Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire-Chapter 821 458: Sky · Osiris, Extermination of a Nation and Its Lineage

"Clovi Highlands, Evan River, Amber Bay, these territories, starting today, are ours?"
A voice filled with surprise, excitement, and disbelief echoed in the dim, dilapidated castle. In the dark, cramped hall, only the flickering candlelight provided faint illumination, under which faces were slightly distorted by extreme emotions.
"That's right, starting today, these regions fall under the rule of the Yarden Family."
"How is this possible? These lands clearly belong to the Pegasus Kingdom. With our family's current strength, let alone attacking, even occupying and holding them is extremely difficult..."
"This is the decree issued by the Supreme Holy Dragon, even the Pegasus Kingdom must comply, otherwise, it would be opposing the Holy Dragon Emperor, intending rebellion!"
"Why would the Holy Dragon Emperor grant us such a blessing?"
There were still those who couldn't understand it. To them, it seemed too inexplicable. As a family surviving and developing in the buffer zone of various powers, their presence was almost negligible.
Even when the Holy Dragon once toured the world, conquering nations, only a Dragon-man came to their territory to collect the Lord's Crown, a symbol of the family's highest authority, and left without a Pure-blood Dragon ever descending.
Although they also received the same treatment as many countries, able to offer tribute to the Holy Dragon alongside other nations' kings and ambassadors.
But they held no expectations of this, only hoping that their territorial power would not be destroyed in this world-sweeping change. As long as they could preserve it, it would be enough. For this, they even took out many treasures from the family's vault, prepared to offer them.
What they never expected was that this offering completely changed their family's fate. Just because the lord who decided on the tribute impulsively offered a Mysterious Black Crystal from the vault, whose type and purpose could not be identified, the family received the Holy Dragon's blessing.
Even now, the Yarden Family doesn't quite understand why they received the Holy Dragon's favor. Only the lord who personally participated in the sacrificial ceremony guessed it might be due to that Mysterious Black Crystal.
Because the Fairy responsible for granting the reward told them they received the blessing due to their sufficient loyalty to the Holy Dragon Emperor and piousness toward the heavens. Therefore, a part of the neighboring Pegasus Kingdom's territory was specifically divided for them.
As for why the kingdom's lands were divided, it was because the Pegasus Kingdom harbored resentment and dissatisfaction toward the Holy Dragon Emperor, deliberately offering inferior quality tributes, causing dissatisfaction with the will of the heavens.
The completely different treatment is because of their loyalty to the Holy Dragon Emperor and the level of their piousness toward the heavens.
This seems to be the standard for punishment and reward. However, not to mention the kingdom that had its territory divided being dissatisfied, even the Yarden Family, which inexplicably gained such a huge benefit, found it hard to have peace of mind.
After the initial joy and excitement gradually subsided, the rational lord and the family elders realized the crisis contained within this reward.
Compared to the kingdom, the size of a Free Territory is too small. Let alone a Legendary Family of the kingdom, even any slightly powerful nobles at the border could annihilate them.
Their existence was no more than a buffer zone needed by the kingdom and nearby great nations, but now they had bitten off a luscious piece of the great nations.
How could the great nations continue to ignore them and turn a blind eye to their development? The relationships they painstakingly built before are useless in such changes.
"We cannot accept these territories!"
"That's right, although these regions are resource-rich and the land fertile, if our family can occupy them, our strength would increase tenfold in a decade. But we don't have the qualifications to annex and occupy them, nor the capability to manage them."
"These are lands of the Pegasus Kingdom, and these territories belong to different Duke families. We cannot offend such noble families of the kingdom."
Although the rational elder council maintained enough wisdom in the face of huge tempting benefits, the lord responsible for making the final decision showed a conflicted and painful expression on his face.
"This is a blessing from the Supreme Holy Dragon, we have no right to refuse!"
"Lord, I heard the Holy Dragon is a benevolent existence. You can explain our Yarden Family's plight to them. Once we accept these regions, the family would be on the brink of destruction."
"Why do you have the illusion that I can meet the Holy Dragon? I traveled to Elisium, and there, the closest existence to the Holy Dragon I met was just a Great Fairy, and it was through that Fairy that I received the Supreme Holy Dragon's will."
"Can't this be changed? Can't we refuse?"
"Of course not. You are afraid when facing the Pegasus Kingdom and dare not entertain any thought of resistance.
But even when facing the kingdom, which would submit to the Holy Dragon, why do you still want to bargain?
Do you not realize that our family actually has no right to choose?"
Lord Yarden's face was wooden, his tone filled with helplessness, but deep in his eyes, a wild fire of madness was burning brightly.