Chapter 84: Dragon Riders

Chapter 84: Dragon Riders

While Bran was struggling to complete his Trial, the Dragon Riders had already left the Northlands. The heavy cargo they carried, the pre-ordered alloy ingots, greatly slowed down the Dragon Riders’ speed. By the boundary river of the Northlands, the Eternal River, they reunited with the Dragon Riders who had stayed behind. Then, they began the slow journey towards their home, the Azure Wave Archipelago on the East Coast.

The Eternal River was wide but not rushing, and its water was not very deep outside the flood season. If they hadn’t been leading the wagons, the Dragon Riders could easily have urged their mounts to ford it. A broad stone bridge stood in the middle section of the river – the North Fort Bridge. After crossing the North Fort Bridge, the main road gradually split, forming a large upward-pointing shape. The Dragon Riders would turn east from here, starting the journey home.

The North Fort Bridge was built by the Kingdom to invade the Northlands. Back then, the Northlanders happily watched the Kingdom finish the bridge. They happily waited for the army to cross the river and set up camp. Then, within a single night, they killed everyone inside the camp…

This act enraged the Kingdom from top to bottom. At that time, everyone believed the Northlanders were just beasts wielding wooden clubs and stones. They thought it was a cowardly ambush, caused by the incompetence and carelessness of the front-line officers. So, the Kingdom gathered nearly five thousand Knights, prepared to give the Northlanders an unforgettable lesson in open battle.

That year, the Dragon Riders fielded two hundred mounts. But when nearly a thousand Northlanders appeared opposite them, the Dragon Riders sensed a familiar aura, the air of fellow Predators. So the Dragon Riders withdrew from the battle and chose to watch from the sidelines. Then, they witnessed a one-sided slaughter. The supposed savages weren’t using clubs and stones. Their weapons, seemingly simple and undecorated, were truly divine and deadly. The weapons and armor carried by the Knights then were as flimsy as paper. When about two hundred Northlanders charged towards the observing Dragon Riders, ready for a fair fight, the Dragon Riders, who had already grasped the gulf in equipment, turned and fled. That battle also spread the Northlanders’ fame for their hardened armor and sharp weapons far and wide.

After that fair and open battle, the entire Kingdom was dumbfounded, and panic spread throughout the realm. After offering compensation voluntarily, both sides confirmed the Northlands’ ownership, with a boundary set 20 miles south of the Eternal Riverbanks. However, the Northlanders habitually patrolled only along the north shore of the river, ignoring matters on the south bank, so the south bank gradually became encroached upon by others.

As contact continued, and when it became known that the Northlanders single-handedly held the Demon Clan at bay beyond the mountain pass in the Northland’s Western Territory, they ceased to be thorns in the Kingdom’s side. Instead, they became the Kingdom’s shield. It was fortunate for the Kingdom that the Northlanders blocked the Demon Clan, so they began sending small amounts of supplies to the Northlands under the name of stipends.

Simultaneously, a relatively neutral group – the Scholars – dispatched representatives into the Northlands, attempting to uncover the history of the Northlanders. From then on, important locations in the Northlands, like Castles and the Western Territory, began to have Scholars serving there.

…

The Dragon Riders left behind at the border were there to keep their own Wyverns company. When the two airborne rulers, wild Wyverns and Snow Falcons, encountered each other, they would always fight first. Until there was a clear winner, neither could be pulled away. Both the Northlands and the Azure Wave Archipelago had large populations of wild groups. Therefore, Dragon Knights or Northlanders would never bring their own Wyverns or Snow Falcons into each other’s territory to show off. The scene after being ganged up on was just too beautiful…

In an aerial duel, it was hard to say who had the advantage between Wyverns and Snow Falcons. Wyverns possessed huge and robust bodies, but their flight altitude, speed, and maneuverability were far inferior to Snow Falcons. However, their long, flexible necks, capable of twisting in any direction, compensated for these weaknesses. The Snow Falcon’s sharp beak, the Wyvern’s fangs, and their talons were evenly matched.

