The moment she imagined being "publicly executed" by the Research Commission, Chameleos trembled all over.
Losing a fight was one thing. But being forced to brandish borrowed authority—pinning a "First Fleet member" title on herself—just to beg Logan to help her battle?
She hadn't handled her own business, and somehow she'd saddled the entire Research Commission with a massive debt.
Chameleos found that hard to accept. It was humiliating to the utmost.
Simply put, her "cool" lay smashed to bits.
And so, in that panicky mood, Chameleos slipped into an ostrich mindset.
As long as that single scale wasn't carried back to Astera by the Admiral, then nothing he said had any solid evidence behind it!
It wouldn't change the facts, true—but at least Chameleos could keep playing dumb and pretend nothing had happened.
Now, though, that was impossible!
That hateful two-legged beast had actually tied the pack shut!
Sneaking the scale back would already have been disgraceful; if it escalated into ripping the pack apart to steal it, that wouldn't just be shameful—it would be shameless.
As one of the noble avatars of natural disaster, Chameleos felt she still had to preserve a little face.
Casting one last, reluctant look at that inconspicuous pack, she tore herself away, glancing back every few steps as she left.
She needed to figure out what to offer to offset this debt.
She had caused the mess, yet the Research Commission was bearing it all; she couldn't quite swallow that.
It seemed two large Dragon Tears wouldn't be enough—scales, claws… what else?
"Gwah?"
A small, crisp chirp sounded at her side.
Only then did Chameleos come back to herself, turning a bright gaze toward the "little one" beside her.
"Hehe—you'll do, gwa!"
Just then, the little Chameleos—less than half a month old, looking like a tiny purple chameleon—had no idea what plans this seemingly affectionate mother had already made for its future!
When the white mist dispersed, the Admiral exhaled in relief. He immediately undid the knot on the pack and searched it carefully.
Thankfully, nothing was missing!
Just then, the rattle of wheels rolling over grass sounded. A Grimalkyne sat atop a handcart; inside, three curious cats were peeking out—one more Grimalkyne and two Felynes.
The Grimalkyne on the driver's board held reins hitched to two domesticated Aptonoth, while three Jagras ran guard alongside, hurrying toward him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, nya!" came the crisp, cute voices of the cats. The Admiral waved a hand and pointed to the Great Jagras nearby.
Working together with the cats, and using a special mechanism on the cart, they hoisted the Great Jagras aboard and covered it with oiled cloth. Then they set out together for Astera.
Early the next morning, a meeting convened on the command platform.
Its focus: the identifying scale from the Fire Wyvern that the Provisions Manager had brought in.
After hearing the story behind it, everyone drew a sharp breath. Even the Chief of the Ecological Research Center—usually so composed behind those thick glasses—couldn't keep his expression steady. Hand trembling, he raised his pen and recorded the Admiral's account point by point in his notebook.
"Teostra, Lunastra, the mythical Kirin, Nergigante, Chameleos, two unidentified Elder Dragons, and the Sunblaze Dragon all joined forces to besiege an Elder Dragon that sought to destroy the ecosystem… Who would have thought Elder Dragons would ally with one another? This overturns so many of our previous conclusions. A major discovery!!"
The Admiral looked puzzled at the Chief of the Ecological Research Center's words.
"Sunblaze Dragon?"
Commander Carlos nodded, drew a sheet of parchment from the table, and handed it to the Admiral.
"This is the latest notice from the Guild. After study and discussion, the Guild has decided to name the mysterious Elder Dragon known as the King of Fire Wyverns the 'Sunblaze Dragon'! For now, its inferred ecological nature is Order and Evolution."
"However, even with a formal name, we still have no conclusion on its precise habits, whether its ecology carries negative impacts, how it reproduces, or whether others of its kind exist in the world. The Guild is already contacting the various kingdoms to see if their chronicles contain any related clues."
The Field Master added that the Guild had given high recognition and praise to the New World Elder Dragon Research Commission for once again discovering a new Elder Dragon—one whose ecological nature differs drastically from those recorded in the past.
Especially since it maintains a neutral stance and there are channels through which it can be communicated with. This is practically an epoch-making discovery!
"Sunblaze Dragon, huh?" The Admiral repeated the name. Remembering how Logan had absorbed the flames of countless Fire Wyverns—like a blazing sun hanging high in the sky, radiating boundless might—he nodded in approval.
"Quite apt."
Even so, the Admiral couldn't shake a hunch: Logan likely hadn't reached his final form yet. Would there be a second naming in the future?
Perhaps. Secondary namings weren't unprecedented. Many monsters only receive their final names after several revisions—once growing bodies of description, observation, and research converge on the most fitting term.
"All right. Given where we are, let's decide what we'll use to pay this 'compensation'."
Commander Carlos kept his expression stern, but inside he was overjoyed.
An Elder Dragon!
An actual Elder Dragon!
And it had openly acknowledged being a First Fleet member while outside the base! Even if that was most likely a heat-of-the-moment move to ask the Sunblaze Dragon for help, it was still good news for the Research Commission.
What did that imply?
It meant that besides the Sunblaze Dragon, there was another Elder Dragon with an even friendlier relationship with the Commission.
A bargain of a deal!
Different viewpoints lead to different readings of the same event.
The Commission was founded to investigate the Elder Crossing; investigating Elder Dragons is the first priority—everything else exists to serve that goal.
Gaining Chameleos's friendship and drawing the two sides closer is worth any amount of resources.
Everyone present understood that.
So when it came time to discuss how many resources to commit, not a single face was pinched with worry; smiles all around.
Well—except for the Provisions Manager.
At that moment, inside Astera's warehouse—
The little Chameleos stared blankly as its own mother trussed it up and hung it from a roof beam.
Then she dug out a pile of bottles and jars and sprayed the contents all over it, leaving it unable to turn invisible at all.
She even placed several Dragon Tears, some scales, and the like on a platform right beneath it—afraid it wouldn't be noticed, apparently!
Terrified, the little one went "gwa-gwa!" in a panic—only to be snapped unconscious by a single lash of Chameleos's tongue-whip.
Admiring her handiwork, Chameleos swayed out of the warehouse, perfectly satisfied and without the slightest pang of guilt over "selling" her own son.
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