Chapter 1145: Chapter 1144: Dragon Blood Hall

Upon exiting the hatching room, the sunlight streaming through the wide floor-to-ceiling windows in the corridor had turned a rich orange-red. Gawain stood before a window, watching as the approaching twilight slowly enveloped the city streets, while in the distance, the soaring Magic Broadcast Tower bathed in the twilight, its Magic Obelisk at the top floating and rotating under the effect of anti-gravity devices. The precisely cut crystals on its surface continuously reflected the splendid sunset, and beneath the tower lay the city, still thriving and growing more prosperous day by day.

This was a city he had personally crafted, along with thousands of builders; it stood proudly at the foot of the Dark Mountain Range. Each brick and stone was solid and reliable, carrying the hopes and lives of those who gathered here.

Yet in a certain sense, the city merely stood within the humans’ "observed world." It could be touched, reached, and carried its unique colors, textures, and even smells. However, all of this was merely a layer of "reflection" covering the real universe... while the true universe beneath this reflection remained inaccessible to the mortals of this world.

Gawain gently exhaled, slowly dispelling the meaningless feelings of illusion and alienation that were rising within him, and shook his head with a slightly self-deprecating smile.

Such philosophical musings... indeed, pondering them too much can disturb one’s mind.

A recognizable presence appeared in his perception, and Gawain turned his head toward the direction of the presence. Amid the interplay of light and shadow by the window, he saw a petite figure nimbly emerge from the air, looking him up and down with curious eyes.

"Thinking about life as soon as I arrive?" Amber gazed at Gawain with suspicion, skillfully using the peculiar phrase Gawain had taught her, "What’s up? Spent half the day talking to the Dragon God, and it seems your entire worldview has been reorganized... It’s the first time I’ve seen you like this."

Recalling the things he heard from Enya, Gawain’s face showed a complex and indescribable smile: "Reorganizing my worldview... I suppose that’s not wrong."

"...Wow," Amber exaggeratedly widened her eyes with amazement, "This... made you reorganize your worldview?! The Dragon God must indeed not be an ordinary egg; I’ve been by your side for quite some time, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone defeat your worldview."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Gawain glanced at this elf disgrace with the corner of his eye, "And what kind of description is ’not an ordinary egg’... How about you try saying that in front of Enya?"

Amber seriously considered, weighing her combat power against that of an egg, and she appeared somewhat eager to give it a try. Yet fortunately, her rationality eventually overcame her impulse—she suspected that even though that egg, which once held divine power, could only sit on the ground, it could use its "unnameable divine power" to crush her in various places. Thus, she reluctantly waved her hand: "Don’t mind those details... So, what did you guys talk about? It made you show such an expression?"

With a playfully teasing expression, Gawain’s face turned solemn and deep again. He looked at the young half-elf with her large amber eyes full of curiosity and a hint of concern. After a few seconds of contemplation, he sighed lightly, raising his eyes to the magnificent sun gradually sinking toward the horizon.

(Quickly, quickly, wish me a happy birthday!)

"Do you see the sun?" he asked casually, "How does it appear to you now?"

"The sun?" Amber was puzzled for a moment, seemingly not understanding why Gawain would suddenly ask such a question, "What else could it be... A large orange-red fireball? Or a glowing orb enveloped in clouds? At least that’s what the scholars say... Does this question relate to your discussion with the Dragon God today?"

Gawain didn’t answer Amber’s question, simply murmuring to himself, "Yes, a large orange-red fireball... yet perhaps, at certain times, in certain individuals’ eyes, it might no longer appear that way..."

"I don’t understand what you’re saying," Amber scratched her head, "But I’ve heard Santis mention similar knowledge in a lecture; he said many birds have different eye structures compared to humans or elves. What they see in terms of color differs, and they can even see things invisible to the human eye—the sun in their eyes might be green or purple, whereas the sky that appears clear and vast to us might be filled with swirling magical vortexes. Some birds may even be confused by nerve disorders and spiral endlessly in the open sky until they die of exhaustion..."

"Oh?" Gawain raised his eyebrows, intrigued, "Is that so?"

