Vol. 6 Ch. 101

What Old Constantine referred to as "mooching off a meal" was actually the victory celebration banquet hosted by the Silver Dragon Clan.

He, along with Odin and the other Dragon Kings, had been invited by General Leon to assist in the battle, so it was quite necessary for them to make an appearance at the celebration.

Firstly, it showed respect for General Leon; secondly, it allowed them to gain favor with the Silver Dragons in front of their own ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ people. This way, should they need the Silver Dragons' help in the future, they would be more inclined to offer their full support.

After all, with the destruction of the major troublemaker that had caused so much turmoil, the internal conflicts within the Dragon Clan had lessened significantly. It was only natural for every strong tribe to want to forge closer relationships with others.

At the banquet, General Leon, holding a glass of orange juice, appeared somewhat out of place among the other Dragon Kings.

“Aren’t you going to drink something to celebrate, Prince? Come on, what's with you?”

“Morgan couldn’t help but comment.”

General Leon chuckled twice. “I don’t drink much. One glass is plenty.”

“One glass is plenty? Prince, you’re exaggerating a bit,” Morgan teased.

“However, I really shouldn’t drink too much tonight,” Leon added.

As for the reason...

He glanced at Rosvisser, who was chatting with Isha, Vida, and Cecily not far away.

If he drank too much, the “homework” he had to deal with later would be much harder to complete.

Though the homework wasn’t a big deal for him, he was worried that Rosvisser would be upset.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Leon thought to himself.

Noticing Leon’s gaze, Morgan spoke up, “Prince, you don’t have to stay here with us the whole time. We’ll be leaving soon, go spend time with your family.”

Leon withdrew his gaze, smiling and shaking his head. “It’s fine. My wife and her sister finally get to reunite with their parents, so I don’t want to intrude. Plus, I’ve already talked a lot with those seniors. I won’t be able to stay long, so I’ll leave more time for them.”

“I see.”

“Hmm.”

As the conversation continued, Leon looked at the silent Old Constantine, his thoughts shifting slightly.

He then spoke.

“You participated in the Fire Spirit Divine Steed trial a hundred years ago, didn’t you?”

Constantine nodded at the question.

“Yeah, I did. Why?”

“In the final trial, didn’t you meet a member of the Black Elephant Clan? Someone named Albert?”

Old Constantine raised an eyebrow. “What, you met him too?”

“Yeah, I did.”

Thinking of Albert, Constantine turned toward the campfire in the distance, paused, and then spoke in a calm tone.

“He’s a strong opponent. It’s a shame the Black Elephant Clan has a limit to its power. I made a pact with him back then to meet again in the next trial. I hoped he’d have made more progress by then. But lately, I’ve been tied up with the rebuilding of the Red Flame Dragon Tribe, so I haven’t had the chance to follow up.”

Constantine looked back at Leon and asked, “How is he now?”

“His family and clan were killed by pirates decades ago. He’s the only survivor of the Elephant Clan,” Leon said bluntly, without beating around the bush.

Hearing this, Constantine’s dragon pupils trembled slightly, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. However, his outward emotions remained controlled. He spoke softly,

“If I’d known, I would’ve stabbed that ambitious bastard during the Sky Battle.”

Leon smiled helplessly and sighed.

“He should still be with the Divine Steed Clan. After a couple of days of rest, Senior Vida will go back and inform them about the Fire Spirit Crystal Core and the Void Realm. Do you want me to pass any message to Albert?”

Constantine lowered his gaze, thought for a moment, and quietly said,

“Tell him, if he has nowhere else to go, he can come settle with my Red Flame Dragon Clan.”

“…”

“…”

“Dad, Mom says you’re a ‘lying dog.’ What does that mean?”

As the celebration banquet neared its end, the Dragon Kings returned to their homes, and the Melkvey family finally had some free time to chat with the King.

The first question Princess Noa asked almost made General Leon spit out his orange juice:

Leon was about to give an answer to Noa, but the Queen beat his to it: “It’s someone who does absolutely nothing in the battle, and most of the enemies are defeated by teammates, but still enjoys the victory with them. That’s a lying dog, a lying dog is someone who wins by lying down.”

Noa paused and then nodded in realization, “Oh~~~”

The next second, she looked very serious again. “Still don’t understand.”

“It’s like your exam score. Some people get a hundred, some get eighty, but they all pass the academy’s standards. But some people get a 3.0 and still pass. Isn’t that frustrating?”

“Now I get it.”

“What’s all this about?!”

General Leon finally found an opportunity to defend himself,

“Noa, don’t worry about that score. It only takes away the credit for your old dad’s hard work.”

Upon hearing this, Rosvisser raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh? How does it take away the credit?”

“I went through a tough battle with the two seniors at the Fire Spirit Divine Steed trial. I was just busy, that’s why I came back late.”

“If you came back late, why not look for your own problems?”

Rosvisser teased, entering her favorite back-and-forth banter with Leon.

Leon slapped his thigh and laughed.

“What’s this about looking for problems?”

“You meet a master who can replicate all your moves and forms, and you still look for your own problems?

