novelbin Chapter 440 - 370: Astra Entrusts Its Offspring, Raylo Gains Another Dragon
Chapter 440 - 370: Astra Entrusts Its Offspring, Raylo Gains Another Dragon
Then, its massive body shifted to one side.
Behind it, a Little Thunder Dragon followed, looking somewhat timid.
It was clearly unnerved by the scene, especially by Raylo and his entourage.
It hesitated, not daring to step forward.
Astra turned its head and looked at the Little Thunder Dragon.
It seemed a bit impatient. It folded its enormous Dragon Wings, then extended a giant claw and gave the Little Thunder Dragon a gentle push on its rear.
"ROAR?"
The Little Thunder Dragon let out a wronged and bewildered cry as the irresistible force sent it stumbling forward a few steps, stopping right in front of Raylo.
Having done this, Astra gave Raylo a deep look, its gaze seeming to carry a sense of expectation and trust.
Then, without lingering, it beat its wings, and a visible shockwave erupted!
Its immense body shot up from the ground like a bolt of lightning, instantly soaring into the clouds and disappearing over the horizon.
In the square, the oppressive pressure receded like a tide.
Only then did the collapsed Griffins dare to slowly lift their heads, still reeling with fear.
Raylo stared at the Little Thunder Dragon before him, which had a bewildered look on its face and even glanced back in the direction Astra had vanished. He was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
’What is this?’
’A down payment?’
He leaped off Baofeng’s back and slowly walked toward the Little Thunder Dragon.
The little one was much smaller than the adult Astra, but it still stood over ten meters tall, with a body tens of meters long. Its head alone was larger than Raylo’s entire body.
Sensing Raylo’s approach, it instinctively shrank its neck back. Two puffs of white vapor, sparking with electricity, shot from its nostrils. Its eyes were filled with vigilance and a hint of curiosity.
With a gentle smile, Raylo reached out, attempting to touch its nose.
The Little Thunder Dragon blinked its azure eyes, its massive head dodging back again.
Raylo’s hand remained in mid-air as he waited patiently.
After a brief standoff, the Little Thunder Dragon hesitated for a long moment before finally, slowly and tentatively, touching its massive, scale-covered head against Raylo’s palm.
The scales were cool to the touch but carried a faint electric current that sent a tingling sensation through his hand.
Raylo smiled, his palm sliding upward to gently stroke its head.
The little one’s body clearly stiffened for a moment, but it didn’t pull away.
"From this day on, you’re with me."
"I’ll name you Lightning!"
Raylo said softly.
"I will make you the most dazzling presence in the sky."
The Little Thunder Dragon, Lightning, seemed to understand. It nuzzled its head against his chest again, this time with enough force to make Raylo take half a step back.
Nearby, Ed and the Griffin Knights had recovered from their initial shock. Now, watching their Lord interact so intimately with a Thunder Dragon, their faces were filled with fervent adoration.
’The Guardian of the Duchy personally entrusting its own offspring?’
’In the Thunder Dragon Duchy, this is the highest honor!’
"Move out!"
Raylo vaulted back onto Baofeng and gave the order.
Baofeng let out a shrill cry, beat its wings, and took the lead, soaring into the sky.
The thirty Griffin Knights followed close behind in a neat formation.
The Little Thunder Dragon, Lightning, paused for a moment before spreading its wings and clumsily chasing after them. It flew curiously to the side and rear of Baofeng, like a new recruit just joining the ranks.
Under the countless complicated gazes from the royal city, the group became black dots in the sky, flying majestically north toward Black Stone Territory.
...
「At the same time, in the Royal Palace Garden.」
Aiden Duke was hosting several distinguished guests, including a few neighboring Monarchs such as Blazing Flame King Otto III.
Lady Anna was all smiles as she introduced the guests to several rare flowers in the garden.
Just then, a Palace Knight hurried through the garden, came before Aiden Duke, and dropped to one knee.
"Your Grace."
The Knight’s voice was rushed, filled with unconcealable excitement.
Aiden Duke’s brow furrowed slightly.
"What has you in such a panic?"
Lady Anna also stopped her introduction, glancing at the Knight with displeasure. She felt he was interrupting an important diplomatic occasion.
