Chapter 373: Nuri Arcadia, Black Dragon Princess

Adam took a deep breath, clearly preparing himself.

"Before I tell you who exactly that little girl is, sir." He began carefully. " I should probably explain how all of this even started. Because, well..." He sighed. "...you’re going to laugh once you hear it."

Regan frowned. "At this point, I doubt anything can surprise me."

Adam gave him a strained smile.

"Oh, you’ll be surprised. Because this—"

He gestured toward the standoff, the flaring energies, the deadly glares.

" —this potential inter-world war started because of a double booking."

Regan blinked. "A what?"

"A double booking." Adam said, wincing. "A double reservation. Anything you may call it."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"I wish I were." Adam chuckled weakly. "As you already know since you are a PE teacher after all, whenever students want to use the football field, they have to book it in advance."

"But for some reason, the system glitched. Two different groups—one all-human, the other all-demi-human ended up scheduled for the same slot."

"And when both showed up, neither wanted to give in. And you know how it is here, sir..."

He shook his head in dismay.

"...backing down means losing face."

"So instead of sorting it out peacefully, they started arguing, then shoving and other students gathered."

"More humans came to support their side, more demi-humans joined to back theirs, and before long, it stopped being about football."

"It became a race issue."

"Then word spread, and...well, now you see this."

Regan rubbed his forehead.

"Unbelievable. So what should’ve been a simple scheduling error turned into a racial powder keg."

Adam nodded again.

"Exactly. And it got worse when Lady Astrid happened to pass by. She heard the shouting and—well, she took sides. She sided with the humans."

"Her subordinates followed her, too, they’re elite cadets, trained personally by her. That’s the group you see there."

"And let me guess." Regan sighed. "Once the demi-humans saw Astrid show up, they called for backup too?"

"Yep. They couldn’t risk looking weak, so they called their higher-ranked members, the future leaders of their clans. And finally..."

Adam paused, glancing toward the small figure floating opposite Astrid.

"She showed up."

Regan followed his gaze.

"You mean that tiny one who looks like she’s trying to murder someone with her eyes?"

Adam nodded with a smile and went on to say,

"Yes. That’s Nuri Arcadia, the Princess of the Infernal Black Dragon Clan and..."

"...The Future Queen of the entire Dragon Race."

Regan blinked, dumbfounded.

"I’m sorry, what? That little girl?"

Adam chuckled nervously.

"Yes, sir. She might look small, but she’s incredibly important. See, among demi-human races, some stand above the rest—vampires, elves, merfolk—they’re all ancient and powerful."

"But even they kneel before the dragons. The dragonkin are the apex of all demi-humans."

He continued earnestly.

"Dragons have kingdoms of their own, stretching across the skies of the otherworld. They live for over a thousands years, rule entire continents."

"And the Infernal Black Dragons...they’re the highest among them all."

"Their flames can burn forests to ash with one breath. Even the Eternal Queen, back when she ruled, couldn’t enslave their kind completely."

"That’s how powerful they are."

Regan let out a low whistle.

"So, basically, she’s demi-human royalty."

"Yes. The only daughter of the Black Dragon King. And while she might look young, that’s because dragons age differently. They grow slowly. She’s actually over sixty years old."

Regan choked. "Sixty?!"

Adam enjoyed his reaction quite a lot as he said,

"Yes. But the funny thing is in dragon years, she’s barely over an adult. Her mind hasn’t fully matured yet. That’s why she acts so childish."

"But don’t be fooled, she’s a powerhouse in the making. When she reaches her prime, she’ll be one of the strongest beings alive."

"But of course..." Adam added with a sheepish smile. "...that’s a long way away and right now she’s the opposite of what you would call intimating or scary."

Right on cue, Nuri puffed her cheeks, flapping her small black wings furiously.

"Astrid, you big meanie!"

She shouted, her voice high-pitched and adorable enough to make half the crowd melt.

"You’re bullying us too much! Just because this is your world doesn’t mean you get to push us around! It’s not fair!"

She stamped her little boot in midair, crossing her arms.

"As guests, you should treat us with respect and dignity! Especially me! I’m the princess of the Black Dragons! You should bow when you see me and treat me like a queen!"

She tossed her hair proudly, her tiny horns glinting in the sun.

"If you don’t, I’ll tell my daddy! And he’ll come here himself and when he does, he’ll beat you up until you cry! So you better back off, you big bully!"

Then, with the self-satisfaction of a child who thought she’d just delivered the most devastating threat ever, she gave a proud smirk.

The reaction, however, wasn’t quite what she expected.

The humans didn’t flinch.

The demi-humans didn’t cheer.

Instead they all looked at at her with adoring and loving gazes.

"She’s so cute..." A dwarf whispered.

One elf actually clasped her hands. "Our princess is so adorable!"

Another demi-human sighed dreamily. "I can’t take her seriously, but I want to hug her so bad."

"I may not like demi-humans. But I think I like her." Said one girl on the human side.

Regan deadpanned. "That’s the terrifying princess of the Black Dragons?"

Adam winced. "Y-Yeah. Like I said, she’s still kind of...developing."

"But you’re telling me that that tiny puffball could destroy an army?"

"In the future, yes." Adam said earnestly. "She’ll grow into a being of unimaginable strength, one of the most powerful dragon sovereigns in history. But for now..."

He trailed off helplessly as Nuri kept ranting about royal treatment and snacks.

"...she’s, uh, still learning how to be intimidating."

"Great." Regan sighed. "A sixty-year-old brat throwing tantrums at a Celestial War Goddess. What could possibly go wrong?"

But his amusement faded as his eyes went back to Astrid.

He expected the white-haired girl to stay cold and calm like her mother, Lady Nadia, who was famous for her emotionless composure.

