Chapter 129: Chapter 128: The Quail Dragon Chapter 129: Chapter 128: The Quail Dragon The flowerbed located in the center of the Four Seasons Flower Sea was off-limits to outsiders to prevent trampling that could damage the delicate ecological balance of the garden.
But evidently, Russell was not considered among those outsiders.
While the Knight Attendants were busy cooking, he could stroll leisurely through the flowerbed, admiring the rare beauty amidst the ice and snow.
Roland, his big brother, also wasn’t considered an outsider, so he joined Russell in wandering through the flowerbed, enjoying the colorful variety of flowers within.
“These are all cold-resistant flowers, mostly tulips. Tulips have the most varieties and the brightest colors,” Roland said casually. “In the Glowing Valley, I never liked the overly bright tulips, but seeing them here is truly refreshing.”
“Indeed,” Russell agreed.
As the brothers idly chatted, suddenly, they heard rustling from within the tulip flowerbed, and then a tiny creature emerged and ventured onto the garden path, curiously staring at them.
“Huh?”
Russell looked curiously back at the small animal. It resembled a chick and was about the size of a quail, not even as big as the palm of a hand.
But simultaneously, it had a mouth full of sharp teeth, as well as forelimbs with claws and feathers, while its trunk, neck, and hind legs were covered in fluff. The tail was coated in feathers similar to those on its forelimbs but longer.
Both the feathers and the fluff were quite flamboyant.
Its small eyes glinted with blue light, firmly fixing on Roland and Russell.
“What kind of animal is this? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before,” Russell wanted to step forward to get a clearer view of the little creature.
Startled, however, the creature immediately darted into the nearby flowerbed.
Its running style was unlike a chick’s, its body elongating and its powerful hind legs kicking, almost giving the impression of a wild beast on the run.
Russell was just about to give chase.
But he was restrained by a hand on his shoulder from big brother Roland, “Don’t chase after it, that’s a Quail-Dragon, a Primordial Beast unique to the Four Seasons Flower Sea.”
“Quail-Dragon?” Russell paused, “What kind of Primordial Beast earns the honor of being named after a dragon?”
“You’ve heard of Pseudo-Dragons, haven’t you?”
“Of course,” Russell nodded.
In some knight novels, fantasy beasts are not the pinnacle of evolution. It is said that by a stroke of luck, some fantasy beasts can break the shackles of power and evolve into higher forms of life, even usurping the authority of dragons.
The dragon’s authority is to create resources and warm the earth.
Those evolved magical creatures, supposedly, can also produce resources and warm a region of land, but they are neither Great Dragons nor Bipedal Flying Dragons, so they are called Pseudo-Dragons.
Russell liked this setting when reading knight novels, but he wondered, “Aren’t these just magical creatures made up by novelists? I have never seen evidence of the existence of Pseudo-Dragons in formal literature.”
There are no Pseudo-Dragons in the entire Shadowflame Grand Duchy.
At least in the centuries since its founding, there has never been a record of any fantasy beast evolving upward into a Pseudo-Dragon.
“I don’t know whether Pseudo-Dragons exist or not,” Roland shrugged, “but these Quail-Dragons are said to be descendants of Pseudo-Dragons. I remember a Grand Scholar once theorized that Quail-Dragons being able to refine Magic Power without human cultivation stands as strong evidence.”
“Really? So, by that rationale, could the Bear Honeybees I discovered also be descendants of a Pseudo-Dragon?” Russell quickly made the connection.
“Ha, that’s different,” Roland chuckled, “Bear Honeybees are just insects; how could they be related to Pseudo-Dragons?”
Russell frowned, “Why not, insects can evolve into fantasy beasts too.”
“Uh…” Roland found himself at a loss for words.
However, he shook his head and said, “It’s not the same. At least the Quail Dragon has some aspects of a dragon’s appearance. To say it descends from Pseudo-Dragons is somewhat reasonable. But the Bear Honeybee is just a species of honeybee and shows no sign of any dragon-like traits.”
