"Wedding… gift?"

Roswitha felt somewhat confused.

A wedding gift, she could understand. Grandmother Veronica, though strict, had always been kind to her and her sister, Isa. Back to the old days, they would always receive gifts from their grandmother on important occasions.

When she and Leon "got married," it was quite… low-key. The grandmother only learned of it afterward.

So sending a belated wedding gift wasn't all that surprising.

What truly puzzled Roswitha, however, was this:

Why would her grandmother entrust Principal Olette to deliver it?

To the best of her memory, aside from the fact that the sisters from the Melkevi family graduated from Saint Hiss Academy, there wasn’t much of a connection between her family and Principal Olette.

Staring at the exquisite pendant necklace in her hand, Roswitha flickered her eyes.

"Principal, when did you and my grandmother become acquainted?"

After giving it some thought, Roswitha decided to come straight to the point.

As the principal of Saint Hiss Academy, Olette was undoubtedly a neutral figure. There was no reason for Roswitha to dance around the subject.

"Hmm… if you ask when we met, that was quite a long time ago," Principal Olette replied with a smile. "I became acquainted with Veronica back when you were still studying at Saint Hiss Academy. At the time, it was just an acquaintance. Later, due to certain circumstances, I encountered your grandmother again during an exploration project in the Far North."

The Far North?

Exploration project?

Roswitha vaguely recalled something.

The last time her grandmother returned with intelligence about Rava, the Dragon King of spatial magic, she had mentioned that she had been active in the Far North for years, working on some kind of exploration project.

Her grandmother hadn’t elaborated, and Roswitha didn’t press her for details either.

Now that Principal Olette had brought up this exploration project again, Roswitha couldn't help but grow curious.

"Principal, have you been working on this… exploration project in the Far North all these years?" Roswitha asked.

"Yes. It’s quite a significant undertaking, so there are times when I couldn't return for years at a stretch," Principal Olette replied, adjusting her glasses with a wry smile. "Honestly, I even worried my academy might fall into chaos under Wilson, that old coot. But to my surprise, he managed it so orderly—especially when he discovered a talented student like Noa."

"Orderly," huh? Was that what you called inciting the entire faculty and students to become rabid fans of the Melkevi couple, rather than simply being a competent vice principal?

Principal, you’ve been out of touch for far too long!

Beside her, Leon sat silently, listening to the conversation between his wife and the principal, refraining from chiming in.

He wasn’t particularly well-acquainted with the internal workings of the Dragon Clan, so it was better to listen more and speak less—one of the little tips Roswitha had imparted to him about navigating politics.

What’s more, the "Far North" they spoke of was a region entirely off-limits to humans, a place that existed only in historical texts.

He presumed only the Dragon Clan, with their thick hides and daunting resilience, could survive such a harsh and unforgiving environment.

"Vice Principal Wilson does manage… with great finesse. Hmm," Roswitha said with a tone of agreement.

Leon gave her a sidelong glance.

He knew that when Roswitha said something she didn’t truly believe, she had the habit of adding a little "hmm" at the end.

For example:

"Leon, you’re asking if I hate you? Of course I hate you! Hmm!"

"Leon, the meal you cooked is nowhere near delicious. Hmm, not delicious at all."

"Leon, why would you think I like you? Are you crazy? Hmm, crazy indeed."

And so on.

Still, even though he could tell his wife wasn’t being entirely genuine, Leon chose not to expose her.

"And what exactly were you exploring in the Far North?" Roswitha asked again.

"Something very old—so ancient that it doesn’t belong to our era," the principal replied. "But the exploration project has been terminated."

"Terminated?"

"Yes," Olette confirmed with a nod. "The progress of the project required the assistance of a spatial Dragon King like Rava. However, it appeared that he was an infiltrator, acting as a mole within the team. He covertly tried to steal our findings. Not long ago, he abruptly left the Far North, and the next thing we heard… was the battle on your Silver Dragon border."

As she spoke, Olette’s gaze shifted from Roswitha to Leon.

Leon raised a brow, glanced at Olette, then at Roswitha, and finally adjusted his posture. "Is something the matter, Principal?"

