"Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to try to get something for nothing."
Seeing the suspicious looks from Milmos and Naisa, Alvis quickly explained with a smile:
"It's just that I have no foothold left in human civilization, so I have no choice but to ally myself with Raphael. And since I plan to settle down here, why not build things up properly? At the very least to have enough self-preservation power to avoid utter defeat in one battle."
He turned towards Naisa again: "Your Majesty, you have been expressly forbidden from taking power by Raphael, so the ones guarding you outside are not humans but dragon kin. Unless he rescinds that order, no one can rescue you."
Naisa's face flushed and paled, his despairing and helpless expression could not help but attract sidelong glances. But unfortunately, the two present were already immune to being infected by others' sadness, so he was yet again reduced to a mere tool.
"So what do you suggest we do?"
Milmos gave up on relying on Naisa and turned to Alvis instead.
"In war, the early mobilization and deployment is a critical issue that could fill hundreds of textbooks. Naturally, we need to rally allies first. Any thoughts on who might join us?"
Milmos glanced at Naisa. "The dwarves are one option for sure. If we simply take one of Naisa's ornaments and show it around, that whole bunch would listen to us."
He recalled something else: "Oh right, before that dragon-slaying squad tried to assassinate the Master, Baroness Amelia from one of the twelve noble houses had secretly entered Pillar Mountain hoping to cooperate with me to rescue the dwarves. She said a few other houses like Komo were also willing to help coordinate, but I was too busy at the time and didn't want to get involved in their internal conflicts."
Alvis instantly turned pale and asked about an important detail: "This baroness you mentioned, where was she in the period when Raphael went berserk and flew south from Pillar Mountain?"
"She was in Pillar Mountain the whole time, and didn't even leave after the Master returned."
"Oh no!" Alvis jumped up, grabbing Milmos to head outside.
"What's wrong?"
"Why didn't you tell me earlier that there were rebel forces within their ranks! Raphael going berserk must have caused the old nobles to convene an assembly. But that baroness wasn't there - can you guess what they must have assumed about her whereabouts? Now coupled with you just saying you barred them from the central areas, they must have realized what was going on and gone to take control of Amelia directly!"
Alvis casually grabbed the fake amethyst crown from the table. "If we can get in contact and negotiate with them ahead of time, it's not too late. Quick, let's go find her!"
The two rushed out of the bedchamber. Milmos urgently told the big blood dragon Mary: "Head to the central structures in the northern district."
Mary immediately spread her four wings high, causing the nearby rat dragons to scurry into corners to avoid the wind pressure.
She gripped Alvis and Milmos tightly, giving a light shake of her membraned wings to glide forward, shooting out of the building's interior and straight up into the clouds.
They flew at blazing speed, reaching the hub structure in under a minute. Long transportation lines connected this place to Pillar Mountain, with calm kline camels being driven by kobolds taking measured steps. Many humans pulled small carts laden with sorted food supplies to be further distributed within the city districts - this could be called the lifeline of Erl.
Alvis frowned slightly at the almost entirely donated provisions, but said nothing. He led Milmos directly into the central area.
This time, without Hil to stop them, the surrounding dragon kin guards, including the lofty hammer drake, only looked at Milmos with surprise and nodded slightly in respect, showing no intent to obstruct them.
Once inside, the clamor of voices was deafening, making it impossible for outsiders to discern the operating mechanisms and functional divisions.
But this was no problem for Alvis, who immediately spotted Hil cowering in a corner and went straight towards him.
"Commander Alvis?" Hil said in surprise, unaware of the events in the small forest.
"You also seem to have been captured? Are you here looking for the Master?" Hil could only guess Alvis' intentions.
Milmos came out from behind, his face darkened as he asked, "Who are the nobles in charge here?"
Seeing the two of them, Hil recalled Milmos' previous instructions to him through the communication orb to bar Shena and the others from entering, realizing something big was happening. He quickly cooperated, "The eldest son of the Vattier family and the Komo family are in charge here, but the Vattiers have already been driven out by your orders. Only Baron Komo remains now."
