"Have the years treated you well?"
As soon as this thoughtless question slipped out, David inwardly cringed, knowing it was a blunder. Sure enough, as he pulled his head back, he saw Tania's eyes brimming with tears.
"Not well at all..."
David figured as much. As a Silver Dragon, Tania was still in her juvenile years and most in need of family care. Yet, both her parents were busy, and David himself had been gone for thirty-two years. Even if she lived comfortably in material terms, her spirit must have endured great turmoil. This was especially true since she had lost her home and was forced to live in the Evil Scale Fortress, surrounded by 'low-quality' Chromatic Dragons, surely leading to frequent fights.
Before Tania could even start complaining, the Black Dragon who had approached earlier looked at David with the eyes of someone sizing up a rival and asked, "Miss Tania, who might this be?"
But this is the Evil Scale Fortress, and my father is... Wait a minute! A young Red Dragon? David Uthos? The son of the mighty Goddess Pafila? The same dragon that once burrowed through the battlefield of the Blood War? By Tiamat above!
The Black Dragon immediately turned into a big scaredy-cat and, without a word, turned tail and fled.
David scoffed, "Such filth dares to charge a hundred pounds a month? I could throw a bottle of Dragon Blood out there, summon a bunch of Kobolds, collar them, and they'd be more useful than him."
A hundred pounds! He could trade with the Dragon Mothers for a nest of Hatchlings to adopt! Bear in mind, the average hoard of a common adult dragon in Elariya is only around two to five thousand pounds. Wouldn't he be making thousands of pounds a year at that rate? He must be insane to charge that!
And in David's view, it was simply the truth. Kobolds blessed by the Dragon Blood ceremony were not only more loyal than other races but also had combat capabilities comparable to human City Guards. With a bit of training, they would become competent sentinels.
The Black Dragon, who had just slunk into the crowd of dragons, suddenly felt as if a dragon in heat had anally violated him. He instinctively wanted to retort, but then he remembered—this was the son of the Crimson Calamity, and they were two bona fide Demigod children!
No way I could outdo them in a father-comparison contest! Why on earth would I provoke them if I'm well-fed and have nothing better to do? I'd best just turn a deaf ear.
Yet, Tania patiently explained, "But the situation is different now. Ever since the Dragon Queen's main strategic goal in the Divine War was achieved, initiating the Planar Wars and opening the treasury, the value of free dragons has skyrocketed with wealth plundered from hundreds of planes. Besides, I'm trying to reclaim our homeland for you, my brother."
The Dragon Nest holds an extraordinary significance for a dragon, and the Katjana Mountain Ranges, in particular, carried all their childhood memories. If there was any possibility, it had to be taken back from the Elves.
David recalled the outrageous prices dragons were quoting along his journey—prices he had initially thought were for a year's service. But then he realized... they were actually per month!
The world has truly gone mad...
He then somberly remarked, "Given our current economic conditions, wouldn't we be unable to recruit even a single dragon?"
He knew his dragon father had spent thirty-two years in Toriel developing and arranging the transport of the materials for The Slaying King Star for him.
Tania blinked, stunning him with her response, "But I've already recruited quite a few giant dragons. Even now, there are thirteen dragons willing to fight for me." She pointed with the tip of her tail towards the castle wall not far behind.
"Ah?" David was utterly baffled.
Instinctively following Tania's tail, he indeed saw a dozen variously colored giant dragons who seemed to have been eavesdropping on their sibling conversation. As David's gaze fell upon them, they all struck a modest and reserved 'big brother' pose, readying themselves for inspection and approval from the 'big brother-in-law'.
There was an aging White Dragon whose eyes still shone with an innocence untainted by knowledge.
There was also a young Blue Dragon Tania must have somehow coaxed into joining, apparently unafraid of complaints from other Blue Dragon parents.
Then there was a skeletally thin adolescent Black Dragon, and the one that seemed relatively normal was an adult Green Dragon that, in David's opinion, looked like it was up to no good.
What a band of old, weak, sick, and disabled... Some dragon guard this is! Damn it, a bunch of shameless, ass-kissing dragons!
Not wanting to embarrass his sister Tania, David barely managed to swallow those words, asking instead, "So then... how many victories has this group of giant dragon warriors achieved for us in my absence?"
Tania and the band of giant mercenary dragons awkwardly shifted their gaze away. Tania, somewhat sheepishly, admitted, "Actually, we've managed to retake Katjana Volcano several times, but we just couldn't hold it. Those High Elves are very experienced in dealing with us dragons. They don't engage us with their main army. Instead, they disperse into small units armed with numerous dragon-slaying weapons to wage prolonged hit-and-run combat against us..."