Vol. 3 Ch. 114

*Empire Raid Team Assembly Progress: Complete – 3/3*

When Rosvisser saw Leon emerge from the woods with a calm smile, she immediately knew he had succeeded in persuading Constantine. And surely, whatever method he used was something only Leon could come up with.

Crossing her arms with a slight smile of her own, she waited until he stood in front of her before asking, "Did he agree?"

Leon nodded confidently. “Of course.”

“How did you manage to convince him? The same trick as last time?”

“Well… no. Moral arguments don’t work on Constantine, so I used a different approach.”

Rosvisser raised an eyebrow, intrigued. The famous Crimson Flame Dragon King was known to be unyielding and fiercely self-centered. Given their history, it was already remarkable that Leon had managed a civil conversation with him, let alone enlist his help.

So how did her "reckless husband" do it this time?

“I told him that once we take down the Empire, I’d give him an entire library of primordial magic texts.”

Rosvisser blinked. “But all we have is *Soul Judgement.* Where are you getting all these other texts?”

Leon shrugged. “Draw the big picture first. We’ll figure out the details later.”

Rosvisser shook her head, amused. “Looks like your time in the Silver Dragon Temple taught you more than just fighting.”

Low EQ: bluffing.

High EQ: establishing a grand vision to inspire cooperation.

Leon, it seemed, was finally realizing that smooth talk could get him far in the Empire's "game." No wonder so many graduates from the Dragon Slayer Academy were drawn to cushy desk jobs in the capital—safe, well-paid, and without the constant risk of death that dragon slayers like Leon faced.

Still, he had no regrets. He’d traveled far and wide, seen wonders that office-bound types could only dream of. And more importantly, he had a dragon wife and beautiful daughters waiting for him back home—definitely not something you’d get working at a desk.

Speaking of his daughters, Leon said, “Let’s go home. Before we head to the Empire, let’s see the girls again.”

After all, this mission came with its risks; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to recruit Constantine. They weren’t saying goodbye forever, and this wasn’t about setting up some ominous “last farewell”—it was just for peace of mind.

Their daughters were the most precious treasures in their hearts. No matter where they were, knowing those little girls were waiting for them at home gave them the strength to face any danger.

Rosvisser nodded, and transforming into her dragon form, she leapt into the night sky with Leon on her back, speeding homeward.

...

“Did you really bring peace to the dragon clans for a hundred years after ending the civil war?”

In the dimly lit golden hall, young Noa’s “Dragon History Class” was in full swing.

A great white dragon lay lazily before her, its massive body almost filling her view. It answered in a slow, steady tone, “Yes. That was the most united and powerful period in dragon history—a time of internal harmony and external peace, with resources in abundance. The overall combat power of the dragon race was far beyond what it is now.”

Noa spread her hands. “But now the dragons are fractured, waging different wars on multiple fronts, especially against the human Empire, where the battles are particularly brutal.”

“Seems that in the ten thousand years I’ve been asleep, both the dragon race and all of Samael have changed considerably,” her ancestor sighed.

*Once, dragons ruled everything. How did it come to this? It’s as if the tides of history rolled on, only for the waves to crash and dissipate.*

“You awoke to prevent some ultimate terror, right?” Noa asked, calm and composed—so much like her mother. “Though I don’t know what that is, and you’re reluctant to tell me the details, I just want to remind you that before this ‘ultimate terror’ arrives…”

She paused, voice steady yet respectful.

“There will be plenty of other troubles on this continent.”

Even though the young dragon course at Saint-Heath Academy was simple, Noa often went beyond class materials, diving into extracurricular readings to understand the world better.

Partly because she enjoyed learning, and partly because she liked sharing what she learned with Aurora when they were back home. That way, her little sister might stop fussing about things like “second personalities.”

Back to the matter at hand.

Her ancestor wasn’t surprised by her statement, but neither did she seem impressed.

“This generation’s crises are for your generation to solve. My only aim is the ultimate terror,” the great dragon replied.

It was a noble idea, echoing her grandmother Veronica’s sentiments—a desire to let the younger generation lead. However, the old dragon’s response seemed… a bit detached.

Young as she was, Noa understood her ancestor’s words on one level but couldn’t grasp the deeper meaning.

“You quelled a dragon civil war in your time; why focus only on this ‘ultimate terror’ now? The shadows lurking around the continent could easily impact the dragons too.”

Noa wasn’t trying to lecture her ancestor from a moral high ground; she was genuinely curious why the revered dragon hero, upon awakening from ten thousand years of slumber, had grown so singularly focused.

