Chapter 411: Chapter 307: Before the Battle
It was already dawn when Long Yi left the Emperor, but he had no inclination to sleep. In fact, all of his squad members were also awake, waiting for news from him.
Finally, Long Yi arrived.
"The decision has been made, it is expected that the Emperor will declare war on the Black Dragon Empire in five days. At the same time, I will set out for the Gentle Wind Plain, along with thirty Dragon Knights from the Bone Crushing unit of the Third Legion."
Once Long Yi finished speaking, he glanced at the gathered group. Wesley raised his hand before Long Yi had a chance to speak again: "Brother Long!"
"You may speak, Wesley," Long Yi replied with a smile.
Wesley chuckled, then said, "Brother Long, we three would like to volunteer for the front lines, so we won’t be accompanying you this time."
"Oh? Why?" Long Yi was surprised as this was already in his plans, but he didn’t expect Wesley to propose this first.
"To be honest, we know our own capabilities. On the front lines, our skills are fairly good. But in face of monsters, especially those ninth-level beasts, we fear we might hold you back. I don’t want Brother Long to have to worry about saving us," Wesley said.
The cook added after Wesley finished, "To put it simply, we’ve decided that since we would just slow you down, it would be better to head to the front lines and gain some combat experience. Regardless of your reasons for capturing those beasts, they’re all for the fight against the Black Dragon Empire. Maybe if we scout out a path ahead of time, we might even be able to take out a few more Black Dragons than you!"
"Honestly, we’re just afraid to die," Mosquito interjected bluntly.
"Damn! Mosquito, let’s not be so blunt! I spent all night coming up with that speech!" Wesley protested.
"Mosquito, you’re too straightforward! Are we even brothers anymore?" The cook echoed in dismay.
Long Yi couldn’t help but laugh.
Their decision wasn’t made out of pure fear, but rather a calculated judgement of the situation.
The venture to the Gentle Wind Plain is inherently dangerous, the group who will accompany Long Yi are the elite Bone Crushing squad from the Third Legion! Considering that they were chosen from among the five Dragon Knight Legions, it certainly speaks volumes.
To march into sure death as a warrior isn’t bravery, it’s foolhardiness.
In today’s society, people only admire reckless courage, not realizing that retreat can sometimes be a mark of bravery as well.
"Alright, be careful!" Long Yi said.
"Okay!"
With that, the three stood up. The conversation naturally shifted to the upcoming mission to the Gentle Wind Plain after they left, and even though Long Yi didn’t avoid them, listening in would not serve them any purpose and might even affect their mood.
After the trio left, Long Yi smiled and began speaking.
"This time, it’s all up to you, Isrile."
"I bet that the Bone Crushing unit of the Third Legion isn’t part of this operation," Isrile suddenly declared.
"Yay? You’re so smart?" Long Yi was surprised.
"It’s not a matter of guessing. As for me, you’ve always been secretive about my existence. With the upcoming dangerous battle, I’ll undoubtedly have to fight in my Dragon Hunting Spider form. Given your character, who trusts no one, I can’t imagine you allowing me to appear in my Dragon Hunting Spider form in front of them."
Impressed, Long Yi gave Isrile a thumbs-up, this ancient monster who had lived for over ten thousand years was truly clever!
Yes, indeed, the Bone Crushing unit was not part of this operation at all. Although with just a word from Long Yi, the entire unit would definitely follow him. Firstly, the front lines were tense and Long Yi couldn’t afford to spare men. Secondly, Isrile was right, Long Yi couldn’t let anyone see the Dragon Hunting Spider. And thirdly, Long Yi believed that the contribution the Bone Crushing unit could make would be limited. Although they were powerful and experienced, they were still ordinary Dragon Knights.
"Brother Long, should we consult with Black Dragon Tyl?" Ai Lin suggested.
"Good idea! How could I forget him! That old Black Dragon is a treasure trove of information, although he only shares what he wants, there’s nothing he doesn’t know!"
Long Yi smacked his forehead, chiding himself for his forgetfulness. He hadn’t visited Tyl once since Bajie evolved into an adult dragon.
Meanwhile, in a solitary courtyard within Imperial City, a young man was silently pacing.
This was the home of the independent think-tank, the Eye of the White Dragon. The intellectuals who were allowed to enter were all one-in-a-million talent. They took pride in their work, silently influencing the Empire’s path through their subtle ways.
