Chapter 73

The response from the family knight left the red-haired female knight Judith and the gray-haired elder Ronner staring at each other in surprise.

"Fly over? Actually fly?"

Just which arrogant noble magician treats mental energy and elemental power so lightly?

"Order Jim..."

Judith had just started to speak when she was interrupted by her steward.

"Wait, Lord of the House!"

"What is it, Ronner?" Judith was not angry; she knew that Ronner, who always adhered strictly to noble etiquette, would not interrupt without reason.

"I guess the other party should be a powerful noble magician, Lord of the House. I suggest you allow him to share in the spoils. After all, more strength means a higher chance of success."

The steward Ronner bowed on the green-scaled steed, apologizing for his impolite interruption.

Hunting a dragon is not like slaughtering chickens or dogs. Although the benefits are unimaginably huge, the risk is equally high.

If the dragon hunt fails, the entire team will be wiped out, and the family that the ancestors have painstakingly built over hundreds of years will vanish.

This new noble magician might just be the straw that breaks the back of the golden dragon!

Judith's azure eyes flickered, and she nodded. "Alright, bring him over!"

---

"Stop! No closer!"

With a shout, an arrow whistled past Lin Mo's side.

But that was all.

The dragon knight did not even glance in the direction of the archer, continuing to fly forward.

Complete disregard!

"Damn it! No further!"

The archer Ian, enraged, stood up from his hiding place, drew a real arrow, and shouted at the low-flying figure.

Was he not even a threat in the other's eyes? The fifth-rank archer felt a great blow to his pride.

In fact, the moment the arrow left the string, the radar system of the "Dragon General" tactical armor calculated the trajectory, confirming it would not hit. Lin Mo naturally did not even make a symbolic dodge.

"Ian, Ian, let him pass! It's Lady Judith's order!"

Another archer nearby leaped from the trees, light as a bird.

"Damn it, who is this guy?"

Ian looked at the back of the uninvited guest with a sense of dread.

"That might be a noble magician! Be careful, don't cause trouble for yourself."

The archer stopped, waved at Ian, and then leaped back onto the treetops, quickly leaving.

The outer perimeter was not to prevent people from抢掠猎物, but to avoid innocent civilians accidentally entering and causing mass casualties. If the hunt affected civilians, the imperial authorities would intervene, severely punishing the perpetrators.

In such a case, they would not only fail to gain any benefits but also invite trouble.

Especially in the Sylan Empire, which has good relations with the dragon race, although there is a certain demand for dragon materials and the empire turns a blind eye to dragon hunting, it is not so lenient when it comes to civilians. No ruler would allow dragon hunters to turn their territory into a battlefield, causing widespread destruction and suffering. Once this precedent is set, it would be difficult to control the situation.

Despite this, some countries, which do not care about these issues, have become no-go zones for dragons.

Dragons are not someone else's pet dogs that can be drugged and stolen in winter to make dog meat stew.

Even if the dragon hunt is successful, the dragon hunting team must go into hiding. If the dragon race finds them, it will mean certain death. As a participant in this food chain, they will also become a target for hunting.

---

Unimpeded, led by a knight, Lin Mo met the person in charge of the dragon hunt, a young noble woman with red hair and blue eyes.

"Ronner, is this the noble magician you mentioned?"

Judith was speechless at the sight of the man who looked more like a knight. Although he had flown over, it seemed he might have used some special alchemical device.

"Uh, sorry, Lord of the House!"

The gray-haired steward's face turned red, realizing that despite his vast experience, he had made a mistake. Noble magicians never dressed in such heavy armor.

Judith did not look at the embarrassed steward again, refocusing on the knight in black heavy armor. "I am Judith of the Morix family of the Anstrather Empire. May I ask what this knight wishes?"

"I am Moline, a dragon knight of the Sylan Empire's Royal Dragon Corps. Please stop the dragon hunt immediately."

Lin Mo glanced at the golden dragon, which was already showing signs of fatigue and would not last much longer.

"What?"

Judith and Ronner spoke in unison, then looked at each other again.

They were surprised by his official status and his request.

Additionally, from his voice, despite the helmet that obscured his face, they could tell he was a young knight.

That was simply impossible.

"Sorry, Dragon Knight, we cannot comply with your request. This operation has been officially registered with the Sylan Empire, and the Morix family has invested a great deal of money and manpower. Your request is unreasonable."

Judith stood firm, her slender waist straight, her face full of determination.

They had invested so much and were risking their lives to hunt the dragon; they would not stop just because of his words, especially since the dragon would not let them off easily.

The dragon hunting families have been hunting dragons for generations, joining the food chain through survival of the fittest. Successfully hunting a dragon brings great rewards, but being killed by the dragon or facing the dragon race's retaliation is also part of the deal.

"If you want to oppose the Sylan Empire's Royal Dragon Corps!"

Lin Mo was openly threatening, even using the dragon corps as a cover.

"Boy! What are you saying?"

"Do you want to die?"

Those involved in the dragon hunt were not kind-hearted. Some were even ruthless. The nearby reserve fighters, resting and waiting, began to shout and curse.

As professional dragon hunters, they knew the dragons better than anyone except the dragon race. Judith glanced at the struggling golden dragon and said, "That big guy is not your mount, is it? If not, please do not interfere, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

Her tone showed no fear, only firmness.

Dragon hunters follow an unwritten rule: never attack a dragon knight's mount. Otherwise, they would face a joint manhunt from nations with dragon knights, which would be worse than the dragon race's retaliation.

As the leader of the dragon hunting team, Judith's words drew laughter from the others. How could such a fierce golden dragon be a dragon knight's mount? That would be suicide!

"Lord Moline, if you are willing to help us, the Morix family guarantees a satisfactory and generous reward."

The gray-haired steward Ronner and Judith played the good cop and bad cop, showing a strong stance while also offering a tempting reward.

Even with more fighters joining, the Morix family would still take the lion's share.

"Sorry, we have different goals! I must be rude!"

Words were not enough, and Lin Mo decided to act alone, taking the initiative.

Judith's face darkened, and she waved her hand, her tone harsh. "Stop him!"

She did not want a self-proclaimed dragon knight to ruin her plans.

"Boy, you have a choice between heaven and hell, and you choose hell!"

"Stop! Surrender or die."

"Who cares if you're a dragon knight, anyone blocking my path will die!"

Warriors with glowing battle auras rushed forward with their weapons.

Lin Mo moved incredibly fast, disappearing from his spot.

"What?"

"Where?"

"There! Not good!"

When the warriors found Lin Mo again, they all stopped.

"Such a powerful battle aura, this boy is a ninth-rank warrior!"

"Damn it, release Lady Judith!"

Those who participated in the interception were warriors. The more threatening magicians and sorcerers did not move, even when their leader, Judith, was captured.

Compared to the hateful captor, the magicians and sorcerers, as the main force in the dragon hunt, only glanced at the scene, continuing to rest and recover their strength. Even if the hunt failed, they could still save their lives with their recovered power.

Only a few archers aimed their bows at the dragon knight and Judith.

"Miss Judith, please do not make any sudden moves."

The cold barrel of a 92-style combat pistol pressed against the young female knight's temple. Lin Mo's warm breath lightly brushed Judith's neck, causing a flush to rise to her cheeks.

"Release me! Or you will regret it."

The red-haired female knight, unable to use her strength due to the strange method used by the other, was filled with shame and anger, but she did not dare to move. Although she did not know what the other was pressing against her, she was sure it was not something good.