"So, this is Caelid?"
"It is."
"A fine piece of land. Come then—let us complete the task our King entrusted to us and reunite with our kin."
Phaed took a long look at his surroundings and let out a sigh of appreciation before turning to the men behind him.
"Understood!"
Phaed was one of the squad leaders handpicked by Horuf for this operation. There were approximately fourteen others like him. Together, these fifteen squads were tasked with reinforcing their brothers currently situated in the southwestern region of Caelid.
These fifteen squads totaled four hundred and fifty men, all of them elite. Most were veterans recruited from Nibla's territories. These were men who had already distinguished themselves on the battlefield against the Golden Order. For them, returning to the fray and reclaiming their honor was the only thing that made them feel truly alive.
While the reinforcements marched toward southwestern Caelid, Lansseax had officially arrived directly above the Eternal City of Nokron, immediately drawing the attention of the Eternal People within.
Given Lansseax's sheer size... unless she specifically chose to approach in her human form, it was virtually impossible for her to go unnoticed.
Soaring above Nokron, Lansseax narrowed her eyes at the city below, her expression quickly shifting to one of surprise. She saw several... creatures? They looked almost indistinguishable from ordinary humans.
Lansseax's intuition told her these beings weren't a specific race of humanity, but rather a unique biological form. They felt strangely familiar to her, though she couldn't quite place why at first.
As Lansseax observed these Silver Tears, they stared back at her silently from below. Their eyes were devoid of emotion; they simply watched her, perfectly still. They neither initiated an attack nor ignored her presence.
After a moment of observation, Lansseax realized it wasn't a lack of hostility—it was simply that they had no way to reach her. They appeared to lack long-range capabilities, relying instead on the silver weapons they manifested from their own bodies.
This stalemate didn't last long. Soon, a group of Nox monks emerged, led by a Nox Swordstress.
"Ancient Dragon of an unknown dynasty! What is your purpose here?!" the swordstress shouted.
"Heh. Little girl, you aren't worthy of speaking to me. Bring out someone who actually holds authority!" Lansseax replied with a contemptuous smirk.
"You—!"
"Stand down, Mia."
A Night Maiden stepped forward from the crowd, shaking her head at the aggressive swordstress.
"...Yes, Mother."
Mia went silent, shot a venomous glare at Lansseax, and retreated into the ranks.
"Ancient and powerful dragon, may I ask what brings you to our city?" the Night Maiden asked.
"My name is Lansseax. And yours?"
"Noxi Dalun. I am a Night Maiden left over from the old age, and the current Priestess of this city."
"In that case, I acknowledge your status." Lansseax nodded slowly.
The Eternal Cities functioned differently from other regions. In their culture, authority was almost always held by women. The Night Maidens held the highest status, and from among them, a Priestess was chosen as the leader based on prestige and power.
"Now, will you tell me the reason for your visit?"
"Naturally." Lansseax gave a slight tilt of her massive draconic head. "I represent the Mohgwyn Dynasty. I come with a request for an alliance. we share a common enemy. Even if our ultimate goals differ, the current state of the world gives us a foundation for cooperation."
"Your attitude just now didn't exactly scream 'cooperation,'" Mia muttered sarcastically from behind Noxi.
"Mia!" Noxi frowned and snapped her head back to reprimand the girl. Mia ducked her head immediately.
"It seems your junior doesn't quite understand her place," Lansseax remarked.
"She is still immature. That is why I have not yet allowed her to join the ranks of the Maidens," Noxi explained, turning her attention back to the dragon. "However, I did not expect you to be the Mohgwyn Dynasty that caused such a stir above. Your stance is clear; as you said, we have a foundation for cooperation."
"So, you agree?"
"No. I intend to observe further. At the very least, I must meet your King before I decide." Noxi met Lansseax's gaze with a calm, steady look.
"...Then I'm afraid you will have to wait for a while."
"Oh? Why?"
"He is currently absorbing and organizing the gains from the recent battle. For the time being, he will not see anyone—including those of us within his inner circle."
"I see... That is a pity. However, we can wait. Nokron has been silent for ages; we are in no hurry."
"Mmm... It seems our progress today ends here, then. But before I depart, I have a question. I wonder if Priestess Noxi could enlighten me."
"Speak," Noxi replied with a nod.
"On my way here, I saw those silver-skinned people. What exactly are they?"
"You said it yourself. People."
"No. They cannot be human."
"...Your intuition is sharp. They are a product of the Eternal City's technology—another form of the organisms you saw on your way in."
"You mean... the Silver Tears?" Lansseax narrowed her eyes.
"Indeed."
Lansseax's expression shifted to one of genuine surprise. She truly hadn't expected those things to have such a form.
"Then... would the Priestess be willing to part with one? I'd like to study it. I'm quite curious," Lansseax asked, her eyes darting as she shamelessly made the request.
Both Noxi and Mia were stunned. Mia, especially, looked past Noxi to glare at Lansseax.
