Vol. 5 Ch. 58

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the day for Muse to take the entrance exam at St. Heath's Academy had arrived.

Though there hadn’t been any groundbreaking progress in terms of her magical abilities, that didn’t dampen the family’s excitement as they escorted their youngest daughter to the exam.

The academy was bustling with activity on registration day.

Muse held her father’s hand with her left and her mother’s with her right, her eyes sparkling as she eagerly took in the unfamiliar yet fascinating surroundings.

This was her first time traveling far from home, and her excitement was palpable.

“Wow! Look, there’s a fountain! And a little rainbow!”

“There are squirrels on the lawn!”

“Are those big brothers and sisters playing games on the field?”

“Mom, Dad, why aren’t we going over there where all the people are?”

As everyone knew, the more crowded a place was, the more likely it was to be infiltrated by academy staff. And the more it was infiltrated by academy staff, the higher the chance of running into the Melkvey family’s archenemy—

The ultimate CP shipper—

Vice Principal Wilson.

Thus, Leon and Rosvisser deliberately avoided the crowds. When it was time to register, they snuck through a side entrance, valuing discretion above all else.

This tactic was the result of many years of "social death" experiences compiled by the couple.

“If there are too many people, it’ll be easy for Muse to get separated from us,” Leon coaxed his daughter.

Muse nodded seriously.

“Oh, I see.”

Children’s thoughts tended to jump from topic to topic, and before long, Muse asked,

“Mom, does the academy have music classes?”

Rosvisser glanced down at her youngest daughter with a gentle smile.

“Yes, they do. There are two music appreciation classes every week. You can also find teachers to learn and practice with during your free time.”

“Really? Yay!”

The couple was relieved that Muse’s love for music wasn’t just a passing phase.

Ever since she was little, her passion for music had been unwavering. At home, it was only Rosvisser and Milan who occasionally taught her, and the lessons weren’t systematic. Despite that, Muse had reached an impressive level of skill through sheer talent and practice.

Now that she was at the academy, with professional teachers and classes, they believed she would flourish even further as an artistic and creative young lady.

“Dad! Mom! Sis!”

The trio turned to see Noa waving at them as she jogged over.

“Big Sis~”

Muse let go of her mother’s hand and leapt into Noa’s arms without hesitation.

Noa held her little sister and playfully pinched her cheek.

“You’re here so early for registration. Did you have breakfast?”

“Yup! Dad made fried eggs, and they were the best!”

“That’s good.”

Noa took Muse’s hand and walked over to Leon and Rosvisser.

“No classes today, Noa?” Leon asked, as it wasn’t typical class time.

“Oh, today’s a bit special. The teacher wants to practice a new lightning spell with me outside. I’ll head to the training grounds in a bit.”

The Youth Dragon Division of St. Heath’s Academy differed significantly from the Young Dragon Division.

Instead of large classes, students in the Youth Division were assigned to individual teachers based on their talents, specialties, and magical affinities.

Typically, each teacher mentored three to five students.

But Noa was an exception. Her skills far surpassed those of her peers, and the rarity of lightning magic meant she was the only student in her division.

As a result, her class schedule and learning times were more flexible.

“I see. Make sure you study hard,” Leon said.

“Got it, Dad~”

After a pause, Noa glanced around before saying,

“I came in through the side entrance earlier. I didn’t see the vice principal. You can use that route to avoid him.”

“You’re amazing! Truly the pride of Leon’s heart!”

“The MVP of the Melkvey family!”

“Noa the Great needs no further explanation!”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Alright, I’m off to class now. Bye, Mom, Dad.”

“Bye.”

Noa crouched down to kiss Muse’s cheek.

“Say bye to Big Sis.”

“Bye, Big Sis~”

Satisfied, Noa waved and walked off.

Leon picked Muse up in his arms and said to Rosvisser,

“Let’s head inside.”

“Alright.”

The three of them walked towards the side entrance of the academic building, their pace quickening as they kept an eye out for the vice principal.

Fortunately, they didn’t encounter him on the way.

Once inside the building, Leon and Rosvisser breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Looks like registration will go smoothly this year—”

But before Leon could finish, they heard muttering from around a corner.

“Why did that little golden-haired dragon take this route? Was there really a surprise here?”

“The kids these days run too fast. I didn’t even get a good look at her face... Or is it just that I’m getting old, and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be?”

Though the voice was low and calm, and the speaker seemed like a kind person, only the Melkvey couple knew the disaster this voice heralded.

This wasn’t just a friendly old man’s rambling—

It was the whisper of Death!

The couple exchanged a glance, and without a word, they turned to retreat.

But it was too late.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Leon and Miss Rosvisser! Long time no see!”

In that moment, the couple mentally replayed every happy memory they had ever experienced, mustering a shaky smile as they turned around.

“L-long time no see, Vice Principal Wilson. You’re looking younger than ever.”

“Mr. Leon, always the joker.”

The vice principal’s gaze landed directly on Muse in Leon’s arms.

