CHAPTER 112: REQUESTS

Kaelith had been expecting this man to show up eventually—but of all days, he had chosen the worst possible one.

When she entered her office, he was already there, seated with the casual air of someone who owned the place.

"Do you ever believe in making appointments with other people," Kaelith asked coldly as she came to stand before him, "or do you think only your time is valuable?"

The man lifted his eyes to her, his round face calm and unreadable. Short, graying hair marked his age, yet the breadth of his shoulders and the quiet dominance in his presence declared the truth: this dragon was still powerful enough to command fear and respect.

He was no ordinary dragon.

He was one of the most ancient beings alive.

One of the first Dragon Kings who still walked the planet.

Argon Ambara Emberclad.

The only man Kaelith had ever truly respected in this world.

And yet, at this moment, she regarded him with caution.

For he belonged to the faction most determined to see the child of chaos hunted down.

Unlike her, the other Dragon Kings refused to tolerate the existence of the heir of chaos. That explained her wariness now.

"I thought you wouldn’t be seeing anyone for some time," Argon said evenly, his tone straight to the point. "Considering who it is you’ve chosen to focus on."

That didn’t surprise her. Kaelith had expected him to know by now. News of the incident at the checkpoint would have reached his ears long before they reached here. And if he knew, then he was already aware that the Chaos Heir was being kept hidden in the human realm.

What surprised her was something else entirely—

that he had no one else about Hades.

Her eyes narrowed. "Who told you about him?" She chose not to waste time pretending.

Argon’s reply came with casual ease.

"You could say... a mutual friend of mine, and of your son’s."

A brief silence followed. Then Kaelith’s voice dropped, heavy and edged.

"Why are you here, Argon?"

"That’s quite a rude way to greet your former teacher," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "But then, I don’t expect courtesy from someone who stands on the opposite side of my beliefs."

Kaelith tilted her head, her expression firm.

"My beliefs aren’t so different from yours. But there are some things—" her voice sharpened, "—worth standing against, even if it means going against one’s principles and worldview."

She had made herself clear. She would stand by her son, no matter what blood ran in his veins, no matter what the world expected him to become.

Argon let out a slow sigh.

"The number of warriors you command is pitiful compared to what the other factions could muster."

Kaelith smirked, her tone sharp with pride.

"Eighteen years, Argon. They had all the time in the world to corner me. Yet Kaelith still breathes."

Her arrogance didn’t irritate him. On the contrary—he accepted it. She had the strength to back every word.

Leaning back in his seat, Argon’s gaze grew keener.

"Tell me, Kaelith... aren’t you curious?"

Her brows lifted. "About what?"

"About why I never told anyone about your son. Even though I knew where he was." His eyes narrowed slightly. "With the support of the other Dragon Kings, you know what I could have done."

Kaelith’s jaw tightened. She knew exactly what he meant.

If Argon had chosen to, he could have broken his centuries-old Oath not to meddle in human affairs. With the other Kings at his back, that Oath would have been meaningless. He could have crossed the line, rallied their strength, and hunted Hades down himself.

And yet—he hadn’t.

"Why?" she asked at last. Her pride resisted the word, but her love for her son overcame it. For him, she would swallow it.

Argon steepled his fingers before his lips, his eyes sharp as dragonfire.

"Fulfill two wishes of mine, and I will keep this secret. Fulfill them, and I will keep every spy away from your faction. Help me... and when the world learns who has returned, I will stand on your side."

Kaelith stared at him, truly taken aback.

What could possibly drive him—the most ancient of Dragon Kings, a being of unmatched authority and pride—to lower himself and ask her for help?

After a long silence, Kaelith finally spoke. Her voice was calm, yet it carried the tension of someone preparing herself for an answer she might not like.

"Tell me... what are those two demands?"

Normally, she placed little value on alliances. To her, strength alone was the only guarantee in this world. But this was different. Argon’s support could tilt the balance in ways she could not ignore.

Because one day—sooner or later—Hades would have to reveal himself to the world.

And while Kaelith never doubted her son’s abilities for even a moment, she feared that his lack of experience and backing could cripple him when the time came.

Argon’s eyes sharpened, his voice like steel.

"Dragon King Bollack’s son. Ardorite. I want his head."

Kaelith tilted her head in slight confusion—until the meaning struck her. Her eyes widened.

"You want Hades to hunt him down... during the tournament?!"

Argon nodded firmly.

"There is no other way to reach that piece of filth. Only your son qualifies as a ’youngling.’ Only he can legally kill Ardorite within the tournament."

Kaelith’s chest tightened. She knew well enough why Argon’s hatred ran so deep.

Ardorite had forcibly taken Argon’s granddaughter as his mate.

Even for dragons, who lived by strength and dominance, such an act was unforgivable.

Kaelith herself despised Bollack’s faction, so she had little sympathy there. But still... there was a problem.

"Ardorite," she muttered darkly, "despite being young, has already awakened a dual core."

Argon’s brows lifted slightly.

"I thought you trusted your son."

Kaelith scowled, her voice sharp.

"More than I trust myself."

She released a long, heavy sigh, as though weighing the inevitable storm ahead.

"Alright. Tell me the second request."

Argon leaned forward, placing his arms on the table. His gaze didn’t waver as he spoke.

"I wish to make him my son-in-law."

Kaelith’s eyes narrowed to slits.

"Your other granddaughter... Averis. Didn’t she vanish some twenty years ago?"

"Yes." Argon’s tone was steady, but a shadow passed through his eyes. "But I know where she went. I know what she’s done all these years."

He exhaled slowly, then added,

"You remember the incident everyone calls the Smiling Grave?"

Kaelith’s lips curled slightly.

"A beastkin lair. Four hundred warriors inside... slaughtered. Every corpse was wearing a smile."

Her gaze hardened.

"You mean to tell me she was the one who left that carnage behind?"

Argon nodded, "She has recently broken through into her third core and...apparently, she is doing all this in the name of her devotion."

Kaelith tilted her head, "Devotion towards...whom?"

Argon looked back at her meaningfully.

Kaelith’s eyes widened as realization dawned upon her.

Argon released a sigh, "That’s why, to prevent my dear Averis from wasting her life in devotion, I would rather have her married to her so-called God instead."

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A/N:- Dragon Waifu: uncooked. Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.