Sol was the younger brother of the late King of the Golden Dragon Kingdom, as well as the leader of the five dragon knights who guarded the nation. With a cultivation level of Earth Knight, he stood at the apex of the Human Race’s martial prowess.

Together with an adult Golden Dragon, he was nigh invincible, making him one of the most powerful pillars supporting the Golden Dragon Kingdom.

However, the usually calm and poised Sol had an exceptionally rare and grave expression on his face today.

As the head of the diplomatic delegation responsible for negotiating the next contract with the Golden Dragon Clan, Sol had failed to complete his mission. He was now rushing anxiously to the palace to report to the king on the Golden Dragon Clan’s attitude.

From the palace gates, Sol walked all the way to the door of the king’s quarters without encountering a single guard who attempted to stop him. Instead, they saluted him with reverence, demonstrating the extraordinary status of a guardian dragon knight in the kingdom.

As soon as Sol stepped into the inner hall, he saw Leon, his face full of worries, sitting in a chair deep in thought.

“Uncle Sol.”

The Leon who had displayed his majestic dignity only minutes ago in the throne room had completely abandoned his regal demeanor before Sol.

Seeing Sol move to perform his customary greeting, Leon hurried down from the high platform and held out both hands to stop him.

Sol also rose, though the “greeting” was nothing more than a formality; the king truly could not afford to accept a formal bow from this uncle of his.

“Uncle Sol, what does the Golden Dragon Clan mean by this? Do they not intend to honor their agreement?”

Leon got straight to the point, skipping any pleasantries with this uncle of his.

“The agreement called for our clan to send over some of its young talents to Dragon’s Tail. If any member of the Golden Dragon Clan found someone suitable, they would enter into a fifty-year-long contract of mutual respect and equality.

“This time, not a single dragon chose any of our candidates. Since none were deemed worthy, the dragon race naturally cannot be considered in breach of contract.”

“Even the Green Dragon?” Leon asked, unwilling to give up hope.

Sol shook his head silently.

“Ah, is there anything we can do to remedy this?”

In truth, neither party was composed of fools. The young men Sol brought with him were all exceptional figures within the Royal Knights, and even the weakest among them were master knights. There were even a few gifted grand knights.

The Royal Knights were a knight training academy directly subordinate to the royal family. To ensure their loyalty, those who received training there were either members of the royal family or gifted children selected from commoner households.

Sol had brought the most talented individuals from the Royal Knights, including those who had graduated in recent years, to Dragon’s Tail for the dragon race’s selection. Even if their quality couldn’t compare to the candidates of fifty years ago, it shouldn’t have been so lacking that not a single green dragon could be brought back.

The claim that no one was chosen was nothing more than a poor excuse for the Golden Dragon Clan to terminate the agreement.

In reality, the Human Race had few options in response to the dragon race’s breach of contract. Other than during the founding era of the Golden Dragon Kingdom, led by Charman I, the Human Race had not enjoyed an equal relationship with the Golden Dragon Clan for centuries.

Even the names Dragon River, Dragon’s Breath Pass, Gold Dragon City, and Golden Dragon Kingdom themselves were evidence of the Human Race’s history of licking the dragon race’s boots.

Had their bootlicking endeavours yielded bountiful returns, it might have been worth it, but it seemed that rather than being moved, the Golden Dragon Clan had grown tired of this sycophantic behavior.

Sol, too, was unsure of how to respond to Leon’s question. If he had any other ideas, he wouldn’t have returned empty-handed from Gold Dragon City.

“Let me send Asho with more gold and treasure to try again at Dragon’s Tail.”

Asho was an adult Golden Dragon and also Sol’s bonded partner. After fifty years of fighting shoulder to shoulder, the two had developed quite a bond.

“Uncle Sol, if you need anything from the royal treasury, you are welcome to it.”

Sol nodded gravely. Neither he nor Leon held out much hope, but they had no choice but to attempt a Hail Mary.

“Your Majesty, the kingdom must prepare for the worst,” Sol said hesitantly.

“I understand. Uncle Sol, upon your return, you must strictly forbid anyone in the know from divulging the news of our failed negotiations.”

Sol nodded. He understood the gravity of the situation. Without the support of the Golden Dragon Clan, the royal family’s claim to legitimacy would be called into question.

Worse still, without the deterrent effect of the Golden Dragon Clan, the Beastman Kingdom, which had long been on the brink of rebellion, would no longer be able to contain its desire for vengeance. Having enjoyed centuries of peace, the Human Race might face the calamity of annihilation.

“As long as this servant exists, the glory of the Charman family will not fade, even without the support of the Golden Dragon Clan.”

Even without giant dragons, Earth Knight Sol stood at the absolute peak of the Human Race’s martial prowess.

In truth, Leon wasn’t worried about rebellions from within. The Charman family’s method of selecting their heirs guaranteed that every monarch would be extraordinary, and with such powerful sovereigns, the royal family maintained tight control over their nation.

Leon’s greatest concern was the original inhabitants of the Central Plains, the beasts who had been driven to the Eastern Plateau by Charman I and the Golden Dragon Clan. These were the true threats.

“We have one year left, and we must prepare for the worst.”

The current generation of dragon contracts would expire in a year’s time. If no new dragons joined their ranks, the Golden Dragon Kingdom would have no dragon knights at all, and the very name of their kingdom would become somewhat awkward.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will make one last attempt.”

“And if the beasts attack…”

“If the beasts attack, I will shed my last drop of blood for the kingdom.”

With that, Sol took his leave.

Leon, still standing in the hall and watching Sol’s retreating figure, heaved a sigh.

Sol was strong, but even a single earth knight could only repel so many enemies. The Human Race had lived in relative peace over the past few years, but minor conflicts with the beasts continued unabated. Of course, Leon understood the capabilities of the beast race.

The eastern plateau was vast but barren; it lacked arable land and grasslands suitable for pasturing, so the population of the beast race was less than one-third that of humankind.

However, their natural physical advantages endowed every adult beast with the strength of a human quasi-knight. Without the support of the Golden Dragon Clan, humankind would never have been able to defeat the beasts.

Now that the Golden Dragon Clan was refusing to renew their contract, once the beasts caught on, they would inevitably launch a large-scale invasion. For now, Leon could only play for time…

In the years since he’d ascended to the throne, Leon’s initial surprise at his good fortune had faded. Unlike his uncle, who had been blessed with a natural talent, Leon had to worry about myriad issues as king. The pressures of the position weighed heavily upon his shoulders.

At times, Leon even envied his Uncle Sol’s simple life, devoid of worries. As a royal sword, all he had to do was sweep away the enemies of the crown.

Nightfall illuminated Gold Dragon City with a myriad of lights. The city had no curfews, and the streets were filled with people late into the night. Taverns bustled with patrons, and some of the revelers were even dwarves from the south.

The twitter of courtesans bold enough to openly solicit business on the streets rang out. Nobles sat in the spacious opera house, enjoying new compositions. It was a scene of prosperity, and only a handful of discerning individuals could perceive the crisis lurking beneath the glittering facade…