Vol. 6 Ch. 125

Operation “My Dad’s Not a Dragon” Plan B:

"Lionheart Order?"

Noa asked. "What’s that?"

"According to my investigations over the past few days, the current highest authority in the Human Empire is this organization called the Lionheart Order."

Aurora reported with solemn seriousness.

"A few years ago, it was the Lionheart Order that overthrew the corrupt old emperor and founded a new regime. That’s how the ceasefire with the dragons happened in the first place."

"The group has an incredibly high approval rating among citizens—far more than any of the old imperial dynasties ever did."

Noa nodded, paused, then asked,

"So… why are we going up against them again?"

"Big sis, haven’t you noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"These past few days, no matter where we go or what we do, it always feels like someone’s watching us. Even when we sleep, it’s like someone’s secretly monitoring and protecting us."

As she spoke, Aurora glanced around dramatically, then leaned in closer to Noa, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"And remember the day Dad met up with Aunt Elusa? Among the people ‘eating melons’ with us, there was this one unfamiliar girl—teal hair, single ponytail, short, kinda cute."

Noa narrowed her eyes immediately.

She knew exactly who Aurora meant.

Rebecca.

Noa had seen that girl long ago.

Back when she and Helena participated in the academy’s outdoor exam.

It was during that attack from the Warhammer King, Adam. They held out as long as they could until Dad arrived, and then Rebecca was the one who carried Noa and the unconscious Helena away from the site.

Rebecca had thought Noa was passed out too, but she was actually wide awake.

She remembered Rebecca talking about her father... Saying she wanted to hug Noa.

"You look so soft. You must feel nice to hold."

Unfortunately, Rebecca never got the chance. Before she could move in, the academy teachers and students showed up. Rebecca and her team were forced to retreat.

That had been the moment Noa first began suspecting her father's true identity.

The fact that Rebecca had also joined the group watching the chaos unfold when Moon mistook Elusa for their mom the other day—that only confirmed it further.

A teal-haired girl with a sweet face would definitely leave an impression. No way Aurora wouldn’t recognize her.

"I remember her. What about it?" Noa asked.

"She’s one of the people keeping tabs on us." Aurora replied firmly.

Noa couldn’t help being surprised—by Aurora’s memory.

To be fair, Noa had already realized that Rebecca and others had been watching them since they arrived in the Empire.

Not in an oppressive way, but as quiet protection.

With this many kids, of course their parents would be stretched thin.

Getting Dad’s old allies to help out wasn’t exactly unreasonable.

So even if she noticed it, Noa hadn’t said anything.

But now that Aurora had picked up on it too…

It was clear she wasn’t just the silly third sister anymore.

"And most importantly—"

Aurora raised a finger with a deadly serious face.

"That girl is a member of the Lionheart Order. And not just any member—one of the core members."

"Think about it, big sis. Why would a core member of the Empire’s highest ruling body take time off to come babysit us?

Could it be that Dad has some kind of connection with the Lionheart Order?"

Noa scratched her temple, trying to offer their dad some plausible deniability.

"Uh… maybe they’re just watching us because we’re strangers around here. Could be surveillance, not protection."

"You just hit the nail on the head."

Aurora grabbed Noa by the shoulders, staring her down.

Seeing Aurora’s face plastered with determination, Noa squinted skeptically.

"And what exactly did I hit on?"

"My Plan B is to confirm whether the Lionheart Order’s presence is really to protect us or not!"

"Here’s the plan—"

…

…

"What the hell are these little brats doing, suddenly sneaking off like that?"

Rebecca, Martin, and Nacho pushed through the bustling street crowd, trying not to lose sight of the girls.

"You guys can go nuts, fine. But why do I have to be part of babysitting duty?" Nacho grumbled.

"Come on, it’s peacetime. You’ve got nothing better to do. Consider this cardio." Martin teased.

Nacho rolled his eyes.

"You want a nearly-forty-year-old uncle to sprint after a bunch of high-energy dragon brats?

If I drop dead, that counts as a work injury. And the compensation’s coming out of Leon’s salary."

"Captain doesn’t have a salary.

Right now he’s just mooching off my sister." Rebecca corrected him flatly.

"So even if you do die out here, the total compensation you’ll get is… zero."

Nacho sighed in defeat and pressed on.

Finally, they saw the three girls duck into an alley.

"There! Move!"

Rebecca led the charge.

But the moment they entered, they hit a fork in the road—and the girls were already gone. No clue which path they’d taken.

"You two go that way, I’ll take this side. Go-go-go."

Rebecca ran down the left passage, while Martin and Nacho took the right.

They searched for a while longer, but still didn’t see any sign of the dragon girls.

Martin scratched his head.

"Strange. Did they vanish into thin air?"

Nacho, a little calmer, crossed his arms and leaned on the wall.

"Don’t dragons fly? Maybe they flew off."

"Kids that age shouldn’t be able to fly yet." Martin said.

Nacho chuckled and was just about to say something else—when a sudden cry echoed from deep inside the alley:

"Ah! Help!!"

It was the pink-haired girl’s voice.

Martin and Nacho locked eyes, then immediately sprinted toward the sound.

But when they arrived, there was nothing.

Just a tall stone wall in front of them.

"The voice came from right here—where’d she go?" Martin looked around, baffled.

Nacho furrowed his brows in thought.

Then, glancing down by chance, he noticed something:

Two shadows were falling from above them.

"Shit—!"

Too late.

