Chapter 305: Witnesses That Mattered

It all started with a very specific yet highly unexpected problem.

Back when Kael needed to immediately rectify the issue of not having witnesses that would matter to his twig.

Now that he had already stepped inside the bureau, he could have very well used magic to return to the dragon estate and bring back eyes that he could tolerate.

In reality, he could do without them. But considering that thing about receiving well-wishes and support for marriages, he felt that it would be important to his mate.

Obviously, Riley had since made the distinction clear.

There was a difference between ceremonies and legal filings. For humans, the registration itself didn’t require witnesses. It was merely a process to make things lawful and binding. At best, people celebrated afterward with family and friends, once the certificate was secured.

That had always been the plan.

Kael intended for his twig to experience everything. The ceremony. The celebration. The presence of those who mattered even if none of it made sense to him.

But with them suddenly getting married today, there had been no time to prepare.

And then people showed up.

So many unfamiliar humans.

Something private was suddenly a public spectacle. And while he couldn’t care less and wanted the whole continent to know anyway, the dragon lord was still bothered by the composition of this crowd.

Just who the hell were all these people?

That was the part that the dragon lord couldn’t let go.

And that was why, against his better judgment, he went to fetch competitors from the dragon estate.

Such an ordeal.

His parents were the easiest to locate. Even when they weren’t particularly present at the estate, their mana was still unmistakable. Kael only needed to reach out across their territory, feel for that familiar weight, and there they were.

It didn’t matter what they were in the middle of.

After all, Kael wasn’t really there to ask.

He was simply there to inform them.

If they wanted to come, then they would. If they didn’t, then that was their choice. Their loss.

But as expected, both of them responded immediately.

Kael was rather pleased with their expressions and became more pliant and considerate when they dared ask for less than a minute to change and make themselves presentable for such an important event.

Kael responded with a sharp hmph! But allowed it anyway.

At least they understood the significance. Moreover, that would be the right amount of time to fetch those that needed fetching.

So with that settled, there was only one group left to find.

The Hales.

Thanks to his recent interactions with Lawrence, Kael had a general understanding of the man’s daily schedule. He knew where to look. He knew what to expect.

Or so he thought.

Because the moment the golden dragon lord appeared, what greeted him was not a familiar domestic scene, but a sudden surge of mana so dense the feeling made his instincts flare.

Yes.

What he felt.

Not what he saw.

A large pool of mana had come into existence without warning.

His posture shifted immediately.

Was there a threat?

Again?

On a day like today?

He turned, already prepared to deal with whatever it was quickly. He had told Riley he would not take long, and he meant it.

But then his eyes landed on the source.

And Kael paused.

It was… small?

Actually, there were two of them.

Two little runts.

Kael tilted his head slightly, brows knitting together as he took in the sight before him.

One familiar golden dragonling stood in the middle of the room, mid-gesture, both paws raised as he spoke with great seriousness.

“—It used to be mine until I gave it to the little sprite.”

The little pea looked very intent. Very focused. Very much in the middle of an explanation that mattered deeply to him.

“Huh?” the golden dragonling said faintly, turning his head with slow disbelief.

“…Uncle?”

But instead of answering, Kael’s gaze slid past competitor two.

And that was when he saw the second runt.

An unfamiliar one.

Small. Scaled. Very much not what he expected to find here.

Before Kael could fully process that thought, the unfamiliar runt looked up at him with wide eyes and blurted out, loud and clear,

“It’s Big Brother Dragon Lord!”

Kael blinked.

Once.

Golden competitor number two, it seemed, had brought along competitor number one.

As usual.

Only this time, it seemed the child would be around for a very, very long time.

___

It felt like forever.

But in truth, it was only a moment.

And in that tense, silent stare-off, it was Orien, the great and extremely guilty golden dragon, who broke first.

He rightfully panicked.

