A few days later, in the evening, Leon, Roswitha, and Muen stood in the front courtyard of the Castle, their heads tilted at a forty-five-degree angle as they gazed skyward, just like they had done when Noa was with them a few days prior. It was as though they were waiting for something.

"Does the academy really handle return transportation?" Leon asked, looking up at the sky.

"Yes, they do," Roswitha replied. "Their services have always been very thorough."

"How are they going to return Noa? Magic teleportation, or…?"

Roswitha raised her hand to shield her eyes from the setting sun and squinted at a small, distant black dot on the horizon. "No, nothing that fancy. The same way we sent her off is how they’ll bring her back. Look, she’s almost here."

Leon followed Roswitha’s pointing finger.

Sure enough, a little black dot appeared to be approaching from the horizon.

But just a few minutes later, Leon’s eyes widened in utter disbelief.

That wasn’t just a black dot!

As it drew closer, it revealed itself to be a massive dragon—its gargantuan size utterly overwhelming!

Leon roughly estimated that the dragon’s body was at least five times the size of Roswitha’s.

In his past dragon-slaying adventures, he had never encountered a dragon of such an extraordinary size.

"The Leviathan Dragon," Roswitha explained, "the largest species amongst the Dragon Clan. But despite their colossal size, they’re not very combat-capable. Within the Dragon Clan, they mostly serve as transport carriers. Their endurance is phenomenal. Plus, they’re emotionally stable."

"Huh? Why mention emotional stability?" Leon asked, puzzled.

"Just imagine," Roswitha said, "having to carry 180 hyperactive baby dragons on your back, all chirping and squabbling non-stop. Would you lose your temper?"

Leon swallowed hard. "I… probably would…"

"Exactly. But Leviathans don’t. Their emotional regulation skills are unparalleled. It’s said that throughout their thousands of years of life, a Leviathan never loses its temper—not even once."

Leon couldn’t help but applaud.

Who would have thought that within the naturally combative Dragon Clan, there was a species with such a zen-like disposition?

It gave off a “whatever happens, happens” kind of vibe—a stoic acceptance of life.

The massive Leviathan Dragon gradually approached, coming to hover above Silver Dragon Castle. Its immense size made a full landing impractical.

A magical beam of light began to shimmer and glow from the Leviathan’s body, forming a pillar that connected it to the ground.

Moments later, Noa’s small figure appeared within the glowing pillar, slowly descending to the ground.

Once Noa had landed safely, the Leviathan retracted the magical light and began to ascend. Its enormous form lifted steadily upward before its giant wings flapped, carrying it away from Silver Dragon Castle.

The wingbeats caused a strong gust of wind, and when the wind finally subsided, Muen rushed toward Noa with uncontainable excitement.

"Sis!"

The little dragon girl threw her arms wide and pounced into her sister’s embrace, immediately rubbing her face against Noa’s cheeks with relentless affection.

Noa grabbed the little tuft of hair sticking out from the top of Muen’s head and gave it a playful pinch. She smiled and asked, "Did you miss me?"

"I missed you so much! Muen really missed her big sister! Did big sister miss me too?"

"Of course I did."

"Yay~"

Hand in hand, their tails lightly intertwined, the two dragon sisters walked toward Leon and Roswitha.

Noa first nodded slightly toward Roswitha. "I’m back, Mama."

"Welcome home, Noa."

Then, she looked at Leon. "I’m back—"

Noa’s mouth formed the start of a "Dad" sound.

But that particular word of address seemed to give her pause.

Sensing her hesitation, Leon quickly stepped in to smooth things over, sparing his eldest daughter from her dilemma. "It’s good you’re back. That’s all that matters. Now come on, let’s eat. Your mom and I made all your favorite dishes."

"Okay."

The family of four walked back into the house and, for the first time in ages, shared a meal around the same table.

Noa, out of habit, began cutting steak and serving food onto her younger sister’s plate, only for Muen to grab her wrist.

Before Noa could figure out what was going on, Muen awkwardly but earnestly started cutting steak for her instead.

All the delicious meat dishes on the table were pushed toward Noa.

"Eat more, big sis," Muen said. "Mom and Dad said that school’s been tough on you, so you need to eat lots."

"Alright. Thank you, Muen."

It’s true—independence, even in small doses, can accelerate someone’s growth.

Well, even if Muen’s sudden maturity was just a fleeting phase, it was still a step forward.

