On the grassy training field, the little dragon girls sat cross-legged on the ground.

Noa and Aurora silently met each other's gaze, the air between them heavy with a seriousness uncharacteristic of children.

Muen glanced at her older sister, then at her younger one. She blinked, wiggled the idle tuft of hair on her head, and asked earnestly,

"So, is the game we're playing today called 'Eyes Open, Mouth Shut'?"

Aurora raised her hand, cutting off her second sister's question but kept her eyes locked on the eldest.

"I just saved you," the pink-haired girl said, enunciating each word deliberately.

"What do you mean, Aurora?"

"I'm not talking to my big sister. I'm speaking to the ghost hiding inside her."

"Ahh~ not ghosts again, Aurora. You've even started talking about catching ghosts in your sleep." Muen flopped exaggeratedly onto her back on the grass, her little tail spreading out under her.

She was starting to feel PTSD just hearing the word "ghost." Every time Aurora passionately roped her into ghost hunts, it always ended with nothing more than chasing the wind.

After so many fruitless attempts, Muen was beginning to suspect that her little sister had simply gone stir-crazy from sheer boredom during summer break.

Noa covered her face with her hands, letting out a sigh. "There's no such thing as ghosts, Aurora. You've spent an entire month hunting them, and if this keeps up, summer vacation will be over before you know it. Wouldn't it be better to spend the time playing more games or practicing some spells for next term?"

Having a younger sister who was a mischief maker wasn't too bad.

What was scary was that this mischievous sister was both brilliant and stubborn.

Aurora firmly believed only what she saw, heard, or deduced. No matter what others said, it was useless unless someone presented iron-clad evidence to disprove her beliefs.

If Noa had inherited their father's talent and work ethic, and Muen had gotten a dose of their mother's occasional laxly lovely, then their youngest sister, Aurora, must have inherited every ounce of their parents' stubborn streak.

That bull-headed nature might indeed be perfect for scientific research, but did she have to unleash it on her big sister?

Aurora narrowed her eyes slightly but then waved her hand dismissively.

"Hmph. I don't know what you're up to, spying on Mom's work, but next time, don't count on me to save you again."

Noa shook her head with a laugh. "So, is that directed at me? Or at this so-called ghost?"

Suddenly—

Aurora sprang to her feet, marched straight to Noa, and cupped her eldest sister's face with her hands.

"Big Sis, trust Aurora. Aurora will save you!"

"...Fine, I guess this time you really are talking to me," Noa muttered.

Muen sat up, raising her little hand eagerly. "So what game are we actually playing today?"

"What do you feel like playing?" Noa asked.

"Hum..."

Muen rarely went into deep thought—she only ever did so when deciding on a game or choosing what to have for dinner. Her little brain whirred to life as she tried to make up her mind.

But after pondering, she realized they'd already played every game they could think of this summer, and none felt particularly new or exciting anymore.

And so, the dragon girl gave up thinking.

"I don't know..."

As the three of them sat there helplessly, two maids walked by the edge of the training field.

One of them was holding what appeared to be a promotional poster for a certain event.

"Oh, that sounds so fresh and interesting! I've never heard of anything like it before," one maid commented.

"Apparently, it’s a game introduced from another species. Thrilling, challenging, and it’s supposed to really test your wits!" her companion added enthusiastically. Together, they held the poster at its edges, engrossed in their discussion.

Muen's ears perked up at this, and she immediately got to her feet, dashing toward them.

"Miss Sister, Elia Sister, what game are you talking about?"

Leaning down, Miss handed Muen the flyer in her hands.

"Your Highness, we were just discussing a new interactive game that's become all the rage in Sky City. Here, take a look."

Muen accepted the flyer with both hands. Its central design depicted a massive castle, shrouded in the mystique of a dark night. A scattering of bats, cartoonishly drawn, flitted around the image, making it more quaint than spooky.

Muen read aloud the words printed on the poster.

"Sky City’s latest large-scale interactive game: Explore the mysterious castle and help the princess uncover the hidden culprit among the crowd..."

