Book 4: Chapter 47 |
“So that’s everything I went through yesterday. How about it? Pretty eventful, right?”
In the Silver Dragon Sanctum, the couple sat beneath the pavilion in the courtyard, sipping tea and chatting.
“It really was,”
Rosvitha nodded, then paused before asking,
“But you took so many things from the Sea Dragon clan. Even if you promised to repay Claudia with favors, did she really say nothing about it?”
“Of course not,” Leon replied seriously.
“I kept saying no, really, I insisted I couldn’t accept it, told her it would be improper—but Claudia simply wouldn’t stop giving me things. I had no choice but to accept them with great reluctance.”
As he said this, Leon subtly rubbed his still-aching backside.
The left side hurt from Claudia’s kick.
The Sea Dragon Princess was indeed wealthy and didn’t care much about a few manuals or a rare herb—but that didn’t mean Leon could just walk away with so many valuables after saying nothing more than, “I owe you a favor, Senior.”
So, kicking him was justified.
As for his master and mistress, they felt their disciple had been just a bit too greedy. To give the Sea Dragon clan the impression of “Our family upbringing is not actually like this—look, we’re disciplining him properly,” they each kicked him once as well.
That said, being jokingly kicked three times by family members in exchange for so many treasures was still a great deal.
More importantly, Claudia and his master were not unreasonable people.
Constantine was hot-tempered, but his strength was undeniable. After mastering primordial power, he had become even more unfathomable.
In the current unstable situation, securing Constantine as an ally was extremely valuable. Trading two primordial manuals and one Ghost Lotus was a very worthwhile investment.
On the other hand, with new threats emerging, Leon’s old combat methods were still effective—but no one could guarantee how strong the next enemy would be.
Strengthening Leon further was also perfectly reasonable.
“Oh, please, I don’t buy it,” Rosvitha said flatly.
“You clearly went there and took everything in sight. They just couldn’t refuse you.”
Leon cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Some things can stay understood without being spoken aloud.”
“So… where’s the Ghost Lotus?” Rosvitha asked.
“Oh, I stopped by Constantine’s place on the way back and gave him both the manuals and the Ghost Lotus directly.”
Rosvitha blinked her beautiful eyes.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“And he didn’t thank you or anything?”
“He did thank me, but… very indirectly.”
The queen raised an eyebrow with interest.
“Indirectly? So how exactly did he thank you?”
Ahem—
Leon straightened his back, lowered his voice deliberately, and mimicked Constantine’s usual arrogant tone.
“Casmord, don’t think this means I’ll be grateful to you. This is simply what you owed me. Oh, and if you ever need my help again, send a messenger dragon. Don’t misunderstand—I just enjoy being part of the action.”
Pfft—
Rosvitha covered her mouth as she laughed, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
“Why is his mouth so stubborn?”
Leon shrugged.
“All you Dragon Kings are like that. Don’t laugh at him—you’re no better.”
At this, the queen immediately stopped laughing and bumped Leon’s shoulder in mock displeasure.
“What do you mean by that? I always speak directly. I’m never stubborn.”
Leon’s lips nearly curled to the sky as he replied in an exaggerated tone,
“I always speak directly, ne~ver~ stuuubborn~ at aaaaall~”
Rosvitha laughed and twisted his arm lightly.
“How am I stubborn? I’ve always been like this all these years. If you think I’m stubborn, have you ever considered your own problems?”
Leon froze.
“M-Me? What problem do I have?”
“Have you always handed in your work properly all these years? Have you always played straight with me? Don’t just open your eyes and say nonsense.”
Leon immediately shut his eyes.
“Fine, then I’ll say it with my eyes closed—Stubborn Queen.”
“I’ll kill you!”
After a bit of playful fighting beneath the pavilion, Rosvitha returned to the earlier topic.
“Based on the clues and suggestions from your master, are you planning to return to the Empire to investigate this Shadow figure?”
Leon nodded.
