Chapter 279: The Forbidden Dragon Roar

Dofas Pennymion never imagined he would become the High Priest.

"The Dragon God is eternal!"

"The Dragon God is eternal!"

As an elder figure, Dofas had high prestige among the followers, and everyone shouted along with him.

A few years ago, he was just a major slave owner in Volantis, having served as a consul for several years, but the pressure of reelection had exhausted him. When he heard about Wright's work in producing strength and excavating ruins, he thought of befriending him. What he saw, however, were the mighty dragons, and even the spirits of their ancient Valyrian ancestors.

The Volantines' worship of dragons stems from their bloodlines, and Dofas was fortunate to have approached Wright at the right time. After a few years, Wright had subtly taken control of all of Volantis. Dofas had lost interest in the petty power struggles of Volantis and voluntarily withdrew from the next consul election, dedicating himself to helping Wright develop the Dragon Cult and study dragon tongue magic, aligning himself with Wright's plans.

The High Priest of the Dragon Cult doesn't need to be exceptionally powerful but must excel in management and development.

Now nearly fifty years old, Dofas Pennymion wasn't renowned for his martial or magical prowess in the Dragon Cult, but Wright valued his loyalty and administrative abilities.

Inside the Dragon Cult, those dedicated to studying the power of dragon tongue magic were given a formal title: Dragon Priests! As of now, there was only one.

The High Priest, Dofas, shouted loudly: "Our first Dragon Priest, Naisso Visama!"

Naisso, once one of Volantis' consuls, had also abandoned the power struggles and devoted all his time to studying dragon tongue magic.

The High Priest wore a red robe, while the Dragon Priest wore a purple robe.

The tall Naisso Visama, in his purple robe embroidered with golden dragons, placed the purple mask handed to him by Dofas onto his face. He pulled the hood from behind, covering his head, leaving only his purple eyes and two strands of platinum hair visible, giving him a powerful and mysterious appearance.

Naisso already had a natural aptitude for magic, but he lacked a way to learn it. However, the Volantines who followed Wright understood that although Wright was restricted by the governance of Westeros, he could not openly teach, but if one followed Wright, the master of magic, it was only a matter of time.

Recently, Wright had finally revealed dragon tongue magic to the upper echelons. Like Dofas, Naisso had put aside his political duties and focused entirely on studying magic. He had now mastered three dragon roars. However, the same roar used by Wright was far more powerful.

The Dragon Priest's mask—Wright had specifically ordered it to be made nicely a few days ago—was beginning to look strangely familiar. Wasn't it just like Quaithe red mask? This was from the Shadowbinders! Damn Andrew, always slacking off! Wright couldn't help but curse his cousin.

Dofas continued: "Please, Dragon Priest, accept the trial!"

Wright and Renly stood up and walked to the center, taking a triangular stance alongside Dofas.

Captain Baron Swann brought over a plate, and the three of them each took a mint leaf soaked in water and chewed it.

Before performing the dragon roars, it was important to chew the mint leaves to avoid any lingering flavors that could ruin the visual and auditory experience. This step had officially been added to the Dragon Cult's ceremonial guidelines.

Dragon Priest Naisso Visama stood at the center of the small square. Under the watchful eyes of the high-ranking members of the Dragon Cult, he was about to undergo the trial of dragon tongue magic. If successful, he would become a true Dragon Priest.

Wright: "Naisso Visama, are you ready?"

"I will give my all. Please, begin!" Naisso lowered his arms and began to channel his magical energy.

"Fus!" "Fus!" "Fus!"

Wright, Renly, and Dofas all simultaneously used Unrelenting Force. To avoid actually tearing Naisso apart, Wright had confirmed with the other two beforehand that they needed to separate the three phrases, not use them in succession, and suppress their internal magical energy.

Every dragon tongue spell was a spectacle to behold.

With the three of them standing in a triangle, the visible sound waves from the three directions collided with Naisso, violently pulling at his purple robe.

"Ro!" "Ro!" "Ro!"

"Ah~~~" Naisso let out a roar. His body slightly crouched and leaned forward, his hands protecting his head, as if he could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

It seemed like the force was too much! Wright noticed that even with the Unrelenting Force at its lowest power, Naisso, a mere mortal, seemed to be in great pain. But if he couldn't endure this much pain, how could he be a Dragon Priest?!