"Of course," Amber spread her hands, "Not only that but some superstitious hunters call these delirious birds that spiral to their death ’Doom Birds,’ believing them to be ill omens. If they spot Doom Birds before entering the mountains, they might abandon a day’s hunt to avoid being ’bewitched by unseen spirits and dying trapped in the mountains,’ but nowadays many know it’s simply because the birds see things humans cannot..."

As Amber enthusiastically shared the new knowledge she acquired, Gawain’s thoughts inexplicably calmed amidst the half-elf’s rambling narration. He smiled, shaking his head gently—from an essential standpoint, "Doom Birds" and the "delirious macro observers" Enya mentioned weren’t the same phenomenon, yet the two phenomena had subtle similarities, sparking a sense of wonder and coincidence.

Once Amber finally neared the end of her rambling, Gawain broke the silence: "Did you come here for something?"

"Ah, caught up in chatting, I almost forgot the main purpose!" Amber slapped her forehead, quickly returning to the matter at hand, "We received contact from Northport; Talronde is sending a resident ambassador and several diplomats to Cecil. The list and corresponding application letters have arrived—the ambassador is our old acquaintance, Miss Melita Ponia."

"A resident ambassador... It seems Talronde is finally getting on track," Upon hearing the information Amber brought, Gawain wasn’t the least bit surprised and murmured thoughtfully, "Melita, huh? Just as I expected."

"According to intelligence from the ’Trajectory’ network, Typhon also received Talronde’s formal diplomatic letter, with another group of resident ambassadors expected to arrive at Aldernon soon, though slightly later than ours," Amber continued, "In addition, our intelligence agents in the northern continent reported that the Sacred Dragon Kingdom authorities are conducting a series of public opinion guidance efforts regarding Talronde; domestic attitudes are gradually changing. The Dragonborn are re-evaluating their relationship with the Pureblood Dragons, and the previous ’exile’ narrative is slowly being downplayed by officials. My judgment is that this should be part of the preparations for normalizing relations between Talronde and the Sacred Dragon Kingdom."

She spoke as the growingly mature intelligence head couldn’t help but sigh: "Ah, when I last saw Maji, she was idly sitting in the garden— it seems the Dragonborn indeed have complex feelings towards Talronde..."

As Gawain listened to Amber’s lament, his thoughts drifted in another direction, recalling Enya’s words to him:

"What number of ’Sacred Dragon Kingdom’ do you think the current one is?"

He sighed softly, gathered his thoughts, and interrupted Amber: "Don’t forget to inform Aunt Heidi to prepare for the reception of the permanent ambassadors—not just the ambassador from Talronde, but soon we will be welcoming envoys from more countries. It seems that the embassy street will soon need another expansion.

"Also, notify Rebecca to assemble the master scholars researching the chaotic wave and the domain of gods. We need to hold a meeting, as I have some announcements to make."

Amber sensed something in his tone, raised her head, and her gaze met Gawain’s. Two seconds later, she solemnly lowered her head: "I understand."

"I thought you’d definitely be asking some questions," Gawain couldn’t help but glance at the half-elf, "Acting so straightforward and reliable is not exactly your usual style."

Amber immediately rolled her eyes, while her figure gradually faded into the air, leaving only a growing ethereal voice reaching Gawain’s ears: "I am capable of growing, you know..."

...

As the Flowing Fire Seat slowly ascended to the sky’s zenith, the cold finally receded from every corner of the continent. Even at the very peaks of the far northern mountains, the snow-covered regions shrank to their smallest phase of the year—the Dragonwatch Keep still stood proudly atop the highest mountain, yet the snow surrounding the fortress had retreated to the mountain’s peak. Looking down from the castle’s high terrace, hints of green began to appear on the rocky and earthy surface, extending along the mountain slopes, becoming more vibrant, and spreading to distant cities, villages, and wilderness.

Archduke Balogar of Dragonblood turned away from the terrace, traversing the small corridor and stone arch connecting the terrace to the main castle. Passing the blazing magic fire pans and the austere Dragon Seal Pillars, he reached the deepest part of Dragonwatch Keep, the Throne Hall where the throne was situated.

