Elden Lord of Cinders

After taking Ranni to meet the Queen of the Full Moon and delivering the message, Lloyd sent her back to the Sorcerer's Tower. Although he had obtained the staff and Radahn's transfer order, Radahn was currently occupied—and having just regained his senses, he was still seriously injured.

While Ranni had both the staff and the authority to transfer him, realistically, they'd have to wait until he recovered. At this point, it was more of an excuse to give her daughter the staff than to actually transfer Radahn.

As for Radahn...

"If you can, once he's a little less tied up, help me bring back that horse of his. I just want to take a look."

"Yes, just the horse. Not him."

The Queen's tone and expression were both conflicted as she said it.

Lloyd didn't ask any questions. He simply nodded, returned Ranni to the Sorcerer's Tower, and after confirming there was nothing else to handle, made his way back to Caelid.

After a brief rest at the camp—holding Melina's small hand and checking Millicent's arm to make sure everything was fine—Lloyd resumed his map exploration.

This time, maybe because the map had changed so drastically, Lloyd finally got to enjoy some non-hostile treatment.

Walking along the main road, even when passing Redmane soldiers busy with reconstruction, as long as he didn't attack first, they simply continued their work and didn't charge at him.

Though Radahn had restricted the Redmanes' range after regaining clarity, meaning Lloyd only encountered these neutral soldiers in a few spots and couldn't interact with them, he was still quite satisfied.

In fact, after parting ways with them, he felt a flicker of hope—maybe if the soldiers were neutral now, other creatures might be too...

Bang!

A large dog—bulkier, covered in fur, but no smaller in size—lunged straight at him with a bite.

Even when he struck it with his blade, and despite the damage not decreasing, the health bar dropped far more slowly, likely due to the added fur. From the look of it, its HP had increased by at least 30%.

But that wasn't the real problem.

Midway through the fight, the dog suddenly leapt backward.

It curled up at a distance, and moments later, with a flash of golden light, it healed back most of the damage it had taken.

Still, the dog wasn't the toughest threat.

Sure, it had more health and could heal, but overall, it was just tankier.

And its healing came with a long wind-up, plus it didn't leap very far—so with a Double Slash Ash of War rush and a couple quick slashes, it could be taken down before the healing even triggered.

But the others...

Though the enemies no longer sprayed Scarlet Rot, Miranda Flowers had appeared, summoning beams of light from the sky to strike the area.

The Pest Threads missile was gone, but in its place was a new rolling wheel skill, and the Kindred of Abundance had grown fiercer in close combat with a slightly altered appearance.

Then there was the heaviest hitter of them all: the Monstrous Crow.

Now fully feathered, it had gained limited flight, and when grounded, it could unleash a briefly charged light cannon from its mouth—an absurd attack that made even the giant lobsters' water cannons in Liurnia of the Lakes look tame, almost like a Lux R laser blast.

On top of that, just like the healing dog, nearly every creature's HP had been boosted by at least 30%.

Still, it wasn't all bad.

Thanks to constant exploration and his habit of never sparing a moving creature, Lloyd had already reached a high level.

On top of that, the free 40 levels granted by Godrick's Great Rune, plus the newly acquired Radahn Great Rune—modded by Alice to be compatible with other Great Runes and boost HP, Focus, and Stamina by 15%—put him in a strong position.

His stats were already impressive, and now he wielded a devastating bleed weapon, along with a newly acquired Abundance blade perfect for dual-wielding.

So despite the monsters growing stronger and tankier after the update, Lloyd actually found the fights easier.

With increased enemy health and the various healing effects granted by Abundance, he could now freely test out all his new toys.

Moonveil, Meteorite Staff, Meteoric Ore Blade…

Lion's Claw, Poison Moth Flight, Double Slash...

After testing everything he had gathered on the new monsters and figuring out which ones were just toys and which were actually useful, Lloyd continued forward.

Then, he came across a white dragon sprawled across the ground—so massive it filled his entire field of view.

This wasn't Lloyd's first time seeing the dragon. The last time they met, it hadn't attacked him, and it looked like it was tied to a side quest. So instead of fighting, he had conjured a ball of Warmth nearby and offered it some healing.

Now, he wasn't sure whether it was due to the blooming of Abundance, the shattering of the Golden Order, or something else entirely.

Either way, the enormous dragon, while still lying down, looked visibly more spirited.

When it saw Lloyd approaching, it let out two roars. A nearby small flying dragon flew over to escort Lloyd to the dragon, which then signaled for him to place his hand on its head.

Then...

[Obtained Incantation: "Greyoll's Roar"]

[Obtained Item: "Dragonmother's Talisman"]

[Dragonmother's Talisman]

[A bronze pendant shaped like a crouching dragon mother]

[Provides damage reduction to all attributes, including physical]

[In the distant past, a mad dragon challenged a king]

[Defeated, its kin were also punished]

[Greyoll was one of them]

After bestowing her strength, the massive white dragon looked significantly weaker, its eyelids drooping.

