Leon and Rossweise hurried to the back courtyard of the sanctuary.
As they expected, a classic Silver Dragon Sanctuary tradition was in full swing—the "Prince Returns Alive" ceremony.
Every time Leon and Rossweise were away from home for more than three days, this particular performance was guaranteed to greet them upon their return. This time, the lead actors were their eldest and second daughters, and for the first time, their youngest was also participating.
Naturally, the supporting cast was not to be outdone, with nearly all the maids of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary present and accounted for.
Amid the strangely lively atmosphere, the "ritual" began.
Veteran performer Muen took the lead. Sitting on the grass with a plate of seared steak in her lap, she started to wail.
To be honest, Little Muen's crying wasn't very convincing; it was more "dry thunder with no rain."
"Mom! Dad! How could you leave Muen like this! Boo-hoo~"
"Muen missed you so much~"
"When will you come back to see Muen~"
"Boo-hoo-hoo~ This steak is so delicious, boo-hoo-hoo~ Big sister, who do you think even invented seared steak anyway, boo-hoo~"
Over the years, Muen had truly mastered the art of crying while eating.
Noah stood with her arms crossed, quietly observing the scene. Aurora stood obediently at her big sister's side, though her obedient look was just for show. Internally, the little pink-haired girl was utterly baffled.
Earlier that morning, her big sister had told her there was an important event and they had to gather in the back courtyard. So Aurora came. She thought this important event would be some kind of advanced magic training. Instead, she found herself watching her second sister cry for their parents while happily munching on steak!
Aurora didn't get it, but she was deeply fascinated.
"Big sister, I'm three years old, but this is my first time seeing something like this," she whispered. "Is this a traditional ritual of the Silver Dragon Clan?"
Noah nodded, her face perfectly serious as she explained. "Honestly, this is more of a... random occurrence."
Their parents had a habit of randomly disappearing for anywhere from three to ten days, so "Muen Cries for Dad" had naturally become a random event as well.
Aurora scratched her head, looking at her second sister. "But Second Sister looks like she's really enjoying that food. I want some too."
Noah didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at one of the nearby maids. "How much longer until the cue?" she asked.
The maid nodded respectfully. "About thirty seconds, Your Highness."
Noah turned back to Aurora. "Hold on a bit longer. Mom and Dad are almost home."
Aurora blinked, looking around but seeing no sign of their parents. "How can you be so sure, Big Sister? They didn't say when they'd be back."
Noah took a deep breath and replied with a single, weighty word: "Experience."
"Ex... experience..."
Even in the strangest moments, the most cheerful spirit would find it hard to laugh. Aurora, who had lived in this household for three years, still struggled to keep up with the antics of her big sisters and parents.
Does this mean I really have to inherit Aunt Isha's Red Dragon Sanctuary one day? she wondered. No way. If that happens, I'd have to rename it the Pink Dragon Sanctuary... and that doesn't sound fierce at all!
Aurora's mind began to wander, trying to distract herself from the bizarre atmosphere.
But she wasn't the only one feeling puzzled.
"Funerals are solemn and serious events, symbolizing the mourning and remembrance of the deceased. They're a tradition for most races on the continent of Samael. But—" a voice grumbled in Noah's mind. "What in the world are you all doing?!"
"I could maybe understand the maids laughing and chatting, but why is your sister eating the offerings?!"
The ancient ancestor's spirit residing within her was clearly shocked by the modern generation's antics. Her long-dormant spirit of sarcasm roared to life. If she hadn't been asleep for so long, disconnected from modern society, she would have been ranting non-stop.
Calmly, Noah corrected her. "She's not stealing."
"Then what is she doing?"
"Eating openly."
"...So what is this whole ceremony for, anyway? Honoring your invincible father? He's only been gone a few days; it's not like he needs a funeral."
"No, not honoring. Summoning."
The ancestor was even more confused, but after a moment of thought, it almost made sense. It had been thousands of years since her era; magic had certainly evolved. So... a summoning ritual that looked like a funeral wasn't entirely impossible!
