Noah's winter vacation had arrived.
Leon had promised her earlier that he would teach her some advanced Thunder Magic during the break. Because of this, Leon had to accelerate his efforts to resolve his own magic depletion issue.
Although he hadn't yet found the true "root cause," over the past month, Leon had become adept at deceiving his own body, storing a considerable amount of magic within his dragon mark.
With this reserve of magic, whether for demonstrations or teaching Noah, it was more than sufficient. Of course, Leon's ability to accumulate so much magic in a month was partly thanks to the Mother Dragon.
Since that night with the photograph, their relationship had relaxed somewhat—at the very least, the intense "fighting daily, battling nightly" situations had ceased.
However, Leon felt this was largely due to Rossweise's increasingly prominent pregnant belly and the fact that she hadn't thought of any "new games" yet.
But regardless of the reasons, being able to accumulate magic was a good thing. If Rossweise ever regained her dragon beauty and decided she wanted to relive the feeling of "turning in homework" with Leon, he would make sure the wicked dragon didn't have an easy time of it.
With this much thunder magic stored up, I won't be a pushover. I'll make sure your tail goes numb.
In winter, a light snowfall draped the Silver Dragon Temple in white.
On the practice field, Muen, wearing pink dragon-paw earmuffs and thick gloves, pushed a huge snowball completely disproportionate to her small frame.
Dad had said that freshly fallen snow was the stickiest and best for making snowmen, so if you wanted to build a perfectly round snowman, now was the best time.
The little dragon girl had just finished the bottom half of the snowman and was now actively piling up the top section.
After teaching his younger daughter how to build a snowman, Leon turned to begin instructing his elder daughter in the advanced applications of Thunder Magic.
"Noah, first tell me about your progress at the academy," Leon said. "That way, I can figure out where to start."
If the explanation was too basic, Noah would have already learned it at the academy, wasting time. But if it was too advanced, even a clever girl like Noah might get confused, which wouldn't help her learning efficiency.
Noah nodded. "Sure, Dad. I've learned some B-level Thunder Magic at the academy, and next semester I'll be taught some A-level Thunder Magic, so I want to get familiar with it in advance here."
High EQ: Getting familiar with it in advance here, Dad.
Low EQ: Crushing my classmates next semester.
Noah had always been very clear about what she needed, especially in her studies. Students like her didn't require constant supervision, making teaching them a breeze for any instructor.
When she mentioned "A-level" and "B-level," she was referring to the difficulty of learning the magic. Both humans and dragons used letters to distinguish the learning difficulty of magic spells.
However, due to the significant differences between the two species, the same spell might be classified as A-level for humans but B-level for dragons.
Of course, these were minor issues. Leon had prepared thoroughly beforehand and wouldn't make mistakes like mixing up the grading systems, as that would hinder Noah's learning.
For the sake of his beloved daughter, Leon had completely relearned a new set of magic grading standards, relying purely on rote memorization.
"A-level magic, huh… Alright," Leon said.
In most cases, the difficulty of learning a spell often correlated with its final effect. For instance, the damage caused by a C-level spell was almost always inferior to that of an A-level spell.
But why did he say "most cases" and "almost"?
Because there were always exceptions.
Magic was also divided into combat, skill, and auxiliary types, which Noah wasn't involved with yet. So Leon didn't delve into these redundant details, only briefly explaining the concept.
Noah listened attentively. Once she had a grasp of the deeper aspects of magic grading, Leon got straight to the point.
"So, Dad will teach you the most practical A-level Thunder Magic, which also happens to be Dad's favorite."
"Mm-hmm!" Noah wagged her tail excitedly, brimming with anticipation.
She no longer minded expressing any of her feelings in front of Leon. After all, he was her dad, not those childish adults outside. What was wrong with being a little coquettish and cute with her own father?
Leon extended his right hand, palm facing up, fingers curled slightly, and then activated his magic. In an instant, a faint flash of lightning enveloped his entire palm. Countless electric arcs crackled through the air, emitting sharp, crisp sounds.
