After days of quietly observing the little girl who shared her name, the ancient dragon spirit—whom Noah had mentally dubbed "Ancestor"—felt she was beginning to understand her.
The child was diligent, hardworking, reserved with her emotions, and never one for empty boasts. Yet, every single time she spoke of her father, that man named Leon Cosmodeous, her face would light up with unmistakable pride, a firm, unshakable belief that he was capable of anything.
Ancestor couldn't quite grasp whether this was simply a child's blind admiration for her parent, or if the man was truly so exceptional as to warrant such absolute faith.
She slowly lowered her massive form, resting her dragon head upon her forepaws in a strangely human-like, relaxed posture.
"You truly have that much faith in your father?"
"Of course."
"But if I were to show you what the 'Ultimate Terror' truly is, I doubt you would still think so."
Noah's brow furrowed slightly. "I've already told you, no matter how powerful this 'Ultimate Terror' is, my father—"
"Alright, alright. Let's just go with what you said."
Their eyes met—the small, determined girl and the immense, ancient dragon. Both appeared calm on the surface, but a whirlwind of thoughts churned beneath.
Ancestor's thoughts: This child has no frame of reference for the Ultimate Terror. I'll let it pass for now.
Noah's thoughts: This old spirit has no idea about my dad. I'll let it pass for now.
After a few moments of silence, Ancestor steered the conversation back to its original course.
"In any case, I need to use your body to gather the Primordial Power. This will benefit you as well."
Noah raised an eyebrow skeptically. "How, exactly?"
"From my observations, you are a quintessential dragon descendant—no, even more so. Your desire to grow stronger surpasses that of most young dragons, even many adults, doesn't it?"
Noah didn't respond, but she didn't deny it either.
"Gathering the Primordial Power isn't just for my benefit. It will grant you access to a different kind of strength, something ancient and profound. Isn't that a worthwhile pursuit?"
"Only to end up as your puppet in the end, right?"
The ancient dragon shook her great head. "If all proceeds smoothly, my hope is to resolve the final crisis through you, not by my own direct hand."
Noah blinked, slightly taken aback. "Why? This is your chance to revive your legacy as the Primordial Dragon King. You could be a hero to the dragon clan once more, not just a myth in the history books."
"As you said, child, my days as the dragon clan's hero were ten thousand years ago. This era belongs to you. You should experience its wonders, and its dangers should be yours to confront. At most, I will use your body to… help things along a little," she said, choosing her words with care.
Noah fell silent, her gaze dropping to the water beneath her feet.
The once perfectly still surface suddenly rippled, the circles spreading out and overlapping into small waves.
The white dragon noticed the change immediately.
"You are uncertain, child. Think carefully on what I have said. We have plenty of time."
Noah lifted her head, looking directly into the dragon's ancient eyes. After a pause, she stated, "I want to leave this place."
Now that her inner turmoil had been exposed, Noah saw no point in continuing the conversation. She needed time and space to process and consider the Ancestor's words. It was better to retreat and gather her thoughts somewhere quieter.
"No," the dragon replied, her tone firm.
Noah blinked. "Why not?"
"Because I haven't had a breath of fresh air in millennia."
"And?"
"So, I would like to borrow your body for a short stroll."
"..."
"Relax. At present, I can only maintain control for a maximum of two hours."
Seeing Noah's continued hesitation, the dragon played her next card—a little emotional manipulation.
"Surely the esteemed Silver Dragon Princess understands the importance of respecting one's elders? I've been sealed away for thousands of years, and it's so difficult just to get a bit of air and stretch my legs. Sigh… the youth of today…"
A huge, invisible question mark seemed to hover above Noah's head.
She truly didn't know how to handle this ancient spirit.
Had she known, she would have let Constantine absorb all of the dragon's power back in the ruins. Then he would be the one dealing with this troublesome presence, not her.
"P~ri~ncess~" the dragon spirit wheedled, her voice taking on a pitiful tone. "I've been cooped up in here for days and feel utterly drained… cough cough~"
"Alright, alright! Fine! Two hours. Not a minute more."
"Excellent. Do not worry, I am a dragon of my word. Back in the day, when I declared I would end the civil war in three days, I did not delay by a single second."
"Don't get too carried away. If you're going to use my body, you have to follow my rules. Refuse, and the deal is off."
"Very well, state your terms."
Noah held up one finger. "First, no gathering Primordial Power. You've been sneaking around at night using my body to accumulate energy, and it's left me exhausted every morning."
She held up a second finger. "Second, you cannot leave the grounds of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary. There is a protective barrier. The moment you touch it, my mom and dad will come running, and they will drag me right back inside, which means they will discover you, too."
Finally, she raised a third finger. "Lastly, when you get up, be gentle. Do not wake Muen or Little Light."
"Can you manage that?"
The ancient dragon lifted her head proudly and patted her chest with a claw. "Such minor requests? Of course. You have my word."
"Alright. Two hours, starting now."
The moment Noah granted permission, the mindscape trembled.
The dark golden walls around them faded into darkness, and the water beneath their feet seemed to drain away, as if flowing back to some hidden source.
In its place, a white, majestic palace materialized, regal and luxurious, emanating a sacred, solemn aura.
Looking forward, Noah saw a grand staircase.
At its summit stood a solitary, imposing throne.
"This is…"
"Welcome to my mindscape, child. Are you awestruck?"
Noah averted her gaze, scoffing lightly. "It's… alright."
"Alright? You believe my magnificent mindscape isn't far superior to your… dingy little sewer?"
"Who are you calling a sewer?!"
"You, child!"
"Then I'm taking back my permission to use my body!"
"No, no, it was my sewer, Princess. My sewer was the dingy one."
"…"
She fit right in with the Melkvey family's trademark quick wit and expressive flexibility.
Noah could intellectually understand the logic behind the mindscape's transformation—it was a visual representation of the shift in control over the body.
"To keep you from being bored over the next two hours, I will generously share the sensory experience with you."
"Oh, thank you so very much for 'generously sharing' the use of my own eyes, nose, and ears."
As Noah's sarcastic remark faded, a shimmering, magical projection appeared before her.
It displayed a dimly lit room, with pale moonlight streaming through the window, illuminating her two younger sisters sleeping soundly beside her.
"Remember what I said—don't wake them up," Noah reminded her sternly.
"Yes, yes, I know."
After what felt like an eternity, the dragon spirit finally felt whole again, with all four limbs under her command.
Marvelous!
She quietly pulled back the blanket, shifted Noah's body with gentle care, slipped on the shoes waiting by the bed, and softly opened the door, padding out into the hallway.
The corridor was empty and silent, allowing her to stroll freely.
However, as she passed the room next door—her parents' room—she suddenly heard a familiar voice from within.
"Where's the rope? Where did it go?"
"How should I know? Do we really need rope, dragoness?"
"No rope, no captive play!"
"…Childish!"
The sudden, muffled conversation startled the Ancestor, and she quickly pressed Noah's small body back into a shadowy corner.
Thankfully, no further sounds emerged from the room.
A close call.
"Your parents… are up in the middle of the night engaged in… 'captive play'? What is that?"
Clearly, the spirit from ten thousand years ago had little understanding of modern… marital diversions.
Not that Noah was any more knowledgeable—she was, after all, a pure-hearted four-year-old who had once believed kissing was what made people pregnant.
"I don't know," Noah replied, her mental voice firm, "but we need to leave this area quickly, before they come out and see us."
"Understood."
The small figure darted swiftly down the corridor, eager to escape the immediate vicinity and finally savor the fresh air and intoxicating freedom of the night.