The rain over the Southern Territories did not stop for seven entire days.
Dark clouds covered the skies endlessly while cold winds swept across the southern capital beneath constant thunder. Streets remained crowded despite the weather as merchants, nobles, military officials, scholars, and travelers flooded into the region from every direction of the Aurelia Empire.
Because the impossible had happened.
Dragons had entered diplomacy with humanity.
And the center of that historic event—
Was the south.
The same south once mocked by the imperial capital as barbaric frontier territory had suddenly become the most politically valuable region in the empire overnight.
Inside the Southern Council Headquarters—
The negotiations continued endlessly.
Day after day.
Morning until midnight.
The enormous assembly halls remained illuminated continuously beneath silver mana lanterns while countless documents piled across obsidian tables. Translators worked without rest while southern officials ran frantically between meeting chambers carrying reports, maps, pricing calculations, magical contracts, and trade projections.
The atmosphere inside the council no longer resembled politics.
It resembled war.
Economic war.
And everyone wanted a piece of it.
At the center of the largest negotiation chamber—
Vistara sat calmly.
The silver-haired dragon woman remained flawless even after an entire week of endless diplomacy. Her long crimson diplomatic dress rested elegantly beneath the chamber lights while countless documents floated neatly around her through mana manipulation.
Composed.
Elegant.
Terrifyingly intelligent.
Even the imperial diplomats secretly admitted something horrifying internally:
The dragon woman negotiated better than most human ministers.
Meanwhile—
The Southern Council had nearly stopped sleeping entirely.
Duke Altair handled military coordination personally.
Duke Kael oversaw Wildness security and trade route stabilization.
And Duchess Seraphine—
The most politically dangerous woman in the south—
Managed the actual treaty structuring alongside Vistara directly.
Surprisingly—
The two women worked together exceptionally well.
Though the atmosphere between them often felt sharp enough to cut skin.
Because both were highly intelligent.
Highly observant.
And fully aware the other was equally dangerous.
At one point during the third negotiation night—
Even Duchess Seraphine quietly muttered internally while reviewing documents beside Vistara:
"This woman could probably dismantle kingdoms through paperwork alone."
Meanwhile—
The imperial capital finally reacted.
Violently.
The moment official reports confirmed dragons were truly negotiating with humanity—
The entire Aurelia Empire exploded into chaos.
Royal ministers panicked.
Merchant alliances mobilized instantly.
Noble households rushed southward desperately.
And eventually—
The imperial palace dispatched official royal diplomats personally.
Ten total.
High-ranking imperial diplomatic authorities arrived beneath massive escorted caravans carrying royal insignias and imperial decrees.
The moment they entered the southern capital—
The atmosphere immediately became complicated.
Because the royal diplomats expected control.
Naturally.
After all—
This involved foreign relations between realms.
Something normally handled only by the imperial center.
Not provincial southern nobles.
Unfortunately for them—
Reality disagreed.
Inside the Southern Council Chamber—
The imperial diplomats sat with visibly restrained frustration while the draconic delegation calmly explained one simple truth.
The Dragon Realm would begin trade only through the south.
Because the Wildness connection routes existed there.
Because the southern territories already maintained working relationships.
And most importantly—
Because Herald existed there.
The imperial diplomats nearly died internally hearing that.
Especially after realizing the dragons trusted southern leadership more than the imperial capital itself.
An older royal diplomat wearing magnificent blue imperial robes spoke carefully one evening:
"Surely direct imperial administration would create more efficient long-term stability—"
Vistara immediately interrupted smoothly.
"The Dragon Realm values existing trusted connections."
The royal diplomat stiffened slightly.
The silver-haired dragon woman calmly continued while reviewing another document.
"The Southern Council already established first contact."
"Trade routes."
"Military coordination."
"Wildness stabilization."
Another page turned calmly.
"Replacing the current structure now would only create instability."
The imperial diplomats almost started coughing blood afterward.
Because politically—
She was completely correct.
And unfortunately—
The dragons clearly preferred the south.
So despite technically representing the imperial throne—
The royal diplomats could only sit there helplessly…
Watching southern nobles conduct negotiations directly with dragons.
The jealousy spreading through the imperial delegation became almost tangible.
Especially whenever southern merchants casually discussed resource pricing with draconic officials.