"Such a large-scale summoning magic... it must be powerful, right?" the ancestor asked, her expression turning serious.
Noah scratched her nose. "Well... in theory, it only takes one person."
"One person? Who?"
Just then, a maid announced cheerfully: "Princesses' filial piety moves the heavens! The prince has returned once again!"
"Okay, they're back. Talk later," Noah said, disconnecting from the mind space.
When she opened her eyes again, the familiar figures of her parents stood before them—well, only her mother was standing. Her father was, inexplicably, in a wheelchair.
Muen was the first to react. "Dad! What happened to your leg? You always came back fine before. Why are you in a wheelchair this time?"
Little Muen ran to Leon's side. Though she had been fake-crying earlier, her big, shiny eyes were now genuinely filled with concern. "Is it because Muen ate your offerings that your leg got hurt?" she asked, her logic both heartfelt and wonderfully flawed.
Leon chuckled, picking Muen up and placing her on his lap. "No, no. Dad just tripped on a rock when he was out and fell."
"Really, Dad?"
"Really. Would Dad lie to you?"
"Then Muen will massage your leg every day so it heals quickly!"
"Thank you, Muen."
Noah, however, was deeply skeptical of her dad's story. She knew exactly what kind of superhuman he was. A rock capable of tripping him and breaking his leg wouldn't be something naturally found on the continent of Samael. But she kept her doubts to herself.
Then it was Aurora's turn. "Wow... Big Sister, you really do make things happen," she whispered, amazed. "You said they'd be back, and here they are!"
This would amaze Aurora for the rest of the year. Beyond the amazement, she immediately wondered if her big sister's precise timing had anything to do with the ghost inside her. Hmm~~ This seemed like a good lead to investigate later!
"Come here, Aurora. Let Mommy hold you," Rossweise said, kneeling and opening her arms.
The little pink-haired girl obediently stepped forward and snuggled into her mother's warm embrace.
Leon glanced at them and whispered, "Cough—Muen hugged me first."
Rossweise shot him a glare. "Childish. Not worth arguing over."
Leon pouted. He knew the mother dragon was a sore loser. When he won, Rossweise's response was always, "Childish. Not worth arguing over." But when she won, it was: "I won, I won, I won! The greatest dragon slayer? Is that all?" In short, she was gracious in defeat and boastful in victory. Leon decided not to bicker with her this time.
Noah turned to the maids. "Thank you, everyone. You can return to your duties now."
The maids curtsied and dispersed.
Noah walked up to her parents, her eyes lingering on the cast on Leon's leg. "Does it still hurt, Dad?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore. It's just a small bone fracture; it'll heal in a few days."
"With your strength, Dad, it will definitely heal fast."
Though Noah had always been her father's biggest supporter, his ultimate "fan," Leon felt like saying: Sweetheart, your dad's race isn't like you dragons. We humans have a saying, "a hundred days for a broken bone to heal." It's not about strength; it's just biology...
The family of five, reunited after days apart, sat together on the grassy courtyard in the gentle morning breeze, chatting about everything that had happened. When Noah asked what her parents had been doing during their absence, the couple tacitly agreed to change the subject.
They couldn't very well tell their obedient daughter that her parents had been off leading a revolution, toppling an emperor, and potentially shortening the human-dragon war by several years.
So, with seamless coordination, they shifted the conversation to Claudia and Helena. Leon used this as the perfect opportunity to share the good news with Noah.
"Helena will be visiting our home in a few days."
The three daughters reacted differently to the news.
Noah: ☺️ (A subtle, pleased smile. Really? My best friend is coming! ...Ahem, stay calm, Noah. You need to look mature and grown-up!)
Muen: 🤨 (A suspicious, competitive glare. My 'rival' for Big Sister's attention is coming? I shall cling to Big Sister Noah even more!)
Aurora: 🤩 (Eyes sparkling with excitement. Fun is coming!)