Chapter 299: Chapter 268: That’s Right, the King of the Borderland Is the Golden Dragon!

On the gently swaying deck, the captain cleared his throat and said, "The changes are indeed significant... as if it happened overnight! The notorious creatures and foreign races in the Border Area have become... well, how to put it, quite polite."

"Unprecedented collaboration has begun among different races."

"They actively engage in trade with our merchant groups traversing the Estonian River, exchanging local minerals and fur for food and daily necessities."

"Many people are confused, just assuming those creatures have suddenly become enlightened, or that the sun has risen from the west."

The captain cautiously looked around to ensure no other crew members were too close, then lowered his voice with a hint of mystery: "But I happened to hear some inside information from some old friends who have traveled all around..."

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice further: "It’s said that on the edge of Sel Wilderness and bordering the Eternal Frost Tundra lies a land of chaos, which has birthed a... sole, true ’King of the Borderland’ after countless years of bloody conflict."

"It is this mysterious king who has brought unprecedented order to this lawless land! It is he who has set rules and restrained those lawless creature minions with an iron fist."

"Few have seen his true visage, yet his reputation and influence are everywhere. You can even see that the most cunning, greedy goblins, who are accustomed to extortion, no longer dare demand an extra copper plate from merchants."

"You could say that now all intelligent creatures in the Border Area, regardless of strength, live under this ’King’s’ vast shadow, following the rules he set."

"Oh? That impressive?"

Alberto raised his eyebrows, a playful expression on his face, marveling, "So the ’King of the Borderland’ you mentioned, what kind of figure is he? A goblin genius that appears once in a thousand years? A human powerhouse? Or... did the Iron hoof of those Centaur Tribes flatten the Border Area?"

The captain shook his head vigorously, his expression becoming unusually serious and earnest.

"None of those; regarding that ’King’s’ specific identity, opinions differ, shrouded in mystery, but the most widespread and accepted theory is..."

He took a deep breath, speaking slowly and deliberately: "Ruling this perilous land is not a common race, but a noble, kind, unimaginably powerful... Metal Dragon, specifically the leader of Metal Dragons, the most noble, most powerful... Golden Dragon."

After a silent second.

"Pfft... hahaha! Golden... Golden Dragon?!"

Upon hearing this answer, Alberto, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world, couldn’t hold back, erupting into a hearty laugh.

As he laughed loudly, the captain standing beside him suddenly stiffened, a soul-deep, indescribable chilling shiver swept through him unexpectedly.

Yet this feeling passed quickly, gone faster still, in just a moment of disorientation, the stifling fear receded like a tide.

As if everything just now was merely an illusion caused by over-tension.

(Phew... almost lost composure, the maintenance of the Transformation Technique even fluctuated...)

Alberto gathered his smile, his handsome face returning to its sunny calm, only deep in his eyes fleetingly passed an imperceptible blend of absurd and cold mockery.

"The King of the Borderland is a Golden Dragon... This amusing theory, where specifically did you hear it from?"

Alberto squinted slightly without a hint, maintaining a courteous smile while asking the captain in a gentle tone.

"Oh, just something I heard while chatting with other captains and mates in leisure."

The captain responded with an innocent tone, seeming to find the idea perfectly natural.

"Many people talk like this privately, think about it, being able to restrain those lawless, ferocious creature minions in the Border Area and have different species collaborate neatly for trade, just these two things are enough to explain it."

He stretched out his rough fingers, gesturing in the air: "Firstly, this King of the Borderland, he definitely isn’t an Evil Dragon of the Evil Faction, right? Evil Dragons wouldn’t have the patience and kindness to maintain order."

"Secondly."

The captain’s voice lowered a bit, sharing a secret: "I’ve heard a theory."

"Most Metal Dragons, actually, prefer to maintain the existing order, not too keen to laboriously ’create’ a brand-new set of rules. Only the most noble, responsible Golden Dragons would painstakingly, tirelessly construct an orderly system from scratch."

Alberto’s smile remained radiant, yet deep in his eyes there flashed a barely noticeable anomaly, falling into brief silence.