The young man approached a room and gently knocked on the door. A voice from within invited him in.
"Come in!"
The young man pushed the door open.
"Boss, I’m back," he said to the middle-aged man who had his back to the door. At this time, the man was polishing a suit of armor that was sitting in front of him, just like many warriors do in their studies. But, this suit of armor seemed much larger than the normal size.
"Well done. What’s the result?"
"I’ve submitted the report. The Emperor seems interested but the opinions are divided evenly between supporters and opposers," said the young man.
"Hmm, as I figured."
"Also, Long Yi has expressed his opposition outright. I think that the Emperor might be influenced by his opinion."
"Long Yi opposes? No, trust me, if all the people in the White Dragon Empire opposed, he would not join them. By the way, have you told him about my wish to meet him?"
"Yes, I informed him that you want to meet —— But then ——"
"Heh, no need to continue. Since you’re saying it this way, it’s certain he turned you down."
"Oh..." The young man immediately realized he must have said something wrong.
"That’s why I’ve always told you not to aim too high. We’re just a small institution serving the empire, nothing more,"
"I’m sorry, I was wrong," the young man said, hanging his head.
"It’s alright, don’t sweat over it. He’d probably forget about it in a minute. He’s got plenty of things to worry about right now! You should go and rest."
The young man bowed his head in acknowledgment, then turned and left. The boss never once looked up, dedicating his entire focus to the suit of armor he was polishing.
On his way back, the young man couldn’t stop thinking about the boss’s last words. When he apologized, the boss had clearly been siding with Long Yi!
Was that Long Yi really such a big deal? He’s just a run-of-the-mill warrior!
Arriving back to the Academy City late into the night, Long Yi, Ai Lin, and Isrile grabbed a quick nap on Bajie’s back.
To be honest, Isrile was also quite good-looking and had a nice figure. Despite this, Long Yi never had any lewd thoughts about her. At one point he even thought he might be low on hormones, but after a visual feast with Ai Lin, he was relieved to find that wasn’t the case.
A few minutes later, the enormous Bajie landed outside the city with an escort from the city’s guards. By then, dawn was breaking and there were already a few people scattered about on the streets. The city gate where Bajie landed wasn’t far from the Dragon God Temple. As they approached, they saw Black Dragon Tyl standing at the front gate of the temple, smiling at Long Yi... or to be precise, at Bajie on Long Yi’s shoulder.
"Old Black Dragon, have you lost weight?"
Long Yi noticed that Tyl, whom he hadn’t seen for a while, had indeed lost a lot of weight. His eyes were sunken and his cheekbones jutted out prominently. Although he looked energetic, the inexplicable weight loss was concerning.
"Haha, been on a diet recently!" Tyl laughed.
"Bullshit, since when do Dragons need to diet," Long Yi replied, not believing a word.
"Alright, enough about this," Tyl changed the topic. "I see you brought some company," he said, nodding towards Isrile.
"We were hoping to consult you on a few things, but with Tyl here, I think I’ll pass..." Long Yi answered honestly.
"Are you worried about my association with the Black Dragon Empire because I’m a Black Dragon?" Tyl chuckled.
"A little," said Long Yi. He was considered a major force in the White Dragon Empire’s fight against the Black Dragon Empire. Their declaration of war coincided with a mission Long Yi had to undertake at the Gentle Wind Plains. If the Black Dragon Empire caught wind of this, it could have severe consequences on both fronts.
"Alright, I have a simple solution to put you at ease," Tyl said.
"What is it?" Long Yi asked.
"It’s simple. We make a pact. You become my knight, and we include strict terms in our agreement. That way, I would have to keep your secrets, no matter what," Tyl suggested.
"Hold on, hold on. Lady Yavenny mentioned something about this earlier. You’ve been eyeing me for a while now, hoping I’ll become your pact Dragon. Are you sure you’re not plotting something?" Long Yi countered.
"I do have my own motives, but trying to trap you in a pact isn’t one of them," Tyl confessed. "Becoming your pact Dragon would enhance your own power while not causing you any harm or obligating you in any way. It’s a win-win for you, what do you have to worry about?"
With that, Long Yi had to admit that it made sense. The pact between a rider and his dragon was legally binding and left no room for exploitation.
But the whole thing still felt a bit odd.
"Alright, let’s amend the terms of the pact," Long Yi said, after some thought.
(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to the start point (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com for reading.)
