El-Lanti pressed his palm against the transparent wall of the cultivation chamber, his gaze locked onto the dragon's remains within.
His voice grew heavier, and the rising intensity of his emotions seemed to make the very air in the chamber tremble.
"A war machine that is invincible, tireless, and capable of dragging Leon Cosmodeous straight into hell!"
El-Lanti's voice was filled with ambition for the future and an insatiable hunger for power. He raised his other hand, mirroring his previous gesture, forming a point of support against the cultivation chamber as if declaring his absolute control over the slumbering Dragon King.
A solemn expression flickered across El-Lanti's face before transforming into unwavering resolve.
"Crimson Flame Dragon King—Constantine, your fire of vengeance shall be rekindled by the Empire!" His voice echoed through the sealed space.
Yet, what he failed to realize…Was that the soul that had returned from hell and had long since seen through his every move?
…
On Friday evening, the Leon family sat under the pavilion in the front courtyard of the temple, waiting for the 'school bus'—Leviathan.
Meanwhile, Muwen stood in the courtyard, raising her tiny hand to shield her eyes as she gazed into the distance at the fiery sunset.
She tiptoed slightly, her tail swaying behind her, revealing her eager anticipation for her sister's return.
"Muwen, your sister probably won't be back for a while. There's no need to be in such a hurry. Come and sit while we wait," Rossweise reminded her.
Muwen reluctantly withdrew her gaze, her little tail drooping lifelessly. The tip of her tail lightly dragged along the ground as she slowly walked toward the pavilion.
Seeing his daughter looking a little dejected, Leon picked her up and placed her on his lap. "Do you miss your sister?"
The little dragon girl nodded vigorously. "Muwen hasn't seen Sister for five days. Muwen misses her."
"Daddy misses her too. How about this—when Sister gets back, let's race to see who can get to her first and hug her first. What do you think?" Leon coaxed her patiently.
Muwen's eyes lit up instantly. She placed her hands on her hips and proudly lifted her tail. "Daddy definitely can't beat me!"
"Oh? So confident?"
"Yep! Because Daddy's body gets weak now and then. I did the math, and these days just happen to be Daddy's weak days!"
"..."
He was just trying to comfort his daughter and distract her a little. So why did I feel like I had just been stabbed in the heart instead?
Does Daddy look weak to you?!
Daddy is very strong, okay?!
Your mom knows that best.
Ah~
Just as Leon was lost in thought, he heard a sigh from the other side.
Turning his head, he looked toward the source of the sigh—a certain pink-haired little girl. "What's wrong, Little Light?"
Little Light leaned forward, resting her chin on her stacked hands as she sighed again. "Ah~ A woman's sense of novelty is like a candle on the dinner table—it never burns for more than two hours."
Hearing his little daughter's words, Leon couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
He immediately turned to look at Rossweise, suspecting that this mother dragon had secretly been teaching Little Light all sorts of nonsense.
The queen shrugged innocently, signaling that it wasn't her doing.
She reached out and patted Little Light's head before asking, "Why did you suddenly say something like that?"
"Second Sister no longer has the same enthusiasm for me as before," Little Light sighed again. "Mommy, my life is like walking on thin ice. Do you think I can win back Second Sister's heart?"
"..."
This little one—so small, yet so articulate.
Just as Rossweise was considering how to respond, Muwen spoke up.
"Little Light, don't overthink it. Muwen will always like Little Light."
"Second Sister?"
"Really!"
"Second Sister, hug me~"
Little Light hopped off the stone bench, spread her little arms wide, and pounced into her second sister's embrace.
The two sisters snuggled together affectionately, their tails even curling around each other.
The husband and wife sat on either side, watching this scene, unsure whether they should stay silent or say something to praise their daughters' deep sisterly bond.
Just as they were lost in thought, Leon saw Little Light secretly flash him an "OK" hand sign.
The next second, it clicked—
This entire plan to distract Muwen was orchestrated by none other than Little Light herself!
Leon chuckled inwardly before glancing at Rossweise.
The queen had also received Little Light's secret signal and was now smiling with satisfaction.
"Second Sister, will you always like Little Light?" the pink-haired girl asked.
Muwen nodded earnestly. "I will."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Really, really—"
Before she could finish, a voice called out from the entrance:
"Muwen, Little Light, I'm back!"
"Sister, I'm coming~"
Like a sprinter, the little Muwen darted toward the entrance.
Leaving Little Light standing there in stunned silence.
"At least let me finish my sentence, Second Sister…"
Leon walked over to Little Light and ruffled her pink hair. "Try to understand your Second Sister. The whole world knows she's a total sis-con."
Little Light shrugged. "It's fine. Anyway, I successfully delayed her until Big Sister got home. Daddy, my mission is complete~"
Leon chuckled, bent down to pick her up, and said, "Let's go. Time to welcome your big sister."
"Mm-hmm!"
The three of them left the pavilion and walked toward the entrance.
As they got closer, they noticed that Noah wasn't alone—another girl was standing beside her.
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the dragon girl. She was a little taller than Noah, with a gentle and adorable appearance. Judging by her demeanor, she was probably Noah's classmate.
