Chapter 516: Target: The Nineteen Northern Kingdoms

"Are you really not considering flaunting the banner of being a Titan's beloved? With that status, you could walk sideways across the Deprazen Continent without any issues." The Crystal Dragon, not yet an ancient dragon but already a legend at just over four hundred years old through sheer effort, asked with a hint of regret. "If I had the chance, I'd have proclaimed it everywhere long ago. Ah, the folly of youth, always so impulsive and unaware of their fortune."

"Mother, why did you decide to take me in as your daughter back then? Was it because you already knew my true identity?" Claudia, her dragon eyes glowing a soft golden hue, looked earnestly at Philomena. This was a question she had long wanted to ask.

In such a vast glacial expanse, it seemed incredibly coincidental that shortly after her banishment here, she encountered a legendary Crystal Dragon who forcibly adopted her. Did Philomena think of her as a disgrace to dragons, born and bred in these glaciers?

"Smart little one, you've probably been holding back this question for a while, haven't you?" Philomena chuckled, her attitude carefree. "You finally mustered the courage to ask after becoming a legend. Before, you didn't ask because you were afraid of breaking ties with me. Now, you feel confident, don't you?"

"It's not that. I just want an answer. Was our meeting truly a coincidence? Was there no external influence? Or did someone commission or influence you?"

"Such a smart daughter I have," Philomena laughed upon hearing these pointed questions. "There are no such coincidences in the world. Our meeting was arranged by someone rather unreasonable."

"The legendary Golden Dragon, Atreus!" Claudia's eyes drooped as she named the renowned dragon who had banished her to this land.

"That's right," Philomena stretched out her paw to scratch her belly. "She gave me coordinates, saying the most talented white dragon would appear there. If I liked her, I should adopt and protect her. And the rest, you know."

"You found me as soon as I arrived here?"

"Exactly. When Atreus tossed you to the Deprazen Continent, I was already there. I watched you and the six little ones struggle for survival on the glacier. Atreus' evaluation of you was not exaggerated, so I decided to adopt you."

Claudia clenched her claws, feeling a surge of resentment. "So everything I've experienced since coming here was pre-arranged? Everything I've done since birth was planned by the great legendary Golden Dragon? My entire life was scripted?"

"It's not that extreme. Atreus mapped out the general path for your growth, but the specifics were still up to you. We're just guides, not puppeteers. Don't lump me and her together like that! If you hadn't proven yourself, you wouldn't have received this treatment. Everything you have now is earned by your own abilities, not handed to you by us."

"When you first came to Deprazen, if not for your impressive spellcasting and survival skills, I wouldn't have bothered with you. At most, I'd have saved you in secret out of respect for Atreus."

"What about the divinity I found in the half-plane formed from the shattered Divine Kingdom twenty-four years ago? Was that arranged too?" Claudia's emotions calmed a bit, prompting her to ask again.

"That was Atreus' doing, nothing to do with me. I wouldn't use divinity to gift a dragon," Philomena said, waving her paw. "That's why I suggested you claim to be a Titan's beloved. Even if the big guys knew, they probably wouldn't mind."

"And what about when my bloodline surged and strengthened all of a sudden? It happened to all of us..."

"I heard it was a gesture from the Chromatic Dragon Queen to the Titans. Every chromatic dragon adopted by Muria experiences bloodline purification and enhancement. You were just one of many who benefited. Admittedly, this bloodline boost did make it easier for you to break through to legend."

"My opportunities, my knowledge, all bestowed by others... How laughable." Claudia mocked herself, realizing how naive her earlier thoughts of breaking away from Muria and being independent had been. She had been guided all along.

"Don't discount your own efforts. As far as I know, out of a hundred and one dragons, only you had this privilege," Philomena yawned lazily. "Don't overthink it. It's easy to get stuck in a loop. I'm leaving now. Be cautious with your plans to expand. Human factions are intricate and often interconnected. If you don't want to rely on Titan's prestige, gather more information."

With that, the elegant Crystal Dragon formed a spacious spatial portal. Flicking her tail, she walked leisurely into it.

"Oh, one more thing," she said, turning her head back as half of her body had already crossed into the portal. "Our mother-daughter bond is sanctioned by the Great Nine-Faced Dragon God Io. You can't sever it in this lifetime. No matter what you become, you will always be my daughter."

With those words, Philomena walked through the portal with a light step, disappearing from Claudia's sight.

"I understand, Mother," Claudia whispered after a long pause, curled up on her Ice Throne.

The conversation between these two legendary figures revealed many secrets, leaving the white dragons beneath the Ice Throne feeling anxious and uncomfortable, wishing they could block out their hearing. When Claudia fell silent, seemingly lost in thought, the white dragons exchanged uneasy glances, not daring to speak or ask questions.

"Why are you still standing here?" Claudia, the Ice Queen, finally snapped out of her contemplation. Seeing the group of white dragons who had been staring blankly alongside her, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Go down and issue the war mobilization order. Prepare to attack the human kingdoms."

"Lady Claudia, which country are we attacking?" An old dragon asked. A legendary dragon could easily conquer a human duchy, practically guaranteeing victory.

"The Nineteen Northern Kingdoms. I want them all!"

"Lady Claudia, that's impossible! The Nineteen Northern Kingdoms have over thirty legends combined. We..."

"That's my ultimate goal. Did I ever say I want to conquer them all at once?"

"This first attack is just the beginning. We'll select the weakest duchy and capture it as quickly as possible, giving them no time to react."

"In that case, the human rulers will definitely unite against us and launch a counterattack on the Frost Palace."

"You don't need to worry about that. I have my own ways."

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