CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 261: TAKING A SHORTCUT (2)

If only I had also gathered the courage to join in back then...

PAH, PAH, PAH! I wasn’t even in my adolescence back then; how could I let that guy David take advantage of me! Viola instantly buried her head into her stomach in annoyance.

Meanwhile, facing the Red Dragon whose wrath could not be extinguished and who was pressing in aggressively, the human Messenger also knelt on one knee. Following the script taught by his king, he began by completely yielding to the dragon’s temper, "Yes, Your Highness Lizrite, we will surely convey your will to His Majesty."

Then, he proceeded to recount the current difficult situation as it stood, even exaggerating slightly, "But the current stalemate is truly not what His Majesty wishes to see. In fact, His Majesty wants to defeat the Vitali Empire more than anyone. After all, neither Luwalden nor the Central Earth allied forces are united. Some noble lords are quite disobedient. Most critically, the High Elf Kingdom is constantly watching our movements, providing aid to the Vitali Empire, and sabotaging our supply lines..."

He was abruptly interrupted by Lizrite, who burst out, "Enough! Did I summon you here to listen to this nonsense I’ve heard repeated countless times?"

"But..." Just as the frazzled Messenger was trying to appease this increasingly irritable female Tyrannosaurus, he suddenly froze, his body rigid.

Instantly, all the dragons present instinctively turned to look.

"My Lord!" The Barbarian Rosinde and the Ogre Monado at the camp’s entrance immediately knelt on one knee in homage.

"David Uthos~"

Lizrite, who also sensed something, saw the figure arriving with six long, blazing tails of fire. Her previously rough, outraged tone unconsciously softened, as if she were still a forty-eight-year-old young she-dragon. "Why are you here... Humph!" But no sooner had her enthusiasm sparked than she remembered something and turned her head away, sulking.

That "David Uthos" left Alfonse and his brother, partners in misfortune, utterly stunned. It also nearly caused Viola, who was inexplicably delighted, to bristle all over.

It seemed no one had ever expected Lizrite to possess such a voice.

Never mind them; even Lizrite, belatedly realizing it herself, wanted to dig a hole and bury her head.

It was too humiliating for a dragon! Especially in front of David.

David, who had just arrived flapping his wings and stirring up whirlwinds, was about to inquire about the situation when he sensed Lizrite’s ’petty mood’.

This experienced ’Scum Dragon’ immediately changed his approach, pressing his head against hers. Regardless of whether Lizrite liked it or not, or how undignified it was for a dragon, he just nuzzled her firmly.

As expected, once Lizrite’s olfactory membranes filled with his scent, her tense body immediately relaxed its guard somewhat.

David, learning from the way his father treated Dragon Mother, spoke earnestly beside this female Tyrannosaurus’s ear frills with his deep and magnetic voice, "I’ve already met that child, Octavia. She’s a lovely and lively kid, just like you. You’ve worked hard."

"...Mm." Upon hearing these words, Lizrite visibly melted. Yet, she instinctively tried to maintain her composure, the inexperienced Red Dragon unsure how to react to this unprecedented and ’strange’ situation.

Of course, David knew that if he continued with soft words, it wouldn’t be long before he could make this Red Dragon ’rational’ again.

But that would take too much time!

So he decided to take a shortcut.

"Come out with me for a moment."

David immediately grabbed Lizrite by her hindquarters with his claw and pushed her out of the camp.

"What are you doing..."

Lizrite, who was no stranger to such draconic encounters, knew exactly what this fellow was planning and instantly became embarrassed. However, she lacked David’s strength—and in such moments, it was imperative that she lacked his strength.

While Chromatic Dragons were known for their uninhibited nature, all the mature dragons were watching!

However, circumstances overpowered the dragon. It wasn’t long before the forest outside the camp echoed again with sounds that sent the other dragons’ imaginations running wild, alongside Lizrite’s deliberately suppressed gasps.

But this resolve didn’t last long before this female Tyrannosaurus simply let her true nature loose.

