"Are you sure you want me to read this? I thought you wanted me to read your grandfather's boring newspapers."
"Don't forget the homage supplements. Hmm, there'll be those later. Sometimes I might ask you to read me legends like this. But whatever you read to me, you can't tell anyone else about it, okay?"
Valeria sat on Mais's bed. Although this slightly disturbed Mais, who was getting ready to sleep, he didn't stop her from sitting next to him. Valeria rolled her eyes and struggled to hold the old, large book tightly in her arms. She rolled her eyes again and again.
"Blah blah. As if I'll remember."
"What did you say!"
Valeria immediately jumped out of bed and stood laughing in front of a chair a short distance away. She wanted to see if Mais would chase her away, but Mais was neither going to spoil her fun nor summon the dung beetle that had risen from his bed again.
"Start reading."
Valeria stood in front of the chair. Then, realizing Mais wasn't moving, she sat down.
"'Long ago, I published an article about how the miraculous effects of cultivation could have given birth to utterly extraordinary creatures. While this article was met with scorn in the lower cultivator circles, the higher cultivator circles instead wanted to talk to me about these legends. I learned many legends from these people, and even about the cultivators and monsters they inherited. Finally, when the words of others began to contradict themselves too much and confuse me, I decided to embark on a journey. This was about 800 years ago.'"
At this point, Valeria paused. It was easy to read about 800 years in a story, but even she could understand that 800 years wasn't short for cultivators. She raised her head and looked at Mais, who was calmly listening to Valeria's reading from the bed.
"Isn't this man an academic? Is his cultivation very high? Living for 800 years isn't easy, is it?"
Of course it wasn't. Even for an Ascendant, 800 years was a very long time. It was a large part of their lifespan. After all, Ascendants usually lived for a thousand years. Mais nodded.
"The author, if I'm not mistaken, is Rashir Neruzai. He may seem like just an academic, but he's quite famous in the Eastern Kingdom, and his background is more solid than anyone else's in that kingdom. He's not an ordinary person, and therefore his cultivation is top-notch."
Valeria looked at Mais with a confused expression. "The Eastern Kingdom?"
It was normal that Valeria didn't know the Eastern Kingdom at all. They were in the west. Even west of the Western Kingdom. Valeria probably didn't even know the Western Kingdom.
"Continue reading."
Valeria frowned, lowered her head, then grumbled a little and started reading again.
"'I spent time in many places. I met many interesting people. I didn't meet the people who seized the Phoenix's legacy, but I can guess who the true owners of the Phoenix legacy are. What group other than the Phoenix Dynasty could it be? Their control over fire and even just their surname is proof, but I couldn't go to the Southern Kingdom and ask them for such specific information. Instead, I decided to look to see if there was a partner in this legacy. Unfortunately, this search yielded no results. Still, I didn't completely waste my time. While searching for the heirs of the Phoenixes, I found the heirs of the Dragons. This would be my first entry into the Dragon Valley.'"
Mais could hear the young girl muttering something under her breath as she stopped reading again. What was she curious about this time? Mais was starting to get annoyed. They were only just beginning to read.
"What's the problem?!"
"I'm just wondering if Dragon Valley has any connection to the False Dragon. There were a lot of rumors about him when you and the others went to his inheritance. Now that you've actually been inside and out of the inheritance, there are even more rumors than before. Well... I'm just wondering why this man, whose inheritance you've entered, is causing so much fuss?"
Mais raised an eyebrow at these words. Valeria knew Mais couldn't see it, but Mais seemed to be looking directly at her, and that made her a little nervous.
"You've expressed the problem quite well."
Valeria's face instantly brightened, and her already puffy cheeks flushed even more with happiness.
"Aunt Anika suggested some activities to help me speak better. They seem to be working."
Mais chuckled bitterly after hearing the little girl's last words. "So... it seems to be working somewhat."
Then he scratched his head and returned to the subject. He wasn't ruling out answering Valeria's question.
"The False Dragon did indeed go to Dragon Valley, and he wasn't alone. There are members of the royal family who have successfully inherited their fortune in Dragon Valley. One of them is Aelthar, the Dragon Warrior and uncle of the current King Gallac II. The King is already old, and his father was much older. His uncle is also a very powerful warrior. Centuries ago, Aelthar tested the False Dragon alongside his own son Saelis, but both failed. Saelis died there. Although Aelthar never took the False Dragon to Dragon Valley again, the False Dragon remained determined and, despite not truly inheriting the fortune, became a warrior capable of fighting other dragon warriors. That's why people started calling him the False Dragon. After all, he was just a cheap copy that replicated other dragon warriors. Nevertheless, he was capable of fighting them."
Although Mais's words seemed cruel, they weren't a lie. That's exactly what had happened, and that was the False Dragon's reaction to it. He was obsessed with becoming just a cheap imitation in response to his friend's death and Aelthar's disappointment. Well, that was normal. Cultivators' minds went astray as they ascended to higher realms anyway.
Valeria drifted off for a moment. She couldn't imagine how magnificent and sublime these figures truly were.
"I don't understand."
"You don't have to understand. Just read."
Valeria read for a while longer. This time, much longer than before. Some traditions and technical aspects of Dragon Valley, such as breeding practices, were discussed. The advantages of their geography for cultivation, and blah blah. Ten minutes later, Valeria was already bored. Because the topics she was reading were very tedious, and Valeria was sleepy. She stopped reading again.
"Mais, will you come play in the snow with me?"
Mais leaned back and slid into the bed. 'Looks like that's it for today.'
"Do you really want me to get out of my warm bed at this hour and play in the snow with you?"
Valeria shook her head.
"Of course not! That would be silly. Not now, but can you play in the snow with me later? I have no one else to play with."
Oh, what a pity. Mais really had no pity for Valeria's attempts at self-pity. At least, that's what he thought. However, he didn't seem to say anything this time about Valeria being overly familiar again.
"Winter is just beginning. I can play with you just once, when there's enough snow. But only once! Now put the book down, blow out the candle, and go to your room. I won't bother you too much today."
Valeria jumped up and down happily and continued talking until Mais complained again. Even after she left, she was still talking.
"I love winter."