"Besides, I've got to focus on making baby dragons with Silvia."

This slippery-as-an-electric-eel attitude nearly made the assembled court dragons constipate collectively on the spot. The latter half of his statement almost made them burst into profanity. Even the facial muscles of Patrice, who sat on the high platform with his eyes closed, twitched.

Dammit, Silvia is only a 42-year-old young dragon! What baby dragons could he possibly make with her?

Who couldn't see that this Blue Dragon youngster was playing dumb while brazenly demanding benefits?

Isn't this just a Green Dragon in a Blue Dragon's hide?

Indeed, outsider dragons are the most despicable.

Seeing this group of dragons indeed start to pass the buck, headaches forming due to his origins, the 'great nephew' tied to the stone pillar couldn't help but revel in their misfortune. This made a bunch of Blue Dragons clench their teeth in annoyance.

Just as the flustered dragons were at their wits' end, Patrice, the patriarch of the Blue Dragon clan seated on the highest platform, finally opened his eyes slowly and addressed David, "Carlatruca, given your age and your strength, which has been recognized by the Dragon Nest dragons, it is time for you to shoulder more responsibilities beyond protecting the Dragon Nest. After careful consideration, I have decided that, effective immediately, you are appointed the new manager of the Thunderstrike mining veins in the Montero sand dunes, located within our Olivalyres clan territory. Additionally, you will assume the duty of guarding the Metal Dragon prisoner, Sebriz. What do you say?"

At these words, the assembled court dragons were stunned into silence, disbelief etched on their faces as they looked towards their patriarch.

The position of manager of the Montero sand dune mines might seem like a demotion to other forces, but in this barren Kutaro Desert, it was a coveted cushy job!

After all, for a dragon, if you don't embezzle a little in that position, are you even a true dragon?

That was why, as long as one was a bit 'lazy' with their claws and didn't go overboard, the clan generally turned a blind eye. However, this position had always been held by those from the clan's direct lineage, a case of keeping the choicest morsels from falling into outsiders' fields.

But the problem was, this fellow had only joined the clan four months ago!

Then the dragons remembered: this fellow had, by sheer luck, stumbled upon Silvia during the Night of the Storm. It was practically equivalent to marrying directly into the Olivalyres' main lineage!

Could anything be more jealousy-inducing for a dragon?

He had merely thought of trying to leverage the situation if an opportunity arose, but had he just managed to extort an entire mine?

Moreover, he had heard of the Thunderstrike Crystals mine; it was a rare Mana Crystal deposit. Formed when an open-pit crystal mine was struck by massive lightning, it could accumulate both lightning and Mana Energy, making it one of the best superconducting materials for energy storage crystals.

Wait a minute... store electrical energy?

Didn't this mean he now had the raw materials for his Tokmak Fortress's energy storage device? This might even cut down some of those seven years of R&D time!

David immediately straightened his neck proudly and, without a moment's hesitation, accepted, "Thank you for your esteemed consideration, Patriarch! I, Carlatruca, will definitely not fail this mission! Guarding a mere Metal Dragon prisoner? I am confident I can handle it."

Arrogance.

Hearing this, the assembled dragons nearly coughed up blood in frustration.

Dammit, how is he suddenly so competent now? He didn't even bother with a shred of modesty or a token refusal!

Indeed, outsider dragons are the absolute worst!

And the mere thought that this fellow had already wormed his way into the boudoir of Silvia, the patriarch's granddaughter, made their vision go black—the future of the Olivalyres clan seemed utterly bleak!

Just as a somewhat weary Patrice was about to dismiss the dragons with a flick of his tail, David spoke again, "However, to prevent any unforeseen problems, I would like to request that the Patriarch assign another dragon to serve under my command."

"Oh? And who might that be?" Patrice's eyes widened slightly again. The other dragons also turned their gazes towards David. Only the court guard, who was Patricio's father, and Sebriz, still tied to the pillar and watching the unfolding drama, suddenly had a sinking feeling.

And sure enough, they saw David, this 'Evil Dragon,' glance at Patricio's father with a wicked grin and utter a name, "Patricio. I want him."

"Explain your reasoning. Is this related to the mission I've assigned you?" Patrice inquired thoughtfully.

David just laughed and brazenly revealed his true intentions, "Of course, it's related. Sebriz, after all, hails from the noble Swietlanden family of Dragon Island. If they discover we're holding one of their kin, disputes will be inevitable. However, if we make a small sacrifice—just one Patricio—we can secure the dignity and tranquility of the entire Olivalyres clan. So, I ask the elders, is this a worthy trade or not?"

"What exactly do you intend to do?" Patricio's father finally asked, unable to hold back.

David's expression turned serious as he replied earnestly, "Naturally, to have the Silver Dragon Sebriz marry into our Olivalyres clan. After all, he and Patricio have already 'consummated their union,' haven't they?"

"Ridiculous! Patricio is a male dragon!" Patricio's father hotly retorted.

David, however, spread his claws with an 'innocent' smile and said, "But that's precisely the point. By now, probably half the Blue Dragons in the Kutaro Desert know your son got stabbed by a Silver Dragon."

"You!" Patricio's father nearly exploded with fury.

It was Patrice, the old dragon patriarch, who finally grasped David's outrageous line of reasoning. Raising a claw, he asked: