Chapter 152: The Operation Begins
One month later, in Strafburg.
Charlotte stepped forward to report: "Lord Shroud, my subordinates have memorized the seventeenth part of the array. The foundational structure of Wagner's Dragon-Binding Array is complete."
"Good, very good."
Shroud couldn't hide his joy, already envisioning the success of the operation.
"Soon, I'll kill that Red Dragon, become the hero of the Northern Lands, and even reclaim the Lackman Duchy for myself."
Shroud had no idea where the supposed gold dragon had found so many spellcasters. Although their spellcasting abilities were generally low, their speed in learning and comprehension far exceeded ordinary people.
—He was unaware that players could consume experience points to learn spells. Charlotte, pained by the cost, simply let him assume it was a unique talent of the gold dragon's followers.
Charlotte flashed a sycophantic smile: "Lord Shroud, about the promised spell scrolls and gold coins..."
Shroud's face darkened, but recognizing the importance of these mages to the plan, he impatiently waved his hand. "Of course, go find Temar for them."
Charlotte beamed. "Thank you, Lord Shroud."
"Flying Witch, fetch 200 gold coins and a third-tier spell scroll from Lord Temar."
"On it, boss!"
The Flying Witch bounced off towards the chamber's vault to claim the reward.
Charlotte had initially thought this double-agent mission would require extensive scheming and flattery. To his surprise, it turned out they could simply swindle spell scrolls and gold from the Northern Kingdom instead.
Now, they didn't even want to leave; some were even considering making the Avenger's Chamber the new headquarters for [Magical Coin].
Suddenly, a fiery portal opened.
A black-haired, golden-eyed noble youth stepped through—it was none other than Cassius in disguise.
"Lord Grey Hawk, the appointed day has arrived. Are you ready?"
Shroud hurried forward to greet him respectfully. "Your subordinates have been quick learners. I believe we're well-prepared. However, Lord Ember, I must ask for a moment. I've also summoned a group of righteous spellcasters from across the kingdom to join us in this operation."
"Rest assured, they are absolutely loyal."
"They will be the central controllers of the array."
Shroud crushed a crystal used for communication spells.
As space rippled, twelve gray-robed mages appeared one after another in the chamber.
Cassius's eyes scanned them one by one, noting that four of them were seventh-level mages—a significant force in Anzeta, a land so sparse in magic. Clearly, Shroud didn't fully trust the "gold dragon," keeping key parts of the Wagner's Dragon-Binding Array in the hands of his own people.
But this suited Cassius perfectly.
"Gathering them all in one place will save me the trouble of hunting them down. How convenient."
Cassius mused, a playful glint in his golden eyes.
Maintaining a composed expression, Cassius gave a slight nod. "Court mages of the Northern Kingdoms? Now that's more like it."
"Greetings, Lord Ember."
The twelve gray-robed mages respectfully bowed. Gold dragons were honored creatures in any region of Erezaghe, welcomed even by the emperor of the southern Faderland, let alone in the remote lands of Anzeta.
The twenty players from the [Magical Coin] guild also gathered around.
At this moment, the narrow chamber was filled with over forty spellcasters. In Anzeta, this was an unprecedented force—even during Lackman's peak, no duchy had so many court spellcasters at its disposal.
They had gathered here for a single purpose—dragon-slaying.
Of course, most were spies for the Ember Kingdom, with Cassius himself present, making the infiltrators outnumber the actual conspirators.
Cassius surveyed the room, speaking passionately: "Everyone, the situation is dire. The Northern Kingdoms are on the brink of collapse. I will waste no words."
"The success or failure of slaying the Red Dragon depends on this moment!"
"I believe the dragon's tyranny is nearing its end. Justice and order will prevail in the Northern Lands!"
"Clap, clap, clap..."
The spellcasters stood up, applauding as if the victory were already assured.
Charlotte, watching Cassius's completely genuine expression, clapped along while messaging the guild chat: "Respect. This faction leader's acting is on another level—better than us."
"These mages are so pitiful."
"Haha, everyone here except Shroud is a spy."
As Cassius's brief speech concluded, Shroud approached him nervously. "Lord Ember, can you truly provide a completely secure location near Northwind Fortress for us to cast the spell?"
Doubts lingered in his mind.
Northwind Fortress was now the heart of the Ember Kingdom, heavily guarded. A single misstep could mean total annihilation.
Cassius glanced at him, a trace of contempt flashing in his golden eyes. "What, human? Do you doubt the abilities of a dragon?"
An intangible pressure radiated from him.
Shroud became more convinced this was a genuine gold dragon. Such innate arrogance couldn't be faked.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he hurriedly replied, "No, Lord Ember, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to confirm. If you can secure a safe location near Northwind Fortress, that would be ideal."
Continuing, he added:
"To be honest, I've also contacted the Bosk and Nort Duchies. The dukes have dispatched the Lionheart Knights and Twin-Headed Eagle Warriors to stand guard near Northwind Fortress. Once the dragon is slain, they'll immediately assist in our retreat."
"After the dragon's death, its remaining forces will be no match for the most elite armies of the nearby duchies. They'll swiftly eliminate any of its followers."
"At that point, the order of the Northern Lands will return to peace and stability."
Cassius's eyes lit up. "Excellent. You've done well."
"Rest assured, with this coalition of forces, we'll undoubtedly slay that dragon!"
Shroud assumed Cassius was thrilled by the addition of strong allies, but in truth, Cassius was delighted at the opportunity to wipe out even more of his enemies' top-tier forces in one fell swoop.
Shroud could never have imagined that the "gold dragon" before him was actually the target of their plan—the most feared Red Dragon, the Ember King, and the Hellish calamity.
"Hurry up and start your 'dragon-slaying' operation. I've been... waiting eagerly."