106 Angel
“It looks like it’s up to me to clear up your doubts,” Claudia said, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, telling the story with a dramatic flair.
“Thirty years ago, the war between the Empire and the Dragon Race had reached a boiling point.”
“At that time, we of the Sea Dragon Race had not yet chosen to retire from society, so we were reluctantly dragged into this war.”
“One day, after a battle that left both sides battered and bruised, our rescue squad, thanks to being the home team, was the first to arrive and began searching the battlefield for survivors.”
“Charlotte wasn’t exactly the brawling type of dragon; she was more of a healer. She thought her task was just patching up the injured, so she eagerly asked her dad if she could join the rescue squad.”
“Dad said yes.”
“But things were far from what Charlotte expected.”
“The rescue squad not only had to bring back the injured, they also had to deal with any remaining enemies still alive on the battlefield.”
“Charlotte had never killed anyone before; the thought was way too hard for her.”
“So, she just focused on healing the injured, hoping she could finish the task and get back home quickly.”
“However, fate had other plans for her.”
“She encountered a Dragon Slayer, barely clinging to life, lying in a pile of corpses. It seemed he had gotten hurt trying to protect his comrades, though in the end, they still bit the dust.”
“You might have guessed it by now; this wounded Dragon Slayer was your Master.”
“That was their first meeting.”
“And as for what happened next? I bet you can guess—my sister let him go.”
“The story should have ended there with no further interactions.”
“Until…”
At this point, Claudia’s tone turned more serious.
“The Empire started collecting Heartguard Dragon Scales from us dragons.”
“And Charlotte became one of their targets.”
“She wasn’t skilled in combat, and once the Empire had her, she couldn’t fight back.”
“Along with her, many dragons were also captured, all helpless. The Empire’s transport team planned to take them back to the royal city and snag their Heartguard Dragon Scales.”
“Meanwhile, Taige, after many battles, began to pick up on some shady dealings by the Empire and the darker side of this war.”
“But he couldn’t figure out what exactly the conspiracy was. On one hand, there was the blazing war, on the other, a sense of justice bubbling inside him, leading to an internal conflict.”
“Finally, he decided to quit the Dragon Slayer Army and retire to a peaceful life at home.”
“However, since wars were breaking out left and right and there weren’t enough hands on deck, the Empire forcibly assigned him to the transport unit. And because of this, he crossed paths with Charlotte again.”
“In gratitude for being saved last time, Taige secretly let Charlotte go, and to evade the Empire’s search, he hid her in his own home.”
Claudia sighed and continued, “Like all cliché love stories, not long after, they fell madly in love.”
“But since there had never been a precedent for a dragon and a human getting together, they were too scared to have kids, so they ended up adopting one from an orphanage.”
“Yep, that’s you, Leon.”
Pausing, Claudia looked at Leon and Roswiser, giving them a teasing glance. She chuckled and shook her head, “Your Master and Mistress didn’t dare have a child for thirty years, and you and your wife managed to pop out three in just five years!”
Frankly, Claudia couldn’t help but admire these young folks. They not only played hard but were also daring to experiment.
Just like that, baby after baby, without batting an eye.
The couple felt their cheeks warm under Claudia’s playful jabs.
Roswiser shyly looked away, saying nothing.
Leon scratched his head, “It’s actually a… beautiful accident.”
“Ha! Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?”
“So what happened next? While my Master and Mistress ended up together, it seems your father didn’t quite approve of their marriage, did he?”
Claudia nodded, “I told you, there had never been a dragon-human union, especially during a time of war—how could their marriage get Dad’s blessing? But Charlotte, the obedient daughter, for the first time, went against her father’s wishes.”
“She insisted on being with Taige, and for thirty years, she never returned to the Sea Dragon Race.”
“Fortunately, Taige took good care of my silly sister. Otherwise… Dad might have sent me to snatch her back.”
“Overall, even though Dad didn’t support their union, once his daughter chose that path, he turned a blind eye.”
Leon seemed to have a lightbulb moment. “Oh, right! Since my Mistress is the second princess of the Sea Dragon Race, those two magic tomes my Master gave me—”
Claudia waved her hand, “Charlotte begged me for those and promised to cook me breakfast for a month in exchange.”
At this, Rebecca couldn’t help but quip, “A month’s worth of breakfast for two magic tomes? Auntie, you truly are—”
Claudia cut her off, “What? Exactly what, huh?”
“Uh… A business genius!”
“Considering my Mistress’s cooking skills, a month’s worth of breakfast for those two tomes is totally worth it,” Leon chimed in proudly.
“Of course you think that! Do you know how long it takes me to sort a single ancient tome?!”
“……We appreciate your hard work, Senior!”
After a few laughs to lighten the mood, Leon got back on track.
“My Mistress just said she would use her Heartguard Dragon Scale to save my Master. What will happen to her if she loses the scale?”
Claudia frowned slightly, “Dragons, upon losing their Heartguard Dragon Scale, will experience a significant shortening of their lifespan. Without a completely safe environment to recuperate, it could turn deadly.”
“And for a long time after that, she will be extremely frail.”
“Especially since… Charlotte never really fights; her constitution can’t hold a candle to combat-type dragons like me and Roswiser.”
“She’ll have some minor problems; freezing hands and feet, zoning out, anxiety… in short, it will be torturous.”
“Ugh… I’m at my wits’ end with her. She’s hundreds of years old and still so—”
Claudia almost called her sister “headstrong,” but thought better of it.
From a traditional standpoint, Charlotte and Taige really were the purest of the pure love warriors, like a love god among them.
Forget about the Heartguard Dragon Scale; as long as it could save Taige, I bet Charlotte would try anything.
And calling her “headstrong” would just be a means to satisfy private whims;
Charlotte… should be called ‘selfless.’
To dedicate oneself to the one they love should never be subject to ridicule.
Claudia smiled helplessly and fell silent.
“So… my Master really will be saved?”
“Yes, the power of the Heartguard Dragon Scale is undeniable. While it can’t bring someone back from the dead, it can repair the heart.”
“Is that so…?”
As Leon was marveling at the greatness of his Master and Mistress’s love, he pondered the words Claudia had just said:
“Losing the Heartguard Dragon Scale will lead to weakness, freezing hands and feet, zoning out, anxiety…”
Suddenly, memories from the past flooded his mind—
“Hey Dad, did you know? Mom really likes you!”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because during the two years you were in a coma, Mom was always coming to see you. She liked staring at you so much she lost track of time!”
…
“Stop holding my hand, you mutt, let go!”
“Roswiser, why are your hands always so cold?”
“It’s just my nature.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to warm them up for you.”
…
“Mom passed out after launching that attack.”
“What about the Heartguard Dragon Scale? Isn’t it supposed to be a safety device?”
“Her scale barely did anything.”
…
“Where’s your Heartguard Dragon Scale?”
“Oh, I put it in a very safe place.”
…
Detonating a bomb only requires a short fuse.
Countless memories finally freeze-framed on her.
At that moment, Leon felt he had an epiphany. He stumbled back a few steps, until his back hit the cold wall.
He slowly turned to look at Roswiser, standing silently beside him.
She was quiet, but she was beautiful—like an angel.
