Plotting Against Each Other

“What did you say?”

Renn looked at Robo in surprise. The hand wiping his broadsword paused for a moment before he regained his composure.

The wyvern lying beside him, however, had already bared its sharp fangs, its expression turning fierce.

As a draconic creature, its intelligence was by no means low. It naturally understood what Robo meant, which immediately put it on guard.

However, this display of bared teeth failed to intimidate Robo, a Gold Rank Archmage, who simply continued:

“Guess what I discovered?”

“That mixologist's true identity is actually a dragon...”

The moment those words left his mouth, they struck like a bolt from the blue.

Renn's hand froze. His cynical expression vanished, replaced by dead seriousness. He straightened up, thrust his broadsword into the ground, and stared intently at Robo, waiting for his next words.

“An immature black dragon.”

Robo intentionally raised his voice and added, “And she's a dragoness.”

“If you can tame her, you can...”

Before he could finish, Renn cut in with the rest of the sentence, “Become... a true Dragon Knight!”

His face flushed slightly, an uncontrollable excitement flickering in his eyes.

On the continent of Arlesk, riding a true dragon and becoming a noble and powerful Dragon Knight was undoubtedly every man's ultimate dream.

Even Renn was not immune to such a yearning.

Even though he already possessed a wyvern, what did a wyvern amount to when compared to a true, pure-blooded dragon?

“A Dragon Knight...”

Renn muttered under his breath, glancing sideways at the wyvern that was still baring its teeth at Robo. In this moment, this companion he had once adored so much suddenly didn't look so appealing anymore.

Just as he had been overjoyed when he first tamed this wyvern, he was now filled with a corresponding sense of disgust.

This feeling was like when everyone around you rode bicycles, while you drove a van.

Although it wasn't a particularly great vehicle, it still surpassed most people, and you would naturally feel incredibly satisfied.

But now, someone was telling him that he had a chance to get a top-tier supercar.

With a supercar right in front of him, looking back at his old, battered van naturally made it lose all its appeal...

All of these reactions were observed by Robo.

He wasn't saying this out of brotherly kindness to warn his older sibling, of course.

Rather, he was scheming to have Renn test the waters against that black dragon.

Although there was a high probability that the dragon was immature, who could say for sure?

What if she was a cunning old dragon who hadn't made a move yet simply because she wanted to watch the show?

Under these circumstances, letting his foolish older brother test her was naturally the best course of action.

If she really was an immature black dragon, he could simply wait until Renn and the black dragon severely injured each other, then strike suddenly to emerge as the ultimate winner.

And if she turned out to be an adult black dragon, he could take the opportunity to quickly flee.

“My dear brother, what are you still waiting for?”

Robo continued to egg him on:

“I risked my life just now to test this out. “Right now, this black dragon's vassals are all being held back by our army. “All you need to do is go up there and subdue her, and you can become a true Dragon Knight. “When that happens, Father will surely be proud of you.”

However, these words snapped Renn out of his fantasies and made him wary. He shifted his gaze back to Robo's smiling face and said:

“My foolish little brother, since when did you become so kind-hearted?”

Though he was somewhat reckless, he wasn't stupid. As the older brother, he knew his scheming little brother's personality all too well.

Namely, that Robo would absolutely never treat him this well for no reason.

“If this really is an immature black dragon, why aren't you making a move yourself?”

As Renn spoke, he gently patted the wyvern's head to comfort his companion.

Before he actually obtained a true dragon companion, this wyvern remained a vital part of his combat strength, so he naturally couldn't neglect it.

“Do you think I'd actually give this opportunity up to you if it weren't to bolster the combat strength of our Duchy of Reny?”

Robo put on an indignant expression, then spread his hands helplessly. “Even if it's an immature dragon, her physical capabilities are not something I can go head-to-head with.”

Saying this, he glanced at Renn and the wyvern, which looked utterly aggrieved under its master's petting, and added with emphasis:

“But you are different. With your strength, I believe you can absolutely subdue that black dragon with ease.”

This last sentence was a blatant piece of flattery, and Renn was indeed very susceptible to it—especially when it came from his foolish younger brother, which made it all the more effective.

Consequently, an irrepressible smile spread across his face.