"Dah!" "Dah!" "Dah!"

The last phrase's sound wave uncontrollably intensified. The roars from the three of them struck the stands, and those with less skill who couldn't dodge were knocked to the ground. The sound waves, mixed with dust, struck their bodies, scattering outward, rendering them unable to even stand up, only able to scream in pain.

Meanwhile, at the center where Naisso stood, the visible sound waves from three directions continuously pressed against him. To onlookers, it seemed as though the space around his body was beginning to twist.

As the sound gradually diminished and the dust cleared, Naisso's purple robe was tattered, and his cheap mask had cracked. However, he still stubbornly resisted the force. Beneath his ragged robe, his muscular frame was exposed as he stood tall, looking at Wright, waiting for the Dragon God's representative's approval.

"Mul-Qah-Diiv-!"

Activating the Dragon Aspect, Wright, now encased in a dragon-shaped magical armor resembling a humanoid dragon, approached him. He extended his right hand and placed it above Naisso's shoulder.

"Your magic has passed the test. Your resilience has kept you from kneeling. Naisso Visama, do you swear to serve the Dragon Cult for your lifetime, spreading the faith of the dragons, and guarding the dragons' side in your soul after death?"

Naisso placed his hand over his chest and solemnly swore to Wright, "I vow to dedicate my life."

Then he tore open his robe, revealing his left shoulder. Wright's right hand grabbed onto his shoulder, and his magical armor formed into a dragon claw shape. The claw, with both magical resistance and physical defense, also emitted intense heat like that of a dragon.

Wright's thumb pressed against Naisso's chest, his fingers behind his back. The high temperature burned Naisso's shoulder, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent. Even when smoke began to rise from his shoulder, his body didn't waver.

A mark, shaped like a dragon's claw with one finger in front and four behind, was left on Naisso Visama's shoulder.

The brand carried a small trace of Wright's magic. This magic couldn't control them, though. After realizing he'd been deceived by the Daedric Prince when trying to control dragon Shout, Wright now highly rejected forcefully controlling others' thoughts or enslaving them. The small amount of magic injected into them was Wright's way of giving them a bit of his own luck and acknowledging their loyalty.

With the ceremony completed, Wright loudly announced to the crowd: "Dragon Priest Naisso Visama! Bearer of the Volantis Dragon Shous!"

"Dragon Priest!"

"Dragon Priest!"

Amidst the cheers, two important appointments were made, followed by Naisso and Dofas announcing some reforms to the internal systems of the Dragon Cult. The meeting lasted until dinner time.

Within the underground headquarters, which had living and residential areas, there were also kitchens and a dining hall. Under the illumination of magic and flames, everyone found the new underground living spaces quite novel.

There was also a small library storing books and texts. After dinner, Wright and Renly gathered the senior members of the Dragon Cult for a small meeting.

Wright: "Dragon tongue magic originates from the dragons, and the essence of magic is to use knowledge to manipulate magical energy for one's own benefit. So after the emergence of dragon tongue magic, others with extensive knowledge can also create new magic."

"Magic is ever-changing. Wright created a magical system, and the mages who study it modify it according to their own needs. The same basic spell can vary depending on the mage casting it."

While speaking, Renly also cast Mage Hand. His Mage Hand, unlike the usual white, had a dragon claw appearance and was now enhanced with illusions, turning the color blue. The extra magical energy was purely for aesthetics, but Renly thought it was quite necessary, as intimidation was also a form of magical power!

Dofas asked, "Lord Wright, are there any taboos with dragon tongue magic?"

Having followed Wright the longest, he vaguely guessed Wright's intentions. This was also why Wright had asked him to manage the Dragon Cult—it made things easier.

Wright: "Perhaps you've heard of my battle in Meereen. At that time, I used a dragon roar that could control the mind of the opponent, alongside a venomous dragon."

Dragon Priest Naisso continued: "Dragon tongue magic, when used, produces a sound that can be heard across the land. Even though the deeper meanings and knowledge behind it were not understood, someone recorded the dragon phrases, including both ours and the enemy's."

