Ashen Dragon-Chapter 394 - 317 Persuasion

Chapter 394: Chapter 317 Persuasion

Immediately, the hall fell into silence.

Naven, though his head was bowed, had a face full of confidence.

Giant dragons, regardless of their uniqueness, were fundamentally greedy; it was an unchanging trait of their nature.

And he believed—there was no dragon that could resist the offer made by the Kingdom of Cassandra: millions of square kilometers of territory and piles of gold coins, a temptation that could drive any human ruler mad, let alone a greedy dragon.

So he just waited quietly, waiting for the “Crimson Emperor” before him to agree, waiting to bring the good news of strong support back to His Majesty.

Sure enough, Cassius’s voice echoed in the empty hall, but that voice made Naven’s expression freeze.

“No.”

“I cannot agree to your request; thank His Majesty Audis for his kind intentions on my behalf.”

Naven stepped forward, speaking urgently: “Your Majesty, why?”

“This is a great opportunity! By cooperating with our Kingdom of Cassandra, you won’t just gain millions of gold coins; your empire would also gain innumerable benefits, and you could even expand your territory to the South…”

“I have said, I have always been a ruler who loves peace and prioritizes his people.”

Cassius wore an enigmatic smile as he slowly explained:

“My country has just recovered from war; my people have only just been liberated from the oppression of the Northern nobility. For the Empire right now, the most important task is to rest and recuperate, not to wage wars everywhere.”

“Go back and tell your His Majesty Audis, convey my blessing; I hope he can soon regain his homeland and restore the glory of the Holy Fadlan.”

“As for me… I am merely a ruler who desires peaceful development.”

Impossible?

Naven’s pupils constricted sharply, his face full of disbelief.

He simply could not imagine that a greedy red dragon would abandon interests within its grasp.

Could it be that Naven had incredibly good fortune, encountering a dragon diligent in governance and prioritizing its people?

What a joke!

Who would have thought that these words could describe a red dragon?

He would sooner believe the sun would rise from the west at His Majesty Amanata’s leisure than that a red dragon would abandon easy gains—especially for the absurd reason of “prioritizing its people”!

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Maybe… the offer was just not enough.

They needed to add more money.

Thinking this, Naven gritted his teeth and said resolutely: “As long as you take action, His Majesty Audis is willing to donate another five million gold coins to the Empire and share a vast amount of magical knowledge!”

Indeed, the red dragon seemed to waver.

“I see the sincerity of His Majesty Audis; worthy of being the eldest son.”

Naven’s face immediately lit up with joy.

This was a necessary expense.

Five million gold coins still lay within the expected costs, making a successful report back to His Majesty barely acceptable.

But then Cassius’s tone paused.

“However… this concerns the livelihood of the imperial people and requires careful consideration.”

“But Your Majesty…”

Naven tried to persuade again.

However, Cassius’s expression turned cold, interrupting him: “That’s enough; do not test my patience, and do not try to guide my decisions.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then we shall take our leave for now, not to disturb your rest. May Amanata protect you.”

Naven replied begrudgingly, bowing.

“Is it possible…”

“Could this red dragon really care so much about his people?”

Naven sighed helplessly, thinking this to himself.

Yet he did not know that his prior guess was indeed correct.

It was just that Naven had grossly underestimated the red dragon’s greed.

Cassius did not entirely dismiss the Thrace Kingdom, but he had even greater greed.

He coveted not merely the millions of gold coins, nor just two-thirds of the Thrace Kingdom.

He aimed for the entire Empire of Fadlan, even the whole Fianso continent, and possibly the entire Airezegai world.

Allowing the Kingdom of Cassandra to gain an advantage in the War of the Three Emperors did not align with his plans, nor did it match his ambition to annex the entire Empire of Fadlan.

Soon, under the escort and supervision of Tiefling soldiers, the diplomatic mission from the Kingdom of Cassandra left in a hurry.

They came with boxes of financial offers, but left empty-handed and full of disappointment.

Within the royal palace, Cassius did not rest but instead smiled broadly.

“The people of Cassandra have left.”

“Come in… guests from the Thrace Kingdom.”

Thrace Kingdom’s secret envoy, Dayev Marshall, nervously entered the palace’s inner chamber under the ogre’s watch.

It turned out that just as the Cassandra Kingdom’s emissaries arrived, he followed soon after to the palace gates but was invited to wait in the side hall.

At this moment, his expression was particularly grim.

And just moments ago, he overheard the Cassandra Kingdom’s attempt to ally with the Ashen Empire to invade the Thrace Kingdom, which would spell geopolitical disaster for Thrace.

Moreover, the Cassandra Empire had offered extremely tempting conditions that made Dayev tremble with anxiety.

Fortunately, this emperor had not agreed.

But Dayev did not let his guard down; he certainly did not believe the “prioritizing his people” rhetoric.

This “Crimson Emperor” rejecting the offer could only mean one thing—the Ashen Empire wished to gain some form of profit from the Thrace Kingdom.

Under the shadow of the dragon, Dayev trembled, raising his head to see the endless greed in those deep, pale golden eyes.