Chapter 262: Drake Family

After finishing breakfast and completing his daily task, Julian left the Gardevoir Hotel around nine in the morning and headed toward the Drake family residence.

On the western side of the Imperial Capital lay a vast expanse of ancient-style courtyards, backed by the White Mountain Range. The area was not only picturesque but also carried a certain level of danger.

The White Mountain Range was one of the restricted zones in the country, though the prohibition mainly applied to the mountain's central region. The outskirts, while home to numerous wild Pokémon, were inhabited by Pokemon of relatively low levels.

At the entrance to the Drake family estate, Julian descended from his Dragonite.

Wade approached him, accompanied by Dylan.

"Professor Drake"

Julian greeted Wade respectfully, then nodded slightly at Dylan.

Julian and Dylan weren't particularly acquainted. In fact, Julian's success had indirectly turned Dylan and Modu Academy into the biggest backdrop of the Hundred Schools League that year.

Dylan's feelings toward Julian were complicated. While he admired Julian's strength, he couldn't help but feel envious of how someone his age could be so powerful.

"Let's go"

Wade said, showing no concern for Dylan's inner turmoil. Bringing Dylan along was entirely to facilitate more interaction between the two. After all, they were peers in terms of age.

Julian was the heir to the Walker family, and Dylan was the heir to the Drake family. Encouraging communication between them could only be beneficial.

As Julian entered the Drake family's estate, he was struck by the vibrancy of their large family. The Drake family boasted over a hundred members, most of whom were from collateral branches, but even their direct lineage included more than twenty members.

This was a stark contrast to the Walker family, whose entire population didn't even exceed ten. With such a small number, the Walker family might not survive a significant disaster.

"Rest for today and let Dylan explain about the Dragon's Den to you. You can enter it tomorrow"

Wade instructed, leading Julian to a small courtyard that seemed to be prepared as his accommodation for the night.

Julian nodded. Since he was a guest of the Drake family, he naturally followed their arrangements.

After Wade left, Julian and Dylan found themselves standing in awkward silence, neither knowing how to start a conversation. The atmosphere became dull and uncomfortable.

Julian wasn't particularly outgoing, and Dylan still felt humiliated after being defeated by someone younger. He had no idea how to initiate a discussion.

"What are you two doing just standing there at the door?"

A voice suddenly interrupted the tension.

Owen approached with a curious expression.

"Julian, I'm Owen, Ian's older brother. Thank you for looking out for him at university," Owen said, extending his hand.

"I didn't look out for him, so there's no need to thank me"

Julian replied as he shook hands with Owen.

Owen: 'Is this guy serious?'

The polite exchange had been intended as mere courtesy, but Julian had taken it literally.

Owen's stiff expression briefly flickered before he let out a hearty laugh to ease the awkwardness.

"Brother Dylan, Julian, let's head inside to talk"

Owen said, gesturing for them to follow.

Owen and Dylan were cousins, with Dylan being a year older than Owen.

The three of them walked into the small courtyard, which was about the same size as Julian's villa at the Imperial University.

However, the decor had a more natural aesthetic compared to the villa.

By the courtyard pond, there was a small tea table with several attendants standing nearby.

"Try this, these tea leaves were picked from a perilous area in the White Mountain Range."

Owen said, pouring tea for Julian before serving Dylan and himself.

Julian accepted the tea but didn't drink it right away.

"Don't like it?"

Owen asked curiously, noticing Julian hesitating.

"It's a bit hot," Julian replied truthfully.

Owen: \(￣0￣\)

Tea was something that lost its flavor if left to cool.

Owen began to regret coming here.

One Dylan was already enough to dampen his mood, and now there was another reserved presence in Julian.

'If I've committed a crime, let the law punish me, not these two stoic statues sitting beside me,' Owen thought silently.

Deciding not to speak further, Owen focused on drinking his tea.

Since the tea was rare and neither of the others seemed interested, he figured he might as well enjoy it himself.

"Have you both been to the Dragon's Den before?"

Julian asked softly, sipping the tea once it had cooled down.

He was set to enter the Den tomorrow, so he wanted to gather some basic information in advance.

Owen glanced at Dylan and said, "Among the younger generation of the family, only Brother Dylan has been inside."

Although the Drake family managed the Dragon's Den, a rare and advanced secret realm, access wasn't granted freely. Each year, they had a fixed number of entry slots.

These slots could either be used for family members or sold as trade items.

As a large family, the Drake family required enormous resources to sustain themselves, so they often traded most of the Dragon's Den slots for resources.

In contrast, the Walker family's smaller size worked to their advantage. With fewer members, resources could be concentrated on just a handful of people.

For the Walker family, only three generations of trainers existed: Julian's grandfather, John, his father, Jake, and Julian himself. This allowed the family to focus all their resources on these three individuals.

John, having already reached Champion status, no longer required many resources. Julian, with the support of his system, also used fewer resources than expected.

As a result, the second generation, Jake, benefited the most from the family's resources.

"The Dragon's Den's energy is currently at its peak, making it a great time to enter," Dylan explained.

"However, it's also more dangerous than usual. High energy levels mean the Pokémon inside are in better spirits and highly agitated, which makes them more likely to attack intruders."

Dylan continued to explain the dangers of the Dragon's Den in detail, pointing out the most hazardous areas. As he spoke, he sent Julian a detailed strategy guide for the Den via his phone.

This guide, compiled by the Drake family, was an internal document far more comprehensive than the simplified versions given to outsiders entering the Den.

With John, becoming the sixth Champion of Drakoria, the Walker family's influence had grown significantly.

Furthermore, Julian's rumored connection to the mysterious and newly emerged first-class Legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo, made the Drake family take him even more seriously.

Adding to this, Ian was Julian's classmate, and Wade was his teacher. With these two layers of ties, the Drake family naturally maintained a favorable relationship with Julian.

"I'm so jealous that you and Brother Dylan get to enter the Dragon's Den. I haven't been to any special advanced secret realm yet," Owen said, looking at Julian and Dylan with envy.

"It's dangerous inside. I barely made it out alive last time," Dylan replied flatly.

Even an ordinary advanced secret realm was filled with countless dangers, let alone a special advanced secret realm like the Dragon's Den.

Owen winced, recalling the time Dylan had emerged from the Den, covered in blood. He had spent an entire day in the emergency room, a month in the intensive care unit, and only then was he moved to a regular ward.

The memory made Owen decide that entering the Dragon's Den wasn't worth it—at least not until he reached the Elite level. As a pseudo-Elite, the risks were simply too great.

The three chatted for a while longer before Owen and Dylan left.

With Julian scheduled to enter the Dragon's Den tomorrow, they didn't want to disturb him further. Everything that needed to be said had already been discussed.