At first, Muwen's tail had been raised high in excitement upon hearing Noah's voice. But when she saw the unfamiliar girl, her tail slowly drooped. She slowed her steps as she approached Noah and the girl.
Leon, holding Little Light, stood alongside Rossweise behind Muwen.
"Noah, this is…?" Leon asked.
"Oh! Hello, Uncle. My name is Helena. I'm Noah's classmate, and I'm nine years old this year," the girl said politely.
Uncle…
Leon's eye twitched slightly at the title.
Sure, Leon was already a father, and it was normal for kids to call him "Uncle."
But come on, General Leon was only twenty-four! And now he was being called "Uncle" by his daughter's classmates…
Sigh, time spares no one. No one at all!
"Hello, Auntie," Helena also greeted politely.
As a dragon over two hundred years old, naturally wasn't as affected by the "Auntie" title as Leon was. She smiled and nodded. "Hello, Helena."
This child wasn't shy, but she also wasn't the type to be overly familiar with strangers. She knew exactly how to behave on a first meeting thought to herself that Helena likely wasn't from an ordinary noble family.
"Mom, Dad, can Helena stay at our place for the weekend?" Noah asked.
"Of course," Rossweise nodded.
It was no problem at all for her daughter's classmate to stay over. She was happy that Noah had made a friend she could bring home.
Noah had always been more mature than her peers. She thought a lot, pushed herself too hard, and over time, developed a tendency to be a bit introverted.
Making friends at this stage was a good thing for her.
After all, she couldn't rely on just her dad and two little sisters to ease the stresses of life. She needed her friends.
"Thank you, Auntie~" Helena gave a polite bow.
Then, her gaze shifted to Muwen and Little Light. "Noah, are these the little sisters you always talk about?"
"Mm-hmm."
Noah walked over to Muwen and held her small hand. "This is Muwen, my twin sister. And the one my dad is holding is Aurora—her nickname is Little Light."
"Hello, Little Muwen~"
Helena extended a hand, wanting to shake Muwen's.
Muwen's big eyes trembled slightly. She looked at the girl her sister had brought home, and her mind flashed back to the day they dropped Noah off at school.
Back then, at the classroom door, Noah had been led inside—arm in arm—with this very girl, Helena.
Lost in thought, Muwen momentarily forgot to respond.
It wasn't until Noah gently squeezed her hand that she snapped back to reality.
"Ah! Ah… H-Hello, I'm Muwen. It means 'Moon.'"
She took Helena's outstretched hand—gripping it just a little tighter than necessary.
Meanwhile, nestled in her father's arms, Little Light raised an eyebrow slightly.
Oh, ho~ it looks like this weekend is going to be fun to watch.
…
"I hope our family's dinner suits your taste, Helena."
The five members of the Leon family, along with today's little guest, sat around the dinner table.
The meal was exceptionally lavish, originally prepared to welcome Noah home, but now with additional dishes to express their hospitality toward Helena.
Helena was equally polite, never missing a beat with honorifics, and her mannerisms were both elegant and composed, making her seem both sincere and generous.
To possess such social skills at such a young age was truly remarkable.
Back in the courtyard, Rossweise had already sensed that Helena likely didn't come from an ordinary noble family.
However, she hadn't actively inquired about which tribe Helena was from or what social class her parents belonged to.
After all, it was their daughter's first time bringing a classmate home for the weekend—the focus should be on warmth and hospitality, not other matters.
"I've always envied Noah—not only does she have outstanding parents, but she also has two adorable little sisters," Helena said.
"Since I come from a cocoon-birth, where I was solely nurtured by my mother, I don't have any siblings. Growing up alone can be quite lonely sometimes."
Most traditional dragon families were cocoon-birth, where either the father or the mother alone raised the child.
Siblings did exist, but they were often only distantly related by blood.
Sisters as closely bonded as Rossweise and Isha were extremely rare.
The fact that Noah had become friends with Helena suggested that the two of them must have something in common—perhaps in the way they viewed "family" or "kinship."
Noah's deep attachment to her family was something Leon and Rossweise understood well.
If Helena valued family just as much as Noah did, then as a cocoon-born young dragon, it made sense that she would envy Noah's lively five-member household.
After all, who wouldn't want a childhood companion to be by their side?
"It's no problem, Helena! If you like a lively atmosphere, you can come over to my house anytime!" Noah said.
"Noah?"
"Mm-hmm!"
"That's amazing~ Thank you, Noah-chan~"
Helena turned to the side, wrapping an arm around Noah's shoulders and rubbing her cheek against hers.
Since Helena was a few years older than Noah, she was also much taller. In this position, she looked more like an older sister hugging her younger one.
Judging by Noah's reaction, she didn't seem to mind Helena's affectionate gestures.
That was surprising, considering how Noah—the little mule—wasn't usually fond of physical contact with others.
When she first met Leon, she had even declared that he wasn't allowed to touch her without her permission.
Leon and Rossweise exchanged a glance, quickly deducing why their daughter had accepted Helena's hug.
First, if Noah had brought Helena home as a guest, that meant their relationship was already quite close, so a hug between friends wasn't unusual.
Second, it had to do with Noah herself.
She was much more mature than the average young dragon, having taken care of Muwen since she was old enough to understand things.