"What is his relationship with Baroness Amelia?" Alvis couldn't help but ask.
"Them? I believe they are lovers," Hil pondered, recalling the blood wyvern's report to him months ago.
"Then there's no mistake. I need to see Komo, and you'll come with us," Alvis stated decisively. Hil immediately led the way.
Komo was in his office pondering the next deployment when the door was abruptly and roughly shoved open. The rat dragon commander barged in with an overbearing aura.
He instinctively moved closer to the drawer containing his mage-crystal handgun, but instantly knew it would be useless. He sat down warily and asked, "Commander Hil, may I ask what this is about?"
Hil didn't answer, stepping aside as Alvis strode in with a cold expression.
"Baron Komo, you had best cooperate with us. Otherwise, not only will your family suffer misfortune, but your precious lover will also die an unnatural death."
These shockingly blunt threats enraged Komo. "Who are you? What organization are you from? You think I won't have the Disciplinary Squad sentence you to extreme punishment!"
Alvis' expression didn't change. "I had thought since you dared to scheme, you must have some brains. But it seems you are simply unworthy."
Komo was about to retort, but then realized this human was being escorted by a rat dragon, no ordinary person.
"Just what do you want?" he asked, shrinking back in horror as the grotesque Milmos slowly emerged from behind.
At this, Alvis explained everything, including his own origins.
"You're from Deluca's missing expedition team! So back then you all got entangled with the Red Dragon," Komo muttered after listening. "Don't tell me you're the reason the Red Dragon attacked us?"
"Enough with the useless prattle!" Milmos advanced menacingly, causing Komo to retreat repeatedly.
"Your lover previously sought me out, hoping to borrow my strength to overthrow the Vattiers' and Morans' dominance. Did you know that?"
Komo recalled the letter and looking at Milmos' monstrous appearance, could only nod silently.
"Yes, I knew. My beloved Iris secretly sent me a letter, asking me to use my position to rally members of the Disciplinary Squad. She said she was sick of being constrained by Doniel's rules, unable to be publicly with me, so she wanted to seize power and clear the obstacles."
"Oh, how deep your love!" Alvis remarked sarcastically before adding, "Let me give you the unfortunate news - the situation has now been exposed. Your lover has likely fallen into Shaddone's hands - if she was at home, that is."
"What!"
Komo shot up frantically, his body shaking the walnut desk.
"Just as he said," Milmos chimed in. "You must have attended that meeting the day my Master raged and flew south, right?"
Only then did Komo belatedly realize - on that day Doniel had specifically asked about Amelia's whereabouts but then dropped it. The foolish Komo had failed to inform his lover of this detail.
Trembling, he asked, "So you dragon kin have already broken with Doniel and the others? They've already sent people to capture Iris?"
Alvis and Milmos exchanged a glance, the latter clearing his throat, "You could say that. The point is, you're tied to us now. If this succeeds, you can gain more power, at least more than you have currently."
"I don't want any power! I just want Iris!" Komo slammed the desk hard, his face contorted with anxiety into an almost crazed, irrational expression. The solid wood sent jarring feedback that pained him, causing his body to bend awkwardly.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to try to con the White Wolf empty-handed."
Seeing the suspicious looks from Milmos and Naisa, Alvis quickly explained with a smile:
"It's just that I have no foothold left in human civilization, so I have no choice but to ally myself with Raphael. And since I plan to settle down here, why not build things up properly? At the very least to have enough self-preservation power to avoid utter defeat in one battle."
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He turned towards Naisa again: "Your Majesty, you have been expressly forbidden from taking power by Raphael, so the ones guarding you outside are not humans but dragon kin. Unless he rescinds that order, no one can rescue you."
Naisa's face flushed and paled, his despairing and helpless expression could not help but attract sidelong glances. But unfortunately, the two present were already immune to being infected by others' sadness, so he was yet again reduced to a mere tool.
