Fortunately, thanks to his master's rigorous training during childhood, Leon had decent physical resilience. No matter how tired or weak he gets, he can recover almost completely after a few days of rest.

Although he still couldn't handle strenuous labor, he was well enough to go for strolls or read books with the kids.

The sun shone brightly that day. While Noa was away for physical training, Leon found a bit of time to spend with his youngest daughter.

If he didn’t spend some quality time with Muen soon, his darling daughter might genuinely start believing her father had passed away.

He carried Muen to the Castle's rear garden.

“Daddy, let’s play Dragon Rider again!” Muen suggested cheerfully.

“Alright.”

Saying this, Leon reached out to lift Muen, preparing to hoist her onto his shoulders to play Dragon Rider.

But just as he began, Muen suddenly swayed her tail and said, “Wait a moment, Daddy.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Mommy said your body hasn’t fully recovered yet, so Muen shouldn’t play Dragon Rider with you. It’ll affect your recovery.”

Leon paused, slightly taken aback. His little dragon girl was as thoughtful as always.

He smiled gently. “It’s okay. Muen isn’t very heavy.”

“No, it’s still not okay.”

Muen stubbornly shook her head and wriggled her legs, signaling Leon to put her down.

Leon couldn’t argue with his daughter, so he had no choice but to follow her wishes.

After setting Muen down, Leon crouched in front of her and patiently asked, “Then what game shall we play?”

Muen pouted thoughtfully for a long while, unable to think of a game that required no physical exertion yet was still fun.

Seeing Muen was struggling, Leon offered,

“If Muen can’t think of a good game, how about Daddy makes a toy for you? How does that sound?”

The little dragon girl’s eyes lit up. “A toy!”

“Mhm.”

“What kind of toy?”

“You’ll know once it’s ready. Come, let’s go to the storage room to find some materials.”

“Okay~”

For Muen, whether it was playing a game or making a toy, there was no real distinction.

The important thing was that she got to stay with her father.

A child’s world is inherently simple—being together with Daddy was enough to make her happy, no matter what they did!

Leon led Muen to the Castle’s storage room and gathered some parts and tools from within.

After collecting what they needed, Leon weighed the items in his hands and counted the parts again.

Thinking for a moment, he decided to take a few more pieces, just in case.

Finally, he grabbed several containers of various-colored paints, completing their preparations.

“All set. Let’s go.”

“Mhm!”

The father and daughter returned to the garden, finding a patch of open ground and sitting down.

Leon laid out the materials they had just brought back, arranging them neatly on the ground.

He rubbed his hands together. “Alright, let’s get started.”

“Go, Daddy, go!”

Leon began assembling the miscellaneous parts methodically.

Some pieces could be directly fitted together, while others required cutting, sanding, or other intricate adjustments with tools.

He worked with great focus.

And Muen watched him just as intently.

She already thought her dad was amazing.

But for some reason, watching him skillfully handle these complex parts—gears snapping together under his hands, various components linking effortlessly—his concentrated demeanor made him seem… even cooler.

Muen didn’t quite understand concepts like charisma or gravitas.

She just thought her dad was head and shoulders above the rest compared to other dragons.

“This should be about done.”

Leon examined the object in his hands.

It was a black cube, each face divided into nine smaller squares.

“Is it done, Daddy?” Muen leaned in to inspect.

“Not yet, just one final step to go.”

Leon brought out the six paints he had prepared, dipping a brush into one of them. “For the finishing touch, would Muen like to give it a try?”

“Huh? Can Muen really?”

“Of course. Here, give it a shot.”

“Thank you, Daddy!”

To make a game or a toy truly fun for children, allowing them a sense of participation is what matters most.

Leon let Muen sit on his lap, positioning her gently as he guided her tiny hands to paint the cube.

Even though some parts weren’t painted very neatly, Leon didn’t say anything. He just patiently helped her touch up the rough areas.

Finally, through the combined efforts of father and daughter, a cube adorned with six different colors was completed.

Muen held it in her little hands, not quite understanding what it was, but knowing instinctively that anything her dad made must be amazing!

“This little toy is called a Rubik’s Cube. You can twist it however you like. Give it a try.”

“Okay!”

Muen twisted it a few times, marveling as the colored squares scrambled to different spots.

“The game is to get all the colored squares back to the way they originally were, with one solid color on each face. It might feel tricky at first, but as you play, you’ll find patterns and tricks.”