The light reflected in Noah's pupils as she slightly parted her lips, her small face filled with envy.
As the perennial top student in the Young Dragon Division, Noah could immediately discern the difficulty of this A-level magic. Gathering high-purity lightning magic into a single point and securely affixing it to the hand was entirely different from simple "energy gathering."
It could even backfire and injure the user. Achieving Leon's level of effortless proficiency required not only extensive practice but also a certain degree of innate talent.
"This move has two methods of execution," Leon explained as he led Noah to a practice dummy. With a swift hand motion, he pierced straight through the dummy with his lightning-wrapped hand.
"The first, like this, is an instant release, utilizing the highly explosive nature of thunder magic to deliver a lethal blow to the enemy."
The most powerful moves often employed the simplest methods of attack—this was the advantage of thunder magic.
"Ah, what about the second one?" Noah asked.
"The second requires the user to have keen insight and superb physical skills," Leon elaborated. "Once you've created distance from the enemy, you can use this move after a high-speed dash. The inertia from the dash significantly enhances the penetrative power of the attack. The effect is undoubtedly stronger than an instant release, but it also carries higher risks."
Noah's mind whirred as she nodded. "So, Dad, when you mentioned needing sharp observation and physical skills, it's to prevent being interrupted or ambushed during the high-speed dash, right?"
Leon smiled and patted Noah's head. "Noah is very clever; that's exactly it."
"Well, Dad, does this move have a name?" Noah asked.
"Of course, it does," Leon replied. He reassembled the lightning magic, causing the arcs to crackle sharply in the air.
"Because when used, the magical energy friction with the air produces this sharp sound, like a thousand birds chirping. So, the name of this move is…"
Noah gazed with her beautiful eyes, eagerly waiting.
"Thunder Thrust."
The most powerful moves not only had the simplest attack methods but also the most straightforward names.
"But, Dad, what does this name have to do with the thousand birds chirping you mentioned earlier?" Even Noah couldn't resist a bit of teasing.
"It doesn't really matter. Dad was just showing off his literary skills. Do you want me to teach you some?" Leon chuckled.
Noah smirked. "Haha, Dad, you're so funny."
Of course, it did matter a little.
The dragon race called this cooperative offensive thunder magic "Thunder Thrust," simple and lacking in creativity, just like their classic opening move "Dragon's Breath." They were such a barbaric race, only knowing how to fight!
Naming things should be left to us humans, Leon thought. After humans developed this magic, due to the bird-like sound it emitted when used, they gave it a more vivid and meaningful name—
"Chidori."
Ahem, of course, Leon couldn't tell Noah this name, even as a joke about a "nicer name Dad knows."
Given Noah's intelligence, if she ever came across the name of this technique devised by humans in some book, it would be hard for her not to connect her old father with humans. After undergoing the educational principles of St. Heath Academy, her human father might end up becoming her "graduation project."
Leon shook his head, retracting his absurd thoughts. But since his mind had wandered here, he couldn't help but consider his human identity and its relationship with his daughters.
At that moment, the sound of crunching snow approached the entrance of the practice field. Father and daughter turned to look.
It was Rossweise.
She stood in the snow, draped in a thick silver cloak, her figure graceful and delicate, her exquisite face as pure as the freshly fallen snow. Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, contrasting starkly with the white winter landscape. One hand rested gently on her noticeably rounded belly, while the other held a small, insulated container. Her eyes, usually sharp and commanding, now held a soft warmth as she watched her husband and daughter.
"Mommy!" Muen abandoned her half-built snowman and scurried over, leaving a trail of small footprints in the snow.
Leon met Rossweise's gaze across the field. A silent understanding passed between them, as tangible as the winter chill, yet carrying a newfound warmth that had been absent in previous seasons. The snowfall seemed to hush the world around them, framing the scene of a fractured family slowly, painstakingly, finding its way toward something whole.