"I may have only returned from the Far North recently, but I’ve already heard that the Silver Dragon Prince thwarted Rava’s last attempt at a spatial rift disaster. Some Dragon Clan scholars claim that if the spatial rift hadn’t been stopped in time, the destruction would have extended far beyond the Silver Dragon territories."

Olette looked at Leon with approval. "So, in a way, Mr. Leon, you saved many more members of the Dragon Clan."

"…"

The words were praise, yet they sounded oddly off.

A Dragon Slayer saving the Dragon Clan… it felt like something akin to divine irony!

Of course, it wasn’t Leon’s intention at all. Truthfully, when the crisis emerged, his only thought had been that if he left it unchecked, both his wife and children would be doomed.

As for saving additional Dragon Clan members…

Oh, well, let’s call it even, shall we?

After all, the number of dragons I saved that day doesn’t even come close to the ones I’ve directly killed… uh, taken out in the past. Say whatever you like.

"Even without me, someone else would have stepped in to stop the rift disaster, Principal," Leon said modestly.

While that might be true in theory, it was highly unlikely anyone could’ve stepped up in time.

"Principal, you mentioned earlier that Rava might have been a mole in your exploration team?"

"Yes."

"And do you know who sent him?"

Olette shook her head. "I do not know. But I’m certain that apart from Rava, there are others within the team with ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, Leon raised an eyebrow, thinking that:

Principal, you’ve got quite a team there—how many dragons are even on it? Moles make up half the group, don’t they? Want to hire me to help catch them? I’ve got a knack for these things.

"When Rava left, we were forced to slow down the progress of our exploration. But, in the end, we still managed to achieve some notable results," Olette continued. "Though before we could celebrate, the Ironwing Dragon King, Fair, seized a portion of our findings and disappeared."

"Fair, huh…” Roswitha murmured. "The Ironwing Dragon Clan’s speed rivals that of my Silver Dragon Clan. They’d easily shake off most pursuers."

"Indeed, it’s quite the headache," Olette said with a sigh, pausing before adding, "Let me pour you some tea."

"Thank you, Principal," Roswitha replied.

"It’s no trouble at all," Olette added as she left to prepare tea.

And in that brief moment, the couple huddled for a quiet discussion.

"Do you think this Ironwing Dragon King might also be collaborating with the Human Empire?" Roswitha whispered.

Leon furrowed his brows lightly. "You’re suggesting he stole a portion of your grandmother’s findings and handed them over to the Empire?"

Roswitha nodded. "It’s a strong possibility. After all, Rava was one of the Dragon Kings working with the Empire, wasn’t he?"

"Indeed," Leon agreed. He paused momentarily, then added, "But judging from what Principal Olette said, while she suspects Rava and Fair were working for certain organization, she doesn’t seem to realize that 'organization' is the Human Empire."

"Yes, that’s true. But if the Principal were to learn about Rava’s collaboration with the Empire, she might also start suspecting that Silver Dragon Castle is hiding a certain human," Roswitha said, turning her gaze toward Leon. "After all, from Constantine to Stah, Rava, and more recently Bly—the attacks from these Dragon Kings on Silver Dragon Castle aren’t random. There has to be a common motive. Once the Principal connects that motive to the Human Empire, it wouldn’t be hard for her to infer who they might fight against after."

Roswitha’s reasoning was sound, and it wasn’t hard to grasp.

As things stood, very few people knew about the secret alliance between the Human Empire and certain members of the Dragon Clan.

Should this knowledge come to light, chaos would be inevitable. Even Leon couldn’t fully predict the aftermath of such a revelation, which was why he hadn’t rashly exposed the conspiracy. Instead, he had been investigating it discreetly, aiming to secure concrete evidence and advantages before making a decisive move to overthrow the Empire’s corrupt regime.

On the Dragon Clan’s side, if they discovered that Constantine, Rava, and others were "dragon traitors" collaborating with the Empire—and that their repeated assaults on Silver Dragon Castle were no coincidence—they would naturally suspect the Silver Dragons of being in some sort of alliance with humans.

Should that day come, not only would Leon find himself under fire, but so too would Roswitha and their children.

General Leon wouldn’t mind; the more dragons that came for him, the more he’d fight off.

But his wife and kids weren’t combatants.

If anything happened to them, what good was Leon’s strength?

