The Dragon Lord's Aide Wants to Quit [BL]-Chapter 278: Storms and Victories

The purge took MBE by storm, but not in the sense that everyone knew about it.

In fact, it was the opposite.

It came and went too quickly, leaving only devastation behind. Like a sudden downpour that flooded the streets and vanished before anyone could properly react, except there was that brief, unsettling calm in the middle. The deceptive kind that made people believe nothing was wrong right before everything shook apart.

One moment, a department would feel strangely peaceful compared to the other struggling offices then the next, people would learn about the existence of traitors.

No announcements were made. No alarms were raised.

But everyone felt it.

And the cause of that raging, unseen storm? Dragon Lord Kael Dravaryn.

Specifically, his irritation.

Kael didn’t enjoy complications. He enjoyed solutions. Direct ones, preferably involving fire, pressure, and immediate results. Unfortunately, the traitors embedded within the Ministry had made sure none of those options were available to him.

The fact that they had to rely on ice encasements was simply part of the main issue.

Which was the fact that as expected, those idiots would probably die before being interrogated with the kind of magic bindings found on them.

A required move for the enemy but an admittedly infuriating one for them.

By the end of the first day, Kael stood in a secured chamber staring at a growing collection of frozen figures, each one another reminder of how deep the rot ran. Enough that the thought crossed his mind, briefly and sincerely, that burning the entire Ministry down might be faster.

If there were this many moles, then what exactly was the point of the MBE in the first place?

The only reason the building was still standing was because one forensic expert, pale and very invested in continuing to breathe, had spoken up at the right moment.

Carefully. Respectfully. And with an impressive survival instinct.

Corwin encouraged the dragon lord to let them figure out a way to both contain the expected penalty while simultaneously using the sudden disappearance to see who else would start floundering.

It wasn’t the outcome Kael wanted.

But it was the current logical choice.

And more importantly, dissecting the nature of those bindings would help identify who else had helped craft them in the first place.

Then again, it might not be something Kael should complain about.

Progress, even slow and irritating progress, was still progress.

And really, it wasn’t because he had no right to complain. But because it might be wiser not to, especially in front of someone who wasn’t exactly up to hearing such things at the moment.

Because it was only later, back at the dragon estate, that Kael would realize that he was no longer the one with the most cause for dissatisfaction.

Back at the literally gilded manor, his twig was exceptionally gloomy.

Yes. Gloomy.

Exceptionally so.

And perhaps just a tad bit withered.

Of course, the golden dragon lord had learned, the hard way, that saying so out loud was not ideal for maintaining domestic harmony. This particular lesson had been delivered by a golden dragonling who stared at him with absolute seriousness and informed him that there was a very real chance of separation if "Uncle’s big mouth was not promptly shut."

Kael had considered arguing.

After all, he meant it literally.

His twig had, on multiple occasions, been found sprawled on the floor, wiggling about with little dignity, uncannily like an actual worm rather than Thyrran. This was especially baffling when only days ago the same person had been practically vibrating with controlled excitement, bright-eyed and animated in a way that suggested a new beginning rather than collapse.

Now, however, that energy was gone.

Replaced with a subdued quiet. Slower movements. A faint heaviness that clung to him no matter where he went.

And what, pray tell, was the issue?

Well, just a few days ago, his mate had approached him to talk about Orien and Liam’s request to go to the water park together with everyone.

The Dragon Lord had, naturally, raised an eyebrow at such a preposterous and suicidal idea.

That alone should have been enough to shut the proposition down. After learning about that demented place, Kael had come to the conclusion that a water park was loud. Chaotic. Full of unruly beings and poorly regulated magic. Clearly not an ideal environment.

But Riley made a compelling case.

Kael listened as his mate explained how it could serve as a reward for the children after training. How it could help them de-stress after everything that had happened recently. He listened as Riley added that water parks were usually packed with children, which made it easier to blend in. Better than walking around with a group of adults that screamed possible kidnappers and danger.

He said it would soften the natural intimidating aura of everyone else.

Then came the practical argument.

Without knowing how long they would be gone, it would be difficult to simply leave the children behind.

Who knew how dangerous things could become. And if that was the case, how was Riley supposed to concentrate while constantly worrying about their safety?