His most trusted court officials, Golosh Hickel and Eugene Natos, were standing beside the throne, and aside from these two trusted ministers, the entire Throne Hall was empty. The guards and servants who were supposed to be present had all been dismissed.

"Your Majesty," Eugene Natos, with white hair and beard and clad in a herringbone white robe, stepped forward—despite Balogar being titled "Archduke of Dragonblood," his title within the kingdom was "Your Majesty," "The path to the lower levels has been activated, and the Dragon Blood Council is awaiting your arrival."

"Understood," Balogar gently nodded, then glanced at the two court officials, "This time, come with me."

"Your Majesty?" Golosh Hickel widened his eyes in surprise, "But today is not..."

"I want to visit the Nameless Dragon Tombs, to see the old friends there," Balogar said softly, "You both shall accompany me."

The two court officials instinctively exchanged a glance, then their expressions calmed, and they slowly nodded.

Balogar spoke no more, only taking steady steps toward the back of the throne—a massive stone seat that appeared to be carved from a single piece of stone, extremely ancient and dignified. Behind it stood a grand dragon head statue, the most solemn and imposing "decoration" in the hall. In the empty space between the dragon head statue and the throne, a circular stone slab slightly protruded from the surface, its edge adorned with pale gold lined patterns.

In silence, the Archduke of Dragonblood and the two court officials stood at the center of this circular stone surface. After a brief wait, a voice emanated from the dragon head statue behind them: "Elevator... descent, destination, Dragon Blood Council."

A slight tremor came from beneath their feet, and the circular surface decorated with pale gold inlays quivered briefly before beginning a smooth descent.

Balogar couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental: After Omega’s departure, too many advanced automatic systems became useless scrap due to network disruption, yet these "old things," because they employed outdated technology, remained incredibly reliable.

Golosh Hickel and Eugene Natos, the two Dragonborn court officials, did not have as many sentiments. They simply wore solemn expressions, descending silently along with the platform. The entire elevator sink into a deep shaft, quickly passing Dragonwatch Keep’s main structure, even the ground level and the foundation below, and yet the descent continued, advancing further into the mountain’s deep body.

Within the shaft, automatic sensor lights lit up one by one, illuminating the ancient structures on the round inner wall, which had endured countless refurbishments and maintenance. While the uppermost layer of the shaft still displayed a stone-like texture, as it descended, the shaft wall began to reveal distinct alloy structures. Those guiding grooves, energy conduits, and operating steel cables and bearings embedded within the shaft walls flashed by in the light, and amidst the operating mechanical friction sound of the elevator, a humming noise originating from deep underground gradually became prominent.

Finally, accompanied by a tremor and the activating clank of locking mechanisms, the elevator stopped at a certain level, and the stiff synthetic voice reached the ears of the three passengers: "Elevator... stopped, arrived at, Dragon Blood Council."

After a few mechanical lock sounds, an opening emerged in the side of the shaft, and dim lighting met Archduke Balogar’s eyes.

He was the first to step out of the elevator. Beyond the shaft lay another hall.

A hall deep within the mountain, which appeared almost identical to the "Throne Hall" on the surface. Its structure seemed like a replica of the surface hall; even the columns and every wall and dome’s patterns were identical. The difference was, instead of the massive stone throne and dragon head statue, there was a circular high platform, connected to the ground by a steep stone staircase.

In this "Mirror Hall," almost identical to the surface Throne Hall, the lighting was dim, but as Balogar ascended the circular high platform, the lighting devices installed here immediately activated. Bright light extended along the hall’s central axis to the end, and in the sudden descent of bright radiance, one by one, enormous shadows lining the hall’s sides became clear.

These were twenty-two dragon heads formed of intertwined machinery, pipes, artificial neural bundles, and a small amount of biological tissue. Numerous mechanical arms and pipe cables hanging from the dome secured them in mid-air about one meter above the ground. Below each dragon head was a circular platform, its outer wall made of ancient metal, and its top surface was transparent crystal, within which a liquid thick as if like blood slowly flowed, and in the depth of that viscous liquid, complex structures of mechanical pumps and piping systems were faintly visible—pulsing like a heart.

(Quick, quick, quick, wish me a happy birthday!)

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