The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases

Perhaps due to the ancient influence of the Drow, High Elves have always been relatively tolerant and accepting when it came to the pursuit of love.

Just as dragons are indoctrinated from a young age with their heritage, they too are relatively tolerant and accepting when their kin fall in love with individuals from diverse races.

Moreover, the conduct of the Duke of Silver, Mirillian, had always been too flawless.

Sometimes reality is such that when you appear too perfect, it instead creates an unapproachable distance.

Now, with this scandal involving her own knight, Mirillian suddenly seemed more approachable.

It was said that on the night after the banquet when the Duke of Silver left, more than a dozen knights in Dewensen, whose careers were not going as well as they had hoped, followed suit and headed to Saeolus.

Even more outrageous was the fact that Elven servants like Yevgeny suddenly saw their value double.

This perfectly illustrated to David the otherworldly version of "what the superiors favor, the subordinates will fervently pursue."

But all of this was temporarily unrelated to him.

David had single-handedly depleted the Dewensen royal family's meat reserves. That very night, he summoned Hiatt and Alianna, the two Drow, effectively re-delegating the smuggling of Anger Potion back into their hands.

If this band of Elves hadn't been blown to Central Earth by a storm, he would have been freed from these chores he had to personally handle long ago.

Now, with the upstream stage of the Anger Potion production already managed by him and his father, only the sales aspect remained.

David had eliminated Dewensen's biggest potion dealer the previous night. With the influence of new policies soon to be introduced in Dewensen and the construction of fortifications around the Well of Miracles, coupled with the high-grade alchemical products from his Alchemist father—even with David's signature Devil Capsaicin as a draw—the market was trending towards a monopoly. Sales would most likely see a steady increase from last year's figures.

With Hiatt accidentally entering the newly developed Valden Kingdom marketplace in the southern part of Central Earth, this year's output, at least, was not a major concern.

If nothing unexpected happened, by this time next year, the previous investment in research and development could be recouped, allowing their limited funds to circulate and grow.

Just the thought of returning to the New Continent to face that empty nest made him wonder if it would affect his sleep quality.

But David promptly recalled that he had also been penniless during his first hibernation and immediately cast aside that pointless worry.

Only his anxious dragon father, Attilicia, upon hearing David was actually planning to leave at such a critical moment, panicked.

"Going back? Now? At this time? Has some urgent matter arisen in the Old Continent?"

Seeing how hastily David was leaving, Attilicia thought his son's Dragon Nest had been raided.

David irritably lifted his tail tip, pointing at his own eyelids that were nearly fighting each other, and said, "Do you see the red veins in my eyes?"

"Huh?" Attilicia was still clueless.

David was exasperated, feeling as if he had prematurely become a dragon father. "I'm only eight years old! I'm still in my juvenile phase; I need to go back to prepare for hibernation!"

Attilicia finally exhaled in relief but was reluctant to let his son go. David had just caused such a major incident, one that shook the entire Elven Kingdom's political scene, and now he was about to abandon his father, leaving him all alone? With such a 'powerful son' not by his side, Attilicia felt a distinct lack of confidence. He immediately tried to persuade him to stay.

"Oh, I see. It's just sleep, right? You can sleep anywhere, can't you? Why bother going all the way to the Old Continent?"

David was speechless. He glanced at his father, who looked as forlorn as if his newly-married daughter-in-law had just left home.

"Have you forgotten? I am a Red Dragon. What if I turn back in my dreams?

"What if I turn over and knock down the house?

"What if a sneeze sets the house on fire?

"And there's another issue. What if neither of us is 'home' when Mom wakes up early? What then?

"Are you sure you can handle all these potential accidents yourself?"

"..." Attilicia was speechless, especially regarding the last point.

Having spent so much time together, David could easily tell that his dragon father was preoccupied with something and immediately asked, "Is there anything else you need me to handle? Just let me know now, and I'll take care of it before my return trip."

His stance suggested that if Attilicia so much as mentioned a distaste for a particular Elven noble, David would transform back into a Red Dragon that very night and incinerate the noble's domain with a single gout of Dragon Breath.

"It's just that I'm a bit... worried about Mirillian," he confessed.

David didn't understand. "...She's a duchess, after all, and a legend at that. Why would it be your place to worry?"

Seeing that his father fell silent, David recalled everything that had happened in the royal hall that day, let out a sigh, and said soothingly, "Don't worry. Even if she managed to offend all the nobles of Dewensen in one go, she still holds the moral high ground. Given that, even if the entire Scallia family is displeased with Mirillian's decision to sacrifice the family's interests today, they can only hold it in or express their objections to her in private for the time being. They can't overturn the heavens, can they?"

At this point, David glanced at his father and added, "Dad, you should know that today, Mirillian risked her own life to prevent a turmoil that could have easily spread throughout the entirety of Dewensen."

He couldn't presume to guess Mirillian's true intentions, but it wouldn't hurt to solidify her image as a pure and cherished figure in his father's heart.

If it hadn't been for today's series of events, the 'Seventh Fleet Survivor Package' he had prepared for Dewensen alone would have been enough to give the High Elves a serious headache.

"In this sense, all the High Elves of the Elven Kingdom owe her a favor.

"All of Dewensen's naval forces will remember her self-sacrificing act of honor today.

"This is the will of the people!"

Having said this, David raised his tail and tapped his thoughtful father, laughing as he said, "So, Dad, aside from keeping an eye on our business in the next few years, your other most important task is to take good care of your dear friend."

"Who knows, one day, if any major upheaval occurs in the Elven Kingdom.

"Years later, we might gain a Queen of the Silver Wheel as our ally.

"This is an investment of great foresight, promising immense returns—far more lucrative than any worthless business venture!"

Greed

"A... Queen!?"

Attilicia, who had no political acumen, was shocked by his son's bold speculation.

But before he had time to digest this astonishing news, David had already transformed into the 'Silver-winged Star of Doom' and soared towards the eastern seaside, breaking through the sky.

Attilicia didn't even get a chance to offer, "Do you want me to escort you?"

He truly meant it, not just being polite; why would he stand on ceremony with his own son?

Seeing how David's eyelids were drooping even as he spoke, he was genuinely worried the brat might suddenly 'stall' mid-flight and plummet into the sea.

After a bit of soul-soothing from his son, Attilicia reflected on David's words, chuckled, and shook his head.

A Queen of the Silver Wheel? Mirillian? If an Elf girl like Mirillian could become Queen one day, he'd sooner believe David, that Red Dragon of his, could become the Silver Dragon King. What nonsense. Truly.