“You've finally admitted your own weakness, my foolish little brother,” Renn thought to himself.

However, he didn't agree immediately.

Although he was reckless, he was not stupid.

After pondering for a moment, he spoke:

“Robo, my dear brother, I still feel this isn't quite safe.”

“How about this? We brothers work together. Once we conquer that dragoness, we can take turns riding her.”

“What do you think?”

“Roar!”

The wyvern was the first to object, letting out whimpering roars and desperately rubbing its head against its master's body to voice its protest.

Over years of domestication, it had grown accustomed to its current pampered lifestyle, well aware that its comfortable existence was entirely thanks to its master.

If it were to be replaced by the flashy hussy they were talking about, its future days would certainly not be as pleasant.

“Robo, be good!”

Renn patted the wyvern's head and called out its name—which he had intentionally given it back then just to insult Robo.

“I promise you, my most loyal companion, once we capture that black dragon, she will become a mount for both of us.”

Hearing this, the wyvern's rather small brain clearly couldn't process the logic. After a brief daze, it threw its head back and let out a joyful roar.

As a drake, it had never even dared to dream in its wildest fantasies that it would one day get to ride one of those noble “kin.”

The simple-minded wyvern, completely oblivious to what an empty promise was, gave up its resistance. It stopped protesting and looked at Robo with a face full of excitement alongside Renn.

“No, that's a terrible idea.”

Robo's face darkened, but he did his best to restrain himself as he countered:

“My foolish brother, do you not know how proud dragons are?”

“If we go together, although we can subdue her more easily, it will be very difficult to make her submit. “Only by acting alone and using your absolute strength to completely crush her pride, showing her your power, can you make her willingly and wholeheartedly follow you.”

Hearing this, Renn frowned and looked toward the battlefield thoughtfully.

From this vantage point, he could take in the entire situation.

After a few seconds, he looked back at Robo and smiled.

“You're right.”

But before Robo could breathe a sigh of relief, Renn's tone suddenly shifted: “However, I still think it's better to test the waters first.”

“How about this? We'll send the wolf knights in first. Once that black dragon can't resist making her move, it won't be too late for me to step onto the field.”

With that, he summoned a messenger and ordered the wolf knights to deploy.

Watching this, Robo did not stop him, merely narrowing his eyes.

...

“What a cautious fellow,”

Irene remarked on the city wall.

According to the information provided by the dwarves, the Duchy of Reny had a total of three Gold Rank experts: Duke Edliman and his two sons.

It was impossible for all three to deploy at the same time; otherwise, if the duchy were to be invaded, they would have no way to defend it.

In other words, only one or two Gold Rank experts could be deployed here.

Engaging in battle rashly without first probing the enemy's exact combat capabilities was clearly not a wise move.

Furthermore, whether in her past life or her current one, Irene was no grand strategist and knew nothing of military tactics.

Therefore, she could only use the simplest, most brute-force method: first pin down the enemy's army, then lure their high-end combatants into making the first move.

Once she had a rough grasp of their strength, she could plan her next move.

But as things stood, the enemy was far more cautious than she had anticipated...

The heavy, dull thuds of steel striking the ground suddenly echoed from the distance.

A three-meter-tall suit of black armor was walking over with firm, steady steps.

Washed by the curtain of rain, its powerful, angular contours and mithril circuitry gleamed with a cold luster.

Upon arriving behind Irene, the armor came to a halt. A muffled voice, sounding like grinding metal, echoed from within the suit.

“Your Grace.”

With a sharp clack, the armor's visor slid open, revealing Fido's furry canine face.

“Do you need us to deploy?”

“Not yet.”

Irene turned around to look inside the city.

Standing in her line of sight, over three hundred Imperial Guards equipped with power armor stood in neat phalanxes amidst the pouring rain.

Crimson lights flickered from beneath their cold helmets.

With a single command, they would launch a fearless charge at any moment, crushing all enemies in their path.

At the very rear of the formation, Daviel lay lazily on the ground.

Gar, the Minister of the Equipment Department, was perched atop the little black dragon's head, braving the heavy rain to hammer and screw away.

Occasional sparks flew out, only to be instantly extinguished as they fell into the freezing rainwater.