Chapter 1061: Chapter 1004: The Answer Lies in the Question

Before Cynthia’s laughter stopped, Horn asked in a deep voice, "You knew that Hilov has a heart problem, and yet you still let her come?"

"Ah, that’s not it." Cynthia turned over, sat up, and yawned, "It’s because she didn’t come that I confirmed her identity."

"What is her identity?"

"That I can’t tell you." Cynthia let out a sharp laugh, "You don’t yet have the qualifications for me to bet on you till the end."

Watching Cynthia’s arrogant laughter, Horn didn’t delve further into this issue: "You asked Hilov to come here just to find out something, now that you know it, isn’t it time to give me what you promised before?"

"Ha." Cynthia lazily lay back on the ground, "Hilov isn’t here, what should I give you? Go back, and when I need something from you next time, I’ll ask you again."

"Are you trying to back out?"

"And if I am?"

"Lady Cynthia has stayed in the giant pit for too long, haven’t you seen the sunlight in a while?" Horn smiled, "Do you want to see the sunlight outside?"

"You dare threaten me?" Cynthia’s scaly eyes narrowed into slits.

Horn said nothing, but fished around his pocket and showed Cynthia a dragon scale: "We accidentally dug up a pyramid in the eastern county, inside there was a skull, I wonder if it’s someone you know, uh, a dragon you know?"

"Ottatila, is what he’s saying true?" Cynthia’s eyes narrowed slightly, but her pupils suddenly contracted sharply.

"Grandma, I saw that dragon head, it’s placed on the city wall of Long Embankment City..."

"You dare disturb the tomb of my kin?" Before Ottatila could finish, the massive head of the red dragon rushed towards Horn fiercely.

Ottatila cried out in alarm and immediately blocked in front of Horn.

Cynthia didn’t really intend to attack Horn, and stopped two or three meters away from the terrace: "Give me that dragon head."

"No, it’s a shared property of the believers of the Holy Alliance, I plan to exhibit it across the twenty-four counties along with the griffon and zebra."

A tour across the twenty-four counties? With the griffon and zebra?

"Ottatila, are you just going to watch them oppress me?"

Ottatila stood helplessly, looking at Horn, then at the old red dragon, feeling extremely conflicted.

"Ottatila, say something!" Cynthia screamed.

Ottatila looked at the faintly smiling Horn, thoughts swirling in her mind, but after a long time she closed her eyes: "Grandma Cynthia, as the Speaker of the Black Snake Bay Federation, I’m sorry, I don’t have that authority."

Cynthia was stunned, her large dragon eyes stared fixedly at Ottatila, seemingly unable to imagine she would say such a thing.

"Roar roar roar——"

Her entire dragon body trembled, then let out a dragon roar, the sharpness of her voice pierced painfully into the eardrums.

"Fine, fine, fine, is this how you treat me? My blood was shed in vain for you! Ungrateful things!"

The turbulent damp wind echoed against the walls, Cynthia’s questioning voice also echoed in the giant pit, as if a hundred people were speaking.

Previously, since Cynthia had always had the accent of a mad old woman, Horn only thought she was an old lady wrapped in red dragon skin.

But now as the dragon roar reverberated, and the immense dragon tail whipped up endless dust, he for the first time felt the might of a giant dragon.

The attending personnel all changed color, the timid Edwin’s calves trembled even more, almost intending to leave first.

Jeanne’s finger joints began to flicker with electricity, the shadows under the torchlight started to sway as well.

"Grandma Cynthia!" Seeing both sides growing increasingly confrontational, Ottatila made up her mind, "If you want to deal with His Majesty, then kill me first!"

"You—" Cynthia was both shocked and angry, "Whose side are you on?"

"I respect you because you taught us spells, and gave us red dragon’s breath, taught us how to resist the church.

I am definitely on your side, so I can’t let you harm the Saint’s Grandson.

If you harm the Saint’s Grandson today, all of Black Snake Bay will starve tomorrow.

Regardless of the fate of the Saint’s Grandson, the Holy Alliance Battle Group will inevitably move south, do you think the Secret Party and Black Snake Bay people will stand on your side?

I’m afraid before the Holy Alliance Battle Group arrives, they will lead the charge into Celestial Maiden City, offering your head for forgiveness.

I truly don’t wish for things to come to that, that’s why I must stand in front of you."

