Constrained by her task of nurturing and educating the hatchlings, Lefilia, whose head had finally ’cooled down’ and returned to normal after a few days, returned to the lower court.
However, since that day, she had stopped paying any attention to David altogether.
It was unclear whether she was angry because of David’s "offense" or if she had developed psychological trauma from his excessive behavior.
Or perhaps it was a combination of both.
David himself didn’t mind this change. After plundering the young dragons in the middle court who had just returned from hunting at sea, he, the self-proclaid ’Guardian of the Dragon Court’ (in na only), continued to sleep soundly in the lower court.
The middle court had been rebuilt, but the Dragon Nest wasn’t yet ready. He planned to wait until the biggest and best one was renovated before claiming his dragon lair.
This was called respecting dragon customs. After all, weren’t Blue Dragon rules just like that!
However, David, feigning sleep with half-closed eyes, noticed Lefilia gradually showing more enthusiasm towards Tania. This was likely because Tania kept bringing pleasant surprises to the lower court, and Lefilia was taking advantage of David ’not seeing.’
This girl had received plenty of good things from David before. During her years in Barto Hell and on various planar battlefields, she had also accumulated considerable treasure and Magical Items, making her a bona fide wealthy Silver Dragon.
Now disguised in Blue Dragon skin, with a subli charm score of 25, young and wealthy, she appeared sowhat playful and fond of jokes. Her presence in the lower court was like a charismatic, pretty-boy romantic lead blatantly cosplaying in a kindergarten girls’ dormitory. She effortlessly captured the attention of all female Blue Dragons, utterly overshadowing the middle court Blue Dragons who seed perpetually immature.
As a result, the role of a hatchling caregiver—usually the most despised and resisted by dragons—had inexplicably beco a coveted position. Mother dragons vied to sign up for it with the upper court. Their gazes towards Lefilia were filled with envy, jealousy, and resentnt.
It wasn’t that no female dragons were attracted to David, who had thrashed the other dragons.
However, given David’s ’Red Dragon’-like temper displayed recently, and his constant deep slumber since joining the Olivalyres clan, no one dared to provoke him for the ti being.
Admiring strength was the nature of Chromatic Dragons, especially the females.
But since they were going to live together for so years after the Night of the Storm, they were also afraid of dostic abuse!
Even when David fought other dragons, and though he believed he had shown ’rcy with his claws,’ those unaware of the true circumstances might have thought he was on a killing spree. The scenes were as brutal as a murder site.
One day, the Blue Dragon Kailor cautiously visited the lower court area. Like a timid cat afraid of being beaten, he dared not look David straight in the eye as he said, "Um... Boss, it’s ti for us to collect sea taxes. Do you want to familiarize yourself with the area? ...Um, if you feel tired, we can co back next month when we have a mission..."
It wasn’t actually his responsibility to prompt David. However, the other Blue Dragons had been beaten into psychological trauma recently, so Kailor, who had acted the most cowardly in the chaotic battles, was assigned the task.
To be honest, he felt ashad saying this. But the situation was dire, and he didn’t want to be beaten, so being timid was acceptable.
Seeing no response, Kailor let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to turn and tiptoe away, he heard a lazy voice from David behind him, "Tell those idiots in the middle court to prepare a decent al. After we’re fed, I’ll take you out to burn it off."
"...Understood, Boss..." Kailor’s tail drooped instantly upon hearing this.
He feared he’d likely face another beating upon returning with this order.
Then he heard David smacking his lips and adding, "This is my order. If they dare use this as an excuse to beat you, it ans they don’t take seriously. If you co back with even a single new wound, I’ll randomly pick a dragon and drag it into the sea for fishing."
Kailor was initially stunned, then felt as if he’d been granted a reprieve. His previously drooping head and tail instantly perked up. "Yes, Boss! I’ll go teach those lazy idiots a lesson for you!"
As Kailor left the lower court, swaggering as if he could bully other dragons under David’s authority, even Lefilia, who usually avoided David, couldn’t help but comnt, "You actually think highly of that sort of creature?"
"Exactly," Tania chid in. She was using Mage’s Claw to flick the sixth ’challenging’ hatchling until it yelped and clutched its groin.
"You don’t understand, do you?" David said, without turning his head, rely flicking his tail as he kept it lowered. "Consistently being tough and high-handed will only make them afraid of , not revere .
"After all, my brother and I are still outsiders to them. At tis like this, I can give little guys like him so benefits. When other dragons see it, they’ll start to think like you do now, ’Even soone like that can be bought? I could do the sa!’ That sort of thing.
"Once the dragons begin to show signs of aligning with or even competing to curry favor, their originally solid xenophobia will collapse in an instant. At that point, I will truly be the boss of the middle court."
After this straightforward analysis, Lefilia, who had never considered problems from David’s perspective, stood dumbstruck for a long while. It was as if, for the first ti, she was truly understanding this guy she’d thought was all muscle and no brain.
"So, you appear harmless to dragonkind but actually hide a Green Dragon’s malevolence, huh!" she huffed. "Indeed, Tanyas is the most reliable after all. Tanyas, let’s go. Stay away from this slothful and malicious creature."
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