Kael noticed, at some point, that Riley had wrapped his arms around his waist.

That, more than anything else, was probably the deciding factor, because clearly his twig wanted that.

"..."

"Fine."

Riley froze.

"What?" he asked, blinking up at him.

"I said fine," Kael repeated, already regretting how easily the word had left his mouth.

Riley stared at him for a heartbeat longer, as if waiting for the catch.

Then his face lit up.

"Really?" he asked, clearly stunned.

Kael sighed. "No one goes unless the minimum requirements are achieved. More importantly, no one goes unless I deem your progress passable."

It was said sternly. With a glare that had ended negotiations and wars alike.

Apparently, it no longer worked on Riley.

Instead of flinching, his mate rose onto his tiptoe and pressed a quick kiss to Kael’s lips before darting out of the room like he had just won a battle.

Kael stood there, staring after him.

He shook his head slowly.

Had he lost his edge?

No. The people back at the MBE were still screaming and cowering when they saw him so it couldn’t possibly be that.

It was pointless to think about it when he knew he would give in anyway.

So if they had ended on a good note, what exactly was wrong with his twig now?

Why was he like this?

Ah.

Right.

Because, unlike Orien the Great, who strutted proudly through the manor announcing that he had increased his continuous mana control by two whole hours, Riley had only managed to localize both his right knee and, as of today, his left.

Orien had been unbearable about it. Well, he likely didn’t know he was being unbearable about it, but it really touched the fragile ego of the black dragon who hadn’t been making much progress.

Wings jutted out. Tail swishing. Chin lifted high as he marched around like a conquering hero. Riley had, on more than one occasion, felt the very real urge to grab the dragonling and nibble at him. Not hard. Just enough as Orien proudly repeated the achievement for the fifth time.

God.

And while it would have been reasonable to console Riley by reminding him that Orien had been a dragon for years, Riley could not bring himself to feel better about it.

Not when even his little brother had reached a major milestone.

A core encasement.

And Riley, for all his effort, was still celebrating knees.

__

It was supposed to be just another ordinary day.

The kind where the manor settled into its usual rhythm, quiet corridors, weird training noises, and the faint sense that everyone was holding their breath while waiting for something to go wrong.

Instead, it was torn apart by a screech.

A sharp, panicked sound that ripped through the halls with enough force to wake both the living and the dead.

Orien’s voice.

Alarms weren’t even needed.

Doors flew open. Footsteps thundered. People scrambled toward the source without a second thought, already bracing themselves for danger.

By the time everyone reached the room, they were met with a bizarre sight.

__

The golden dragonling stood rigid on top of the mattress, scales bristling, eyes wide and unfocused, his entire body locked in place as he pointed shakily at the small figure beneath the blankets.

"Something happened," Orien insisted, voice trembling. "Something happened to the little sprite."

Liam lay sprawled on the bed, face red, chest rising and falling rapidly. He was panting hard, sweat dampening his hair, but despite the chaos around him, he had not woken up. Not even the screech had managed to stir him.

Riley’s heart dropped into his stomach.

He rushed forward. "Liam?"

No response.

Panic hit him all at once. He reached for the boy, hands hovering uselessly, afraid to touch him and make things worse.

"What happened?" Riley demanded, voice tight. "Orien, what do you mean something happened?"

"I felt it," Orien said, scales lifting further as he shifted closer to the bed, positioning himself protectively. "I woke up to it. Something that hadn’t been there before we went to bed."

That was when their mother arrived, along with her husband, and the older dragons.

She stopped short at the doorway before making a surprised expression.

One by one, the others followed suit, they’d enter the room and look a bit shocked.

With such confusing actions, the others who didn’t understand what was happening were starting to lose patience.

But before the golden dragonling could demand for an answer, a smile spread across Renee’s face as she whispered, "Congratulations."

Orien blinked.

"Huh?"

He looked between the adults, still bristling, still positioned protectively. The urge to shield the little sprite refused to fade, even as confusion set in.

Riley stared. "Congratulations?"

Renee stepped forward then, eyes shining as she looked at the panting child.

"It seems," she said gently, "that Liam has succeeded in starting the development of his core."

Silence crashed down.

"What?!"

This time, Orien and Riley said it together.