"Hey! Don't you think you're being a bit thick-skinned? We haven't even agreed to an alliance yet, and you want to walk away with a free prize?!"
Lansseax ignored her entirely. Eons of life had made her skin—and her ego—incredibly thick. Unless it was someone she truly cared about, she wasn't the type to back down from embarrassment.
Noxi remained silent for a short while before providing her answer. "Very well."
"Priestess!" Mia's eyes bulged in disbelief.
Noxi glanced at Mia and waved her hand, signaling her subordinates to take the girl away.
"Mph! Mmph!!" Mia struggled as her mouth was covered and she was dragged off, her large eyes still staring at Noxi, demanding an explanation.
"That successor of yours... is quite something," Lansseax noted.
"...She is too young. She needs time to grow—in strength, experience, and temperament. But her talent is undeniably the best. If she truly proves unfit for leadership, she will still make a fine guardian. There is plenty of time, and plenty of room for change."
Lansseax nodded in agreement.
Noxi then gestured, and soon, a glob of silver liquid began to crawl forward slowly.
"This is the Silver Tear you desired. We have not yet adjusted or programmed this newborn, so it lacks combat capabilities. Consider it a gift for the Blood Lord—a token of our goodwill."
Lansseax reached out with a dragon claw and took the Silver Tear, nodding in return.
"I will relay your message to him. I shall take my leave then."
"Safe travels, Lady Lansseax."
Noxi watched as the dragon beat her wings and soared back toward the Mohgwyn Dynasty's headquarters.
"Mother..." one of the Night Maidens behind Noxi whispered.
"I know what you want to say. But as that ancient dragon stated, they are indeed potential allies. And the strength they displayed is formidable, perhaps even..." Noxi trailed off. Her subordinate looked confused but didn't press further.
"Regardless, building a positive relationship is never a mistake. The Two Fingers are our enemies, and they are theirs as well."
Meanwhile, the departing Lansseax began to play with the Silver Tear in her hand. She squeezed it left and right; the texture was remarkably pleasant and highly elastic. She made sure not to use too much strength, fearing she might accidentally pop the thing.
As for her claim that Mohg was too busy to see Noxi—that was purely a negotiation tactic. Noxi clearly hadn't minded, nor had she questioned the truth of it, which proved her desire for cooperation was strong enough to warrant concessions.
Lansseax was confident Mohg wouldn't have any complaints when she returned.
"Wait... you're actually capable of this level of diplomacy?"
Mohg, who had been interrupted from his rest by Lansseax's report on Nokron, didn't immediately comment on the mission itself. Instead, he stared at her with genuine shock at her performance.
"...What kind of reaction is that?" Lansseax's face darkened. "I've lived for eons, you know! When the Ancient Dragons ruled the Lands Between, you weren't even a glimmer in your mother's eye!"
"Ahem. I was just a bit surprised, that's all. You've never shown this side of yourself before."
"Just because I haven't shown it doesn't mean I don't have it," Lansseax grumbled. "Anyway, I've basically smoothed things over with the Eternal City. The rest is up to you."
"Mm. Thank you for your hard work."
"So, when do you plan to meet them?"
"In a while. Since you already told them I'm busy, if I went now, it would just prove you were lying."
"True... Oh, right. This is a greeting gift that Night Maiden Priestess, Noxi, told me to give you."
Lansseax tapped her head as she remembered, then walked outside and tossed a confused-looking blob of silver liquid toward him.
"This is... a Silver Tear?!"
"Hmm? You actually recognize this thing?" Lansseax looked at him with surprise.
"Recognize it? I told you I've collaborated with the Eternal City of Nokstella before, didn't I?"
"Huh?! You did?!" Lansseax looked at him with a giant "dragon question mark" expression.
"Wait, I didn't?" Mohg scratched his head, feeling a bit confused himself. "Oh... I suppose I didn't. Whatever, it's not important. Anyway, I saw these creations over there, but Nokstella focuses more on transforming them into direct combat units. Their research into mimicry doesn't seem as deep as Nokron's."
Mohg crouched down and reached out to stroke the Silver Tear. The creature didn't pull away; it actually molded its body to fit his hand, offering a very pleasant tactile response.
"The research isn't as deep?"
"Right. Nokstella arms their Silver Tears directly rather than using them for mimicry. Most of the tears there stay in their original form or transform into shield-bearing forms or large spheres."
"I see... So, which side do you think has the better potential?"
"Nokron's side, without question."
Mohg didn't hesitate with his answer. After all, Nokron was the place actively engaged in the "Lord-making" and "Finger-slaying" movements. Both Eternal Cities sought to expand their power, but their focuses were different.
That said, Nokstella's biological engineering was superior; their Dragonkin Soldiers were significantly more powerful than the ones found in Nokron.
"Alright, the mission is reported. I'll leave you to your rest," Lansseax said with a wave of her hand, making a quick exit.
It looked less like she was worried about disturbing Mohg's rest and more like she was worried Mohg would disturb hers...
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