Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords

Atop the small mountain, fully armed Orc barbarians manned ballistae, eyeing the silver dragon below with fierce intent, while the dragon trembled.

Both sides shared a common perception: each believed they were at a significant disadvantage. Predicting the outcome of a battle was nearly impossible, a rarity in the annals of warfare.

Sophia worried that any movement would turn her into a sieve. She doubted her scales could withstand ballista bolts of that caliber. The people of Highcliff Keep feared the dragon possessed devastating magic and watched its every move.

Any hint of spellcasting would be met with immediate crossbow fire.

Sophia was consumed with regret, wondering why she had run away from home. Now, she was cornered at her doorstep.

She imagined being captured, her dragon tendons, blood, scales, and heart sold off piece by piece.

Li Wei leaned his special orichalcum shield nearby, gripping the wicked harpoon with its chain tightly.

The lord squinted, his eyes fixed on the silver dragon.

At a hundred paces, he was ninety-nine percent confident he could lodge the harpoon in the dragon’s body.

Just then, the silver dragon moved, using its claw to pick up a tattered gray cloth, waving it in the wind.

“What’s it doing?”

Li Wei wondered if it was a medium for spellcasting, an unremarkable gray cloth that might be a powerful magical material.

“Looks like a white flag?” Zart said uncertainly.

Sophia Ansee Redesgo was a silver dragon, specifically the third daughter of a silver dragon family on Dragon Island.

Life on Dragon Island was carefree, with dragon elders sharing tales of dragons exploring the medieval continent, free from danger.

But the world was vast, and Sophia yearned to see it.

The more legends she heard, the more restless she became.

Stories told of dragons amassing fortunes and even establishing dragon kingdoms.

Hearing of these predecessors' great deeds, Sophia longed to leave Dragon Island and explore the medieval continent.

But Dragon Island had rules: only adults could leave to travel.

She could only sigh and suppress her impulses.

Until one day, she helped Uncle Phiat work hard for a day, earning ten silver coins as reward.

Just as she happily prepared to deposit them in her little dragon piggy bank, her mother arrived, ruthlessly emptying her long-saved treasure.

Claiming Sophia was too young to manage money, she would return it when Sophia reached adulthood.

In anger, she briefly raged, but as a dragon, age meant strength, and she had no power to resist.

The idea of escaping Dragon Island became irresistible. Having observed the guards' routines, she packed her bags and left that night.

Following a map stolen from Uncle Phiat, she arrived in the wilderness.

Everything went smoothly. Following the examples of legendary dragons, she gathered followers upon arrival, using her dragon status.

The plan was to hide in her lair, letting her followers collect treasure until she had enough to return to Dragon Island in glory.

But now…

She woke up to find her home surrounded, her follower army gone.

Though unaware of what had happened, Sophia knew any action would make her a stepping stone for dragon slayers.

To survive, Sophia decided to surrender, believing that living was paramount.

Dragon honor couldn’t fill her belly.

“So, you’re surrendering?”

The lord, holding his shield, cautiously approached the silver dragon, poking his head out for confirmation.

Legendary dragon slayers often gripped their swords, facing dragons head-on for dramatic effect.

But Li Wei valued his life more than appearances, believing in caution.

The dragon might try to lure him closer to capture him. If he had a few clerics with Holy Shield spells, he might risk it, but he only had Orc barbarians.

Even Olak, the shaman, only knew self-buffing spells. Sacrificing safety for appearances was foolish.

As for appearances, he could embellish his story for scholars and bards later.

Approaching the silver dragon, Li Wei realized its immense size. It was a juvenile compared to legendary dragons, but still thirty-odd spans long, two stories tall.

Li Wei couldn’t imagine the size of legendary dragons and realized his earlier dragon-slaying ideas were naive.

Sophia nodded quickly, speaking fluent Common: “I surrender. Spare me, and I’ll do as you say.”

Confirming the silver dragon’s surrender, the lord felt life was strange.

He had expected a fierce battle, with only him and a few Highcliff Keep leaders surviving.

Bards would sing of their epic dragon-slaying victory.

But instead, a single, off-target arrow scared the silver dragon into surrendering.

“Words are cheap. Put this chain on yourself, and I’ll believe you.” The lord took out a specially made steel collar from his system space, connected to a thick iron chain.

Clearly designed for a giant beast.

Indicating the lord's dragon-riding aspirations were premeditated.

