The Dragon Demon Kingdom?
Draudillon was a woman who had lived through centuries, but she had never heard of such a nation. She couldn't help but narrow her eyes at both the strange country’s name and the man before her.
Similarly, the man who called himself Aurelius Nova Lucifer watched her closely.
"It’s understandable that this is the first you’ve heard of it," he said. "The country was only founded today. Soon enough, the Baharuth Empire will recognize it."
"The Empire?" Draudillon was taken aback.
"Yes," he replied with a faint smile. "The Empire is now a vassal state of the Nazarick."
"W-What?! The Empire... a vassal state? What nonsense are you talking about?"
She stammered, and her eyes widened in complete disbelief.
"You don’t have to believe it," Aurelius shrugged nonchalantly.
"But I can sense a familiar energy in you.” He grabbed her slender hand before she could react and nodded. "About one-eighth of your blood is of dragon bloodline."
Upon hearing that sharp observation, Draudillon felt her body shudder.
He saw right through her, and she instinctively covered herself, feeling a little exposed.
"Is there really anything to hide?" Seeing her actions, he mocked teasingly.
"Wh-What a strange thing to say!"
Draudillon huffed, crossing her arms defensively as her cheeks flushed. She glared up at him but found herself only more aware of the powerful, draconic aura radiating from him.
"Y-You’re a true Dragon Lord, aren’t you?"
She instinctively switched to a tone of reverence. His dragon energy was extremely strong, far surpassing even her own ancestors.
But along with that, she also felt an alien energy—cold, ruthless, yet oddly charming.
"The True Dragon Lord? I’d say I’m far beyond that. Those guys are just pups.
With a bemused smirk, Aurelius casually sat down on her bed, crossed his arms and legs, and watched her intently.
His dismissive tone caught her off-guard. After all, True Dragon Lords were known as the strongest beings in existence, and she simply couldn’t believe anyone would speak so flippantly about them.
"Don't lie to me."
"You doubt me? I am what they call the final god of dragons and demons—a dragon god. I could easily punish those puppy lords, but I’m also a merciful god."
Slowly, with a playful smirk on his face, Aurelius moved closer to Draudillon and leaned down, looking her in the eyes at such close distance that she could feel his breath.
Draudillon’s face flushed at the sudden intimacy. Instinctively, she shrank back, and her heart pounded loudly.
But Aurelius ignored her emotional fluctuations. He stood straight and spoke again.
“The Brightness Dragon Lord—your ancestor.”
“Yes?”
She replied almost instinctively, and there was a hint of her respect in her tone, as if her body and spirit automatically acknowledged his presence despite her reservations.
Aurelius Nova Lucifer, this self-proclaimed Dragon Demon God... Draudillon was genuinely confused about who this man truly was.
“The Brightness Dragon Lord likely already knows about me. But, like the other pups, he’s hiding in his hole, content with his life, considering himself superior to others. How pathetic and naive.”
He paused, watching her reaction. “He doesn’t even care about the nation he once established, but you sure do, don't you? I’ve heard you’re suffering from the Beastmen invasions.”
Draudillon’s expression darkened, and she could only sigh bitterly.
“Yes, they’re relentless. If only the ancestor could intervene... But our last hope—the reinforcements from the Slane Theocracy has also been severed for some reason. It’s infuriating."
"Ah, I suppose my destruction of the Slane Theocracy indirectly affected you.”
There was a hint of pity in his voice, as if he hadn’t foreseen this outcome. But upon hearing of the Slane Theocracy’s destruction, Draudillon’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"What?! How could that be?!"
She yelled out loud, but the recent lack of communication from the Slane Theocracy filled her with a sinking dread, hinting at that possibility.
Noticing her expression, Aurelius smirked briefly before leaning in and whispering slowly.
“You want me to help you?”
“What?” She blinked, momentarily stunned. “Help me?”
“Didn’t I tell you, Draudillon? I destroyed the Slane Theocracy, and I’m more powerful than any of the ‘True Dragon Lords.’”
As he spoke, the pressure he exuded intensified, pressing down on her, making it difficult to breathe. Draudillon was stunned.
Even though her physical strength was only that of an ordinary human, there was still dragon blood flowing in her veins, which granted her the resistance to most forms of domination. Yet she felt herself suffocating under the weight of his aura, something she had never experienced or expected.
Fortunately, just as she thought she might pass out, the pressure vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving her gulping for air.
Now, his words no longer sounded like mere boasts.
Still, instead of fearing him despite her instincts sounding a warning, she felt a thrill of excitement and a desire to witness his true power.
She still didn’t fully understand who or what he was, nor whether his claims were true, but standing so close to him in that moment, she realized just how terrifyingly strong this man truly was.
“You’re strong,” Draudillon admitted, “but if you’re truly that strong, then the Beastmen wouldn’t even be a challenge for you, right?”
“You want me to wipe them out for you?”
Seeing through her little tricks, Aurelius smirked but decided to play along.
“Tell me. What would you do if I destroyed the Beastmen country altogether?”
“Destroy it?” Draudillon’s eyes widened as she absorbed his words.
She only wanted to ask for his help to repel the Beastmen and warn them off the Dragon Kingdom. Now, hearing his far more extreme offer, she couldn’t help but swallow nervously as a new ambition took root in her heart.
“Well… the Dragon Kingdom would certainly be safer.”
Whether he was boasting or not didn’t matter to Draudillon; to her, this was a godsend opportunity.
If he turned out to be a fake, she had little to lose—the Beastmen would eventually overrun everything regardless. But if, just maybe, he was telling the truth, then this could be the turning point she had waited for her whole life.
Noticing her changing expression faster than a chameleon’s colors, Aurelius found himself admiring this centuries-old woman. Even though she looked like a loli and was in this unexpected situation with a stranger, she didn’t panic but calculated her next move, seeking the best outcome for herself.
For him, crushing the Beastmen and bringing the Dragon Kingdom under his influence were no big deals and were all part of his plans.
However, he knew that the True Dragon Lords would notice if he pushed too far.
His concern wasn’t the Dragon Lords themselves but the possibility of something unexpected lurking in the shadows. He was cautious and wanted to avoid a full-scale world war until he obtained "that."
Of course, destroying a Beastmen country was no big deal.
“If you agree, I can annihilate them immediately. The choice is yours.”
Before she could respond, he activated his Fly ability and began to rise into the air. Just as he was about to leave, Draudillon raised her hand to stop him, regaining her senses.
“The Beastmen aren’t currently invading. But if you’re serious, could I ask you to start tomorrow? I’m not sure how long it will take, but I want it resolved quickly. The people of the kingdom are terrified.”
Aurelius glanced down at her with a hint of intrigue in his eyes.
“And if I protect the Dragon Kingdom, what can you offer me in return?”
Draudillon hesitated, then, as if deciding, spoke softly with a shy, embarrassed look on her face.
"Would... would I be acceptable?”
Her proposal wasn't without a reason.
In fact, she only came to this conclusion after thinking everything through.
After all, if he truly was as strong as he said he was and could bring peace to her kingdom, what reward could she offer him as queen?
Their national treasury was simply a joke for being of such caliber. In his words, he had already destroyed the Slane Theocracy, and Draudillon didn't believe she had more precious things than the Slane Theocracy.
Besides, such a being came here and offered his help instead of directly taking what he wanted? Wasn't it all clear what he wanted?
So facing such a situation, Draudillon was also very decisive.
He was the most handsome man in the world, maybe even the strongest too. For her, this was an opportunity of a lifetime.