After discussing the serious matters, Nikolina and Luna took Garon on a tour of the Ice Crystal Palace. The walls, floors, beams, dragon thrones, and sculptures all crafted from ice crystals made the palace seem surreally beautiful, like something out of a dream.
Nikolina was indeed skilled at constructing palaces, and as Garon toured around, he increasingly desired a palace of his own. However, he preferred a grand and majestic style over the more fantastical style of the current palace. Concerned that Nikolina might only know one style, he casually inquired about her capabilities.
When Garon shared his thoughts with Nikolina, she assured him, patting her chest, that she could build palaces in any style he preferred. If Garon liked it, she would do her utmost to fulfill his wishes.
Regarding Molton's descendants, Amos and Lilith, Garon did not encounter them; they had finished their studies for the day and were resting in their rooms.
Luna asked Garon if he wanted to meet them, offering to wake them if he wished. Garon felt it unnecessary and declined. He assumed the human children would not have a good impression of him anyway.
After chatting for a while longer, Garon decided to leave. Not long after, as they made their way back to the main hall of the palace, Garon's tail accidentally swept against a large ice sculpture of a silver dragon, breaking off one of its wings.
"Uh," Garon glanced at the sculpture with half a wing broken off.
Luna, observing Garon's massive dragon form, couldn't help but ask, "Haven't you mastered advanced transmutation yet?" All true dragons, as they age, learn a spell from their draconic heritage called Advanced Transmutation, which allows them to travel the world conveniently.
Garon had indeed mastered Advanced Transmutation after using the Dragon Soul Stone. "I know how to transmute," he calmly responded to Luna's question. After a pause, he added, "I just don't like to use it. I feel most comfortable in my true form."
Garon had tried it before. In his transmuted state, he couldn't fully unleash his strength, and he felt an intangible form of suppression, as if a giant were trapped in a tiny bottle. If he wasn't careful, he might accidentally revert to his true form.
Dragons like Luna who often transformed into human forms had mastered using Advanced Transmutation for everyday activities. However, for anything beyond casual activities and into serious combat, they would need to revert to their true forms. If not careful, they could give their enemies a chance to strike.
Using transmutation, Garon felt his connection with the River of Time weaken. Used to breathing air mixed with the waters of time, transforming into another creature only made him uncomfortable, as if ants were crawling all over him and he couldn't move freely.
Unless necessary to achieve a specific goal, he rarely used this spell.
Luna nodded in understanding. "Many true dragons dislike using transmutation, but many still use it for convenience."
Garon looked down at Luna and Nikolina and asked, "Why do you two maintain human forms in your own territory?"
Nikolina pointed to the sculpture damaged by Garon, "I don't want to break things here. They are all creations of my effort."
True dragons, if not careful, could easily damage their surroundings due to their massive size.
Luna simply smiled, "I've grown accustomed to it. I don't feel uncomfortable when using transmutation."
Gold and Silver Dragons are among the dragon types most fond of using transmutation.
Garon was noncommittal, his thoughts turning outward to the snowy world beyond the palace. "I should be leaving now."
Despite the calm inside the Ice Crystal Palace, outside was still a blizzard with howling winds.
Nikolina, as a Crystal Dragon, naturally possessed a spell-like ability to control wind, which kept the palace unaffected by the storm.
Hearing Garon's plans to leave, Luna hesitated, then said, "It's been half a year, won't you stay a bit longer? You could wait for the blizzard to calm down in a few days before returning."
Nikolina seemed to be pondering something, her brow furrowed.
Garon shook his head, responding to Luna, "We can gather again after we return from the south."
Nikolina then asked, "Where is your territory?"
After a brief pause, Garon replied, "Do you know Salya? Her icy cliff territory is now mine."
Nikolina's eyes widened, "Salya?"
After snapping back to reality, she laughed heartily, "Oh, it's Salya! I once fought with her."
"She accused me of trying to steal her dragon egg, completely unreasonable."
"Knowing that you took her territory makes me happy."
Garon eyed the jubilant Nikolina
and asked, "So did you switch the eggs or really steal them?"
"If you were merely passing by, Salya wouldn't have attacked you without reason."
Given that the White Dragon Mother was slightly weaker than Nikolina, she wouldn't bother unless truly provoked.
Caught off-guard by Garon's question, Nikolina looked guilty at her toes before raising her head with a serious expression, "Hear my excuse, I'm not one to enjoy stealing eggs."
"I was just curiously saying hello to her nest as I passed by her territory."
"After discovering she wasn't home, curiosity got the better of me, and I went to look at her eggs because I want offspring. I couldn't help but touch and weigh the biggest egg."
"Unfortunately, Salya returned just then, misunderstood my intentions, and didn't give me a chance to explain before she started chasing and hitting me all the way."
After hearing Nikolina's pitiful story, Garon fell silent.
Between every word, it read clearly: confessing without being coerced, and vertically: I wanted to steal the egg.
If she weren't guilty, how could the White Dragon Mother have beaten her?
And the biggest egg...just as Garon had initially thought, if the White Dragon Mother had returned a bit later, Garon might indeed have ended up with a Crystal Dragon Mother.
"Oh, I see, so it was just a misunderstanding," Garon said calmly.
Nikolina quietly sighed in relief.
"When I return from the south, I'll use magical equipment to commission you to build my palace."
After finishing his statement, Garon spread his wings, preparing to leave, stirring up a cold wind around him.
Just then, Nikolina suddenly shouted, "Garon, there's something you could help with, and if you do, you won't need to give me any magical equipment."
"You, me, and Luna together should be able to handle it."
Garon's body paused, halting his ascent.
Luna, nearly two hundred years old and approaching her prime as a Silver Dragon, was undeniably powerful.
Even stronger than a very old frost giant.
If she and a Crystal Dragon weren't enough, and they needed three super-sized true dragons to 'probably' handle the task, Garon was indeed curious.