Roswitha was slightly surprised.

Earlier, when she was interacting with the donkey, she had indeed used Soul Judgment to soothe its stubborn temper.

However, the magic wave used was so faint that one would hardly notice it without careful sensing.

But Claudia had the sharpness to detect it, didn't she...

In response to Claudia's question, Roswitha replied openly,

"Yes, just some insignificant little tricks."

A large part of why Roswitha was able to learn Soul Judgment was thanks to Claudia.

So, it was only proper to show some humility in front of her.

"But how did you, senior, know that I had studied Soul Judgment?"

When she initially asked Tiger to find some books on Primordial Magic, the reason the couple gave was that "Leon wanted to study it."

Logically, Tiger must have used the same reasoning when asking Charlotte for help.

But when it came to Claudia, she directly pointed out that the magic Roswitha used was Soul Judgment.

This wasn't something simple "keen observation" could explain.

Hearing that, Claudia smiled lightly.

"At first, Charlotte wanted to borrow some books about Primordial Magic from me, claiming it was for Leon's practice. But Primordial Magic, after all, is something belonging to our Dragon Clan; it is much harder for outsiders to practice it.

"So I thought, could it be that Leon, in order to help you, told his mentor it was for his own training?"

Roswitha nodded. "As you said, senior, back then, the two of us weren't aware of your relationship with Tiger and Senior Charlotte, so we fabricated that small lie."

Claudia waved her hand, unfazed. "It doesn't count as lying—just a considerate husband securing a magical manual for his beloved wife."

"..."

Why do all you dragons enjoy teasing about "husband and wife"?

Do I and Leon look that harmonious?

Do we?!

Really.

After silently grumbling, Roswitha lowered her gaze to her palms, then followed up on Claudia's previous thread,

"I've been practicing Soul Judgment for a long time, and after the battle in the Far North, I’ve deepened my understanding of Primordial Magic. With all this... I might be able to protect my kin better."

Claudia quietly listened, resting her chin on one hand, her eyes narrowing slightly as she gazed into the distance.

"The nature of most of the Dragon Clan is to chase after greater power, and you're no exception. But unlike others in the Dragon Clan, who use the power they gain to 'conquer,' your desire for strength and power is for 'protection.' That’s a very noble aspiration."

Roswitha smiled faintly. "You flatter me, senior. It's nothing all that great."

"To constantly forge yourself, enduring countless hardships for those you hold dear—while it may not count as 'great' in the long flow of thousands of years of history, for oneself, it is more than enough," Claudia said.

As expected of someone whose profession was translating and organizing ancient texts—her words had a polished eloquence.

Without sounding overly ingratiating, such a level of praise and reasoning would make everyone feels comfortable.

Roswitha nodded slightly, accepting Claudia's compliments with quiet humility.

After a brief moment of silence, Roswitha asked,

"Senior, is the Sea Dragon Clan about to hold a Dragon King succession ceremony?"

"Yes, once my father returns, the succession and coronation ceremonies will begin."

"You’re the next Sea Dragon Queen?"

"Are you planning to compete for it?" Claudia joked.

Roswitha covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Of course not, senior."

Within the Dragon Clan, the transfer of the throne wasn’t hereditary but instead determined by merit—whoever was capable would become the Dragon King or Queen.

For instance, when Isa would jokingly tell Aurora, "When you grow up, your aunt will pass you the title of the Red Dragon Queen," it was merely lighthearted banter.

To truly ascend the throne and become a king or queen revered by all dragons, one needed both strength and wisdom.

However, this didn’t mean that the children of a Dragon King or Queen wouldn’t participate in the struggle for the next throne.

Take Claudia, for example: as the eldest princess of the current Sea Dragon Clan, she had gone through layers of competition and selection before being confirmed as the next Sea Dragon Queen.

And over the course of spending so much time with Claudia, as a Dragon Queen herself, Roswitha could tell that Claudia was wholly deserving of the title.

Well, now it's settled—Leon’s connections have just leveled up again.

Not only does his wife hold the title of Dragon Queen, his elder sister-in-law as well, but now even his "mother-in-law" is about to become one.

"Though, I’ve never been a Dragon Queen before. In this field, you’re already my senior," Claudia said.

"Not at all..."

"Speaking of which, you became a Dragon Queen at such a young age—you undoubtedly have a bright future ahead."

Most Dragon Kings or Queens ascend to the throne only after reaching at least 500 years of age.