Trapped between gold and rot for so long, her strength had long since waned. The little power she had managed to gather during the bloom of Abundance had now been passed on to Lloyd. She couldn't even move anymore.

But to her, it was worth it.

"Thank you for helping me before. I feel much better now that the corruption is gone..."

"But... I have one more selfish request..."

"After the rebellion of that mad dragon, though the culprits were punished, many innocents were caught in the fallout..."

"And that terrible punishment still continues to this day..."

"As a mother, I cannot just stand by. So if you're willing, please... look after those innocent children..."

"They weren't part of the rebellion. Some were even born afterward. Yet they still suffer the same punishment..."

"If you agree, I swear in the name of Greyoll, the Dragonmother—my children and I will devote our loyalty to you..."

A faint plea echoed from her immense soul.

Lloyd glanced at the talisman in his hand, then gave a simple nod.

"Alright."

Hearing his answer, the enormous dragon let out a long breath and finally closed her eyes.

Around Lloyd, the remaining small flying dragons in the Dragonbarrow gathered, encircling him, lowering their heads in silence.

Perhaps, in the distant past, flying dragons had been like the ancient dragons—majestic, high above, indifferent to the tiny beings crawling below.

But that changed after the rebellion of one mad dragon. The Ancient Dragons exiled the rebellious flying dragons completely.

After the exile, they established the Church of Dragon Communion. Anyone who killed a flying dragon and brought its heart there could consume it and gain draconic power. This ritual, which turned them into prey and trophies, was what the Dragonmother referred to as the "punishment."

The Ancient Dragons' judgment had cast them down, and the Dragon Communion made them targets of endless hunting. Not all flying dragons were slain. Some powerful ones made names for themselves and carved out territory.

But the weaker ones—especially those who hadn't even been part of the rebellion, those born after the exile—were terribly unfortunate.

After years of this, flying dragons were no longer the lofty beings of legend. Some may still cling to their pride, choosing defiance over submission.

But after so much pain and struggle, even Greyoll had only one wish left: for her children to survive.

As for why she didn't turn to the Golden Order Dynasty...

Because of the efforts of a certain prince—killed during the Night of the Black Knives—the Golden Order had formed an alliance with the Ancient Dragons. Even after its fall, the Ancient Dragons still honored that pact.

In that context, asking the Golden Order for help would be like tossing ham into a dog's mouth.

But Lloyd... he was different.

Remembering the warmth she once felt, the Dragonmother closed her eyes, finally drifting into slumber.

As for Lloyd, he didn't fully understand what Greyoll had said, but since he had accepted her gift and it seemed like a side quest, he didn't refuse.

After receiving the talisman, he immediately fast-traveled to Radahn and explained the situation.

In theory, Radahn, as a member of the Golden Order, should have supported the Dragon Communion rituals. But now, with the Order in ruins and Caelid itself shattered by his own hands, that allegiance meant little.

And with Caelid's population and labor force devastated by the Scarlet Rot, while resources from the bloom of Abundance now overflowed.

With Lloyd's personal guarantee, Radahn agreed after only a moment's thought to forbid his men from hunting the Flying Dragons and designated a specific area for them to live.

But Lloyd felt that wasn't enough.

"You have to find them something to do!"

Admittedly, given Caelid's current abundance, raising a few Flying Dragons—heck, even hosting Ancient Dragons—wouldn't be a problem. But was that really a good idea?

Just drawing out a zone for them to live in, without communication or cooperation, would only deepen the divide between species. Their racial differences were already stark, and even Lloyd could sense the trouble that prolonged separation might bring.

The red-haired horse girl agreed that Lloyd had a point. And right now, there really was some work suitable for them.

"Caelid's reconstruction requires a lot of manpower and transport. Plus, Dragonfire is great for metal smelting."

Transportation and forging, huh?

Lloyd nodded and went back to discuss it with Greyoll, who readily agreed.

Flying Dragons had once had a civilization of their own. Back during the age of corruption and gold, those little ones who now gathered around him could have been considered his personal guards. But now that corruption had faded and an agreement had been reached with Caelid's officials, there was no longer any real safety concern.

If the young ones just kept wandering around doing nothing, it would be fine for a short while—but over time, it'd get on Greyoll's nerves if they didn't find jobs.

That said, while they had agreed to Redmane's proposal, the Flying Dragons had a few conditions of their own.

Most of it was pretty basic: no killing Flying Dragons without cause, no forcing the very young ones to work, things like that. The only less-basic request was that no one could ride a Flying Dragon without its explicit permission.

No one had any objections to that.

After all, the dragons in the Lands Between had their own culture and generally hated—if not outright refused—to be ridden. In fact, throughout the entire region, it was hard to find even a handful of people who had actually ridden a dragon.

As for "dragon riders," that profession did exist in the Lands Between—but not in the way you'd think. They were actually professional dragon hunters. Their armor was made from dragonhide.