"So what do you suggest we do?"
Milmos gave up on relying on Naisa and turned to Alvis instead.
"In war, the early mobilization and deployment is a critical issue that could fill hundreds of textbooks. Naturally, we need to rally allies first. Any thoughts on who might join us?"
Milmos glanced at Naisa. "The dwarves are one option for sure. If we simply take one of Naisa's ornaments and show it around, that whole bunch would listen to us."
He recalled something else: "Oh right, before that dragon-slaying squad tried to assassinate the Master, Baroness Amelia from one of the twelve noble houses had secretly entered Pillar Mountain hoping to cooperate with me to rescue the dwarves. She said a few other houses like Komo were also willing to help coordinate, but I was too busy at the time and didn't want to get involved in their internal conflicts."
Alvis instantly turned pale and asked about an important detail: "This baroness you mentioned, where was she in the period when Raphael went berserk and flew south from Pillar Mountain?"
"She was in Pillar Mountain the whole time, and didn't even leave after the Master returned."
"Oh no!" Alvis jumped up, grabbing Milmos to head outside.
"What's wrong?"
"Why didn't you tell me earlier that there were rebel forces within their ranks! Raphael going berserk must have caused the old nobles to convene an assembly. But that baroness wasn't there - can you guess what they must have assumed about her whereabouts? Now coupled with you just saying you barred them from the central areas, they must have realized what was going on and gone to take control of Amelia directly!"
Alvis casually grabbed the fake amethyst crown from the table. "If we can get in contact and negotiate with them ahead of time, it's not too late. Quick, let's go find her!"
The two rushed out of the bedchamber. Milmos urgently told the great blood dragon Mary: "Head to the central structures in the northern district."
Mary immediately spread her four wings high, causing the nearby rat dragons to scurry into corners to avoid the wind pressure.
She gripped Alvis and Milmos tightly, giving a light shake of her membraned wings to glide forward, shooting out of the building's interior and straight up into the clouds.
They flew at blazing speed, reaching the hub structure in under a minute. Long transportation lines connected this place to Pillar Mountain, with calm kline camels being driven by kobolds taking measured steps. Many humans pulled small carts laden with sorted food supplies to be further distributed within the city districts - this could be called the lifeline of Erl.
Alvis frowned slightly at the almost entirely donated provisions, but said nothing. He led Milmos directly into the central area.
This time, without Hil to stop them, the surrounding dragon kin guards, including the lofty hammer drake, only looked at Milmos with surprise and nodded slightly in respect, showing no intent to obstruct them.
Once inside, the clamor of voices was deafening, making it impossible for outsiders to discern the operating mechanisms and functional divisions.
But this was no problem for Alvis, who immediately spotted Hil cowering in a corner and went straight towards him.
"Commander Alvis?" Hil said in surprise, unaware of the events in the small forest.
"You also seem to have been captured? Are you here looking for the Master?" Hil could only guess Alvis' intentions.
Milmos came out from behind, his face darkened as he asked, "Who are the nobles in charge here?"
Seeing the two of them, Hil recalled Milmos' previous instructions to him through the communication orb to bar Shena and the others from entering, realizing something big was happening. He quickly cooperated, "The eldest son of the Vattier family and the Komo family are in charge here, but the Vattiers have already been driven out by your orders. Only Baron Komo remains now."
"What is his relationship with Baroness Amelia?" Alvis couldn't help but ask.
"Them? I believe they are lovers," Hil pondered, recalling the blood wyvern's report to him months ago.
"Then there's no mistake. I need to see Komo, and you'll come with us," Alvis stated decisively. Hil immediately led the way.
Komo was in his office pondering the next deployment when the door was abruptly and roughly shoved open. The rat dragon commander barged in with an overbearing aura.
He instinctively moved closer to the drawer containing his mage-crystal handgun, but instantly knew it would be useless. He sat down warily and asked, "Commander Hil, may I ask what this is about?"
