Ashen Dragon-Chapter 462 - 384 Celebration Banquet
Chapter 462: Chapter 384 Celebration Banquet
Chapter 462 -384 Celebration Banquet
Inside the Brass Palace, the Fire Dwarves played brass instruments, and the Empire’s officers and soldiers drank freely.
“Long live His Majesty Cassius!”
“Great Red Dragon!”
“Invincible!”
An air of festivity seemed to permeate every corner, mingling with the fragrant aroma of fine wine and the savory scent of roasted meat. Fire Dwarves and Imperial soldiers sang and danced, celebrating the defeat of their common enemy—the Fire Giants.
Meanwhile, Fire Dwarf Nobility Sharin accompanied Cassius, raised his glass, and whispered:
“Your Majesty Cassius, you destroyed half of Ironforge City and killed Emir the Fire Giant. Your strength indeed leaves me in awe.”
“But…”
Sharin hesitated for a moment, showing a bitter smile before continuing: “You did so well, you might attract the attention of the Sultan of the Fire Giants.”
Cassius also raised his glass, took a sip, and responded with a smile: “Lord Sharin, I do not fear him.”
“As long as the Sultan does not act personally, no one can defeat me.”
“That Prince of the Holy Flame is still wandering the land. The Sultan would not risk being killed to oppose me over a mere Emir.”
“Since you mentioned it, let me be direct…”
Cassius put down his glass and looked down at the Fire Dwarf with those pale golden pupils, his gaze meaningful: “The real danger is to you and your Brass Fortress.”
Sharin’s pupils shrank sharply, and the flames on his head dimmed a bit.
“The Emir sent by the Sultan of the Fire Giants is dead, which damages his dignity. But there’s no way for him to retaliate against me.”
“So… who will become the outlet for the Sultan’s wrath?”
“You mean…”
Sharin’s hand holding the scepter trembled slightly, his tone hesitant.
“The Brass Fortress.”
Cassius’s tone was particularly certain.
“You see, the Empire’s army is stationed at the Brass Fortress, and we have fought together against the forces sent by the Fire Giants.”
“The Empire can withdraw from the Fire Elemental Plane at any time, but you cannot. The Brass Fortress cannot move, and the Fire Dwarves cannot leave their homeland.”
“Lord Sharin, I truly do not wish to see the Fire Dwarves enslaved, so I specially came to warn you.”
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“I only regret not killing all those Fire Giants back then, so that the news wouldn’t have reached that Sultan’s ears.”
Cassius gazed into the Fire Dwarf’s eyes, gently shook his head, and sighed “sorrowfully.”
With the augmentation of extraordinary charm and the smooth-talker, every word he said seemed so credible.
“This, this…”
Sharin’s brass-forged body trembled slightly, and he seemed to see the future image of the fortress being breached, and the Fire Dwarves enslaved and whipped.
In truth, Sharin had vaguely suspected this possibility, but hearing it personally from the other party still left him terrified.
In fact, within the Fire Elemental Plane, the number of Fire Dwarves enslaved by the Fire Giants far exceeded those who were free.
But Cassius asked a seemingly unrelated question.
“Lord Sharin, a thousand years ago, how many Fire Dwarves were in the Brass Fortress?”
Sharin seemed puzzled, but after thinking for a moment, he answered truthfully: “About… four thousand.”
The process of forging limited the population growth rate, so Fire Dwarves were quite rare, and the number here was considered a lot.
Cassius continued to ask:
“And now? How many Fire Dwarves are in the Brass Fortress now?”
“Three thousand seven hundred and forty-one.”
Sharin replied without hesitation.
Cassius feigned confusion: “You Fire Dwarves have long lifespans. In the past thousand years, haven’t you had any new births?”
“Of course we have, but…”
Sharin’s face showed bitterness as he continued: “The Fire Giants regularly send plunderer troops to abduct my people.”
Cassius stated the brutal fact in a calm tone: “So… Lord Sharin.”
“The only reason the Fire Giants allow the Brass Fortress to exist is because you can provide them with Fire Dwarf slaves.”
Sharin couldn’t help but retort: “The Fire Giants once tried to enslave our entire race, but they failed!”
“Because once enslaved, you were no longer willing to forge new population, correct?”
Cassius took another sip of wine and continued: “They abandoned the enslavement plan because they wanted a continuous supply of slaves.”
He gave a light chuckle.
“Lord Sharin, do you know about a plant in the Material Plane called chives? Human farmers would harvest them each time they grew, ensuring a continuous supply of food…”
The Fire Dwarf Nobility’s beard trembled continuously. He was unwilling to believe it, but what the other party stated was impossibly close to reality.
“And now…”
“Under the Sultan’s fury, do you think they would still permit the Brass Fortress to exist?”
Cassius’s voice struck like lightning, each word hitting Sharin’s heart and breaking down his psychological defenses.
Sharin remained silent for a long time before finally murmuring.
“What shall we do then, Your Majesty Cassius?”
A barely perceptible smile appeared on Cassius’s face. He knew he had achieved his goal.
Once the Fire Dwarf Nobility was convinced, everything else would follow naturally.
“The Ashen Empire.”
Cassius mentioned the name nonchalantly.
“You mean…”
The Fire Dwarf immediately fell into deep thought, his expression hesitant, but he ultimately raised his head, gritting his teeth.
Sharin watched Cassius intently, speaking cautiously: “If that’s the case… then thank you for your good intentions, Your Majesty Cassius.”
“However, allow me to refuse. The Fire Dwarves will not become anyone’s retainers or slaves. This was true thousands of years ago, and it remains true thousands of years from now.”
As he finished, the flames on his head wavered and trembled, but his tone was firm.
Fire Dwarves were known for their stubbornness, rarely would anyone change their decisions.
“Clap!”
“How dare you!”
Hearing these words, Selcan, the Half-Red Dragon, slammed the table and shouted angrily.
“His Majesty grants the Fire Dwarves such a precious opportunity, yet you still do not appreciate it!”
“To refuse His Majesty Cassius is to make an enemy of us!”
At once, the Empire’s officers and soldiers in the hall stood up, wielding their rifles and aiming them at the Fire Dwarves, faces filled with hostility.
“What are you doing?”
“Fire Dwarves will never be slaves!”
The Fire Dwarves’ expressions also grew angry as they picked up copper hammers and iron shields from the ground, facing off against the Imperial soldiers.
The air in the hall seemed filled with the scent of gunpowder; in such a situation, a small spark could cause an explosion.
But Cassius waved his hand, his tone calm as he ordered: “What are you all doing? Lower your guns.”
Hearing the emperor’s order, the officers and soldiers of the Empire quickly lowered their weapons.
He casually patted the shoulder of the Fire Dwarf Nobility and said with a smile: “Lord Sharin, I think you misunderstood.”
“What I mean is… we, the Ashen Empire, can become steadfast allies of the Fire Dwarf city-states.”
