Chapter 170: The White Dragon's Ambition

There were only thirty or so High-Tier Legends within the Council, and the White Dragon Lord recognized the newcomer. The female mage was the second-in-command of the Northland Witches' Council—Denise Clive.

The White Dragon Lord's face did not flush, nor did his heart skip a beat.

"Lady Denise, here is what happened. My Dragon Brother and Dragon Sister discovered a sealed Bano Flame Demon. The seal on this demon had already begun to loosen due to the passage of time. I hurried over to try and reinforce it, but the result is as you can see."

In just a few words, the White Dragon Lord absolved his younger siblings of all responsibility while establishing a grand, righteous image for himself.

The female mage furrowed her brows. She absolutely did not believe the white dragon's portrayal of himself and his siblings as saints. However, Wyvern Peak was now nothing more than scattered rubble, making any on-site investigation impossible. Furthermore, the Flame Demon had already fled, leaving them with no evidence and no witnesses.

She looked toward the horizon at the two white dragons flying their way, silently weighing the feasibility of an interrogation.

Noticing the female mage looking toward the Dragon Brother and Dragon Sister, the White Dragon Lord sensed trouble. He quickly changed the subject and pointed at the rubble on the ground.

"I pushed the Bano Flame Demon so hard that he detonated his Magma Heart, destroying Wyvern Peak and breaking free of his seal. Of course, he paid a terrible price to do so."

The White Dragon Lord flew down to the ground with the female mage, pointing out the corrosive scorch marks on the rocks and the pools of Flame Demon blood that had yet to dry.

The female mage absentmindedly listened to the white dragon brag. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. Amid the rubble, she had spotted the severed half of a massive Demon Horn left behind by the Flame Demon Lord.

Materials harvested from a Legendary Demon were priceless, let alone a demonic horn from a High-Tier Legend like a Flame Demon Lord. A treasure of this caliber simply could not be measured in money.

Pleasantly surprised, the female mage conjured a giant hand of magical energy and plucked it from the rubble. As she sensed the aura of power contained within the Balrog Horn, a look of greed involuntarily flashed through her eyes.

However, on second thought, if the White Dragon Lord could actually defeat such a powerful demon and sever one of its precious horns, just how terrifying was his combat strength...

She shot the white dragon a wary glance. Then she remembered that she was a figure of prestige in Nordhill. If word got out that she coveted someone else's spoils of war, she would never live down the humiliation.

Reluctantly, Denise Clive held the Demon Horn out to the White Dragon Lord.

"Lord Amos, this is your prize."

The moment the female mage noticed the demonic horn, the White Dragon Lord had caught that greedy look in her eyes and started calculating. He had already made his decision.

The White Dragon Lord spoke with a serious expression.

"Lady Denise, although this is a spoil I claimed, I hope you will take it back and explain the situation here to the Council. Furthermore, presenting the severed horn of a lord-tier Bano Flame Demon is a perfect opportunity to boost the morale of our brothers risking their lives on the Blood War Battlefield."

The female mage was stunned. Although she looked to be only in her thirties or forties, every single Legendary Mage was an old monster over a century in age. With age comes shrewdness, and she naturally understood the White Dragon Lord's underlying message: You are actually bribing me!

Well done. I like it.

Without batting an eye, Denise Clive tucked the demonic horn away.

"Indeed. I am duty-bound to promote such a glorious, heroic deed for our Nordhill Continent." (Implication: Deal!)

The female mage reasoned there was no need to keep pressing the issue. After all, given the combat prowess the White Dragon Lord had just displayed, their previous agreement of a one-hundred-year observation period could already be considered void. It was all for the sake of camaraderie among colleagues.

Emmm... I'm definitely not doing this for the Balrog Horn. The female mage successfully convinced herself.

Seeing the other legendary practitioners searching the area, the White Dragon Lord shot the female mage a meaningful look.

The female mage smiled in understanding.

"All of you, come here."

Following their captain's orders, the legendary practitioners gathered in front of the female mage and the White Dragon Lord.

The White Dragon Lord spoke.

"Clean up these bloodstains on the ground. Do not let the demon's blood pollute the environment here."

Demon blood from a High-Tier Legend was a rare and precious magical material. Moreover, given the massive size of the Flame Demon Lord, he had bled quite a lot. If they carefully collected and refined it, each of these dozen or so legendary practitioners would get at least half a vial of demon blood.

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they replied in unison.

"As you command, Councilor Amos."

The White Dragon Lord nodded and turned to the female mage beside him.

"Lady Denise, let us go talk over there."

Having claimed the greatest benefit for herself, the female mage did not mind letting her subordinates gather up the scraps, and she walked to the side with the White Dragon Lord.

Recalling the tracking mark that had vanished from within his body, the White Dragon Lord asked, "Lady Denise, with your profound knowledge, do you happen to know the origins of this Bano Flame Demon named Ogresa?"

The female mage pondered for a moment before shaking her head.

"I have never heard of that name, either. After all, I rarely read the secret histories from ten thousand years ago. However, there might be a record of it in the Council's library. I will help you look for it when I return."

Returning the favor, the female mage agreed to search for the demon's records on the White Dragon Lord's behalf.

"Then you have my thanks."

The White Dragon Lord then chatted with the female mage about various trivial matters for a while until the legendary practitioners had finished "cleaning up" the battlefield.

The female mage did not want to linger any longer, so she bid the White Dragon Lord farewell.

"Lord Amos, it was truly a pleasure speaking with you. Unfortunately, we still have work to do, so we must part ways here."

The White Dragon Lord played his part to the end, immediately stating that Denise and any legendary powerhouses of the various races were welcome to visit the White Castle whenever they had the time.

Just like that, both sides parted on joyous terms, thoroughly satisfied.

The Floating Tower vanished from sight.

Only then did the Dragon Brother and Dragon Sister, who had been keeping their distance, dare to approach.

Willy shouted excitedly, "Brother, how did you convince them not to look into this?!"

The White Dragon Lord replied irritably, "I paid a terrible price—a High-Tier Legend's Demon Horn! How are you two going to compensate me?!"

The Dragon Brother and Dragon Sister looked embarrassed upon hearing this. They stood to the side in silence, unable to think of a way to compensate for their elder brother's loss.

Gold coins?!

You've got to be joking. Taking away my gold coins is worse than killing me!

Seeing the distressed looks on the Dragon Brother and Dragon Sister's faces, the White Dragon Lord could not bear to push it. He sighed and said, "Forget it this time. But the next time you discover ruins like this, you cannot be this reckless."

The Dragon Brother and Dragon Sister hastily nodded in agreement.

The White Dragon Lord looked up at the patch of sky where the Floating Tower had disappeared. He calculated mentally—with the contribution points he would earn from this "false claim of military merit," he should have just about enough!

The Council operated on a points system for its internal members. Points were awarded for completing missions or performing meritorious deeds. These points acted as the internal currency of the Council; as long as one had enough, they could be exchanged for absolutely anything the Council had to offer.

This included precious items like Legendary equipment, as well as special services—such as assistance in constructing a Mage Tower.

Ever since the White Dragon Lord discovered that he could hire the Council to help him build his Mage Tower by accumulating enough points, he had been saving up. Now, he was not far from his target amount.

Snapping back to the present, the White Dragon Lord remembered that Gurgalu and the rest of his dependents were still waiting for him. He hurriedly called out to the Dragon Brother and Dragon Sister, leading the flock of wyverns as they hurried toward the central region of Kumlinge.

In the distant mountain forest, the Nether Panther—Yuir—watched the ascending White Dragon Lord with a complicated look in his eyes before fading back into the shade of the trees behind him.