The next morning, the family of four set off for the site of their luxurious seven-day hot spring vacation—Flowing Cloud Valley.

Even with Roswitha flying at full speed, it would take at least six hours to travel from Silver Dragon Castle to Flowing Cloud Valley.

The journey was long, and the kids might find it hard to bear.

That’s why they opted to stop over in Sky City yesterday, resting midway, buying some swimsuits, and even throwing in a celebratory feast while they were at it.

Flowing Cloud Valley was the sacred land of the Dragon Clan. It was said that the hot springs there not only relieved fatigue and calmed the mind, but also nurtured the body and cleansed the soul.

Hey, isn’t it kind of ironic for someone like me, a dragon slayer, to come to the Dragon Clan’s sacred land to “cleanse my soul”? Feels like a cosmic joke, doesn’t it?

But if these hot springs truly are good for the Dragon Clan’s bodies, I hope they’ll work some wonders on a human body too. That way, the trip wouldn’t be for nothing.

Plus, Flowing Cloud Valley isn’t one of those places you can just visit with money. Only high-ranking Dragon King-level individuals with power and status in the various branches of the Dragon Clan are eligible to apply.

While Roswitha certainly met the qualifications, that would only allow her to go by herself.

This time, it was Saint Hiss Academy stepping in as a guarantor that secured the family the chance for this exclusive seven-day hot spring vacation.

So, while the official second-place prize from the school tournament was a magical tome, from a practical perspective, this luxurious seven-day getaway in Flowing Cloud Valley was truly priceless.

Of course, the trade-off for it was Leon’s extremely hard-to-come-by seven-day leave from work.

***

After several hours of flying, the family of four finally arrived at Flowing Cloud Valley.

From the outside, the valley was shrouded in thick mist, exuding an ethereal charm. A waterfall cascaded from the top of the valley, and the surrounding forest was lush with flora and fauna. Birds, flowers, insects, and various animals adorned the scene in abundance.

Calling it a paradise on earth—or perhaps, a paradise for dragons—wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

There weren’t many Dragon Clan members coming and going in the area.

The entrance to the valley was unusually quiet. Only the faint sound of footsteps and the distant roar of the waterfall could be heard, giving the tranquil setting an air of carefree serenity.

Noa and Muen stared wide-eyed in amazement at the misty wonderland before them.

However, because it was so indescribably peaceful, they were reluctant to make much noise and instead huddled together, whispering to each other.

After all, this was a VIP-level establishment where even money couldn’t guarantee access. Naturally, the number of “first-class merit” visitors here was considerably less, Leon mused.

Passing through the mist, what appeared before them was a castle even grander than Silver Dragon Castle. The structure’s imposing scale and classical architectural style would even earn praise from the most masterful artisans.

Various dragon subspecies that Leon couldn’t name soared in circles above the castle, and occasionally, a few spotted deer would dash past them.

On a nearby lawn, little baby dragons played together in groups, while numerous squirrels cautiously peeked out from the bushes, watching or perhaps waiting to be fed.

“So, I see you’re not thinking about your first-class merit now?” Roswitha teased, smiling.

“Pfft, even I need a break sometimes.”

Indeed, scenery so breathtaking would make anyone temporarily forget their troubles and obsessions.

Here, there were only two objectives:

Relax, and indulge.

The family entered the castle’s grand first-floor lobby to check in.

“Are you the exemplary champion family from Saint Hiss Academy?” the receptionist asked politely.

“Yes, that’s us.”

Champion family, fine. But did they really need to add “exemplary” in front of it?

There had to be some ulterior motive!

Vice Principal Old B-dragon, your bones must be itching again. Leon bitterly thought to himself, already planning to tie the old guy up and hang him from the Empire’s city walls someday.

“Understood. Saint Hiss Academy will be covering all your expenses for the next seven days. Please feel free to enjoy any activities you wish.”

While explaining, the receptionist handed over a set of enchanted room keys.

Leon glanced at the room number on his keycard, then snuck a look at Roswitha’s.

As usual, the two of them were assigned a single room.

This was precisely why Leon was so reluctant to go on this trip.

If the seven-day leave was spent at home, he could relax to his heart’s content in his nursery.

But sharing a room with Roswitha...

She might talk about not touching him, but if she ever got swept up in her dragon pride and lust, who could stop her?

Leon’s subtle facial expressions were keenly picked up by the receptionist, who asked considerately, “Is something wrong, sir? Are you dissatisfied with your room arrangement? If you’re unhappy with this hot spring suite, we can offer an alternative room type.”

Leon’s eyes lit up. “What type?”

“A honeymoon couple’s suite.”

“No thank you.”

“Very well. Please head left and up the stairs. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday.”

