Nacho stood at the entrance hallway, and without Elanti's next command, he couldn't even take a single step inside.
After a brief silence, Elanti slowly spoke, "Bly, Jaggs, Hammy, Felix, Walton, Kayla, plus Ravi and Star from earlier, ever since I handed this mission to you, a total of eight Dragon Kings have died. I want to know, is killing Leon Casmodeous really that hard, Nacho?"
At the door, Nacho's entire body was tense, even swallowing his saliva required extreme caution.
He stared wide-eyed, cold sweat sliding down from his temple. After a long time, Nacho replied, "This was an accident, my lord. I personally saw him disappear into a spatial rift back then, who would've thought he came back..."
"I never believe in accidents, Nacho."
The implication was: stop spouting nonsense here.
Nacho pressed his dry lips together, bent down and bowed, "Forgive me, my lord. It was my carelessness that... caused these losses."
Elanti snorted coldly, then changed his tone, "Come sit, I made some tea."
"Yes, my lord."
With Elanti's permission, Nacho finally dared to step into the house and went to the balcony.
He sat down on the other side of the tea table but still looked extremely nervous.
"You've had a tough journey, take a sip of tea to moisten your throat," Elanti didn't look directly at Nacho, still staring into the dark night outside.
"Yes, my lord."
Nacho held the teacup with both hands and took a small sip.
The tea had already started to cool and wasn't very pleasant to drink.
But Nacho knew Elanti wouldn't invite him for tea for no reason.
Still, he didn't dare ask outright.
When following a superior, the most important thing is to ask less and do more.
"How's the tea?", Elanti asked.
"Very good, my lord."
"Is that so? This tea is called 'Red Robe', produced in the Eastern Continent."
After a pause, Elanti slowly turned his head and finally looked at Nacho directly, "At the same time, it was also your father's favorite tea."
Hearing the word "father" from Elanti's mouth, Nacho clearly froze.
He subconsciously gripped the teacup tightly and didn't dare respond.
Seeing Nacho's serious expression, Elanti continued, "After Victor was executed by Leon, you took the mission to kill Leon from me. I trusted you, which is why I let you supervise and coordinate with Ravi and the others. But the results you've given me are truly disappointing, Nacho."
Gulp—
The bitter taste of tea filled Nacho's mouth. He stiffly swallowed, his heart pounding in nervousness.
Nacho could hear the meaning behind Elanti's words: You're off the job.
"Although the Dragon Kings' specific actions were decided by themselves, you were still involved in the overall plan, right?", Elanti asked slowly.
"...Yes, my lord."
"Mm, that was what we agreed on with the dragons when we started this cooperation."
Elanti sighed, "But losing eight Dragon Kings at once, and adding the earlier Constantine, Leon Casmodeous has really taught both us and the dragons a harsh lesson."
"My lord..."
"The dragons have recalled Adam to kill Leon; as for us in the Empire, we should also make some changes, don't you think, Nacho?"
That sentence made everything clear.
Nacho wasn't stupid. He immediately stood up, speaking rapidly, "Please give me one more chance, my lord! I can definitely lead the Dragon Kings to kill Leon Casmodeous!"
"I've already given you many chances, Nacho."
Facing Nacho's pleading, Elanti remained unmoved, "But the truth is, this mission is far beyond your capabilities. Perhaps…"
Elanti lowered his eyes to the Red Robe tea in his cup and smiled faintly, "You'll need to find another way to get your father out of prison."
"My lord!"
Thud—
This time, Nacho knelt directly before Elanti, clutching his pant leg and pleading in panic, "I beg you, my lord, just one more chance, one last chance, I swear—"
"That's enough, Nacho. Taking on an impossible task just to clear your father's name is actually very foolish."
"My lord! I—I—"
"The tea's cold, Nacho."
"..."
Elanti sneered, then shook off Nacho's hand, stood up, and stepped toward the door.
He didn't pause, nor did he give Nacho any chance to swear loyalty again.
'Loyalty?'
'Heh, the Empire has no shortage of "loyalty."'
Countless people were tightly controlled by Elanti; they didn't need Nacho Salaman.
Click—
The lock turned, the door opened and shut, and the sound of leather shoes striking the wooden floor gradually faded.
Nacho remained kneeling, midnight's cold wind swept in from the balcony, drilling into his collar, instantly wrapping his whole body in chill.
