Chapter 685
Rebuilding the Elf Empire!
"guard?"
Cohen repeated the word unconsciously, his brow furrowed as he quickly pieced together clues in his mind.
Bahamut's role as "Guardian" is widely known, but it is usually understood as the protection of the dragon race as a whole, of wealth, and of order.
Is it...
"Exactly."
Bahamut seemed to have read his mind and confirmed his guess, his voice as steady as a rock:
"This 'protection' is not just a general statement."
One of its most core and oldest vows and powers is to protect every progenitor dragon before they grow up and their power has not yet awakened.
Our lineage is the one that puts this contract into practice.
The legacy of our ancestors has given the dragon race the opportunity to continue, and also bestowed upon our lineage a unique responsibility.
The existence of our lineage, and my power, is, in a sense, to ensure that this epoch-making legacy does not wither in its infancy due to greed, conspiracy, or accident.
His gaze swept over Asuna, who was still in shock and confusion:
"You need not worry too much. The secret that Asuna Iliad is the reincarnation of the progenitor dragon of this era is known throughout the dragon race and even the entire multiverse."
As far as I know, it is only I, Bahamut King, the King of Wealth, Guardian, and Dragons.
Others, whether they were fellow dragons or other gods and forces, even if they had doubts, could only guess that Miss Iliad might be a descendant with an exceptionally strong bloodline of the progenitor dragon, a rare atavistic individual.
And I, in the name of wealth, protection, and the Dragon King, swear that I will do everything in my power to ensure that Miss Iliad grows up safely before she successfully inherits the full power of the Proto-Dragon.
Cohen's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. Everything the other party said made sense, and there was no need for them to be deceived.
"Thank you for your honesty, Your Majesty Kim Hwi."
Thank you for taking on this responsibility of protecting us.
His gaze involuntarily drifted back to Asuna beside him.
Her face was still somewhat pale, and her lips were tightly pursed.
Cohen's heart tightened slightly. He understood that Asuna needed time to process everything and accept this identity that had completely overturned her self-perception.
But there was no imminent, deadly threat.
Cohen refocused his attention on Bahamut, his tone becoming more focused:
"So, regarding Asuna... regarding the power of the Primordial Dragon, what should we do next?"
How does this power need to be awakened, and how long will it take?
Bahamut answered quickly:
"Later, I will safely pass on all the classics, secret methods, and cultivation techniques that our clan has accumulated for awakening and guiding the primordial power of our ancestors to Miss Iliad."
This will help her become familiar with her own hidden power more quickly, understand its source and characteristics, and thus, to some extent, accelerate the process of the dormant ancestral power merging and awakening with her.
This is one of the most important reasons why I came here in person to meet with you.
The transmission of knowledge is the first step in awakening power, and also a crucial safeguard against going astray and being devoured by that power.
A dragonborn suddenly given the title of "Progenitor Dragon" is in danger, if left unguided, facing the unimaginable power that may exist within him, no less dangerous than holding a magical bomb that could explode at any moment.
The support of the Dragon God provided at least the most basic guarantee in terms of knowledge and pathways.
Bahamut's gaze shifted from Asuna, slowly sweeping over Cohen and Adel, before finally settling back on Asuna's face.
His gaze deepened, carrying both scrutiny and a heavy expectation concerning the future of his race:
"Besides that, I also need a promise from Miss Iliad."
The air in the sealed room seemed to condense even more.
Cohen's brows furrowed again, and Adele's blue eyes narrowed slightly, a faint icy blue light swirling within them.
Asuna pursed her lips, her gaze unwavering, but her body was noticeably more tense as she awaited the expected yet still unsettling "condition."
Bahamut didn't keep them in suspense, stating clearly and directly:
"I need Miss Iliad's promise after you successfully inherit and are able to control the power of the progenitor dragon in the future."
"I am willing to return to the pantheon of our dragon race, and I am willing to shoulder the responsibilities that you, as the progenitor, should bear for the survival, continuation, and prosperity of the dragon race as a whole."
"Return to the Dragon Pantheon" and "Take on the responsibility of the progenitor".
These two requirements may sound grand and vague, but their implications are all too clear.
This means that Asuna will no longer belong solely to Effie, Cohen, or herself.
She will be incorporated into an older, larger, and potentially more complex "family" and power structure, and will be responsible for the future of this "family."
The pressure fell silently on Asuna's shoulders.
Cohen and Adel both looked at her, their eyes filled with complex emotions, but they respected Asuna and waited for her to make her own decision.
They can stand by her side and face things together, but it is up to her to personally express her stance.
