Chapter 202: Siege of Qiezhuran

The Primordial Legacy Festival had finally begun.

Since morning, Qiezhuran Clan territory had been filled with Dragons who had come from various Clans. They gathered in the area prepared for the festival, while all kinds of decorations and Clan emblems could be seen along the roads.

The atmosphere was very lively.

Dragons who rarely had the chance to meet could now gather and spend time together. Some of them even brought family members, especially the young Dragons who were so excited to see the bustle of the festival.

The opening ceremony was quite grand.

As the leader of the Qiezhuran Clan, Cleenah gave a welcome to all the guests present. The little girl greeted them with her cheerful smile, before finally announcing that the Primordial Legacy Festival was officially under way.

Cheers rose at once from all directions.

After that, the various events that had been prepared began to take place.

One of the most eye-catching was the performance by Dragons showing off their skills in the air. Some Dragons flew at high speed, passing one another while demonstrating their control over their bodies and Mana.

There were also simpler performances, especially for the young Dragons who didn’t yet have very high abilities.

Even so, all of them received a fairly enthusiastic reception.

"Wow! Look at that one!"

"Hahaha! Amazing!"

The voices of the spectators could be heard from many places, especially whenever one of the participants managed a fairly difficult maneuver.

Of course, the festival wasn’t filled only with performances.

There were many places offering food and drink, while some groups of Dragons chose to spend their time chatting with old acquaintances.

The young Dragons had their own activities, too.

Some tried the games on offer, while others were more interested in watching the performers. Now and then laughter could be heard when someone failed at something that actually looked quite easy.

That was how the festival went.

Nothing out of the ordinary truly happened throughout the first day. A few Clan leaders could also be seen enjoying the event with their entourages, while the members of the Qiezhuran were busy making sure all the activities ran smoothly.

Even when the sun began to set, the bustle had not yet ended.

Lamps began to light the festival grounds, while the performances held at night drew the attention of the visitors who were still there.

The Primordial Legacy Festival was not an event that could be enjoyed in only a few hours.

For the Dragons who had come from far away, the chance to gather like this was very precious. That was why most of them were in no hurry to return to their own dwellings.

And as the night grew later, the atmosphere of the festival remained just as pleasant.

On one of the balconies overlooking the festival grounds, Mercer Cravel stood watching the crowds still visible in the distance.

The man had spent quite a lot of time enjoying the festival since morning.

Some of the performances had indeed been quite interesting, while an atmosphere he hadn’t felt in a long time had reminded him a little of the past.

’...Not bad.’

Mercer shifted his gaze to the Dragons still gathered below.

This year’s festival was going well.

At the very least, the Qiezhuran Clan had done a fairly good job of welcoming all their guests.

Unfortunately, the first day of the festival was also nearly over.

Mercer glanced at the sky, then looked back at the area that was still full of light.

Before long, midnight would arrive.

"Lord Mercer."

A voice came from behind him.

Mercer turned slightly and found a Clan leader who had also attended their earlier meeting.

The man bowed respectfully.

"All preparations are complete. We are only waiting for your order."

"Good."

Mercer faced forward again.

"And the others?"

"They are ready as well. There will be no problem as long as everything goes according to plan."

Mercer gave a small nod.

In truth, he wasn’t very worried about those preparations.

The Drazhuel Clan had strength far beyond that of the Qiezhuran, all the more so with so many other Clans already choosing to support him.

Even without their help, Mercer was confident that he could subjugate the Qiezhuran.

It was only that things would be much easier if everyone played their role properly.

"What about the elders of the Qiezhuran?"

"They are still on our side, Lord Mercer. Nothing has changed."

"Good. Make sure they don’t do anything stupid."

"Of course."

The man nodded, then waited a few moments before speaking again.

"Lord Mercer, do you have any additional orders before we begin?"

Mercer didn’t answer right away.

He was still watching the bustle of the festival, especially the Dragons who seemed to be enjoying the night without a thought for any problem.

Then, at last, he opened his mouth.

"Don’t spend too much time on those who don’t resist. We will take over the Qiezhuran, not destroy the entire Clan."

"Understood."

"However, if anyone tries to obstruct you, deal with them."

This time, Mercer’s tone sounded a little colder.

"I don’t want to hear that our plan failed just because you hesitated too long to act."

"Of course, Lord Mercer!"

The man quickly bowed his head.

In truth, not one of them intended to take Mercer’s orders lightly.

Especially after what had happened in the earlier meeting, when Mercer had shown how little patience he had for questions he considered unnecessary.

That was why the man chose not to say more.

But Mercer didn’t seem to be finished yet.

"And one more thing."

"Yes, Lord Mercer?"

"Cleenah."

Mercer spoke the name while looking at the festival grounds again.

"I want her kept alive. If you find her, don’t do anything unnecessary."

The man looked a little surprised, but quickly nodded.

"Understood. We will make sure Lady Cleenah is brought before you."

"Good."

Mercer offered no further explanation.

For the Clans that had already decided to support the Drazhuel, that order wasn’t hard to understand either.

After all, Cleenah was still the leader of the Qiezhuran.

Capturing her alive would certainly bring far greater advantages than killing her outright.

What’s more, Mercer already had enough strength to subdue that entire Clan.

There was no reason for him to worry about Cleenah’s resistance.

"Then, what if Garph returns?" the man asked again.

Mercer raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Garph?"

"Yes. After all, he is still one of the strongest Dragons in the Qiezhuran. If he returns before everything is settled, he will most likely try to fight us."

Mercer was silent for a moment.

Of course he knew that.

Garph was not someone who would let the Qiezhuran be conquered just like that, especially while Cleenah was still there.

But Mercer showed no concern.

"If he returns, leave him to me."

"Understood."

"Don’t try to fight him without reason. You would only be wasting your time."

The man bowed again.

Although Garph was only Rank-S, his strength was still not something most Clan leaders could afford to underestimate.

It would be far better for Mercer himself to deal with him.

After making sure all the orders were understood, the man finally asked permission to leave.

But before he could leave the balcony, Mercer called to him again.

"Wait."

The man stopped at once.

"Is there something more, Lord Mercer?"

"That Voidborn. If you find it, don’t let it get away."

"Yes, Lord Mercer."

"You already know how valuable that creature is. So I hope no one damages it through some foolish act."

"Of course. We will be careful."

Mercer nodded, then signaled for the man to go.

After that, the balcony fell quiet again.

Time kept passing.

In the festival grounds, some of the performances had ended, but the Dragons hadn’t entirely left the place.

A few groups were still enjoying food and drink, while others had begun returning to their dwellings to rest.

The first day of the Primordial Legacy Festival had indeed gone fairly well.

But for Mercer, the event was already over.

He had enjoyed the time he had wanted, and had no reason left to postpone something that had already been planned.

’...It’s time.’

Mercer finally turned his gaze away from the festival grounds.

Not far from him, several Dragons who had already received their orders were beginning to get ready. They no longer needed to discuss what to do, because the entire plan had been talked through and prepared before the festival began.

Now, they were waiting for only one thing.

Mercer’s command.

A Dragon approached him, then bowed.

"Lord Mercer, midnight has arrived."

Mercer looked at him for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"Begin."

"Understood!"

The Dragon left at once to relay the order.

Before long, from several different directions, a number of Dragons began leaving their respective places.

Some took Dragon form and flew toward the areas that had been designated, while others moved through Qiezhuran territory according to the preparations that had been made.

Their movements no longer had any connection to the festival activities.

That night, the plan to conquer the Qiezhuran Clan finally began.