Chapter 117: The Silver Dragon—Making Friends

Five days later, the silver-haired youth Argenta arrived at the castle with his invitation in hand to keep his appointment.

At the foot of the hill, Kael was already waiting. Seeing the silver-haired youth approaching, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Lord Argenta, my master has been waiting for some time. Please, follow me."

Argenta said nothing, following Kael up the stone path.

In an open space beside the castle, the surroundings had been meticulously tidied. Several servants had already set up various barbecue utensils, which Vaelin had ordered the blacksmith to forge urgently over the past few days. On a nearby wooden table lay skewers made from black-skinned boar meat, and a bamboo basket held fruit freshly picked from wild trees that very morning.

Vaelin stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing down at Star-Prayer Town, admiring his territory while awaiting his guest's arrival. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Kael leading Argenta toward him.

"A pleasure to meet you, Adventurer Argenta. I am Vaelin Ekes, the lord of these lands. If you don't mind, you may simply call me Vaelin."

Argenta looked at the kind and enthusiastic human noble before him, and his mood lightened considerably.

"Vaelin, I suppose this counts as our first formal meeting." Argenta handed the gift box he was holding to Vaelin, adding, "According to your customs, this is a token of my regard."

Vaelin took the box solemnly and praised it sincerely, "What beautiful packaging."

Then, following custom, Vaelin opened the packaging in front of Argenta. Inside the box lay a book. Seeing the confusion on the other's face, Argenta explained, "These are my personal notes on plant cultivation. I hope they may be of some help to your path as a druid."

"Knowledge is priceless. Thank you for your gift," Vaelin expressed his heartfelt gratitude. He found it truly surprising that a silver dragon would be so interested in the druidic arts.

Argenta read the shock in Vaelin’s eyes, but merely smiled at him without saying much more. Few knew of the other’s true identity, and he carried the air of a hermit; naturally, Vaelin would not discuss his status to his face. Inviting this young silver dragon over today was simply to make a friend, not to offend him.

"I have hosted a banquet for you today. It is a pity that it is only you, myself, and my attendant, but I hope you do not mind."

"Certainly not. I am honored to be invited by the lord of this land." Argenta replied with humility. Given his demeanor, who would ever suspect that he was a dragon wearing the skin of a man?

The two sat casually on a carpet and began to converse.

Kael dismissed the other servants and took on the role of chef himself, grilling meat skewers and vegetables on the spot.

"You are truly humble, which is quite different from others of your kind," Vaelin said with a sigh, taking a skewer from Kael and handing it to Argenta.

"My parents think so too. They say I am a natural-born druid, lacking the arrogance and conceit that usually accompany our bloodline." Argenta smiled, took the skewer, and bit into it hungrily. His eyes lit up.

"How is it? How is the meat?"

"Very chewy. It rivals the meat of some silver-tier magical beasts."

"Argenta, may I call you that?"

"I would be honored." The silver-haired youth gave Vaelin a gentle smile.

"I am very curious as to why you came here."

As he ate, Argenta replied, "How should I put it? Perhaps it was fate. Six years ago, I resigned from my family’s service, left my homeland, crossed the Mist Forest, and arrived at the Gray-Haze Wasteland."

"My temperament is such that I favor peace. After some investigation, I finally chose to settle in your territory. Having lived here for three months, I believe my decision was correct. Star-Prayer Lake is a beautiful and harmonious place. Not only is the nature lovely, but the governance is equally sound. I truly enjoy such a peaceful and wonderful place."

"If you ever encounter a crisis you cannot resolve, you can come to me," Argenta said, looking at Vaelin with a smile. "Of course, you will have to pay."

"That goes without saying. One does not ask a friend to help for nothing."

"Hahaha! Vaelin, regardless of the circumstances, I can feel your sincerity. You are a friend I am determined to keep," Argenta said with a loud laugh.

"That is my honor."

The private banquet was a success, with both host and guest thoroughly enjoying themselves. Vaelin had Kael pack up the remaining black-skinned boar skewers for Argenta to take with him.

Watching Argenta’s departing figure, Vaelin couldn't help but sigh, "This matter is handled well. It adds another layer of insurance to Star-Prayer Lake, and I have gained the friendship of a young silver dragon."

"Master, have you already determined his true origins?" Kael asked, emboldened.

"Indeed, I have a few guesses regarding the identity of this young silver dragon." Vaelin looked at Kael and answered with a smile, "Although our conversation was brief, I can infer that he likely comes from the Silver Dragon Burke Kingdom, and his parents hold no small status there."

"Are you referring to the nation founded by a faction of silver dragons to the west of the Mist Forest?" Over the past two years, Kael was no longer the serf he once was. He had not only undergone systematic knight training but had also pored over various historical biographies, human geographies, and detailed chronicles of monster clans from the Synapse Subcontinent. He was truly well-read.

"Yes, that is the one."

Vaelin watched Argenta disappear from view, a bold speculation forming in his mind. If he could use this young silver dragon to establish contact with the Silver Dragon Burke Kingdom and build a large-scale teleportation array, the benefits he would reap would be immeasurable. However, this required the strength to support such a vision; he would need to advance to the Soul-Intent rank at the very least. Beyond that, he needed to earn the other’s trust; otherwise, building such a trade route would be impossible.

"Fifty years. I hope to fulfill this ambition."

Turning his gaze to Kael, Vaelin patted his shoulder and said, "I really didn't expect you to become so versatile."

Kael replied with a straight face, "As the master’s personal attendant, how could I shoulder such a heavy responsibility without a few skills?"

"How about I dismiss the cook and let you take on several roles at once?" Vaelin said, half-jokingly.

"If I squeeze a little more time from my training, I think it should be possible."

Vaelin followed up on Kael’s words, "And what would happen to the cook if he lost his job?"

"I could sponsor him to open a bakery to make a living," Kael replied after a moment of thought.

"What are you thinking about? Get to your training now."

"Yes."

Kael left with a wronged expression, heading to the training grounds to begin his afternoon session.