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Chapter 504: Allies
A year ago, Olivia might have been completely panicked, but after her experience in the Imperial Council, she had discarded many unrealistic fantasies and become far more pragmatic.
She picked up on the hidden meaning in Cassius' words— The red dragon was not truly looking to declare war on Melward but was giving them an out.
Cassius had said, "If Genesis' actions represent Melward's will," rather than, "Genesis' actions are Melward's will."
After a brief moment of thought, Olivia lowered her head and spoke in a solemn tone:
"Apologies, Cassius. On behalf of the Melward clan, I offer our sincerest apologies. What just happened does not reflect the will of the clan—my aunt is simply stubborn and has some misunderstandings about you. I hope you can forgive her."
Still pinned beneath Cassius' claw, Genesis quickly reacted and defended herself:
"Your Majesty Cassius, this was entirely my own decision. It has nothing to do with the Melward clan or my father. I am willing to take full responsibility for my actions."
Cassius spoke in a calm tone: "Genesis, my patience has its limits. This is your last chance. For Olivia's sake, do not let me find you making such mistakes again."
"As for taking responsibility?"
"Heh… If I killed you, that old man Oszedro wouldn't let it go, and war between the empire and Melward would be inevitable."
"Since that's the case, I will simply give you a minor punishment, so that you will remember this lesson and learn to be more discerning."
"Hiss—"
With the sizzling sound of burning flesh, a mark glowing with fire appeared on the silver dragon's chest.
Only then did Cassius release his claw, withdrawing his overwhelming ancestral dragon aura, turning away and returning to his steel throne.
"Huff, huff."
Genesis instantly felt the weight lifted from her body, gasping for breath as she cast a grateful glance at Olivia.
As fragments of magical light flickered, she transformed back into her noblewoman form— But her garments were now disheveled, and a new mark burned into her pale chest.
Genesis lifted her gaze, looking up at the towering red dragon before lowering her eyes. "Apologies, Your Majesty Cassius."
"Hmph."
She clutched her chest, letting out a muffled groan. The fiery mark on her skin blazed with unbearable heat, sending waves of pain through her body.
Then, chains of flame coiled around her slender neck, leaving searing scars on her fair skin.
Cassius reclined on his throne, speaking nonchalantly:
"You have lost my trust, so I have no choice but to use this method to ensure our cooperation goes smoothly. If I so wish, the fire will incinerate your heart in an instant."
"And if you truly believe me to be an irredeemable tyrant, then declare war on the empire outright. Playing such petty tricks only makes you look ridiculous."
"Mmm…"
Genesis clutched her chest, biting her lip as she nodded.
Listening to Cassius' contemptuous words, feeling the burning agony searing through her, she lowered her gaze to the mark on her chest— A brand no different from that of a slave, along with the ugly burn marks around her neck.
She should have felt humiliated.
To any silver dragon, this was an undeniable disgrace— A mark, scars, chains—it was as if she had been reduced to a mere pet.
Yet, the red dragon upon the throne gave her an unfamiliar sensation. Not only did she have no urge to resist, but she even felt an impulse to submit—to revere him.
This was terrifying, filling Genesis with a primal fear.
He was supposed to be an evil red dragon.
A tyrant.
The kind of existence she had always despised the most.
As the daughter of "Silver Wing" Oszedro, she was the leading candidate to become the next head of the Melward clan, having vanquished countless evil forces— So why did she feel this urge to submit to such a being?
By Bahamut, what was happening to her?
"Apologies, Your Majesty."
With her mind in turmoil, Genesis could only repeat the words once more, as if compelled by an unseen force.
Watching from the side, Olivia felt something strange in the atmosphere and quickly interjected:
"Cassius, since this matter is settled, let's move on to discussing the specifics of the cooperation between the empire and our clan."
"Agreed."
The red dragon nodded slightly.
Genesis, regaining some composure, carefully took out the prepared documents and spoke cautiously:
"To aid the Anzeta Wasteland in resisting the Abyssal demon invasion, the Melward clan is willing to dispatch three prime-aged silver dragons and twelve adult silver dragons, as well as share knowledge on combating demons."
"The Ember Empire will be required to provide compensation, cooperate with the silver dragons in their operations, and also assist Melward in its demon-cleansing efforts in other regions."
Cassius raised an eyebrow slightly. "That old man isn't being stingy this time—he's showing some sincerity."
Three prime-aged silver dragons and twelve adult silver dragons— Even in Feanso, that was a considerable force.
It seemed "Silver Wing" Oszedro's determination to resist the demons was indeed genuine.
However, in truth, Cassius was already confident in the empire's ability to resist the demons. The addition of the silver dragons was merely icing on the cake— More importantly, it provided an opportunity to establish connections with the southern metallic dragon forces.
As for the clause requiring the Ember Empire to assist Melward in demon-cleansing across different regions, Cassius had no objections.
His thoughts were simple— If the empire conquered Feanso and eventually the entire world, then no matter where demonic calamities arose, fighting demons would naturally be the empire's responsibility. In that case, the agreement would come at no cost.
This time, when Cassius mentioned "that old man," Genesis did not refute him but instead softly added:
"Your Majesty Cassius, my father has fought against demons for over a thousand years—his determination will never waver. You can be assured of that."
After what had just transpired, the once fiery "Silver-Scaled Light" of Melward had become considerably more obedient— No longer filled with righteous indignation like she had been in Goncalo Palace.
"Seems fine…"
Cassius casually reviewed the contract, then used the power of the empire's authority to verify it before signing his name.
Sparks of fire swirled around the glowing words on the contract:
[Cassius Claudious Norrixius]
The red dragon bared his fangs slightly, a grin playing at his lips—a grin both menacing and satisfied.
"Then… let's have a fruitful cooperation."
Genesis pursed her lips.
Though the process had been turbulent, she had fulfilled her father's mission—securing an alliance between Melward and the empire.
Now, Genesis had completely abandoned any thoughts of "defeating the red dragon." She could not even muster the will to resist anymore— All she wanted was for this ordeal to end as soon as possible.
With that thought, she lowered her head respectfully and said:
"A fruitful cooperation, Your Majesty."