It was too close...

  From Kenley's vantage point, even a mere glimpse from the corner of his eye was enough to capture the alluring sight of Daina's bosom. To be honest, Daina, clad in a long dress, indeed possessed a gentle beauty that was on par with Guinevere's as he had imagined.

  When Daina removed her armor and truly embraced her feminine side, her allure was truly potent.

  Kenley, breaking into a cold sweat, took a slight step backward, for he had already felt the not-so-friendly gaze cast upon him by Tia beside him. In the Aude Continent, men were permitted to have multiple wives, and this was especially true for the nobility.

  However, possessiveness is an innate trait of human nature. Even though Tia had become a vampire, this aspect of her had not changed. Moreover, with Tia's dark side lurking within, Kenley couldn't predict when she might lapse into that state of obsessive love again.

  Thus, Kenley could understand Tia's current reaction. After all, possessiveness is a complex emotion that's hard to explain. As a princess of the royal family, even though her kingdom had fallen, Tia's regal arrogance as a princess remained undeniable.

  Daina, of course, easily noticed Kenley's retreat. Instead of being angry or sad, she smiled and said, "Well, Kenley, would you like to give it some thought?"

  Kenley had no idea what Daina was thinking. In Daina's view, once Kenley entered the Imperial Dragon Rider Academy, there would be no way for him to avoid getting involved.

  To be frank, Daina didn't regard Kenley as a romantic interest or a potential suitor at all. She simply aimed to secure greater benefits for the Christophon family.

  Daina believed that Kenley had immense potential, and with a dragon as his riding pet, his value had significantly increased. If they could bind Kenley more closely to the family and make him a loyal supporter, it would also be a great advantage for Guinevere, who was set to inherit the prince's title in the future.

  Dragon riders were quite scarce even within the Guinevere family. Even throughout the entire Cain Empire, the total number of dragon riders did not exceed five hundred.

  The prerequisite for becoming a dragon rider was to form a contract with a dragon and have it submit to you. And dragons were at least powerful silver-level monsters. Without the strength above the sixth rank, one had no hope of forming a contract with a dragon.

  The establishment of the Dragon Rider Academy in the Cain Empire was made possible thanks to the Imperial Dragon Rider Guard Legion. It was precisely with this legion of three hundred dragon riders that the Cain Empire had intimidated more than a dozen neighboring countries of various sizes and had become the most powerful empire in the current era.

  The reason the Dragon Rider Guard Legion could be established was that the founding emperor of the Cain Empire had reached a permanent alliance contract with the master of the Red Dragon Nest. Under the contract rules set by the founding king, the empire trained dragon riders, selecting warriors or knights with great talent as candidates. The dragons would then designate the reserve candidates, and the renowned dragon riders would provide personal guidance.

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  After this series of processes came into place, the Imperial Dragon Rider Academy was established, which continuously supplied fresh blood to the Dragon Rider Guard Legion.

  Since dragons had extremely long lifespans while humans had relatively short ones, many serving dragons had already witnessed the passage of several generations, or even dozens of generations, of humans.

  But Kenley was truly exceptional. He was a potential dragon rider who, though not having reached the sixth rank yet, already had a dragon as his riding pet. Therefore, in Daina's eyes, Kenley had absolute potential, and winning him over was undoubtedly a lucrative investment.

  "I think I'll pass on going to the Imperial Dragon Rider Academy. I'm not really used to that kind of atmosphere," Kenley shook his head. He had a system, which allowed him to learn and grow very quickly. If he entered the academy, he might end up staying there for a year or two, and his personal freedom would be restricted in many ways. It might not be as comfortable as his current situation.

  Moreover, becoming a dragon rider wasn't limited to going through the Dragon Rider Academy. Kenley knew several NPC dragon riders. Although they weren't part of the Imperial Dragon Rider Guard Legion, they still possessed great power. Becoming their apprentice to change his class to a dragon rider would be more cost-effective.

  Upon hearing Kenley's words, Daina's expression froze for a moment. She immediately said, "There are numerous benefits to becoming a dragon rider. I'll study with you at the Knight Academy, and after graduation, you'll receive an official commendation from the empire. Since you already have a dragon mount, you can skip the trial by the nest master, which means your study period won't be that long."

  "The most crucial thing is that becoming an Imperial Dragon Rider and receiving the commendation means you'll have a second noble title: Imperial Dragon Rider, and you'll be personally enfeoffed by His Majesty the King. In the Christophon territory, having the special noble status of a dragon rider is equivalent to having the same rights as an earl, and you'll be more likely to be highly regarded by my sister. Kenley, won't you reconsider?"

  After listening to Daina's words, Kenley immediately understood her intentions. Indeed, there were many advantages to being an Imperial Dragon Rider. Moreover, he was already a noble enfeoffed by Guinevere and a vassal of Daina. If he became an Imperial Dragon Rider, it would be like adding an extra layer of prestige, which would serve as an additional safeguard for him.

  It was truly tempting...

  "Master, I think Miss Daina is right. Becoming an Imperial Dragon Rider not only means truly stepping into the upper echelons of the empire's nobility but also brings more privileges and honors. For example, you'll be granted more expansive lands, have more subjects, and enjoy a higher degree of autonomy over your territory. You'll also gain more benefits in aspects such as commerce, education, entertainment, and taxation. Master, you might want to consider it," Tia, this time, wasn't competing with Daina secretly over matters of the heart. Instead, she was earnestly helping Kenley analyze the situation.

  Kenley nodded slightly upon hearing this. Indeed, he knew that out of everyone, Tia was the least likely to harm him. Moreover, as a princess of the royal family, Tia had more say in matters related to the nobility and knew more about them than he did.

  Having Tia as a strategist by his side, Kenley suddenly felt a great sense of joy and relief.

  "Alright, I've fully understood your point, Daina. Well, then I'll accompany you to pursue further studies at the Imperial Dragon Rider Academy," Kenley smiled faintly.

  Daina was overjoyed, and her happiness was impossible to hide. She even reached out and, without thinking about her appearance, hooked her arm around Kenley's: "Now that's more like a warrior!"

  However, due to Daina's overly ample bosom pressing against Kenley's arm, he immediately sensed something amiss. The softness of the touch was far beyond what he had experienced when Daina was wearing armor.

  "Captain Daina, your hand... your hand..." Kenley had no choice but to remind her.

  Upon hearing Kenley's reminder, Daina's pretty face blushed for some reason. She quickly coughed and withdrew her hand: "Sorry, it was just an instinctive reaction..."