Supreme Bloodline Evolution System

Max shifted in his seat and rested his other elbow against the armrest, supporting the side of his head with a closed fist as he looked at Caratacus with open suspicion. At the same time, however, a small amount of respect appeared in his eyes.

The king of Britana was opportunistic enough to recognize that Max needed something and immediately search for a way to profit from it. Max could not fault him for that. Had their positions been reversed, he would have done exactly the same.

"What is it?"

"Oh, it is nothing particularly troublesome," Caratacus replied, waving one hand dismissively as though the favor had barely crossed his mind. "Just a small matter for a mighty and powerful dragon such as yourself."

Max’s eyes narrowed at those words, but a quiet laugh soon escaped him.

"I’m not a dragon."

The amusement in his voice made Caratacus pause before slowly tilting his head, his sharp green eyes searching Max’s face for any sign that he was joking.

"You are not a dragon?" he asked. "I find that rather difficult to believe."

"So does everyone these days." Max’s fingers moved away from his temple, lightly tapping against the armrest instead. "It is a long story, but all you need to know is that I am the same as you. I was born human. How I gained the ability to transform into a dragon is a secret, one I hope you will not be offended if I keep to myself."

Caratacus continued staring at him for several breaths, his earlier amusement fading into genuine curiosity. He appeared to have countless questions waiting behind his lips, yet he possessed enough self-control to swallow them rather than risk pushing Max too far.

"No, not at all," he eventually answered. "Every ruler is entitled to keep a few secrets. In fact, learning that you are human makes this even better."

He reached for his glass and lifted it by the stem, swirling it slowly between his fingers. The deep-red wine moved along the golden rim, releasing a sweet aroma of berries and unfamiliar spices that drifted across the table. Max had refused every drink offered to him since entering the palace, yet the longer the scent lingered beneath his nose, the more tempting it became.

Caratacus noticed his brief glance toward the glass. His lips curved into a knowing smile before he took another slow sip, clearly enjoying the fact that Max’s discipline was finally showing its first crack.

After placing the glass back onto the table, Caratacus pushed himself out of his chair.

A strange light began to gather around his body as he rose. It appeared golden at first, similar to the magic pulsing through the plumes worn by Britana’s royal knights, yet something about it felt wrong. Thin traces of green moved beneath the golden glow, twisting together like two different forms of mana that had been forcibly mixed into one.

Max immediately straightened in his seat.

His fingers stopped tapping against the armrest, and his senses stretched through the chamber as he studied the strange power covering Caratacus. The light did not feel like an attack, but Max still prepared himself to summon his void magic at the first sign of danger.

Caratacus noticed the change in his posture and raised both hands slightly, showing that he held no weapon.

"There is no need to become alarmed. I have no intention of attacking you inside my own palace," he said, allowing the strange glow to fade from his body. "I merely find this entire situation amusing because, until now, I had been somewhat worried about Lady Senuna."

Max said nothing.

He remained in his seat, but the relaxed posture he had worn moments earlier was gone. His back was straight, his eyes followed every movement Caratacus made, and one of his hands rested against his thigh, ready to rise the moment black mist appeared around his fingers.

He waited for the next words to leave the man’s snake-like lips.

Max did not trust the ruler standing before him. The journey across Britana had revealed far more about this kingdom than its polished walls, white armor, and golden decorations ever could. Caratacus lived surrounded by enough wealth to bury a village in gold while the people beyond his capital starved in the streets and worked fertile fields without having enough food for themselves.

So far, Max was not impressed with the allies who had so eagerly reached out to Voidstar.

"What does Senuna have to do with any of this?" he finally asked.

Caratacus walked around the table at an unhurried pace, dragging his fingertips lightly across its polished edge. He stopped beside the closed chest of gold and gemstones, resting his hand against its lid as he considered his next words.

"She has everything to do with it," he answered. "Senuna is one of the most valuable people in my kingdom. She is powerful, intelligent, loyal, and capable of entering a hostile throne room alone without allowing fear to interfere with her duty. I would not entrust her future to just anyone."

Max’s expression remained unchanged, though he was beginning to understand where this conversation was heading.

"I had been uncertain whether a human woman could ever secure a proper place beside a dragon ruler, much less give him an heir," Caratacus continued. "Knowing that you were born human removes both concerns."

Caratacus looked directly into his eyes.

"I want to arrange a political union that will truly bind our kingdoms, both politically and militarily." His voice remained calm, but the playfulness had disappeared from his face. "After all, you are coming for my head eventually, aren’t you, King Maximus?"

Max smirked but said nothing.

He did not deny the accusation, nor did he offer Caratacus the empty reassurance that Britana would always remain safe from him. He merely leaned back into the cushioned chair and allowed the silence to settle between them, his fingers relaxing against his thigh while his eyes remained fixed upon the king.

That faint smirk was enough.

Caratacus understood that the man sitting in his guest chamber was ambitious enough to eventually feast upon the lands of his allies if doing so brought Voidstar closer to becoming an empire. Max might not have entered Britana with an army today, but there was no guarantee that the same would remain true ten or twenty years from now. The dragon clans had once been divided into proud kingdoms and empires of their own, yet Max had swallowed nearly all of them within a matter of months. Even the elves had lost their lands to him shortly afterward.

There was no reason to believe the human kingdoms would remain beyond his appetite forever.

For the first time since their meeting began, a trace of genuine worry appeared in Caratacus’s green eyes. It vanished almost immediately behind the calm expression of an experienced ruler, but Max still noticed it.

Caratacus was powerful. The strange golden-green mana resting inside his body was proof enough of that, and there were likely other abilities hidden beneath the polished image he presented to the world. Even so, he was not confident that he could kill the beast sitting before him.

Perhaps he could injure Max. Perhaps the combined strength of his royal knights, hidden mages, and defensive formations could even force him out of the palace. However, failing to kill him would only guarantee that Max returned later with the armies of Voidstar behind him.

Caratacus understood that the safer choice was to place a political chain around the beast before it grew hungry enough to bite him.

He slowly returned to his seat, smoothing the front of his red-and-gold clothes before lowering himself into the chair. His earlier unease disappeared behind another welcoming smile, though the fingers resting against the table remained slightly tense.

Caratacus released a quiet breath before reaching for his glass again. This time, he did not drink. He merely held it between his fingers, watching the wine move along its edges while choosing his next words carefully.

"I want to give Lady Senuna to you as your concubine."

Max’s eyebrows rose slightly.

Of all the demands he had expected to hear, being offered another woman was not high on the list. He remembered Senuna clearly, from her black hair and emerald-green eyes to the seductive confidence with which she had entered his home without permission. She had remained calm even while surrounded by people who could have torn her apart, speaking to him as though she were the one controlling the room.

She was beautiful, powerful, and far more dangerous than her revealing white-and-gold clothing suggested.

More importantly, she was loyal to Caratacus.

"If you agree," Caratacus continued, finally taking a small sip of wine, "then the passage you requested will be granted. My people will prepare a route into Frankindia, remove your name from every border record, and ensure that the Imperial Court hears nothing of your journey."

He lowered his glass and leaned forward, the golden light from the windows reflecting inside his green eyes.

"Perhaps I will even grant you some land here to govern. A city near our shared border, several villages, or enough territory to establish a permanent road between our kingdoms. Your presence there would protect one of Britana’s frontiers while opening a direct trade route into Voidstar, giving both of our kingdoms access to resources that would otherwise take months to transport."

His fingers slowly rotated the glass against the table.

"Voidstar needs a safe way to expand into human territory, and Britana could benefit greatly from having your strength guarding its border. We would both receive something valuable from this arrangement, would we not?"