Vol. 6 Ch. 45

"The dwarves?"

"I’ve heard of them too," Rosvisser said, frowning slightly. Her expression quickly shifted to one of slight hesitation as she continued, "But I’ve also heard they’re known for their eccentric personalities and are highly reluctant to share their craftsmanship with outsiders."

Claudia shrugged. "That’s why I said you should try your luck. From what I know, their peculiar behavior stems from some internal traditions... or maybe customs, which make them act so strangely."

"Traditions? What kind of traditions?"

Claudia shook her head. "I’m not entirely sure, but it’s definitely something odd."

"I see…"

Leon turned to Rosvisser.

The two exchanged a glance, then nodded in silent agreement.

"In that case, we’ll go visit the dwarves. If they’re willing to help, we’ll do our best to strike a deal and have the Thundercloud Blade repaired," Leon said.

"Alright. I’ll have some warm clothes and provisions prepared for your journey," Claudia replied.

True to her reputation as the "Dragon King of Thorough Preparation," Claudia ensured that every detail was meticulously arranged.

Leon and Rosvisser both expressed their gratitude with a deep nod.

"It’ll take a little while to get everything ready. In the meantime, why don’t you go visit Leon’s ‘white moonlight’?" Claudia said teasingly.

"White moonlight…"

Leon blinked, then realization dawned on him. "Ah, Aju!"

In the Sea Dragon Palace’s rear garden, Claudia had reserved a spacious area specifically for Aju, the black-furred donkey with two large ears and four strong legs.

The design of the enclosure mirrored the farm-like setup Taggar once had, highlighting just how expansive the space was.

Claudia and her people had clearly gone to great lengths to ensure that Aju could live a carefree life in the underwater world.

Judging by Aju’s sizable territory, it was evident that he had been well taken care of.

As Leon entered the garden, he spotted Aju from a distance. Upon hearing Leon’s familiar voice call out—

"Aju!"

The donkey, who had been chewing on some grass, perked up his long ears and turned his head toward the source of the sound.

Seeing Leon dashing toward him like a sprinter and leaping over the fence with outstretched arms, Aju, for once, didn’t shy away.

The moment Aju spotted Leon, he immediately dropped the grass he was chewing and ran toward him.

Man and beast running toward each other—it was both touching and somewhat absurd.

As with most things involving Leon, no matter what the essence of the situation was, it always ended up becoming abstractly ridiculous.

Claudia, Rosvisser, and the others, standing outside the fence, were already used to this sight and watched calmly.

"Aju~!"

Aju: ( #^.^# )

"Aju~~!"

Aju: ( #^.^# )

"Ah—Ow?"

Before Leon could fully embrace Aju, the donkey raised his head, opened his mouth, and started gnawing on Leon’s hair.

Aju seemed to savor it, gently nibbling and chewing.

"Well, that’s unexpected," Taggar remarked, clicking his tongue in surprise.

Charlotte, meanwhile, covered her face with her hands, unable to watch.

Claudia pinched her brow, trying to hold back a laugh. "Maybe Aju got tired of the grass and wanted to try something new."

Rosvisser sighed, rubbing her temple. "This ridiculous donkey…"

"Stop it, Aju! That’s my hair, not grass!" Leon scolded.

Aju: (○○○)…

As a professionally trained dragon warrior, Leon had no trouble subduing the farm-sized animal. He pressed Aju’s head down gently, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Are you calm now?"

Aju: (￣︶￣)

Leon stroked Aju’s fur, noticing its improved luster and softness. "Looks like you’ve been eating well here with Claudia."

Aju: (＾∇＾)

"Sorry I haven’t visited you lately. I’ve been busy dealing with a super bad guy. If he had won, the whole world would’ve been doomed, and you wouldn’t even have grass to eat anymore."

Aju: Σ(°△°|||)︴

"Exactly," Leon said, patting Aju’s head as the donkey calmed down and quietly listened to him talk.

This brought back memories of Leon’s childhood, when he and Aju would often have similar conversations.

"Now I have to head to the far northern regions. It’s a very cold place, not somewhere you’d enjoy," Leon explained.

Aju: Σ(„○○○„)?

"So just stay here with Claudia and enjoy yourself. If I get the chance, I’ll take you to visit my wife’s sanctuary later."

Leon cupped Aju’s head in his hands.

"Alright, I have to go now. Don’t miss me too much, okay?"

He gave Aju’s fur one last affectionate rub before turning to leave.

But after taking only a few steps, Leon felt something tugging at the hem of his clothes.

He turned around to see Aju biting onto his coat.

"What is it?"

Aju didn’t answer, simply keeping his grip on Leon’s clothes.

Leon tried to pull his coat free, but Aju wouldn’t let go.

"Don’t be like this, Aju. I’ll come back to visit in a few days," Leon coaxed.

But Aju remained silent, still refusing to let go.

"Is something wrong? Is he not letting you leave?" Claudia asked as she and the others approached.

Leon chuckled helplessly. "It seems that way."

He then shot Rosvisser a smug look. "See that? This is the bond between me and Aju! What happened last time was just a fluke."

Rosvisser rolled her eyes, too tired to argue with her childish husband.

"Alright, let go of your best friend. He has important work to do," Claudia said, stepping forward to pull Aju off, but the donkey stubbornly held on.

"What’s going on? Is he upset?"

Even Claudia seemed puzzled by Aju’s behavior and turned to Taggar.

Taggar stroked his chin thoughtfully. "This happened once before, when Leon was still in school. He went off for training for a couple of months, and when he came back, he had to leave again soon after. Aju refused to let him go, just like now."

"And what happened then?" Claudia asked curiously. "Did you force them apart?"

"No," Leon interjected.

"I ended up taking Aju to school with me."

Claudia: "?"

Rosvisser: "?"

Taggar and Charlotte: "=="

Leon shrugged. "He wouldn’t let go of my clothes, so what could I do? I had no choice but to bring him along."

After a pause, Leon added, "Those few days when I brought Aju to school were also the days I received the fewest love letters."

Rosvisser narrowed her eyes with a cold smile. "Sounds like you’re a bit regretful about that, huh?"

"What? No!" Leon protested loudly. "Absolutely not! If I had known then what I know now, I’d have brought Aju to school with me sooner! That way, no one would’ve written me any love letters!"

Claudia laughed, shaking her head. "You married men really know how to spin a tale."

Leon waved her off and got back on topic. "So… does this mean I have to bring him to the far north with me?"

Taggar nodded. "It seems that way."

Claudia snapped her fingers. "No problem. I’ll have some warm clothes prepared for Aju right away."

Leon: "?"

"So fast? You really are the ‘Dragon King of Thorough Preparation,’ Claudia!"