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Gazing at the twelve newly transformed Dragon-Oath Paladins below, Cassius exhaled a breath of sulfur-laden smoke, casually offering his praise:

"Fried, you have a good eye."

After all, as mere mortals, surviving the infusion of the Red Dragon's violent blood without bursting apart was a rare feat indeed. That all twelve candidates succeeded exceeded even Cassius's expectations.

Fried lowered his head, responding calmly, "It is an honor to receive your praise."

He knew very well that his sole task was to find and train Dragon-Oath Paladins for Cassius. As a former "Black Lion Knight" who had once served the enemy, unlike Medrolash who had substantial interests tying him to Cassius, Fried did not hold enough leverage. Even with the absolute control of the bloodline, Cassius would never entrust the entire Dragon-Oath Hall's power to Fried or make him its direct leader.

Thus, Fried wisely chose to relinquish his authority voluntarily, diminishing his own influence within the kingdom. He devoted himself entirely to training candidates.

Cassius nodded in satisfaction, his gaze shifting to Anthony.

"You shall be the 'Twelve Dragon Wardens' of the Dragon-Oath Hall."

"Anthony, I appreciate your courage. To maintain your sanity after the transformation is impressive. As a reward for your bravery and resilience, you shall be the leader of the Dragon Wardens. Moreover, you may choose your honorific title."

The boy who had emerged from the basement had now completely conquered his inner demons and become a faithful defender of the kingdom's order.

"Master, I wish to be 'Judgement,' to enforce the kingdom's order with an iron fist and burn all enemies who dare disrupt it."

He knelt on one knee, his face alight with emotion, his eyes blazing like fire.

"I approve."

Cassius replied calmly, his gaze shifting back to Fried.

Fried understood instantly, stepping forward and saying respectfully, "Master, I will now take them to begin their duties in the Dragon-Oath Hall. We shall not disturb you further, and we take our leave."

The Red Dragon gave a slight nod.

Fried led Anthony out, each of them carrying two unconscious Dragon-Oath Paladins, a comical sight. The tiefling attendants, following orders, entered the hall to help move the unconscious boys.

Cassius squinted as he watched them leave, thinking to himself with some amusement:

"Judgement, huh? Quite ambitious."

These twelve youths, personally blessed by Cassius, would one day become the leaders of the Dragon-Oath Hall, raising and training even more Dragon-Oath Paladins for the Ember Kingdom.

The seeds of Cassius's dragon blood in their veins could serve as the source of new dragon-blood followers, capable of bestowing power upon others, though the results would be far weaker than if Cassius himself had performed the blessing.

In just a few years, hundreds or even thousands of Dragon-Oath Paladins could be created, becoming a crucial force for the Ember Kingdom.

Unlike the Crimson Scaled Conquerors, who specialized in reconnaissance and aerial raids and functioned as aerial scouts, the Dragon-Oath Paladins were akin to heavy infantry, playing a significant role in open warfare.

When a legion of Dragon-Oath Paladins marched onto the battlefield like an indestructible mobile fortress, shimmering with protective and fiery auras, it would undoubtedly become a nightmare that no enemy would want to face.

Cassius studied some spells for a while longer before finally succumbing to his exhaustion.

"Maybe now I can finally get a good rest."

"Notify Langpu later to set up the spell defenses. It's time for my next slumber."

Yawning again, the magma-like ripples on Cassius's body began to shift, and the sulfuric scent thickened.

Suddenly, Cassius's expression froze, and the scales above his golden eyes furrowed slightly.

As a sorcerer capable of influencing reality through sheer willpower, the Red Dragon clearly sensed a subtle disturbance in the magic web—it felt as if an unseen eye was spying on him, a sensation that made him very uncomfortable.

"Another divination spell?"

"Heh, someone clearly doesn't fear death."

Cassius's irritation gave way to a smile, though his heart seethed. He had the urge to incinerate whoever dared disturb his rest into cinders.

Though the spell's impact was almost negligible, his dominion over the kingdom's magical network allowed him to trace its origin—a dense forest just outside the palace, only a few miles away.

A sinister grin spread across the Red Dragon's face, and his wings slowly unfurled.

"Let's see... who dares to disturb my slumber?"

Outside the palace, deep in the Kaleba Forest.

Due to its proximity to the Iron Wing Palace and its history as a gathering point for rebels and a hiding place for Northern nobles fleeing Northwind Fortress, this forest had essentially become the palace's backyard, with frequent patrols by wyverns and ogres to check for any intruders.

Rustling noises and hushed whispers came from the forest.

A female elf with pointed ears and dressed in a green cloak spoke softly, "Richard, be careful, and stop using divination spells. According to the alliance's intel, we're dealing with someone capable of casting high-circle magic."

The man called "Richard" turned around and patted the elf on her shoulder, looking relaxed.

His slightly pointed ears and delicate features revealed him to be a half-elf.

"Abis, you're being overly cautious. I know what I'm doing.

"A sorcerer is just a brute among spellcasters. This is a scroll personally crafted by Master Kavina—no evil Red Robe mage could detect this spell, let alone a red dragon filled with nothing but muscle."

He once again focused his mind on the divination spell.

His name was Richard Seger, a well-known ranger in the Fadlan Empire, a "Faerie Wanderer" blessed by the Great Faerie, and a senior member of the Harpist Alliance.

He had accepted an alliance mission labeled as "extremely dangerous"—to investigate the burgeoning evil force of the Ember Kingdom alongside the elven assassin Abis.

"I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this. Trust me, it's an assassin's intuition."

Abis warned, her expression grave.

"Wait—"

Richard turned his head again, a look of panic flashing in his eyes.

"The Red Dragon... I think it noticed us."

Abis urgently said, "What are you waiting for? Use your magic to get us out of here now! Our mission was only to gather intel, not to slay dragons!"

Richard looked down, letting out a bitter laugh. "I'm sorry, maybe I really was wrong."

"Abis, can't you feel it? The magic web here is slowly being sealed off. We might not be able to escape."

"Fool!" (In Elvish)

Abis gritted her teeth, clutching her dagger tightly, cursing under her breath.