Vivian stared at him for a long moment before whispering, “Young Master Chance, you’re far more… broad-minded than I expected.”

Jared waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t butter me up. The moment someone praises me, I start floating. And once I’m floating, I end up doing stupid things.”

Vivian couldn’t hold back a laugh.

The smile that bloomed on her face was more genuine than any she had shown before.

“Young Master Chance, rest assured. When the matter with Dragonmere is over, I will definitely—”

“All right, all right,” Jared cut in. “You’ve already said that. Let’s talk about Dragonmere instead. What’s the real situation in there? The Janis Family has spent three months exploring it—surely you’ve learned something.”

Vivian let the smile fade and answered in a more formal tone. “Over the past three months, the Janis Family has sent seventeen teams to explore the outskirts of Dragonmere. Every single one was pushed back by the Draconian Ward. We still don’t know what lies beyond it.”