Volume 1 Chapter 160
by Need_More_SleepVolume 1 + Chapter 160: Seeing Clearly
“What are we doing here?”
Andai’s gaze swept over the surroundings, her brow involuntarily furrowing. The environment here was worlds apart from the prosperous and bustling imperial capital, so backward it made her somewhat uncomfortable. The roads were dusty, the air permeated with a rotten, damp smell. Ruined walls and dilapidated houses were everywhere, looking as if they might collapse at any moment.
Her eyes landed on a street corner where several children in tattered clothes huddled by the roadside, filthy and frail, looking as if a gust of wind could blow them over. Their faces were smeared with grime, their eyes hollow and numb, reflecting a silence and helplessness not belonging to their age. This scene made Andai feel inexplicably stifled, and she couldn’t help but look away.
In contrast, Anna, standing beside her, appeared much calmer, even carrying a touch of accustomed nonchalance. Her knowledge and experience far exceeded Andai’s, so she naturally wouldn’t show too much turmoil over the scene before her.
After all, the places she had been to extended far beyond this. And compared to the truly devastating places she had seen, this sight before her wasn’t even the worst.
“This is a small town not far from the imperial capital. It suffered some attacks recently.”
Chancelianne introduced calmly, her voice not loud but clear enough to be heard. Yet it was precisely this calmness that gave rise to a strange feeling in Andai’s heart.
An attack on a town near the imperial capital, an event of this scale should have spread throughout the entire empire long ago, even causing quite a stir. Strangely, however, the imperial capital remained as peaceful as ever, with not even a whisper of news, as if none of this had ever happened.
This was very wrong.
The empire was not a place where news was blocked or information deliberately concealed, especially for major events concerning national security. Such incidents were usually widely known very quickly.
Yet now there was no movement whatsoever. That could only mean the empire’s higher-ups were intentionally covering this up, or that there were certain secrets hidden behind it.
“Can I ask, who attacked this town?”
Andai couldn’t help asking, her eyes sharpening slightly.
“The Dragon Clan.”
Chancelianne answered without hesitation, her gaze fixed directly on Anna, her tone so calm it was almost cold. “A black dragon, specifically. It happened while we were at that remote village.”
Anna was taken aback slightly. Although she had vaguely suspected that the attackers might be from the Dragon Clan, when Chancelianne actually spoke the answer aloud, she still felt a twinge of awkwardness and discomfort.
She drew a quiet breath, trying to conceal her momentary emotional fluctuation. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, yet a heavy feeling stirred deep in her heart.
It was probably because when she left, other dragons mistook this area as unoccupied, leading them to rashly intrude and recklessly destroy everything.
“I’m sorry.”
Anna instinctively murmured an apology, her tone carrying a hint of guilt.
“There’s nothing to apologize for. This matter isn’t directly related to you.”
Chancelianne said plainly, her tone calm and resolute, without the slightest hint of blame. Instead, she added meaningfully, “On the contrary, this incident has actually allowed me to see your value clearly.”
As she spoke, she glanced thoughtfully at Eve, who was leisurely sipping her tea.
All along, she had viewed Anna as a scourge upon the empire, the dragon who periodically attacked imperial merchant caravans and plundered supplies, once a thorn in her side, a pain in her heart. She once believed that as long as Anna was eliminated, imperial caravans would proceed unimpeded, and the nation’s development would be more stable.
However, reality delivered a stern wake-up call.
It turned out Anna’s existence was far more important than she had imagined. Anna’s departure hadn’t brought peace to the empire. Instead, it allowed other, more brutal dragons to seize the opportunity and invade.
In comparison, Anna merely stole some food now and then, while those other dragons directly destroyed half the town, bringing true disaster.
It was precisely because of this that Chancelianne unhesitatingly supported Eve’s plan to establish the Dragon God Faith.
If they couldn’t completely resolve the conflict between the Dragon Clan and humans, simply expelling or suppressing them wouldn’t change the status quo, it would only make the situation more uncontrollable.
Moreover, the current measure wasn’t merely about resolving conflict, it was about utterly controlling the future of the Dragon Clan, bringing them truly under the rule of the imperial family.
If this plan could be successfully implemented, the empire could rest easy for the next few millennia. By then, the Dragon Clan would become guardians of the empire, no longer a threat, and the royal family would no longer lose sleep over dragon incursions.
More importantly, with the Dragon Clan’s protection, the empire would have no further worries. Any invasion by external enemies would become laughable and powerless, unable to shake the empire’s foundations at all.
And for the Dragon Clan, this was also a mutually beneficial transaction. As long as they chose to submit, the empire would provide them with ample resources, freeing them from the need to plunder for survival as in the past, allowing them to live relaxed and comfortable lives.
Even in the future, whether it be the imperial family or the descendants of these two dragons, they would remember this history of mutual support and trust, forming a unique tacit understanding of guardianship and legacy.
The future empire would undoubtedly grow stronger because of the Dragon God Faith’s existence. Furthermore, the current Dragon God Faith wasn’t just a tool for the empire to control the Dragon Clan, it was also one of the most effective means currently available to curb the Church’s expansion.
Now, the royal family’s time was running out. They had to make a choice before the situation spiraled completely out of control.
“You two go ahead and walk around freely, like before. No need to deliberately intervene in anything, nor to purposely ingratiate yourselves. Just act according to your own thoughts.”
Eve lifted her teacup, gently blowing on the tea leaves floating on the surface. Her tone was calm yet carried a hint of indisputable authority.
She paused slightly, her gaze shifting from the teacup to the two before her, continuing, “Anna did well last time. It’s the same this time. Andai, you should learn more from her approach.”
As soon as the words fell, Anna, sitting to the side, clearly froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting to be praised in front of everyone. She instinctively looked up at Eve, her lips parting slightly but no sound emerging. A flicker of awkwardness and unease passed through her golden eyes. Compared to her usual proud, dragon-like demeanor, she now seemed somewhat restrained.
It had to be admitted, the plan for the Dragon God Faith was indeed beginning to fall into place. The scene before them was the best proof, those dragons who once stood aloft, disdaining to mix with mere mortals, were now unwittingly changing their stance.
Watching this, Eve couldn’t help but let a meaningful smile curl at the corner of her lips. Now, it depended on whether they could smoothly cross this hurdle before them.
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