Raphael leisurely made his way back to the southern suburbs of Erl.

Behind him in the sky were pierced clouds, with a long contrail hanging in the blue like a rainbow.

By now, he could spot many blood wyverns out on patrol, while on the ground were masses of deployed humans building fortifications - scouts, engineers, and dragon kin scattered about in small groups.

"Salutations to the great Crimson Dragon!"

A clamor arose from below, startling Raphael as he looked down.

Wherever he passed over, humans, dwarves, demi-humans, even dragon kin fell to their knees in reverent awe, bowing repeatedly.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Raphael had never demanded such deference, as a pragmatist he had always felt that respect held in one's heart sufficed. In reality, toiling diligently for him without pay was the highest form of homage.

"Seems like some policy Alvis implemented. Nevermind, I haven't even eaten yet!"

Raphael couldn't be bothered with such trifling details - he left the complex tasks to his subordinates while he tended to more important matters.

"Looks like I don't need to go to that training ground today, or ever again! Alvis has already taken those demi-humans to practice drills."

He suddenly remembered this point, feeling a sense of release from prison - now he could do whatever he wanted!

Raphael decided to first circle over Erl city to survey the situation.

Everywhere humans were busily at work. Due to the war, there were fewer dragon kin being deployed, but the nobility's system of rules instituted with Alvis firmly bound everyone. They could now work unsupervised.

The construction was essentially complete, with most people now laboring at alchemical plants and potion breweries being built by the river and outskirts, continuing to contribute their efforts towards Erl's industrial development.

Raphael wanted a closer look but realized there was hardly anywhere good to land, except for an open parade ground outside a building complex bearing his sculptured effigy.

He flew straight down and landed, failing to control the force of his long tail which swept the surrounding wall, punching a hole right through it.

Raphael hurriedly coiled his tail around his hind legs, looking around with unbridled curiosity.

Come to think of it, this was his first time entering human society as an explorer of sorts, a childlike sense of wonder from his youth starting to refermenting.

"Is this me?"

First Raphael examined the topmost building's peak, above the large clockface was a sculpted frieze depicting an expert's rendition of the crimson dragon's likeness.

"Why doesn't it have eyes?"

Raphael completely failed to grasp the deeper meaning, only noting that the effigy's expression conveyed composed authority.

As the crimson dragon admired the artistic depiction of himself, the students and teachers inside the schoolhouse had already noticed his arrival.

"Teacher! Our holy lord has come!"

Many students excitedly stood up, pointing out the window at the only dragon continuously promoted and indoctrinated.

"What…"

The teachers' faces drained of color. Unlike the children's murky worldview believing anything, the adult teachers understood their role was simply working to earn a living.

As mature adults who had lived decades, they were well aware of the crimson dragon Raphael's true nature, even recalling the inferno that incinerated all of Oakenburg.

However, the new order had been established. To survive and thrive, they could only go with the flow. Adults are pragmatists concerned with self-interest - casting off human supremacist notions was trivial if it meant lecturing from a podium rather than toiling in an alchemy plant.

Yet this did not mean the teachers truly saw Raphael as the benevolent sacred dragon they instructed their students he was. His presence only summoned memories of fear and anguish.

"Teacher, what's wrong? Aren't you taking us out to pay respects?"

Several students' queries only added to the teachers' disconcertment.

"I…I'm feeling a bit dizzy, need to rest. You all go on ahead," the teacher lied unconvincingly, not daring to face the crimson dragon while clutching their head.

"You don't think our holy lord is an evil dragon and are afraid to meet Him, do you?" An eleven-year-old top student eyed his normally revered instructor warily. "I can see you're scared."

There was a glint in his eyes akin to how dragon kin viewed humans.

"Of course not! I'm overwhelmed with joy!"

The teacher hastily denied this, an even greater fear overriding directly facing Raphael as they hurriedly rushed to the door, opening it to be the first one out.

The remaining students shrugged hopelessly, laughing and shouting as they charged outside!

Raphael had finished admiring the carvings and caught whiff of the lunchtime cooking aromas wafting from the school kitchen, involuntarily tempted to go snatch a few bites.

