CHAPTER 456: CHAPTER 270: PRETTY AWFUL

"What now?" David found Dragon Island’s response somewhat unexpected.

Such a vast Dragon Island, and yet its customs defenses are so weak?

Considering his own father was, at least, a local dragon, David directly let Attilicia make the decision.

"..." Attilicia was baffled as well. He had left the island half a century ago; all his memories of Dragon Island were from his childhood.

This ’local dragon’ thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "How about... we go home first and see?"

"Home? Yay!" Tania, the dragon sister, perked up her ears immediately. Dragon Mother had already been very good to her, and now these were her own grandparents—Silver Dragons, no less! Wouldn’t they shower her with enough presents to make her claws go soft?

Normally, for a visiting foreign dragon like David, one first needed pre-approved application submitted through a former mainland diplomat like Attilicia. Given Dragon Island’s administrative efficiency, a round trip would conservatively take at least half a year.

Of course, there were exceptions, such as the lost descendants of Gold and Silver Dragons.

For instance, if that greedy High Elf Yevgeny’s plan had succeeded back then—to ’rescue’ the young Tania from the clutches of the Crimson Calamity—it would have undoubtedly shocked the entire Continent. She would have been a shoo-in for the best-selling female lead in Granyel, the New World’s popular fiction, for the next fifty years. Bringing young Tania back to Dragon Island then would have faced no obstacles; instead, there would have been great rewards and much fanfare.

So, that brought up a question. David and Tania were both Attilicia’s dragonlings, even if they were a few years past the usual age for such a return. And David, the older brother, was a Redscale. Furthermore, this young adult male had recently laid three eggs, each a different color. This situation was already far beyond the abstract scope of some Blue Star meme like, ’Hey old timer, is my flashy scooter safe parked downstairs?’

David opened his mouth slightly. Weren’t you afraid of giving your parents high blood pressure? He had originally planned to give his never-before-met grandparents some time to digest the news. But then he remembered his father’s childhood friend, Shalaina. She had probably already secretly informed them of his and his sister’s existence, so he didn’t dwell on it.

"...Alright, we’ll do it your way."

As long as the ultimate goal of their trip to Dragon Island was achieved, the specifics of the process didn’t matter much to him. At the same time, David was also curious about the grandparents he had never met. What kind of Silver Dragon family could produce someone like Attilicia—so rebellious, yet with such an air of feigned purity?

After less than ten minutes of flying, they reached a snow-capped mountain on Dragon Island, second in height only to the main peak. Within a Dragon Nest located there—strikingly empty of any treasure—David found the answer, or rather, half of it.

Perhaps because Attilicia had called out from outside the cave in an effeminate voice, "Mom, I’m back!" and received no response, David, losing patience, bent down and went straight in. His dragon sister and the amazed Sebriz followed closely.

However, Sebriz had barely squeezed halfway in when Attilicia yanked him back out, glaring viciously at this true ’wildfire’ Silver Dragon. "What are you barging in for? Stay outside the nest," Attilicia snapped, as if terrified this unusually uninhibited fellow would disturb his mother.

Sebriz, this ’certified spectacle-loving’ dragon, didn’t take it to heart and merely flicked his tail. He had been wondering what to bring as a housewarming gift; now, it seemed he was spared the trouble. Watching David’s family group heading home for a visit, Sebriz couldn’t help but glance at another treasure-laden Dragon Nest on a different Swietlanden snow peak, and he flew off towards it.

What a pity, he thought. I should have dragged Fulatimir back to join the fun.

「Meanwhile」

David followed the tunnel, which was not very spacious and even a bit cramped for his size. After a while, he faintly heard the clinking of bottles and jars, and a conversation between two females:

"Do you think these are enough, Lady Serisilis?"

"Enough, more than enough. Lie down and rest for a while. You’re supposed to be a guest in the nest, yet every time you’re busier than I am... And I’ve told you countless times, just call me ’Auntie’."

That was Shalaina’s voice, so the other must be Grandma’s, right?

David clearly felt a certain dragon behind him stiffen, his expression turning playful as he heard Shalaina, his father’s childhood friend, say softly, "Alright, Aunt Serisilis, please don’t worry about it. Back in Dewensen, when Attilicia was busy with work and his alchemy experiments, I used to help him manage his daily life like this. I wasn’t much help with the more intellectual tasks, though," Shalaina chuckled.

This time, Serisilis was silent for a long moment before she said earnestly, "Shalaina."

"Hmm?"

"Your Uncle Ronatas and I... we’ve actually known about your feelings for Attilicia for a long time."

"Ah? Ah... this..." Shalaina, completely caught off guard, was flustered.

"If it were fifty years ago, we would definitely have approved. But now... sigh... you’ve seen the situation..."

Shalaina knew her aunt must be thinking of the astronomical debt again. Her voice softened. "You know I... I really don’t care about those things."

"I know you don’t, dear. But your father will care. Your clan will care. We are, after all, Silver Dragons of Dragon Island, Shalaina."

"That’s just their concern. If they only care about these external things, and not Attilicia’s inner qualities..." Shalaina argued on behalf of the dragon she adored.

But Serisilis, his mother, added with a somber tone, "But the truth is, Attilicia’s inner character is also quite flawed. Due to my overindulgence during his youth, coupled with his father’s absence in discipline due to his busy work, he... well, despite having alchemy talent that surpasses mine, he’s prone to arrogance, is sensitive and rebellious, and even developed a penchant for transformative cross-dressing because he liked to imitate me..."

Shalaina was speechless.

David, who had just overheard this assessment of his father, peeked his head in. In the dim light of the Dragon Nest, he saw a slightly gaunt female Silver Dragon focused on preparing an Alchemy Potion. Her silver scales were somewhat dull, but her eyes shone with an exceptionally dazzling light. The Dragon Nest was filled with various alchemical equipment: glowing test tubes, bubbling ancient cauldrons, and piles of old books filled with alchemy recipes. In the spacious cave, only crystals protruding from the walls emitted a soft, mysterious light, illuminating the limited surrounding space. The Silver Dragon’s wings were lightly folded as she adeptly handled small, precious ingredients with her nimble claws and tail, her movements both graceful and professional.

Only then did David understand the source of his father’s alchemical talent—it was clearly hereditary.

However, as he recognized the familiar scent in the air and watched Serisilis use an alchemical etching knife to cut her own claw, dripping viscous Dragon Blood, David instantly knew what she was crafting: a Clarity Potion. Moreover, it was the Granyel variant—a Dragon Blood-based version, incredibly difficult to procure in the New World.

Witnessing such a heart-wrenching scene, David hadn’t even had a chance for his simmering Wrath to ignite when another dragon—Attilicia—spoke up anxiously first:

"Didn’t I already send money back?"

"Attili—" The two female Silver Dragons, absorbed in their potion-making and conversation, thought they had misheard.

Suddenly turning their heads, they saw a Red Dragon, a full size larger than an adult Silver Dragon, squeezing into the cave behind them. In the dim shadows, three pairs of vertical pupils, also filled with a ’malicious light,’ blinked from its neck...

"AHHH!!!"

The naturally timid Serisilis was so startled she had a meltdown, crashing into and shattering all the alchemical equipment. She then flew frantically around the cramped Alchemy Room of the Dragon Nest like a pinwheel of fire.

Shalaina, a Silver Dragon warrior, instinctively shielded Serisilis. But just as she adopted a fierce combat stance, she got a clear look at the arriving dragon, and then at a distressed Attilicia squeezing out from behind him. "David Uthos?" she blurted out, her eyes wide. "What are you doing on Dragon Island?!"