In the blink of an eye, it was time for the little ones to start the new school year.
This was Noah's final, most crucial semester in the Young Dragon Division, so Leon and Rossweise were quick to take the kids to school. Upon arriving at St. Heath Academy, they found that many parents had the same idea. The atmosphere was reminiscent of the annual enrollment ceremony.
But this time, they were spared the sight of the old dragon, Willson, who used to hover nearby, eagerly shipping various couples. With him absent, Leon and Rossweise felt significantly more relaxed.
Leon carried Muwen in his arms, Rossweise held Little Light's hand, and Noah walked a bit ahead on her own. The family of five made a striking sight, drawing admiring glances from those around them.
"I don't recall seeing Rossweise and Leon bring their kids together before. A few years ago, they were just a family of four... and now they're five!"
"They sure have kids quickly. And they seem so in love—just having as many kids as they want."
"Hold on, those two aren't ordinary folks. That's the Silver Dragon Queen herself. She's known as a young and capable leader in her clan, and her husband recently represented the dragons in the peace negotiations with the humans."
"Ah, yes, I'd heard the Silver Dragon Prince played a significant role in ending the war with humanity. I didn't realize he also represented the dragons in the talks."
"Yes, he reclaimed some lands for us, and rumor has it he even uncovered some Dragon Kings secretly colluding with humans and dealt with them."
"Having a talented Silver Dragon Prince like him is indeed a blessing for our dragon clan!"
Just like a few years ago, when Leon and Rossweise brought their children to the enrollment ceremony, the nearby dragons marveled at the scale of their family. This time, however, the Prince's reputation had grown even more formidable.
But the couple and their children paid no mind to the whispers around them.
Having woken up early, Muwen was dozing off in her father's arms, while Little Light clung sweetly to her mother, her large pink eyes looking forward with excitement about her new school and classmates. Noah, however, glanced around, as if searching for someone.
Rossweise noticed her daughter's wandering gaze and quickly understood whom Noah was looking for.
"The Sea Dragon Clan lives further from the academy, so Helena might arrive a bit later."
Noah nodded thoughtfully, "Got it, Mom."
Just as she finished speaking, a faint sound of water echoed in Noah's consciousness.
"You seem quite concerned about your friend, don't you?"
The ancestral dragon, appearing in her human form with flowing white hair and a hand on her hip, looked elegantly imposing.
"Of course I care about her; she's my friend," Noah replied naturally, pausing before adding, "Though, come to think of it, I don't remember you ever mentioning any friends from your time."
"I had none, nor did I need such things," the ancestor replied coolly, her voice calm and detached. "The strongest king at the top is destined to be alone—any emotions or bonds only serve as weaknesses for the truly powerful."
Noah blinked thoughtfully.
After a moment, she understood.
Ah, the old lady must be going through a bit of an edgy phase.
But Noah remained remarkably calm in the face of such a lofty statement.
"Oh, I see. That's nice."
With that, she turned away, heading for the exit of her consciousness space.
The ancestor watched her small figure retreat, her previously composed expression faltering.
"Hey... what's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't you think I have a point?"
Noah nodded indifferently, "Yes, makes sense."
"Then why are you so calm? Shouldn't this be a revelation to you, like hearing the words of a sage?"
Back in the day, when dragons sought to attend even one lecture by the original Dragon King, tickets were almost impossible to come by.
And it wasn't just a lecture; it was practically a pilgrimage.
Yet here was a six-year-old child treating her millennia of accumulated wisdom as mere background noise.
This was intolerable! Absolutely intolerable!
Noah looked back thoughtfully and replied, "Not really feeling that way."
Ancestor: 😑
"Maybe it's because your edgy phase isn't as severe as my dad's."
"What's an 'edgy phase'?" The ancestor tilted her head, puzzled.
"It's hard to explain, but I'll tell you whenever I see my dad acting that way."
After a pause, Noah added earnestly, "He does it often, so you probably won't have to wait long."
