Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

"Bang!" The cork in the red wine bottle was pulled out by the bottle opener, making a crisp bang sound, and a cloud of white mist emerged from the bottle mouth.

Abbrana opened the bottle and poured the wine gently and slowly. The scarlet liquid in the bottle poured down and swirled in the crystal goblet.

The liquid level rose to two-thirds of the cup and stopped. Abbrana raised her hand and took the second wine glass from the wooden rack, then raised her eyebrows at Roy while holding the glass.

"Want a drink?"

Abbrana seemed to be asking, but in fact she had already made the decision for Roy.

Even if she was rejected, she would still give Roy the second glass of wine.

"Well, come on, I can't drink much."

"Don't worry, this wine doesn't have a high alcohol content. I personally like to have a small drink before bed to get slightly tipsy, which helps improve sleep quality."

"Oh...you haven't been sleeping well."

"The night is long. It's hard to fall asleep without my beloved Ravshini by my side."

"But she insisted on leaving me and wandering around. I'm both relieved and sad. I hope she can become more interesting and become my dance partner."

While pouring wine into the glass, Abbrana briefly introduced the origin of the red wine.

"The red wine produced by the famous Victoria winery is rumored to have inherited the winemaking techniques of the Gallic royal family. However, the Gallic Empire has collapsed, so the authenticity of this rumor is difficult to verify."

"Perhaps only the truly old fellows still remember the taste of Gallic royal red wine."

Abbrana pushed Roy's cup in front of him, and as she pulled her hand away, her fingertips tapped the rim of the cup, and a cold purple fire burned in the scarlet wine that looked like blood.

"Death Mango, this is a kind of wine I use to entertain true allies. The purple fire representing death will closely connect us. Until the death that is destined to come..."

"Abrana Dublin, I greet you with greetings." The elegant Red Dragon leader raised his glass to greet the guests. His beautiful face, illuminated by the cold purple fire, always wore a confident and calm smile.

"Cheers." Roy, ignoring the flames in his glass, raised his own glass in response. They both raised their heads almost simultaneously, drinking the wine mixed with the flames in one gulp.

"Hmm...it's a wonderful experience. It doesn't feel like burning as I expected, but rather like drinking a glass of ice water."

Roy placed the wine glass with a little liquid left in it back on the table, rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then gave his evaluation of the taste.

"Your acceptance of my flame means that from this moment on, your soul will belong to me after death. I know that with your power, you can easily dispel my flame, but I don't care."

"Your willingness to drink that glass of wine is enough for me."

"You're testing your allies' sincerity this way? As expected of you, Abrana."

Roy couldn't help but admire Abrana's ability to flexibly use her fire to achieve her goals.

She was a born scheming strategist, greedy, ruthless, and ambitious, and she made unimaginable efforts. She mediated and balanced the power of the major dukes and established the Deep Pool organization.

My younger sister, Lavshini, still needs to continue learning about the control of magic and the means of governing people.

"In front of the Demon King Sarkaz, who possesses the ability to see through people's minds, these little tricks are nothing. As the most powerful Demon King in existing historical records—Roy Tikaz."

"What exactly attracted your attention, Tara? Deep Pool? Me? Or Ravshini? Or perhaps, the only remaining legitimate descendant of the red dragon... I'm very curious about this."

"I don't believe you're motivated by sympathy for the people of Tara, or any noble good intentions. So in exchange for a genuine answer, I'm willing to make an unlimited promise. Ask for anything I can."

"Even if it's me... what do you think? Are you interested?" Abrana said, crossing her legs and tiptoeing into her sandals. The loose collar of her pajamas slipped from her shoulders, revealing a portion of her snow-white skin.

On the slender swan neck, the silver necklace with the Originium pendant is particularly eye-catching under the light.

Abrana, who was cautious and suspicious by nature, never really believed Roy's explanation. In her view of life, there is no charity without reason.

Behind all unreasonable behaviors, there must be a greater rationality hidden, but we cannot see it now.

Based on the information she currently has, Abara cannot come up with an answer that can convince herself, so she hopes to get an answer from the person involved by making a promise.

"I've already stated the answer to your question from the beginning. This is a bold investment. It covers not only Tara, but also Victoria, Ursus, Iberia, and even distant Sami."

"What I value is the future of this land. I did choose Tara for selfish reasons. I see some of the Sarkaz in the people of Tara."

"They all suffered unfair discrimination and oppression, were forced to leave their homes and wander around... The difference is that the Sarkaz still have their own land."

"Out of compassion, I found you through several Tara people. What you and Ravshini are doing is more in line with my vision for Tara's future."

"It's the same for everyone else. It's not because you are legitimate descendants of the Red Dragon."

"I wonder if my answer matches the setting you have in mind, Abbrana?"

Roy was quite interested in Abbrana's promise. If he made some unreasonable demands, would she still keep her promise?

"You are very similar to my sister, with a noble and kind heart. Idealists always have a hard time in this cruel world."

"You have already annihilated all enemies with your sheer force. If only my sister had half your execution ability, she would be the true leader of Deep Pool."

"Maybe..." Roy was skeptical of Abbrana's statement. A strong person like her would not give up everything until she was completely tired of playing with it.

"Now that we've reunited, it's time to get down to business. What brings you here this late at night?"

"Take a look at this invitation first." Roy reached into his arms, took out a gold-embossed envelope, and handed it to Abbrana.

"Hehe... You actually sent an invitation directly to Tara in the name of Kazdel officials. Have you considered Victoria's reaction?"

"Don't worry, I have my own plans for this. You just need to consider whether there are suitable people and programs to participate in the event."

"Cultural exchange activities... I am not interested in them. Ravshini has loved reading various Tara poetry collections since she was a child. She should be allowed to go."

"She's never been exposed to the world outside of Victoria, so this is a good opportunity for her to broaden her horizons. How can someone with such a narrow vision become a true leader?"

"Hmm...I understand what you mean."