As they ate, chatted, and laughed, for a fleeting moment, it no longer seemed to matter whether this warmth and happiness were real or staged.

For now, in this moment, they were a joyful, happy family.

Toward the end of dinner, Noa pulled a few report cards from her bag and placed them one by one on the table.

"‘Introduction to Alchemy and Machinery,’ first place."

"‘Basic Magical Theory for Young Dragons,’ first place."

"‘Dragon Clan History, Junior Volume,’ first place."

"And for the Comprehensive Physical Fitness Assessment… third place."

Pushing the final report card into the center of the table, Noa tightened her small face and earnestly said, "I’m sorry, Mama. I only got third place in the last category."

Roswitha didn’t even glance at the report cards. Instead, she immediately responded, "No need to apologize, Noa. Third place is already incredible."

"That’s right, sis!" Muen chimed in. "Mama’s absolutely correct. In Muen’s heart, big sister is the best!"

Despite their comforting words, Noa’s mood didn’t seem to shift.

Leon glanced at his eldest daughter, then at Roswitha and Muen.

Roswitha wasn’t particularly expressive, while Muen’s emotions could be almost overwhelming at times.

What Noa truly needed was neither of those.

Sigh.

It was time for Dad to step in.

Leon picked up the report cards, gave them a cursory glance, and remarked, "Oh, these are all fitness-related categories—running, weightlifting, pull-ups…"

Noa’s lips pressed together as she responded in a soft voice, "Mm-hmm."

"You’re starting school pretty early, Noa. The other young dragons in your class are at least four or five years old, a full head taller than you."

Leon spoke sincerely. "Plus, see here—you scored really high in the live combat training category. Out of ten sparring matches, you won nine. That’s the highest win rate in your class. What does that mean? It means that while my daughter might lack the brute strength of those little scamps, her strategy and combat skills are far superior."

Setting the report card down, Leon continued, "So there’s no need to stress over this third place result. You’ve already pushed yourself to the top within your capacity, and that’s more than enough. Many grown-ups can’t even give it their all the way you do."

After hearing Leon’s thoughtful analysis, Noa’s expression softened.

Fidgeting a little, she murmured, "But… but I heard Mama say that when you were in school, you were first place in everything."

Upon hearing this, Leon couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in delight.

So Noa saw him as her role model, huh?

This was definitely a proud moment for Dad!

But now wasn’t the time to boast.

"Actually, when I first started school," Leon began, "I wasn’t top of my class in every subject either. It took hard work and gradual effort to climb up the ranks. So listen, Noa, coming in behind isn’t permanent. Don’t let a minor failure crush your spirit, alright?"

"Alright. I understand." Noa responded earnestly.

Leon knew she truly took his words to heart. Noa’s personality wasn’t one for lying.

If she said she understood, then she really did.

Seeing her older sister in better spirits, Muen sidled up, grabbing her sister’s wrist with curiosity. "Sis, sis! What’s live combat training?"

"It’s when two people battle one-on-one," Noa explained. "A duel, where one concedes or gets knocked out of the ring."

"Oooooh, so that’s what it is! Sis, you beating nine people is amazing!"

Muen’s eyes sparkled as she turned to Leon. "Daddy, were you also amazing during combat training back when you were in school?"

Given the opportunity to bask in some glory, how could Leon resist?

He puffed out his chest, rubbed his nose, and said proudly, "Of course, Muen. Your dad’s combat training was practically a work of art back in the day!"

"Hand-to-hand fighting? No problem at all."

"Swordplay? Child’s play."

"Magic duels? Victory after victory."

"It got to the point where I couldn’t even carry all my championship trophies!"

Muen listened in awe, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Wow, Daddy, you’re amazing! What about Mommy?"

Glancing at Leon, Roswitha chuckled lightly before saying, "Mom didn’t have as many trophies as Dad, but I always won the matches that mattered. In fact, the reason he proposed to me was because I beat him in a duel."

Smack.

Leon slapped the table. "How could you say such nonsense in front of the kids?! It was clearly you who lost to me, which is why we’ve ended up with these two precious daughters!"

Roswitha squinted at him. "Oh? After two years of marriage, do you still want to settle the score?"

"I’ve been ready."

The two locked eyes, tension crackling in the air like the sparks of an impending storm.

Muen: Are they going to fight? Please say they’ll fight! (☆▽☆)