Let them hear; what could be done about it? Whoever dared to mock her would be sent straight to Barto Hell.

「Several hours later, night fell.」

A relaxed David returned to the camp, accompanied by Lizrite. Her scales were sleek, her colors even more vibrant, and she held her head high, following obediently behind David, her eyes filled with a dreamy haze and lingering reminiscence.

Not a trace remained of the volatile volcano she had been, ready to erupt at a touch.

She had been completely quenched!

The dragons looked at each other in disbelief.

So... this was the correct approach?

This works? Mofei, who had yet to be ’handled’ by a female dragon, found it preposterous.

Indeed, it worked.

In David’s previous life, among the various strange things he had come across, there was a counterintuitive piece of information: making love after a quarrel usually involved an uncharacteristic wildness and roughness. This made both parties feel more released, which is why making love after a fight often felt more thrilling and satisfying.

So, the ancient sayings like ’lovers’ quarrels are mended in bed’ and ’one bout of passion dispels all grudges’ had some reasoning and scientific basis to them.

However, this method shouldn’t be used all the time. It was only for emergency relief in minor disagreements, not as a regular practice, or it could lead to serious problems.

After resolving the emotional and hormonal state of Lizrite, this female Red Dragon, David went straight to the point, "Tell me, what’s the situation now? Can the Royal Capital of the Vitali Empire be taken? How long will it take?"

That was the crux of the matter.

He couldn’t care less whether Klinsmann’s undeclared war to dismember the empire was just or not.

Since the fight had begun and there was a real chance of success, why not continue to fight?

It was Arrogance. At least from this perspective, Klinsmann had bet correctly.

The timing was also perfect—decisive and resolute enough.

The only thing lacking was sheer strength.

The Vitali Empire had maintained its dominance in Central Earth for many years. Even though the Emperor had suddenly passed away and the power nexus was in chaos, the Empire remained formidable. A few Legends were enough to guard its gates.

At this moment, Lizrite, having vented her frustrations, had not the slightest desire left for an eager siege or bloody conquest. Narrowing her eyes, she just wanted to find a place to lie down. She seductively lifted the tip of her tail and pointed at the Messenger, saying, "You tell him."

"Yes!" Although this Luwalden Messenger had never seen David, he had already heard of the Second Red Calamity—the one who, though not yet a Legend himself, had slaughtered Dragon Slayers in the Royal Capital’s Grand Arena. Thus, he dared not hesitate.

After a while, as David listened to the report of the ’not too complex situation,’ the drumming of his claw tips on the ground suddenly stopped.

Damn it, those High Elves, their shadows really are everywhere.

Whether he had anticipated this or was just used to these long-eared folk, he found he couldn’t even muster Wrath now.

"Yet, they have never taken any formal, overt military action. Once we move against them, we’re likely to provoke strong retaliation from the High Elves, and then..."

Just as they thought David would also opt to temporarily ignore these troublemakers and proceed directly to the Royal Capital of the Vitali Empire with the two legendary Red Dragons that had appeared a few months ago, they heard David laugh as he raised his claw and tapped a spot on the sand table. Instantly, the military sand table shattered.

"Let them retaliate. As of now, we literally have ’nothing to lose.’ If their main forces dare to return to the New Continent, we’ll strike back at Skanis in The Dark Mountains. If they don’t come back, we’ll completely sever these meddling claws from afar."

"That’s what we call ’Justice From Above—To and Fro.’"

"Don’t forget, we can fly."

"The initiative is always in our claws."

"And if we don’t crush these pests who keep flitting about, how can we properly vent our Miss Lizrite’s righteous anger?"

"Well, actually, I’m not that angry anymore," Lizrite hummed.

Her tail immediately entwined with David’s, displaying their affection publicly.

This actually works? Mofei and Alfonse, mouths agape from the ’Dragon Food’ they’d just been served, exchanged dumbfounded looks. It seems we’ve learned something?