A blinding pillar of light shot forth from the center of the grand hall; Akira felt his body stabilize only after a few seconds. After the glow faded, he found himself standing on a marble platform surrounded by towering pillars carved with ancient dragon scripts.
Dozens of dragons were kneeling; all in their humanoid form.
And before them, ten elders knelt the deepest, their foreheads touching the ground.
"My lord… my king," they said in unison.
"You have finally come."
Akira blinked. Damn. it's real.
"Uh… who exactly are you people?" he asked hesitantly.
One of the ten stepped forward. His hair was silver, his robes deep crimson.
"We are the Noble Council, the temporary rulers of the kingdom. We led the nation in your absence and performed the summoning ritual with all our remaining strength."
"I see…"
Another elder raised a velvet cushion with a black crown with embedded, glowing red crystals.
"My lord, please. take the crown."
Akira nodded and accepted it. The moment it touched his head, the hall erupted.
Many dragons began to cry—real tears.
Akira panicked on the inside.
Why the hell are they crying? Did I do something wrong? What kind of start is this?!
Before he could work out how to react, one of the council members bowed and whispered softly:
"My king… may I speak in your ear?"
"You may."
The old man leaned close.
"My lord… our kingdom has been at war since the previous Dragon King died. After his fall, hope died with him. We fought to defend the land, but we lost our families… our children… many enslaved, many in graves. We were on the brink of extinction. But then… the goddess Blanch sent an Oracle. She foretold your arrival. That a new king was already chosen. That hope would return. That is why they are crying, my king."
Akira firmed his fists to conceal his emotions.
They went through hell… but they waited for me.
He took a deep breath and then raised his voice to echo across every corner of the hall.
"EVERY CITIZEN OF THE DRAGON KINGDOM—HEAR ME!"
The room fell silent in an instant.
"It is not a time to cry or drown in despair. It is a time to rise. To fight. To reclaim everything stolen from us."
Your king… has returned!"
The whole hall erupted.
"THE DRAGON KING IS BACK! THE DRAGON KING IS BACK!"
Akira lifted a hand, calming them.
"For now-celebrate. But remember this day, for I will make sure you feel this hope every single day from now on.
Noble Council, relinquish the authority. You have served long enough. Those who wish to continue, I'll assign ministries. The rest may retire with honor."
He concluded the speech and withdrew to his chambers.
His new room was enormous—bigger than his whole apartment back on Earth.
Damn… this room alone screams 'king'.
Curiosity hit him.
Since I'm a dragon now… can I transform?
He shut his eyes and concentrated.
A surge of heat burst from his spine, his bones cracked, and in seconds—
The room filled with a huge black dragon, wings rubbing against the ceiling and claws as long as obsidian blades. A glowing black crown materialized naturally on his head—the symbol of the True Dragon King. His scales radiated a pressure strong enough to shatter mountains.
"Holy—too big," Akira muttered before instantly reverting.
Yeah… I get it now. Staying in dragon form indoors is how you accidentally crush your kingdom.
He flopped onto the giant bed, but only a "tink" sound echoed within his mind.
A system window popped up.
[You have received a message from Goddess Blanch.]
Akira squinted.
"What the—yo, it's literally a system."
He opened it.
Blanch: Wow. That speech. I'm proud. Truly proud.
Akira: You're not my mother.
Blanch: Pfft. Anyway, how's your first impression? Any questions?
Akira:They've been through hell, but they are tough. Resilient.
Blanch:Well said. So… what's your plan as king?
Akira:For now, I won't interact with the other Dragon Kingdoms or empires. I'm going to focus on conquering the United Ogre & Goblin Tribes and then attack the Dwarf-Elf Alliance.
Blanch:Ambitious… but risky. The dwarves' tech and the elves' spirit magic are equalizers. Even dragons don't want to charge at that. Plus, they have support from the Water Kingdom.
Akira:I know, and that's why I'll take the Ogre-Goblin lands first. It gives us space, manpower, and tactical ground.
Blanch:Bad idea. The kingdom is resource-drained. You'll overstretch your forces.
Akira:I'll talk to the council. I'll make it work.
Blanch:Hmph. Fine. Good luck, Akira.
THE NEXT DAY – COUNCIL HALL
The ten council members all placed the resignation scrolls on the table.
"My lord, we wish to step down," said the eldest. "We don't want citizens split between loyalty to the past rulers and the new king. Nor do we wish to make you feel insecure.
Akira slammed the table so strongly that the crack of wood reverberated.
"Is that what all of you wish to be remembered as-cowards, dragons who had the power but did nothing until their king showed up?"
The council flinched.
"I want your loyalty in one mission," Akira continued. "Complete it, and history will remember you as the council who stood by the Dragon King during his first campaign—not as wimps.
They exchanged glances. After a moment, the leader nodded.
"If the mission is realistic, we will serve."
Akira laid his plan out precisely as discussed with Blanch.
As he finished, the council looked uneasy.
"My lord," one said, "invading barren land yields nothing. No crops. No trade. No wealth. Only more empty territory. We cannot waste our remaining resources on goblins and ogres."
Akira stood up again.
"Then let me explain our REAL problems."
The Council stopped.
"One: We lack manpower due to years of war.
Two: We are surrounded by hostile dragon nations.
Three: We have plenty of mithril but no miners good enough to mine it."
They remained silent.
"Now," Akira said, continuing, "ogres and goblins have adapted to the barren terrain. They know how to survive there. They know where hidden resources lie. Their tribes can serve as miners, workers, and scouts."
He pointed to the large map behind them.
"The Empire of Fire was established on a barren land. The only reason they haven't attacked is because they are conserving strength for the Human Empire—whom they call the Sun and Moon Empire. That alone proves their hatred."
He traced the map with his finger.
North: Human Empire
South: Three Dragon Kingdoms
NorthEast-Lightning Kingdom
Northwest: Ice Kingdom Center: Elf–Dwarf Alliance East: Fire Empire West: Ogre–Goblin Lands Far South Seas: Water Kingdom Distant island: Demon Empire "If we seize the Ogre–Goblin lands," Akira said with determination, "we secure a strategic position BOTH the Fire Empire and Human Empire will desire. We can ally with Fire—since Humans support the Lightning Kingdom." He was done. "With Fire as allies, we can deter the Ice Kingdom… at least for now." Silence. Then the council slowly rose. One by one, they knelt. "We will follow your plan, my king. Lead us—and we will make history." Akira sighed deeply. Good, the kingdom finally has a direction. He rose from his throne. Announce that we are recurrit member for my army and also add that there will be three genral postion to take. Akira leaves the room with confidence.