Chapter 68: I Suggest You Have a Few More Kids
You know, we all run into the type of person who, when logic fails, just turns up the volume and throws a tantrum. They cry, they wail, they might even think about going full hangman mode, dragging everyone into their messy drama.
Well, right now, Ral’s father is nailing that stereotype, performing like a well-trained circus act, and making everyone in the room deeply uncomfortable.
Leon is starting to suspect whether he’s a dragon or just a rabid dog.
Sure, Ral’s little recap had charmed Noia and Roswiser, but Ral’s father could hardly sit still after hearing it.
“Hey! Principal! Did you hear that? This guy is teaching his daughter how to bully my kid in public! Is that not pushing it?”
“I think a student with aggressive tendencies shouldn’t just be reprimanded, but should be expelled! For good!”
Principal Wilson raised a hand to silence Ral’s father, who was on a roll. “Calm down. Whether to expel or not is up to the academy. Besides, we’ve had complaints about Ral bullying young dragons, including several reports that last night at the cafeteria, Ral intentionally provoked Noia.”
Hearing this, Ral’s father turned redder than a cooked lobster and slammed his palm on the table, pointing at Wilson’s nose. “Hey, you old fool! Are you confused? It was their kid who hit mine first, and you’re punishing my son while saying he provoked them?”
“My son never provokes anyone! That’s just how he is! Who knew those useless little hatchlings would feel bullied by him? A bunch of cowards!”
“And even if he did bully, there’s always a reason! Is this how you operate your academy, bending the rules?”
Wilson frowned and replied sternly, “Watch your words, Ral’s father. If you keep slandering the academy, there will be serious consequences for Ral.”
Ral’s father chose to back off a little from Wilson’s warning but quickly turned his fury toward the nearby teachers. “What about you teachers? Why didn’t you mediate when students had conflicts, huh?”
“My son’s arm is broken, what are you going to do about it?”
“He’s usually such a good kid! Can you all just sit back and let him be bullied like this?”
The teachers wore blank expressions.
These seasoned pros can tell a student’s character in just one day of classes.
They’re fully aware of Ral’s antics.
Let’s just say, Noia went easy on him.
But to Ral’s father, the silence from the teachers was proof of their guilt, leaving them at a loss for words.
So, he turned it up a notch, clearly aiming to turn the principal’s office into a circus.
After finishing up with the teachers, he aimed his ire at the so-called “culprits” of this brawl.
He waddled over to Leon’s family, rambling as he did.
“And you lot! I remember when you were the model family!”
“Bull! Now your daughter has beaten up my son; do you know how serious this is?”
“My son has never been bullied! Why should he get hit just half a month into school?”
“He’s supposed to inherit my title, do you even know I’m a duke of the Red Flame Dragon Race? Our leader is Constantine!”
“And you? You’re such a coward you won’t even show your tail! And now you have the gall to show others how to bring me down?”
“Come on, I’m right here! You dare lay a finger on me?”
“And you!”
He turned to Roswiser, raising his arm to point a finger again.
Smack—
Just before this knucklehead could unleash more nonsense on Roswiser, Leon stood up and grabbed his wrist.
Before he could even point, an immense pressure from Leon’s grip bent his fingers in an involuntary curve, making it impossible for him to straighten them out at all.
He briefly tried to contest Leon’s strength, realizing to his dismay that Leon was like a mountain.
Roswiser hugged Noia tight on the couch.
In fact, if Leon hadn’t stood up, she might have couldn’t resist firing back a few choice words herself.
But, surprise! Leon beat her to it.
And a detail caught her attention. Leon, whether intentionally or not, showed a bit of protective instinct.
“Why are you barking like a dog? It’s one thing to insult me; you dare point fingers at my wife and child?”
Leon’s voice dripped with ice. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say a dog had snuck into Saint His Academy!”
Ral’s father glared daggers at Leon, but his ferocity had diminished significantly.
Leon stood tall at over six feet, presenting an imposing figure.
Plus, being a Dragon Slayer, he naturally exuded an aura that pressed down on any dragon.
Though Ral’s father felt a bit intimidated, he still tried to play tough. “What’s the matter? You want to throw punches? This is the principal’s office; try it!”
“Why do you keep bringing up fighting? You make it sound like you and your son are such tough guys.”
“Of course! Your daughter hit my son, that’s the truth! You want me to stop talking about it, right?”
Leon chuckled dryly, “My daughter is one year and two months old. How old is your kid with the broken arm?”
Ral’s father hesitated, mumbling, “Y-You don’t need to know how old he is, but he’s—”
“I’m seven years and eleven months old…” Ral whispered from the side.
“Louder! I can’t hear you!” Noia chimed in, glancing at Ral, who puffed out his chest and shouted, “Seven years and eleven months!”
The little guy almost leapt off the couch to salute Noia.
“He says he’s seven years and eleven months.” Noia announced.
Leon shrugged, “Oh, rounding that off makes him eight. Now, an eight-year-old dragon and two similarly aged toads couldn’t beat my one-year-old daughter?”
“Geez, if that happened to me, I’d have to find a corner to hide and let that embarrassment rot in my belly, not like you who’s flaunting the fact that ‘my son got beaten by a one-year-old!’”
Dragons have an inherent respect for strength.
The motto “the strong rule the weak” is drilled into them from a young age.
And now, after Ral’s father puffed himself up, he found his title and demands crumbling before Leon’s simple quips.
Let’s not even mention that Ral’s already notorious for his mischief and was the one who provoked Noia before getting smacked down.
