Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire.

Chapter 111 Will You Miss Me?

After Orthea left a final word of advice, she took the still unwilling Angelis back to the battlefield against the abyss where they could fulfill the justice they believed in.

Until the end, Noah's father was unable to change his son's "distorted" aesthetic sense because he was reluctant to give up the treasures he had accumulated with great effort.

Noah also used practical actions to let his father experience the dragon clan's code of conduct. As long as the price can be paid, everything can be changed, but if you don't pay, don't even think about getting it for free.

The low-key departure of the two adult golden dragons did not bring any changes to the Augustus family's territory, and no one even cared about it, because Cassius had returned.

Through his mother, Noah learned that there was a big problem with his adoptive father, but this problem would affect the future, not the present, so there was no need to worry for the time being.

That is eight hundred years. Even for the dragon clan, eight hundred years would be classified as an ancient dragon. Although it was a bit too much for Noah, the golden dragon himself did not care. He was not sure whether he could become an ancient dragon in eight hundred years, but he was sure that he could become a legend.

However, as his mother questioned, could his adoptive father be a man who could stay here for 800 years? Of course not, a soldier's life expectancy would decrease as he bled and was injured.

There are many soldiers who are invincible on the battlefield when they are young, but once their blood and energy begin to decline, their physical fitness begins to decline, and their condition is not even as good as that of an octogenarian.

Noah was very sure that Cassius would not stop fighting.

Although the ultimate meaning of life was broken, this ultimate meaning guaranteed that the master could have a longer life and greater vitality, and it would not have a very direct reflection on combat power.

In short, although Noah's adoptive father's life expectancy was greatly reduced, his fighting power was improved again.

However, this was not a fundamental change for the forces bordering or having contact with Augustus.

Regardless of whether Cassius has become stronger in recent years, the oppression they feel is so strong that it is suffocating, and they can only retreat and avoid his edge.

Cassius' return did not bring any major changes to the territory on the surface, but it affected all aspects quietly.

The first and most obvious point is that the highest decision-maker in territory affairs, Duchess Selina, has obviously become much better in temper, and her smile is extremely friendly, not as scary as before.

This influence spread from top to bottom, and the atmosphere in the entire Duke's mansion became much more cheerful and relaxed. The changes in the administrative center radiated to the entire territory, but this change was invisible and only a very few people could perceive it.

As for more specific matters, there were basically no changes, such as speeding up the construction of the Mage City and shortening the construction period. This spectacular project, which affected countless industries in the territory, did not slow down at all due to Cassius' return.

Instead, Selina was emboldened by this and intensified her exploitation and plundering of the Underdark, planning to build the Mage City as planned in the blueprint in a shorter time.

Not only that, Noah also accidentally learned that his adoptive mother was formulating a crazy plan to conquer the Underdark in order to plunder more resources.

Compared to developing primitive wilderness, even if you discover rich resource points such as extraordinary mineral veins or wild magic potion growth areas, you still need to invest in the early stage and wait for a certain period of time before you can get a return.

In contrast, the short-term benefits of plundering underground civilizations that have been operating for hundreds or thousands of years are obviously greater, and if they can be conquered, the long-term income will also be considerable.

Of course there are risks. The first is that going deep underground and entering a strange and complex environment, the Knights' casualty rate will probably not be too low. Secondly, the underground forces are too complex and even the indigenous people do not dare to say that they understand them, let alone outsiders.

The last and most dangerous point is that the special environment underground has created a social and cultural environment that is completely different from the ground. The ideological concepts are also completely different. Intrigue and deception are the norm, and loyalty is more scarce than heirloom gems.

The underground creatures are not worthy of any trust, and any fool who trusts them will surely end up in a miserable situation.

It was precisely because of this that Selina only regarded the underground clans that submitted to the Augustus family as objects of exploitation and plunder, and never intended to truly incorporate them into the Augustus family's ruling system.

Of course, these guys never intended to truly integrate. They were just waiting for the day when the family that suppressed them would decline so that they could not covet the land under the sun.

However, when these guys learned that their surrendered human overlord planned to conquer areas further away in the Underdark, these clans became very enthusiastic and were willing to form vassal armies and actively cooperate.

Because the basis of Serena's plan to conquer was Cassius, the surrendered underground clans knew very well how powerful this human legend was.

It's a war they are bound to win, and they would be foolish not to take part. It can also make up for the losses they have suffered from years of exploitation and plunder. No matter how much the suzerain takes, there will be some left.

"I wonder how many people will die in this war. Tsk, power is so tempting!"

When Selina announced her plan to conquer the Underdark to the entire territory, it immediately caused a sensation. Not only did all the knights directly under Augustus request to fight, but many noble vassals also took the initiative to apply to join the underground expeditionary force.

Even larger groups of adventurers were fighting tooth and nail for the exploration missions issued by the Augustus family, even though it was a veritable cannon fodder mission.

But who can blame the Augustus family for being so generous? As everyone knows, the Duchess has never been stingy with rewards. Even if it is a powerful earl, as long as the merits meet the requirements, she will confer the title.

Who wouldn't fight hard in a war that could change the fate of themselves and their families? Even if they knew the casualty rate would be high, so what? Before the scythe of death fell on their heads, no one would think it would be them.

For Selina, who was driving and leading this war, she knew that even if a war achieved its goal, all the wealth accumulated by the Augustus family since its rise and development would be consumed.

However, she could no longer endure her own powerlessness when Cassius fell, so she would use all means, regardless of the cost, to build the Mage City in the shortest time possible.

As long as she can build this magical wonder that the golden dragon has provided ideas for, she will have a greater chance of being promoted to a legendary wizard and a ruler of elements in a shorter time.