Leon tucked away the room key, patted his daughters on their heads, and ushered them towards the staircase.

Roswitha chuckled softly, shaking her head, then followed.

On the designated floor, Muen clutched her room key and hopped excitedly, “Oh~ I get to sleep on a big bed with my sister! Mommy and Daddy, don’t disturb us tonight, okay~?”

Thank you, Muen. You’ve officially cut off your daddy’s last escape route.

“Aunt Isa once told us,” Noa chimed in, “that everyone, adults and children alike, needs their own private space.”

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Muen now, so you two can fully enjoy your alone time.”

Thank you, Noa. Your intentions are truly wonderful, but Daddy politely suggests you don’t voice them out loud.

By then, Muen had already excitedly swiped her room key and pushed the door open, standing in the doorway to call to Noa, “Come on, sis!”

“Coming~”

Noa responded as she trotted over.

The two little dragon girls entered the room hand-in-hand and shut the door behind them.

Roswitha let out a satisfied sigh. “The kids are growing up, aren’t they? So why do you look so unhappy?”

“Ha, take a guess.”

Roswitha scoffed and didn’t press further. She walked to the door of their own room, swiped her keycard, and opened it.

Leon followed closely behind her into the room.

It had to be said: while Saint Hiss Academy always found ingenious and unexpected ways to torment their family, they certainly weren’t stingy when it came to spending.

The suite reserved for them was Flowing Cloud Valley’s top-tier hot spring suite, an upgrade even from the place they had stayed in Sky City yesterday.

Walking past the foyer and through the corridor, it revealed an open-concept kitchen, an outdoor pavilion, floor-to-ceiling windows—the works.

Further inside was an extravagantly furnished master bedroom. Beyond the sliding door of the bedroom was a private hot spring.

The spring’s water steamed gently, and tiny fish could be faintly seen darting about within.

Moreover, the location of this suite was absolutely perfect. Soaking in the hot spring provided a completely unobstructed view of the entire sky above Flowing Cloud Valley, without a single building blocking the sightline.

“Not bad,” Roswitha evaluated briefly but genuinely.

“You’ve never been here before?” Leon asked.

Roswitha shook her head. “I already told you, this place isn’t accessible just because you have money. I’ve won first place in the school tournament before, but back then, the prize was just a camera.”

“A camera...” Leon’s thoughts drifted. Suddenly, a siren blared within his mind.

The camera he had used to secretly take photos of Roswitha dressed as a Bunny Girl while she was unconscious—could it possibly be—

“Guess what? I even brought that same camera with me on this trip.”

With that, Roswitha opened her luggage and pulled out a classic-looking home camera with a vintage design.

Leon swallowed hard, praying to the gods that this wasn’t the only camera she owned.

As she fiddled with the buttons, Roswitha muttered absentmindedly, “It’s been ages since I last used this. Let’s see if it still works so we can take some nice photos of Noa and Muen later.”

Leon’s eyes remained glued to the object in her hands.

Well, well. It was exactly the one. His tool of the crime!

The Bunny Girl photos he had taken—complete with selfies of himself in some of the shots—were all still stored in it. He hadn’t found the time to develop the photos yet.

In his hands, those photos were the ultimate weapon for keeping the big mother dragon in check.

But if they fell into her hands... they were ironclad evidence for Leon’s immediate execution!

Unacceptable.

His vacation had only just begun.

He couldn’t die on the first day!

Snap—

Leon snatched the camera right out of her hands, clutching it protectively to his chest.

Roswitha blinked in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“Ah, I—uh—I’m volunteering to be the vacation photographer. I’m a professional, you know.”

Roswitha arched an eyebrow skeptically. “Aren’t you a professional dragon slayer? When did you add photography to your resume?”

“I’ve been photographing my master’s donkey since I was a kid—”

“Alright, alright. If you want to take the photos, knock yourself out. But do you even know how to use it?”

Leon nodded firmly. “Of course, I know how.”

Obviously. How else would he have taken an entire Bunny Girl photo album back then?

“That’s fine, then. Come on, let’s head out, take a few pictures, and enjoy the open-air barbecue and fireworks show later tonight.”

With that, Roswitha turned and left the room.

Meanwhile, Leon was busy plotting how to deal with those Bunny Girl photos.

If he deleted them, then after this seven-day vacation, he would have nothing left to use against her.

But if he didn’t delete them, leaving them undeveloped would almost certainly lead to his doom if discovered.

After much deliberation, Leon decided to get them developed as soon as possible.

Hopefully, there’s a photography shop around here, he thought, slinging the camera strap around his neck and stepping out of the room.

**

**Vote with your monthly tickets to receive Roswitha’s Bunny Girl album!**