He woodenly turned his head to look at the tea on the table.
The tea's cold, Nacho.
Elanti's final words echoed in Nacho's ears.
Helplessness and despair flooded his heart.
In that moment, he seemed to understand that in the face of absolute power, black and white can be flipped, and right and wrong become blurred.
And such power had once been in Nacho's hands, but in the end, it slipped through his fingers like sand.
He didn't hate that guy who couldn't be killed no matter what. He only hated that he hadn't realized the absurdity of this world sooner.
Nacho reached out his trembling hand, picked up the teacup, and downed the cold tea in one gulp.
Then he stood, left the guest house, and walked alone, under the moonlight, through the Empire at midnight.
His silhouette was dispirited and thin, like an abandoned ragdoll.
———
After leaving the guest house, Elanti rode a carriage back to the Imperial Capital.
Attendant Scott stepped forward to report, "My lord, the Heart-guarding Dragon Scales of Bly and the other Dragon Kings have been completely recovered."
"Mm."
"In addition, my lord, the 'project' in the Far North has made new progress. Would you like to take a look?"
Upon hearing that, Elanti raised an eyebrow.
Looks like tonight wasn't all bad news.
"Lead the way," Elanti said.
"Please follow me, my lord."
The two turned and arrived at an underground chamber in the Imperial Capital.
Inside the chamber were numerous Demon-Suppressing Stones.
And in the center of the stones, there floated a glowing white object.
It hovered quietly, its glow crystal-clear and milky white.
Elanti's eyes lit up, "So this is the 'Primordial Power' dug out from the Far North?"
"Yes, my lord."
Scott said, "After Ravi died in battle, without the help of spatial magic, the dragons stopped their activities in the Far North. But we still achieved some results. What you see now is one of them."
Elanti stared at the glowing white energy body. Even though he had never practiced magic, he could feel the power within.
It was restless, yearning for a vessel that could perfectly contain it.
No wonder so many Demon-Suppressing Stones were needed to suppress it.
"Well done, Scott," Elanti praised.
Scott bowed, "Thank you for your praise, my lord."
"Don't be too quick to celebrate. Now that we've found the Primordial Power, have we found a vessel for it?"
"There are a few candidates already. But the ones I favor are these three brothers."
As he spoke, Scott handed over a list.
But Elanti only glanced at it casually and didn't read in detail, "This is your assignment. I just want to see the result."
"Yes, my lord."
"With this, the 'Blade' Plan can soon be completed," Elanti said faintly.
Scott's eyes rolled, echoing, "Indeed, my lord. By then, our cooperation with the dragons can go one step further."
Elanti gave Scott a faint glance, "The Blade Plan did begin as a way to deepen our cooperation with the dragons. But that idiot Nacho still hasn't dealt with Leon Casmodeous. So… we're forced to change the Blade Plan's original purpose."
"You mean… use the Blade Plan to deal with Leon?"
"That's right. No matter how strong Leon Casmodeous is, he can't defeat the Primordial Power of the dragon race."
Elanti gazed at the white energy in front of him, speaking with confidence.
"My lord is wise," Scott flattered at the right moment.
"Then, is this Primordial Power from the Dragon God Tiamat?", Elanti asked.
"It's not, my lord. Even the dragons haven't found Tiamat's place of death yet."
Scott explained, "But the Primordial Power we acquired comes from the First Inheritor Dragon King of Tiamat. In dragon mythology, this Dragon King is even called the 'First King'."
Elanti was slightly surprised, "Oh? Quite the origin, huh."
"Yes, my lord. Although this Primordial Power is only a small part of his strength, it's still unimaginably powerful."
"And in various dragon legends, the First King appears frequently. He shaped dragon history, contributed greatly to their development, and is honored as a hero of the dragon race. Even today, people still sing his name."
Scott also looked at the restless Primordial Power, "His name is… Primordial Dragon King Noah."
———
Noah leaned against the temple's gate, and a huge silver figure slowly landed in the courtyard.
Lil Curl Queen crossed her arms and shouted back, "They're back!"
The next second, a small figure darted out.
"Daddy, Mommy, you're back!", Luna ran up quickly to greet them.
Rossweise was about to crouch down to welcome her precious daughter, but the dog-man beside her beat her to it.
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