Cynthia’s dragon roar stopped, she watched Ottatila with a mix of suspicion and uncertainty, then glanced at Horn.

"Impossible, since when have the Black Snake Bay people bowed to the church?"

"Grandma, the people of Black Snake Bay are living well now; no one wants to go back to the days of hardship." Ottatila stepped forward, "Most of the local farmland in Black Snake Bay has been converted into spice fields.

The secret societies, due to land issues, have broken off relations with the local Beastman Tribe and wild villages.

Combat Mages have been recruited as tax police and soldiers, with garrisons stationed everywhere..."

Cynthia may be erratic, but she’s not a fool; she immediately understood.

Slowly, the Red Dragon’s body grew weary, and the sharp voice of the old woman turned calm: "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Ottatila felt even more helpless: "What good would it do to tell you?

Even if you intervened back then, could you have convinced them to give up everything provided by the Holy Alliance?

It’s not just about freedom, but also a better life and walking in the sunlight without fear of being arrested by the church."

Cynthia fell silent, restlessly pacing in the pit, her wings and tail scraping against the stone wall, making a sizzling sound.

After circling seven or eight times, the Red Dragon finally stopped, gazing at Horn for a full minute before turning.

She approached a stone wall, pointed at a stone slab with her dragon claw, revealing a hidden entrance.

With two dragon claws, she dragged out a wooden cabinet, threw it onto the terrace, and pried it open with her sharp dragon claws like a crowbar.

Inside was an oilcloth package, under which lay heaps of books.

Pushing aside Jeanne’s obstruction, Horn faced Cynthia’s pupils and walked to the oilcloth package, picking up a book.

This material was neither parchment nor any other kind of paper; though the cover was covered with layers of moss, the interior seemed as new.

Upon opening, the script resembled Elven writing, but with more strokes and countless unfamiliar words.

Looking at this thick pile of paper books and notes, Horn was puzzled—is the manufacturing process of star-forged gear really this complex?

"This is the Celestial Maiden Secret Scroll, the original version of alchemy that the elves plagiarized from our Dragon Magic.

However, at that time, the concept of Mana didn’t exist, and the environment was different, so I can’t say how much can be useful."

In the era of elves, the concept of Mana didn’t exist?

Horn noted down this key information, raised his head, and continued to ask, "What is this for?"

"Apart from the manufacturing method of star-forged gear, I’ll give you the Celestial Maiden Secret Scroll as well.

I don’t ask for the dragon head, just promise me not to insult the corpses of my kin."

This old dragon cared about her image; although she had already softened, she refused to show even a bit of good grace, still acting imperious.

Horn didn’t want to push her too hard, lest both sides come to harm. He simply shook his head and asked, "Which one is the method for star-forged gear?"

The old dragon pointed to a scroll: "There."

Horn did not wait a moment longer, immediately picking up the scroll and unfolding it to read.

Although it was ancient Elven script, with his Elven language proficiency, he could barely make sense of it, while Jeanne could only stare blindly.

Fortunately, there were illustrations inside the scroll, so she focused on looking at them.

The artwork was quite exquisite yet abstract, reminiscent of Earth’s Van Gogh style; static yet dynamic.

As for the content of the illustrations, Jeanne could barely identify the starry sky and an elf with a halo on its head.

Then there was a long, unknown object, along with bizarre runes and circular formations.

Before Jeanne could finish viewing the illustrations, Horn had already lifted his head in disbelief, looking at Cynthia: "Are you sure this is the manufacturing method for star-forged gear?"

"Yes, star-forged gear is an elven creation; my understanding of it is limited to this scroll."

"No, then how did Serafe obtain the star-forged gear?"

"Isn’t it simple? She spent decades searching, collecting all the star-forged gear available on the market into her possession.

The remaining ones are probably only found in the Vampire Duke’s palace."

Horn fell into silence, wondering how Serafe knew the secret of star-forged gear and how she found it so accurately.

"Brother, what does it say above? How is star-forged gear created?" Jeanne couldn’t hold back; she couldn’t understand it at all.

"Star-forged gear, star-forged gear, the answer is in the question itself; of course, it’s gear forged from stars." Cynthia crossed her dragon claws, resting her massive dragon head on top, "Anyway, I’ve already given you this technology; whether you can achieve it is up to you."