Alberto’s gigantic head, covered with golden dragon scales, slowly lifted, his vertical pupils staring at the Red Iron Dragon.

He spoke in a deep voice: "Tell me, what price do I need to pay for this?"

Stubborn by nature, with a self-awareness so intense it was almost extreme, yet surprisingly, all his thoughts and emotions were written directly on that dragon face, without a trace of disguise or cunning.

In a way, dealing with such a dragon was actually simpler and more direct.

A gleam of understanding flashed in the eyes of the Red Iron Dragon, and his low voice echoed over the empty land: "Since you insist on demanding a clear price, then let’s proceed according to the laws and rules of the Border Area."

He paused for a moment and then said: "According to the rules, the only appropriate conclusion for your acts of plunder is to wash away the sins with death."

At this point, his tone shifted.

"However, I admire your ideology, so, as the King of the Borderland, I grant you partial pardon."

He extended a dragon claw covered with hard scales, raising a single sharp talon: "You only need to repay tenfold the total wealth you plundered from the Molten Iron Tribe, and this matter can be written off."

Tenfold?! This number struck Alberto’s heart like a heavy hammer.

An expression of undeniable trouble appeared on his dragon face.

Due to his extreme and grand Oath of Conquest and Crown’s Oath, his radically extreme nature, he was usually under the strict supervision of his elders.

This time, he was able to escape the sight of his elders and embark on his own journey entirely by seizing the opportunity when the elders were summoned away to the Dragon Domain.

Prior to this... this ambitious young Golden Dragon was, in fact, strictly limited by his elders in ways to acquire wealth.

Every dragon scale on his body shimmered with noble golden light, seeming to rival nations in wealth, yet he was actually embarrassingly poor, ringing with emptiness.

The greatest wealth he had on hand was precisely the batch of treasures he had extorted from various points of the Molten Iron Tribe not long ago to lure out the local lord, which wasn’t nearly enough to cover the tenfold compensation.

"Hmm?"

The Red Iron Dragon keenly captured the embarrassment on the Golden Dragon’s face, slightly tilting his head, his Dragon Eyes showing just the right amount of surprise: "You seem somewhat troubled?"

He said playfully: "Could it be that a dignified young Golden Dragon can’t produce this trivial amount of money? My punishment for you is already lenient, any one of the kin present—"

His gaze swept over Samantha, Trish, Solrog: "—could easily afford this compensation."

The Elf Dragon blinked her bright eyes, wanting to protest.

[I can’t come up with that much either! Black-hearted Galos should make up for it.]

But before she could even start her little act, she was instantly muffled by the tip of the Red Silver Dragon’s tail, cutting off her protest in the cradle.

Alberto’s expression changed dramatically.

Pride, embarrassment, unwillingness, humiliation... various emotions intertwined like a storm on that dragon face, very evident.

Finally, as if pouring all his strength, with a staggered, extremely stiff and shame-filled tone, he struggled to squeeze out a few words: "Could... could it be... that... it could be... repaid in... in installments?"

He almost didn’t dare to meet Galos’s eyes, his voice getting lower, even stuttering a bit.

"I... I can’t come up with that much at once... but I guarantee by Longge... that I will repay the principal in... ten years!"

"Installment repayment?"

Galos’s dragon head slightly shook.

"According to the regulations of the Border Area and the Dragon Race’s customs, this is usually not allowed."

"Moreover, wealth is like a river; it can only gather into a broader ocean when it flows. With a ten-year installment period, at least an additional ten percent annual interest is required to offset the losses over time."

With that, the Red Iron Dragon nodded friendly to Alberto, his voice becoming gentle.

"However, as I mentioned earlier, this is ultimately a trivial matter, and I don’t care if you can repay it or not, consider it a gift."

He looked deeply at Alberto, with an understanding, almost "I get you" kind of warmth.

As if silently saying:

I know you can’t repay, and I know you might want to run away, but it’s okay, no need to be embarrassed. We are all Evil Dragons; I understand your situation and thoughts.

"Is there any other... other way to compensate?!"

Alberto almost gritted his teeth to ask this question, the pain of having his pride repeatedly crushed dimming even his golden scales somewhat.

Galos’s gaze swept over White Dragon Trish.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said: "Well, there have been defeated ones in the past who, to repay debts, chose to handle some affairs for me."

"In summary, it’s in the form of an employment contract or commission tasks, using labor or accomplishments to offset the debt."

He skillfully avoided sensitive and humiliating words like "allegiance," "submission," "enslavement."

Only using relatively equal terms like "employment" and "commission."

However, as these words reached Alberto’s ears, the young Golden Dragon instinctively shook his head violently.

No way! His face full of resistance.

This was not because he despised the Red Iron Dragon’s mixed blood of Evil Dragon—in fact, deep in his heart, Alberto held considerable respect for this powerful opponent who could defeat him head-on, and rather than taking the opportunity to humiliate him, acknowledged his ideology.

The real issue lay in his Oath of Conquest and Crown Holy Oath, in his ultimate ideal.

He wanted to establish a Golden Law encompassing the entire continent, creating a land of strict laws, order, and eternal peace under his will.

In a certain sense.

Alberto’s and the Iron Dragon’s visions have some subtle similarities—they both long to establish an order led by a powerful Dragon Race.