Even the crown prince's closest friend, if he ever wanted to ride a dragon, would have to do it in private. If it became public, it could easily turn into a diplomatic scandal.

But that rule didn't apply to Lloyd.

As someone recognized by the Dragonmother Greyoll, at least within Caelid, he could ride whichever Flying Dragon he liked. If Greyoll could get up, he could even ride her.

Aside from Caelid, since the region had more Flying Dragons than it knew what to do with and was overflowing with unused labor, Lloyd paid a visit to Castle Morne to ask Edgar if he wanted a whole dragon sent over to help.

"...No, that's not necessary."

Edgar shook his head with difficulty.

The moment Lloyd showed up, he'd already suspected he was bringing something over again and had mentally braced himself. But a Flying Dragon...

That was a little beyond what he'd imagined.

Lloyd didn't push the matter. After all, Castle Morne wasn't Caelid. With the ongoing war, resources were already scarce—it would've been hard for them to even support a dragon.

After parting ways with Edgar, Lloyd remembered someone else who was desperately short on manpower.

Then...

"I am a subject of the Golden Order Dynasty." Old Margit's face went dark.

Lloyd blinked.

"So what?"

"The Golden Order and the Ancient Dragons are allies—I'm already being generous by not hunting them."

Lloyd thought about it for a moment.

"But are there any Ancient Dragons around here?"

"No. Why?"

"Then you can just keep them in secret. They won't know."

Lloyd lowered his voice, coaxing him.

"No wages needed—just three meals a day. Whether it's for transport or delivering messages, they're super handy. And Dragonfire's got some real tricks up its sleeve, endless surprises…"

"...No."

Though he hesitated for a moment, Morgott eventually shook his head firmly.

The alliance with the Ancient Dragons was something his older brother had established, and back when he was stuck in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, it was his brother who had kept him afloat. If it had been something else—even Castle Morne—he might've turned a blind eye for Lloyd's sake. But this, he absolutely couldn't accept.

Seeing how resolute Morgott was, Lloyd didn't push. Instead, he asked a strange question.

"So, do you allow employees to keep pets?"

Morgott didn't get why he was asking that, but he nodded anyway.

"Sure, why?"

"No reason," Lloyd said casually.

"I was just chatting with Nepheli earlier. She seems really into Flying Dragons. Asked if she could keep one. I'll talk to Greyoll later…"

Morgott: "..."

You're seriously trying to sneak two dragons in here, aren't you?

But the problem was, he couldn't actually refute it.

From the Ancient Dragons' perspective, being kept as a pet by humans was itself a humiliation—a punishment. He couldn't officially reach an agreement with the Flying Dragons or get them to cooperate. But if Lloyd really could wrangle one in to be a pet for that girl under his command… Morgott couldn't really object.

Especially considering how short-staffed he was. If a Flying Dragon could help with the workload, that'd save a lot of effort...

Morgott was conflicted.

Then, suddenly, he realized another problem.

"Wait a second. Where'd you get so many Flying Dragons? You made a deal with them?"

Lloyd froze for a second, then remembered.

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you—I got Radahn and Caelid sorted, and I also dealt with a big white dragon named the Dragon Mother."

What?

Morgott had no idea what he was talking about.

When he'd seen the stars start moving, he assumed Lloyd had already taken care of Radahn. So even when he saw a third Great Rune in Lloyd's possession, he hadn't paid it much mind. But now, from what Lloyd was saying, things were not quite what he had expected.

Though Morgott had braced himself for a painful conversation, he was determined to get firsthand information. Limgrave and Caelid were still connected, after all. So he set aside his work to talk with Lloyd and find out what exactly had happened in Caelid.

But this time, to Morgott's surprise, their conversation went very smoothly. Lloyd didn't ramble into anything weird and explained everything that happened in Caelid in clear detail.

And for the first time, Morgott wished it hadn't gone so smoothly. He even wished he couldn't understand what Lloyd was saying.

"So you're telling me... you resurrected Starscourge Radahn, shattered the Golden Order to make the Flower of Abundance bloom there, and in the process also tamed the Dragon Mother and the Flying Dragons...?"

"Pretty much?"

Lloyd thought about it, then remembered Morgott's repeated emphasis on being a Golden Order enforcer. So he added one more thing.

"Oh, and before I shattered the Law, I asked Two Fingers. It gave me the go-ahead, so technically I didn't break the rules."

Morgott: "..."

He was speechless.

"Could you leave for a bit? I'd like some time alone."

After a long silence, Old Margit finally spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Sure."

Lloyd nodded and turned to go.

But just as he reached the door, something occurred to him. He looked back over his shoulder.

"Hey, Old Margit, about the pet thing, I just wanted to double-check—"

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

Several Law seals snapped into place.

"Sigh... Why is everyone in the Lands Between like this…"

...

[Upto 20 chapters ahead for now]

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