Otherwise, if Cassius failed again and failed to return successfully, the Augustus family would be destroyed and overthrown. All the family heritage and accumulation would lose their meaning, as they were meant to be consumed at the critical moment.

"You are not allowed to participate!"

This was Noah's harsh response when one of his Cloud Giants tried to sign up for the war.

Although the number of cloud giants in his territory exceeds five hundred, there are less than two hundred adult cloud giants who can really fight, and the majority are the old, weak, sick and disabled.

Noah was reluctant to throw the Cloud Giants into the underground where he didn't know how many casualties would occur. Besides, it was only those fools who came up with the idea of ​​letting the Cloud Giants who liked to live in the mountains and move among the clouds enter the underground battlefield.

"Dad Dragon, the city of Elishim is so quiet today!"

The little girl sitting on the wall, swinging her delicate white feet, sighed as she looked at the city below the mountain where the noise had become much quieter.

"Because the expedition has already begun, the Fire Valley should be very busy right now."

Noah responded lazily. After his adoptive father came back, he became more and more lazy. Most of the time, he was basking in the sun while flipping through the Book of All Things, feeling very comfortable.

"Grandmother and sister are gone too. I wonder when they will be back?"

Gwendolen, who was already ten years old, looked like a little adult, with a face full of worry and some reluctance.

"What's wrong? You want to go to class? Then don't worry, she will be back soon."

Looking at Gwen who was almost grown up, Noah smiled half teasingly.
"If you're in a hurry, I can give you extra lessons now."

"Dad Long, this war will probably last for several years, right?"

Gwendolyn, who could no longer be called small and had grown into a graceful lady, did not respond to the golden dragon's teasing, but quietly asked, "Maybe. Anyway, it will definitely not be over in a few months."

Noah could not predict his adoptive mother's ambitions and plans, but it was obvious that this was a war that would never end in the short term.

"A few years is just a short moment for you, isn't it?"

The little girl tilted her head and asked the dragon, who was who knows how much bigger than she was.

"Of course not. How old am I? A few years is a long time for me."

Noah rejected it immediately.

"But you don't think it's long. Even if your grandmother and sister are going to be away for a few years, you just think it's a short moment."

Gwendolyn did not agree with Dragon Father, but refuted what he had just said.

"Little Gwen, what's wrong with you?"

Noah noticed something was wrong. The little guy seemed particularly sad today, not because of the war that had already started, but because of other things.

"Dad Long, if I were to leave the family and go somewhere else, and only come back once every few years, would you miss me?"

Gwendolyn's voice was very soft and small, but Noah heard it clearly. The lazy look was gone. The golden dragon turned his head, his vertical pupils dilated, reflecting the lonely and sad figure of the little girl.

"Where are you going?"

"My grandmother and sister want me to go to the Starlight Tower for further study."

"Well, do you want to go?"

Noah couldn't tell what kind of answer he wanted to hear.

"think."

The little girl's voice was very firm, so Jin Long slowly lowered his head and returned to his usual laziness.

"Go ahead if you want to. I'll miss you."

"My grandmother said that the fastest way for a spellcaster to improve is to compete and communicate with other spellcasters. This will inspire more inspiration and help them grow."

The little girl reached out, grabbed the tip of the dragon's tail behind her, held it in her arms, lowered her head, and rubbed the dragon's scales with her still tender little face while explaining softly.

"Ok!"

Noah responded softly.

“I actually didn’t want to leave, but my grandmother said that if I continued to stay here, even she would only let me teach and break through to become the Ultimate.

As for legendaries, it is almost impossible, so I must go out to the Holy Land of the Tower and communicate and learn with enough spellcasters to acquire more and broader knowledge. "

Seeing the golden dragon's reaction, the little girl changed her posture and climbed up a distance, just like when she was a child, lying on the dragon's tail and hugging it tightly.
"I also want to hold Father Dragon's tail like I am now, but I want to hold it longer. If I can only hold it for a few hundred years, no matter how I think about it, I will never give up. I want to hold it forever."

"The Holy Land of the Tower is indeed the best place for spellcasters to grow. You should go there. Staying here is really a waste of your talent."

Noah also started talking more.

"Yes, my grandmother said that as long as I find my own legendary path, it doesn't matter where I stay. Once I enter the tower, I will definitely find my own path as soon as possible."

"You're just like..."

Noah paused because he really didn't know how to describe it.

"Like what?"

"You wrote down everything your aunt said and took it as your own code of conduct."

“Because it’s right.”

"Then you don't have to repeat everything she said."

Jin Long couldn't help feeling helpless.

He now felt a little regretful that he did not fight with his aunt for the right to educate little Gwen. If he had done so, every sentence the little guy spoke would start with "Daddy Long".

It makes me feel good just thinking about it.

Unfortunately, not to mention back then, even now, he can't compete with his adoptive mother.

No way, I can't beat him

"When are you going to the Starlight Tower?"

"I should grow up a little more."

"Not now?"

"Of course not. My grandmother and sister said that I am still too weak and might be bullied if I go now."

"too weak?"

Noah's tone couldn't help but sound a little strange. Although little Gwen was only ten years old now, according to the human rank, she was already in the Silver Soul Condensation Realm. If she continued to work harder, it was very likely that she would break through and become a Gold Mage before she reached adulthood.

If he reaches this level and then goes to the Starlight Tower, even though it is a holy place for mages, he will be considered a genius. There are only a handful of people of the same age who can surpass this little guy.

"Why do I feel something is wrong? Is it true that Auntie can't teach me? Or do you have other motives? Do you want to show off your clever child to your enemies or friends in the tower? To get back some confidence?"

Although it was a sudden thought, Noah did not make groundless guesses.

(End of this chapter)