Vol. 4 Ch. 47

"That’s how yesterday went—what do you think? Productive, right?"

In the Silver Dragon Palace, Leon and Rosvisser sat together in the garden pavilion, sharing tea and conversation.

"Indeed, quite productive," Rosvisser nodded, then paused, asking, "But with all the things you took from the Sea Dragon Clan, even if you promised to return the favor to Claudia, didn’t she say anything about it?"

"No, not really," Leon replied with a casual shrug. "I even told her I couldn’t possibly accept it, insisting it was too much, but the princess just wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, what could I do? I had to reluctantly accept all those good things."

As he said this, Leon discreetly rubbed his sore backside.

The left side was sore from a hit Claudia had given him; the right side was courtesy of his master, Witch Lady, who had kicked him. The Sea Dragon Princess, despite her generosity, had made it clear that a simple "I owe you" wasn’t enough to justify taking so many valuable items. So, rightfully, a kick or two was in order.

Witch Lady, knowing her apprentice’s cheeky nature, wanted to give the Sea Dragon Clan a good impression, so she had laid into him three times. In exchange, Leon walked away with more than a fair share of treasures. He thought back on it with a hint of pride—though he’d gotten three kicks, the rewards were certainly worth it.

Claudia’s expression might have been one of courtesy, but Leon could see the underlying pride and value the Sea Dragon Clan placed on their resources, especially with the ancient relics he’d been entrusted with.

Konstantin, however, was another story. He was furious over the recent developments, and with his immense power, he could be deeply unpredictable. But for Leon, gaining a powerful ally in such uncertain times was a fair exchange.

"Oh, I don’t believe you," Rosvisser interjected, her tone skeptical. "You probably went over there, ate, drank, and took whatever you could get. They must have been too embarrassed to refuse."

Leon coughed to hide his embarrassment. Some things were better left unsaid.

"So… where’s the Ghost Lotus?" she asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

"Oh, on my way back, I stopped by Konstantin’s and gave him both the secret medicine and the Ghost Lotus."

Rosvisser raised an eyebrow, her bright eyes narrowing slightly. "And that’s it?"

"That’s it."

"And he didn’t thank you?"

"He did thank me, but… he was a bit subtle about it."

Her curiosity piqued, she leaned forward with an intrigued smile. "Subtle? How exactly did he thank you?"

Clearing his throat, Leon straightened up, lowering his voice to mimic Konstantin’s haughty tone. He imitated the man’s aloof, overly dignified manner, saying, “Cosmod, don’t think this means I’m indebted to you. This is what you owe me. And if you need anything in the future, just send a dragon courier. And don’t get any ideas—I’m only doing this because I enjoy a bit of excitement.”

Rosvisser laughed, covering her mouth, her eyes forming delicate crescent shapes. "That hardheaded fool!"

Leon shrugged, "All of you Dragon Kings are equally hard-headed, so don’t act like you’re any different."

At that, Rosvisser dropped her smile and, with a playful nudge, bumped his shoulder. "Excuse me? I’m always straightforward and never stubborn!"

Leon’s lips twisted into a grin as he teased, "Oh, of course, the Queen is always direct and never—ever—stubborn~~."

She pinched his arm playfully, retorting, "Stubborn? I’ve always been this way. Maybe you should consider whether you’re the cause."

Leon looked at her in surprise. "Me? How could I be the reason?"

"Over the years, you’ve dodged responsibilities, avoided giving direct answers, and barely taken anything seriously," she said, mock scolding.

Leon closed his eyes, feigning compliance. "Alright, fine. I’ll keep quiet, Your Stubborn Majesty."

"I’m warning you!"

After a bit of playful banter under the pavilion, Rosvisser steered the conversation back to their original topic. "So, considering the clues from your master, do you plan to return to the Southern Continent soon to meet the Shadow Lord?"

Leon nodded, "The Dragon Clan doesn’t have many leads on this, and Konstantin searched for Arlan for thirty years without finding anything. Starting with Arlan isn’t realistic, so I’ll focus on the Empire instead."

"Makes sense," Rosvisser murmured, then continued, "But Konstantin having a daughter… that still surprises me."

"I was shocked, too, when I saw that little dragonling. How does a fierce guy like Konstantin end up with such an adorable daughter?"

Rosvisser laughed, trying to keep a serious face. "Are you sure she isn’t adopted?"

"No, dragons rarely adopt. We value pure bloodlines too much. Adopting wouldn’t ensure that, nor would it pass down true power. Plus, no one wants to deal with the unknown history behind an abandoned dragonling."

"And besides…" Leon said, turning to her with a grin, "how could such a blockhead have a cute, clever daughter?"

"Excuse me? Our daughters are smart because of their father’s genes, I’ll have you know!"

"Our daughters didn’t graduate from St. Cya Academy at age three. Blame your ‘brilliant’ genes for that."

"Wow, Mother Dragon, did you graduate at three?"

"No, I started at seven."

"Then why brag?"

Their playful banter carried on, filling the air with laughter.

"Oh, speaking of the academy, they start school next week. Why don’t you wait until after that to head back to the Empire?"

"Sounds good; that was the plan," Leon replied. "I think Noa’s about to start her last semester in the Young Dragon Division. She’ll have her advancement exams at the end, and if she passes, she can move up to the Youth Dragon Division."

Rosvisser stood, strolling to the pavilion’s railing and gazing into the courtyard. From there, she could see a corner of the training grounds, where a battered practice dummy stood, scarred from countless lightning strikes.

"She just turned six, and she’ll be competing against kids much older than her."

Leon joined her, following her gaze to the old training dummy. Regular attacks wouldn’t leave such marks on it—it was a testament to Noa’s dedication and rigorous practice.

"She’s not just a beginner anymore," Rosvisser sighed softly.

"For someone so young to endure this, we can’t keep treating her as a child, can we?"

Rosvisser thought back on Noa’s journey—how she had sneaked away to the royal city, learned to protect her friends, and grown far more than Rosvisser had expected. Perhaps Leon was right; maybe it was time to stop worrying so much.

Yet, deep down, Rosvisser felt a lingering curiosity. Though dragons were usually strict with their young, rarely showing affection, she found herself deeply caring for her daughters.

"Ah, there they are! I’m off to play with them!"

With that, Leon propped himself on the railing and vaulted over it, heading toward their daughters in the courtyard.

"Dad, you promised to teach me a new spell today!"

"No problem! Anything you want to learn, I’ll teach you!"

Listening to the cheerful conversation, Rosvisser smiled as she watched her husband’s retreating figure.

Maybe, just maybe, she already knew the answer to her question from earlier.

"You become like the person you’re with," she murmured. The warmth, dedication, and responsibility that radiated from Leon had drawn Rosvisser in, shaping her into who she was now.

"Stubborn Cosmod," she whispered with a smile, "you stole my heart and changed my life."

With a graceful yet determined stride, she lifted her skirts, hopping over the railing as Leon had, and ran toward her husband and daughters.

In the quiet corner, the old training dummy stood witness, as it always had, to the past, present, and… future of the Melkvey family.