Sophia froze, not surprised by the space magic item, but by the collar designed for dragons.

She wondered if surrendering was the right decision.

But there was no turning back, especially with seven ballistae aimed at her.

“No need,” she said quickly. “I can shapeshift.”

Wearing the collar would make her the most embarrassing silver dragon in history.

She chanted dragon words, and holy light enveloped her. When it dissipated, a silver-haired girl stood in her place.

“Holy crap, a silver-haired, dragon-horned loli?”

The lord blurted out, unable to contain himself.

Even Archbishop Saint Drego, known for his composure centuries ago, would be stunned.

As a magic-illiterate, Li Wei didn’t understand how one could transform a multi-story beast into an adorable silver-haired girl.

The silver dragon’s timid nature and the advanced shapeshifting, beyond even archmages, told Li Wei he had encountered the real deal!

A genuine silver dragon, possibly with a remarkable background.

Not all dragons were evil. Besides the inherently evil chromatic dragons, most metallic dragons were neutral or good.

Silver dragons were known for elegance and often traveled the world in human form.

One silver dragon, using shapeshifting, accomplished something famous.

It became a deposed prince, living abroad, eventually seducing a princess with his looks.

The king had no sons, so the throne passed to the princess, who soon abdicated to the silver dragon prince.

They had a silver dragon-blooded daughter, but the princess died. The silver dragon raised the girl, then tried to leave, but hadn’t aged in decades. His daughter, born of a human princess, fell in love with him.

The rest was predictable.

The kingdom’s royal family went from brown-haired to silver-haired in a century.

The story was called “Root Extinction.”

The silver dragon single-handedly transformed a nation in a century.

Decades later, during a war, the silver dragon revealed his identity to save the royal family from annihilation, leading them away.

The deposed prince’s identity became known.

Showing silver dragons' shapeshifting prowess.

“Dragons are weaker in human form, so you don’t have to worry,” Sophia explained, shifting uncomfortably.

She disliked human form, which limited her strength and made her feel insecure. It was like wearing tight clothes.

She hadn’t used shapeshifting in a while and felt awkward.

Li Wei examined the silver-haired girl.

About five-foot-four, taller than Weiss Tina, slender, wearing a loose white robe and short sleeves, silver hair cascading down her back, red lips, white teeth, beautiful face, silver dragon horns curving back from her skull.

Dragons appreciated beauty in all races.

The dragon-slaying battle was strangely resolved, relieving everyone but also leaving them disappointed.

“Tch, you’re a dragon. Why surrender so fast?”

Zart removed his horned helmet, pouting.

He had dreamed of slaying a dragon with the boss, becoming Zart the Dragon Slayer.

Orc girls would swarm him.

Now, the dragon slayer title was gone, and his preparations were wasted.

Prisoners' fates differed. Highcliff Keep prisoners were ignored, but Sophia retorted, “That’s blatant bias! Can’t dragons surrender?”

“Many dragons have surrendered, especially insignificant ones like me.”

Realizing she was a prisoner, she asked the lord cautiously, “What will you do with me?”

“Dragon heart wine for longevity, dragon liver medicine for vigor,” Li Wei threatened with a smile.

He implied everything without saying it.

Sophia paled, trembling, trying to dissuade him: “Those are rumors!”

But her pale face wasn’t convincing.

Sophia understood why elders called humans terrifying, feeling despair.

“You’re too scrawny to be useful,” the lord said, not wanting to scare her. “As a prisoner, work for freedom or have someone pay your ransom.”

Li Wei thought the silver dragon was unusual.

Metallic dragons were rare, especially young ones.

The silver dragon's timidity resembled Meer's, showing she had lived a sheltered life.

The Storm Sea near the medieval continent had an island with neutral or good dragons.

The silver dragon might be from there.

But it was just speculation. Regardless, she couldn’t be treated like a slave.

To become a true dragon rider, he had to build rapport.

Sophia felt her thinness was an advantage, saving her life.

Li Wei knew shapeshifting transformed dragons physically but limited their size and strength, hindering magic.

So he was less wary of the silver dragon.

But he wouldn’t let her stray beyond fifty paces.

Any misstep would result in a pierced heart.

After subduing the dragon, it was time to loot the treasure.

Dragons loved treasure, so Li Wei expected a hoard and hoped for magical equipment.

But when he entered the lair with the mournful Sophia, Li Wei’s face darkened.

Damn, this dragon was poorer than the Baron!