William didn't trust the dragon at all.
Still, he had no choice but to accept the deal. He knew the dragon harbored its own schemes—and he himself had his own plans.
Still… this is a big win for me, William thought.
He shifted his attention back to the Bloodline Awakening Ceremony.
So far, every youth had awakened successfully—even if most were only Grade One.
Then—
A murmur rippled through the hall.
A boy stepped forward.
"Yusup Drake," Elder Poko announced.
Moments later, a strange aura manifested.
It wasn't a dragon.
Instead, a yellowish beast resembling a wild cat took shape in the air.
"A Civet Bloodline?!" an elder exclaimed.
"Calm yourselves," another elder said. "His mother's lineage comes from the Three-Tailed Cat Clan."
The atmosphere turned awkward.
No applause followed.
William noticed even Yusup's face had gone pale, tears welling in his eyes.
He leaned toward Silver. "Is that… bad?"
Silver nodded softly. "Yes. We're the royal family of the Red Dragon Clan. Awakening a lower bloodline like this is considered disgraceful."
"But his mother's bloodline is like that," William said quietly. "Why is it wrong?"
Ashley Drake, the girl standing beside Silver, answered with a shrug.
"The dragon bloodline is supposed to dominate. This kind of thing rarely happens. He's probably just… unlucky."
Unlike the others, Elder Poko suddenly laughed.
"Boy," he said calmly, "activate your bloodline."
Yusup froze.
He was still drowning in humiliation, his thoughts a mess.
Poko's voice remained steady. "Do it."
The boy swallowed hard and followed the instruction.
The civet-shaped aura screeched.
Then—
Fwoosh.
One tail split into three.
From one of the tails, crimson flames burst forth.
The hall went silent.
Eyes widened.
Gasps echoed.
Elder Poko's eyes gleamed. "Just as I thought. A Three-Tailed Civet Bloodline, mixed with Dragon essence."
He smiled.
"Grade Seven."
Shock rippled through the courtroom.
"That's… incredible," someone whispered.
The king was the first to clap.
"Not bad," King Midas said calmly.
Applause erupted across the hall.
Yusup lifted his head, disbelief turning into joy as a wide smile spread across his face.
William watched silently.
So bloodlines aren't always what they seem, he thought.
The ceremony continued, bringing one surprise after another.
William observed as each newly awakened youth manifested a dragon beast of different forms, attributes, and essences. Some resembled serpents, others looked like simple lizards or toads spewing flames. A few even took the shape of birds—or rabbits.
Yet despite their appearances, all of them carried dragon blood essence.
Elder Poko announced them one by one—Dragon Bloodlines ranging from Grade One to Grade Three.
Then—
A boy stepped forward.
"Zack Drake of the Second Drake!"
The aura surged violently.
A massive dragon-shaped phantom appeared, its body long like a python, but with four pairs of wings and sharp claws.
Elder Poko's eyes lit up.
"Good," he announced. "Another Grade Four Dragon Bloodline."
Murmurs spread instantly.
"Two Grade Four bloodlines from the Second family," an elderly man spoke loudly, not bothering to lower his voice. It was Gyro Drake, an elder of the Second Drake line.
"It seems the Second family is eclipsing the First family in this generation."
Faces from the First Drake line darkened.
Anger simmered—but no one dared speak out.
Even the king's two brothers frowned, displeasure clearly written on their faces.
King Midas sensed the rising tension. His gaze swept across the hall—cold and commanding.
The murmurs died down.
Silence returned.
Up until now, none of the First Drake youths had been tested.
Three boys and two girls remained.
Including William.
At last, a youth with crimson hair stepped forward, his expression casual and confident.
"Wilson Drake of the First Drake!"
Elder Poko nodded, clearly approving of his bearing.
The needles pierced.
And then—
Something unexpected happened.
A crimson dragon burst forth violently, its flames scorching the air. The needles were incinerated instantly as the dragon roared in fury.
"Hahaha!" Elder Poko laughed heartily.
"A true Crimson Fire Dragon!"
He raised his voice.
"Grade Four!"
The crowd erupted.
Cheers thundered through the hall as the balance between the First and Second families shifted once more.
William narrowed his eyes.
"Pure?" he asked. "Is it different from the others?"
"Yes," Silver replied softly. "It's not just the grade that determines a bloodline's potential, but also its purity. A pure bloodline of the same grade will always overpower an impure one."
She smiled faintly. "But don't worry, Seventh Brother. The First Family has the highest chance of awakening a pure bloodline."
At that moment, one of the king's brothers burst into laughter.
It was Shanon Drake, his crimson hair blazing like fire.
"Did you hear that?" Shanon said proudly. "That's my son—a Pure Dragon of the First Family!"
The other brother, Pandit Drake, laughed along. "Congratulations, brother."
Even King Midas joined in.
"Good," the king said calmly. "You have great potential, my son. I look forward to your future growth."
Wilson clasped his hands respectfully. "I will always serve the kingdom faithfully, Your Majesty."
He then turned to the others.
"Thank you, Uncle."
"Thank you, Father."
With that, he stepped aside, his expression calm and composed.
Shanon laughed again. "Pandit, I have a feeling your son will do even better than mine."
Before Pandit could respond, a boy with a pot belly and a mischievous grin stepped forward.
"Yo," he said cheerfully. "I'm Gon of the First Drake."
He strutted forward with exaggerated swagger, even breaking into a brief dance.
"Hahaha! Look at that kid," Shanon joked. "He's the complete opposite of you."
The king laughed.
So did the ministers.
Pandit's face turned red.
"Behave yourself!" he barked. "This is the King's court!"
Gon immediately clasped his hands and bowed respectfully—to the king, his uncle, his father, and the others.
That only made the laughter louder.
Pandit lowered his head, seething.
"All right," Elder Poko said calmly. "Show me your hand."
Gon obeyed.
Poko began inserting the needles into his right palm.
"Go on, Prince Gon," Poko instructed evenly.
"Release everything."