Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

“What happened, Lady Sivia?” The Lord sat down and poured her a cup of tea.

“It’s nothing. I just took care of a reckless Black Dragon on my way here.” Sivia scoffed, then turned to Levi. “How did your trip to Gonda City go?”

“Not ideal,” Levi said, shaking his head. “I did sense the aura of the Bronze Dragon you mentioned, in a chapel deep within the Royal Palace. But a Legendary Mage was guarding the place, so I couldn’t get in.”

“Thank you for your help. That’s enough,” Sivia said with a nod.

“But honestly, even if you know that Bronze Dragon is in the Royal Palace, what’s your plan? You can’t just force your way in, can you?” Levi raised his teacup and took a sip, only to be surprised that it was rum. He’d thought it was tea.

“I certainly can’t get in. Gonda City is not as simple as it appears.” Sivia’s beauty was such that even a Minstrel would be at a loss for words—not for lack of skill, but because to describe her features with mere rhetoric would be a form of blasphemy.

So, when she raised the cup to her crimson lips and her throat moved as she swallowed, she flicked her tongue out to catch a stray drop at the corner of her mouth. This, combined with her elegant, noble bearing, was enough to make anyone lose their composure and awaken their most primal urges.

Just as Levi was openly mesmerized, she set down her cup and watched him with a faint smile, as if the moment had been a fleeting illusion that never happened at all.

‘This vixen is definitely trying to seduce me,’ the Lord immediately concluded.

“You might not know this,” Sivia said, changing the subject. She drained the last drops of liquor from her cup before continuing, “but Rillo Bishop’s body was strangely stolen just as it was about to enter Talisi territory.”

Levi blinked. “Stolen? Who stole it? And what’s the use of stealing a corpse?”

Rillo had died in the Gladiatorial Arena, and it was later discovered that the Children of Chaos from the Chaos Cult were responsible. The main culprit had already been brought to justice.

The case was considered closed back then. He hadn’t expected there to be a follow-up.

“That’s why I said it was ‘strangely’ stolen,” Sivia said calmly. “Talisi has classified the information, so not many people know about it. I just happen to be one of them.”

“At first, I wasn’t sure what those people were planning, but now I have a faint idea.”

She was speaking in riddles. If it had been anyone else, the Lord would have let his fists do the talking.

“Levi, what do you think of Sophia?” Sivia asked, changing the subject again.

“She’s a Silver Dragon who loves money more than her own life, a genius Elemental Master, and she possesses a kind heart she herself is barely aware of. Her only real flaw is her cowardice, her lack of courage. If she were a commoner, that would be a strength, but for a Giant Dragon, it’s without a doubt a fatal weakness,” Levi offered as a fair assessment.

A top-tier Magical Creature can have any number of flaws, but cowardice cannot be one of them.

It’s like a tiger becoming as timid as a rabbit; it would only attract endless trouble.

“A sharp, accurate assessment. That’s also why I didn’t stop her from leaving Dragon Island.”

“She thought her plan was flawless, but in reality, dozens of pairs of eyes watched her depart from Dragon Island.”

‘That explains it,’ the Lord thought. How could a single adolescent dragon cross the entire Storm Sea on her own? At the same time, a chill ran down his spine.

‘If I had killed Sophia back then, or even treated her like a slave, the grass on my grave would probably be as tall as Zat by now.’

‘Back then, I hadn’t yet started cultivating the Holy Word Treasure Manual. I would have been no match for this Legendary Giant Dragon.’

“Dragon Island has been out of the public eye for too long,” Sivia said with a sigh. “So long that the younger generation of Metal Dragons now have personalities much like Sophia’s. This is clearly wrong.”

“Wait, Lady Sivia, if I may interrupt,” Levi said, suddenly raising his hand. “I’d like to know something. Does Dragon Island have a lot of novels or biographies about Dragon Slayers? And are they especially popular among the youth?”

“How do you know that?” Sivia asked.

Dragon Island was never completely cut off from the outside world. Some adult Metal Dragons would transform into humans and travel the continent, naturally bringing back items from the Human World. Among these, all sorts of storybooks were the bestsellers.

Every time a new shipment was brought to Dragon Island, it would sell out almost immediately.

“Sophia told me,” Levi said, sighing as he touched his forehead. Sophia was engrossed in one every day, reading it with the intensity of someone studying a strategy guide. How could he not know?

He’d taken a look at one. Good heavens. It was titled *Lying Low Until I’m a Legend, and the Emperor Makes Me a Prince*.

How could they not end up timid, reading these kinds of Knightly Novels every day, on top of all the gory tales of Dragon Slayers?

He originally thought Sophia was an exception on Dragon Island, but it seemed the entire younger generation of Metal Dragons was being poisoned by these books.

After all, they’d never experienced the harsh realities of the world. Living in a secluded corner, their personalities were easily influenced by all sorts of Knightly Novels peppered with hidden agendas. One should never underestimate cultural infiltration.

Sivia’s brow furrowed. She quickly understood what Levi was getting at, and she was so angry her heart nearly stopped.

She and the other two Elders of Dragon Island had discussed it and unanimously agreed that their descendants had developed such personalities because the island had been isolated from the world for too long.

But it turned out to be entirely because of these seemingly insignificant things, which had been subtly influencing their personalities since they were young.

She made a mental note to give all those unscrupulous Metal Dragons who sold the books a sound beating when she returned. At the same time, another idea she’d been entertaining temporarily faded away.

“Let’s get back to business,” Sivia said, her expression once again as placid as a still well. “Levi, shadows are stirring in the darkness. Unimaginable changes may be coming. You have extraordinary abilities, and with them comes responsibility…”

“Is that what you really came here to tell me?” Levi felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.

The line was all too familiar. He’d said almost the exact same thing to Mandela just a few days ago. He never thought it would be his turn to be on the receiving end.

Only this time, he was one of the main characters.

“That’s right,” Sivia admitted with a nod, not denying it. “So, Levi, what do you think?”

“I don’t,” the Lord said, leaning back until he was practically lying in his chair, his attitude harder than Fine Steel. “Whatever cataclysm is coming, let the tall guys deal with it when the sky falls. I’ll be thankful enough if I can just manage my own little patch of land.”

“I’d be perfectly happy to have a litter of kids and live a peaceful life. I have no desire to be some hero who ends up throwing his life away.”

The fates of the Saints were a clear-cut lesson. Sacrificing themselves to save the entire Main Plane was certainly admirable, but none of them met a good end.

Even the best of them, Igo Saint, ended up without a physical body, his soul left to drift through the Material Realm, unable to experience the pleasure of a woman for all eternity. What was the difference between that and being a eunuch?

‘Speaking of which,’ he thought, ‘should I visit Tina tonight, or Heather?’

‘Tina is still a bit too frail. Heather, the Zor Priestess, is much more robust.’

The Lord’s thoughts began to wander. He had truly developed a taste for it lately, living a life of nightly debauchery.

“I thought every young human dreamed of being a hero,” Sivia said, genuinely surprised.

After all, human lives are short. They’re always trying to accomplish some great deed that will be passed down through the ages, achieving a different kind of immortality.

“Don’t say that. You can’t live on a hero’s dream. Eventually, you have to face reality,” Levi said, shaking his head. “And the reality is, heroes only get to be heroes because they exist on a page of parchment.”

“Perhaps,” Sivia said, swirling her cup. Her silver eyes, just like Sophia’s, were as deep as a starry sky. “But sometimes, the tide of an era is inevitable. All you can do is leave it to fate.”