“Uncle! Uncle! Wait! It’s the little sprite, Liam!” Orien blurted out at once, scrambling forward and planting himself squarely in front of the unfamiliar being. His small body puffed up, wings flaring wide as if he could somehow shield the other child from the full force of a dragon lord’s judgment.

The baby dragon felt he had to do this because his uncle was usually the type to incinerate first and ask questions later. Unfortunately for everyone else, while extinguishing flames was generally possible, doing so against his uncle’s flames was very much not.

At times like this, Orien could only be honest with himself. There was an enormous gap in power, and he was painfully aware of exactly where he stood in it.

Liam peeked out from behind Orien, eyes wide and watery, nodding rapidly.

For a heartbeat, no one moved.

Then Kael spoke.

“I figured.”

The words landed softly.

Orien froze.

Everyone froze.

That was not the response they had expected.

The golden dragon lord’s gaze shifted, sharp and assessing, resting squarely on the unfamiliar runt. His eyes narrowed slightly, not in hostility, but in calculation.

“But why would he,” Kael continued calmly, “a drake, radiate dragon mana?”

“!!!”

That stunned everyone.

Even Orien, who had been prepared to argue, suddenly found his mouth opening and closing without sound.

But before anyone could process what that meant, the golden dragon lord straightened, visibly pressed for time.

“It can be dealt with later,” Kael said decisively. “Right now, I’m returning to the office to finish getting married to my mate.”

Silence.

“I only came here because the humans presented witnesses we couldn’t care less about,” he added, tone flat. “If you want to attend, we should leave right now.”

His gaze flicked to the two children.

They were very clearly not in human form.

Kael paused.

Transforming for the first time required holding the form for a while. With that much unstable mana in the child’s body, forcing a shift would be reckless. And even if he wanted to, the child likely didn’t yet know how.

It was a shame.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Except.

While Kael was speaking, minds were breaking.

What did he mean by a drake radiating dragon mana?

And worse.

Did the dragon lord just say he was going back to finish getting married?

Now?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a test run for Riley’s abilities?

Marriage?

Right now?

And that look.

That very telling look.

Was Kael planning to leave without them?

Oh gods.

He absolutely was.

Liam’s unfamiliar body had already gone through shock, fear, and wonder all in quick succession. Now this new realization hit him square in the chest.

His Big Brother was getting married.

He wanted to see.

He needed to see.

Whatever happened, he wanted to be there.

But it was obvious.

Just like he had told Lord Orien earlier about blending in, there was no way he would blend with humans like this. And he had already been told he couldn’t shift back yet. And even if he wanted to, he didn’t know how.

Oh no.

“Big Brother!”

The small drake jolted upright, claws scrabbling as he rushed forward with earnest desperation written all over his face.

“Please!” Liam pleaded, voice cracking. “Can you help me mask my mana? I really want to come!”

Kael had just turned, sensing the arrival of his parents as their familiar mana approached in surprise. He paused and looked down at the child.

“I can do that,” he said evenly. “But I only have a short moment. Your brother is waiting. I cannot wait for you to finish a disguise unless you want to go inside a bag like Orien once—”

Before he could finish.

Liam bolted.

There was a flurry of movement as the small drake darted across the room, yanking loose bed sheets with frantic efficiency. He bundled them up and returned at full speed.

“It’s okay!” he declared proudly, thrusting them forward. “This will do! We’re ready!”

“?”

Kael stared.

Then accepted it.

If anything, the only one who did not accept this development was Orien.

Because suddenly, a sheet was thrown over him.

“Wait. What are you doing?” Orien protested as the fabric dropped over his head.

“Poke holes,” Liam instructed urgently.

Confused claws emerged, puncturing uneven holes.

Then, before Orien could object further, oversized sunglasses were placed firmly over his face.

They slid crookedly down his snout.

“???”

And that was how the supposed mighty dragon, blessed with immense power and dignity, prepared to attend his uncle’s first legal marriage ceremony.

As a glorified ghost.

With shades.

“!!!”

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