You see the enemy using your ultimate move on your mother-in-law and you still look for your own problems?

You finally come back and see your sister being cornered by the other side, and you still look for your own problems?”

“Then let me ask you, can’t I use magic properly? Hmm? Can’t I fly?

Answer me!

Look in my eyes!”

After a brief chant, General Leon made a small gesture with his hand.

“So, don’t worry about that score. Noa, do you understand now?”

Princess Noa blinked her large eyes and nodded, “Oh~~” and then confidently added, “Got it, Dad is a lying dog.”

Leon was furious, but helpless.

He now seriously suspected that, with age, his little ones were growing more cunning and took pleasure in “bullying their dad with mom.”

“Sigh, family status... family status!”

After the couple finished their playful banter, the group turned to more serious matters.

“A few days later, I will visit the Divine Steed Clan’s tribe again to explain the matters regarding the Fire Spirit Crystal Core and the Void Realm,” Vida said. “Although, as mentioned earlier, we don’t want too many people to know about the existence of the Void Realm, I believe it’s necessary to explain the situation to the Divine Steed Clan so that they can trust us with the core.”

Cecilia nodded. “Yes, I believe the Divine Steed Clan will understand.”

Mentioning the Divine Steed Clan, Leon also took the opportunity to inform Vida about Constantine’s message for Albert.

Vida agreed.

“Well, now that we have the Fire Spirit, Wind Spirit, Earth Spirit, and Water Spirit Crystal Cores, the only ones left are the Thunder Spirit Core and the actual King Spirit Crown,” Cecilia said. “Through our investigations over the past six months, Vida and I have identified a few potential locations where the Thunder Spirit Core might be. Once we finish with the Divine Steed Clan, we can head out to search for the Thunder Spirit Core.”

“…About this, senior, I’d like to change the personnel arrangement for the next steps,” Leon said.

Everyone looked at Leon, and Vida asked, “Do you have a new plan?”

“Given the current situation, we are now certain that the Void Realm people are using methods we’re unfamiliar with to track the divine relics,” Leon explained. “Whether it’s Xiaoxue or the cores, they’ve been able to find them. And with the Void Gate’s seal weakening, they’ll likely bring more people next time. That means the Silver Dragon Temple is no longer safe for Xiaoxue.

So, my plan is that I, Rosvisser, and Xiaoxue should go to search for the Thunder Spirit Core,” Leon continued. “We can’t keep Xiaoxue in a fixed location because it’ll be easier for them to find her. If she stays with me, we can protect her better and constantly change our hiding places, making it much harder for the Void Realm people to locate her.”

After hearing Leon’s explanation, Isha’s thoughts shifted, and she asked, “But there’s one issue. Brother-in-law, if you take Xiaoxue to find the core, the process will be fluid. But the Void Realm’s target is the core, so there’s still a chance of encountering them. When that happens, Xiaoxue could still be found, don’t you think?”

“Sis, you’re not seeing the main point of my plan,” Leon patiently explained. “The point isn’t to avoid Xiaoxue being found—it’s to delay that as much as possible. If Xiaoxue stays with us, there’s indeed a chance we’ll run into the Void Realm. But if she stays at the Silver Dragon Temple, that’s no longer a ‘chance’—if the Void Realm comes, they’ll definitely find her.”

Isha’s eyes widened as she understood. “I see.”

“On the other hand…” Vida spoke seriously. “The key, I’m afraid, will also bring disaster to the Silver Dragon territory. Whether for the Silver Dragons or for the granddaughters, it’s dangerous here.”

Cecilia added, “But I must clarify, neither Vida nor I are blaming Xiaoxue for the potential danger. In fact, I quite like the girl, but due to her circumstances, she’s bound to lead a life full of hardships.”

Leon and the others understood the elders’ concerns. In fact, Leon was also worried about the same things.

The Void Realm had already discovered the location of the Silver Dragons. If Xiaoxue remained here, they would only face more invasions and disturbances in the future. This would undoubtedly put the sisters Melkvey in danger.

“I understand,” Rosvisser spoke, looking at Leon with her silver eyes shining. “Before, I always wanted to protect Xiaoxue, just like I protect Moon and the others.”

“But after this battle, I realized that Xiaoxue is also a valuable asset,” she continued. “The God of Time has granted her immense power, and there must be a reason for that.”

“So, let the three of us complete the mission to find the Thunder Spirit Core,” Rosvisser concluded.

“Four people.”

The “little overachiever” suddenly raised her hand. “I want to go with Dad and Mom to find the core!”

The couple froze, looking at each other, then Leon asked, “Noa, the process of finding the core is uncertain and could be dangerous.”

“I know,” Noa lowered her gaze to her right hand, speaking softly. “Mevis-sensei told me before she left today, ‘Since you have such special power, you should use it to its fullest value.’”

I don’t want to disappoint her expectations. I don’t want to disappoint Noa’s choice, and I don’t want—” She looked up at her parents, “I don’t want to stay at home for so many days, watching you leave and worrying about you but not being able to help at all.”

“So… Dad, Mom, this time, I want to go too.”