Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 159: Laying Groundwork

The Citadel stands as a majestic mountain of artificial construction looming over a large, rolling plain, which is currently being bathed in the warm sunlight of Zenkon as the fall season starts to roll in. The villages in the immediate area, including the castle town built around the titanic ancient fortress, are all growing steadily as refugees intermingle with the growing families of various western races.

The castle has become the new home of the dragons, ruled over by their three specific Empresses in addition to the Empress Regnant, Hekate, and her beloved Daniel.

Not all of the dragons hold those five in particularly high regard, but they abide by the rules established and keep their heads down in exchange for freedom to eat, travel, hoard, and otherwise live free lives.

The issue is, a sudden revelation of a dangerous enemy closer than anyone realized has come to light, and no fewer than six of the dragons' precious eggs are at risk because of their parentage; the five eggs belonging specifically to the three Empresses, as well as the one belonging to their loyal knights, Roeta and Magnir.

Gold, the second eldest female dragon after Ryuogriar studies her makeshift nest hoarded in her own private quarters deep within the most secure and virtually unreachable part of the fortress.

With her own precious offspring carrier added in, she has taken direct responsibility of seven eggs that she was already loosely watching over, but Ryuogriar, Reignleif, and Geirahoel all telepathically explained to her the situation and asked her to hoard the imperial family's eggs somewhere no one can gain entry to.

Heh heh heh! You wanted an outburst of fiery maternal instincts? You'll have to fight me to get your babies back! Hahahaha!

The golden dragon in humanoid form currently is proud and amused by her own accomplishment. The three Empresses will be upset when she holds their eggs hostage, but Daniel will see through it.

A dragon has to get her entertainment somewhere.

"Now then..." remarks the golden dragon. She already snatched all of the eggs out in the open in front of the other residents of the Citadel, since any one of them could be a suspect.

In her private sanctuary, Gold studies the ranks of humanoids of various races making up the gathering of the Unity of the Great Dragons, religious acolytes who worship the dragons as gods, in spite of the fickle nature of the powerful predators.

The followers are already kneeling, keeping their heads down as they await instructions.

The warrior-minded dragon holds her hand out commandingly, saying sternly, "All of you, strip all of your belongings at once."

This surprises the devotees -most of them, anyways-, and they look at her. A small few of them simply stand up and obey her order without a single doubt or question; true zealots and fanatics.

Ugh... Goofy cultists. But, whatever. They should be reliable enough.

The immediately obedient ones are already halfway undressed by the time one of the cambion women asks, "Great Divine One... This humble servant only asks for enlightenment... Is such a task necessary?"

"Would I have ordered it if it wasn't necessary?" asks the golden dragon sternly. "I have no need for any of you weaklings. If you truly are devoted to me and my sisters, as well as the Emperor, then you shall obey. If you refuse, leave my sight and never appear before me again."

This causes the doubtful to flinch, and some of them glance at each other.

Among the six zealots, one of them is a dattakorien woman, who stands as bare as the day she was born, holding her head high and proud with her habit and simple adornments folded and piled neatly on the floor in front of her, as with the men who did the same.