"Well, it's my grain stock either way, no excess in however I eat it!"

With that thought, Raphael prepared to sample the local human chef's culinary talents.

As Raphael was about to sample the food, students and teachers suddenly swarmed around him from out of nowhere.

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"Where did all these human hatchlings come from?" Raphael was startled, involuntarily flapping his wings and kicking up a strong wind.

"Just as the books described - the holy lord is always accompanied by sacred winds!"

"His form is indescribably magnificent!"

Though the students had experienced Oakenburg's destruction, at the time Raphael came and went without a trace, leaving little impression on their rapidly developing young minds. Combined with the concentrated indoctrination, those memories were buried in their subconscious as "harmful" while Raphael's sacred image occupied their psyche.

Seeing the human children yearning yet afraid to touch his scales, Raphael knew they were revering him, so he didn't want to shoo them away.

"Who's ..."

He opened his mouth to speak, but it only caused a bigger commotion.

"The holy lord is instructing us!"

"Silence! Whoever disrupts Him commits a grave insult!"

"I failed draconic, I can't understand his teaching!"

Raphael finished saying: "...in charge here?"

The principal immediately came running out, clutching his chest.

"Smells like some pheromones," Raphael sniffed the air, noticing the disheveled black dress and flushed face of a woman trailing behind the elderly human.

The principal hitched up his trousers and deeply bowed. "We are honored by your guidance in visiting us."

"I'm just casually looking around, this was the only suitable place to land."

The principal inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that Raphael was just passing through.

His gaze flicked to the wall demolished by Raphael's tail, with many passersby gathered around gawking fearfully at the crimson dragon's immense draconic form.

"What are you all eating for lunch today?" Raphael asked his intended question directly, oblivious to any subtleties.

"The holy lord cares about our food! We truly are a special group!" The students excitedly chattered, their expressions growing more animated.

"Quickly summon the master chef!" the principal immediately shouted to his female assistant who had just finished fixing her hair and makeup.

Soon, a tall, slender man in a chef's toque came hurrying over.

"Everyone, the holy lord wishes to know today's menu!"

"Yes." The chef removed his hat, revealing a Mediterranean hairstyle as he deeply bowed to Raphael, sweating profusely. "According to the decrees from above, the standard school meal is 28 ounces of bread, a small pat of butter, two garlic sausage links, three spoonfuls of jam, a plate of potato stew, one side dish, and unlimited but only plain water to drink."

"Teachers get two extra sausage links, and can choose coffee or tea for their beverage, everything else the same."

"That's it?" Raphael immediately lost interest after hearing the menu, realizing even the kobolds' cuisine suited him better.

He took to the air, flying off towards Pillar Mountain, leaving behind the excited students and panicked adults.

...

After devouring all the food the kobolds presented back at Pillar Mountain, Raphael slithered contently into Erl's central vault to bask amid a sea of gold.

He lay splayed on his back, allowing the coins and golden artifacts to slide over his body and wedge into the crevices of his scales, savoring the undisturbed solitude.

Yet for some reason, though still bleary-eyed and wanting to sleep that morning, he now felt no fatigue at all.

"Let me check on Nana."

Raphael fiddled with a communication orb, soon conversing with his mate at the northwestern edge of the Dragon Domain.

"How are your wounds?"

"Raphael? I'm alright, how about you? Have the humans invaded again? How are you faring? And our home?"

After a brief surprise, Nana lovingly unleashed a torrent of questions laced with longing and affection.

Raphael stroked his horn as he answered one by one.

Like a caring mother, Nana fussed over him before finally mentioning her own condition:

"Mother says the forest's life force can gradually help heal the wound damage, but that black arrow left behind a strange lightning element that cannot be removed no matter what. It's embedded in my wing, rendering me flightless."

"Strange lightning element?" Raphael puzzled, digging out the black arrow from the pile of coins - the same one the Dragon Slayers failed to recover, falling into his clutches instead.

The black arrow had now completely lost its essence, just an ordinary relic bearing the weight of ages, slowly rotting away as if its soul had been drawn out after striking Nana.