Asuna fell silent. She didn't answer immediately, her eyes lowered, as if she was weighing her options and thinking.
His gaze involuntarily drifted to Cohen beside him. Cohen's eyes were firm yet gentle, offering no urging, only complete trust and support.
After a moment, she looked up at Bahamut again, and instead of immediately agreeing or refusing, she asked her question:
"What kind of restrictions will I face after returning to the dragon pantheon?"
You dragons don't have any particularly old-fashioned ideas like "those who are not of our kind must have different hearts," do you?
I mean...you wouldn't object to me having a human husband, would you?
Faced with Asuna's direct question, Bahamut's stern expression seemed to soften for a moment, a knowing glint of "I knew it" flashing in his vertical pupils, and he said with a smile:
"As long as Miss Iliad's core stance after returning to the pantheon is to safeguard the overall interests and long-term well-being of the dragon race."
Your personal choices regarding romantic relationships and partner are your own freedom.
The dragon race respects the strong, and even more so, they respect the will and choices of their progenitor.
Ancient precepts did not contain an absolute prohibition against intermarriage with people of different races, especially when the object of marriage was someone like His Majesty Corleone.
His answer was concise and to the point, even implying a hint of recognition of Cohen's status, which relieved both Cohen and Asuna.
However, the dragon god's divine momentum immediately shifted:
"However, in order to ensure that the bloodline of the progenitor dragon can spread within the dragon race and continue its purity and influence,
And in order to fulfill your responsibility as the progenitor to the future of the race, the offspring you and His Majesty Corleone conceive must be raised within the traditions and environment of the dragon race. Furthermore…”
He raised his voice slightly, his gaze sweeping over Cohen before finally settling on Asuna's face:
"Some of your descendants need to mate with pure-blooded dragons to solidify and strengthen the inheritance of your bloodline."
This demand is much more specific and realistic than previous promises regarding freedom of partners.
It touches upon more fundamental and sensitive issues such as bloodline, inheritance, and the future of the community.
Raising offspring in a dragon-infested environment, or even mating with pure-blooded dragons... this is practically planning the life trajectory of Asuna's future children.
Upon hearing this, Asuna's expression faltered slightly, as if she hadn't expected it to be so specific, but she quickly breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's fine then, I agree, Your Majesty Kim Hwi."
Her quick agreement surprised both Cohen and Yardelle, who looked at her with some astonishment.
Asuna turned her head, winked at Cohen, and whispered:
"As long as they don't interfere with my love life, that's fine. As for offspring... that's still a long way off."
If we really have sons in the future, it would be nice to let them marry a few beautiful little dragon girls.
At least you don't have to worry about being bullied, right?
Cohen watched as Asuna's mood instantly brightened, and she even began to imagine her sons marrying Little Dragon Girl. He was both amused and exasperated.
Bahamut's dignified features seemed to falter slightly for a moment at this unexpected reaction, but he quickly regained his composure and continued:
"So, regarding the upcoming 'Chosen Kingdom,' we dragons will place our bets on your Effie?"
Cohen's reaction surprised Bahamut; he refused almost without hesitation:
"That's not a good idea. If we do that, Asuna's special identity will be exposed too early."
The fact that Effie suddenly received the Dragon God's unreserved and strong support will inevitably attract in-depth investigation from all parties, especially the Eastern Empire and the forces behind it.
At that time, any clues related to 'Dragonborn' or 'ancient bloodline' may be magnified infinitely and ultimately point to Asuna.
Until she has sufficient means to protect herself, this is tantamount to placing her under the spotlight and making her a target of public criticism.
Bahamut's vertical pupils flickered slightly, seemingly agreeing with Cohen's concerns, but he immediately raised his own question:
"Then what is Your Majesty's opinion?"
If I continue to follow tradition and bet on the Eastern Empire... wouldn't we be destined to stand on opposite sides in the future arena of the Covenant of the Gods?
He paused, a glimmer of recollection in his eyes, clearly recalling the Eastern Empire's undisguised hostility and attack on Cohen in the arena earlier that day:
"Moreover, the attitude of the future heir of the Eastern Empire towards Your Majesty today can hardly be described as friendly."
Upon hearing this, Cohen's face broke into a confident smile. The smile wasn't ostentatious:
"Your Majesty Jin Hui is overthinking it. As for the future of the Eastern Empire, it is too early to say who will be in charge."
He didn't elaborate, but the implication in his words was quite clear.
The Dragon God's current bet on the Eastern Empire may not necessarily be due to his enmity with Effie in the future.
Bahamut gave Cohen a deep look, as if he understood something.