The difference is—Iron Dragon desires a world where dragons as the rulers enslave all; while Alberto desires a Land of Order that conforms to his definition of justice and perfection.

Accepting the employment of the Red Iron Dragon means he will be bound here, spending precious time and energy to fulfill the will of others, having no time to follow his own path, and pursue his own dreams.

This is an unacceptable condition in the eyes of the Golden Dragon Alberto, who values ideals above all else.

"There’s no need to rush into giving an answer now."

The voice of the Red Iron Dragon broke the oppressive silence.

"Since the misunderstanding has been cleared and a fellow kin has come from afar, as the lord of this place, it’s only right for me to extend proper hospitality."

His dragon’s kiss arched upwards into a curve, revealing an expression close to a smile: "I am indeed extremely curious about your grand ideology."

"Why don’t we change to a more comfortable place, have a seat, and talk freely beyond our stances?"

The Red Iron Dragon’s attitude was so friendly it was almost abnormal.

However, the other surrounding Evil Dragons—Red Dragon Samantha, White Dragon Trish, Iron Dragon Solrog—remained on high alert, their cold, hostile gazes as sharp as tangible blades, fixed firmly on the Golden Dragon Alberto, issuing a clear warning.

But...

For Galos the Red Iron Dragon to act with such dignity and generosity as the victor and extend such an invitation, how could Alberto, who prides himself on noble lineage and exceptional bearings, show fear and retreat at this moment?

Moreover, he wasn’t without reliance; his dragon scales could instantly grant him terrifying defenses and speed comparable to those of a mature Golden Dragon.

Even if these Evil Dragons suddenly turned hostile, he had confidence in fighting his way out.

"The shallow views of mediocre fools are not worthy of even a smile."

Alberto raised his head and said, "But for a clear-minded individual like you, who is exceptional and perceives the essence, I am very willing to engage in open conversation with you."

He solemnly nodded his dragon head: "I accept your invitation."

Soon after, Alberto followed the group of dragons to the Dragon Valley.

At this moment, the light of dawn had become rich and warm, like a golden curtain spreading over the vast land.

When Alberto’s gaze turned to the summit of the cliffs, he couldn’t help but pause slightly.

A magnificent, enormous fortress, brimming with the aesthetic style of the Dragon Race, stood on the cliff’s edge like a burning mountain.

The rising morning sun coated it with a layer of molten gold, making the whole fortress seem ablaze, emitting a scorching red glow.

Such a scene even made the proud Golden Dragon momentarily lose himself.

A fortress is not an asset that all dragons can possess.

When he came back to his senses and looked down into the valley, his pupils slightly contracted again.

He noticed other members of the Dragon Race present within the valley.

Red, blue, green, black... two clearly adolescent dragons, and two smaller juvenile dragons!

Counting them all, the number of dragons gathered here reached as many as ten!

If given time, once they all matured, they would undoubtedly make the borderlands a formidable force.

Alberto’s gaze instinctively turned again to the Red Iron Dragon flying ahead.

He knew clearly... among the dragons present, only the powerful Red Iron Dragon before him could gather such diverse, rebellious dragons on the same land.

Evil Dragons are unlike the Metal Dragons who cherish collaboration.

In their bones is a rebellion against order, an instinctual desire to trample everything underfoot and stand atop the pyramid.

Only a king of Evil Dragons, strong enough to crush all dissent, wise enough to balance diverse interests, and determined enough to command the submission of all dragons, could make these entirely different Evil Dragons temporarily lay down their disputes and coexist on the same land.

Thinking of this.

Deep within his heart, Alberto’s estimation of Galos rose a few notches.

Meanwhile.

At the training field at the bottom of the valley.

A few young dragons—Red Dragon Kahill, Blue Dragon Heryam, Green Dragon Ludwig, Black Dragon Seraphina—were looking up at the sky, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the massive dragon silhouette, wounded but still shining golden and dignified.

"A captive? Is that a captive?!"

Red Dragon Kahill wagged her tail excitedly, her voice sharp and filled with admiration: "The Master of Red Wings is so powerful! So incredible! He even managed to... capture a Golden Dragon and bring it back!"

As a Red Dragon, her blood coursed with a natural enmity towards Golden Dragons and an instinctive desire to trample them underfoot.

Though she couldn’t do it herself, seeing Galos, who shared Red Dragon blood, capture and bring back an obviously wounded Golden Dragon, and considering herself a member of the Dragon Valley.

A sense of proud honor welled up, prompting her to raise her chest proudly.

"Unbelievable."

The Green Dragon whispered to its companion: "Look at its size... it must be a powerful young Golden Dragon! But it looks so pitiable, with many scales damaged."

He shrunk his neck: "It seems like it’s just been through an extremely brutal beating."

In the sky, Alberto’s eyelids twitched several times.

The voices of the young and adolescent dragons weren’t loud, but they were clearly picked up by the keen-sensed Golden Dragon.

A captive, beaten?

The whispering of the young dragons insulted the Golden Dragon.

He was clearly invited here! And the previous battle was by no means one-sided, but to argue or explain to weak young and adolescent dragons wasn’t his style, so the golden dragon eyes stared straight at the seemingly burning fortress ahead, pretending not to have heard.