Chapter 367: Their Last Bet

Honestly, Riley felt like he’d been torn apart the moment he found out about it.

He didn’t even know where to look or who to blame, especially when he got snippets of his ancestors actually trying to find other ways around their most evident conclusion.

To say that Riley had absolutely zero resentment would be lying to himself. But after truly understanding how hard his family had run so that everyone else could fly, he felt like an ungrateful bastard.

But maybe, worse than not being able to imagine what they probably thought or felt was how he actually could.

Ignorance would’ve truly been blissful. It just so happened that such wasn’t in the cards for him.

Because he felt their emotions from the simplest acts down to the hair-raising ones. He felt them in the way they painstakingly gathered everything inside that pocket space, and in the effort they had put in to keep him safe and hidden for as long as possible.

Who in their right mind would even have so many arguments about the type of fang that should be used for Riley’s sustenance?

Well, his ancestors certainly did.

They showed their excitement for his existence in even the simplest ways possible, but more so in how they did it all so he could have a legitimate future.

For just like other parents who loved their children, his parents and his relatives had dreams and wishes for him.

The lone black dragon couldn’t help but bury himself in Kael’s embrace.

And the receptive mate didn’t hesitate to return it.

He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer, holding him firmly as if that alone could keep Riley safe from everything he had just learned.

But it was difficult to do that with something so bittersweet.

It was the type of memory that one would both cherish and dread. And last remaining Iltheran just hoped that he’d be able to look back at it with a sturdier heart and resolve.

Maybe then he wouldn’t be acting like he needed someone to blame for everything.

Then again, even if he tried, he wouldn’t have been able to screech, “Why would they do that and not think about him,” when Riley himself was completely aware that they had been doing exactly that all along.

From the oldest members of their clan to his parents—who were the youngest back then—they had basically tailored their entire strategy around the little unsuspecting egg that was him.

And Riley, and his apparently sensitive heart, became privy to a whole lot of it.

Who could have predicted that he would be willing to go through more physical pain rather than repeat that process of combing through fragments while watching his whole family slowly arrive at a strategy that ultimately became a sacrifice?

Definitely not him who really disliked pain.

But what to do when it had been the only way they could reach an outcome where Eryndra would even survive.

“…”

“…”

Yeah, it was that bad.

So bad that it was literally everyone’s problem and yet it was his pitifully numbered ancestors who ended up taking the brunt of it.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t exactly involve everyone when they couldn’t fully trust the other dragons. It had been so long and yet they still had no answers to how the wyverns had gained access to the rest of the primordial dragon’s remains.

As such, they had to plan everything with just their numbers in mind.

Kael’s arms remained wrapped around the clearly frustrated Riley when he finally spoke.

“In the end, there were still no concrete leads?”

Riley shook his head against his shoulder.

“No.”

“Or well, not exactly none but knowing that there was a mole couldn’t possibly be called a lead when it could still be anyone.”

Then he pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him.

“But considering how we’ve got someone like the Chancellor in this era, you better believe there was someone similar even back then.”

Riley’s brows furrowed in annoyance.

“That’s why they didn’t even bother bringing a big party. It was better to work in confidence rather than constantly worry that an ally might turn against them.”

“And they couldn’t let more people know about the seal either,” Riley added. “Because someone would definitely try to destroy it before it even served its purpose.”

His grip on Kael tightened before continuing.

“Worse, someone might realize that the Iltherans weren’t even fighting at full strength. Not when they had already prepared my inheritance before going into battle.”

“They couldn’t risk any of that.”

“Not for a shot at ending that god-forsaken war.”

Riley exhaled slowly before pressing his forehead against Kael’s shoulder again, his voice dropping into something more strained.

“I don’t like what I probably have to do,” he muttered. “And I don’t like the reason why I’m going to have to do it.”

His hands clenched slightly.

“But I’m also very angry.”

“And I definitely want revenge.”