"Normal lightning elements manifest as either an orange-yellow warm hue or the primordial white of natural thunderbolts. But this one glows blue, with an eerie force stubbornly persisting that Mother cannot dispel no matter what she tries."

"The surrounding wounds have almost completely healed, only this spot remains."

Raphael squinted skeptically.

"Possibly the work of ancient orcs," he inwardly pondered. "The orc temples that even my ancestor Emin failed to penetrate multiple times…I suspect I would struggle as well. But breaking through by mundane force could work."

"Just stay with your mother for now," Raphael began saying farewell. "I'm about to go to war with the humans again, who knows what other special weapons may emerge then."

"Yes, take care of yourself, my dear," Nana obediently replied.

After severing the communication, Raphael retrieved a large map of the Mu Continent from his spatial ring.

"I'm here," he pointed to Pillar Mountain.

"The temple is likely around this area," his claw traced to the continent's northeastern corner.

The intervening Disputed Lands, Ryton Kingdom and Chalaran stood as obstacles severely impeding the route.

"But if I take the sea path through the Dragon Domain, I could strike directly at the temple," Raphael's gaze shifted northward to the Arctic Ocean.

Yet that risked advancing alone deep behind enemy lines. A naval force would struggle to land, while going solo would mirror his ancestor's ill-fated plight - an untenable scenario.

"Whether from the perspective of expanding my powerbase or helping heal Nana's wounds, I must seize this area!"

His draconic fist slammed down forcefully on the Disputed Lands marked with a skull icon!

Alvis had advised him last night that after relieving external pressures in this phase, he should seize the brief yet precious period of peace to develop military might and indoctrination, building a formidable new army.

Then the offensive-defensive dynamics would shift, attacking Ryton's border fortresses as a foothold.

Using that foothold as the central pivot, he could orchestrate a series of campaigns to crush Ryton's forces, the allied factions, and the orcs - expelling all rival powers to occupy those lands.

Promoting inter-species peaceful coexistence would be the key instrument for resolving the intricate tangle of factions across the Disputed Lands.

Literary and martial, orthodox and unorthodox paths.

Thus the Erl regime would secure vast resources, strategic depth, and sea access - truly possessing the strength to defend if necessary or vie for hegemony when able.

"But I need to understand that area first."

Raphael's draconic eyes burned as he contemplated deeper issues.

"Hil, come to my gold nest. I have a task for you."

He ultimately settled on something, summoning his most capable and trusted subordinate via communication orb.

...

At the Vattier estate,

Shena had just awoken, rubbing his eyes in a foul mood as he gazed out at the brilliant afternoon.

After last night's assembly, he had planned to return and continue his experiments. But Thurio had followed, insisting on discussing the future situation and where they would position themselves.

To avoid arousing Baron Moran's suspicions, Shena ended up keeping Thurio company over coffee until dawn when Raphael deployed to harass the enemy forces before finally parting ways.

His addled mental state was unsuitable for experiments, so Shena could only urgently catch up on sleep, having just woken up now.

"Alright, no one can stop me this time!"

He inwardly steeled his resolve, delegating all affairs to her eldest son Evan under the pretense of training the future family head. The butler received orders to politely refuse any visitors besides the crimson dragon himself - all others, dragon kin included, were to be turned away.

"Hmm, I should feed it something first after going down, otherwise the vitality may be insufficient."

Shena changed clothes while washing up, proceeding to the hidden elevator doorway to descend below.

Suddenly!

A series of blaring alarms rang out in cacophonous succession. Shena halted in disbelief, peering out in bewilderment.

"Good heavens, are you mocking me?"

Bang!

The door was abruptly bashed open by a tremendous force!

Outside, the stunned butler clutching the keys took in the sight of the rat dragon who had violently broken down the door before swiftly scampering to the window and opening it for a blood wyvern circling outside to swoop in.

"Human noble, Lord Alvis has instructed us to bring important individuals like yourself to Pillar Mountain for shelter when the alarms sound. Be grateful our master has opened his absolutely secure domain to you."

The rat dragon snatched the grimacing, squirming Shena and brought hime to the blood wyvern, who promptly seized them both and took flight without a moment's delay.