The Knight took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and reported loudly.
"Your Grace, His Highness Raylo... has departed for Black Stone Territory."
He paused, his face showing a mixture of fanaticism and awe.
"Before his departure, the Guardian, Lord Astra, personally descended and... and gifted that Young Thunder Dragon to His Highness!"
As his words fell, the entire garden fell deathly silent.
The smile on Lady Anna’s face instantly froze, and the hand holding the shears trembled slightly.
Otto III jerked his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The other Kings and Dukes stared at each other in astonishment.
’The Guardian of the Thunder Dragon Duchy, the legendary Giant Dragon Astra, personally appeared to gift its own offspring to Raylo?’
’What does this mean?’
This wasn’t just about a powerful mount or a future Dragon Knight.
It was a form of acknowledgment!
The highest recognition from a Giant Dragon!
This meant that, in a sense, the Thunder Dragon Family to which Astra belonged now saw Raylo as a future ally, or even... one of their own!
Under everyone’s stunned gazes, Aiden Duke slowly picked up his wine glass from the table.
He looked at the amber liquid in the glass and fell silent for a moment.
Then, he drained the glass in one gulp.
With a BANG, he slammed the Crystal glass down on the stone table.
"Ha... Hahahaha..."
A burst of hearty, unrestrained laughter erupted from Aiden Duke’s chest.
Otto III held his wine glass, his fingers unconsciously tracing the cold surface, his expression complex.
He too had founded his nation with the help of a powerful Giant Dragon companion, so he knew exactly what the core of this country’s Power was.
It was the Thunder Dragons. It was that living Legend, Thunder Dragon Astra.
Raylo. The name had been popping up far too often lately.
He had demonstrated astonishing military talent in the war against the King of Fiery Sun.
And now, he had received the personal acknowledgment of the Duchy’s Guardian.
Otto III could even foresee that in less than twenty years, the Thunder Dragon Duchy would have a third Dragon Knight, besides Aiden and Gaius.
"Aiden, you’ve really raised a fine son," Otto III finally broke the silence, his tone tinged with a hint of sourness.
"In the future, I’m afraid the skies will be blotted out by your family’s Dragon Wings."
"Otto, the sky is vast enough for all Giant Dragons," Aiden Duke picked up the wine bottle and personally refilled Otto III’s glass, his smile never fading.
"That boy Raylo, he hasn’t disappointed me after all."
He spoke modestly, but deep inside, a great weight that had burdened him for years had finally been lifted.
The Thunder Dragon was the symbol of the Duchy, the very foundation upon which it was built.
As the heir, Raylo’s talent, temperament, and skill were all impeccable. The only area where he had long failed to make progress was in bonding with a Thunder Dragon.
This was not only a regret for Raylo, but also a constant worry for him as both a father and a Monarch.
But now, everything had changed.
Astra personally gifting its offspring was a hundred times more significant than Raylo bonding with a Young Dragon on his own.
This was an acknowledgment from the Duchy’s Guardian, Astra. In a way, this act signified that Raylo was the future it acknowledged.
Perhaps Thunder Dragon Astra’s action was merely a whim, devoid of so much human-like thought.
But the act itself was undoubtedly a sign of its approval of Raylo.
Defeating a peer of the same tier with a single punch was a martial achievement.
Advising and plotting against the Lion Duchy was a strategic feat.
And now, gaining Astra’s acknowledgment was destiny.
Martial achievement, strategic prowess, and destiny—he possessed all three.
A perfect heir had emerged.
Aiden Duke tilted his head back and drained his glass, feeling a warm current rush from his chest straight to the crown of his head.
He could even feel that the bottleneck that had plagued him for years—the threshold to the Tier Six Catastrophe Level—seemed to have loosened ever so slightly because of this.
He had long planned that as soon as the Duchy had a worthy successor, he could set aside all worldly affairs and, together with Astra, pursue that legendary, supreme realm.
He and Astra had both been trapped in the confines of the Thunder Dragon Duchy for far too long.
They had grown powerful because of the Duchy, but in guarding it, they had also lost a certain kind of freedom.