Ashen Dragon

"The speech is about to begin, please remain quiet, as the recent riots continue, the Empire concerns for your safety..."

The familiar male voice resounded from the loudspeakers in Ceremony Square.

In the crowded masses, Fier couldn't help but clench his fists, veins throbbing on his forehead, his eyes, hidden under his hood, revealed an unmistakable hatred.

"Hans... one day, I will kill you," Fier gritted his teeth and said.

This Count Hans was an Empire Official who had taken office just a few days ago, his origins mysterious and mainly responsible for maintaining order in Dragon Head City, or Collins City.

Shortly after his appointment, Count Hans demonstrated his thunderous methods. He got wind of the Dawn Holy Army operation's exact time and location, and laid an ambush in advance, almost completely annihilating the participating members of the Holy Sect Army.

Afterward, Count Hans had all the captured rebels executed, hanging them on the gallows for three days and nights. This horrifying spectacle made everyone in Dragon Head City fear for their safety, and even the devout followers dared not lend a hand to the Dawn Holy Army anymore.

Fier had also participated in that raid, and he was supposed to hang on those gallows, to become a bloody corpse.

It was his comrade-in-arms, a friend from childhood to adulthood—Niko Gibson, who sacrificed his life to cover for him, allowing Fier to miraculously escape the Empire's inescapable net.

Now, hearing this familiar voice again, Fier's mind was still haunted by the image of Niko hanging on the gallows, his body a bloody pulp, which made him shiver all over.

Thinking of this, Fier gripped what was in his hand and muttered to himself: "Niko, do you see it? The time for revenge is almost upon us."

The Empire Official had issued a notice several days ago, mandating the public attend the speech, and according to the deduction of the members of the Dawn Holy Army, it was very likely that the speaker was none other than the resolute Count Hans himself.

This damned minion of the evil dragons had just carried out a bloody massacre, surely intent on intimidating all the citizens, including the resistance, as a show of power, completing his ambition of subjugating the Aisier people.

And the mission for Fier—to assassinate Count Hans on his own.

Fier was very clear in his heart that this was a mission with no return.

With the quality of the Imperial Guards, as soon as he launched an attack on Count Hans, he himself would surely be shot to death by the guards, perhaps even riddled with bullets.

But at this moment, Fier had no fear in his heart. He had long ceased to covet his own life, and what kept him going was—only the belief in revenge.

Ingrid's smile, Niko's last will, Karen's roar... every bit of memory became the fuel that made his flames of revenge burn even more crazily.

"Evil dragons, I will fight you and your Claws and Fangs to the end, never resting until death!" Fier gazed towards the distant podium, silently shouting in his mind, his eyes filled with deep hatred and bloodshot.

Ceremony Square was already overcrowded with Aisier people who had been forced to come, while the patrolling Tiefling Guards and Bipedal Wyvern Cavalry were becoming increasingly numerous.

Fier knew that the speech was about to begin.

He quietly loaded his Sun God Sleeve Crossbow and pulled down his hood, scanning the surroundings for the right position.

With such tight security, he only had one chance to make his move. Should he miss, he would be met with an irredeemable fate, and his wish for revenge would be unattainable.

In the distance amidst the bustling crowd, under the escort of the Tiefling Guards, the Dragonblood Nobility was smiling falsely, waving at the crowd with an air of graciousness.

"Hypocritical scoundrel..."

Fier looked up and saw him, that Count Hans who had executed seventeen members of the Dawn Holy Army!

But now was not the best time to act, it was too crowded and chaotic. He had to wait until the Earl went on stage to deliver his speech, to kill him at the height of his pride and in full view of the audience.

Only in this way could he show the Aisier people that the Ashen Empire was not invincible, and that those minions of the evil dragons could indeed be killed!

Fier also wanted to show them that the great His Majesty of Amanata had not given up on North Aisier!

However, Fier noticed that alongside Count Hans, there was a woman clad in the Empire's official robes, and from the undeniably beautiful curves that even the robe could not conceal, she seemed to be a woman.

For some reason, her figure felt familiar to Fier, comforting, yet he couldn't remember where he had seen her.

Fier's brows furrowed slightly, thinking to himself, "Is she an official of the Ashen Empire too? Hmph, they are all from the same nest."

But soon, Fier discovered that contrary to his expectations, Count Hans did not step onto the platform. Instead, the woman beside him reluctantly made her way up the steps.

And Count Hans, still surrounded by tight security, remained stationary, only watching the woman with a smile.

Suddenly, Fier's face under the hood turned slightly unsightly: "The one giving the speech isn't Count Hans..."

But soon, he steeled his resolve once again, checking his sleeve crossbow and searching for the right moment, ready to kill the woman who had stepped onto the stage.

Although Fier didn't recognize her, as a Retainer of the Ashen Empire, that reason was sufficient enough for him to condemn her to death.

Who was giving the speech did not really matter. What was most important was breaking the Aisier people's fear of the Empire, shattering the image of the Red Dragon in their hearts.