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"Finally, everything is in place. Can I sleep now?"

"What else was there...?"

Cassius yawned again, trying to sort out the jumble of matters in his head. But after all, he was a slothful, sleep-loving red dragon. The more he thought, the closer he came to dozing off.

Compared to the usual red dragon lords whose heads were full of muscles and magma, Cassius could certainly be considered "diligent." Even during the ancient dragon-ruled ages, he could be called a wise and fair ruler.

As someone who knew the future, he had a sense of urgency that set him apart from the other dragons.

Most dragons slept for what felt like an eternity—decades, even centuries. Upon awakening, they would find that their ministers had completely changed, sometimes multiple times—their short-lived servants having aged and died during the dragons' slumber.

"Boom!"

Black smoke puffed out of Cassius's nostrils as he used a claw to prop up his massive head, which had been about to drop as his eyes began to close.

"Right, the demons. Almost forgot about that."

The red dragon rubbed his drowsy eyes, mumbling to himself.

After all, this was the main storyline of the previous era—the "Winter's Fury" Chapter of [Northland Tempest].

In that tale, the "Rage of the Mountains" and "Demon Dragon" Cassius led countless demons from the depths of the mountains, launching a massive invasion into the Anzeta Wastelands, slaughtering everything in their path. The nations of the Northlands united with the players to resist the abyssal demons.

But with Cassius's intervention, the situation in the Northlands was now completely different. The nations trembled beneath his wings, seemingly on the brink of uniting under the red dragon's power.

There was one thing he was sure of, though—the demon invasion was inevitable.

This was why he intended to unite the Northlands swiftly within four years. Only by uniting the kingdoms and consolidating Anzeta's strength could they hope to resist the endless tide of abyssal demons.

With that in mind, Cassius commanded:

"Bring Alger here immediately."

The red dragon's voice was impatient. He wanted nothing more than to sleep, even his draconic instincts were urging him to rest.

A spell transmitted Cassius's urgent order.

Soon, a piercing eagle cry came from outside the palace—Alger had arrived, riding his dragon-blooded giant eagle.

According to the protocol established by the kingdom's ministers, Alger was supposed to land outside the palace, go through identity verification, be formally announced, walk for several miles along a wide avenue, and only then enter the main hall where Cassius resided.

But Cassius had no patience for such displays of "grandeur." He directly called out:

"Enter the palace immediately. Don't waste time outside."

Hearing the red dragon's command, the tiefling guards on the walls opened the gates, and the wyverns perched on the stone pillars lowered their heads, ceasing their roars.

Alger flew unimpeded into the palace.

In just a few breaths, Alger had gracefully landed his eagle before the main hall doors.

Alger dismounted, calling toward the doors.

"My lord, I am here."

"Come in."

The heavy, dragon-headed metal doors slowly opened.

Alger stepped steadily into the hall, while his dragon-blooded eagle obediently waited outside.

He knelt on one knee before the steps, speaking respectfully:

"Forgive me, my lord, for my slight delay."

With the players gone, Alger's Crimson Scales Watch had grown considerably quieter.

The requirements to become a [Crimson Scales Conqueror] were high. Even now, very few of the natives had qualified—he was practically alone, whereas before, he'd commanded nearly twenty players.

After avenging his fallen kin, Alger no longer craved power and was content with the solitude.

"Alger, after the Starfall departed, how many Crimson Scales Conquerors remain in the Watch?"

Alger responded: "Including myself, there are four, my lord."

Cassius shook his head. "Not enough, far from enough."

"The growth of Crimson Scales Conquerors cannot rely solely on those Starfall outsiders. You must nurture more new blood."

Alger sighed slightly. "My lord, training such knights takes years, and the requirements are extremely high. It is also very costly. I can only do my best."

Cassius said, "I will provide sufficient funding. With the kingdom's current size, I refuse to believe we cannot find one hundred wyvern knights among hundreds of thousands."

Alger could only reply, "Yes, my lord."

Cassius continued, "Have your patrols noticed anything recently?"

Alger thought for a moment before responding: "The Bosk Duchy's activity has significantly decreased. Half a year ago, their cavalry still wandered near our borders, but now they are almost nowhere to be seen. As for the other Northland nations, they have been even quieter. It seems your power has indeed frightened them."

"Good, just as I expected."

Cassius paused for a moment.

"However, I have a new, challenging task for you—patrol the Anstica Mountains and search for any trace of demons."

The red dragon's tone made it clear this was an order, not a suggestion.

Alger knelt again, obeying without hesitation: "Understood."

He hesitated briefly, cautiously adding: "But... the kingdom does not border the Anstica Mountains. We might need to cross Bosk Duchy territory. I'm concerned this could cause unnecessary conflicts."

Cassius calmly replied:

"I have already informed Langpu in advance. He will cooperate. I'll authorize the use of dimensional gates; once you have a confirmed location, you can use magic to travel."

"Even if magic fails, the kingdom can demand military passage from Bosk Duchy. They owe us plenty. Just ask for some collateral to settle the debt. Do not worry."

Cassius's golden eyes blazed like fire.

"This mission is crucial—it concerns not only the kingdom's future but the fate of the entire Northlands. You must succeed. Report any demonic activity immediately to the upper ranks."

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Alger chose not to question further—such doubts would only irritate the dragon.

He simply answered:

"Yes, my lord. I will complete this mission."

With a piercing eagle cry, Alger departed, riding his great eagle away.

Watching the distant figure of his wyvern knight, Cassius let out a yawn, exhaling a hot breath, and murmured to himself:

"Tch, finally... I can get some proper sleep."