The question seemed to irk the elder dragon, but instead of anger, she just looked away, her gaze shifting to the calm water beside them.

“When you grow up, I’ll explain it.”

“Don’t treat me like a kid.”

“Hmph. But you are a kid.”

“No-ah!”—

The knock on the door brought Noa back to reality from her dream-like state. She opened her eyes, only to hear the old dragon’s voice echoing in her mind: *But you are a kid.*

Irritated, she sat up in bed, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. *Fine, fine. I won’t stoop to arguing with an ancient dragon. I’m a well-behaved, modern young dragon!*

With her mood restored, Noa hopped off her bed, bare feet padding softly on the floor as she went to open the door.

The moment she did, a tuft of pink hair filled her vision.

Aurora leaned in, her face close enough that their noses nearly touched. In a mysterious whisper, she said, “Big sis, you were talking to that ghost again, weren’t you?”

“...What ghost? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Aurora leaned in closer. “Really? But I definitely heard you say something about… being a kid…”

Noa leaned back slightly. “I was… talking in my sleep.”

Aurora leaned in even closer. “Big sis, you know—”

Noa raised a hand and gently pushed her little sister’s face back, “You’re about to kiss me, Aurora. I really was just talking in my sleep.”

Aurora shook her head, pouting. “Alright, alright. But tell that ghost to watch out—one day I, Aurora, will catch it!”

Noa could already sense this summer wasn’t going to be peaceful. Oh well, let her sister be.

“So, what is it, Aurora?”

“Mom and Dad are back! Second Sister’s already there, let’s go too!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

The sisters headed to the dining room, where a feast was laid out for dinner. After two days, their parents were finally home.

“Good evening, Noa, Aurora.”

“Good evening, Mom, Dad!” Aurora greeted enthusiastically, climbing into the child-sized seat next to Leon.

“Good evening, Mom, Dad,” Noa greeted with a composed nod as she sat down. “How was the border patrol?”

Whenever they went to the mountain cave to exchange intelligence with Tiger, Leon and Rosvisser used “border patrol” as their cover story. Though Noa had a suspicion this wasn’t the whole truth.

After all, she believed they were sneaking off for a secret date more than anything else.

Still, as long as Noa didn’t catch them in a lie, they’d stick with that story. And honestly, if her parents were mistaken for “lovey-dovey parents sneaking off for dates,” it wasn’t the worst misunderstanding.

“Smoothly,” Leon replied.

Noa acknowledged this, picking up her knife and fork. But she quickly sensed something… unusual in the atmosphere.

Aurora and Moon’s seats were closer to their parents than usual, and several dishes on the table were indulgent favorites that were typically off-limits. Tonight, however, they were all laid out.

Then she looked at Leon and Rosvisser. Though they were busy serving her sisters and inquiring about their studies, Noa had the distinct impression they had something on their minds.

Thinking quickly, Noa said, “Dad, I ran into a bottleneck practicing the *Thunder Wolf Breaking Army* move you taught me. Could you help me tomorrow?”

“Oh, that… No rush, Noa. *Thunder Wolf Breaking Army* is a high-level technique. It’s normal to hit a bottleneck.”

“Is that so…”

“Yes… And, well…” Leon hesitated, glancing at Rosvisser beside him.

Rosvisser nodded softly.

Leon got the message.

“And… your mom and I have to head out again tomorrow. We might be gone for a few days.”

“Ah~ why, Mom, Dad? You just got home, and I don’t want you to leave,” Moon murmured, suddenly uninterested in her steak.

Leon reached out to pat her head gently. “Be a good girl, Moon. I’ll bring back some treats for you when I return.”

But Moon’s spirits remained low. “

But… I miss you both…”

Whenever they left before, Leon’s promise of treats had been enough to lift her spirits. But as she grew older, that tactic was losing its charm.

Food wasn’t her priority anymore; what she truly wanted was for her parents to spend more time with her, Noa, and Aurora during the summer.

Seeing her downtrodden expression, Leon was at a loss.

In the end, he added, “I promise, Moon. When I come back, I’ll stay with you the entire time. I won’t go anywhere. How’s that?”

Her eyes lit up. “Really, Dad?”

“Yes, really.”

“Yay! Long live Dad!”

“And Mom?”

“Long live Mom too!”

Noa narrowed her eyes slightly. She couldn’t say why, but it felt like her dad was stacking up a lot of flags…