Upon returning to his own nest, Logan felt deeply troubled. The Ancient Tree had, after all, been something he had personally fostered into existence. Although creating this civilization had never been his original intention—and had instead been a product of following development and ecological balance—once it had truly taken shape, a sense of responsibility born from the human soul compelled him to face it squarely, and he gradually developed a feeling of belonging toward this place.
Such emotions, such a way of life, had allowed him to become a one-of-a-kind Elder Dragon, but they also made it impossible for him to act as the former Black Flame King once had—using Fire Wyverns under his command as mere tools to satisfy personal desires, abandoning his homeland and leaving without hesitation.
In Logan's view, the civilization of the Ancient Tree was still far too immature. Whether it was young Loren or the other Fire Wyverns, none of them had yet grown to the point where they could support such a civilization after his departure.
But time waited for no dragon, and he had to make a decision in advance.
It was amid this tangled state of mind that Aki returned.
After living together for many years—her gaze never straying far—Aki could judge Logan's current emotional state merely from the condition of his muscles, the faint energy-flow sheen visible between his scales, and his eyes.
With concern, she let out a low growl as she came to his side and quietly lay down next to him.
Logan, somewhat agitated, snorted, then explained to Aki the arrival of Mother Chameleos and his own thoughts.
Having been prepared to receive Aki's comforting reassurance, Logan instead found that she did not gently soothe him as she usually did. Somewhat puzzled, he turned his head to look at her.
His gaze met Aki's vertical pupils—deep blue tinged with a trace of crimson.
At that moment, those gem-like eyes that Logan never tired of gazing upon revealed three parts confusion, three parts barely suppressed amusement, three parts speechless exasperation, and one part indulgent affection.
Though it was not a pie chart, Logan nonetheless perceived every element contained within that look with perfect clarity.
Just as Logan let out a questioning low growl, Aki's explanation followed immediately.
"The Elder's Recess, and that other place you mentioned—are they far?"
It was a very simple question. Logan answered almost instinctively, "Far!"
But under Aki's gaze, he suddenly realized something.
That was right—whether it was the Elder's Recess or the Guiding Lands, both were indeed very far from the Ancient Tree, but that was only true for ordinary creatures.
For Logan—who possessed supersonic flight—could this distance really be considered far?
At that moment, Logan's mind suddenly cleared!
Since this distance was not actually far for him, then this so-called act of leaving the Ancient Tree was, to Logan, nothing more than the equivalent of a wealthy man who had struggled for many years in the city deciding—tired, or for some other reason—to return to the countryside and build a villa to live in according to his own wishes.
But that did not mean the wealthy man would completely let go of his company and stop managing it.
He would find a suitable "successor" to watch over it, and he himself would return to the company from time to time to check on things and issue some important directives.
It would simply be a change from timely regulation and hands-on involvement to remote control.
His greatest worry, in truth, had merely been a case of getting stuck in a dead end.
Seeing that Logan's complexion had clearly improved, Aki's eyes were filled with nothing but this shiny fellow. She raised her head slightly and bit down on his neck—her sharp teeth and crystalline scales rubbing gently against each other—just like when Logan was young, when he had secretly gone off to provoke an Anjanath behind Aki's back, only for Aki to find out afterward.
Faced with this favored "punishment," Logan accepted it gladly.
His whole body lay blissfully in the nest, and under Aki's "gentle" care, he fell into a deep sleep.
With his greatest worry resolved, Logan slept quite soundly.
But over in Blazefire Village, things had exploded into chaos!
The former Fire Wyvern Grimalkyne leader, whose fur had already turned gray-white and who now walked with a trembling, unsteady gait, widened his aged eyes enormously upon hearing the news brought by Tonkotsu.
All the senior figures of Blazefire Village, as well as the administrators of the Hunters' Guild, looked on in utter disbelief.
The Sunblaze Dragon was actually going to leave the Ancient Tree!
And not in the usual sense of a temporary departure—he truly intended to leave this place and go live somewhere else!
If any other creature had said this, then at this moment it would likely have been placed on everyone present's kill list.
It was like a king suddenly declaring that he would abandon the kingdom he had built with his own hands and go into seclusion somewhere unknown.
For a newborn civilization, this was undoubtedly a fatal blow.
But the one bringing this news was Tonkotsu—captain of the Fire Wyvern guard, the current leader of the Fire Wyvern Grimalkynes, and the Grimalkyne most loyal to the Sunblaze Dragon!
The accuracy of this news was raised directly to the highest level!
Just as everyone was bewildered—wondering whether they had done something wrong, or whether the development of the Ancient Tree had displeased their king, and that was why the king was abandoning them—Tonkotsu's explanation left everyone silent.
They so desperately wished that it were because they had done something poorly, or that Logan was dissatisfied with them in some way, and that this was why Logan had made such a decision.
In that kind of situation, they could all change—there would still be a chance to recover and make amends.
But the reality was that their king still loved this civilization, and it was precisely this love, this sense of responsibility, that had driven the king to make such a decision!
Such a reason truly plunged everyone into despair.
"There will be a way," the Ancient Wyverian Prophet was the first to state his position. "Everyone in the research institute will halt all current tasks and focus entirely on studying the Ancient Tree. Before the king leaves, we will find a solution!"
"Blazefire Village and the shrine will also cooperate fully."
"We will likewise issue corresponding research tasks on our side, coordinating with the Research Commission to conduct the relevant studies together."
After each person hurriedly made their statement, no one said much more, and they quickly departed.
They had to race against time—there was not a single moment to waste.
Logan had never intended to conceal this matter, so after Tonkotsu carried the news out, it soon spread throughout the entire Ancient Tree.
At first, when they heard from their own cat that the leader was going to leave, the Radiant Fire Wyverns were fairly unconcerned. After all, over the years, the leader always had a few days now and then when he would leave—sometimes alone, sometimes taking the queen with him.
Even upon hearing that he intended to settle elsewhere, the Radiant Fire Wyverns felt only a fleeting sense of reluctance. They had grown far too accustomed to living by the Ancient Tree, and a sudden migration was indeed difficult to accept at first.
But since it was the leader's decision, they could only follow.
However, when the cat finally said that only the leader couple would be leaving, the Radiant Fire Wyverns instantly bristled with rage.
This alone was absolutely unacceptable!!
If the leader left, who would become the new leader? Who would lead the entire Radiant Fire Wyvern clan?
For a time, all kinds of dragon roars echoed from every part of the Ancient Tree.
Yet among the Radiant Fire Wyverns, only a very small number possessed the qualification to request an audience with Logan. Though they were furious and confused, under the strict hierarchy they could only express their will in this manner.
In the end, it was young Loren, as the Ancient Tree's "prince" and the strongest contender for the position of next leader, who took the initiative to leave his nest and head toward the upper palace.
He also wanted to ask clearly—just what his father was truly thinking.
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