Blue Valley had descended into madness.
The peaceful sacred valley that once glowed serenely beneath moonlight now echoed with furious shouting, clashing mana, and aggressive draconic pride. White Lilies swayed beneath cold silver winds while two dragon clans competed almost violently across the glowing fields.
The Ashfang Clan moved like a black tide through the valley.
The Moonscale Clan answered with cold precision and ruthless efficiency.
And amidst that chaos—
Kel quietly harvested flowers.
The black-haired man moved naturally among the Ashfang warriors beneath his illusionary draconic disguise while glowing White Lilies disappeared steadily into his storage pouch one after another.
The moonlight reflected faintly across the false black scales decorating his neck while the curved horns hidden within his dark hair completed the appearance almost perfectly.
Meanwhile around him—
The competition between clans intensified endlessly.
"Move faster!"
"Don't let the silver-bloods gather more than us!"
"Ashfang superiority!"
The black dragon warriors aggressively pushed deeper into the glowing lily fields while the Moonscale Clan answered by deploying their own gathering formations across the valley.
Neither side wanted to lose.
Not tonight.
And Kel—
Quietly enjoyed every moment of it.
Sairen's voice echoed through the soul-link.
"…You genuinely look entertained."
Kel calmly plucked another glowing White Lily beneath the moonlight.
"I am."
The guardian sighed softly.
"…You manipulated two dragon clans into competing over flowers."
Kel's lips curved faintly upward.
"No."
The black-haired man glanced toward two Ashfang warriors currently arguing with a nearby Moonscale group.
"I merely redirected existing arrogance."
Sairen remained silent briefly.
Then muttered quietly—
"…That somehow sounds worse."
Nearby—
Several Ashfang soldiers aggressively harvested White Lilies while loudly mocking the Moonscale Clan across the valley.
The atmosphere resembled a battlefield disguised as flower gathering.
One large black-scaled draconic warrior suddenly looked toward Kel suspiciously.
"…You."
Kel calmly turned toward him.
The warrior narrowed his golden slit eyes slightly.
"You're gathering properly."
Kel simply nodded once.
Then casually asked—
"Why exactly are we gathering White Lilies anyway?"
The nearby black dragon soldiers immediately looked toward him strangely.
"…You don't know?"
Kel maintained a perfectly natural expression.
"I grew up near border towns."
His voice carried a rough casual tone fitting the Ashfang warriors naturally.
"I only came deeper into the Dragon Realm recently."
That explanation instantly softened suspicion.
One older Ashfang soldier snorted while continuing to gather lilies.
"Border dragons really know nothing."
Another laughed harshly.
"No wonder."
The first warrior eventually answered while stuffing glowing lilies into a reinforced container.
"White Lilies are used to create King's Heart."
Kel's eyes narrowed slightly internally.
Externally—
He remained calm.
"…King's Heart?"
The black dragon warrior grinned proudly.
"You really are ignorant."
Another soldier beside him joined the explanation eagerly.
"The next Dragon King will soon be selected."
Kel quietly continued gathering flowers while listening carefully.
The warrior spoke proudly beneath the moonlit valley.
"There are twelve noble dragon households."
He raised one clawed finger.
"And the Imperial Bloodline."
Thirteen total.
"Each household presents a descendant candidate."
The warrior's slit pupils gleamed faintly beneath silver moonlight.
"Then all thirteen compete for the throne."
Kel's movements slowed slightly.
Interesting.
A merit-based succession system.
Not direct inheritance.
The Ashfang soldier continued proudly.
"Whichever candidate wins…"
A faint grin spread across his scaled face.
"…their household becomes the next Imperial Clan."
Sairen softly whispered through the soul-link.
"…Dragon politics are more brutal than human kingdoms."
Kel quietly agreed internally.
Because this system ensured something terrifying.
No dragon bloodline remained permanently secure.
Every generation—
Power reset.
Competition returned.
Which meant—
Strength ruled absolutely.
Meanwhile—
The Ashfang warriors continued speaking openly around Kel.
"The current Imperial Household is desperate."
One soldier spat toward the glowing grass.
"They want their heir to become the second Dragon King from the same bloodline."
Another warrior snorted coldly.
"They're hoarding every valuable resource they can."
Kel calmly asked while pretending curiosity.
"And White Lilies matter that much?"
The nearby soldiers immediately nodded.
"Of course."
"They're one of the primary ingredients."
"For King's Heart."
The black dragon warrior lowered his voice slightly afterward.
"That medicine greatly enhances draconic bloodline awakening."
Kel's dark eyes flickered faintly beneath the illusionary disguise.
Now things became much more interesting.
Bloodline enhancement medicine.
For future Dragon King candidates.
No wonder both clans competed so aggressively.
Sairen quietly asked—
"…You're thinking something dangerous again."
Kel calmly harvested another flower.
"Always."
The guardian sighed heavily inside the soul-link.
Meanwhile—
The valley competition only intensified further.
Several Moonscale Clan gatherers had begun moving deeper into the highest-density lily regions near the glowing rivers.
The Ashfang warriors immediately reacted aggressively.
"They're trying to outgather us!"
"Move faster!"
Mana surged across the valley while draconic warriors raced between glowing flower fields beneath moonlight.
And somewhere amidst them—
Kel continued collecting White Lilies calmly.
Far more efficiently than either clan realized.
Because unlike the dragons—
He did not care about competition.
Only results.
The black-haired man quietly stored another large batch into dimensional storage while listening carefully to the Ashfang soldiers continue discussing dragon politics nearby.
One younger warrior spoke excitedly.
"They say even the Heavenly Flame Clan joined the competition this generation."
Another soldier laughed roughly.
"Then the throne competition will become bloody."
A third warrior suddenly lowered his voice.
"I heard one candidate already disappeared mysteriously."
Several nearby soldiers glanced around instinctively afterward.
Political assassinations.
Kel almost smiled faintly.
Even dragons remained trapped by the same patterns as humans.
Power.
Succession.
Bloodlines.
Fear.
Ambition.
The races differed.
The instincts remained similar.
Sairen quietly muttered—
"…You look disappointed."
Kel calmly watched both dragon clans competing fiercely beneath the sacred moonlit valley.
"Not disappointed."
A faint pause followed.
"Just reminded."
The guardian softly asked—
"…Of what?"
Kel's dark eyes reflected the glowing White Lilies silently.
"That intelligence always creates hierarchy."
The cold moonlight drifted softly across the valley.
"And hierarchy always creates conflict."