The Dragon Lord's Aide Wants to Quit [BL] Chapter 435: Public Advisory

The pressure brought about by the wyverns’ attempt to turn all of Eryndra against Riley had undoubtedly been effective.

After all, when people were suddenly greeted by mutilated corpses carrying "neatly" carved messages, they generally didn’t begin by carefully weighing the pros and cons of the situation. Most people would understandably scream first, throw up second, and only start thinking after the initial shock had finally worn off.

Unfortunately, by then, the seed had already been planted.

Once fear settled in, people naturally began looking for someone to blame for their own helplessness, and thanks to the Wyvern Queen’s little "letters," Riley had conveniently been placed right at the center of that frustration. People who otherwise wouldn’t have spared him a second thought suddenly found themselves repeatedly hearing the same name until, little by little, transferring responsibility became easier than confronting the monsters actually responsible for the massacres.

So it wasn’t exactly surprising when the MBE found itself flooded with petitions.

One after another.

Then dozens more.

All demanding the same thing.

Have Riley Hale show himself.

Show. Himself.

As though the people demanding that would simply invite him over for tea and politely ask about the weather if he’d actually been foolish enough to grant their request.

Needless to say, neither the Hales nor the Dravaryns took everyone’s newfound but definitely misplaced enthusiasm particularly well.

If anything, they were downright furious.

Orien and Liam, in particular, practically declared war on anyone who even entertained the thought of laying a hand on Riley. Standing proudly in the middle of the room with their little arms crossed and their faces scrunched into matching expressions of outrage, the pair made their position abundantly clear.

One tiny golden dragonling puffed out his chest with all the dignity his small body could muster before boldly declaring that he’d breathe fire on anyone who tried to take his auntie away. Right beside him, Liam nodded so vigorously that it looked as though his head might come loose, wearing the determined expression of someone fully prepared to throw fists, his newly learned magic, furniture, or whatever else happened to be within arm’s reach if it meant protecting his big brother.

Honestly...

The black dragon appreciated that more than he could ever properly put into words.

Considering everything that had happened over the past few days and how spectacularly his faith in the people of Eryndra had taken a nosedive, the ex-mortal quietly reminded himself that, if not for those ungrateful people whose survival they were currently fighting for, he’d still gladly do all of this for those two little itty bits alone.

For his family.

For the same people who consistently showed him that they were willing to go through hell and back with him.

But if the rest of his family were already gnashing their teeth over the situation, then one could only imagine the mental state of the actual dragon lord.

Yep. That guy.

Kael Dravaryn looked like the physical embodiment of barely restrained fury, seething rage, and deep-seated wrath.

And the only reason the surrounding furniture, along with the people who regularly used it, remained intact was because Riley, the very mate being needlessly crucified, had repeatedly ordered him to stay calm.

"I know you’re not going to like this, and even I’m not exactly a fan of this method," Riley said after reading yet another report, "but we need to wait a little longer. Just a bit longer, I promise."

Kael frowned.

It was the sort of frown that looked serious enough to be spotted by alien life forms on an entirely different planet.

The golden dragon genuinely couldn’t understand why his twig insisted on remaining silent when they already had the means to respond publicly. As far as he was concerned, they should’ve immediately countered the Wyvern Queen’s narrative the moment the first bodies appeared. Or if that hadn’t been possible, they should’ve just gotten rid of everyone who wanted to throw his mate as some sacrifice.

Riley, however, remained stubborn.

According to him, timing was everything when it came to propaganda.

Sure enough, the opportunity he’d been waiting for finally arrived.

Convinced they’d successfully backed Riley into a corner, the wyverns released the second half of their message, this time publicly claiming that anyone willing to cooperate would be treated... favorably.

Riley stared at the report before letting out a scoff.

"Favorably, my ass."

Then he finally looked toward Orryn, who had since become integral to this admittedly very human-like venture. And if there was anyone who’d understand him better, it had to be someone who’d lived long enough as a human to appreciate this level of pettiness.

"I think it’s time."

The red dragon immediately understood.

Within the hour, the notices they’d quietly prepared beforehand began spreading throughout Eryndra through an unusually broad coalition of human newspapers, social media, magical communication networks, and the usual MBE information channels, reaching far more people than anyone had expected in a remarkably short amount of time.

As for what Riley’s grand propaganda campaign actually consisted of...

It was surprisingly simple.

Just a little show and tell.

__

That morning began with the same uncertainty that had settled over Eryndra ever since the Wyvern Queen’s first message reached the continent.

But unlike the moments directly after the summons, the fear people carried had gradually begun changing into something else.

Acceptance.

With each passing day, the wyverns seemed increasingly more... reasonable. They weren’t demanding kingdoms. They weren’t threatening to wipe entire races off the map. They only wanted one person.

Just Riley Hale.

Slowly but surely, the impossible became easier to justify. Once the initial horror wore off, people had an incredible talent for convincing themselves that perhaps the price wasn’t all that unreasonable after all.

Viewed from a comfortable distance, everything just sounded so practical that the only real consequence would be the center of power changing hands for a while, with the continent’s existing residents simply having to make room for the wyverns as their newest neighbors.

Moreover, the situation almost didn’t sound so terrible when paired with promises of immortalizing Riley’s inevitable sacrifice.

But that illusion lasted exactly until the notices Riley had prepared began appearing throughout the continent.

Unlike the wyverns’ grotesque messages delivered alongside corpses, these notices looked almost disappointingly ordinary. They were addressed to the general public and carried the simple title:

How to Identify a Wyvern

People naturally read them.

Then they saw the photographs.

All across Eryndra, the quiet of the morning was abruptly shattered by the sound of plates slipping from trembling hands, glasses crashing onto wooden floors, and chairs scraping violently backward as countless households and evacuation shelters stared in horror at the images before them.

For the first time...

Everyone saw what hid beneath those hooded robes.

Each so-called wyvern looked nothing like the majestic creatures people could recall from historical books alone. Instead, staring back at them were grotesque beings stitched together from mismatched body parts belonging to countless different races, their appearances so unnatural and horrifying that they looked less like living creatures and more like something assembled by a madman who’d never once learned when to stop.

The notice calmly pointed out that identifying them wasn’t always straightforward.

Not because they hid particularly well.

But because many had spent years replacing parts of themselves with stolen parts and stolen blood.

As the report continued, horrified viewers found themselves unconsciously looking closer.

Some recognized elven ears.

Others recognized dwarven limbs.

Dragon scales.

Beastkin claws.

Even characteristics belonging to races that should never have existed together on the same body.

The realization struck almost simultaneously across the continent as the notice kept on running its course.

Families with missing relatives should keep an eye out for unexpected clues.

Those with family or clan crypts were advised to inspect their resting places whenever possible for signs of theft or grave robbing.

Curiously, despite the constant plastering of wyvern after wyvern across every available surface, there hadn’t been a single mention of Riley Hale. Then again, perhaps that was only fitting when the people watching could barely remember him after getting a good look at their supposed new neighbors.

The report concluded with one final advisory.

It wasn’t dramatic.

It wasn’t emotional.

If anything, its calm wording somehow made it infinitely more disturbing.

Public Advisory: Based on current investigations, wyverns appear capable of utilizing the abilities associated with the stolen bloodlines and body parts incorporated into their bodies. If encountered, please assume they possess multiple racial abilities and exercise extreme caution.

Now, with his head resting against his golden mate’s shoulder as he waited for the aftereffects, Riley found himself wondering just how welcoming the people could truly be.