Or when Vistara specifically requested Duchess Seraphine's opinion regarding treaty clauses instead of asking the royal representatives.
The imperial diplomats smiled politely outwardly.
Internally—
They were screaming.
Meanwhile—
The news continued spreading across the empire rapidly.
And the reactions became increasingly absurd.
Northern nobles suddenly developed "urgent business" in the south.
Eastern merchant families coincidentally began touring southern territories.
Several high-ranking ladies requested "educational journeys" regarding Wildness culture.
Countless scholars suddenly desired "cross-species historical research."
All lies.
Obvious lies.
Everyone simply wanted access to dragons.
Because unlike southern people—
Most imperial citizens never directly experienced dragon invasions personally.
To them—
Dragons represented fantasy.
Power.
Mystery.
Ancient legends walking reality itself.
And naturally—
Human curiosity became uncontrollable.
The southern capital transformed rapidly afterward.
The streets overflowed with foreign carriages.
Luxury inns became fully occupied.
Black-market information brokers started selling fake "dragon meeting invitations."
Several nobles even attempted bribing southern guards just to glimpse the draconic delegation.
One particularly foolish young noble tried approaching a draconic diplomat while drunk.
He collapsed unconscious from dragon pressure before speaking three sentences.
Afterward—
No one repeated that mistake.
Yet strangely—
The draconic delegation adapted surprisingly well.
Some dragons openly visited southern markets.
Others observed human architecture curiously.
Several became fascinated by ordinary human food.
One black-scaled dragon diplomat nearly caused chaos after purchasing thirty-seven different pastries from a southern bakery.
The baker cried afterward.
Not from fear.
From profit.
And slowly—
The impossible started happening.
Humans and dragons began speaking casually.
Not as enemies.
Not as myths.
As people.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly observed everything from the shadows.
Or rather—
Herald did.
Because within the Southern Territories, Kel still maintained his disguise identity carefully.
The mysterious master alchemist.
The unifier of the south.
The man somehow connected to dragons.
Tonight—
He stood silently upon one elevated balcony overlooking the rain-covered southern capital below.
The city remained alive despite the storm.
Lantern lights reflected across wet stone streets while distant laughter echoed faintly from crowded taverns filled with merchants and diplomats.
The atmosphere felt strange.
Different.
Alive.
Behind him—
Soft footsteps approached quietly.
Duchess Seraphine.
The silver-haired duchess wore a dark violet dress tonight decorated with elegant southern embroidery while a black fur-lined cloak rested around her shoulders beneath the cold rain winds.
She stopped beside him silently.
For several moments—
Neither spoke.
Then finally—
Seraphine looked toward the crowded city below.
"You changed the empire again."
Kel quietly glanced sideways.
"That sounds troublesome."
"It is troublesome."
Her violet eyes reflected the rain-covered city lights calmly.
"A week ago dragons were monsters beyond the Wildness."
Another pause.
"Now merchants are trying to negotiate pastry exports to the Dragon Realm."
Kel almost laughed.
Almost.
The duchess slowly crossed her arms afterward.
"The capital nobles are becoming unbearable."
"That was predictable."
"They're trying every possible excuse to involve themselves."
Kel calmly looked toward the distant streets below.
"Because they realized what this means."
Seraphine silently observed him afterward.
Then quietly asked:
"And what exactly does it mean?"
The rain continued falling softly around them.
Kel's dark eyes reflected the distant city lights.
"For thousands of years…"
His voice remained calm.
"Civilizations viewed each other through fear."
Another pause.
"Fear creates monsters."
The cold wind moved softly through his black cloak.
"But once trade begins…"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"People stop seeing monsters."
The duchess quietly listened.
Kel continued softly.
"They start seeing opportunity."
Silence followed afterward.
And strangely—
Seraphine felt those words carried far deeper meaning than economics alone.
Meanwhile—
Inside the royal negotiation chambers—
The treaty slowly approached completion.
Trade routes.
Military agreements.
Border laws.
Currency exchange systems.
Wildness security coordination.
Diplomatic immunity clauses.
Everything continued evolving rapidly.
And unknowingly—
The Aurelia Empire itself had already begun changing.
Because once dragons entered diplomacy…
The world could never return to how it once was.