Qiu Ling gave them another moment before smiling lightly. “Alright, I should go back then before I’m missed.” He wanted to turn away and leave so they would feel more comfortable discussing amongst each other and truly taking the time to consider their position but hesitated slightly. Tilting his head, he finally couldn’t help but add another sentence. “If you don’t know how to go forward and need help, you can always go to An Bai and you can also come to me. You know that I am currently staying in the Heavenly Emperor’s palace so it won’t be difficult to find me.” He nodded toward them and then finally turned around, indeed leaving.

An Bai looked at his back with a smile. That speech hadn’t been bad. All of it was to the point, taking the options but also the feelings of the half-bloods into consideration. This … was likely due to the fact that he understood them all too well.

Even if they didn’t know that this was the reason, this should allow them to feel that he truly wanted to help them and it should help him with easing the last remaining worries about his own identity. In the future, if it ever came to light that he had never been a full-blooded dragon, this might help him weather that storm. As his adviser, he was naturally happy to see it happen.

Turning back to the half-bloods, An Bai inclined his head. “You have heard what His Majesty said. I don’t have much to add and mostly just want to reiterate what he has already said: Everyone has worked hard and I am glad that you were willing to take on this project. I would love for some of you to stay but I also know that research is not for everyone so don’t feel bad if you don’t see yourself drawn to it.

“There are many other tasks out there worth doing and the results we achieve for the realm and its people don’t hinge on just one or two projects but on everyone’s daily efforts as well. There is no shame in deciding that you’d rather not take part in any of this but want to live the life you had before. Every task is important and we never know where they might take us. So just decide with your heart and don’t worry too much about whatever outcome there might be in the far future.”

He paused, giving them a moment to adjust. Even though both Qiu Ling and he were in agreement that nobody should be forced and all of them should be allowed to choose based on their own wishes, they could only repeat those words but couldn’t make sure that everyone actually followed them.

This research had been important and whatever policies Qiu Ling finally put in place in the dragon realm based on their feedback, it would make a major difference in the realm as well. Naturally, they all understood that. So no matter what was said, the pressure was huge.

They wanted a better future in which their special identities and needs were recognized and changes would be made that would allow them to thrive. Getting to that future would require a lot of work though. How could they expect others to do all of it while they and their kin simply reaped the benefits of it? It didn’t seem right and yet … not everyone was drawn to do something that would change the world. Some of them just wanted a quiet life, the same one they had led before. They just didn’t know if they could still go back and live it without guilt when they knew what they could have done.

Qiu Ling and An Bai both understood that this was weighing on the half-bloods but they couldn’t lift that weight off their shoulders. Mere words weren’t enough when it came to life-changing decisions and there were no actions to take short-term. They could only persist and show them over time that every word they said was true.

Of course, this also meant that it would be difficult in the beginning because some people might force themselves. They couldn’t change that and shouldn’t try to either. The risk of making someone feel as if they weren’t actually welcome was too big. If they were approached by the half-bloods themselves and asked for advice, the situation was naturally different but he didn’t think that too many of them would dare.

Those who were unsure were likely troubled enough by the predicament of what to choose and would only feel more embarrassed if they had to speak about that with their king or one of his advisers. Maybe it would have been different if they had known that Qiu Ling himself also counted as a half-blood but since they likely hadn’t even thought of that possibility, they only saw him as the person in charge of the dragon realm, the one shouldering all those responsibilities to the point where his personal life might have suffered.

An Bai certainly didn’t want to comment on the topic of how accurate everyone’s appraisal of their king was. It was good enough that imagination and reality were finally getting closer.

“I am sure you have a lot to think about. I will go to the Tower of Wisdom to speak to senior official Yi Yun about the continued collaboration so he can find the right people for his side of the team. There are also some arrangements to be made for the clerks of the tower. You don’t have to rush to decide but if any of you are eager, you can already tell me when I come back later. Do take a bit of time to think it through though. I want you to be sure that this is right for you.”

He stressed this point again and then bid his farewell, leaving them to themselves. Even though he had gotten closer to them after working together for a while, his identity as a full-blooded dragon still meant that some discussions were not for him to be a part of. He was well aware of this and he wouldn’t push for that to be different either.