Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire

"Tarlos? Is this the nation you are about to establish?"

Noah gazed down at his offspring. Over the years, he had been observing the actions of these two children, paying attention to every battle they participated in and led.

It wasn't through planting spies among the Dragon-man Army, nor was it through using Word Spirit for espionage, but rather through the causal feedback of the Golden Tree that he learned of his children's progress on the Alviss Continent.

These were his children, and the dragon-men they commanded were his lesser Favored, while the Dragon Lords assisting them were his followers.

Every participant in this war had a varying degree of relation with him, and thus Noah was able, under the roots of the Golden Tree, to understand every war they instigated and receive continuous feedback.

The Blood Origin Fruits hanging on the branches of the Golden Tree were the returns and responses Noah received, as this conquest war was deeply connected to him.

"Yes, Father."

Iliad replied respectfully.

The image of his father in his heart had never changed: powerful, mysterious, solemn, unfathomable, insurmountable. Even now, the more he grew, the more he could feel his father's strength and some incomprehensible properties.

"Have you gained anything from this war?"

Noah watched his eldest son with curiosity, as he realized this eldest son had been a firm anti-war advocate, a peace activist, before the war.

But when swept into war by the Dragon-man Army, he managed to transform into a ruthless butcher.

"I expanded territories, broke..."

"I'm not interested in hearing about that. I mean your personal gains, not the expansion of your territory. I've already learned about that."

"You've learned about it?"

Iliad was startled.

"What? Do you think I would ignore you and your brother?"

"Of course not, I just didn't expect you to be so concerned."

"Of course, I'm not only concerned; I'm very eager to know your views on a war you led."

"Father, I indeed have a different view on war now. Previously, my understanding and perspective on war were too superficial."

"Go on."

"I had tried to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation, peaceful means, but I found no matter what efforts I made, these issues never got truly resolved. Yet, war could solve them, simply and effectively."

Iliad's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light, his gaze like that of a child who had discovered something novel; after the initial attempt, he not only wasn't satisfied but was even more intrigued.

"War is not completely useless, nor is it evil. It's like a storm; it can destroy everything, but it also brings rebirth.

The greedy Nobles, corrupt bureaucrats, imbalanced wealth, barren resources... these problems are difficult maladies to solve with peaceful means, but war can easily dissect and resolve them."

"Interesting, you've tasted the sweetness that war brings. Do you think you can restrain yourself?"

Noah asked with keen interest.

"Father, I haven't changed because of this war. I still believe peace is precious. Although war is not evil, we must use it with caution.

However, if the only road to peace is war, I will never back down again. I will use it to destroy all old Order and build a brand new one atop it."

"Cautious use of war tactics? Well said, but do you think you can do it?"

Noah's gaze passed over his offspring and landed outside the palace gates, into Illixim City, where everything in the city was reflected in this Ancestral Golden Dragon's brilliant golden eyes.

He had already noticed the change in his people's mindset. Over the past hundred-plus years, these people, whose bloodlines had been optimized generation after generation, hadn't realized their disparity with the outside world. They enjoyed a harmonious and beautiful life in the Order established by Noah and had little longing or pursuit for the outside world.

The little desire was due to past perceptions binding them and also because of the strict standards Noah set when forming the army, which suppressed many thoughts of the Dragon-men.

The various harsh standards Noah established for forming the army, and round after round of selection truly impacted the self-esteem of many Dragon-men, leaving them with little ambition to calmly live in Elisium City.

Though some Dragon-men ventured out, discovering their strength and excellence, this remained a minority, hardly a fraction of the vast population of Dragon-men in Illixim City.

But now, it's different. The Dragon-men's cognitive barrier had been shattered with this cross-sea aid war for the Holy Dragon Descendant, and obstacles were broken.

Not just those families of Dragon-men in Elisium City awaiting news; those who desired glory, to change fate, and to live differently, never expected they could gain so much through war.

Iliad's clear rewards and punishments overwhelmed the Dragon-men, who didn't have enough self-awareness or high expectations for themselves. So when Iliad rewarded them according to the standards for ordinary Human Race, the Dragon-men instantly plunged into a frenzied state.