Ashen Dragon

Alger was blindfolded, turning left and right in the passage.

When the black cloth was removed, he saw an incredibly spacious cave before him. In the very center of the cave, a red dragon lay coiled on a massive rock, its eyes half-closed, seemingly resting.

The bugbear pushed Alger forward, forcing him to kneel, and then respectfully said, "Master, I have brought this human."

The red dragon lazily opened its eyes and casually said, "Well done, you may leave now."

Alger could even feel the hot breath of sulfur from the red dragon's mouth.

"Yes, master."

The bugbear respectfully withdrew.

Alger struggled to stand up from the ground, gritting his teeth, and said each word with determination, "Evil dragon, no matter what plot you have, I won't let you succeed, even if I have to die!"

After speaking, he closed his eyes, straightened his back, and prepared to face the red dragon's wrath.

Whether it was the scorching flames or sharp fangs he would face, he showed no fear.

To his surprise, the red dragon's tone showed no anger, simply asking, "Why did Brad Rackman send you here?"

Alger kept his eyes tightly shut, not responding as if he hadn't heard.

Seeing Alger's reaction, coupled with the timing, Cassius could roughly guess his current mission, which should be the infamous "Tiefling Camp Massacre" from his past life.

Hundreds of Eagle Guards searched everywhere for traces of Tieflings; once found, they would immediately slaughter them, regardless of age or gender, leaving no one and incinerating the site, destroying everything in the vicinity.

This mission should have gone very smoothly.

Unfortunately for them, they encountered the Ashen Nest.

At this moment, looking at the unwavering Alger, Cassius mockingly asked, "Alger Yorman, do you know how your parents died?"

These words hit Alger like a shockwave. The most secret wound in his heart was torn open, and he couldn't help but open his eyes, shouting:

"Impossible!"

"How do you know!"

Seeing Alger open his eyes, the red dragon slowly said, "You don't need to know why. Just truthfully answer based on what you know."

Cassius repeated once more:

"Then tell me, how did your parents die?"

"They were..."

However, Alger did not notice the faint red glow in the red dragon's vertical pupils, which also appeared in his own eyes.

"They were… sacrificed to devils by those damned Tiefling bastards!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Alger thought of those painful memories, his eyes instantly turning red with rage.

Cassius casually asked, "Who told you this information?"

"It was… His Grace."

"Then why do I know otherwise?"

"What do you know?"

"I know that your esteemed His Grace, in pursuit of eternal life, to become an Undying Blood Clan member, exchanged the lives of thousands in the city, among which—"

Cassius paused.

"Included your parents."

In front of Alger, the red dragon was like a devil from Hell, using cunning words to lure the human's thoughts towards him step by step.

"No… impossible!"

"You're lying!"

Alger's voice trembled as he shouted.

However, under the red dragon's deliberate guidance, he couldn't help but consider the terrifying possibility—his benefactor, his godfather, the Duke to whom he swore lifelong loyalty, was his enemy.

Cassius pressed on step by step, slowly spreading his wings, enveloping Alger in a gigantic shadow, towering above him:

"Think carefully. Has your esteemed His Grace ever left the castle even once?"

"Has he ever basked in sunlight, instead of being shrouded in shadows, even while giving those high-sounding speeches?"

"With your keen perception, have you ever heard the victim's wails from the Rackman Castle's backyard, smelled the scent of blood mixed with the soil?"

"When you slaughtered innocent beings, did you know they became sacrifices, pathetic materials for the Duke's eternal life?"

As Cassius finished speaking, images of roaring flames appeared before Alger, with crying children and mothers holding their babies amidst them.

"No, no, I didn't..."

"I didn't."

Alger kept retreating, shaking his head continuously.

He felt dizzy, his head splitting with pain. Every detail in his memory became so vivid, as if they all testified to this truth.

"No..."

"You're lying, you're deceiving me."

"I won't believe your slander, His Grace is clearly..."

Alger collapsed to the ground, murmuring and shaking his head, shadows clouding his eyes.

After a long time, his eyes regained a hint of clarity, his voice trembling, "Evil dragon!"

"What did you do to me?"

Cassius glanced down indifferently at him and said, "Just a little trick to help you accept the truth."

"Moreover, having done those things, what gives you the right to call me an 'evil dragon'?"

"No, I don't believe it."

"This must be your plot!"

"You are deceiving me, aren't you! You used a spell to mislead me! I won't believe your lies."

"Your conspiracy is worthless before the loyal Northwind Eagle Guards!"

Alger forced himself to stand upright, trying not to dwell on those terrible words, but his denial was weak and powerless.

"I have no need to deceive you."

"Besides… you will know soon enough."

Cassius did not argue further with Alger, he just calmly lay down, closing his eyes to rest, and summoned the bugbear at the door.

"Take him back to the dungeon."

"Yes, master."

Three waiting bugbears advanced, forcibly dragging away the struggling Alger.

Before he was taken away, he still looked agitated, constantly shouting.

"Evil dragon, you won't deceive me!"

"You will never smear His Grace!"

"You and those devils are in cahoots!"

Years of loyalty education within the family had instilled in him the principle of absolute obedience, he was merely a blade of the family, and weapons had no sense of good or evil.

Never question why, just execute.

This was a frequent saying of his old instructor,

So, as a competent Eagle Guard, Alger often emptied his mind, avoiding thoughts of right and wrong, habitually deceiving himself—especially during massacres, when facing unarmed refugees.

And now, Alger rarely pondered all this.

Just making him do this indicated a crack had appeared in his mental defenses, needing only a little more, and it would completely collapse.

Cassius had achieved his objective.