Leon sits atop the broad back of the dragon, flips through the book his mentor had just handed him, titled *The Gate of Nine Hells*.

Though the name sounded rather intimidating, the content was practical and packed with invaluable information.

As his mentor had mentioned, this was a book focused on martial arts training.

From the table of contents, most of the earlier chapters detailed ways to efficiently train the body to surpass human limits in strength and endurance.

The later chapters, however, were the true essence of *The Gate of Nine Hells*.

Leon skimmed through briefly without delving too deeply—he planned to practice it gradually after returning home.

Coincidentally, Roswitha asked, "What are you planning next?"

"Well... my mentor and I are trying to connect the dots between the former king's staged death, the Human-Dragon War, and the Empire's attempts to hunt me down. That will be our starting point for the investigation."

"Oh, sounds like your workload just got heavier."

Leon chuckled, "Not necessarily."

"Why do you say that?"

"Back in school, I used to dread solving short math problems more than the long ones. The shorter ones lacked sufficient given conditions, making it incredibly difficult to arrive at the correct solution."

Leon continued, "On the contrary, the longer problems provided more information, which made it easier to deduce the answer in the end. Combining more clues together might actually help us find what we're looking for faster."

The queen didn't respond immediately, but after a brief silence, she let out a soft laugh, not holding back her praise for Leon. "You're getting smarter by the day, Leon."

"Well, people tend to grow," he replied.

"No, I believe it's not about growth."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it about?"

"One grows red near cinnabar and black near ink(You’re influenced by the company you keep). We've been living together for so long—obviously, you've become smarter because of me."

Leon couldn't help but grin wryly. When it came to finding creative ways to boast, the couple was evenly matched.

"By the way," Roswitha commented, "what about that martial arts book? Do you plan to practice it?"

"Of course."

"Oh..." The queen's tone suggested she had more to say, her expression hinting that she was pondering something mischievous.

Leon also sensed that the dragoness seemed to be brewing some sort of scheme. Though he couldn't guess her exact intentions, he knew she wouldn't bring up *The Gate of Nine Hells* without reason.

Thinking it over, Leon tucked the book deeper into his pocket.

As they traveled, the pair chatted casually from time to time. After several hours, they arrived at Silver Dragon Castle.

Departing in the morning and returning home by evening—you could always count on the speed of the Silver Dragon Clan!

Entering the inner courtyard of the sanctuary, the maid Milan approached them, greeted them, and then spoke softly, "Your Majesty, Lady Isa has arrived."

Roswitha halted in her tracks. "My sister? When did she arrive?"

"Not too long ago. She’s currently playing with Prince Muen in the backyard."

“Alright, I understand. Prepare the dinner and guest rooms.”

Milan nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

After issuing her orders, Milan stepped away to make preparations.

Roswitha pursed her lips, looking puzzled. “My sister always appears at the most unexpected times.”

“I get it—the Silver Dragons excel in speed, while the Red Dragons are all about sneak attacks,” Leon teased lightly.

The queen shot him a glare. "When you meet my sister later, just say the two of us went out to inspect the borders."

"Inspection, huh? A truly convenient excuse for skipping work and lazing around, Your Majesty."

Roswitha playfully smacked his chest. "Stop being cheeky, you incorrigible fool."

The couple headed to the backyard.

Just as expected, Isa was there, seated on a bench beneath the old locust tree. She was holding little Muen, affectionately rubbing their cheeks together.

“Muen sweetie~ Do you want to come with Aunt Isa to the Red Dragon Sanctuary for a visit?”

“I do~”

“Oh, you really do? Then give Aunt Isa a kiss, and she’ll take you tomorrow!”

“Aunt Isa, smooch!”

Muen cupped the face of the red-haired beauty and planted a big kiss.

“Hmm... Aunt Isa is suddenly changing her mind. One kiss isn’t enough; now I need two!”

The little dragoness, understanding the rules of the game, promptly showered her aunt's face with multiple kisses.

Her enthusiasm nearly made Isa’s heart burst with joy.

