Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire

As a rational Mage, Selena was not fooled by Noah's sweet talk; she rolled her eyes at Noah with disdain, but her face showed a slight smile, urging Noah to describe his major venture.

"It all starts with helping my father and mother..."

Noah began recounting his recent interplanar journey, briefly mentioning the vassal slave country he established in the different plane, the assistance he provided to a human king in rising to power, and focused on his interactions with the Demigod Beastman and the High Priest.

"I see, but earning enough to build a Floating City is not that simple."

Having understood the cause and effect, Selena revealed a contemplative expression.

"But it's not hard either; the Beastmen's momentum on the Helan Continent has formed. Once they achieve the full conquest of the continent, the martial spirit will inevitably decline as the culture of extravagance and enjoyment flourishes. That will be the best time for us to promote cross-plane trade."

"Even now, they might be interested in weaponry, siege machinery, and such."

As a former Great Matriarch of the family, Selena was not unfamiliar with commercial trade and quickly made a decision,

"Give me the plane coordinates; I want to go inspect. If it's suitable, I can host the setup of this trade route."

"Alright."

Noah handed the coordinates to his foster mother, and then this Legendary Mage displayed a masterful teleportation magic for him.

"A Mage who can freely travel to Hell indeed!"

Noah sought out his adoptive mother primarily for this reason; Selena possessed space transmission technology from Hell.

This was extremely important, with significance equal to his foster mother's personal background. Because in commercial trade, the most important cost is transportation, and in interplanar trade, the most critical is teleportation cost.

As everyone knows, both the Abyss and Hell possess the most cost-effective teleportation technology, capable of deploying legions en masse under suitable conditions.

Reducing teleportation costs means increasing profits, so partnering with his foster mother was absolutely a wise move.

While Noah was self-satisfied with his decision, the Goltai Territory in the central-western region of the Alviss Continent welcomed three distinguished visitors.

"Are you Terramus?"

After a gap of over ten years, even though the dragon in front of him had a physique and aura entirely different from the hatchling that once coiled in slumber, Iliad recognized his brother at a glance.

The bond of blood does not diminish over time; siblings identified each other at first sight.

"Brother!"

Having experienced the warmth familial love brings, Terramus naturally and effortlessly called out the correct address, with a few traces of youthful innocence in his voice, as he was still a hatchling who had not grown up.

"Brother, why have you come, and where is father? Who are they?"

Iliad was both surprised and delighted, then looked with puzzled eyes at the young and beautiful couple beside his brother, the familiarity from their shared bloodline offered a few hints in his heart.

"This is Grandfather and Grandmother."

Terramus did not play coy but introduced the two elders who accompanied him to his elder brother.

"Grandfather! Grandmother!"

Even though a generation apart, the meeting and interaction between the two elders and the two young ones were very harmonious, as the Golden Dragons innately had such a familial atmosphere, even with one of them being a mixed blood with impure lineage.

"I originally thought your brother was living quite a hard life, but I did not expect that you, as the elder brother, carry such a heavy burden."

Even if he cast a spell to disguise his appearance, the fatigue and weariness emanating from the depths of Iliad's soul were hard to conceal.

Looking at this Changsun who governs a nation, holding great power but bearing immense responsibility, Angelis and Orsya both felt deeply sympathetic.

This Changsun's way of managing the country is entirely different from his father's methods. Noah likes to distribute power to favored ones and servants, then conducts regular evaluations or random inspections, killing, penalizing, or dismissing those found unsuitable, while further promoting those who meet the standards.

This governance style appears relaxed for Noah, who seems idle yet manages to govern the territory with great prosperity.

Iliad, in stark contrast to his father, personally attends to every detail, holding the most significant power of the nation firmly in his grasp.

Although he appointed many ministers and governors, these subjects could only share a part of his pressure and sometimes even diverted his attention.

Of course, the most crucial difference is that when Noah took over, the territory was peaceful, orderly, and on a stable, flourishing upward trajectory.

However, what Iliad obtained was a land in chaos after a year of turmoil, needing nearly seven years to merely rebuild order and stabilize chaos, and the development following the establishment of order further plagued this Holy Dragon's Son.

Because he faced exclusion from surrounding nations, this exclusion and hostility weren't blatant but shrouded in darkness, without any evidence even if he wanted to pursue the matter.

Iliad very clearly understood the reasons behind it all, stemming naturally from the time when his father's dominant arrival declared him the king of these lands, allowing him to conquer anything he saw fit. Naturally, this filled nearby nations with legendary deterrents with extreme dissatisfaction or, more precisely, unease.

Moreover, within his country, with many Paladins appointed as high officials, it further disgusted neighboring nobles.

Thus, amidst this covert joint resistance from neighbors, the state led by Iliad struggled, exacerbating the fatigue of this Holy Dragon's Son.

"This is not a burden; it's a responsibility I should bear!"

In response to the concern from his elders, Iliad appeared notably resolute.

Angelis and Orsya exchanged glances and had to quell their original intentions.

They initially planned to relieve the Changsun of his burdens, to travel with the brothers, avoiding the hardship not meant for those of their age.

However, evidently, this Changsun entrusted with a nation's responsibility couldn't easily depart, especially since this grandson had no intention of leaving, despite the exhaustive efforts governing demanded, he embraced it willingly.

"Brother, I can help you!"

Terramus, upon roughly understanding the predicament his brother faced, volunteered eagerly.

Feeling that what he learned through his trials in the Great Graveyard now had its battlefield.

"Thank you, my brother."

Iliad did not refuse his brother's goodwill, and when his grandparents also decided to stay and announced their intention to help, he neither declined nor deferred, as he truly needed aid at this time.

Not only because his father, aside from a nominal title, gave him no assistance, but also crucially, his mother, arriving after his father, refused to grant him any support due to his obstinance.

His mother, who initially intended to take him to Heaven, was firmly rejected by him, insisting on becoming the King of the Goltai Region.

Consequently, he angered his mother, losing the support a Great Angel Leader could offer, leaving him to struggle tirelessly alone.

Now, finally receiving aid from blood relatives, at this moment, Iliad even felt a few tears welling up within.

However, this young King soon regretted his decision because perspectives between individuals differ, and the disparity between dragons and humans is even greater.

Worse still, he found it challenging to make a choice, as one side represented his Paladin mentor, while the other embodied his blood relatives.

When conflicts arose between the two factions, as a King, Iliad was supposed to promptly make decisions, yet he found it hard to decide in time.

Because each side had people able to emotionally influence his judgments.

"Father, is this also a test for me? But what should I do? Become a cold and heartless monarch?"

Hearing the arguments below, Iliad felt deeply troubled, for each side had valid points—each had a different kind of right, with none truly wrong."