"I've already summoned Shirley's guards—they'll be here any moment!"
A gardener in the orchard wiped sweat from his brow as he hurriedly reported, "Your Highness, the Jade Dew Dragonfruit is incredibly hard to cultivate. In this entire orchard, only one tree has borne fruit, and there are just two of them!"
Leon squinted into the distance, watching the Six-Winged Dragonhawk fly farther away.
"By the time Shirley's team arrives, that thing will be long gone."
He dropped his backpack to the ground, shook off any extra weight, and smirked, cracking his knuckles.
"Noah, stay here. Dad will be right back."
Before Noah could protest, Leon had already dashed off in pursuit of the dragonhawk.
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Noah crossed her arms, shaking her head with a faint smile. "Dad sure is impulsive."
Despite her initial instinct to follow her father's orders and stay put, Noah quickly decided against it. After all, this was a rare opportunity to test her skills, and besides, the Silver Dragon guards could handle the situation if things got truly dangerous.
Plus, Noah wanted to know what made this Six-Winged Dragonhawk bold enough to invade Silver Dragon territory and steal their precious fruit.
She quickly took off after her father, catching up to him with ease.
"Dad, have you ever fought one of these dragonhawks before?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the massive creature soaring ahead.
Leon shook his head. "A beast of this caliber—evolved to such a degree—has likely been influenced by dragon magic."
"Dragon magic? What do you mean?" Noah inquired, intrigued.
Leon slowed his pace slightly and began explaining.
"On the continent of Samuel, there are countless species, many of which are intelligent, capable of using magic, and even developing their own cultures.
"We categorize hostile and uncommunicative creatures as 'danger beasts,' but in truth, many of them are independent species with varying levels of intelligence.
"Some of these beasts can even practice magic. The Six-Winged Dragonhawk is one such example."
Leon continued, "A few centuries ago, the Iron-Winged Dragonhawk, an A-Class danger beast, was hunted nearly to extinction because its feathers and beak were highly valuable.
"The few remaining individuals scattered across the continent. Over time, their descendants adapted to their environments and evolved, influenced by the local ecology.
"The creature we're seeing now is a product of such evolution. Under the influence of dragon magic, it has transformed from the Iron-Winged Dragonhawk into the Six-Winged Dragonhawk."
Noah absorbed the information, then asked thoughtfully, "So, does that mean the messenger dragons we use for communication also come from another species originally? Were they transformed by dragon magic into subspecies?"
"That's one way to look at it," Leon replied. "But messenger dragons have also been selectively bred and trained by the Silver Dragons over a long period. They're quite different from a wild beast like the Six-Winged Dragonhawk."
"I see," Noah said with a nod. Glancing up at the massive creature, she added with a smirk, "In any case, no one would use that giant bird to deliver messages."
Leon chuckled at his daughter's dry humor, appreciating her quick wit.
"Still," Noah mused, "why would this dragonhawk invade our territory and steal the dragonfruit? That doesn't make any sense."
Leon shared her confusion.
"By all rights, even if this thing evolved from an A-Class Iron-Winged Dragonhawk into a Super S-Class Six-Winged Dragonhawk, it shouldn't have the guts to raid Silver Dragon territory.
"Even the weakest Silver Dragon is far superior to the strongest danger beast. No amount of evolution would bridge that gap."
"Exactly. Even a farming dragon could turn that bird into a 'Hawk Burger Deluxe,'" Noah quipped.
Leon nodded grimly. "Something must have driven it to act this recklessly. We'll deal with that mystery later. First, we need to get that dragonfruit back. The gardener said it's the only tree with fruit, and we can't let it get away."
"Understood, Dad," Noah replied.
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Father and daughter picked up their pace, but no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't outmatch a creature flying through the sky.
Within minutes, the Six-Winged Dragonhawk had widened the gap, its figure growing smaller in the distance.
"Dad, is your wing injury still not healed?" Noah asked, her tone calm but laced with curiosity.
Leon adjusted his stride slightly, trying to appear unbothered. "Ah... well, it takes time, you know. It'll heal eventually."
The truth was, Leon had never been able to fly. Officially, the family had always explained his "inability to fly" as a lingering injury. Even his daughters believed the story.
Noah, however, had her suspicions. She studied her father's expression closely, noticing the subtle unease behind his confident facade. A mischievous thought crossed her mind.
"I guess that's a shame," she said with a faint smile. "I was hoping you'd take me flying once you healed."
Leon winced inwardly. The weight of a father's inability to fulfill his daughter's expectations stung far more than any wound.
"Well," Noah added with a sly grin, "once I'm grown, I can always take you flying, Dad."
Leon laughed despite himself. "Deal. I'll hold you to that."
Their banter lightened the mood, but the dragonhawk had gained even more distance.
Leon muttered under his breath, "If that thing gets away, I'm doomed."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Why would it be so bad, Dad?"
Leon sighed. "The soup is important for your mom's rest, but the Jade Dew Dragonfruit is crucial for keeping her mood stable."
"Mood stable?" Noah asked. "Is Mom that difficult when she's pregnant?"
Leon shuddered at the memories of Rossweise during her previous pregnancies. Even a fleeting recollection was enough to make him break into a cold sweat.
"I'd prefer if she were just violent," he admitted. "At least violence is straightforward. You can reason with a sword swing."
Leon recalled a joke he'd once heard:
"What's scarier: a terrorist, a wild beast, or a tantruming girlfriend?"
Answer: The girlfriend. Because at least with the other two, you can negotiate.
Rossweise in full pregnancy mode was an entirely different beast. She didn't negotiate—she dictated.
For the sake of his sanity over the coming months, Leon knew he had to recover that dragonfruit. Failure wasn't an option.