The conference chamber had grown quieter after Kel's words.
Not peaceful quiet.
But thoughtful silence.
The kind born when old beliefs begin cracking beneath uncomfortable truths.
Lanternlight flickered gently across the polished darkwood walls while silver moonlight poured through the towering windows overlooking the Southern capital below. Far beneath the mansion, faint music from the ballroom still drifted upward through the corridors like echoes from another life.
Yet no one inside this chamber cared about dancing anymore.
The atmosphere had shifted too deeply.
Dragons.
The word alone had reopened wounds buried beneath decades of politics and survival.
And now—
Kel had forced the room to confront something even more unsettling.
Humanity did not truly understand them.
Several nobles remained visibly uncomfortable after the earlier discussion. One merchant Count silently rubbed his temple while another stared absently into his untouched wine glass. Even military nobles who normally spoke boldly had become restrained.
Because the deeper they thought about it—
The more terrifying the truth became.
They feared dragons immensely.
Yet knew almost nothing about them.
Duke Kael Draven remained seated within shadow near the far side of the table, gray eyes fixed silently toward the moonlit windows.
Meanwhile—
Duchess Seraphine quietly observed Kel again.
And despite the fear lingering from earlier memories…
Her fascination only deepened.
Because unlike everyone else in the room—
Heral spoke of dragons without hatred.
Without blind fear.
Not because he underestimated them.
But because he approached them rationally.
Like a scholar studying storms.
Dangerous man.
Kel himself remained calm behind Landon's chair.
The flickering lanternlight illuminated portions of his dark attire while shadows concealed the rest of his expression.
Then finally—
He spoke again.
"If the South truly wishes to rebuild…"
His calm voice echoed softly through the chamber.
"…then eventually we will need answers."
Several nobles frowned slightly.
Kel continued.
"Roads can be rebuilt."
"Cities restored."
"Trade expanded."
His eyes slowly moved across the room.
"But if fear continues ruling the South…"
A faint pause followed.
"…then true growth will always remain limited."
No one interrupted him.
Not now.
Because after tonight—
The chamber had unconsciously begun treating Heral differently.
Not merely as an alchemist.
Not merely as an advisor.
But as someone whose words carried dangerous weight.
Kel stepped slightly closer toward the table.
"Which is why…"
His voice remained calm.
"…after the Southern Council is formally established…"
A brief silence followed.
"…I propose the formation of an exploration division."
The room immediately stiffened.
One younger noble frowned deeply.
"Exploration?"
Kel nodded once.
"A specialized Southern expedition force."
Now the atmosphere sharpened instantly again.
Several military nobles exchanged uneasy glances.
Merchant Counts visibly tensed.
Even Duchess Seraphine's fingers tightened faintly around her wine glass.
Because everyone understood what he meant before he even clarified it.
The Wild Southern Mountains.
The ancient mountain range beyond the civilized South.
A land of endless jungles, monster-infested valleys, ruined civilizations…
And dragon territory.
The room grew colder emotionally once more.
Sairen's voice echoed softly through the soul-link.
"…You really are pushing them tonight."
Far away—
Silver mist drifted quietly around Sairen's ancient figure atop Scarder Lake.
Kel answered internally.
"Fear stagnates civilizations."
A brief pause.
"Curiosity advances them."
Meanwhile—
Inside the chamber—
The nobles had begun reacting immediately.
"That's insanity."
A merchant Count spoke sharply.
"Sending expeditions into the Southern Wildlands?"
Another noble frowned.
"Entire military battalions vanished there."
A military noble nodded grimly.
"The jungles themselves are deadly."
"Poisonous beasts."
"Ancient creatures."
"Unknown terrain."
"And dragons."
Someone added quietly.
Almost reluctantly.
Kel listened calmly to every objection.
Then—
He spoke again.
"Exactly."
Silence.
His gaze sharpened faintly beneath the lanternlight.
"We know nothing because humanity stopped trying to learn."
Several nobles visibly frowned hearing that.
Kel continued.
"The South fears the mountains."
"And because of that fear…"
A slight pause.
"…the mountains remain unknown."
Duke Altair slowly crossed his arms again while observing Kel carefully.
He's serious.
Not theoretical discussion.
Not philosophical curiosity.
Heral genuinely intended to push exploration into dragon territory eventually.
That realization alone felt absurd.
Yet strangely—
Not impossible.
Kel's calm voice continued filling the chamber.
"If dragons truly threaten the future of the South…"
His eyes slowly moved toward Kael Draven.
"…then ignorance is our greatest weakness."
Kael remained silent.
But his gray eyes sharpened faintly.
Kel folded his hands behind his back.
"We need maps."
"Ancient records."
"Monster patterns."
"Environmental understanding."
Then—
A slight pause followed.
"And perhaps…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…actual answers regarding dragons themselves."
The chamber froze again.
Not because the logic sounded foolish.
But because it sounded terrifyingly reasonable.
Duchess Seraphine slowly lowered her gaze.
Her heartbeat had become strangely unstable again.
Because this man standing beneath lanternlight…
Truly intended to challenge the unknown itself.
Not recklessly.
Not arrogantly.
Methodically.
And somehow—
That made him even more frightening.
One military Count finally frowned deeply.
"Even if we agree…"
His voice remained cautious.
"…who would join such expeditions willingly?"
Kel answered immediately.
"Mercenaries."
Several nobles blinked faintly.
"Southern mercenary forces already operate within dangerous regions routinely."
Kel continued calmly.
"Hunters."
"Explorers."
"Scholars."
"Alchemists."
"Mages."
His eyes sharpened faintly.
"And nobles seeking glory."
That final part made several younger aristocrats visibly shift.
Because yes—
There would always be ambitious fools drawn toward dangerous fame.
Count Veridan adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
"And funding?"
Kel's gaze moved toward the proposal documents still scattered across the table.
"The Southern Council restoration budget."
Several nobles immediately frowned again.
"That fund exists to rebuild cities."
"And understanding the Wild Southern Mountains is part of rebuilding the South."
Kel answered calmly.
Silence followed.
Because technically—
He wasn't wrong.
Duke Altair finally spoke then.
"If successful…"
His deep voice echoed heavily through the chamber.
"…such expeditions could uncover new trade routes."
Merchant nobles immediately sharpened slightly hearing that.
"Rare resources as well."
Another Count added quietly.
"And ancient ruins."
A mage-affiliated noble muttered thoughtfully.
The atmosphere subtly shifted again.
Fear remained.
But now—
Greed had entered beside curiosity.
Kel noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
Sairen softly laughed through the soul-link.
"…There it is."
Kel remained calm internally.
"Humanity always walks further when profit accompanies courage."
Meanwhile—
Kael Draven continued silently observing Kel.
And inwardly—
The Duke finally realized something important.
This young man…
Was not merely proposing policies.
He was slowly guiding the South toward evolution.
Toward becoming stronger through knowledge rather than fear.
And perhaps most dangerous of all—
Part of Kael admired it.
The lantern flames flickered softly once more across the ancient chamber walls.
Outside—
Clouds slowly drifted across the moon above the distant Southern Mountains.
Dark.
Endless.
Untamed.
And somewhere beyond those ancient jungles—
Dragons still watched the world from forgotten skies.
Unaware that tonight—
Humanity had finally begun looking back.