A few days later, in the student auditorium of Saint Hiss Academy, the drama performance competition for the Young Dragon Division officially began.

Noa’s group drew a lucky position and was scheduled to perform later in the lineup.

The reason why this was considered lucky is that the later a group performs, the deeper the impression they can leave on the school leaders and judges present, which has a significant impact on the final score.

The first two groups performed exceptionally well.

Their scripts were well-grounded, their structure cohesive, and whenever the plot reached its climax, the audience erupted in thunderous applause from below the stage.

This placed considerable pressure on Noa.

To be honest, this drama competition was a realm Noa had never ventured into before.

In the past, whether it was regular academic knowledge or practical combat competitions, she could always rely on her natural talent combined with her **Involuted Queen** buff to stay miles ahead of others.

But drama competition was different.

Aside from the fact that this was a new type of competition unfamiliar to Noa, there was another reason that made her feel uncertain: in such competitions, achieving a good result couldn’t be accomplished by her alone.

The so-called uncertainty wasn’t because Noa feared her group members would underperform. Instead, she worried that after everyone’s hard work, they might fall short of achieving the results they had hoped for.

Noa was never afraid of failure. Her failures had always been her own to bear, and she grew stronger through each misstep.

But this time, as the director, the entire drama group’s rehearsals had been conducted under her guidance and direction. The final result was directly tied to her leadership.

If their performance didn’t score well, wouldn’t that mean the time and effort devoted by her father, her mother, her little sisters, and even Helena and Aunt Claudia… would have all gone to waste?

Over the past few days, Noa had been constantly troubled by these thoughts.

This was also her first time experiencing the pressure of being a "leader."

Noa didn’t go to Helena to talk about her worries because she knew doing so would only spread the tension to the entire team and have no positive effect.

The third group’s performance was nearing its end, and soon it would be Noa’s group’s turn to take the stage.

The little dragon girl stood backstage, watching the dazzling performances on stage. Her delicate face bore a somewhat solemn expression.

“Everyone’s so amazing…” Noa muttered softly.

“Noa.”

A familiar voice called out from behind her.

Quickly, Noa adjusted herself, turned around, and greeted with a smile, “Daddy.”

Leon was already dressed in his costume for the first scene:

Worn-out armor, blood-stained fake hair, and a broken holy sword.

The battle-scared makeup on his face was incredibly lifelike.

Father, you are truly born to play a prisoner of war—Aurora had once remarked.

Leon walked over to Noa, crouched down to her eye level, and asked, “Watching the other performances?”

“Yes, as you’ve taught me—always observe the opponents before a battle. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you’ll never be defeated,” Noa replied earnestly.

Leon chuckled and gently patted Noa’s small head. “Drama performances aren’t a battlefield; there’s no need to be this tense, Noa.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Her tone remained serious and formal.

Leon glanced down and noticed she was still nervously pinching the hem of her dress, and her small tail drooped listlessly to the floor.

So… she’s still nervous, Leon thought.

“Don’t worry. Once we’re on stage, mother, your sisters, and I will do our utmost to perform. We won’t let Director Noa down,” Leon tried to reassure her.

He thought Noa’s current anxiety stemmed from worrying that their group might underperform in line with their rehearsals, which would lead to them falling short of a good score. That’s why he said this.

But from Noa’s reaction, it became clear that Leon’s guess was incorrect.

“Well… it’s okay, Daddy. Just try your best.”

Leon was taken aback.

Wait a second, my dear daughter, wasn’t I the one trying to ease your nerves?

Why are you telling me “it’s okay, just try your best” now?

Leon opened his mouth, about to continue reassuring Noa along the same lines, but on second thought… his clever, perfectionist daughter wasn’t like an ordinary child.

She had been through so many competitions and battles before—even backstabbed Dragon King-tier opponents (twice, at that)—there was no way a small drama performance could make her so out of sorts.

Besides, Leon had seen Noa brimming with determination and confidence when she was laser focused on winning championships or claiming first place.

This current wilted demeanor of hers was entirely uncharacteristic.

So… she wasn’t worried about how he or the others would perform?

Leon’s thoughts swirled as he tried to decipher his daughter’s true concerns.

Meanwhile, the group currently performing on stage earned another round of applause from the audience and judges.

Hearing this, Noa turned back to look at the stage, her grip on her dress tightening further.

And on the other side of the stage, behind the curtain, stood the opposing team’s little director.

Watching her cast members receive rapturous applause, the little director couldn’t contain her joy.