Wright: "Recording the phrases isn't a problem. If you don't understand the deeper knowledge behind dragon tongue magic, it can only be used as a normal form of communication."

"Lord Wright, what do you mean by that?" Naisso asked.

"The creator of that dragon Shout is a dangerous! That dragon intended to control my and others' minds, but in the end, he was doing the bidding of the evil being that lurks behind him. Anyone who learns this spell will gradually have their consciousness controlled by the creator, including myself!" Wright pointed to his chest.

"Lord Wright was controlled?" Dofas and Naisso were both shocked. In their minds, Wright was invincible. Now to hear of someone capable of controlling his thoughts—it was unthinkable!

Renly, however, stared at Wright without speaking. When he had flown back to Tyrosh with Oda Weyne, Wright had explained the situation to him atop the dragon's head. Understanding the key point, Renly kept silent, as the Demon God's name was not to be spoken.

"You don't need to worry either. This trick only works when I don't know the full context, but now that I understand the secret behind that dragon roar, I'll naturally figure out a way to deal with it!"

While speaking, Wright casually toyed with the dagger that Dagon had given him.

Naisso said, "As long as Lord Wright doesn't reveal the deeper knowledge, no one will be able to learn this Dragon Shout!"

Currently, only Wright knew it, but once someone's greed for knowledge reached a certain point, it would attract the attention of Hermaeus Mora. Wright kept the knowledge hidden, but the Daedric Prince had agents in the world!

Wright didn't want anyone within the Dragon Cult to steal this magic, so he shared his thoughts with the three men.

Dofas and Naisso, one in charge of management and the other in charge of magic, discussed the matter and came up with a plan.

"Many people know about this dragon shout, so the news cannot be kept hidden. However, we can first associate this dragon roar with the evil venomous dragon, adding more evil elements to the story of the battle against the great dragon, so that people will naturally avoid it."

Wright: "Refine your plan further. I'll add two points. First, anyone—whether within the Dragon Cult or elsewhere—who learns this dragon shout should immediately be hunted down by all of us. Write this into the texts!"

"Understood."

Wright: "Second, find any records of the dragon shout phrases and burn them! This will be a bit troublesome, but if we persist for about ten years, future generations will only know of the evil dragon shout, without knowing the specific phrase. That will make it much harder to learn."

Dofas: "I'll take care of it. But Lord Wright, recently in Volantis, as the Dragon Cult grows stronger, there have been several violent clashes with the followers of the Lord of Light. The High Priest of Volantis, Bennero, is still spreading rumors that dragons only bring disaster."

Wright's fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.

Renly smiled upon noticing Wright's actions, knowing someone was about to have a bad time.

Wright was thinking, based on the previous intelligence. The Lord of Light cult originated from the far eastern lands of Yi Ti and Asshai. In the nine major free cities, the cult had its largest temple in Volantis, and the highest-ranking person there was the High Priest, Bennero.

This man had previously supported Daenerys verbally, but now the conflict between the Dragon Cult and the Lord of Light had escalated from a clash of ideologies and verbal arguments to multiple violent confrontations. Even though the senior leaders of both sides had tried to restrain themselves, the death toll from both sides had already surpassed twenty.

Wright looked at the two newly appointed senior members: "The Lord of Light's full-time armed forces in Volantis number around a thousand people. Adding the temporary forces of their followers—after excluding the elderly, children, and women—the number of combatants exceeds five thousand. This cancer has already grown in Volantis, and now I officially authorize you two to eradicate it! Quick and decisive action!"

High Priest Dofas: "Lord, it would be easy to eliminate them, but once we make a move, support for the Lord of Light cult will arrive from other regions!"

Wright: "Let me remind you, this matter cannot involve Volantis, Tyrosh, or Lys. Only the Dragon Cult will fight the Lord of Light cult!"

"Understood. We'll discuss a plan first." Dofas had originally planned to use the city's army, but it was now clear from Wright's words that this would be a religious conflict, not a city-state struggle.

"If only Lord Wright or Renly could make an appearance when we clear out the Lord of Light cult!"

"Neither Renly nor I can do that. Renly is mainly active in the Seven Kingdoms, and his identity would cause unnecessary trouble. As for me, I don't have the time because I need to go to Meereen to buy land!"