"That’s right, Your Highness. If you're interested, you might want to ask Her Majesty or the Prince Consort to take you along," suggested Elia.

Muen's eyes lit up. She’d never heard of such a game before, and just reading the flyer was enough to ignite her excitement.

"Thank you, Miss Sister and Elia Sister," she said politely.

"You’re welcome, Your Highness," the two maids replied in unison.

Clutching the flyer, Muen rushed back to where Noa and Aurora were sitting. Spreading it open before them, the two sisters leaned in to read.

"An interactive game?... Hmm, this actually sounds pretty fun," Aurora remarked casually, though the slight gleam of mischief in her eyes betrayed her growing interest.

After all, everyone knew that when the words "interactive" and "game" appeared together, the results were bound to be entertaining.

And for Aurora, the Silver Dragon Clan’s reigning queen of finding amusement in the chaos of others, this was an opportunity she wouldn't dream of letting slip by.

"Right?! Aurora wants to go. What about you, Sis?" Muen asked, her excitement bubbling over.

But Noa was occupied, continuing to read the written details on the flyer.

"Game duration: at least seventy-two hours. Suitable for group gatherings with friends or family... Recommended group size: eight people..."

Her brow furrowed as she silently counted their family members.

"Dad, Mom, Muen, Aurora, me... even if we include Aunt Isa, that’s only six of us. We're short on numbers, Muen."

Aside from the long duration and the interactive elements, this large-scale game clearly also demanded—well—scale. But the Melkevi family was not likely to randomly group with others.

Muen pouted, firing up her brain once again. "Then... then we could invite Sherry?"

"Sherry’s out on assignment; she hasn’t been home for a while."

"Hmm... What about Mila or Aunt Anna?"

"Mila’s busy with her usual work and can’t pull away. And as for Aunt Anna... she’s not really into this kind of game."

The tuft of hair atop Muen’s head drooped, and she flumped dejectedly onto her back again.

Aurora pinched the tip of her pale pink tail, fiddling with it as her own disappointment mounted.

Noa turned her attention back to the flyer. At the top, it mentioned not just the gameplay but also the prizes for the winners.

"Regardless of whether you’re assigned to the ‘good’ faction or the ‘werewolf’ faction, completing all objectives within the game will crown you the winner."

"The winners will receive the castle’s ultimate treasure—the Black Sacred Stone."

Glancing at the fine print below, Noa noted the details about this so-called "ultimate treasure."

"The Black Sacred Stone is a game prop crafted from an entirely safe material called 'Nightshade Crystal.'"

“Nightshade Crystal... I remember our teacher mentioning it in class. It’s a rare but useless magical resource… good for little more than ornamentation,” she mused aloud.

Most participants likely joined this game for the novelty and excitement, not for the prize itself.

"Kid, that's no ordinary 'useless magical resource,'" said an ancient, gravelly voice.

Drip—

A water droplet fell from the gilded ceiling above, landing on the water pooling around Noa’s feet. Ripples spread outward from her, eventually lapping at the base of the white dragon towering before her.

"What makes Nightshade Crystal special, then?" she asked.

"During the ancients’ era, the Dragon Clan used Nightshade Crystal to enhance the magical circuits within their young warriors’ bodies. It allowed them to unleash even more powerful spells without harming themselves," the old dragon explained.

"It also improves mana condensation efficiency," she added methodically.

Noa raised an eyebrow. "If it’s so effective, why doesn’t anyone use it anymore?"

"Because to activate its properties, it requires a unique type of magical power."

A special kind of magic.

A realization struck Noa almost immediately.

"It can only be activated by Primordial Power, right?"

"Hmph, clever girl."

"Which brings me to my point," she continued. "Noa, this is an opportunity."

Noa blinked. "What kind of opportunity?"

"If you’re unwilling to let me borrow your mother’s wedding gift, then Nightshade Crystal will serve as its substitute. We need it, to accelerate the condensation of the Primordial Power."

"So... this game," she continued, "You have to play it. And also have to win."