Chapter 465: The Sultan's Negotiation
A trace of disappointment flickered in Cassius' pale golden eyes as he shook his head regretfully.
Ismail had been resurrected.
Although Cassius was confident in his ability to deal with the Sultan, he had no way to kill the Pasha right in front of him.
Besides, he could barely withstand the Sultan's furious assault—after all, the Sultan possessed pseudo-divine power. Even a projection of him was no easy opponent.
Ismail's gaze fell upon the menacing red dragon, and his face instantly twisted in fear and unease.
"You, you——"
"How could this happen! You were supposed to be decapitated!"
"How dare you kill me!"
The image of his sudden death, his head rolling on the ground, was still fresh in his mind.
But as he lowered his head and looked at his shrunken body, he realized that most of his power had drained away.
"You... what did you do to me?"
His voice trembled uncontrollably.
Even when he had faced death, he hadn't been this terrified. The loss of his strength filled him with true fear.
Strength was everything to him.
Only the strongest fire elementals were worthy of serving as the Sultan's direct subordinates, the noble Pashas of the fire elemental kingdom.
Once he lost his strength, in the warlike fire elemental race, he could easily be replaced by an ambitious newcomer.
"Ismail!"
"You fool!"
The Sultan interrupted angrily.
Ismail turned toward the distant projection of the Sultan, his expression immediately turning to one of dread and panic as he knelt before him.
"My lord!"
"Forgive me for failing you! You even used your power to resurrect me..."
But the Sultan paid no attention to his weakened Pasha, instead focusing on the red dragon, his eyes burning with rage.
If looks could kill, the Sultan would have already flayed and dismembered Cassius a thousand times over.
Cassius, however, didn't care in the slightest. He casually licked his lips, as if savoring the moment, and smiled.
"Sultan, I'm here to negotiate. Let's call a temporary truce."
"Negotiate?!"
The fire elemental couldn't believe his ears. His tone was seething with anger.
"You invade my realm, seize my cities, kill my subjects, and slay my servant!"
"After all that, you dare speak of negotiation?!"
Cassius shook his head gently, dismissing the accusation. "Sultan, that's just your perspective. From my view, your subordinates attacked my followers and insulted me to my face."
"Everything I did was merely self-defense."
Cassius remained unfazed.
The justification didn't matter.
Even an absurd excuse like "defending myself while razing a fire elemental city" could be said without him batting an eye.
Among creatures aligned with the forces of evil, only one thing mattered—power.
If the Sultan had appeared in person with his full pseudo-divine strength, Cassius would have fled without hesitation.
If escape were impossible, groveling wouldn't have been out of the question.
But right now, it was merely a projection of the Sultan. What could he possibly do?
"Self-defense, you say!"
"If I don't stop you now, will you defend yourself all the way to the Brass City?!"
The Sultan's roar echoed across the scorching plains, kicking up waves of heat.
But he quickly calmed down, staring coldly at the distant red dragon, deep in thought.
Things had already escalated to this point.
Blind rage would achieve nothing and only make him appear incompetent.
"Cassius, I know who you are. The offspring of Tiamat, conqueror of the Anzeta Wasteland in the Material Plane, self-proclaimed Ember Emperor."
"Tsk, you've certainly made a name for yourself recently—"
"But to come uninvited into the fire elemental plane and trespass into my realm, aren't you afraid you'll never leave?"
"Do you understand the kind of being you've provoked?"
The Sultan's words were laced with undisguised threats.
Cassius nodded slightly and responded with a flattering tone, "Of course, I understand who you are—master of the Brass City, supreme ruler of the fire elemental kingdom, and sovereign of the fire elemental plane."
On any other day, the Sultan would have taken this as mere flattery.
But coming from a dragon who had just killed his servant and absorbed his power, it was nothing but sarcasm.
The Sultan's expression grew darker.
After finishing that long string of titles, Cassius paused for a moment before continuing.
"But if you could manifest your true form here, I wouldn't dare step foot into the fire elemental plane."
He glanced at the Sultan with a mocking smile and added, "It must be quite uncomfortable, being impaled by Prince Zaman Ruhl's Holy Flame Lance. I heard you're still pinned to your throne."
"You greedy, arrogant red dragon!"
The Sultan couldn't hold back his rage.
Cassius' words had hit another sore spot.
Months ago, Prince Zaman Ruhl had led a rebellion of fire dwarves through secret tunnels into the Brass City.
The Holy Flame Prince had infiltrated his palace and thrown a deadly spear that had nearly killed him.
Even now, the Sultan remained confined to the Brass City, nursing his wounds and unable to leave the palace.
The city was under tighter security than ever before, with all passageways sealed and rigorous inspections conducted everywhere.
Glaring at Cassius with venomous eyes, the Sultan asked, "Who sent you? What do you want?"
"Who sent me?"
Cassius repeated the question with a chuckle before continuing.
"That depends on your decision."
"If you insist on making an enemy of the Ember Empire, then I'm Prince Zaman Ruhl's secret weapon."
"I will fly across your vast kingdom, sweeping through every fire elemental city and encampment, slaughtering them like Death itself."
His words were brimming with menace.
A flicker of panic crossed the Sultan's face—barely perceptible, but there nonetheless.
Cassius wasn't bluffing.
The frontlines were stretched thin, and cities throughout the kingdom were dealing with slave uprisings.
Most of the fire elementals' elite forces were locked in battle with Zaman Ruhl's followers.
And the Sultan himself, severely wounded, spent his days recuperating in the palace.
Under such strained circumstances, there would be no one to stop a war machine like this ancient red dragon.
Cassius continued, "But if you agree to a truce with the Ember Empire, forget these misunderstandings, and extend your apologies to me and the empire—"
"Then this incident can be seen as a mere mistake. I won't interfere with your Burning War, and I could even provide military support within my means."
Cassius lifted his head, his monstrous face wearing a calm smile.
"I always strive for peace and don't advocate for violence. All conflicts can be resolved through negotiation."
"Don't you think so?"