Chapter 53: Victory and Ambush (1)

“A dragon! It’s a dragon!…”
“Good heavens! I’m not dreaming, am I?”
…
Seeing the flying creature that suddenly appeared in the sky—its scales like red gems glowing vividly in the sunlight, a length of five meters from head to tail, a ferocious head, and demonic wings—many people on the fortress exclaimed in shock.
Even the mysterious cloaked figure who had been sitting quietly beside the young general raised his head abruptly upon seeing the dragon, revealing the face beneath his hood. It was a beautiful woman in her thirties. If not for her mature and composed demeanor, some might have believed she was under thirty.
After a while, the cloaked figure lowered his head again and said regretfully, “It’s a shame it’s just a summoned creature. Otherwise, the blood and materials of a giant dragon would be treasures even legendary warriors would fight to obtain!”
Ferdinand murmured in confusion, “How so, Mother? You’re already a high-ranking mage at the mid-silver level. Can’t you even subdue a young dragon? Then let this young mage hand over the dragon for your research!”
If it hadn’t been spoken by the commander himself, no one would have believed that this mysterious person was the high-ranking mage rumored to reside in Marquis Ansel’s domain. Moreover, this silver mage turned out to be the current marquis’s wife, the kingdom’s crown princess. Fortunately, only three people, including Prince Duri, were in the command seat, and they were protected by loyal guards, keeping them at a distance from the crowd below, so no one heard their conversation. Otherwise, one could imagine the uproar if outsiders learned of this news!
“You don’t understand! Of course, we can ask this young mage to give up the young dragon, but summoned creatures are different from real ones. What’s summoned to our world is merely a projection of their true form. Their actual bodies are still on the other side of the vast continent, or even in unknown parallel dimensions. Even if they die right before our eyes, it only results in a loss of some of their strength—no life is threatened, and certainly no corpse remains.”
“Unless it’s a legendary creature of gold-tier strength or one with divine bloodline, the physical materials we obtain from them are utterly useless. But such beings are far beyond our mortals’ reach. And what this young mage summoned is clearly just an ordinary young red dragon. Aside from its decent combat capabilities, it has no research value at all!”

Prince Duri was also moved by Edwina’s explanation and exclaimed, “What a miraculous ability! Are all mages this powerful?”
“There’s no need to doubt the strength of warriors. Mages’ power lies not in battle but in our creativity. This is also the fundamental reason why, despite their individual combat strength, warriors are weaker than spellcasters when it comes to mastering higher laws. If a warrior reaches the level of Ferdinand’s father, they can largely ignore low-level spells below grade four and have strong resistance to some powerful spells. Once they break through to the Golden rank and become legendary figures, warriors are no less formidable in battle than mages of the same rank. Vincent is the youngest among the Sword Saints at present, but his strength is only average. Ordinary Archmages would hardly be his match, and the Sword Saint heritage of the Ansel family can help him quickly grasp the application of laws. All that’s lacking is the accumulation of strength. If he can gain strength quickly with external help and reach the peak of the Golden rank, it’s very likely he’ll break through to that miraculous and powerful state within ten years. That’s why I’m so eager to collect rare materials—hoping to create potions that can help him.”
Hearing this, Duri was delighted. “Has uncle’s strength increased again? It seems I need to work harder too! Otherwise, I might never be able to keep up with him!”
“You don’t need to underestimate yourself. Although our Selt family isn’t made up of powerful mages nor possesses a Sword Saint heritage, the secret arts passed down through the royal family were once among the most powerful among the ancient families of the Banai Empire. If you can reach the Silver rank, even against a Golden-rank warrior, you can hold your own. Once you reach the Golden rank, you can easily grasp the lower laws, making you invincible beyond the realm of legends!”
Hearing his mother’s words, Ferdinand looked at his cousin with envy. The secret arts passed down through the Selt royal family were ancient traditions that allowed professionals below the Golden rank to wield the power of laws, with unimaginable strength. Yet his own strength was already outstanding among the younger generation, and he also had a powerful Sword Saint heritage, so he was only slightly envious.
After all, mastering powerful secret arts always comes at a cost. The cost of the Selt family’s secret arts was the burning of vitality to gain great strength. Otherwise, why is the current king only fifty years old yet in declining health? It’s said to be the aftermath of using powerful secret arts in his youth.

In that case, it’s not as good as the swordsmanship traditions of one’s own family, where strength grows steadily through training, progress accelerates as one advances, and physical endurance and lifespan increase exponentially with improved cultivation levels.
“It’s a pity that dragon blood is so hard to find, and even the power of dragons is beyond what our Kingdom of Celt can withstand. Otherwise, if we could create dragon blood potions, your father could advance within three years, and I could quickly reach the rank of Grand Mage. Moreover, dragon blood potions would be most beneficial to you and your brother—not only would they greatly enhance your innate talents, but even your future descendants would inherit some of those powerful traits. That way, our two families would produce many talented individuals for generations, ensuring prosperity for hundreds of years!”
Before the two younger ones could feel disappointed, Edwina continued, “Dragon blood, which appears only once in a hundred years, is naturally hard to obtain. But the moonlight wine sent last time was quite interesting. Leaving its taste aside, its effects are even more miraculous than those of some high-grade potions. Although its efficacy isn’t as strong as that of specialized potions, it has no side effects and can heal internal injuries. It’s more helpful for mages than for warriors. I think those other potions are diluted. If we could find enough concentrated versions, it would greatly assist Vincent’s cultivation and might even help treat my brother, your father, to some extent!”
“Really?” Prince Dury asked in surprise upon hearing this.
Edwina nodded with a smile. The young general also shifted his gaze slightly and said, “I remember the moonlight wine is produced at Mage Merlinna’s estate, right? Mother, rest assured. After the war ends, I’ll definitely find a way to buy more from him! If it can alleviate His Majesty’s illness and buy us a few more years, once Father succeeds in breaking through, the kingdom will have another legendary figure to lead us. Perhaps we’ll even find a way to completely cure His Majesty’s condition!”
As one of the most prominent noble families in the Kingdom of Celt, having guarded the kingdom’s northwest border for centuries, the Ansel family held a status second only to the royal family and naturally had access to moonlight wine.
In fact, they didn’t even need to get involved personally. As long as the Ansel family gave the order, countless merchants and nobles would rush to offer various services.
This was the status and influence of high-ranking nobles.