Hil didn't answer, stepping aside as Alvis strode in with a cold expression.
"Baron Komo, you had best cooperate with us. Otherwise, not only will your family suffer misfortune, but your precious lover will also die an unnatural death."
These shockingly blunt threats enraged Komo. "Who are you? What organization are you from? You think I won't have the Disciplinary Squad sentence you to extreme punishment!"
Alvis' expression didn't change. "I had thought since you dared to scheme, you must have some brains. But it seems you are simply unworthy."
Komo was about to retort, but then realized this human was being escorted by a rat dragon, no ordinary person.
"Just what do you want?" he asked, shrinking back in horror as the grotesque Milmos slowly emerged from behind.
At this, Alvis explained everything, including his own origins.
"You're from Deluca's missing expedition team! So back then you all got entangled with the Red Dragon," Komo muttered after listening. "Don't tell me you're the reason the Red Dragon attacked us?"
"Enough with the useless prattle!" Milmos advanced menacingly, causing Komo to retreat repeatedly.
"Your lover previously sought me out, hoping to borrow my strength to overthrow the Vattiers' and Morans' dominance. Did you know that?"
Komo recalled the letter and looking at Milmos' monstrous appearance, could only nod silently.
"Yes, I knew. My beloved Iris secretly sent me a letter, asking me to use my position to rally members of the Disciplinary Squad. She said she was sick of being constrained by Doniel's rules, unable to be publicly with me, so she wanted to seize power and clear the obstacles."
"Oh, how deep your love!" Alvis remarked sarcastically before adding, "Let me give you the unfortunate news - the situation has now been exposed. Your lover has likely fallen into Shaddone's hands - if she was at home, that is."
"What!"
Komo shot up frantically, his body shaking the walnut desk.
"Just as he said," Milmos chimed in. "You must have attended that meeting the day my Master raged and flew south, right?"
Only then did Komo belatedly realize - on that day Doniel had specifically asked about Amelia's whereabouts but then dropped it. The foolish Komo had failed to inform his lover of this detail.
Trembling, he asked, "So you dragon kin have already broken with Doniel and the others? They've already sent people to capture Iris?"
Alvis and Milmos exchanged a glance, the latter clearing his throat, "You could say that. The point is, you're tied to us now. If this succeeds, you can gain more power, at least more than you have currently."
"I don't want any power! I just want Iris!" Komo slammed the desk hard, his face contorted with anxiety into an almost crazed, irrational expression. The solid wood sent jarring feedback that pained him, causing his body to bend awkwardly.
"I can understand your urgency, but now is not the time to act rashly. We merely came to discuss this with you. We will notify you when we need your involvement," Alvis said soothingly, suppressing his inner delight. Komo's reaction was exactly what he hoped for, allowing them to easily bring him into their camp.
"No! I must mobilize the Disciplinary Squad now to rescue her from the estate!" Komo was nearly out of his mind, disregarding his coat and hat still hanging as he made to storm out.
Alvis immediately signaled Hil, who understood and nonchalantly blocked the narrow doorway.
"What are you doing?" Komo, unable to leave, was frantic but ultimately held an ingrained fear of the dragon kin. He didn't dare push past Hil, turning back to interrogate them instead.
"If you want your precious lover dead, then by all means go ahead. I imagine the desperate Vattiers and Morans wouldn't mind killing to vent their frustrations - or are you unaware of the guards at the estate?"
Alvis recalled the warriors at the palace who dared confront the dragon kin, clearly elite fanatics capable of slaughtering an entire clan.
Komo's face immediately drained of color. "Y-Yes, Doniel's second son Gino has always commanded those maniacs. A pair of them working together could twist off the heads of ferocious magical beasts! How could Iris ever stand against them?"
"It seems they've been augmented through alchemy," Alvis thought. A veteran of many battles, he knew no matter how valiant, a human could not possibly take on a raging magical beast barehanded unless they were a half-blood or had undergone forbidden bioalchemical modifications.
