"...Annoying." Perched on a rock, blending in with the dark stones around him, Zheng Yichen achieved 'perfect' camouflage. To enhance the effect, he even chose similarly colored rocks to hollow out and place over his head.

  The disguise was impeccable!

  Through this flawless camouflage, Zheng Yichen clearly saw several suspicious figures moving near his lair. He had a subtle premonition that if his hideout was discovered, he might face some unforeseen trouble.

  It seemed he really needed to move.

  These new sneaky individuals didn't wear the same distinctive attire as before; their outfits varied but shared one common trait: high concealment. Additionally, they emitted a faint, almost imperceptible aura, subtler than the 'magic equipment' he had looted, making them hard to detect.

  However, perhaps due to his reincarnation or dragon body, what was difficult to detect wasn't impossible for him to notice. Professionally, these people far surpassed the previous black-clothed ones!

  Damn, what did they want? Were they up to something?

  Watching these people approach his lair with growing frustration, Zheng Yichen considered rushing out to scare them off. He admitted his disguise was good, but it seemed inadequate against professionals.

  Even misleading camouflage only delayed their search rather than truly misdirecting them.

  "That dragon hasn't been seen for a long time, retreat!"

  Huh? Discovered? Noticing these people suddenly retreating just before reaching his lair, Zheng Yichen tapped lightly on the stone covering his head, puzzled. He couldn't understand their words, so he decided to relocate immediately.

  "There are no traces of another dragon. The young dragon is likely without its mother's protection!" In a meeting room at the local mercenary guild branch, a group discussed. Most locals could identify these individuals...

  The branch’s president and vice president were present!

  "If there was a mother dragon, our people would have already been exposed, but the investigation went smoothly," the vice president said. He left unsaid that if there was a mother dragon, those sent out wouldn’t just be exposed but eliminated outright!

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  A mother dragon's protection over her young was fierce. Any threat to the young would face severe retaliation. Since nothing happened, signs pointed to an abandoned young dragon.

  Such cases were rare but not unheard of. Abandoned dragons usually had irreparable flaws, forcing the mother to abandon them. Sometimes, mothers killed the young to prevent them from falling into others' hands.

  It sounded cruel but was a twisted form of 'protection'.

  For a mother to abandon her young, the flaw must be significant. With the dragon race's resources, minor defects wouldn’t lead to abandonment or killing.

  The vice president's words excited everyone present. Even a flawed young dragon was a valuable source of rare materials. Simply bleeding it regularly could provide a life of luxury!

  This seemed better than living in this remote town!

  "One more thing, that young dragon... No, based on its current size, it's now a juvenile dragon," the vice president said with a strange expression.

  "Is it a wyvern?" someone asked.

  "The dragon shows no wyvern traits. It's a purebred dragon," the vice president confirmed. After confirming the absence of a mother dragon, he risked a close observation during one of the dragon's feeding outings. Detailed comparisons showed all features matched records of true dragons, not wyrms.

  "Its growth rate is unknown, but if we had found it a year or two later, it might have reached young adult status," the vice president’s words silenced the room momentarily.

  Young dragons, while formidable, were still juveniles. Upon reaching juvenile stage, their combat abilities leaped significantly, notably gaining the ability to breathe fire—dragon breath—a unique talent. Some gifted juveniles could even use magic without incantations.

  This was a highly envied trait among humans.

  Dragon language magic typically appeared in mature dragons. Younger dragons were physically powerful with high magic resistance, often relying on brute strength to overwhelm most enemies. Magic was merely supplementary.

  "Even now, a juvenile dragon isn't something we can easily handle."

  Given the town’s poor strategic position and limited elite forces, involving a dragon meant significant interests. They were grateful the dragon appeared in such a remote location.

  Otherwise, a lone, unprotected young dragon would have attracted powerful families, leaving nothing for them.

  "I can provide some heavy crossbows," the branch president finally said after a moment. His words made everyone except the vice president shudder.

  Heavy crossbows were strictly prohibited by the empire. Possession without authorization led to severe penalties, affecting entire families. Could a vice president of a remote mercenary guild get such authorization?

  Obviously not!

  Everyone present was influential in the town, intelligent enough to recognize the president’s intent. By stating this openly, he forced them to make a decision!

  Agreement meant becoming accomplices, risking exposure and mutual punishment. Disagreement meant not leaving the room—or having no say in the matter once they entered.

  "Looks like there are no objections," the branch president smiled slightly. "For our future rise, let’s not hold back. This operation must succeed!"