"Not an Evil Dragon? Then why, despite not truly setting foot in the Border Area, have I already smelled the strong evil scent carried by the wind?"

"Besides... is it true only Golden Dragons willingly painstakingly create order?"

"Such... naive perception."

"Have you ever been a Golden Dragon? Do you truly understand the thoughts and desires of a Golden Dragon? Aside from myself... I’ve never heard of any Golden Dragon kin who would enjoy the troublesome task of creating order."

Subtle golden light quietly flickered deep within the adventurer’s pupils.

The surface of Alberto’s mind was calm and unruffled, yet beneath it surged a storm of cold, incisive thoughts.

Without a doubt, the identity of "adventurer" was merely a meticulously crafted disguise; his true identity was none other than a Giant Dragon! And indeed, he was the most noble of all—leader of the Metal Dragons, the Golden Dragon!

Indeed, the Golden Dragon Race naturally revered order and justice.

However, the vast majority of adult Golden Dragons had already formed deeply ingrained behavioral norms and thinking patterns.

They generally believed:

Acts of justice must be deeply contemplated, carefully weighing all potential consequences to ensure that the means of "healing" do not cause greater harm than the "disease" itself.

The injustice in the world is innumerable; no existence can personally rectify every mistake.

Rather than insisting on doing everything personally, it’s better to encourage intelligent beings to solve the problems within their power.

Only those truly immense, complex difficulties that can only be addressed by the power and wisdom of the Golden Dragon are worthy of their utmost effort.

But compared to other Golden Dragon kin.

Alberto Aurelius was an anomaly.

From the moment he hatched in his fledgling period, he was considered by his parents as a stubborn, incorrigible "stubborn colt."

He possessed a strong sense of autonomy far beyond that of his peers and a nearly obsessive perception.

Justice and order are not gifts that descend from the sky, but ultimate goals that must be "created" and "shaped" by one’s own hands with absolute power and supreme wisdom!

Neither other races nor the majority of the Dragon Race possess such noble lineage and wisdom to see the essence.

Rather than letting them make mistakes in ignorant chaos, it’s better to place them under a perfect order framework designed by him, to "control" them and prevent them from doing irreparable stupid things.

Based on this idea, he harbored a grand and radical ultimate dream.

Through ruthless conquest and absolute dominion, unify all split nations, races, and forces of the entire continent and even the multiverse into a supreme centralized authority! Thus, eradicate the soil where "evil" breeds and establish an eternal, perfect Golden Order.

Now, it seems that time, geography, and people all stand by his side.

Powerful adult Metal Dragons were almost all urgently summoned to their respective Dragon Domains, busy dealing with some higher-level crisis, leaving no time to pay attention to this "rebellious" young dragon. The Lothern Federation formed by the southern human nations had already planted the seeds of internal chaos, with the storm looming.

The perfect opportunity to punish evil and begin his grand conquest journey was right in front of him.

After meticulous intelligence gathering and strategic deduction, the young Golden Dragon Alberto locked in on his first strategic target—the Border Area between the Sel Wilderness and the Eternal Frost Tundra, guarding the throat of the Estonian River.

Here, the terrain is complex, connecting the wilderness and civilization, and can serve as an ideal lever and base for advancing the entire continent’s situation.

However... plans never keep up with changes.

He hadn’t anticipated that this virgin land, carefully chosen by him, had already been claimed by a mysterious "king"! More absurdly, this "king’s" identity, according to rumor, is... a Golden Dragon of the same origin?

"Interesting..."

(I must see with my own eyes what kind of ’kind,’ and in what manner, has managed to rule this chaotic Border Area before me?)

Alberto’s heart surged with curiosity and competitive desire, yet he maintained the harmless and friendly demeanor of an adventurer on the surface, continuing his casual conversation with the captain about local landscapes and trade goods.

Time flowed as slowly as the Estonian River water beneath their feet.

The merchant ship sailed steadily, with the landscape on both sides subtly changing, traces of artificial excavation gradually increasing, and the air filled with a scent mixed with sulfur, metal, and powerful dragon aura that became more distinctly recognizable.

The Border Area was already within reach.