The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases

David smacked his lips. Although he had anticipated it, he was still somewhat shocked by the power of a deity.

Attilicia also sighed. He seemed to have expected such a day would come, yet he found its early and swift arrival surprising. However, come to think of it, unless his son directly ignited the divine fire and ascended to godhood, it seemed to make no difference whether it happened sooner or later.

"It's not necessarily the end of the world," he continued. "When that time truly comes, as a being with divinity, you could try aligning yourself with a god, like the King of the North Wind…"

David immediately laughed. "You want me, a Red Dragon, to pledge allegiance to the Platinum Dragon God?"

Attilicia knew he would say something like that. "Alternatively, there's the Chromatic Dragon Queen. Apart from those two, I doubt any other deity would risk offending a powerful god—especially one who is the principal god of war and strife—just to protect a 'thief' like you. After all, various signs from the Elariya Plane indicate this War God is prepared to start a divine war if necessary."

Hearing his father say this, David, who found no extensive records on this matter in the Draconic Lore, was surprised. "Are divine wars that rare?" To David, it was all just fighting; the opponents were simply gods.

"From the materials I could consult on Dragon Island, they are indeed rare. For any deity, a true divine war is something that requires exceedingly careful consideration, especially after the Catastrophe of the Saints."

"Is there a big difference after the Catastrophe of the Saints?" David asked further.

"A fundamental difference. It's said that after the Catastrophe of the Saints, once a deity loses all its followers, even one with powerful divine strength can become endangered. They might even fade into oblivion, becoming a drifting mound of cosmic dust in the depths of the Astral Plane. You know what that implies, don't you?"

"To wage a holy war and annihilate all of the opponent's followers?" David finally voiced, a sense of shock at this brutal truth evident in his tone.

Attilicia smiled. "It wouldn't go that far. If it really came to that, other gods wouldn't just sit idly by. So, according to their divine terminology, it would be called 'faith persuasion.'"

Physical persuasion, huh? David always found this term rather sarcastic. Then, he felt a surge of Arrogance, a sudden urge to whip out two massive, dragon-sized Gatling guns. "That's quite the 'draconic persuasion,' then."

Attilicia said, "Compared to a century-long divine war, one destined to affect countless beings across the planes of the Multiverse, even the dramatic 'Dragonfall War' of the past would be nothing more than a minor skirmish. It was merely a brief, inconclusive precursor battle between the two Dragon Gods. So, let us hope that such things never occur in our lifetimes."

Even with two continents and thousands of kilometers of icy sea separating them, David felt as if he could see, through a Drow's eyes, a saintly aura slowly radiating from his old man. He spoke with a hint of exasperation, "Enough of your 'grieving for the state of the world and pitying dragons' act. Don't worry, your son here doesn't have enough charm to make a god wage a divine war for me. If you don't want me to meet my end too soon, then quickly help me think of some workable solutions, alright?"

After hearing David's earlier plans, Attilicia nodded gravely. "It's feasible. I'll buy a few more Devil's Contracts. That could help drum up some spectacle here in Dewensen for this Lower Plane invasion and divert attention. Of course, the pressing matter is to find that prayer and send her to the Lower Planes as soon as possible."

Listening and chuckling, David actually felt a touch moved and couldn't help teasing, "Aren't you afraid the Platinum Dragon God will come for you if you do this?"

Attilicia didn't explain about his own change of faith. "Why would He trouble me? I'll summon those devils and demons, then dispose of them right away. That will give me a chance to clear out the remaining Drow in Dewensen and earn some good reputation for Mirillian. Don't worry, I'm quite proficient at this; it won't affect the innocent. Forget about doing this on your end, though. You, as a Red Dragon, wouldn't handle it well."

"I'll be damned…" Faced with such an eccentric old man, David momentarily didn't know what to say. Someone like him on Blue Star would undoubtedly be branded a 'racist'. What, Drow lives don't matter, is that it? As long as it doesn't affect non-evil beings, it's not considered implicating innocents, right?

At the same time, David finally understood that what his father meant by sending that Dragonkin to the Lower Planes was quite literal. He had originally assumed that, for his son's sake, Attilicia was planning to arrange a 'final rest package' for the prayer. If that were true, his Silver Dragon father's entire persona would have crumbled!

Sure enough, he heard Attilicia say, "But, my son, David Uthos, these are ultimately just delaying tactics. The War God will find you eventually. Explanations... I'm afraid they won't suffice. You must prepare for the worst."

Before David could ask, Attilicia inquired earnestly, "Barto Hell or the Abyssal Depths, which one do you choose?"

"I…" David knew exactly what his old man was implying. This was his old man's contingency plan: if things went south, he was prepared to 'send his son to the Lower Planes' too... Because most deities, including the War God, resided on the Higher Planes. As long as one escaped to the Lower Planes—particularly to Barto Hell with its myriad lords or the Abyssal Depths—one could find refuge.