Cornet had told him the Empire had long conducted such experiments, with the success of the gryphons spurring many nobles and capitalists to pursue even more radical human enhancements.
"But with the dragon kin around, it shouldn't be an issue." Ultimately, Alvis still trusted Raphael's dragon-blood, finally calming Komo by assuring the dragon kin's superiority.
"For now, you will remain here. Hil, you must protect him at all costs," Alvis ordered the rat dragon commander.
"No problem," Hil replied, seeing Milmos and Alvis' close camaraderie and assuming Raphael had simply reinstated Alvis' authority. He thought this was a Master-sanctioned move against certain human nobles.
Little did he know Raphael had been gone for days already, carelessly overlooking this loophole - the Red Dragon hardly needed such complexity.
The information gap and bluster allowed Hil's dragon kin forces to fall under Alvis' control. This faction stationed in the city districts existed independently, outside of Milmos' jurisdiction. Hil was their highest leader, directly under Raphael.
Without a backwards glance, Alvis departed with Milmos, heading straight for the dwarf settlement next.
...
Meanwhile, Baron Moran had gathered the remaining eight noble houses to explain the current situation. Evan was dispatched to lead the guards in detaining all members of the Amelia and Komo families.
Evan knew Komo had been exceptionally diligent these past few days, so his focus was the Amelia clan.
"Move out," he ordered the guards alongside Gino.
Although Amelia was also an investor, the Vattier clan acted as an agent. These heavily indoctrinated fanatic guards only followed their usual commanders, oblivious to deeper entanglements.
Over a hundred guards encircled the lovely four-story villa in a tightening ring formation. Armed with mage-crystal guns, iron batons, and dragonscale full-body alchemical armor with integrated goggles allowing snake-eye surveillance through structures to track enemies.
"Go!" they barked, herding any encountered servants and gardeners forward into the contracting circle. By the time it closed on the front lawn, all outside personnel had been corralled together.
Evan strode up confidently, glancing at the huddled Amelia household servants. "Isolate two to guard them. But don't kill - if anyone dares resist or flee, cripple them with the batons!"
The emotionless order sent a chill through the servants. As lifelong servants, where would they find the courage to defy?
The guards then entered through every building exit, replicating their outside maneuver to round up all indoor residents until reaching the uppermost double doors of a large room.
Evan ascended the gilded staircase slowly, running his hand along the railing as the guards arrayed neatly outside awaiting orders.
Undoubtedly the baroness' chambers - every servant interrogated claimed the mistress had not left today.
Rather than order his men to break down the door, an overly aggressive tactic unbefitting nobility, the wise Evan sensed the crisis had not yet reached a tragic climax. Leaving an exit was prudent - his father had only ordered him to "control" her, not imprison.
Knock knock knock
His crisp raps echoed before an audibly weary feminine voice replied, "Enter."
Evan pushed through, greeted by a waft of cool breeze from the open window across the cluttered but spacious room. Piles of documents, books, and letters littered the thick, warmly aromatic beast-pelt carpet. Ornate artworks of varied styles adorned the walls. A robe-clad woman of mature beauty sat at the desk, pinching her brow.
Recognizing Evan as Doniel's eldest son and the Vattier heir, Amelia softly requested, "Could you close the door, please?"
Evan obliged, blocking the guards' curious gazes behind the oaken portal.
"My apologies for the rough treatment of your servants, but rest assured, I would never disrespect you in such a manner - so long as you obediently remain here for the next few days without incident," he said in a subtly threatening tone.
"And your husband?" Evan inquired, knowing the baroness had remained childless - his own wife had gossiped at tea that Amelia never permitted her husband's touch after marriage.
"He abandoned me before the dragon attack on Pillar Mountain, fleeing with much of the Amelia fortune. But it matters not, I considered it disaster insurance," the woman said with a vicious smile.
Wordlessly, Evan crossed to the balcony to await Moran's next directives after their discussion.