Vol. 6 Ch. 20

During the few days they waited for Grandmother Veronica to return, Leon lived among Rosvisser and Isha as a member of their "tribe."

“Big Brother Leon! The method you taught me yesterday for channeling magic is so convenient and efficient—I’ve already mastered it!”

“Wow, Little Lo, that’s amazing! Keep up the good work.”

“Okay, Big Brother Leon!”

Leon never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would hear the usually prideful and sharp-tongued adult Rosvisser sweetly calling him "Big Brother."

Not even in those magical alternate realities could such a thing happen!

When this memory sequence was over, Leon resolved to ask Aurora to upgrade the magic so that it could record specific moments during these memory experiences.

Not only would it provide endless material for him to relive while lying under the covers at night, but it could also be considered a divine weapon for a dragon’s sentimental arsenal!

Leon crouched down, one hand on his knee, the other ruffling the little silver dragon’s head.

“Wow, the texture feels just like Moon’s! As expected of a mother-daughter pair!”

Not far away, Isha silently watched this scene.

At first, she had been wary of this unexpected guest, but after spending a few days together, Isha realized that Leon had no ill intentions. He also had some basic teaching skills, which saved her quite a bit of effort.

As Rosvisser turned back to her practice, Leon walked over to where Isha was seated.

He sat across from her at a stone table, which was set with some pastries and hot tea.

Isha crossed her legs and propped her cheek on one hand. Her crimson eyes lazily watched her younger sister practicing in the distance. Without much enthusiasm, she remarked,

“You seem really good with children.”

This was one of the most interesting things Isha had noticed about him during their time together.

Although Leon appeared quite young, he was effortlessly natural when interacting with children. Even Little Lo, who was normally difficult and disliked strangers, had quickly warmed up to him—a testament to Leon’s exceptional charisma.

In response to her compliment, Leon chuckled.

“Well, I am the father of four children, so it’s only natural that I’m good with kids.”

Isha nodded.

“Not bad. Better than me. I’m not great at taking care of Little Lo. Even though I care about her, I often feel like I’m in over my head when we’re together.”

“Struggling with childcare is a common problem among dragons,” Leon commented. “Even someone as sharp and clever as you can’t avoid it.”

“But the fact that you care deeply about your sister already sets you apart from most dragons.”

From what Leon remembered of the sisters’ relationship in the future, despite not seeing each other often, the bond between Isha and Rosvisser remained strong.

“No one knows how to take care of children perfectly at first,” Leon added. “It’s something you learn when you have your own kids.”

Isha let out a soft laugh.

“I have no intention of having children.”

Leon raised an eyebrow at her, intrigued.

“Why’s that?”

Dragons rarely married, and Leon already knew that Isha had said in the present day that she wouldn’t marry.

But reproduction through parthenogenesis was common among dragons—simpler than the complex embryonic reproduction some older dragons like Odin or Claudia used to preserve their bloodlines.

“Because children are noisy,” Isha replied bluntly. “Too noisy. Such a hassle.”

Her reason was as straightforward as it was dismissive.

Leon paused for a moment, surprised.

“So, Miss Isha, it’s not that you can’t deal with children—it’s that you don’t like them at all?”

“Exactly. I don’t like kids,” she replied without hesitation.

Speaking of children, Isha opened up more as she sat up straight, spreading her arms wide to mimic holding a child. Her tone carried a hint of exaggeration as she said,

“Just imagine having to hold a child like this—it’s awkward and annoying. And kids are always fidgety and disobedient.”

“Anyway, I won’t ever have children, let alone get married.”

“And even if Little Lo has kids in the future, she better not think about asking me to babysit.”

“Sis-in-law, how could you say that?!”

Aurora’s indignant voice rose as her hands clutched her hair, as though the sky had fallen. The little dragon looked like she was about to split in half.

“She told me I’m her favorite! She said I’m obedient and adorable and that she wants to take me home! She even said I should inherit her title as Red Dragon Queen! It was all lies! All lies! Waaah!”

Beside her, Muse gently placed a hand on Aurora’s shoulder to console her.

“Don’t be upset, Third Sis. You are indeed very obedient and adorable; Sis-in-law didn’t lie about that. As for the Red Dragon Queen title—”

Aurora turned curiously toward Muse, hoping for further comforting words.

And then—

“I could take the title in your place.”

Aurora: ?!

“Go play somewhere else! Waaah!”

Muse: (#^.^#)

Noa chuckled helplessly and patted Aurora’s head.

“All right, don’t take what Sis-in-law said so seriously.

“Over two hundred years, a lot can change. Sis-in-law’s attitude toward children has definitely softened by now. Besides, no matter what, Sis-in-law loves you, and she loves all of us too. That much is undeniable.”

Noa’s calm reassurance finally eased Aurora’s tension.

Moments later, Aurora smirked smugly and quipped,

“It seems like all the adults in our family are masters at changing their tune.”

Leon couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as he thought about how, two centuries later, the woman who claimed to dislike children would try to "kidnap" his third daughter at every opportunity.

The Melkvey women, he mused, were either full of contradictions, stubborn to a fault, or shaped by the pressures of their clan. Leon had long grown used to it.

Their conversation shifted away from family matters.

“By the way, Miss Isha,” Leon began, “I’ve noticed you’ve been poring over dragon history records lately. Are you researching something specific?”

“I’m preparing for the Dragon King Trials,” Isha replied.

“The Dragon King Trials…?” Leon asked.

Isha nodded, then glanced at him.

“What? Haven’t you heard of them before in your tribe?”

“Well, I’ve heard bits and pieces, but someone at my level wouldn’t have access to that kind of information. It’s mostly secondhand gossip, so I don’t know what’s true.”

Isha considered this for a moment before replying,

“Hmm… I can’t share too much with you, but the Dragon King Trials test a wide range of skills—knowledge, combat power, and much more. Whatever you can imagine, it’s probably part of the trials.”

“The process is also incredibly long. The shortest takes around thirty to forty years, while others can last for centuries, even millennia.”

Thirty to forty years at a minimum…

Leon recalled that in the first memory sequence, someone had mentioned that Rosvisser completed the Dragon King Trials in just thirty years, becoming the youngest queen in the history of the Silver Dragons—and even the entire dragon race.

It was a testament to how fiercely hardworking and ambitious his wife had been in her career.

Isha shrugged slightly.

“I just hope I can pass the trials.”

“You absolutely will, Miss Isha,” Leon said confidently.

“Oh? What makes you so sure?” Isha asked with a sly smile.

“Isn’t it obvious? Because I’m the brother-in-law of the fourth-generation Red Dragon King.”