Muse and Hefei were still too young to fully grasp the complex rules of a game. To them, any activity where a group gathered and did something together was fun enough to be called "playing."
Noah had decided to include Hefei for two simple reasons.
First, having more participants made her "eavesdropping mission" look more like innocent play, providing better cover.
Second, Hefei had been standing off to the side by herself, looking a little lonely, and Noah's kind heart could not bear to leave her out.
Now, some might wonder: Princess Noah, how do you understand so much about how little children think?
The answer was simple. Princess Noah had only recently grown out of that stage herself. More importantly, with two younger sisters at home, she had become an expert in managing and entertaining small children.
In a way, she was her father's natural successor. After all, when Leon had first become a father, he had demonstrated unparalleled, if somewhat chaotic, parenting skills. As the "daughter of the world's most dedicated dad," it was only fitting that Noah would inherit a talent for handling little ones.
Noah carefully set Muse down on the ground. Her youngest sister was still too unsteady to walk properly, but she could manage small, wobbly movements within a safe, limited space.
She glanced back at "Mom." Rossweise, who had been observing quietly, gave her a slight, almost imperceptible nod. It was a silent approval for Noah to take Muse and Hefei off to play.
Reassured, Noah turned to the two little dragon girls to explain their "game."
"The game we are going to play is called 'Lamp Post Stand-Off,'" she announced.
As she spoke, her eyes flickered toward her father and Constantine, who were deep in conversation a short distance away. Her gaze finally settled on the ornate lamp post that stood conveniently between the adults and the children.
"The goal is to see who can stay closest to the lamp post the longest. How does that sound?"
The core of any successful children's game was simplicity itself. As long as the rules sounded a little quirky and had a clear, competitive goal, the children would throw themselves into it with full, enthusiastic focus.
Sure enough, both Muse and Hefei nodded eagerly before racing off toward the designated lamp post.
Noah stood up slowly, watching the scene unfold with a satisfied smile.
"As long as they stay near that lamp post, close enough to Dad and Constantine, the recording stone in Muse's pocket will pick up everything," she muttered under her breath.
"Not bad, kid. You are quite clever," the Ancestor's voice echoed approvingly in her mind.
"I have had to get good at thinking on my feet. Hanging around an ancient spirit who has been half-asleep for millennia tends to sharpen your wits," Noah quipped back mentally.
The Ancestor scoffed. "I have been in a state of dormancy and recovery. My vast wisdom is naturally a little rusty."
"A little? It is not just rusty; it has practically fossilized into second-rate dramatics," Noah teased.
"I hate you, Noah."
With that final retort, the Ancestor unceremoniously pushed Noah's consciousness back to the real world.
When her focus returned, Muse and Hefei were already running cheerful, unsteady circles around the base of the lamp post.
Leon and Constantine had noticed the two little dragonlings but, seeing they were just playing an innocent game, did not bother to shoo them away. They merely called out occasional, gentle reminders. "Slow down, you two! Be careful not to fall!"
Noah allowed herself a small, triumphant smirk. Her plan was working perfectly. Now, all she had to do was wait.
Roughly ten minutes later, Leon and Constantine concluded their private discussion.
Leon bent down to scoop his giggling daughter into his arms, while Constantine took Hefei's small hand. Both father-daughter pairs began walking back toward Noah and Rossweise.
Constantine's face, however, was unusually dark and sour, as if he had just swallowed something bitter.
"Big sister! You lost!" Hefei announced triumphantly as they approached. "Muse and I stayed under the lamp post the longest! We won!"
"Not hing~ Big sister, not hing~" Muse chimed in, babbling and giggling as if she fully understood the victory.
Noah chuckled warmly. Even though she possessed a fiercely competitive streak as the family's "overachieving princess," she knew this was not a game worth winning. Successfully recording her father's conversation was the real prize.
"Let me carry my sister, Dad," Noah said as Leon drew near.
"Alright, be careful with her," Leon replied, gently transferring the wriggling Muse into Noah's waiting arms.
Noah cradled her little sister and, under the guise of adjusting her hold, deftly retrieved the small recording stone from Muse's pocket, palming it seamlessly.
With a final, gruff nod, the fiery Crimson Dragon King left with his unexpectedly adorable daughter in tow.
Noah's mentor, Mavis, also gave her a nod of permission, allowing her to spend the next three days with her family before joining her for the official duel observation.
With her teacher's blessing, the family happily spent the remainder of the day exploring the wonders of Sky City—all courtesy of the Tower Master's incredibly generous sponsorship, of course.
That evening, after Leon and Rossweise had tucked their youngest into bed, Noah retreated to her own room.
Locking the door behind her, she hopped onto her bed, pulled out the recording stone, and with a surge of anticipation, began playing back the conversation it had captured.
The first voice that emerged was Constantine's, low and serious.
"Leon, have you ever seen anything like this before?"
"What is it? A dragon scale? But... why is it black?" Leon's voice replied, laced with confusion.
"I retrieved this from Adam's corpse. At first, I assumed it was just his Heartguard Dragon Scale, but after extracting it, I realized something was terribly wrong."
Constantine continued, his tone grim. "Dragon Heartguard Scales have never been black. That fool must have allowed himself to be corrupted by something truly sinister to transform his scale into this... monstrous thing. Do you think it could be connected to the 'Shadow' you are hunting?"
There was a pause in the recording, likely as Leon examined the scale. Faint giggles and the pattering of small feet from Muse and Hefei played in the background.
After a moment, Leon's voice returned, thoughtful and wary. "It is possible. Shadow has been systematically collecting Heartguard Scales from various dragons, including your faction. His research into their properties and potential is likely far more advanced than we imagined."
"Hmm. If that is the case, I will leave this Black Dragon Scale with you. Perhaps it can aid your investigation," Constantine stated.
"Thank you," Leon replied.
"Do not mention it." Constantine paused again before adding, "Also, I recently encountered and eliminated some mutated danger beasts lurking near the borders of your Silver Dragon territory. Upon examining their bodies, I found fragments of a similar black, crystalline material. I will provide those samples to you as well."
There was another brief silence before Leon spoke, his tone shifting to one of curiosity and suspicion.
"You were hunting dangerous creatures near my home? Why?"
"The 'why' is irrelevant. Just take the samples and use them for your investigation," Constantine retorted, his voice gruff and dismissive.
"But Father," a new, high-pitched voice piped up unexpectedly—Hefei's. "Did you not say you were doing it to repay your debts and atone for your past mistakes?"
"Shut up, Hefei!" Constantine snapped, clearly flustered.
"Yes, Father!" Hefei's meek reply was immediate.
A low chuckle from Leon came through the stone next. "Ohhh, so that is how it is, Constantine. How... noble of you."
"It is not like that at all. This conversation is over," Constantine growled, his voice a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment before the recording cut off.
Noah could not help the wide, knowing smirk that spread across her face. So that was why the Crimson Flame Dragon King had looked so sour and stormed off earlier—he had been completely and utterly betrayed by the blunt honesty of his own adorable daughter!
She leaned back against her pillows, the recording stone clutched in her hand. The information was crucial. The Black Dragon Scale, the connection to Shadow, the mutated beasts... it was all pieces of a larger, darker puzzle. She needed to process this and decide how, or if, to tell her father what she had learned. For now, she would keep the stone safe. The Ancestor would want to know about this, and together, they would determine the next move.