After a brief silence, the Dragon God slowly nodded, no longer insisting: "Since Your Majesty has already made arrangements and considered everything thoroughly, then I will act as Your Majesty says."
He didn't ask any more questions about the details, which showed respect for his collaborator's judgment and also demonstrated his own decisiveness in making the decision.
An ancient deity naturally knows when to go deeper and when to stop.
With the agreement reached, Bahamut did not delay any longer.
He handed the spacetime dragon scale that had been used to build the light bridge to Asuna:
"This taboo will be entrusted to Miss Iliad for safekeeping."
I have imbued it with a special Dragon God seal, and no one but you can awaken its true communicative power.
In the future, the connection between you and me, as well as related scriptures, secret techniques, and even some special resources that may be needed for the initial awakening, will all be transmitted through this scale.
"Furthermore, I have already pinpointed the spatial location of your current Dragon Plane, so you can use this scale for interdimensional teleportation."
Asuna glanced at Cohen, and seeing him nod slightly, she took a deep breath, stepped forward, and solemnly accepted the warm yet seemingly imbued with the power of vast time and space with both hands.
After the handover was completed, Bahamut took a step back, his figure appearing even taller and more imposing in the dim light of the secret room.
He gazed at Asuna, or rather, through Asuna, he gazed at the ancient and noble source within her that had yet to awaken.
Then, this god-king who controlled wealth, protection, and dragons did something that moved both Cohen and Adele.
He bowed slightly and performed the oldest form of greeting within the dragon race—a greeting to Asuna, the "primordial dragon" who had not yet awakened her power and was even still bewildered by her new identity—that was probably only used when facing the supreme being.
His voice was no longer booming, but became low and slow, like a prayer that had traveled through countless ages, echoing softly in this underground chamber:
"My Lord...
May you awaken soon and regain your supreme glory.
As soon as he finished speaking, Bahamut's figure began to fade rapidly. The golden light and deep shadows receded inward like the receding tide, and within a few breaths, he disappeared completely.
Silence returned to the sealed room.
The source of the pressure and divine power suddenly disappeared, and Asuna's tense body seemed to have most of its strength drained away in an instant.
Then, almost instinctively, she took a step forward, like a young animal seeking shelter, and shrank into Cohen's arms, burying her face in his broad, solid chest.
She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, as if drawing strength from his familiar body temperature and heartbeat to fight against that absurd reality.
Cohen pulled her closer, holding her tightly, and gently patted her back with his large hand, silently conveying comfort and support.
Under the comforting embrace of Cohen and the steady beating of his heart, Asuna's tense nerves seemed to relax a little.
But she quickly realized a serious problem, and she abruptly lifted her head from Cohen's embrace, her voice rising slightly with urgency:
"Wait, Cohen, you...you mean...if I really...really inherit the power of that primordial dragon in the future..."
Her voice trembled slightly, each word uttered with extraordinary difficulty, as if she were voicing some extremely terrifying vision of the future:
"...I...I wouldn't...turn into a...dragon, would I?"
No, I don't want to become a dragon.
I don't want to become like that succubus, with horns on her head and a tail dragging behind her..."
Before Asuna could finish speaking, Adel suddenly interrupted:
"What? A succubus with horns and a long tail?"
Adel repeated the complaint that Asuna had blurted out in her haste.
Cohen stiffened almost imperceptibly, his gentle smile freezing instantly, replaced by a guilty conscience and a subtle sense of impending doom.
Asuna, who was originally immersed in great fear of her future "inhuman" form, stiffened abruptly upon hearing these words.
She lifted her head from Cohen's embrace, blinked, and looked at Adele's calm yet all-seeing eyes. She then stole a glance at Cohen's suddenly complex expression and was speechless for a moment, stammering and unsure how to explain.
"Uh... well... I mean..."
Asuna tried to make amends, her eyes darting around, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of Cohen's clothes.
Adel's gaze swept between Cohen's momentarily embarrassed expression and Asuna's evasive eyes before she calmly said:
"Don't try to hide it from me, and besides, you can't hide it from me anyway."
Asuna knew she couldn't hide it from Adel, and judging from Adel's expression, she didn't seem really angry.
She made a snap decision, deciding to go all in since it wasn't the first time Cohen's "glorious deeds" had been exposed.
She pulled slightly away from Cohen's embrace, but still clung to him as if that would give her some confidence. Then, turning to Adele, she spoke quickly in a tone that said, "I only heard about it, it has nothing to do with me":
“It was Grace who said it. She said that sometimes when Cohen is with her… he makes her turn into her succubus form… saying that… uh… it feels better…”
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible, and two red blushes appeared on her cheeks.