“Technically, my ancestors’ plans were all for peace and quiet, you know? And I’ve been a strong advocate of that. But I feel like I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from throwing at least a punch the moment I meet that idiot.”

“If that Wyvern King hadn’t been so greedy, then none of this would even be happening!”

The frustration spilled out of him in one breath, raw and unfiltered.

Kael didn’t interrupt.

Instead, his hand slid up to Riley’s neck before threading gently into his hair, holding him in a way that he hoped would ease the tension even for just a bit.

“What about letting me do it?” Kael said, his voice calm but firm.

“I’ll do it for you.”

Riley stilled.

They looked at each other.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then the green-eyed dragon huffed softly.

“Honey, you’ve already done more than anyone could probably expect.”

Kael’s brow lifted slightly as his hands came up to cup Riley’s face with care.

“Existing would be one,” Riley continued.

“To be fair, their original goal was to keep me sealed if the conditions for ideal hatching wouldn’t be met. The idea was to eventually awaken once their estimated time was up, or earlier if we ever got someone who’d have a fighting chance.”

“And there you were. Someone strong enough to actually start unsealing me with his blood.”

“So really, I think my ancestors would have loved to have seen someone as robust as you.” Riley patted his husband’s chest for good measure and received a light pinch in return.

“Hey—!”

“To think I was just about to say that they’d probably be impressed to know that the same dragon was so generous that instead of making it difficult to gather all of the primordial dragon’s gifts, you even gave one to me for free.”

“As it is, you’d probably be a very well-liked son-in-law.”

“Mn.”

“But from what you’re saying, they’d probably hate me.”

With a family that devoted, they were likely glaring daggers and pitching forks over Kael’s existence. At the very least, the golden dragon felt like he would be doing just that in anyone’s place.

“But that’s fine. As long as I’m the best husband, I don’t care.”

The black dragon immediately lifted a hand and pressed it against Kael’s face, covering it with a soft smack. Maybe that guy would care to rein in his shamelessness.

Riley then decided to pivot to something he thought was rather important.

“You understood what all that meant, right?” he asked.

The golden dragon sure did. After all, it was rather impossible to miss.

“Yes. They want you to gather the gifts.”

Riley let out a small, exasperated breath.

“And use them too.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” Riley said, shrugging faintly. “From the very beginning, they knew that the seal could only delay the inevitable. At best, they hoped the Wyvern King would have deteriorated more throughout the years.”

“But once he shows up, I’m supposed to use the gifts to weaken him further.”

Kael’s expression shifted ever so slightly.

He looked like he was about to say that was stupid.

And honestly, Riley agreed because he knew himself.

He glanced down at himself, at his current state, at the way he still felt more like a slightly pretty, willowing twig than anything remotely battle-ready.

Sure, he might have gotten some upgraded equipment, but that didn’t change the fact that he still bent like a rubber band whenever Kael so much as looked at him the right way.

Maybe if they were talking about a whole different person and not someone who had to call out “Honey” to save his ass, then maybe it would have been more believable.

But there was no point in dwelling on that now. He just so happened to be an Iltheran so yay for him!

Also, he had two out of the three gifts, who else would he be kidding?

So yeah, just like learning how to regulate his mana, Riley just had to figure shit out.

Ideally, with Kael starting the unsealing earlier than expected, he should have had some time to adjust to something so life-changing. Actually, with him having two of the gifts this early, he should’ve been an early bird who didn’t have to fly after the worm.

But then there had to be Elder Ysvara.

And that ratchet premonition of hers.

And now it was obvious that he wouldn’t be able to focus on taking a break and building a house with his mate just yet.

Because instead of making homemade lunches and getting devoured, Riley found himself opening his mouth to say something he never thought he’d voluntarily suggest.

“Honey,” he said slowly, “I think I need to go back to work.”

“Oh and I think we need to visit another grave.”

“…”

As one could probably expect, the golden dragon didn’t like the sound of any of that.

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