’t they? Stay out of human conflicts."
Olivia lowered her eyes. "Yes."
Kai Xiusu’s expression turned serious.
"Then there is something… you might be able to help with."
Olivia looked up, surprised. "Me?"
The Red Dragon nodded. "In one year, the Deep Abyss Demons will invade the Anzeta Great Wasteland. They will launch a full-scale assault on the Empire. We… need the help of the Mervold Clan."
He didn’t say it outright—but he needed an ally. Not just any ally. One that could lend credibility. One that could help clean the Empire’s image.
And Olivia—now a parliamentarian, now a bridge between the Silver Dragon Clan and the Empire—was the perfect tool.
"Abyssal Invasion?" Olivia’s voice was sharp. Her expression hardened.
She knew the last one had been four centuries ago. The Undead King Aukas, with his army of demons and skeletons, had torn through the Prime Material Plane, bringing a cataclysm that left the entire Feiansuo Continent in ruins.
Only the united might of the Amanatara Church, the Moon Goddess Church, the Fadalan Kingdom, the Silver Dragon Clan, and the Lute Players’ Alliance had managed to stop it. Countless lives had been lost.
Kai Xiusu paused.
"…You know my grandfather, don’t you?"
Olivia stiffened.
Oszedro. The man who had been defeated, wounded, disgraced.
It was a blow to the entire Melward Clan. And to many Silver Dragons, Kai Xiusu—this half-breed hybrid—was a stain on their honor.
But Olivia’s voice was steady.
"My grandfather may be stubborn," she said, "but when it comes to the fate of the world, he will never be wrong."
She looked up, eyes blazing.
"If this is true… I will return to the Mervold Clan. I’ll rally every power I can reach. We’ll stand against the demons—together."
Kai Xiusu dipped his head. "Good. I’ll wait for your word."
To him, Good Alignment was a tool. A resource. When true evil threatened, he could pull them in as free mercenaries—no cost, no loyalty, just results.
Pure good. Pure evil. Both were inefficient.
The Empire’s true strength lay in walking the blurred line—switching sides, exploiting both, gaining everything.
And Kai Xiusu? He had mastered the art.
—Please Vote for the Chapter—
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
