Blue Valley glowed brighter as midnight approached.
The moon had fully risen above the ancient silver trees now, bathing the sacred valley in pale radiance while thousands of White Lilies shimmered softly like stars blooming upon the earth itself. Cold night winds flowed gently through the glowing fields, carrying the scent of mana-rich flowers across the valley.
Yet despite the beauty—
The atmosphere between the two dragon clans had become increasingly dangerous.
Ashfang Clan.
Moonscale Clan.
Black dragons and silver dragons continued gathering White Lilies obsessively throughout the valley while subtle hostility thickened continuously beneath every glance and every movement.
No one wanted to lose.
Not tonight.
Because this was no longer simply about flowers.
It had become about superiority.
About bloodlines.
About pride.
And somewhere amidst all that rivalry—
Kel quietly continued making everything worse.
The black-haired man moved naturally among the Ashfang warriors beneath his illusionary draconic disguise while secretly storing enormous quantities of White Lilies inside dimensional storage hidden beneath his coat.
No one noticed.
Because everyone remained too focused on defeating each other.
Sairen's voice echoed softly through the soul-link.
"…You look suspiciously satisfied."
Kel calmly plucked another glowing lily near the riverside.
"The situation is progressing smoothly."
The guardian sighed quietly.
"…You are treating dragon clans like chess pieces again."
Kel smiled faintly.
"They're doing most of the work themselves."
And truly—
They were.
Throughout the valley, Ashfang warriors loudly competed against Moonscale gatherers while both factions aggressively counted flower bundles and monitored each other constantly.
Several minor arguments had already erupted over gathering territories.
One nearly escalated into combat before elders intervened.
The atmosphere only continued worsening.
Because now—
Everyone had begun wondering about the same thing.
Who gathered more White Lilies?
The thought spread naturally throughout the valley like invisible fire.
An Ashfang warrior suddenly laughed loudly near the central gathering zone.
"At this rate we'll overwhelm the silver-bloods completely!"
A nearby Moonscale dragon immediately scoffed coldly.
"In your dreams."
Several warriors from both clans glared toward each other instantly.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly walked through the crowd listening carefully.
The tension had reached the perfect point now.
Almost unstable.
Only one final push remained necessary.
Sairen immediately sensed danger.
"…Kel."
"Hm?"
"…Do not say anything."
Kel ignored her completely.
The black-haired man casually stepped closer toward a gathering crowd where several draconic warriors from both factions argued about estimated harvest numbers.
One Ashfang soldier crossed his arms arrogantly.
"We clearly gathered more."
A silver-scaled Moonscale warrior narrowed his slit pupils sharply.
"Impossible."
The argument intensified immediately.
"Our gathering teams covered the eastern river fields."
"And we harvested the northern terraces first."
"No one gathers faster than Ashfang warriors."
"Your clan only knows how to trample flowers."
Mana pressure subtly rose again.
Perfect timing.
Then calmly—
From somewhere within the Ashfang crowd—
Kel spoke.
"Obviously Ashfang gathered more White Lilies."
Silence.
Instant silence.
Then—
The entire atmosphere exploded.
The Ashfang warriors immediately roared with approval.
"Exactly!"
"Finally someone with functioning eyes!"
"Of course we gathered more!"
Meanwhile—
The Moonscale Clan reacted instantly.
Several silver dragons narrowed their eyes furiously.
"Ridiculous."
"Based on what?"
"That hasn't even been counted yet."
Kel calmly folded his arms beneath the moonlight while standing among the black dragons naturally.
"The Ashfang teams harvested faster from the beginning."
His voice remained casual.
Reasonable even.
"Unless the Moonscale Clan secretly hid gathered lilies…"
A faint pause followed.
"…the outcome already seems obvious."
The moment those words landed—
Everything worsened.
"Hidden lilies?!"
Several Moonscale warriors stepped forward angrily.
The silver dragon woman Seralyth immediately looked toward Kel again from across the glowing fields.
Her silver-blue eyes narrowed sharply.
That strange Ashfang male again…
Meanwhile—
The Ashfang warriors erupted into loud agreement instantly.
"Yes!"
"We should count them publicly!"
"Exactly!"
One black-scaled draconic warrior pointed aggressively toward the Moonscale faction.
"Let both clans supervise the counting."
The Moonscale Clan immediately answered coldly.
"We have nothing to hide."
"Then prove it."
"Gladly."
The rivalry intensified beyond recovery.
Sairen sounded exhausted inside the soul-link.
"…You just turned flower gathering into a political incident."
Kel quietly smiled faintly beneath the illusionary disguise.
"It already was one."
The moonlight drifted softly across the valley while both dragon clans rapidly reorganized themselves.
Large counting areas were established near the central river fields.
Warriors carried gathered White Lilies into enormous piles beneath direct supervision from both clans.
And suddenly—
Everyone became paranoid.
"Count carefully."
"Watch their movements."
"Don't let Ashfang alter the numbers."
"Moonscales are probably hiding flowers."
The atmosphere turned absurdly competitive now.
Even minor counting errors nearly caused arguments.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly moved among the Ashfang crowd while continuing secretly transferring hidden White Lilies into his dimensional storage.
Because now—
No one paid attention to individual gathering totals anymore.
Everyone focused entirely on clan victory.
Exactly as he intended.
Seralyth continued observing him from a distance while supervising Moonscale counting teams.
The silver dragon woman's elegant silver robes moved softly beneath the cold valley winds while moonlight reflected beautifully across her scales.
Yet despite the chaos surrounding the valley—
Her attention repeatedly returned toward the strange Ashfang male.
Because unlike the others—
He did not look emotionally invested.
No shouting.
No aggressive boasting.
No obvious excitement.
Yet somehow—
The entire situation kept worsening around him.
And instinctively—
She began suspecting something.
Not fully.
Not clearly.
But enough for unease to form quietly within her chest.
Meanwhile—
The counting continued beneath the moonlight.
Pile after pile of glowing White Lilies accumulated across the sacred valley while both dragon clans supervised each other obsessively.
And amidst that growing rivalry—
Kel quietly watched the flames of draconic pride burn brighter and brighter.
Because pride was always easiest to manipulate.
Especially among powerful beings.
Humans.
Dragons.
Nobles.
Kings.
In the end—
All intelligent creatures feared the same thing.
Being seen as lesser.