Goodness, someday she really must persuade Roswitha and Leon to have more kids.

That way, she could invoke the excuse of “You have too many children; why don’t you let me take care of a few” to shamelessly whisk away these adorable baby dragonesses to her Red Dragon Sanctuary.

“Sis, you're here,” Roswitha’s voice rang out beside her, interrupting Isa’s moment of bliss.

Isa looked up and found Roswitha and Leon standing nearby. “Oh, look at you two, sneaking off somewhere together without even bringing your child."

Roswitha's cheeks flushed. "We weren’t sneaking off. Leon and I went to inspect the borders."

“Ha, inspecting the borders—what a convenient excuse for skipping work and sneaking away for a little couple’s time.”

“Snort—” Leon almost burst out laughing, but Roswitha jabbed him with an elbow to shut him up.

“Roswitha, next time you lie, try not to blush.”

Roswitha’s chest tightened, worried her sister might have caught on to something.

If Isa were to find out that Roswitha had just gone off with her human husband to meet a human mentor and discuss the machinations of the human world alongside a young human girl… Well, chaos would undoubtedly ensue in their household.

At least for now, Roswitha had no idea how to clean up the mess if Isa ever discovered the truth. Which was why she continued to keep it secret from her elder sister.

Luckily, Isa didn’t press the issue further, seemingly content to believe Roswitha had simply been making up an excuse for some private time with Leon.

Lowering her head, Isa resumed doting on the little Muen in her arms.

Roswitha let out a subtle sigh of relief.

“Oh, by the way, Roswitha,” Isa began suddenly, “didn’t you mention in your last letter that you’ve decided to name your youngest daughter Aurora?”

“Yes, her full name is Aurora, but we’ll use Aurora as her nickname too.”

Isa nodded approvingly. “Good choice.”

Then, rising with Muen in tow, Isa spoke eagerly. “Take me to see the little darling. It’s been three months since I last saw her—she should be able to call me Aunt by now, right?”

Hearing this, the couple exchanged glances, their expressions shifting subtly.

Isa froze. “What’s with the faces? Did something happen to Aurora?”

The two pursed their lips in silence, ultimately leading Isa to Aurora’s room.

Upon seeing baby Aurora, Isa’s “aunt mode” kicked into high gear. Hugging the tiny pink dragon, she began to lavish her with affection.

Muen stood to the side, feeling somewhat abandoned. “So love really does disappear, huh, Aunt Isa?"

Aurora, still carrying the faint scent of milk, had smooth and delicate cheeks that made Isa’s cuddles feel incredibly pleasant.

“She seems perfectly fine. Why did you look so weird earlier?”

Isa posed the question without expecting a real answer, continuing to revel in Aurora’s cuteness. “Aurora, come on, say ‘Isa~ Aunt~’”

Before Aurora could utter a word, Roswitha spoke up from the side. “Sis, actually… Aurora hasn't started speaking yet.”

Isa blinked, her surprise evident. “That’s impossible! She’s three months old! How can she not be speaking?”

“It’s true, Sis. Leon and I have been trying to teach her for a month, but Aurora still hasn’t managed to say even the simplest words, like ‘Mama’ or ‘Papa.’"

Muen chimed in with a raised hand, "She can’t say ‘Sister’ either!”

“Yes,” Roswitha continued, “she hasn’t called Muen or Noa 'Sister' either. We’ve been wondering if something might be wrong with her health. We’re planning to take her to Sky City for a checkup tomorrow.”

“Pah! Don’t jinx her like that. My little niece is perfectly healthy!”

Cuddling baby Aurora tightly, Isa coaxed her gently. “Sweetheart, your parents say you haven’t spoken yet. Aunt Isa doesn’t believe it. Come on, prove them wrong and say ‘Aunt Isa.’”

Leon could only sigh. “Sis, you’re wasting your effort. After a month of endless coaxing, Aurora—”

“Isa~ Aunt~”

Leon: ???

Roswitha: ???

Isa: 🤣👉 🤡 🤡