Noa’s gaze settled on that rival director, and she couldn’t look away.

Leon noticed this subtle movement of hers as well.

He blinked once, and realization dawned on him—he now understood Noa’s real concern.

“Being a director… it’s quite the burden, isn’t it?” Leon asked.

Noa’s small shoulders shivered slightly, though she didn’t turn around. “Ah… it’s… okay.”

“If I’m not mistaken, this must be your first time leading so many people to accomplish something together, right?”

Noa bit her lips and hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

Leon pondered for a moment, choosing his words carefully, before speaking.

“Would you like to hear a story about the time I led troops into battle?”

Noa raised her eyebrows slightly, her heavy thoughts momentarily interrupted by curiosity about Leon’s story. “Sure.”

“Back when Daddy’s clan hadn’t disbanded yet, I was one of the most accomplished frontline commanders in the tribe.”

Drawing on Roswitha’s fictional backstory for him, as well as some of his own actual experiences, Leon animatedly began recounting the events.

“I remember leading a team on a mission. While nobody on the team was a rookie, it was my first time taking on the role of captain.”

“Every move the team made was decided by me. To be honest, the responsibility felt overwhelming. I was so worried that one wrong choice could cause injuries or even… worse, someone’s life.”

“So, during every battle, I was incredibly cautious—too cautious to play my cards, completely lacking faith in the command skills I’d learned.”

“I thought this overly conservative strategy would allow us to complete the mission safely. But, unfortunately…”

At this point, Leon paused briefly.

Noa’s interest had been piqued now. She had always loved hearing about Leon’s past adventures.

“Unfortunately?” Noa tilted her head slightly.

Leon gave a helpless smile, scratching his nose before continuing.

“Unfortunately, just as the mission was about to conclude, we were forced into a dire predicament.”

“And the reason we ended up in such a situation was precisely because my overly cautious decision-making gave our enemy an opportunity to exploit our hesitation, leading us into their trap.”

Noa’s pupils quivered slightly, and she said, “But Daddy, you still made it out, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“At the time, there was a sharpshooter—or rather, a girl proficient in long-range magic—in our team. When I was wallowing in self-pity over my mistake that had landed everyone in a trap, she walked right up and slapped me across the face.”

Leon couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory. He rarely brought up his “embarrassing failures” from his younger days.

If it weren’t for helping his precious daughter surmount her own internal hurdle, he certainly wouldn’t be recounting all this.

“She told me, ‘You weren’t made team captain because of some arbitrary higher-up’s order. We all trust you, believe in you, and have absolute confidence in your ability—that’s why we were willing to entrust our lives to you.’”

“‘But here you are, spending the whole day timid and uncertain, like some old countryside woman afraid to take action. If you were in a park playing chess with the elderly, even they’d call you a coward.’”

“I asked her if she regretted having me as the captain.”

“She said no. But she also warned me—if I didn’t get up and start commanding the team again, then the second slap would be on its way.”

“That’s when I realized—as a leader, your teammates are your arms and legs. What you need to do is use them as though they are an extension of your own body, issuing commands with complete trust.”

“By the very act of accepting you as their leader, they also agree to share in any risks or consequences that come from your decisions.”

Leon stood slowly, resting a warm hand on Noa’s head as he continued:

“Just like your mom. She didn’t become the Silver Dragon Queen and then gain the people’s trust. On the contrary, it was she earned the people’s trust first, and that’s what allowed her to rise to the throne.”

“Both she and I had to walk this path step by step, Noa. So I understand exactly how you feel right now.”

“Daddy doesn’t expect you to immediately overcome the challenges in your heart. But please, always remember one thing—”

He rose fully to his feet, and from behind him, others began to approach.

Noa turned her gaze toward them. “Mom… everyone…”

“We believe in your abilities. No matter what the outcome is, you won’t face it alone.”

As Leon finished speaking, the voice of the host echoed from the stage.

“Next up, we have a performance directed by Noa K. Melkevi, titled *When Love Descends Like the Setting Sun*. Please give them a warm round of applause!”

Even if Noa herself wasn’t fully aware of it, the name “Noa” was synonymous with “unbeatable” across the entire Young Dragon Division, boasting national-level recognition.

The audience’s applause grew even more enthusiastic upon hearing her name.

Roswitha stepped forward with Muen toward the stage.

Leon followed closely behind.

As Leon walked by his eldest daughter, he extended a hand to lightly pat her on the shoulder.

“Did you hear that applause, Noa? It’s all for you.”