Chapter 307: Intelligence
Punk wasn’t the least bit surprised that Ben Lajie had sought him out. He didn’t actually believe that encountering this guy—who rarely left the Magic Tower—in the Mission Hall was a coincidence. Clearly, the fat old man had been waiting in the Mission Hall for quite some time. He definitely wasn’t there just to complain to Punk about how unlucky he was, so he must have had something to discuss.
However, when Punk heard Ben Lajie smoothly bring up the word “cooperation” again, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow slightly:
“Cooperation? Mr. Nokani, you just abruptly broke our last cooperation agreement, which undoubtedly significantly damaged your credibility!”
“Look, brother Cyan, last time’s cooperation was truly unavoidable… Alright, I know saying these things is useless. But since what’s done is done, let’s let bygones be bygones. I’m sure such a small matter won’t affect our friendship, right?”
Hearing Punk bring up that ill-fated “black market trade” again, Ben Lajie somewhat awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
But this guy obviously wasn’t someone who would be deterred by a few sarcastic remarks. Before Punk could continue mocking him, he quickly sped up his speech:
“Seriously, are you planning to cause trouble for that black dragon? I have to say, you’ve got quite an eye. From what I know, that Joni Zordas is a Master-Level Holy Warrior. His Zordas Family is mostly composed of Holy Warriors of Tyr, the God of Justice. The missions they post are basically impossible to be traps…”
“Alright, Mr. Nokani, what exactly are you trying to say?”
Punk, who had patiently stopped showing a disinterested expression, didn’t continue mocking the increasingly agitated Ben Lajie. Through their conversation just now, he discovered that this guy seemed to know quite a bit of intelligence—for instance, Punk hadn’t known that the Zordas Family was a family of Holy Warriors.
He had to admit, after all, Punk had only arrived in this “Minotaur Mountain Range Area” six months ago. When it came to mastering various hidden information, he definitely couldn’t compare to Ben Lajie, who had been here for who knows how many years.
Seeing that Punk had finally stopped putting on an impatient, cold face, Ben Lajie also smiled and slowed his tone:
“When you get to my age, you start liking to gather gossip to pass the time—especially about Kirk Weilen and his old flame… Alright, I’ll stop beating around the bush…
Well… you should know that after crossing the Red Sand Sea, you reach the Minotaur Plain. At the end of the plain are the Hord Mountains, where three Kingdoms are constantly warring with each other. The Zordas Family is the Maple Leaf Kingdom’s guardian Holy Warrior family!
But you might not know that the Kingdom bordering the Maple Leaf Kingdom is the Dragon Roar Kingdom. Just three hundred years ago, the land of the Dragon Roar Kingdom still belonged to the Maple Leaf Kingdom. However, later, a group of half-dragons from the Thorn Marsh, led by the black dragon Ovakain Acidmaw, conquered half of the Maple Leaf Kingdom’s territory and even established their own nation—that’s right, today’s Dragon Roar Kingdom—a reportedly quite civilized nation of half-dragons.””Wait a minute! A nation established by half-dragons? Are you certain it’s a group of half-dragons and not lizardmen?”
Hearing the crucial point, Punk raised an eyebrow and interrupted Ben Lajie’s storytelling-style narration of the “Kingdom’s history.”
No wonder Punk found it peculiar, for dragon-kin are not known for their gentle dispositions. While inheriting traces of dragon bloodline, they also inherited brutality and savagery no less fearsome than that of chromatic dragons. These creatures typically live in primitive tribal structures within damp swamps, where hunting, nomadic lifestyles, and various bloody sacrificial rituals are virtually synonymous with their existence.
Regardless, Punk found it difficult to imagine these creatures – averaging two and a half meters in height, fond of raw meat including their own kind, and having never developed written language – actually establishing a nation.
The mental image of robust, scale-armored half-dragons with gaping maws, munching on human legs while drinking blood, sitting in offices handling official business… was simply too discordant.
“Correct, they are indeed half-dragons!”
Ben Lajie’s response to Punk’s doubt was remarkably firm.
“Moreover, according to intelligence, their Dragon Roar Kingdom has achieved considerable development levels, with national strength that cannot be underestimated. They’ve fought the Maple Leaf Kingdom for three hundred years without losing ground!”
Ben Lajie rarely adopted such a serious tone while delivering intelligence reports.
Observing Ben Lajie’s uncharacteristically earnest expression, Punk knew he wasn’t speaking carelessly. After all, this old man was a Master-Level Mage who had operated in the Minotaur region for many years. Even if his intelligence contained some exaggeration, the basic information wouldn’t be too far off.
Setting aside the perplexing question of why half-dragons suddenly became civilized, Punk redirected his attention to the mission description.
If Ben Lajie’s words were true… then this mission might not be as straightforward as it appeared.
A black dragon recruiting half-dragons as subordinates wasn’t particularly strange – such massive creatures typically enjoyed conquering whatever beings they encountered.
A black dragon attacking a kingdom wasn’t unusual either. As one of the chromatic dragons with inherent chaotic tendencies, they might launch full-scale assaults against enemies simply out of boredom.
But a black dragon establishing a nation? That was rather extraordinary. Especially when this nation was thriving under governance, populated by half-dragons notorious for their brutality and savagery. This theoretically impossible nation had not only endured for three centuries but had fought so effectively that the original landholders, the Maple Leaf Kingdom, needed to seek external assistance…
Whatever the reasons, any black dragon capable of such achievements couldn’t be underestimated in the slightest. At the very least, it possessed wisdom fundamentally different from its reckless, arrogant, and ignorant kin.
Black dragon – a terrifying concept. But when prefixed with the title “Sagacious Black Dragon,” it became more than just frightening – it became downright chilling!Considering the opponent had a thriving half-dragon nation as backing, they likely wouldn’t lack abundant resources and Magic Equipment… Punk felt he absolutely couldn’t view the peculiar Ovakain Acidmaw with conventional dragon-slaying mentality. At the very least, he must never embark on a dragon-slaying journey while completely ignorant about his enemy!
Thinking this, Punk secretly sighed in resignation before turning expressionlessly to Ben Lajie:
“Very well, Master Nokani. I find your intelligence quite valuable. As a benefit-oriented mage, I believe we now have grounds for cooperation. Of course, this collaboration hinges on your information being more reliable than your last business venture”!
“Rest assured, rest assured! There’s nothing in these parts of the Minotaur Mountains that I, Ben Lajie, cannot uncover!”
Seeing Punk finally cease his refusal to cooperate, Ben Lajie promptly thumped his chest in assurance, his face restoring its customary boisterous, amiable smile.
[End of Chapter]