Ashen Dragon

Schroeder's speech finally ended, and the crowd erupted in outrage, slamming their tables in unison.

"That evil dragon must pay the price!"

"The tyranny of the Ashen Kingdom will come to an end!"

"The justice and order of the North shall not be undermined!"

"One day, his dragon head will be chopped off and put on display as a trophy!"

Schroeder surveyed the room. Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently stirred up, he spoke in a low voice:

"Now, I have found a special method to trap that Red Dragon, but I am lacking in strength and need your assistance."

"..."

Instantly, the hall fell silent.

The very people who had spoken so eloquently before now seemed to have been cast in a Group Silence Spell, all falling silent in unison.
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After all, saying it was one thing, but actually doing it was another. That giant dragon had single-handedly destroyed thirty thousand of the allied forces. Though everyone talked about slaying the dragon, no one was foolish enough to risk their own life.

Schroeder perceived the crowd's silence, but his face did not show any sign of disappointment.

These low-level spellcasters were not his target for this recruitment anyway.

His gaze shifted to Madam "Venus."

Her beautiful blue-gray eyes showed displeasure, with no intention of responding.

Schroeder, who excelled at reading people, had long noticed that although Madam "Venus" possessed strong spellcasting abilities, she was obviously inexperienced and somewhat indecisive; her interpersonal skills could even be described as "naive."

——This was also why Schroeder dared interrupt her speech earlier. If it had been a more assertive senior spellcaster, he would never have dared.

However, since Madam "Venus" had just questioned him and he hadn't saved her face, she was clearly not who Schroeder intended to recruit, either.

Thinking this, he turned to Mr. "Remnant Flame."

The black-haired, golden-eyed noble youth, showing a face full of indignation, seemed eager to kill the brutal Red Dragon.

Yes, he was the one.

Strong spellcasting ability, backed by influence, and a sincere heart pursuing justice—wasn't he the perfect pawn Schroeder had been hoping for?

In fact, not just Olivia, Schroeder too had noticed the "flaws" in the Shape-shifting Spell and the subsequent exchanges uncovered an unmistakable arrogance, leading him to suspect that Mr. "Remnant Flame" was highly likely a Gold Dragon.

Championing justice—this was a creed carved into every Gold Dragon bloodline. These obsessive creatures often spent most of their time in disguise, practicing "entrapment justice." Many assassins and bandits lingering in desolate places met with swift ends when their seemingly helpless victims turned out to be disguised Gold Dragons.

Gold Dragons wouldn't rest until they defeated and judged or killed the wrongdoers. They demanded nothing less than complete victory over evil.

Schroeder was willing to offend senior spellcasters to create an atmosphere of despair brought on by evil, just to lure this suspected Gold Dragon.

As expected, Lord "Remnant Flame" stood up, slamming the table.

"Bang!"

He glanced scornfully around and said in a loud voice:

"Is the justice just mentioned by everyone here just a joke?"

"Mr. Grey Hawk, I and my backers are willing to provide all possible assistance to help subdue that brutal Red Dragon!"

"Lord Remnant Flame, thank you for stepping forward and contributing to the justice and order of the North."

"Mr. Grey Hawk, there's no need for more words. Eliminating the evil dragon is simply what I should do, and it is also the unquestionable duty of anyone who carries a heart of justice."

"You, you... I don't even know what to say."

Schroeder rushed up, gripping Cassius's hand tightly, showing a look of tearful gratitude.

"Such a gullible Gold Dragon; once they both are exhausted, I can capture them all at once. Then, I will become the hero of the entire North."

Schroeder thought to himself.

"I will surely do my best to 'help' you."

Cassius also thought to himself, a barely noticeable hint of mischief flashing in his golden eyes.

Their hands clasped tightly together, pledging to join forces to vanquish the brutal Red Dragon that plagued the North, no matter the cost.

——This scene was like the beginning of an epic tale recited by a bard, brimming with a strong sense of heroism.

However, the true nature of the scene was the handshake of an evil spellcaster under the command of a vampire and the disguised Red Dragon itself, vowing together to defeat the Red Dragon in the name of justice.

Seen in this light, it appeared particularly absurd.

Thus, the meeting ended with everyone in high spirits.

People praised Lord "Remnant Flame" for his righteousness and wished them success in eliminating the Red Dragon, bringing peace back to the Northern people. Of course, more importantly, was to maintain their noble status.

...

As the meeting ended, people began to leave.

Schroeder left a teleportation coordinate, inviting Cassius to a secret place prepared specifically in the Boske Duchy tomorrow morning to discuss the specifics of their cooperation.

Cassius, however, did not rush to leave but stayed waiting in place. As expected, Madam "Silver Star" Olivia called out to him once again.

She hurried over, her blue-gray eyes filled with a trace of concern.

"Angel, you cannot trust that human so easily, he is lying. My divination spells tell me he is likely a subordinate of the Vampire Duke, definitely not a kind person."