This trip to the Northlands hadn’t been entirely successful for the Dragon Riders. The two Little Dragon Riders weren’t just along for the ride to broaden their horizons. When the Northlands dropped hints about marriage alliances several years prior, the Dragon Riders had gotten ideas. Their initial target hadn’t been Bran. For the Dragon Riders’ reputation, marrying off a relative to an Idiot was completely unacceptable. If the Northlands could marry off a foolish son, surely normal marriages should be negotiable. So, the elders allowed the Little Dragon Riders to interact with the young Northlanders, even subtly encouraging it, hoping to foster closer ties.

The Little Dragon Riders didn’t know they were actually similar to Bran – items held for sale, just without price tags. They joyfully followed the group, believing their own excellence had impressed their elders enough to join the trip early for experience. In reality, they were just scouting pebbles.

The Dragon Riders’ real targets were Bran’s two elder brothers. But unfortunately, both boys had simultaneously begun their Trials, missing the chance for initial contact. By the time the two brothers returned from their Trials, Eileen and Aiman were already enjoying playing with Lily and Bran, having no mind for the other two.

This outcome wasn’t entirely bad. As they learned more, the Dragon Riders weren’t opposed to the possibility of closer connections forming between these two pairs of children. But as their understanding deepened, the Dragon Riders discovered things had escalated beyond their estimations.

Lily was too exceptional in certain areas. A Northland girl who hadn’t even attempted her Trial could contend with her older brother who had completed his Trial, and not be at a disadvantage. Such an individual could never be sent away as a marriage pawn.

As for Bran, the Dragon Riders were now genuinely puzzled. An heir apparent intended from childhood to be cast out of the Northlands actually possessed a supremely elegant and luxurious Mountain Villa. Though this villa never admitted adult visitors, the descriptions provided by the children finally made everyone feel deep embarrassment. That lavishness wasn’t expressed through loud displays of wealth or wastefulness, but through meticulous detail. In the children’s words, even the Kennel inside the villa was spotless, with exquisite Murals, and every single floor tile was intricately carved, painted with various flowers and plants. They hadn’t wanted to leave once inside, eventually being forced out by White Wolves living there. After the children were ejected, they saw several White Wolves sweep the floor they had trodden on using their tails. After sweeping, these wolves walked out, stood before them, shook the dust off, and showed expressions of distaste…

And even more mysterious was the villa’s third floor. No outsider was ever allowed to step foot there.

The Dragon Rider Father had once tried to enter the villa via the Duke. But the Duke only explained awkwardly that the villa was his fourth son Bran’s private property; he had no authority to make any decisions about it. He knew this wasn’t just an excuse. For a Northlander to admit he couldn’t manage his own son was actually quite shameful.

Thinking of the villa made him remember the two Crystal Balls still kept by his daughter. Once he thought the illusion of the Phoenix was a rare treasure in the world. But when they left, Bran gifted another one to his daughter. The images inside the two Crystal Balls were different: one ethereal, one solid. Though their styles seemed vastly different, when placed together, they formed a perfect pair. When his daughter placed these two Crystal Balls together right before his eyes, even he felt an uncontrollable desire to possess them. But he couldn’t get them away from his daughter. Now he finally understood why she had pestered and wheedled him for several pieces of Dragon Gold. If he’d known this earlier, he would have tried to blackmail her, preventing her from keeping both Crystal Balls.

He had noticed Danny’s equipment. For the sake of just this one Attendant to Bran, paying a steep price would be worth it. He had inspected the bodies of the fallen in the Caravan, seen the wounds sliced clean through by a single blade. In recent years, the gap in weapon quality compared to the Northlands had begun to narrow, but a gap was still a gap. In life-or-death struggles, any gap could be fatal. As long as she followed Bran beyond the Northlands, as long as she ever needed her weapons repaired, they could potentially gain some of the Northlanders’ secrets of smelting. After all, the rumors said nearly every Northlander could be considered half a blacksmith, forging their own weapons.

Now, no matter what, they had to try vying for Bran as a son-in-law.

A Wyvern swooped low over the Dragon Rider Father’s head, letting out a roar that put him on alert. The way back was not safe. Wealth tempted men’s hearts. The value of these alloy ingots was enough that many would risk their lives for them. Though the Dragon Riders did not fear a direct conflict, an open attack was easy to dodge, hidden arrows hard to defend against. Small-scale conflicts among humans weren’t determined by surface strength; all kinds of insidious, vicious schemes were what truly proved deadly.