The SSS Legendary Dragon Chose Me On Rebirth

Vacuse blinked as if he was surprised at that, but he just smiled and shrugged. "What is the Vorrakyn that was known, uncle? I do know it's something you're not capable of recreating."

Rhydian stiffened and aura pressure reached out. "What do you mean?"

Vacuse smiled cheerfully. "Ah! Look at it this way, the Vorrakyn of the past, especially those who occupied the position of the Dragon Lord or the High Commander, would be at least S ranked."

Shock made Rhydian's face turn rigid as if he'd suddenly become a wooden statue. "Are... are you saying I'm not qualified?"

Vacuse chuckled. "How could I say something like that? It's just how things were done in the past."

Lord Ragna snorted, and the tension in the air only grew.

It seemed only Vacuse remained cheerful. "It was said that the only reason the Dragon did not spread its wings to the West and trample on the Orcs is because he simply saw no need."

Vacuse turned to face the stunned Ragna. "This place was a massive training ground where we sent out students to test themselves against the barbaric Orc."

"That was in the past," Ragna hissed, and his eyes flashed with hostility.

Vacuse laughed out loud. "If the Orcs really deserved this place, and had the power to take it, then they would have. Don't forget, the Orcs have all the other Clans behind them.

"And the might of the Empire stands with us!"

The silence that followed was filled with surprise and disappointment mixed with heavy dissatisfaction. None of them, from Rhydian to Ragna, felt satisfied by what Vacuse said, and they looked at him with irritation.

But Vacuse didn't care. He had already diffused the situation, and he wouldn't let any fool-headed person stand in the way of his plans.

He rubbed his hands. "I hope you have food prepared for us, Uncle?"

Rhydian's face was like ice, but he turned around and snapped his fingers. His soldiers dismounted and began to help those who were wounded.

Captain Mera saluted him and joined them in coordinating the Dragon Guards, while Ragna, with a final hard look at Vacuse, rushed to tend to his own people.

Vacuse stood there in the darkening sky, and his face turned hard and solemn. '...it seems I have underestimated things a lot... the Orcs hate our guts, and some of the humans share the same feelings...'

Vacuse himself didn't care. The Orcs never did him anything in particular. They were just another force that could be either enemy or friend depending on the situation.

The only thing that Vacuse could think of was how to use them.

But as he stood there, his plans began to change. '...the Orcs... are a threat... and we must absorb them into the Empire... they must join their strength and bend the knees to the Vorrakyn!...'

He put it in the back of his mind.

It was something he would have to do.

"Our uncle isn't the best around here, eh?" a playful voice said beside him, and Kagerou appeared beside him.

Vacuse looked at him. "You're not dead."

Kagerou laughed. "Immediately I saw that thread guy, I was already running, disappearing with my technique. I thought you were done for this time."

Vacuse smiled dryly. "I'm glad our uncle was so close by to help...."

Suddenly, Vacuse froze, and his eyes narrowed. "Wait, why did he attack us so close to the Standpoint fortress? This close, it's not unexpected that the High Commander would know what was happening and rush over.

"They could have attacked us farther away, where such risk wouldn't happen. Right?"

Harkon stared at him blankly, while Kagerou's eyes were already narrowed. He turned towards the Standpoint fortress, and his eyes narrowed, fragments of light and air bent around him. "Well, nothing is happening to the fortress. I don't think it was a distraction."

But Vacuse couldn't leave behind the dissatisfaction in his mind. Something wasn't right because Serenthar had behaved very illogically by attacking them so close to the fortress.

There was nothing he could do though, as they got ready. Instead, he turned to Kagerou. "You can weave illusion, right?"

Kagerou narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "How do you know?"

☆☆▪︎▪︎☆☆

This time, Vacuse mounted a warhorse and was surrounded by both the Dragon Guards with the new Dawn and the High Commander's men.

Even if Rhydian was gloomy and grumpy, he knew that the Dragon heir's protection couldn't be joked with, and he took it seriously, if not with joy.

They made quick time as they rushed towards the fortress.

The fortress was a massive thing of stone with a large steel door in the front. Runes flickered on its surface, sending out crushing pressure as they neared it.

And even though it was the High Commander himself who was leading, the guards asked for the password before they allowed them entry into the fortress.

The first half of the soldiers went in, and then the second, before the one that carried the Dragon heir followed suit.

Up ahead, the High Commander's monster horses struck the ground with hooves that sounded like two rocks slamming together.

Rhydian was riding with casual ease when he suddenly stiffened.

His eyes narrowed as he watched something up ahead. It was his Standpoint fortress.

It was still ahead.

And yet, didn't they just pass the gate?

He stiffened immediately.

He turned around, but it was already too late.

The space around them warped and twisted, illusory light curved around them like the waves at sea, and completely covered up the shocked soldiers as well as the Dragon heir.

Rhydian's eyes narrowed. "Seriously?"

Two soldiers that were close to him smiled, their figures shook, and they turned to Vacuse and Kagerou as the illusion wore away.

Kagerou was breathing hard, and his face was covered in sweat. "That was expected, but I thought they would wait till we entered the fortress."

Rhydian grunted. "They must have figured out that it's not easy to breach the fortress. No one has ever breached it. So they waited to set their ambush here."