“Ahem!” Narvim coughed loudly to make his presence known before saying, “After we return to Ninth Peak, you can also take a look at my collection of fire-attribute plants and take what you need, Vahn.”
“If I don’t give you the same benefits as my wife, I’m afraid I would seem like a miser,” Narvim added.
“Then, I will thank you in advance, Lord Narvim,” Vaan honestly accepted as he acknowledged the protection of both dragon lords. “I will definitely take a look if I can’t find what I need here.”
“Hmph! Don’t bother, Vahn,” Khaleesi immediately snorted before saying, “Narvim’s magical plant collection has been dwindling by the years. Everything he has, I also have. But what I have, he doesn’t.”
“If you can’t find what you need from my magical plant collection, then you definitely won’t find it in his magical plant collection,” Khaleesi asserted.
“If you say so, Khaleesi,” Vaan replied with a slight smile, amused by the dragon couple’s competition.
If any other dragon had witnessed the scene in the eighth dragon lord’s lair, they would have been overwhelmed with envy.
He didn’t doubt that the fire-attribute plants in the two dragon lord’s magical plant collections were all precious resources.
It was even possible that their fire-attribute plants were obtained from the Trial by Fire and possessed miraculous properties.
“Haiz,” Narvim sighed and helplessly asked, “Would it hurt you to leave me some face in front of Vahn, Khaleesi? After all, I am still a dragon lord. You’re making me look bad here.”
“Why should I care about you? You obviously didn’t care about me all those years. Just because I am willing to talk to you again, it doesn’t mean I’ve completely forgiven you,” Khaleesi replied snappishly and said, “If you want to make me happy, go and face that corner, and wait until we’re done.”
“I—Yes, my Lady,” Narvim readily complied after listening to his wife.
Vaan watched the ninth dragon lord accept his punishment like a kid that had done something wrong and felt a little bad for the guy.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t his place to interfere with the couple’s relationship.
‘Poor guy. He’s a proud dragon lord to others but a meek husband to his wife,’ Vaan silently thought with amusement.
“Alright, take a look and see what you can use,” Khaleesi stated.
After the eighth dragon lord stomped the ground beneath her, a large magic circle quickly expanded from the point of contact, followed by a brilliant, blinding, and encompassing white light swallowing the lair.
Vaan saw nothing but a white space of nothingness.
However, it only lasted an instant before the white light faded, revealing a new scenery in place of the old lair.
A barren land of hot rocks and rivers of lava replaced the smooth marbled floor, precious gems, and luxurious lair decorations.
Although the scenery did appear much different from the Land of Fire, the space didn’t feel as vast. Instead, it felt enclosed and limited, like a sub-realm.
Even so, it was still spacious enough for Vaan and the two dragon lords to roam unhindered.
There were mountains of treasures, but the fire-attribute magical plants growing by the edges of the lava rivers quickly attracted Vaan’s attention.
“This is my pocket world. And as you can see, it’s where I store my possessions and grow my magical plants,” Khaleesi introduced her sub-realm.
“To be honest, I didn’t think you would go straight for the magical plants, Vaan. I assumed you would have been more interested in the accumulated knowledge of our Red Dragon Clan.”
“Oh, believe me when I say this; I am interested in the Red Dragon Clan’s knowledge,” Vaan admitted before adding, “However, what I lack most isn’t knowledge, but precious resources to grow.”
“Soul Masters can learn quickly, simply because they are Soul Masters, dear. But without the aid of precious resources, they can’t grow as quickly,” Narvim explained.
However, Khaleesi naturally knew that already.
“Do you think I don’t know that? I’m not stupid.” Khaleesi rolled her eyes and said, “However, the world is full of precious resources. You just have to look for them. On the other hand, not just anyone can access our clan’s knowledge.”
“Furthermore, Soul Masters have an insatiable appetite for knowledge. Thus, it makes more sense that Vahn would find our knowledge more valuable,” Khaleesi added.
“More valuable doesn’t always equal more practical, right? And since you offered them both to me, it doesn’t matter what comes first since I get both in the end,” Vaan replied before stating, “I simply chose to prioritize practical uses.”
“That’s true.” Khaleesi acknowledged Vaan’s point with a nod before urging him, “Well then, what are you waiting for? Go and pick what you need.”
However, Vaan wasn’t in a hurry to grab the fire-attribute magical plants he needed.
“You are very generous with your gifts, but I don’t believe in free lunches,” Vaan calmly mentioned before asking her, “What conditions do you have for me to enjoy such benefits?”
“Oh? I was wondering when you would ask, Vahn,” Khaleesi smiled before she shook her head and said, “However, you don’t need to worry. I won’t ask something impossible of you.”
“I only need you to cherish and protect my daughter and keep our secret from her. I want her to awaken her memories and remember us naturally. And when the time comes, if she still wants to acknowledge us as her parents, that would be great.”
“Of course, if you make our daughter cry, you can forget about the benefits. We’ll definitely make you wish you were better off dead,” Khaleesi warned him with a dangerous glint in her eyes like she was ready to skin him alive.
“I will never abandon my woman. It’s only natural that I cherish and protect her,” Vaan firmly stated before cheekily adding, “However, I can’t promise that I would never make her cry… After all, I always make her cry in bed.”
“…”
Khaleesi’s facial expression became frozen stiff for a moment before it contorted with anger as her body shook along with the surrounding space.
“Y-You stinking rascal!” Khaleesi roared with a trembling voice.