With a wave, she dismissed her ancestor's comment, "Besides, if you want to go far on the path of strength, you should avoid too many emotional attachments."
For a brief moment, Noah felt a faint stir in her heart—not that she agreed with the ancestor, quite the opposite. She found it difficult to understand such a perspective.
But perhaps it was simply a gap of age and experience. With that thought, she decided not to argue with her ancestor.
"I understand."
With that, Noah exited her consciousness.
Before she knew it, her family had reached the academy's plaza. It was bustling with students and parents.
Rossweise found an empty bench, sat down with Little Light, and cradled her gently.
They chatted for a while until Noah noticed a familiar blue figure in the crowd.
"Helena!"
Hearing her name, the young Sea Dragon looked over immediately, also having been on the lookout for Noah.
"Noah-chan~!"
"Mom, Dad, I'm going to see Helena! I'll catch up with you in class."
"Alright, go ahead, stay safe, and don't be late," her mother reminded.
"Mm-hmm!"
Noah waved and jogged over to her friend. Helena, equally thrilled, ran toward her.
Meanwhile, the shout of "Helena!" woke up Muwen, who had been dozing in Leon's arms.
Suddenly alert, Muwen's hair stuck up like antennae, her drowsy head quickly clearing.
"Where's Helena? Where?!"
"Quick, Second Sis, over there," Little Light pointed.
"Alright, let's go, Little Light!"
Rossweise chuckled softly, "Where do you think you're going?"
Before Leon could respond, Muwen wriggled free from his arms and, together with Little Light, hurried over to join Noah.
Watching their daughters' retreating figures, Leon and Rossweise were left somewhat bewildered amidst the crowd.
"Looks like Muwen and Little Light are just as close with Helena..."
"I told you you're oblivious," Rossweise teased.
"How so?"
"Can't you tell?"
"Then why don't you explain to me? Why would Muwen and Little Light go looking for Helena?"
The queen scoffed lightly and declared with conviction,
"Helena is there with her senior classmates, so they probably want to discuss the upcoming school term with their senior."
The couple shared a smile, both willing to believe in their own explanations, the way only two people who sleep side-by-side might share an easy understanding of the other.
With the girls off to play, Leon and Rossweise sat on the bench, waiting for the academy staff to guide them.
After a short while, Leon's keen eyes spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
He pointed, "Hey, doesn't that guy look familiar?"
Rossweise followed his gaze to see a red-haired young man with his back to them, talking animatedly with a staff member.
After a moment of recall, she said, "Oh, that's the Crimson Flame Dragon Lar's father, the one whose kneecaps you shattered. His son once tried to pick on Noah, but she broke his arm."
Leon remembered. "Didn't all the young Crimson Flame dragons drop out of school after Constantine's... incident?"
The "incident" Leon referred to was when old Constantine, tasked with a national duty to punish the Silver Dragon Clan, met his demise—decapitated and displayed on a tree.
With Constantine's fall, the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan was left leaderless, internal conflicts erupted, and even the young dragons' education was disrupted, forcing them to withdraw.
"Maybe Constantine's return resolved the clan's issues, allowing the young dragons to re-enroll," Rossweise speculated.
Leon nodded thoughtfully, "Makes sense."
"Besides, Alres recently withdrew his troops stationed around Constantine, and the other Dragon Kings followed suit."
"Alres probably concluded that Constantine isn't a threat anymore, especially since he's unlikely to unleash any primordial power again."
Rossweise sighed, "Let's hope the Crimson Flame Clan won't cause any more trouble."
"I doubt it."
"Oh? And why's that?"
Leon's face grew serious as he pointed in another direction.
"Because, as volatile as he may be, even old Constantine wouldn't be foolish enough to cause trouble here at St. Heath Academy, would he?"
Rossweise looked over, only to see the crowd instinctively parting, like they were eager to keep their distance from a particular figure.
And the figure they were avoiding was none other than the fiery embodiment of the Crimson Flame Dragon King himself—Constantine.