Aurora's mastery of the Nine Hells Gate was undeniable.

With just a few words, she clarified the problems Leon had been grappling with in his training.

After teaching her father some techniques, the pair decided to spar.

True to expectations, the weakened General Leon was easily bested by his youngest daughter.

And so, the world gained its second dragon who could defeat Leon Cosmold.

Wait, who was the first?

The first was Roswitha.

This story teaches us one thing: the invincible "Family Knight" can only be bested by his own family!

After their sparring session, Leon lay sprawling in the soft grass, forming a "大" shape. Even this simple exercise placed a great burden on his frail and exhausted body.

Aurora, hands in the pockets of her white coat, walked over to her father’s side.

“Mom said anyone who can beat you might as well strut across the continent. So by that logic, I, Aurora, am now invincible!”

Leon scoffed and sat upright.

Aurora also crouched down and sat beside her father.

Her sitting posture mirrored Roswitha’s:

With knees slightly bent, arms hugging her legs, and chin propped on her knees.

She looked just like a well-behaved little cat.

After sitting down, Aurora pulled out the photo from the pocket of her white coat—the same one she had previously shown Leon.

In the picture, Claudia was teaching Noa illusion magic.

Leon’s gaze fell on the photo as he asked, “When did Claudia leave?”

“About... five years ago,” Aurora replied. “When she left, it seemed... she wasn’t happy.”

“Not happy? What do you mean?”

“That day, she was teaching us a new type of magic. Based on her teaching schedule at the time, she would have needed at least another half-month with us.”

Aurora gazed at the photo, slowly recounting her memories.

“But mid-lesson, she suddenly noticed someone and hurried over. They ducked behind some bushes as if arguing.”

“About ten minutes later, Claudia came back, saying that our teacher-student bond had come to an end. She claimed that we now possessed sufficient strength to protect ourselves. From that day onward, she instructed us not to mention her or speak of Claudia Poseidon ever visiting this place.”

“After those few words, she left.”

Leon’s thoughts stirred. “She saw someone... and had an argument?”

Aurora nodded, “Yeah.”

“Did you see who it was?”

“No, but from the voice, it was clear the other person was a woman—someone not young, about the same age as Claudia.”

Leon scratched his temple, completely puzzled.

He didn’t understand Claudia at all—this mysterious benefactor who had lent a helping hand without reason. Now, there was the added mystery of the woman who argued with her. Leon was utterly clueless.

Back when Roswitha first mentioned the Sea Dragon Clan to him, her words indicated that the Silver Dragon Clan had absolutely no contact or diplomatic ties with the Sea Dragon Clan.

Yet Claudia not only provided assistance during their family's greatest crisis but apparently stayed on as a mentor for the daughters for quite some time, according to Aurora.

Why had she come? And with what purpose?

Her abrupt departure—was it due to unspeakable secrets, or something else?

Tsk.

Leon couldn’t make sense of it.

Not at all.

Leon sighed, no longer wanting to dwell on unsolvable problems.

“Dad,” Aurora called.

“Hmm?”

“I have a bold guess.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Let’s hear it.”

“Do you think Claudia might’ve been drawn to your handsome features and harbored a secret crush on you all these years? Maybe that’s why she stepped in to help us through tough times upon hearing of your troubles.”

“Once the deed was done, she left quietly, hiding her merits and fame.”

“What a touching and shy love story! When Mom wakes up, I definitely need to share this with her—Ow! That hurt!”

Leon flicked his daughter's forehead with a firm knock.

“Regarding that bold guess of yours, I have a small, immature suggestion: I’d recommend checking your father’s travel records. I never even set foot on Sea Dragon Clan territory back in the day, okay? I didn't even meet this... Claudia. Where would such a secret crush come from?” Leon retorted.

Aurora rubbed the sore spot on her head. “So what you’re saying is you are completely denying everything I just said?”

Leon shrugged, “What else?”

“Including the ‘handsome features’ part?”

“That part stays.”

Leon exhaled in relief before adding, “Besides, you mentioned Claudia isn’t exactly young. Truthfully, when your mom married me, even by human standards, people could consider it a case of an older woman chasing after a younger man. And now you’re pairing me up with someone even older?”

Roswitha was over two hundred; General Leon, about twenty-odd.

To be polite, the queen was indeed an older wife pursuing a younger man.

But phrased harshly... woc, Queen, are you into...?!

“Actually, age means little in the Dragon Clan,” Aurora explained earnestly, “It’s quite common for dragons centuries apart in age to pair up.”

“But since you’re human, clearly it’s a different story.”

She adjusted her glasses—a habitual gesture.

People who wear glasses often have this habit.

With the topic now shifted to racial differences, Leon’s mind stirred. He asked tentatively, “Can dragons even get near-sighted?”

“Pureblood dragons certainly don’t get near-sighted.”

Aurora replied, “But I’m mixed-blood, and since I spend my days in the basement poring over ancient books and documents, near-sightedness was inevitable~.”

When Aurora said “I’m mixed-blood,” there was lightness in her tone, and she seemed completely unbothered by her lineage or background.

Leon pressed his lips together, hesitated briefly, then asked cautiously, “Aurora, how did you feel when you first learned you had half human blood?”

Aurora blinked twice, immediately grasping the deeper intent behind her father's words.

She smiled faintly. “Dad, you’re asking whether I’ve been able to accept being a mixed-blood dragon-human, am I right?”

“...Uh, yeah.”

“I can, of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

Aurora turned, her pink pupils meeting Leon’s with rare seriousness.

“In fact, I almost want to question you: Why would you ever wonder if ‘my daughter might struggle to accept her origins’ at all?”

Leon froze; he hadn’t expected Aurora to counter with such a question.

“Well, uh...”

“Oh, don’t blame yourself. When Mom first brought this up with us, she voiced the same worries you had.”

“She begged us never to hate you and never to despise ourselves for our bloodlines.”

“She spoke for a long, long time, never allowing us to interrupt. She was genuinely afraid we might reject both you and ourselves due to our human lineage.”

“In the end, it was our eldest sister who reassured Mom.”

“She told Mom that perhaps in Dad’s mind, the first lesson he gave her was Saint Hiss Academy’s entrance exam prep.”

“But in her view, the gentle, knowledgeable man truly taught her how to accept herself.”

“Waking up after two years of unconsciousness, you weren’t ready to be a father at all.”

“But you still embraced your new role, welcoming our eldest sister and second sister into your life.”

“Despite knowing they were half-dragon, half-human—far from pureblood humans—”

“You loved them unconditionally.”

“To you, they were daughters first, 'half-dragon hybrids' second.’”

“At the time, I didn’t fully understand my sister’s sentiment.”

“But now, I think I get it. At least a little.”

Aurora spoke softly as she stood up, gazing at the horizon where the green and blue landscapes merged, distinct yet harmonious within her eyes.

“Accepting oneself is a tough challenge.”

“But Leon Cosmold did it with ease.”

“So, as his daughters, what’s stopping us from achieving the same?”

“Besides...”

Aurora lowered her head to glance at her father. The solemn expression faded from her face, replaced by a mischievous smirk.

“You—humanity's greatest dragonslayer—are smitten with the Silver Dragon Queen. Who are you to talk about racial boundaries?”