137: Are you trying to be trustworthy with me?

Rage Bear Fortress, Thunder Hall.

Karl Angry Bear sat upon the throne; he hadn't personally presided over a council meeting in a long time, but this time he had to step forward himself.

His heir, Belmont, stood by his side.

"What is the current situation?"

"How great are the losses?"

Karl's voice was somewhat heavy, sounding like it was striking the hearts of everyone present.

"Your Grace, it has been confirmed that the enemy invading our territory is the Dragon Worship Cult. Their army is divided into six routes, each led by a Gold Rank powerhouse."

"Eighteen baronies and four viscounts' territories have already been breached by the Dragon Worshipers. Additionally, dozens of barons and ten viscounts have been forced to flee their lands to seek help from the nearest Earldoms."

Karl frowned slightly.

"The Dragon Worship Cult... is there any sign of Roderick?"

"There is no news of that Legendary Dragon-blooded Sorcerer for the time being, Your Grace!"

"Where is their main force?"

"According to the reports from various places, the strength of five of the six routes is roughly equal. Only the Dragon Worship Cult army coming south from the Iron Wall Fortress is significantly stronger than the other five."

"There are three known Gold Rank commanders, and the enemy forces exceed a hundred thousand, most of whom are magical beasts and Dragonkin."

"Have any dragons been spotted?"

"No, Your Grace. Currently, there is no intelligence indicating that dragons have participated in the war."

After hearing the report, Karl stood up and issued his orders.

"Raging Bear Iron Guards and the Raging Bear Knights, assemble and follow me north to wipe out these Dragon Worshipers."

"Horn, Lambert, and Gario, you will each lead a legion to deal with the other three routes of Dragon Worshipers. You will command the forces of all baronies and viscounts' territories along the way."

"Furthermore, send orders to the Iron Thorn Territory and the Porcupine Territory, telling them to lead their vassals against the Dragon Worship Cult's army."

Karl mobilized all the Earls he could in the Rage Bear Territory and prepared to set out personally.

The strength of the Dragon Worship Cult was not to be underestimated; the Rage Bear Territory had experienced the might of the Dragonkin over two hundred years ago.

"Belmont, you guard our home. Evans, you will assist Belmont in defending Rage Bear City."

"As you command, Your Majesty!"

In the Rage Bear Territory, Karl Angry Bear's word was the supreme command; no one dared to oppose him. As Karl issued the order for war, everyone in the Thunder Hall prepared to act immediately.

"Blood of the raging bear, crush everything!"

"Blood of the raging bear, crush everything!"

The war roars of the Rage Bear Territory filled the Thunder Hall and quickly swept across the entire territory.

As the youngest archduchy in the Kingdom of Asriel, the nobles of the Rage Bear Territory were not far removed from war, and their reaction to it was extremely swift.

After only a few days, powerful armies began to assemble and march north, rapidly advancing toward the enemy.

Karl looked down at the neatly arrayed Raging Bear Knights, a powerful battle intent already burning fiercely in his eyes.

"Father, those dragons are incredibly powerful. Do we really not need to seek help from His Majesty the Golden King?"

Belmont was somewhat worried about this war. As the heir to the Rage Bear Territory, he understood the background and strength of Dragon Peak and the Dragon Worship Cult very well; naturally, he knew the Rage Bear Territory was no match for the dragons.

"Roderick hasn't even shown his face; what face do we have to ask His Majesty for help? Just because of those dragon-blooded bastards?"

"Belmont, remember this: the descendants of the raging bear never fear a strong enemy. Combat only makes us stronger."

"As long as the Legendary dragons of Dragon Peak do not appear, we will not seek help from the Golden City."

"However, you must be prepared in Rage Bear Fortress. If there is news of a powerhouse from Dragon Peak appearing, report it to His Majesty immediately. Only His Majesty can handle that Red Dragon Queen."

Although Karl was bellicose, he was not stupid. He had personally experienced the terror of the Red Dragon Queen.

Even a being as strong as the guardian deity of their Raging Bear Family, the Second-Stage Legendary Ancient Demon Bear Walrigard, was far from being a match for the Red Dragon Queen, let alone him.

"I understand, Father!"

"I'm just a bit worried about you!"

Karl waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "A warrior's destiny is to die on the battlefield; for me, that is where glory lies."

"My life or death doesn't matter. As long as Lord Volrigard is still here, our Raging Bear Family will not decline."

"I am old, and you have grown up. The burden of the Raging Bear Family's future will eventually fall on your shoulders. Don't let me down, Belmont!"

Karl rarely showed his inner emotions, making Belmont a bit uncomfortable, but before he could truly process it, Karl had already departed.

Leaping from the high platform, Karl landed steadily on his demon bear mount.

The long-prepared army immediately moved at Karl's command, rushing toward the battlefield.

Compared to the war-clouded Rage Bear Territory, its neighbor, the Stag Territory, was facing an even more severe challenge.

Large swathes of the Stag Territory's fiefs had become playgrounds for dragons, and noble estates one after another were turned into seas of fire.

In a cave, a group of people huddled together, trembling.

"Has that dragon left?"

"Who knows? Maybe it flew away, maybe it didn't."

"These monsters are too terrifying. The noble lord's castle was incinerated by flames in an instant. Who else can stop them?"

"His Grace, where is His Grace? Only he can save us now."

In every corner of the Stag Territory, the commoners who had their homes destroyed by the dragons and were now in hiding were all praying for their savior to descend.

The noble lords whose territories had been captured by the Dragonkin were similarly hoping that their liege would send a great army to repel the dragon invasion and reclaim their lands.

But their hopes went unanswered for a long time. The core of the Stag Territory, Great Horn City, showed no reaction, as if the dragons rampaging through the Stag Territory didn't exist at all.

Meanwhile, on the eastern border of the Cold Wind Territory, the dragon army led by Zelia had already entered the territory.

However, they only swept through the eastern border regions of the Cold Wind Territory before coming to a halt, making no further move to the west.

Zelia sent out a large number of flying magical beasts to penetrate deep into the Cold Wind Territory, attempting to gather the latest intelligence on its core regions.

While she and her army remained stationary, an apostle of the Demon God Cult approached her.

"Powerful Lady Zelia, according to the agreement between the Arch-Bishop and Her Majesty the Red Dragon Queen, your army should be invading the core of the human territories. May I ask why you have stopped here? Do you intend to violate the agreement between kings?"

"Follower of the Lord of the Devious Path, are you talking to me about credibility?"

Zelia looked at the black-robed apostle with an amused expression. For a follower of the Lord of the Devious Path—renowned throughout the continent for betrayal and schemes—to talk to her about credibility felt somewhat ridiculous to her.

"Her Majesty the Queen promised your Arch-Bishop that she would assemble an army for a full-scale invasion of the human kingdoms. Currently, our followers have initiated a total war across the northern borders of the human kingdoms, and countless human territories have been breached. Has this not fulfilled the promised agreement?"

Zelia was currently in her true dragon form; her massive body, hundreds of meters long, released a powerful dragon aura that made the surrounding Dragonkin tremble and kneel in unison.

The Red Dragon's massive crimson eyes, which seemed to burn with thick, eternal flames, glared at the Demon God Apostle.

"On the contrary, you followers of the Demon God, where is the payment you promised my King?"

Looking at the terrifying crimson dragon eyes looming before him, the Demon God Apostle felt as if his body were burning. His standing body ultimately could not withstand the powerful dragon aura and collapsed into a kneel.