Chapter 674 The Dragons' Camp
At the heart of the blighted lands within the Elf Continent, near the Northern Shore that had now been completely desecrated—taken over by the strangers from another land—there was a meeting being held.
It took place within a tent, one of the many that stood erect in the barren land.
Unlike the others, however, this had a certain grandeur to it. This place was clearly the heart of their operations, and the arena where only the most elite of contributors could be gathered in.
The Grand Tent.
Its interior was several times more impressive than how it was represented from the outside. Perhaps this was due to its plentiful furniture and ample designs, despite it being nothing but a tent within a battle camp.
Even with the tension within the place, an air of regality still remained there.
Perhaps due to the exclusivity associated with the gathering that was currently taking place there, or the caliber of people present, the tent had a nigh flavorful vibe.
There was a massive and long table located at the center of the room, with three figures seated at the head of the table.
They were dressed in blue, purple, and ash respectively; though it was inevitable that they would have intricate designs on their attire. Regardless of color, these three were clearly the ones in charge of the meeting.
They were the only Generals present, after all.
The others who sat at both the left and right sides of the table were Dragon Commanders—all elite in their own right. They numbered a total of five on each end, making a total of ten Commanders.
Then, at the foot of the table was a certain young man.
He did not resemble a Dragon, as he had no horns or tail. His features were very human-like; though that was not the only odd thing about him.
The young man had an oddly twisted smile as he sat among the Dragons, his glassy eyes taking in what they were saying while maintaining proper silence. He also appeared quite young—about sixteen or seventeen years of age.
—Barely an adult human in this world.
Still, there was none within the room that treated him with scorn or disrespect. They wouldn't dare.
Why?
Because they all recognized his value. Discrimination against him would not only be unnecessary on their part, but also foolish.
"The days of those pointy eared idiots are numbered. They're being pushed back at an extremely rapid rate now." One of the Commanders, the one giving the report, said with a rather prideful tone.
Everyone who listened cracked a smile or a scoff at the subjects of the discussion. They all seemed incredibly pleased by what they were hearing.
"We estimate the conquest's progress will be brought right on schedule very soon. Within this week, in the latest, we would have completely taken over their camp."
They all chuckled at the news.
All thirteen Dragons belonged to the same group—one of the Elite Dragon Squads in the Empire.
In fact, they were hailed as the second best in the whole of the Empire.
That was, in part, the reason they chose this mission despite its intricacy and difficulty. If they succeeded, there would be no doubt about their placement in the Empire.
No one would dispute the fact that they belonged to the top spot.
"Congratulations! I'm very happy for you." The voice of the young man who sat at the foot of the table echoed within the tent, causing all its inhabitants to instantly look in his direction.
Since he was the furthest from them, their intimidating gaze focused on him at once.
Anyone would find it scary.
Not him, though.
"With this, you'll take the first step in cleansing the world of the Elves and finally taking over their resources. It will be a great victory for the Empire."
His response was filled with composure, and his attitude towards the Dragons—obvious predators of humanity—was all too natural.
Either he was a great actor, or he truly had no fear of them.
"Hahaha! Thank you, Adrien. We couldn't have done this all without you."
"Indeed! You truly made this easier for us."
"You've done a commendable job thus far. We owe you greatly."
The three Dragon Generals all echoed words of praises to Adrien, who simply accepted them with the utmost humility.
What else was he to do, really?
'I only saved them from making a fool of themselves and completely ruining any chance they had of ever ascending the ranks…' Adrien Chase smiled internally as he bowed his head in response to their very underwhelming words.
It was obvious that they were underselling his role in the current conquest, but what did he care? 'Their pride won't let them say it as it is.' His grin widened even more. 'But we all know that they owe me everything.'
Just months ago, the Dragons were in trouble due to the Elves upping their game and somehow getting their hands on the Enchanted Items. Having tools really revolutionized combat for the Elves, who had barely any combat prowess before then.
It was clear that the Dragons were desperate, and the Generals began contemplating attacking the Elves personally as a last resort—which basically meant they were pushed to their limits.
Their pride wouldn't have that at all.
'I initially came to this land to see if I could benefit from the Elves by offering more Items and slowly taking over their community, but…' Adrien closely looked at the Dragons before him with a sly gaze.
'I later realized these ones would be more useful.'
He was able to learn a lot in the time he spent here, even before approaching the Dragons with a deal. The advantages they offered him, especially in the long run, far outweighed his prospects with the Elves.
'It helped matters that they were failing to meet up with their conquest quota. There was even supposed to be an Excursion from their Academy, but due to how unstable things were at the time, they had to use every excuse in the book to postpone.'
The fact that they were forced to delay the request made by a Dragon Lord showed just how precarious the whole thing was at the time.
Adrien knew all of this by infiltrating the Camp and learning more about the Dragons and their dealings. He initially did this to possess sufficient information in order to further assist the Elves, but after learning all he learned—including something highly irresistible—he had to change his mind.
'In the end, I had to approach them with an offer they could not resist.'
By using his Necromancy on the Dragon Corpses, while also presenting the other Monsters he had in his stockpile, he was able to convince the Dragons of his power. He even offered them a demonstration, revealing just how merciless he could be.
He did everything he could to convince them, until they finally took the bait.
'And here we are now…'
This was his first time ever in such a meeting among the upper echelon. He would usually be called for an audience with one of the Generals, who would then tell him his task.
They rarely allowed him to give any counsel, or suggestions, or anything of the sort.
But, slowly… he worked his way to the point he was currently at.
He earned it!
'It's just as the Commander said. The camp should be completely taken over by the end of the week at the latest. Once we've taken down the last bastion of resistance from their end, things will be relatively easier going forward.'
Adrien was relieved about this, since he could finally take a break from all the work and focus on something else he had been putting off for a while.
'The Dungeon here… I'll finally have the time to harvest more Monsters to add to my collection. The Minerals there should also be very pure—probably comparable to what the Dragons have in the Northern Continent.'
Based on the climate and Mana density that the Land of the Elves had, Adrien considered it a very big possibility. 'Once I get some time off, I'll hurry and take care of it.'
With all of those thoughts flowing through his mind, he still didn't forget to address a rather pertinent matter to him.
"I am glad to be of service to the Empire's Conquest. On that note, I would also like to remind you of the deal we made. My reward… for the services that I have rendered."
His voice was soft and low, but there was a certain power that warbled deep within his tone.
"We understand, Adrien."
"An audience with a Lord, right? Of course… that will definitely be arranged."
"You will have what you seek."
Upon hearing this, Adrien's smile broadened—almost resembling that of an excited child—and he bowed his head once more.
"That is all I ask. Thank you very much!"