I don't know if he was shy about relaying this topic, or if he felt guilty about "betraying" Cohen.
After saying that, she immediately shut her mouth tightly, looked down at her nose and pretended that she hadn't said anything.
"..."
An eerie silence fell over the secret room.
Cohen's face at this moment could no longer be described as "awkward".
Faced with Ada's calm gaze, she felt so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground.
He felt his cheeks burning, coughed dryly, trying to salvage some dignity, and gave Adele an awkward smile, attempting to make his voice sound as confident as possible:
"Ahem... um... sis, don't listen to Grace's nonsense, she just likes to exaggerate."
This is pure slander, it's completely unfounded!
His explanations seemed so pale and powerless under the gaze of Adele's clear, deep blue eyes.
Adele looked at him quietly for a few seconds, showing no dissatisfaction or jealousy, but simply extended her slender, fair index finger and gently tapped Cohen's forehead:
"I noticed it a long time ago, your... fetishes are sometimes quite unique."
Asuna, standing to the side, nodded in agreement and subconsciously chimed in:
"Indeed, Cohen is sometimes a bit... well, I won't say anything more."
"..."
Cohen opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, and could only awkwardly touch the forehead where he had been tapped.
……
Having seen off Bahamut, the dragon god who carried a heavy promise, three of the four deities who had originally stayed in Florence briefly for personal reasons have now departed.
Only the words of Elrond, the ancient sage of wisdom, history, and knowledge of the Elven race, remained.
Cohen took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his chaotic thoughts about the Dragon God and the Progenitor, nodded to Adel and Asuna, and said:
"Your Majesty is still waiting for me. The matter concerning the Elven race should also be settled."
Asuna smoothed her blonde hair and said softly:
"I won't go over there. I have to come back in a hurry. There are still many things to take care of in the Dragon Plane."
Cohen stepped forward and hugged Asuna, whispering some sweet nothings to her, and watched her return to the Dragon Dimension through the "Time-Space Dragon Scale".
Adele then went with him to the side room where Elon Wise was.
This side hall was built specifically to receive elven envoys. It was brightly lit and softly lit, with the fresh scent of plants and magical spices floating in the air.
Villegice sat regally in the main seat, with Windsordler beside her, while Elon Wright appeared as a respectable elder with a faint smile on his face.
When Cohen and his companion entered the side room, their conversation seemed to be nearing its end.
When Virekis saw Cohen enter, a gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face, and her gaze lingered on his face for a moment.
Elon Ruiz also stood up and looked at Cohen, his smile unchanged.
Cohen remained calm and sat down in the empty seat next to Virekis, while Adel also sat down next to Windsordler.
After exchanging polite pleasantries, he began to speak:
"I apologize for keeping Your Majesty waiting. I wonder how Your Majesty's talks with Vilekis went?"
Elon Ruiyu smiled and said gently:
“Excellent, thank you Your Majesty Corleone for giving us this opportunity.”
Just now, I clearly conveyed the will of the Elven pantheon to Her Majesty Virekis, mainly regarding two matters.
His gaze shifted between Vireikis and Cohen, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable solemnity:
"First, the Elven pantheon supports Her Majesty Virekis in establishing a powerful empire unique to the Elven race in the Prime Material Plane."
This is not a simple kingdom or city-state alliance, but a true empire capable of uniting all the branches of the elves and restoring the glory of the ancient elves.
Secondly, we, the elven deities, anticipate and are willing to exert our utmost assistance to help Her Majesty Virekis become the future...God-King of the elven pantheon after her deification.
He spoke the words "God King" lightly, but in the side hall, they carried immense weight.
This means that Vilekis's future path will not only be that of an emperor of an empire, but will also lead to the supreme authority of the elven pantheon.
Elon Rui's gaze deepened, as if looking into the depths of the astral plane, into the void where gods stood and vied for supremacy:
"This move is of paramount importance to us, the Elven Gods."
A god-king belonging to the elves themselves will greatly enhance our voice and status in the world of gods.
Meanwhile, according to the newly announced covenant of the gods, a powerful elven empire ruled by the elven god-king will become the most solid and reliable 'earthly divine kingdom' for all elven deities in the material plane.
In short, our elven pantheon has reached a consensus: we do not intend to invest in any human kingdom, but rather to help Her Majesty Virekis establish her own empire.
Furthermore, the new elven empire will become Effie's most loyal ally, and we, the elven gods, are willing to provide all support to Your Majesty Corleone! (End of Chapter)