Back when Leon was in school, he had loved practicing with these kinds of little puzzles.

He remembered his first alchemy mechanics class, where the teacher asked each student to create a simple mechanical linkage as homework.

Leon had handed in a simplified version of a Rubik’s Cube.

His teacher had been so impressed they jokingly said Leon wouldn’t need to slay dragons after graduating—he could just open a toy store, crafting little puzzles for kids, and be just as successful.

How prophetic that comment turned out to be—Leon really had ended up taking on child-rearing.

And the surprising thing was, he was actually doing a great job at it.

As Muen studied her Rubik’s Cube, Leon patiently guided her with tips and formulas.

While he was explaining, Leon suddenly raised his head, alert, scanning his surroundings.

As a Dragon Slayer, he was highly attuned to being watched—especially by a dragon.

He initially assumed it was Roswitha watching them secretly from the balcony again.

But there was no sign of that dragoness on the balcony.

He quietly observed the area and quickly pinpointed the source of the gaze—it was coming from behind them.

Leon didn’t turn around. Instead, he mentally retraced the layout of Silver Dragon Castle.

Directly behind their current location was... the training grounds, where Noa was supposed to be doing physical exercises.

Thinking this through, Leon smirked knowingly.

That girl would never willingly approach to join in with him and Muen.

Leon glanced at Muen, who was still intently focused on solving her colorful puzzle.

Taking advantage of the moment, Leon began tinkering with the leftover parts he had brought back.

It was fortunate he had grabbed extra materials—he had anticipated this scenario.

In less than half an hour, Leon completed a second Rubik’s Cube.

Similarly, he left it unpainted and discreetly placed it to the side, along with a few cans of paint.

Just then, Muen grew tired of playing with her toy.

“Daddy, let’s go back and rest for a bit. Then, you can properly teach Muen how to solve it. I really can’t figure it out.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Leon stood up, taking Muen’s hand as they left the garden.

After they had walked a short distance, Leon turned partially back, sneaking a glance.

Sure enough, a small figure emerged from the tall grass behind them.

Leon smiled faintly and turned away.

Noa crept over to the spot where Leon and Muen had been sitting.

On a nearby bench, an unpainted Rubik’s Cube and a few cans of paint sat waiting.

Noa picked up a brush and some paint, imitating Leon’s earlier actions as she meticulously colored the cube.

Soon, a slightly uneven but functional Rubik’s Cube was ready.

She twisted it a couple of times, marveling at the tactile clicks of the mechanics.

Noa froze slightly. “This is… kind of interesting.”

Then, following the methods she had overheard, she scrambled the colored squares and started trying to restore them.

Her quick intellect and adaptability made it easy. In less than ten minutes, she had almost figured it out.

Just as Noa was about to finish, a voice called out from afar.

“Miss Noa! Break time is over; it’s time to resume your training!”

Noa hastily pocketed the Rubik’s Cube and responded, “Coming!”

…

Late that night, in the sisters’ shared room, Muen was kneeling on her bed, still fiddling with the Rubik’s Cube her dad had made for her.

She had been working at it all day without success.

After one last failed attempt, she tossed the cube aside, only to swat it with her tail after.

“Not playing anymore! Muen’s so stupid—I can’t even solve one side!”

Noa, who was preparing for her studies the next day, noticed her younger sister’s frustration. Putting her book down, she walked over.

“Let me teach you.”

“Huh? Sis, you know how?”

Noa said nothing, simply picking up the cube and demonstrating the principles.

“To solve it, you shouldn’t focus on restoring one face at a time. You need to work layer by layer, like this.”

Watching Noa’s practiced movements, Muen stared, wide-eyed.

“Sis… how are you so good at this?”

“What? I’m not. It’s nothing.”

“You’ve played with this before, haven’t you?”

“Of course not! I’m not interested in these kiddy puzzles at all. Anyway, here—got it?”

Muen accepted the now fully restored Rubik’s Cube, hugging it contentedly as she snuggled into the blankets.

Not long after, her soft, steady breathing indicated she’d fallen asleep.

“Muen?” Noa whispered.

Hearing no response, she tiptoed out of bed.

From underneath, she pulled out a small wooden box and opened it.

Inside was a black metallic shard and a slip of paper with her name written on it.

She carefully placed her personal Rubik’s Cube into the box, sealing it shut with tender care.