“There’s almost no information on Shadow among the Dragon clans. Constantine hunted Adam for thirty years and never found him, so using Adam as an entry point isn’t realistic. That leaves the Empire.”
“Mm… that makes sense.”
Rosvitha thought for a moment, then said,
“But I’m still surprised that Constantine actually has a daughter.”
“Right? I was shocked too when I saw that little dragon. How does someone that hot-tempered have such a cute daughter?”
Leon paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“Do you think she might be adopted?”
Rosvitha scoffed lightly.
“No. Dragons almost never adopt offspring. Bloodline purity matters too much, and power inheritance can’t be guaranteed. Besides, no one wants the trouble of an abandoned dragon child with an unknown background.”
“Besides—”
Leon looked at his wife.
“Besides?”
“Even a foolish, straightforward man like you managed to have three clever, adorable daughters. It’s perfectly normal for Constantine to have one.”
“Hey, how am I foolish? And our daughters are clearly smart because of their father’s genes.”
“Our daughters couldn’t graduate from Saint Hiss Academy at age three. Your genes are the biggest obstacle.”
“Oh wow, impressive. Did you graduate at three?”
“No. I enrolled at seven.”
“Then why are you even bringing that up?”
The couple continued bickering back and forth.
And before they realized it, both of them were laughing.
“Oh right, speaking of the academy—they start school again next week. You should go back to the Empire after that.”
“Agreed. That’s my plan as well.”
Leon continued,
“If I remember correctly, once Noa starts school again, it’ll be her final semester in the young dragon division. There’s a promotion assessment at the end. If she passes, she’ll advance to the adolescent division.”
“Yes.”
The queen stood and walked to the pavilion railing, leaning against a pillar as she gazed into the courtyard.
From this angle, she could see a corner of the training yard.
There stood a practice dummy, battered and scarred—every mark clearly the result of lightning magic.
“She’s not even six yet, and she has to compete with children over ten years old.”
Leon stood beside her and followed her gaze.
He saw the worn training dummy as well.
Its material was specially made for magic practice. Ordinary attacks wouldn’t have damaged it to that extent.
Unless they came from long-term, relentless training.
Just like Noa’s.
“She’s not a newcomer anymore, Rosvitha. Age doesn’t define everything. She’s been through so much over the past few years. We shouldn’t treat her like a little child anymore.”
Rosvitha recalled Noa’s experiences—from her first ambush on the Star-Wandering Dragon King, Ravi, to protecting her friends in the trap-filled ruins of the Far North.
She had grown far more than Rosvitha had realized.
Perhaps Leon was right. Perhaps she shouldn’t worry so much anymore.
Still, one thing puzzled her.
She was a pure-blooded dragon. Dragons were known for being strict with their offspring, rarely showing familial affection.
So why did she care so deeply about her daughters?
“Oh, they’re out. I’ll go play with them.”
Leon placed one hand on the railing, vaulted over it, and ran toward the backyard.
“Dad! You have to teach Mu’en a new spell today!”
“No problem! Whatever you want to learn, Dad will teach you!”
Listening to their voices and watching that man’s eager figure, Rosvitha smiled without realizing it.
Perhaps the answer to her question had already been there all along.
“You slowly become the person you spend your life with.”
His warmth, responsibility, and sense of duty had drawn her in.
And without realizing it, she had become someone like him.
“You bastard Casmord. You stole my heart and still want to change my life. How nice of you.”
Laughing, she lifted her skirt, abandoned her usual elegance, copied Leon’s earlier move, vaulted over the railing, and ran toward her husband and daughters.
In the corner, the battered training dummy lay silently.
Only it continued to witness the Melkvi family’s past, present, and… future.
…
Footnotes
- Handing in work
- A playful metaphor for fulfilling marital duties and responsibilities.
- Stubborn mouth
- Describes someone who refuses to admit their true feelings or intentions, even when their actions say otherwise.
- Play straight
- Meaning to be honest, direct, and emotionally open.