Vol. 5 Ch. 73

A week later, the parent-teacher conference at St. Heath’s Academy began.

Among dragon clans, St. Heath’s Academy was the only place besides the Magelight Tower capable of gathering so many Dragon Kings at the same time.

The former did so for business, while the latter did so for their children.

Of course, not every student at the academy hailed from a Dragon King’s family. Most came from noble or aristocratic branches of their tribes.

Still, even these students had influential backgrounds.

Leon, reminiscing about past conferences he had attended as Noa’s father, once joked to Rosvisser:

“If I’d known this academy held an annual ‘Scorpion King Gathering,’ I’d have come here during the Year of the Dragon and swept the lot of them!”

The Sky City might have been unreachable, but an academy nestled in the mountains was certainly accessible.

“Just kidding,” he’d added with a smirk.

On the morning of the conference, the four Melkvey sisters, along with Noa’s teacher, Mevis, waited at the school gate.

They were joined by Hefei, the daughter of the Red Flame Dragon King.

Hefei didn’t quite understand the purpose of a parent-teacher conference, but based on Moon’s description, she guessed it was an event where teachers informed parents about their children’s performance.

Every year after the conference, Hefei would return home to a two-week ban on her favorite pan-fried steak.

Though she wasn’t particularly fond of steak, she worried about disappointing her father due to her occasional carelessness or mistakes.

“Hefei, why do you look so worried?”

Muse walked over and asked, her voice full of concern.

Hearing her friend’s voice, Hefei snapped out of her thoughts.

“Oh, it’s nothing… I’m just worried my father won’t be satisfied with my grades this semester.”

“How could that be? You’ve been at the top of the class every time!”

“But my father’s goal for me isn’t just to be at the top. He wants me to surpass you…”

At this, Aurora leaned closer with a curious expression.

“Hefei, you can’t surpass Muse?”

“Muse and I are always tied for first place,” Hefei replied helplessly.

“Well, that’s fine then,” Aurora said with a grin, her interest fading now that there was no drama to enjoy.

However, the eldest princess, Noa, had a different perspective on the matter.

“Being tied for first doesn’t necessarily mean Muse and Hefei are equally skilled. The tests and assessments have a fixed upper limit. If their abilities exceed that limit, it results in a perpetual tie.”

She continued with a calm analysis:

“To truly determine who’s stronger, either the difficulty of the tests would need to increase, or we’d have to see who can maintain their current level in the long term.”

“Of course, Hefei and Muse don’t have to compete to such an extent.”

Noa understood that while both fathers had tasked their daughters with surpassing each other, they wouldn’t scold or blame them if they failed.

Meanwhile, Muse comforted Hefei, and the little red dragon’s mood gradually improved thanks to her friend’s encouragement.

The girls continued waiting for their parents.

Before long, a red figure appeared in the sky.

Hefei’s eyes lit up.

“It’s my father…”

But then, she frowned slightly.

“No, it’s not. My father’s out traveling. It must be a clan member sent to escort me.”

Aurora squinted at the approaching red figure, studying it carefully. When it drew closer, she clapped her hands and exclaimed in unison with her sisters:

“Aunt Isha!”

The red dragon landed gracefully, her wings folding neatly. As they closed, the majestic dragon transformed into an elegant woman.

Isha approached briskly, and the first to greet her was Muse, who shared the same red-themed color palette as her aunt.

“Aunt Isha! It’s been so long. Muse missed you so much!”

Isha leaned down to nuzzle her little niece’s soft cheeks.

“Auntie missed you too. Have you learned any new songs lately?”

“I have! After the conference, I’ll play them for you~”

“Good.”

Next was Aurora, the third niece, who had inherited Isha’s mischievous and playful spirit.

After exchanging greetings, Aurora leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially:

“Auntie, you should come home with us later. Dad hasn’t been home in ages—you can tease him all you want.”

Isha’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“Deal. Let’s team up and make sure that Cosmod leaves with no dignity!”

“Alright!”

Then came Noa and Moon, the eldest and second sisters, who had the deepest bond with their aunt from years of interaction.

Isha also greeted Hefei warmly, calling her “the little girl from the Konstantin family.” Hefei replied with equal politeness.

Moon, always curious, blinked her big eyes and asked seriously:

“Aunt Isha, have you gotten married and had kids?”

“...What?” Isha was momentarily stunned.

“No, I haven’t. Why do you ask?”

“Because this is a parent-teacher conference. Parents usually attend with their kids, so I thought…”

Before Moon could finish, Isha pulled her into a hug, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

“Your parents just have too many kids! With Noa in the elder dragon division, Aurora and Muse in third grade, and Muse in first grade, they have to split up. That’s why I’m here to attend for Muse.”

“Does that make sense now?”

“Mm-hmm,” Moon mumbled, her face squished like soft dough against Isha’s embrace.

After letting Moon go, Isha finally noticed Mevis standing nearby.

Mevis greeted her politely.

“Hello, Red Dragon Queen.”

“Hello…” Isha responded, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized Mevis. After a moment, she murmured,

“Your face looks familiar. Have we met before?”

Mevis froze for a second, lowering her hand nervously as a shy smile appeared on her lips. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.

“You’ve met before!” Moon chimed in. “Mevis came with me to Sky City!”

Mevis let out a quiet breath of relief.

“Yes, we’ve met before in Sky City.”

“I see.” Isha nodded, dropping the subject. She took her nieces by the hand and continued to wait with them.

After a while, a powerful presence descended from the skies.

Leon sighed, looking at the red dragon silhouette in the distance.

“That fiery dragon always makes such a dramatic entrance.”