Just the fact that “three eight-year-old dragons lost to a one-year-old” is something that sounds utterly ridiculous.
After Leon “politely reminded” him of this, Ral’s father began to realize the absurdity.
He looked panicked, nervously licking his dry lips while still trying to argue, “Maybe my son was just having a bad day or didn’t eat enough. Your daughter just got lucky!”
Leon raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Let’s see if they get to fight next time in practice. Noia, do you object?”
Noia shook her head, “I have no objections.”
“I-I object…” Ral timidly raised his other unbroken hand.
With his own son undermining him, Ral’s father found himself momentarily speechless, but the ire simmered beneath the surface.
He stood there agape, glaring at Leon, utterly unable to articulate a counter.
And Leon wasn’t about to let him off the hook.
“Earlier, you said I was publicly teaching my daughter how to defeat your son? Sorry, I wasn’t teaching her how to win; she already broke your precious son’s arm. I was teaching her how to do it better, easier, okay?”
“You!….”
“Your son has a habit of bullying others. My daughter, on the other hand, is used to playing around with me. Who knew your son was so weak? A random encounter broke his arm!”
Truly, that was a quiet blow to the gut—silent yet devastating.
Leon used to only slay dragons, not expose weaknesses.
But spending time with Roswiser, he had gradually learned the art of both slaying dragons and the heart.
“You needn’t say the academy or Principal Wilson is biased. Regardless of how the academy handles it, I believe it will be fair. Isn’t that right, Principal?”
Leon glanced at Wilson.
Wilson nodded and took the opportunity to add, “Indeed, you’re the model husband. The outlook is just different.”
Leon modestly smiled and shook off Ral’s father’s wrist, no longer wishing to engage with the guy.
Ral’s father rubbed his sore wrist, glaring at Leon but didn’t dare speak up.
The arrogance that had filled the room seemed to dissolve.
“Alright, if there’s nothing further to discuss, let’s get to the point. Mr. Leon, you fully respect the academy’s decision on this, right?”
Leon nodded.
“Good.”
Wilson then glanced at Ral and his crew, clearly reluctant, “And… Ral’s father, how about you?”
Despite not gaining any ground in the “friendly discussion,” Ral’s father wouldn’t dare press his luck any further.
Because that guy named Leon, aside from his sharp tongue, had a strange aura that left Ral’s father unsettled.
In short, best to play it safe and retreat for now.
“I respect the academy’s thinking as well.” Ral’s father finally conceded.
Principal Wilson shot him a look and snorted through his nose, continuing, “Alright, per academy rules, and since Ral himself has repeatedly emphasized that Noia did not intentionally break his arm, and they provoked her first, the final decision is that Noia was acting in self-defense, albeit excessive. The homeroom teacher will provide a verbal warning. Ral and his two friends will need to write a reflection and be responsible for classroom hygiene for one week. Does anyone have any additions to this decision?”
Ral’s father remained silent, muttering about his son under his breath.
Clearly a bully at home too.
With no success outside, he directs all that pent-up frustration at his son.
Such a pathetic form of parenting is light-years away from Leon and his family’s approach.
Leon leaned closer to Roswiser and whispered, “So just a verbal warning for breaking someone’s arm, huh?”
Roswiser quietly replied, “The dragon race has a different philosophy and tolerance level when it comes to kids fighting. Plus, that kid admitted they provoked her first. The principal explained it was merely excessive self-defense.”
“Oh, got it.”
“Well then, since both families have no objections to the decision and each understand their own child’s situation, this incident is closed. Thank you all for coming, and if you don’t mind, you can have lunch at the academy cafeteria before you leave.”
Ral’s father yanked Ral’s collar and stormed out of the principal’s office.
The two toad dragons in tow scurried off too, not daring to utter a word the entire time—especially after hearing how Leon instructed his daughter on how to give them a proper beatdown.
Roswiser stood up with Noia in her arms, ready to leave with Leon.
However, Principal Wilson called out to them.
“Noia, why don’t you head back to class? I have a few questions for your mom and dad.”
“Oh, okay.” Noia nodded happily.
Roswiser bent down and placed Noia on the ground, patting her little head. “Be good, go to class.”
“Mmhm.”
Noia scampered off.
The couple approached the desk. “What questions do you have, Principal Wilson?”
Wilson scratched his graying hair, looking somewhat troubled. “Well, it’s not anything important.”
“It’s just… it’s pretty obvious, Noia, a one year and three-month-old hatchling defeated three hatchlings adding up to over twenty years of age. That’s quite the news!”
“Miss Roswiser, I know you’re from the Silver Dragon Race, so I want to ask, where does your husband hail from? How on earth did you two produce such a powerful hatchling? My, it’s a miracle!”
Meanwhile, in his head, the principal thought: If only they could have a few more kids! The more, the merrier!
Upon hearing this, both parents froze for a moment.
Roswiser hurriedly hugged Leon’s arm and forced a smile, “Ahaha, Principal, you’re exaggerating! My husband is just an ordinary dragon citizen. He’s not from a noble dragon clan, right?”
Leon just grinned, thinking, well, I’ve slain quite a few noble dragons…
“Uh-huh… I’m just a commoner, Principal,” Leon chimed in, playing along.
Wilson couldn’t stop praising them, “Saint His Academy hasn’t had a gifted hatchling like Noia in a long time. I believe on her graduation day, she’ll lead the dragon race to overcome even more—”
Leon raised an eyebrow, “More what?”
“Dragon Slayers!”
Leon: ?
