"Nia, how did you bring her here?!" The tiny figure standing on Mira’s palm stared at Aefina in shock, as if spotting a tourist trap miraculously crowd-free during National Day holidays.

"Huh? Mo Mo, you *can* be surprised?" Nia chirped, sounding like she’d just discovered a new continent. So this was the Mo Mo Nia had mentioned—the legendary walking encyclopedia. She looked exactly as imagined… Honestly, she seemed like the only character on Nia’s side who followed the standard fantasy playbook.

Unlike the flabbergasted Nia, Aefina acted like a disinterested bystander. She merely glanced up at Mo Mo once before lowering her gaze back to her pudding, as if the tiny sprite were no more captivating than an empty plate.

While Mo Mo was still gaping, Mira had already carried her over and set her on the dining table. After all, perched on a regular chair, Mo Mo would’ve been shorter than the pudding cups.

"Food first, food first!" Nia declared eagerly once Mo Mo was seated. Just how obsessed was she with pudding anyway?

"Here, Aefina. Have mine too." I slid my untouched pudding toward her. My pancakes and milk were enough.

"...May I eat now?" Aefina lifted her eyes from the pudding to me. Earlier, I’d insisted on waiting until everyone gathered—a basic courtesy—so she’d been patiently fixated on her dessert.

I glanced at Nia, already shoveling food into her mouth, and chuckled. "Go ahead."

I speared a piece of pancake, chewing while watching Mo Mo. Her reaction to Aefina felt… excessive. If she was truly the all-knowing strategist Nia described, why the shock?

"Luo Sa, Luo Sa—this is so sweet." Aefina’s voice pulled my attention away.

"Did I add too much sugar?" I turned to see a soft smile on her lips, paired with a faint blush. It made me wonder if the word "bliss" had been invented just to describe a girl’s expression in that exact moment. Guess even dragon queens had a sweet tooth.

"Luo Sa, try some." Aefina scooped a spoonful from the top and held it to my lips.

"...Alright." Her smile and expectant gaze left no room for refusal. I ate the bite she offered. I wasn’t about to be prudish over indirect kisses—we’d already shared far more intimate moments.

"...Awkward." I sensed the shift in atmosphere and glanced around. Every pair of eyes at the table was locked on me. Nia and Mira didn’t even *have* eyes, but their focused energy screamed judgment. Mortifying.

"Dragon blood! Dragon blood!" Nia chanted, deliberately provoking trouble.

"......" Mo Mo stayed silent.

【(*/ω\*)】 Mira radiated pure, unadulterated kawaii.

I pursed my lips and focused on my pancakes.

Thanks to Aefina and my stubborn silence, Nia’s mischief fizzled out.

"Shouldn’t you explain first, Nia?" Mo Mo hopped off her miniature chair—courtesy of Mira—and fluttered up to perch on Nia’s head. "How did you *trick* Aefina into coming here?"

"Trick? Days ago, you said the backyard reeked of Great Dragon energy. I tracked it down and found Aefina. Luo Sa had questions for you, so I brought them both back. It was late when we arrived—you were already asleep—so they stayed the night. Rare as Great Dragons are, is this *really* that shocking?"

"...You don’t think she’s just an ordinary Great Dragon, do you?"

"Aefina’s a Silver Dragon. Are they that rare?"

"*Mortal’s wisdom*," Mo Mo sighed, rolling her eyes—a line that sounded oddly familiar.

"What makes Aefina special?" Nia frowned. Honestly, I was curious too. If I’d ever met another dragon, I might’ve known.

"The Empress of *all* dragonkind isn’t special? I’m starting to believe that nonsense about ‘idiots having the best luck’..." Mo Mo crossed her arms, radiating exasperation. "You’re beyond saving."

*Wait—Empress?* I stared at the girl leaning against my shoulder. Kidnapping the Dragon Empress? Sleeping beside her? Teasing her daily? Had I just made every dragon on the planet my mortal enemy?!

Aefina blinked up at me, her expression silently asking, *Luo Sa… what do we do?* Was it too late to claim innocence?

"*What?!* Aefina’s the Dragon King?!" Nia choked. No wonder she doubted it. Who’d picture this soft-spoken girl—who clung to me like a koala—as the Dragon Empress? She radiated zero imperial aura.

"The blessing of the Dragon God clings to her like mist. Impossible to mistake. Dragon law is absolute: any dragon blessed by the Dragon God rules the clans. No exceptions." Mo Mo planted her hands on her hips, scoffing.

"Eh… So Aefina’s actually amazing? I thought she was just a regular Silver Dragon." Nia whistled.