The humans of Dragon Sleep Continent believe that Great Dragons are the most beautiful creatures in the world.
Bipedal Flying Dragons possess the elegant form of Great Dragons, only lacking a pair of front limbs, making them the second most beautiful creatures after the Great Dragons.
It can be said, the more a creature resembles a dragon, the more beautiful it is.
The Blind Eye Dragon might be an exception; it’s just an ordinary fish but, because it’s so delicious, it has been bestowed with a dragon’s name—though the name of the dragon is precious, people don’t mind squandering it on some ordinary things.
“All right, let’s not argue about this anymore.” Russell said, “Big brother, these Quail Dragons, they are wild Primordial Beasts, aren’t they?”
“Yes.”
“Hasn’t anyone thought about capturing them and domesticating them?”
“Of course, they have thought about it, but without exception, all have failed. These little creatures are born full of wildness and cannot be raised in captivity. Even beyond the Four Seasons Flower Sea, Quail Dragons cannot survive anywhere else, including the Volcanic Oasis.”
“Why is that?”
“How would I know, just don’t mess with them… The Grand Scholars believe that the presence of Quail Dragons brings warmth to the Four Seasons Flower Sea. I’ve heard my father mention that in the time of my great-grandfather’s generation, when the family was pioneering the Mountain River Trade Route…”
Russell’s great-grandfather was the first Baron Youguang. It was he who found Mr. Ross when he had just been conceived, thereby establishing the legacy of the Glowing Valley.
It was also this great-grandfather who pioneered the Mountain River Trade Route and discovered the Cold Spring Point of the Four Seasons Flower Sea.
“Back then, nobody knew the use of Quail Dragons; they just captured them to roast and eat. But with each Quail Dragon eaten, the Four Seasons Flower Sea grew colder by a degree until there were nearly no Quail Dragons left, and the sea had become so cold it was frozen.”
Roland vividly told the story he heard as a child to Russell: “There was a Grand Scholar among those who traveled with us at the time. After investigating, the Grand Scholar discovered that Quail Dragons are guardians of the Four Seasons Flower Sea…”
Then, through the efforts of the Grand Scholar, the last few Quail Dragons were protected.
As a new generation of Quail Dragons hatched from their eggs, the temperature of the Four Seasons Flower Sea gradually recovered, becoming the most beautiful jewel on the Mountain River Trade Route.
“Is this story true?” Russell asked.
“It’s true, you can ask our father. Anyway, the Quail Dragons are the guardian messengers of the Four Seasons Flower Sea and the guards placed here by the Shadowflame Dragon… Not only do we have guards here, but there are also many places outside with guardians from the Shadowflame Dragon, and Quail Dragons are just one of them.”
After listening to big brother Roland’s account, Russell still felt half convinced.
So he went straight to Mr. Luo Man to verify it.
The Baron was enjoying his dinner and responded seriously, “I don’t know whether Quail Dragons are descendants of Pseudo-Dragons, but they are undoubtedly an extension of the Shadowflame Dragon, closely connected to the Four Seasons Flower Sea, and you are absolutely not allowed to harm them.”
“Don’t worry, father, I was just curious,” Russell said.
“It’s normal for young people to be curious. However, you should know that the warm place we inhabit all depends on the Shadowflame Dragon. All the magical creatures here are manifestations of the power of the Shadowflame Dragon. All the answers lie within the Shadowflame Dragon itself.”
After a pause, he spoke in a gentler tone, “Russell, there’s no need to trouble yourself seeking out these secrets. To revere it, adapt to it, and make use of it, that’s the best way for us to interact with magical creatures.”
“I understand.”
“Care for a drink together?” Baron Roman gestured for Russell to pour himself a drink.
But Russell shook his head, “No, thank you. Without rules, there can be no squares and circles; I’d better go have a meal with my subordinates.”
He is the son of Baron Roman, but he is also a vassal of Baron Roman.