But instead, Astrid’s expression shifted.

Her gaze sharpened.

The warmth vanished from her face, replaced by something icy—no, something worse.

Disgust.

A shadow crossed her features, her lips curling faintly as if she were staring at something revolting.

The entire crowd felt it—especially Nuri who the gaze was directed at.

She was immediately felt offended by that look and her face scrunched up in outrage.

"H-Hey! I saw that! You—you just looked at me like I was trash!"

She pointed her clawed finger furiously.

"You looked at me like I was maggots! How dare you! I’m a princess, not some insect!"

And that was when Astrid’s cold voice drifted through the air, laced with malice.

"A princess? You flatter yourself."

Her gaze didn’t even rise to meet Nuri’s.

"It’s hard to show reverence to something buzzing around my head like an insect. Try flapping a little less next time—you might stop looking like a fly."

The crowd gasped.

Nuri’s face went red, her tiny wings trembling.

"D-Did you just call me a fly?!"

"Yes." Astrid said simply, her tone calm and cruel. "Though calling you a mosquito might be more accurate. At least flies don’t drain the life out of others just by existing."

Nuri’s entire body shook with fury.

"I’M A BLACK DRAGON! I RULE THE SKIES! I’M NOT SOME MOSQUITO!"

Astrid just turned away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as her seven tails flicked lazily.

"Then start acting like one. Right now, you’re just buzzing in my ear."

Nuri froze mid-air, trembling with fury, her cheeks puffed out.

"Y-YOU—YOU BIG MEANIE! YOU CAN’T SAY THAT! THAT’S NOT NICE AT ALL!"

But Astrid had already looked away, clearly done with the conversation.

And once again the air around them grew heavy, the blue and red energies swirling violently as tension rippled across the field.

Regan watched in stunned disbelief.

He’d expected Astrid to be cold and controlled like her mother, revered for her calm wisdom.

But Astrid wasn’t calm at all.

She was fiery, cruel, and full of venomous disdain.

Adam noticed the bewildered look on Regan’s face and couldn’t help but smile faintly.

"I think I understand what you’re thinking right now, sir."

"You’re probably wondering how a mother and daughter could be so completely different."

"Lady Nadia, the Celestial Maiden herself is known for being calm, unshakable, and devoted to peace. And yet her daughter..."

He glanced toward Astrid, who was still trading cold, cutting remarks with the fuming little dragon princess in the sky.

"...is the complete opposite. Not only does she reject her mother’s ideals, she’s expressive about it. She doesn’t hide behind diplomacy or restraint."

"She speaks her mind, no matter how hateful the words are."

Regan folded his arms. "Yeah, I can see that. She doesn’t seem the quiet, peace-loving type."

"Unfortunately so." Adam said, nodding. "Lady Astrid doesn’t care what anyone thinks. People call her a racist, a warmonger, a tyrant."

"But she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t try to appear noble or merciful."

"She believes what she believes, and she says it, even if it disgusts half the academy."

He glanced upward again, where Nuri was still floating and yelling in her high-pitched voice.

"And when it comes to Princess Nuri, it’s even worse. Those two have a history. This isn’t the first time they’ve fought."

Regan raised a brow. "They’ve clashed before?"

"Many times." Adam confirmed. "Even before joining Solaria Academy, they knew each other."

"Apparently, they met during a diplomatic event years ago, when Lady Nadia was forming the first post-war treaty with the Dragon King."

"Lady Astrid and Nuri were both there and according to rumor, Lady Astrid hated her from that very day."

He gave a helpless chuckle.

"And that hatred has been going on ever since. Every time they meet, it’s like they can’t help but fight."

"Usually, Lady Astrid loses interest and walks away, but..."

He trailed off, his expression tightening with concern.

"This time feels different. Her energy’s flaring. It’s heavier than usual and I don’t feel good about it at all."

Regan followed his gaze, seeing the faint twitch in Astrid’s jaw, the restrained fury behind her cold blue eyes.

"You think something serious might happen?"

"Yes. I think this could escalate badly. But..."

He took a deep breath, letting a small smile return to his face.

"Fortunately, there’s someone who can stop it."

Regan blinked. "Someone? Who? You mean Lady Nadia?"

Adam shook his head. "No."

"Then maybe the Dragon King himself?" Regan asked quickly. "Because let’s be honest—if this turns violent, I don’t think anyone else here can stop them. Even the Federation won’t dare step in."

But Adam simply shook his head again.

"No, sir. Neither of them."

Adam’s smile grew.

"There’s one more person, someone who can handle both of them at once. Someone who can honestly calm them down faster than even their parents could."

Regan gave a skeptical snort.

"You’re telling me there’s someone out there stronger than the Celestial Maiden and the Dragon King? That’s impossible."

"Not stronger." Adam said cryptically. "But...different. He doesn’t need power to make them listen. They just do."

That only made Regan’s confusion deepen.

"Who in the world are you talking about?"

Adam didn’t answer. His eyes flicked toward the crowd, widening slightly in excitement like he was a fan seeing his idol.

"Oh, look!" He suddenly said, grabbing Regan’s arm. "He’s here! He’s finally arrived!"

Regan blinked and followed his gaze.

The crowd on the left side of the field began to shift, murmuring as people stepped aside to make way.

From between them came a formation of six black-haired dragon girls—each dressed in the sleek uniforms of the Infernal Dragon Clan.

And in the center of that living formation, looking distinctly unimpressed—was Mika.

His hair was slightly tousled, his expression tired, and his posture screamed I’d rather be anywhere else right now.

He sighed deeply as the dragons escorted him through the crowd like a prized prisoner.

Regan’s jaw dropped. "Wait—him?"

Adam’s grin widened.

"Yep. The only person who can stop a war before it starts...Mika Archievisté."