In a way, Leon, the Empire, and those "dragon traitors" were like grasshoppers tied together on the same taut string. If one party blew things up, the consequences would be disastrous for them all.

This was a dangerous game, a dangerous negotiation where both sides walked a razor’s edge. Each had to ensure their footing remained stable while maneuvering to pull the other off balance.

"Got it."

Leon nodded. "But… your grandmother and the Principal are both being awfully cryptic about it. They’ve danced around the topic without revealing what exactly they discovered in the Far North. If they were to tell us, we might be able to anticipate the next move of the Empire."

Roswitha shrugged helplessly. "Perhaps, like us, they’re constrained by certain considerations and can’t divulge the full details."

"That makes sense. Well, it’s not a big deal anyway. After all, Master and the others are operating as undercover agents within the Empire. Getting intel shouldn’t be too difficult. Let’s see if Master can figure out what exactly the Empire went to such great lengths to obtain by the next time we meet."

Roswitha chuckled. "Indeed."

"Sorry to keep you waiting—here’s the tea."

Aulette brought over three cups of hot tea and resumed chatting with the couple.

She didn’t disclose much about the events in the Far North.

When Roswitha inquired about her grandmother’s current whereabouts, Aulette only said she would return in a while.

"By the way, your grandmother repeatedly reminded me to make sure you always wear this wedding gift." Aulette said.

Roswitha’s gaze fell on a pendant necklace. "Always wear it?"

"Yes. Supposedly, it’s made from some kind of magical crystal stone. Wearing it long-term can absorb impurities and toxins from your body, resulting in enhanced skin tone and appearance."

"...I’m only two hundred-something years old. Isn’t this level of maintenance a bit premature?"

Roswitha gave a wry smile and shook her head, but she agreed nonetheless. She reached out to take the necklace and carefully stored it away. "I’ll follow Grandma’s instructions. If you see her, please let her know."

"Of course."

Afterward, Aulette chatted with the couple about Noa’s studies and some daily family matters.

One cup of tea later, the conversation was about wrapped up.

"Thank you for your time, Principal. No need to see us off," Roswitha said with a slight bow.

"Alright, take care, both of you."

The couple turned and left the principal’s office, one after the other.

Once they were gone, Principal Aulette let out a deep breath, as if relieved of a burden.

After confirming that their footsteps had faded into the distance, she moved to the bookshelf in her office. She gently turned a nearby chandelier, and the bookshelf slid open to reveal a secret chamber hidden behind it.

Principal Aulette stepped inside.

In the chamber stood a silver-haired woman.

"The Primordial Crystal has already been given to your granddaughter," Aulette said. Then she added, "Honestly, why couldn’t you just give it to her yourself and explain what it is?"

Veronica Melkevi stood silently before a magic array, her back to Aulette. She spoke softly, "Did you forget what I told you before? Little Roswitha’s husband is very mysterious, and I don’t want him to know too much about the Far North."

Aulette stepped over to Veronica's side, standing beside her as they both looked at the milk-white energy orb quietly suspended in the magic array.

"You… don’t trust him?"

"It’s not that I don’t trust him. Little Roswitha wouldn’t have chosen a man who’s not good. It’s just… I don’t know him well enough yet."

Aulette nodded thoughtfully. "Then did you personally deliver Isa’s Primordial Crystal?"

"Yes."

Aulette’s mind stirred. She then asked, "Giving Noa’s power to these younger ones—are you really certain about this?"

Hearing that, Veronica narrowed her eyes slightly. She did not answer the question directly. Instead, she responded with her own question:

"Angelina, isn’t it interesting? Do you know how humans pass down their legacy?"

Aulette shook her head.

"Humans live for only a few decades—those who live long lives don’t exceed a century. Compared to the Dragon Clan, their timespan is insignificant."

"And yet they continuously expand their understanding, always learning and discovering new knowledge."

"They work so hard to live out those brief lives, and then they leave behind their achievements for the next generation."

"Humans grow through this chain of legacies, advancing generation by generation without pause."

"And so, I think, in this era that’s gradually becoming chaotic and absurd, perhaps it no longer belongs to us old relics."

Veronica looked over at her longtime companion and smiled.

"So why not leave the fruits of those who came before us to the younger generation and let them bring an end to all of this? Wouldn’t that be a good idea?"