The Legendary Silver Tongue
"One hundred wyverns. I will provide only one hundred."
William, commander of the Wyvern Knights, glared at me with open displeasure.
"That will be more than enough," I replied smoothly, nodding.
In the original novel, William had been the ultimate loyalist. After the emperor's death, he refused to hand over even a single wyvern during the ugly war Landor started to seize the throne.
Even after Landor burned his family alive, he never surrendered the knights.
The fact that he was offering a hundred now was only because it was the emperor's direct order.
He argued that sending all three hundred would leave the capital defenseless in an emergency.
"I do not trust you," William growled, staring straight at me.
"I don't know what scheme you're plotting by demanding wyverns, but it certainly isn't to stop Sultan Saladin's ambitions."
"You may not believe me, but that is exactly the reason."
"The hundred wyverns will return to the capital every week. They will rotate in three shifts to guard Baron Elond's territory. The guardian dragon will remain stationed there permanently."
His words made his distrust and intention to monitor me crystal clear.
By rotating the knights, he ensured I couldn't easily bribe or sway them.
Any suspicious activity would be reported straight back to him, and he would order my death to protect the emperor.
It was exactly the behavior described in the novel.
"How convenient. Would you mind letting the wyverns carry some cargo on their return trips?"
I didn't smirk or threaten. I simply asked the question.
"What?"
"I'll be moving some goods from the western continent to the capital. Since they're already flying back and forth, they might as well carry a few packages. It's not like it costs extra."
"......You're suggesting we use wyverns as delivery shuttles?"
"Yes."
"......."
"I've even named the service. 'Wyvern Delivery — Order Today, Arrive Tomorrow.' I'll advertise it to the capital's nobles. Since they're already making the trip, it should be fine, right?"
William's face twisted with visible bewilderment.
"Well......I suppose there's no harm in it."
"Then we're settled. Could you let me ride one? I've always wanted to try."
He looked at me as if I'd lost my mind, but I only smiled.
"I'll build an empire where the people never starve and the treasury is never squandered. Watch and see."
"Stop spouting nonsense and get out of my sight."
He snapped at me, but I left with a smile still on my face.
The wyverns were incredibly fast.
With one hundred wyverns and a single guardian dragon, we reached Elond's territory in the Raco Mountains in just half a day.
The only downside was that my first flight left me vomiting the moment we landed.
Dragons.
Creatures covered in impenetrable scales, faster than arrows, and capable of breathing flames hot enough to melt steel.
While the western continent fielded thousands of war elephants, the eastern continent was home to these monsters.
The Wyvern Knights were the only ones who had tamed them.
Most dragons measured around thirty meters long with twenty-five-meter wingspans, but occasionally a truly massive specimen appeared.
Seventy meters long with sixty-meter wings, these colossal beasts were far stronger and more ferocious than ordinary dragons.
They were called guardian dragons and would only allow those of royal blood — the Dragon Incarnation — to ride them.
According to the novel, the current guardian dragon recognized only Karia as its master.
"Th-this is real...... This is actually real...... How?"
The merchant guild interpreters who had been working inside rushed out, jaws hanging open, as the one hundred wyverns and the enormous guardian dragon descended gracefully from the sky.
It wasn't just them.
Everyone in Elond's territory who saw the dragons dropped to the ground in terror.
The Wyvern Knights symbolized the emperor's authority itself.
Only the Iron Blood Coalition soldiers remained standing, accustomed to the sight.
"Landor!!"
Of course, Princess Karia, who was hopelessly smitten with me, paid no attention to the dragons and ran straight into my arms.
"Let's go inside."
I gathered the wyvern squadron leader, the interpreters, Karia, and the Iron Blood Coalition officers and led them into the building for a meeting.
The wyverns were stabled in the newly dug tunnels.
"We'll be facing Sultan Saladin soon."
Everyone looked shocked at my words.
"Face the Sultan? Are you planning to start a war with the wyverns? We were sent here to prevent war, not to invade another country for your ambitions!"
Squadron Leader Gerard's hostile question made me shake my head.
"Of course not. The war will come from their side, Gerard."
"What?"
While Gerard stood stunned, I turned to the interpreters.
"You sent a pigeon to the Golden Castle where the Sultan is, correct?"
"Yes. We used one of our guild's special carrier pigeons to send word to the capital. We informed them that we've opened a trade route and wish to begin commerce."
"Then the Sultan is already marching here with his elephant corps and army. Using his shamans' magic to accelerate their march, they'll cross three or four cities in a single day. A land trade route with the West is far too tempting for an ambitious man like him."
Karia clenched her fists.
