Leon and Rossweise finally met with the Tower Master and Odin at the summit of the Twilight Tower.
After a brief exchange of formal pleasantries, the Tower Master eagerly outlined his plans for the upcoming event.
"Your Highness," he began, addressing Leon, "this duel between you and Odin is a spectacle that occurs perhaps once in a century. I have taken the liberty of inviting numerous Dragon Kings and renowned elders to witness it."
He gestured grandly. "I will personally create a completely independent battleground using my spatial magic. This will allow you both to fight without any constraints and with zero risk to the city or its citizens."
"The match will be held three days from now. What are your thoughts, Your Highness?"
Like Odin before him, Leon found it slightly unusual that their private spar had been turned into a public spectacle. However, understanding the dragon race's love for grand drama and gathering for any major event, he was not entirely shocked.
Leon exchanged a quick, silent glance with Rossweise. A subtle, almost imperceptible nod passed between them.
"No problem, Tower Master," Leon replied smoothly. "While my original intent was a simple spar with Odin, I appreciate the significant effort you have invested. I will follow your arrangements."
His response was diplomatic and polished. It gracefully acknowledged the Tower Master's work while calmly reiterating his own simple purpose for being there, leaving no room for offense or misunderstanding.
"Excellent!" the Tower Master said, his face beaming. "During these three days, Your Highness and the Silver Dragon Queen are most welcome to enjoy the delights of Sky City. All your expenses will be covered by the Twilight Tower."
Rossweise raised a delicate silver eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "When you say you will 'create' a battleground, does that mean it does not exist yet? Can such a thing be completed in just three days?"
The Tower Master chuckled and shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. I mean I will use spatial magic to manifest a completely separate, temporary dimension for combat. This ensures you can unleash your full power without a single pebble in the real world being disturbed."
"Spatial magic..." Rossweise murmured, her elegant eyebrows furrowing slightly as she shared a knowing, wary look with Leon.
The couple was intimately familiar with the dangers of spatial magic.
Years ago, during a siege, the Star Wanderer Dragon King, Ravi, had led a team of spatial mages in an attempt to assassinate them. While Ravi was no match for their combined power, his final, desperate act had been to detonate his own dragon scales, tearing open a violent and chaotic spatial rift.
Leon had been forced to step into that devouring void to contain it, sacrificing himself to save his daughters and everyone else. That event had hurled him twenty years into a bleak future—a timeline where he had never returned. It was only through a desperate, complex ritual performed by his daughter Aurora that he managed to return and rewrite that terrible fate.
That traumatic experience had left both Leon and Rossweise with a deep and lasting wariness of any spatial manipulation.
The Tower Master, noticing their sudden tension, quickly added, "You need not worry. My spatial magic is fundamentally different from that of the Star Wanderer Dragon King. I assure you, I will not be detonating any of my scales or creating unstable rifts."
Though he attempted to lighten the mood with a joke, it fell flat given the couple's painful history.
Leon offered a polite, if somewhat strained, smile. "I appreciate the reassurance."
Seeking to change the subject, the Tower Master turned his gaze to the small girl partially hiding behind Leon's leg. Muse, dressed in a bright red robe, peeked out shyly.
Noticing the attention, Leon scooped his daughter into his arms. "Muse, say hello to the Tower Master."
"Ah ya ah ya~ Not hing~!" Muse babbled enthusiastically.
The Tower Master blinked in surprise. "Your Highness, what does 'not hing' mean?"
Leon laughed, gently pinching his daughter's cheek. "It is her own special way of saying 'That is not okay.' She picked it up from her mother on the flight here."
The Tower Master chuckled. "The young princess is quite clever. I am certain she will grow up to be as remarkable as her esteemed sisters."
The compliment felt a little routine, but Leon and Rossweise accepted it with gracious nods.
"Muse is your fourth daughter, is that correct?" the Tower Master asked.
"That is right," Leon replied. "Her name was actually suggested by our third daughter, Aurora."
"Your daughters are truly a credit to you, Leon. Especially your eldest, Noah—she has earned high praise from many, including my own granddaughter, Yuna."
"Yuna?" Leon tilted his head, curious.
"Odin's only child," the Tower Master explained, gesturing to the Thunder King. "She is also a senior at St. Heath Academy, where she once teamed up with Noah during an outdoor trial in the Far North. According to Yuna, Noah single-handedly turned the tide against a powerful stone giant guarding the Primordial Dragon Kings' ruins. She saved Yuna and their entire team during a critical moment."
Leon smiled warmly, a father's pride clear on his face. "Noah is a very diligent child. She has always carried herself with a maturity beyond her years."
"I have also heard that Noah, like you, specializes in lightning magic," the Tower Master continued.
"That is correct," Leon confirmed. "Her primary elemental affinity mirrors my own."
Odin, who had been listening quietly, broke into a rare, genuine smile. "I once feared that the profound legacy of lightning magic within the dragon tribes would fade away. Even my own daughter, Yuna, wields fire magic, not lightning. It is deeply reassuring to see talents like you and Noah rising to ensure its continuation."
His smile was sincere, and his words carried the weight of true, heartfelt pride.
"It is my hope that this sparring match will help you elevate your mastery of lightning magic to an even higher plane, Leon," Odin said earnestly.
Leon had not expected such wholehearted support from Odin, who had always seemed a stoic traditionalist. The old dragon's clear dedication to preserving their shared art explained the profound respect he commanded among all the dragon tribes.
The Tower Master interjected with a sly smile, "Speaking of Noah, I have sent an invitation to St. Heath Academy. They are dispatching one student and one teacher as official observers for the duel. They should be arriving in the city soon."
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly, a playful suspicion in his gaze. "Tower Master... would that student, by any chance, be my eldest daughter?"
The Tower Master laughed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Who knows? You will just have to wait and see when they arrive!"
Odin, unaware of the unique motivational boost Noah's presence would give Leon, remained focused solely on the duel. He had no idea that the mere sight of his eldest daughter would grant the Silver Dragon Prince an extraordinary, if entirely unintentional, advantage.
Some men were simply born with a powerful "daughter-con" buff.
Meanwhile, at one of the grand entrances to Sky City, two distinct figures approached. The breeze caught the girl's long, fiery red hair, making it dance around her shoulders. Her intense black eyes, deep and focused, lifted to take in the staggering sight of the bustling dragon metropolis.
"Father," the girl asked, her voice soft but clear, "will I truly meet the person I must surpass someday?"
"Of course," Constantine replied, his voice firm. His gaze was fixed ahead, resolute. "Knowing him, he is bound to have brought his new daughter along."
He took a determined step forward onto the gleaming street. "Let us go, Hefei."
"Yes, Father," she replied, following closely behind him.