“Oh? Is this your newest family member? Here for the entrance exam as well?”

Leon had no choice but to steel himself and answer.

“Yes, this is Muse. Muse, say hello to Grandpa Wilson.”

“Hello, Grandpa Wilson~ Hello!” Muse said sweetly.

The vice principal was clearly delighted.

“I never imagined you two would bring us four exceptional students in less than ten years. What a gift!”

Leon and Rosvisser’s internal thoughts:

“We wouldn’t be here if there were any other decent schools for dragons, you know?!”

“Damn it! This is educational inequality at its finest!”

“Well, we should get going to register Muse now,” Rosvisser said, trying to wrap things up.

“Of course, of course. You three go ahead.”

“Goodbye, Vice Principal.”

“Goodbye, Grandpa Wilson!”

“Goodbye, goodbye!”

The couple practically fled down the hallway, clutching Muse, desperate to avoid another "social death" incident.

Once they were far enough away, they let out a sigh of relief.

“Good thing the side entrance wasn’t crowded,” Leon remarked.

“But did you hear what the vice principal was mumbling earlier?” Rosvisser asked.

“He said something about a pink-haired student telling him there was a surprise here…”

“Are pink-haired dragons common?”

Rosvisser shook her head.

“Well then, mystery solved. I’ll deal with her when we get home next weekend.”

Smiling, Rosvisser nudged Leon.

“Let’s go upstairs and register.”

“Yeah.”

The three of them made their way to the registration room, where Muse eagerly exclaimed,

“Mom, Dad, hurry! We’ll be last in line!”

“Alright, alright, no rush.”

They jogged lightly but were intercepted by a flash of red.

“Father! I got here before you!”

It was Konstantin’s daughter, Linfei, her arms crossed and her expression smug.

Leon stopped in his tracks, his eyes following hers.

From the stairs below emerged a familiar figure: steady footsteps, an imposing aura, and those striking red dragon eyes.

“Really, Konstantin? You’re climbing stairs, not staging a grand entrance,” Leon quipped.

Konstantin looked up, a faint smirk on his face.

“Leon, you’re still as punctual as ever.”

“Punctual?” Leon thought for a moment before remembering.

Months ago, Konstantin had declared that not only would he defeat Leon, but their daughters would also attend St. Heath’s together.

Leon had completely forgotten about the agreement, his focus scattered by countless other responsibilities.

Yet, by sheer coincidence, they had kept the promise.

“Of course! A man never goes back on his word!” Leon declared confidently.

Meanwhile, Muse and Hefei had already embraced and were chattering excitedly as they lined up together.

Seeing their daughters’ joy, Leon didn’t mind their friendship. Every child deserved a close companion, after all.

Konstantin, however, leaned over and said gravely,

“It’s almost time, Leon.”

“Time for what?”

“For Hefei to defeat Muse. Within a month of starting, they’ll have sparring classes. And Hefei won’t hold back.”

Leon’s smile turned icy. “Oh, I’m counting on Muse to teach her a lesson.”

“Hefei will win,” Konstantin retorted.

“Muse will win.”

“Hefei will win.”

Rosvisser sweatdropped.

“Is this all men ever talk about? Who’s better at fighting?”

“Mom! Hefei and I are going in to register!” Muse called.

“Alright! Fill out the forms carefully,” Rosvisser reminded her.

The academy streamlined the process by pairing students for registration.

Hand in hand, the two dragon girls entered, giggling.

At the desk, a kind teacher handed them the forms.

“Fill in your basic information here, little ones.”

“Okay, Miss!” Muse said brightly.

Hearing herself called “Miss,” the teacher beamed.

Hefei blinked in curiosity.

“Muse, why did you call her Miss?”

“Because Dad said that when we’re outside, older boys are ‘Big Brothers,’ and older girls are ‘Miss.’”

“Your dad is so smart!” Hefei laughed.

The two got to work filling out their forms.

When they reached the “Special Skills” section, Muse scribbled rapidly, listing an array of musical instruments.

The teacher was startled as she scanned the list.

“Piano, flute, accordion, drum, harmonica… and… suona? What’s that?”

“It’s amazing!” Muse exclaimed, pushing the form back proudly.

The teacher handed her a bracelet.

“This is your admission bracelet. Show it to the proctors during the exam.”

“Thank you, Miss!”

Muse turned to Hefei.

“Why haven’t you finished yet?”

Hefei hesitated.

“I don’t know what to put under ‘Special Skills.’”

“You don’t?” Muse frowned.

Hefei shook her head. “Father only taught me fire magic and combat techniques.”

“Well, I’ll help you fill it out!” Muse declared confidently.

Hefei blinked in surprise.

“How do you know what I’m good at?”

“I just do.”

Taking Hefei’s form, Muse wrote diligently.

Soon, she handed it back, beaming.

“See? All done!”

Hefei looked at the form, now filled with “fire magic” alongside a comically long list of musical instruments.

Her eyes misted slightly, but she smiled.

“Thanks, Muse.”