"I swear it. They won't even touch a single hair on your head."
"Whoa, Princess. Starting a war would be troublesome. A simple show of force is enough."
"How should we demonstrate our power? If we burn one of their cities as an example......"
The invincible Karia was unmatched in battle and command, yet completely useless in situations like this.
I calmed her down and explained exactly how we would make our show of force.
"Send the two hundred thousand Iron Blood soldiers across the trade route. Dress them in their finest parade uniforms, as if they're marching in victory through the capital. Have the wyverns fly overhead to create an intimidating atmosphere. Then I'll ride the guardian dragon with the interpreters and land directly in front of the Sultan."
The interpreters looked worried.
"Will the Sultan abandon his ambitions just because he sees two hundred thousand soldiers and some wyverns? Given his ambition, he might feel challenged and declare war immediately."
"Probably. But the key here isn't the wyverns, the guardian dragon, or the Iron Blood Coalition. This is the key."
I stuck out my tongue.
The legendary silver tongue that had already won over the emperor and the empire's strongest princess was now on full display.
"I'll persuade him with this."
I was confident.
"I'll make him withdraw his army and grant us exclusive trading rights."
Because I knew exactly what to say to the Sultan and which weaknesses to exploit.
And three days later—
"Enemy attack!!! Your Highness the Princess!! You must come out!!!"
We faced an enormous army of elephants and even more infantry filling the horizon.
Their numbers were terrifying, a clear display of the Sultan's ambition.
"The Great Conqueror! Unifier of the Western Continent! Eternal Lord Salah ad-Din delivers this message to the one in charge of the trade route!! I offer you two choices!! Surrender the route and live as a coward, or face an honorable death at the hands of the divine legion!! Which will you choose!!!"
The Sultan's herald delivered the threat in a menacing tone.
With ten trembling interpreters and a bloodthirsty Karia, I mounted the guardian dragon and flew toward the Sultan.
At first glance, war seemed inevitable.
But exactly thirty minutes after the Sultan and I met—
"Hahahaha!!! I like this guy!! Fine! Withdraw the army! And grant them trading rights! Landor!!! My brother!!!!"
I had secured the Sultan's declaration of brotherhood.
The stunned expressions on the ten interpreters and Karia were quite the sight.
"Squadron Leader Gerard reporting return."
One week later, Gerard returned to the capital with the one hundred wyverns.
William immediately took him into a private room within the knights' quarters.
"Pay your respects. This is His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, the Prince of Gold, Adran."
Gerard’s eyes widened when he saw Adran waiting inside.
He immediately dropped to the floor.
"I greet the light of the empire."
"Rise, Squadron Leader Gerard. This is a private meeting. We can skip the formalities."
At Adran's words, Gerard carefully stood up.
"His Highness wishes to hear what happened in the Raco Mountains. Tell us plainly what that treacherous man Landor intended to do with the one hundred wyverns and what occurred during your time there."
"Yes."
Gerard bowed his head and began his report.
"Three days after we arrived in the Raco Mountains, Sultan Saladin's army reached the golden plains on the other side of the trade route. He brought five hundred thousand troops and thousands of war elephants."
Adran's eyes grew wide.
"If Sultan Saladin marched with that many soldiers, war should have broken out. We haven't received any reports of fighting. What happened?"
"Yes. The Sultan gave us two choices: surrender the trade route and live as cowards, or defend it and meet an honorable death at the hands of the divine legion. After hearing that, Landor flew to meet the Sultan on the guardian dragon with the interpreters and Princess Karia. He didn't return for four days."
"Is he dead?"
"No. He returned just this morning, right before we departed. He brought back mountains of gold, silver, and treasures provided by the Sultan. And then......"
Adran grew impatient when Gerard hesitated.
"And then? Did he conspire with the Sultan to conquer the eastern continent? That traitor would definitely say something like that."
"No. It's hard to believe, but he secured exclusive trading rights via the land route with the western continent. He also received ownership of the golden plains from the Sultan so we could build roads."
"..........How?"
"Landor was bragging about how he sweet-talked the Sultan. Would you like to hear the story?"
"Tell me. I want to hear it."
At those words, Gerard began his explanation.
"The moment Landor met the Sultan, he threw the Sultan's own words back at him."
"What do you mean?"
"He boldly offered the Sultan two choices: take the sword, or take the gold."
Adran's expression twisted.
If he had heard correctly......
"That's a threat, isn't it?"
Those words had been a direct threat to the Sultan.
Gerard let out a disbelieving laugh and nodded.
"Yes, Your Highness. That traitor apparently started his first meeting with the Sultan by making threats."