"*Regular?* How does a ‘regular’ Silver Dragon have over 300,000 combat power? What’s your Combat Scan skill for?!"

"I figured all Great Dragons were that strong…"

"How many creatures stronger than you could possibly exist?! Where’s your brain?!"

"I’m *just* a Slime. Of course I’m weaker than a Great Dragon!"

"*Just* a Slime? Do you think your 230,000 combat power is for harvesting turnips? Those hard-earned reward points meant nothing to you?!"

"I’ve never *seen* a Great Dragon! How would I know their stats?!"

"The bestiary says their average is around 120,000! I told you to read it!"

"That book’s thicker than a dictionary! Who has time?!"

"You’re just lazy!"

"Don’t say it out loud…"

Nia and Mo Mo bickered like old roommates. Mira watched calmly from the sidelines—clearly a daily ritual.

"Ahem." I waved a hand at Mo Mo. Since her entrance, she hadn’t spared me a single glance. Yeah, I was weak—but this was rude. "If Aefina truly is the Dragon King… would the dragon clans ever abandon their ruler?"

"Absolutely not. They’d never abandon even the weakest hatchling." Mo Mo’s reply was sharp.

"But Aefina *was* abandoned by her parents and kin. That’s why she couldn’t be their queen." I couldn’t hide my bitterness toward those dragons. If they hadn’t left her, she’d never have endured such loneliness. (Though… if they hadn’t, I might never have met her. Still, my anger remained.)

A shadow crossed Aefina’s face. Mo Mo noticed and fell silent, realizing my words held truth.

"An anomaly, then… I’ll consult the World Codex tonight." Even the wise sprite seemed unsettled.

Earlier, Nia mentioned combat power—230,000 for her, over 300,000 for Aefina. My worries about protecting her suddenly felt silly. If she outclassed Nia—a literal protagonist template—who *could* challenge her?

"...What does 230,000 combat power even mean?" I asked cautiously.

"Me?" Nia puffed her chest proudly. "Human Sword Saints start at 100,000. Sages hit 150,000. At my level? I’ve got no real rivals left."

"But you can’t beat my Aefina."

"Mmph… We’re *friends*. No need for fighting."

"But my Aefina’s stronger."

"Those weaker than me should stay quiet, thanks."

"......"

"Oh! Luo Sa—you had questions for Mo Mo yesterday, right? Ask now!" Nia suddenly remembered.

"Right. Mo Mo, Great Dragons can use magic, correct?" I’d almost forgotten our purpose here.

"Obviously," Nia nodded, confused. "Why ask?"

"My Aefina can’t cast spells. Any idea why?" Her strength was undeniable, but a dragon without magic? Fixing this mattered.

"*What?!*" Nia leaped up, inspecting Aefina head to toe before Mo Mo could react.

"A magic-less dragon… How bizarre. We can’t diagnose this indoors. To the courtyard." Mo Mo studied Aefina with scholarly intensity. *Another rulebreaker?* she seemed to think. *Truly, my patience is being tested.*

We stepped outside. Mira was already there, watering flowers. *When did you get here?*

Mo Mo hovered over a patch of grass. "Shift to your true form. Let me examine you."

Aefina glanced at me. I nodded. She transformed smoothly, landing with a soft thud.

"...Definitely a Silver Dragon." Mo Mo circled her, stroking her chin. She pressed a hand against Aefina’s back. "Rune Dragon scales… Rare for a Rune Dragon to crossbreed. But no obvious issues…" She floated near Aefina’s chest, eyeing the faintly grayish scale there—the reverse scale. Too sacred to touch, she observed from a distance. "Physically flawless… This makes no sense."

"Aefina, try casting a spell."

Nothing happened. Mo Mo’s brow furrowed. She traced symbols in the air. "Try *this* way?"

Aefina opened her mouth. Still nothing. After several attempts, Mo Mo crossed her legs midair, deep in thought.

I stayed quiet, exchanging silent stares with Aefina—until Mo Mo shot upright. "The Dragon God’s blessing! It amplifies her magic to catastrophic levels. Casting even a minor spell would tear her body apart."

"So Aefina's instinct is stopping her from using magic. Once she grows a bit more and can handle it, she'll be fine. Even without magic, she's this strong—I can't imagine how insane she'd be in a full fight..." Mo Mo exclaimed.

"In other words, Aefina can't use magic just because she's not fully grown yet?" I asked, summing it up.

"That's right. In under a century, it won't be an issue anymore." Mo Mo nodded.

Knowing how powerful Aefina was, I finally felt relieved. In a world like this, raw strength is what truly matters. With someone as strong as Aefina by my side, it doesn't matter if I'm not some chosen protagonist or anything, right?