novelraw Chapter 282: No One Understands Dragons Better Than Me
Chapter 282: No One Understands Dragons Better Than Me
"No One Understands Dragons Better Than Me"
"The King of Lothrian has fallen gravely ill and cannot rise from his bed."
Gordon's voice transmitted clearly through the bloodline connection directly into the red iron dragon's consciousness,
"The atmosphere within the palace has become mysterious and sinister. Those princes who usually appear obedient and humble, those royal dukes and grand dukes, now all resemble venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, coiled and ready to strike, holding their breath as they anxiously await the final moment that will determine the kingdom's fate."
With the towering pillar that reached the heavens suddenly collapsing and teetering precariously,
the existing cracks and contradictions within the entire Lothrian Federation have further widened.
Beneath the seemingly calm lake surface churn dangerous, swift currents and whirlpools.
The current King of Lothrian, already advanced in years with energy greatly diminished from his prime, should have been laying down his burdens to enjoy his twilight years. Instead, he was crushed by the mountain of heavy administrative duties and psychological burdens heavy enough to crush Giants brought about by the federation's increasingly severe division crisis, until his mind and body were utterly exhausted, finally collapsing completely and falling gravely ill.
Hearing the iron dragon Gordon's secret report about the king's critical illness,
the red iron dragon's heart stirred.After rapidly pondering for several seconds, he said: "Gravely ill... A person who commands the entire resources of the Lothrian Kingdom, capable of mobilizing countless top physicians and rare magical artifacts... What kind of terrible disease could plunge him into a hopeless situation with no cure?"
Iron Dragon Gordon responded: "I don't know the specific cause, but I suspect it's related to his soul."
The Lothrian Kingdom's customs emphasize martial prowess.
Moreover, as direct descendants of that legendary founder's bloodline, every member with royal blood receives rigorous training from birth and unlimited resource allocation, far surpassing ordinary people in the common sense.
However.
One crucial fact cannot be avoided.
The current king's natural talent and aptitude can only be considered average among successive Lothrian monarchs. Combined with his personality containing elements of insufficient diligence, even bordering on laziness... this meant that although he reached level 20 at his peak in his prime, he gradually declined afterward with aging.
Throughout his entire life.
He never successfully stepped into the legendary realm that symbolizes the qualitative transformation of power and life.
That he has lived to this advanced age far exceeding ordinary human limits is largely due to relying on the royal family's secretly stored life-extending treasures and massive resource accumulation, forcibly breaking through the limits of his inherent life potential.
Previously it was manageable.
But now, the federation's increasingly severe internal division and turmoil act like continuous heavy hammers, repeatedly striking his already fragile spirit and body, finally triggering a chain collapse.
Ultimately leading to the exhaustion of his soul's origin, inevitably collapsing with serious illness... In Garoth's view, this is actually a logical, unsurprising normal occurrence.
After pondering briefly, Garoth posed another crucial question to the iron dragon.
"Gordon, when was the news confirming the King of Lothrian's grave illness officially confirmed and spread within the royal court?"
On the other end of the mental link, Iron Dragon Gordon carefully thought before responding: "Approximately seven days ago."
"The court's chief royal physician and several archmages jointly confirmed that the king's condition has deteriorated to the point of being beyond recovery. He's now almost entirely sustained by legendary-level life-sustaining artifacts from the royal treasury, barely clinging to life."
"Even if this breath can be maintained, or even if he recovers somewhat, he will be severely affected. I'm afraid he doesn't have many years of lingering life left, and most of that time will likely be spent in a weakened state."
Deep within Scorchsteel Fortress,
the red iron dragon suddenly opened his eyes, with thoughtful light intensely flickering within them.
The timing when the King of Lothrian was confirmed to be critically ill—seven days ago.
This date closely follows another major event that shook the federation—precisely when the Duchy of Abbe first tore off all pretenses and boldly declared war on the Duchy of Harthale, followed immediately by Harthale responding with an equally firm declaration of war.
Just as the king fell critically ill and the royal court descended into chaos and suspicion,
the two major duchies that had been in tense standoff along the border, engaged in prolonged and difficult diplomatic negotiations trying to seek compromise or at least maintain surface peace... so abruptly threw down declarations of war representing a fight to the death.
Coincidence?
Perhaps... this really is just a low-probability temporal coincidence.
But in Garoth's dictionary, he never easily believes in coincidences.
He's more inclined to believe that behind this seemingly accidental coincidence lies deeper, inevitable causes.
The red iron dragon closed his eyes again, immersing his mind in the bloodline connection.
He calmly pressed further: "Gordon, outside the royal court, how many people know about the king's critical condition?"
Iron Dragon Gordon immediately responded: "Because this concerns the royal succession and federation stability, it's classified as top-level confidential. The information is strictly contained within the innermost circles of the royal court. Only those who truly hold significant power—the highest-ranking royal dukes, important ministers, and a very few core court mages—know the details! As for me—"
"—I only learned about it when Elina, deeply worried, privately confided in me about her father's condition."
If that's the case, only two possibilities remain.
First: The declarations of war by the Duchies of Abbe and Harthale coinciding with the King of Lothrian's critical illness is truly just pure coincidence.
The second possibility is more sinister: Within the core circles of the Lothrian royal court, there exists another—or even multiple—deeply hidden moles besides Gordon. And this person's position must be quite high, undoubtedly among the top figures who can access the king's critical illness information immediately.
He defaulted to the second possibility filled with conspiracy.
Garoth said: "Currently, Lothrian and the entire federation are in turbulent times. All factions are like bowstrings drawn taut, with the atmosphere growing more tense and dangerous by the day."
He emphasized pointedly:
"Incompetent, gluttonous, lazy... these disguises you've carefully cultivated within the Lothrian royal court are excellent, very effective."
"You must continue maintaining them without the slightest relaxation."
"Only this way can those true conspirators and ambitious individuals completely overlook your existence, viewing you as a harmless, even laughable pet. Only then can you, at the most critical moment... play an unexpected role."
Garoth truly understands me best!
All those disgraceful behaviors are merely the disguises I, Gordon, have carefully woven! They are my protective coloration for enduring humiliation and lulling enemies within this dangerous royal court! All my sacrifices... are foreshadowing for the dragon race's grand future ambitions!
"Remember!"
Garoth's voice sounded again, calm and composed.
"Don't be too impatient, don't let the current chaotic situation deceive you into rash action. We possess lifespans measured in centuries, millennia. We have plenty of time to wait."