Before they could react, a large fishing net dropped down, trapping them both.

The net was sturdy but not unbreakable.

Martin tried summoning magic to burst free, but a sharp, cold gleam stopped him mid-spell.

The tip of a sacred lance hovered right in front of his forehead.

Noa and Aurora each gripped one end of the weapon, faces tense and fingers tight with caution.

They didn’t want to hurt anyone—but they couldn’t take chances either.

Noa leaned in and whispered to Aurora,

"Just a reminder, Xiaoxue can only be chosen by Mom.

And this sacred lance in our hands… the most it’s used for is poking fish in a river."

Aurora replied just as quietly,

"Got it, big sis.

But even so, if we’re catching people, we should have something to hold, right?"

"...Fair point."

Aurora turned her gaze back to the trapped men.

"Talk. Why were you following us?"

Nacho had long since given up and was sulking silently.

Martin, still on the ground, gave a helpless smirk.

"Kids, we’re not bad guys—"

"Bad guys always say that! Answer the question. Why were you following us?"

"Ah, well, you see…"

Martin stalled for time, slowly reaching to move the lance aside.

"Don’t move!"

Aurora snapped.

Just as she was about to question him a third time, she suddenly felt a cold, hard object press against the back of her head.

"Don’t move."

All girls froze.

Somehow, someone had snuck up behind them.

"My first time ever pointing a gun at someone shorter than me. This is kind of fun."

"Rebecca!!"

Martin’s eyes lit up.

"Wow, you guys really got ambushed by a bunch of kids. Remind me to never say I know you two. What a disgrace."

After roasting them thoroughly, Rebecca tapped Aurora and Noa on the heads with her barrel.

"Alright, sweethearts. Put down the toy and let my friends go."

Noa was just about done acting. She figured she’d go along with whatever happened from here on out—and when Dad got exposed, she could say she tried her best.

"You… you wouldn’t actually fire that!" Aurora still tried to bluff.

"Oh? I wouldn’t?"

Rebecca pressed the gun in a little harder.

"My finger’s already on the trigger. One more move and I’ll pull it."

Realizing the bluff wasn’t working, Aurora reluctantly lowered the sacred lance.

"Good girl."

"I put mine down, so you should too!" Aurora shot back.

"Did I ever say I would put mine down if you did? Pretty sure I didn’t."

"You conned me!"

For the first time in her life, Aurora found herself on the receiving end of her own mind games.

"Alright, alright. If you want me to lower my weapon, then do one thing for me."

Rebecca said lazily.

"What is it?"

"Call me sis."

"...No way!"

Aurora had her pride. But Noa gave in immediately, her voice sugary sweet:

"Siiis~"

And just like that, her expression snapped right back to its usual calm, cold self.

As expected—she really couldn’t keep acting anymore. She’d just do what needed to be done now and deal with Dad later.

"Aww, that was adorable. Your turn, pinkie. Call me sis."

Aurora hated to admit it—but she had been thoroughly defeated.

"...S-sis."

"Not sweet enough. Try it like she did—more sugar, got it?"

"......"

Aurora closed her eyes, took a deep breath, mentally replayed every happy moment of her short life...

And finally squeaked out:

"Siiiis"

"Aww~ good girl."

Then Rebecca abruptly changed her tone.

"But I’m still gonna «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» shoot you."

"Wait WHAT—?!"

Sprrt—sprrt!

Two cold jets of water shot into the dragon girls’ hair.

They spun around—and saw what Rebecca had really been pointing at them:

Water guns.

Aurora stood frozen, utterly devastated.

"How… how could this happen…"

Rebecca handed them the water guns.

And before she could even dry her soaked shoulders—

Aurora stepped forward, lifted the net, and helped Martin to his feet.

"You’re smart, kid. Bye-bye~"

Martin patted her head.

"Don’t run so fast next time, I’m old." Nacho added.

"I just thought… calling you ‘sis’ was too much of a ripoff.

I think I’ll call you Godmom instead."

The three of them left the alley coolly, one after another.

Thump—

Once they were gone, Aurora dropped to her knees, looking completely defeated.

"Big sis."

"Ah? What’s wrong?" Noa was still mentally celebrating that she didn’t have to keep acting.

"The Empire’s too complicated. Let’s go home."

Noa (laughing):

"Don’t you want to figure out Dad’s true identity?"

"...Damn it…"

She got up, and Noa patted the dust off her knees.

"Actually, there’s a really simple way to figure out whether Dad’s connected to the Empire."

"I know."

"You do?"

Aurora nodded.

"Yeah. Just stop a random person on the street and ask: ‘Do you know Leon Casmod?’ That’s it."

Noa raised a brow.

"Then why did you go through all this if it was that easy?"

"Because if we did that, it wouldn’t be any fun to solve…"

"……"

All this trouble—for fun.

Noa couldn’t help but recall that time they played Werewolf.

When Aunt Isha was about to knife her, Dad had suddenly burst through the door.

Turned out, he’d been hiding there the whole time—waiting to make his entrance at the last second.

Because, according to him, that was cool.

Noa let out a breath. As she thought about it, she suddenly realized something.

"The only ones who can truly preserve the idea of a ‘relaxed family vacation’…

are the schemers… and the trip itself that’s suspicious in the first place."

"Oh~ so that’s how it is."

Noa had guessed Dad’s intent.

She looked at Aurora and said softly,

"Actually, there’s an even simpler and more direct way."

Aurora blinked.

"What is it?"

"Just ask Dad."