Baron found Yalilan in the drawing room.

Contrary to what Baron expected, no one else was in the room. Only Yalilan stood by the railing. Even on an occasion like this, she wore a crisp, form-fitting outfit that perfectly accentuated her figure, but it was clearly not for show—a longsword was thrust conspicuously at her waist.

It was a sword meant not for dancing, but for drawing.

’As expected of a Pure-blooded Fierce Tiger.’

Baron accepted a glass of champagne from an attendant. "Lady Yalilan, did you need something?"

They nodded to each other. Yalilan, holding a glass of red wine, took a sip and said bluntly, "The Hunting Group is leaving for Steel City tomorrow. Do you want to come with us?"

’An invitation to Steel City... The First Hunter Association is in Steel City, so it’s on the way. But after dealing with the Iron Thorn Gang, I still have one more thing to do. I have to go to Moon Town and find that wealthy merchant, Joseph, the one with the strange internal organs.’

Baron hadn’t forgotten his original reason for coming to Prole. He shook his head, declining Yalilan’s invitation.

Yalilan simply smiled, seemingly unbothered. "The young lady who was always with you—has her mission ended?"

’I have no idea where Carmen is right now. Did she just flake on me?’

Baron answered vaguely, "Perhaps."

Yalilan kept smiling, perhaps because another problem had been solved, or perhaps because Stephen’s favor toward Baron increased the chances of a successful deal with Chairman Liuxia.

This was one of the rare nights she smiled more than she scowled.

The light from a short distance away shone on her face, casting a faint, frost-like sheen over her cold beauty.

She said, "There were too many visitors in your room today, so I never got the chance. But you’ve probably heard about the Azure Fire Dragon incinerating the Undead Cultists at the Immortal Altar..."

’Here comes the real reason,’ Baron’s heart tightened.

And just as he expected, Yalilan continued, "I heard from Maguire that at the Underground Altar, you seemed to use prayers from different faiths to try and break the Immortal Blessing. I can understand the Blood God Prayer, given your Blood Faction affiliation. But why the Dragon God Prayer?"

"Why would you use the Dragon God Prayer, and why would the Azure Fire Dragon appear at that exact moment?"

Yalilan looked at Baron, and only then did he notice that the Viscountess’s pupils were a rare amber color—truly the eyes of a fierce tiger.

’I can’t expose my dual classes. I need to find an excuse to brush this off... But... can I trust her?’

Baron looked past Yalilan’s figure at the bright moon and stars in the sky. ’The moon is so big, and there are so many stars.’

As he mused to himself, he began to speak, "It’s because..."

’Wait! How could the moon be this big tonight? And there shouldn’t be this many stars!!! Also, if I remember correctly, Yalilan never asked this follow-up question. She just treated it as a tacit understanding between us.’

A sudden, inexplicable tremor ran through him. The center of the Hunter Badge on his chest, a gift from the Demon Hunter Ludwig, began to ripple like the surface of a pond after a stone is tossed in. It was like having cold water splashed on his face while drunk—Baron snapped awake.

The vision of the banquet and Yalilan gradually faded, replaced by another scene.

Baron was standing in his own bedroom. Across from him was a white-robed Wizard—none other than Carmen’s fiancé, Wizard Fei, the very man Baron had tricked earlier that day.

He was currently standing by the windowsill, holding a glass of wine, coaxing, "Because of what?"

’Because of my ass...’ Baron knew the difference in their strength and didn’t dare act rashly. Weighing the pros and cons, he decided to feign that he was still trapped in the illusion.

"A Dragon Scale."

"A Dragon Scale?"

Wizard Fei furrowed his Chang Mei, stroking his chin in thought. He was clearly perplexed by Baron’s unexpected answer.

According to his predictions, the information he’d gathered beforehand, and the specific guidance of his Illusion Magic, Baron should have mentioned his fiancée, Carmen.

Seizing the opportunity while Wizard Fei was confused by the answer, Baron began to shuffle in small steps toward the door, ready to bolt at any moment.

Wizard Fei asked, "What kind of Dragon Scale specifically? Where did you get it?"

Baron pulled something gleaming with golden light from his Gentiana Pattern Ring and said, "Lady Yalilan, do you recognize this Dragon Scale?"

’A golden Dragon Scale... could it be... a scale from a Golden Dragon!’

The Golden Dragon, one of the Three Great Dragon Kings, possessed one-third of the Dragon Law.

Legend said it dwelled on a high mountain in Feinan Country. It had disappeared thousands of years ago when King Feinan raised his army and ignited the flames of war. Many speculated that, like the Black Dragon and the Silver Dragon, it had left Prole for some unknown land across the vast ocean.

Only its scales were golden. If it was a scale from a Dragon King, it would be logical for a Dragon God Prayer to activate the residual aura of the Dragon Law on it, thereby attracting the Azure Fire Dragon.

Furthermore, a Golden Dragon Scale was a top-tier material for crafting a Magic Staff. Although a Silver Tier Wizard could cast spells without incantations, they still needed a Magic Staff to channel the magic. They no longer had to brandish it like Black Iron or Bronze Tier Wizards, but they still required the staff to be near them.

A Magic Staff forged from a Golden Dragon Scale, paired with a high-grade Magical Beast Magic Crystal... Even Wizard Fei was tempted.

Wizard Fei’s gaze was captivated by the shimmering golden light. Forgetting about Carmen for the moment, he extended a hand toward Baron and said:

"L, the Dragon Scale in your hand might be from a Golden Dragon."

Based on his subordinates’ observations and the previous dialogue with Yalilan shown in the Illusion Realm, he believed Baron wouldn’t reject this gesture from the ’Yalilan’ he was playing.

Sure enough, the Demon Hunter approached, holding the shimmering golden object suspected to be a Golden Dragon Scale.