But Roswitha had become the current Silver Dragon Queen at just 150 years old.

As Claudia pointed out, such effort and talent surely bode well for her future.

"Actually, I've always thought... that becoming a queen isn't about one's age but about whether you're capable."

At first glance, that statement seemed profound.

But in reality, when Roswitha said it, her mind was wandering elsewhere:

Noa, sweetie, grow up quickly! By the time you’re 20, compete for Dragon Queen, and ascend the throne at 25—then your mom can retire and open a farm with your dad!

A joke, yet the thought of a "25-year-old Dragon Queen" still sounded pretty daunting.

She refocused her thoughts and, following the topic of ascension, transitioned the conversation naturally to a matter concerning the Empire.

"The current king of the Empire... really should step down, don’t you think so, senior?"

Claudia immediately picked up on the meaning behind Roswitha’s words.

"So, Leon is planning to officially declare a war on the Empire?"

"Yes. We've gathered all the evidence needed to prove his innocence and to expose the Empire's conspiracies. Delaying any further would only lead to more unnecessary sacrifices."

"Good. I’ve been fed up with that mongrel emperor for a long time. Back then, he even dared to covet Charlotte’s Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale."

Ah, as Leon mentioned, Claudia also thoroughly despised the Empire.

Which meant… enlisting her help might be easier.

"But, senior, we might be a bit... short-handed on our side," Roswitha said, testing the waters.

Claudia’s attention drifted slightly away from the scenery at this, her gaze slowly falling on Roswitha.

Roswitha met Claudia’s gaze without flinching.

They locked eyes momentarily until the elegant blue-haired woman let out a light snort, amused.

"So, in the end, you plan to ask me for help, huh?"

"If senior could lend a hand, it would be of immense help."

After a pause, Roswitha added, "If you have any conditions, please feel free to state them. As long as they’re within our power—"

"Conditions? Of course I have conditions. I won’t help for free."

Claudia focused on her nails with a casual air.

Roswitha pressed her lips together, bracing herself for Claudia to demand something outrageous.

"Well then... let your eldest daughter come stay at my place for a few days sometime. How about that?"

"...What?" Roswitha thought she had misheard.

Claudia shrugged. "Helena really wants to play with Noa. If you can manage that, I’ll help you out."

Indeed, Claudia's condition was so simple that it could hardly be called a condition.

No requests for money or resources—merely a wish for her daughter's best friend to visit for a few days.

It was essentially her generously offering her help for free.

But after a moment of thought, Roswitha didn’t agree immediately.

Noticing Roswitha’s hesitation, Claudia was a little surprised.

"What’s the matter? Can’t you even meet such a low demand?"

Even Claudia herself knew that her “condition” was practically nonexistent, just an excuse to assist this couple and, at the same time, vent Charlotte’s frustrations on her behalf.

But Claudia hadn’t expected Roswitha to hesitate even over this.

"It’s not that I can’t... It’s just that Leon and I have always respected our daughters’ wishes. I don’t want... to use them as bargaining chips for your aid, senior."

Claudia froze for a moment, blinking, before realization dawned on her.

"Oh, so this is that human parenting philosophy, huh?"

Claudia was relatively traditional for a member of the Dragon Clan. The upbringing Helena received also leaned heavily toward Dragon Clan traditions.

These traditions weren’t necessarily bad—Helena had grown up healthily, after all.

But compared to Noa and her sisters, Helena’s environment seemed somewhat... stifling.

When she mentioned Noa earlier, Claudia hadn’t considered that Roswitha might be reluctant to involve her daughters in negotiations or trades.

This kind of respect for the next generation was clearly different from the Dragon Clan’s philosophy and seemed to stem from Leon's influence on Roswitha.

"Yes, Leon is quite good at interacting with our daughters and very much respects them. So, senior, perhaps... could you consider another condition?"

Claudia rubbed her temples, feeling slightly speechless by these young folks.

"Fine. Then let Helena stay at your place for a few days instead. After all, as long as she’s with Noa, she’s happy wherever she goes."

After a pause, Claudia added, "These are Helena's exact words. This time, I'm respecting her wishes, you know."

It seemed that the Sea Dragon Senior was also someone with a tough exterior but a soft heart. She was clearly eager to lend a hand, yet insisted on going through a conditional process.

Roswitha smiled helplessly,

"Alright, our home is always open to little Helena."