Vol. 6 Ch. 6

With Mevis joining in, the so-called "summoning ceremonies" of the past seemed like child's play compared to the professional process they now had.It was hard to imagine how, in such a harsh future, the eldest daughter and her siblings managed to maintain this Melkvey family tradition.

The losses from the past were tolerable since Mevis had given everyone fair warning early on.But Constantine? He was another story entirely.

Accustomed to the solemnity and gravitas of the Red Flame Dragon clan, he had never witnessed such a peculiar scene.Staring blankly at the lively spectacle in the backyard, he sighed yet again:"Marriage is terrifying."

"Hefei! Noa! Moon! Muse!"Hefei, curious and full of energy, wagged her little tail as she sprinted over.

The little red dragon dashed to Moon and, with stars in her eyes, exclaimed,"Moon, what game are you all playing?"

For once, Moon, looking unusually serious, explained in a rare solemn tone,"This isn't a game, Hefei."

"Then what is it?"

"It's a mystical~~ summoning~~ ritual!"

"Summoning ritual?!" Hefei’s eyes widened in astonishment.

"Yes, that’s right. Whenever Mom and Dad leave for a long time, my sister leads us in performing this summoning ritual. And guess what? It always works!"

"Wow! That’s amazing, Moon! Teach me how to do it! If Father takes too long to visit me, I’ll summon him back with this!"

"No problem."Moon closed her eyes, raised a finger, and began instructing her,"First, you need a picture of Uncle Constantine—preferably a black-and-white one."

"Okay, got it!"

"Next, you need a bonfire and some food. Once we have that, we’ll start offering them in prayer."

"Got it!"

"And finally, you must prepare to cry your heart out."

"Got it! Is there anything else, Moon?"

"There’s more, but these three things are enough to kick off the summoning ritual. That’s how my sister and I summoned Dad when he disappeared for two days."

Moon spoke with the precision of a seasoned teacher lecturing in an academy. Hefei, in turn, diligently took notes in her mind.

"A black-and-white photo, a bonfire, food, and—"

"But I didn’t see you cry, Moon," Hefei interrupted, scratching her head.

"Patience. Watch and learn."

Moon cleared her throat, plopped down onto the ground, spread her legs out, and began wailing.

"Wow! Moon, you’re amazing! You can cry on command!"

Two little dragon girls stood watching in awe, while one dared to cry, and the other simply observed.

Behind them, a fire-breathing dragon uncle stood frozen, a look of exasperation painted across his face.

"A black-and-white photo, a bonfire… offerings…"

"Leon, is this how you usually teach your daughters?" Constantine’s sarcastic grin revealed his gritted teeth.

Leon clapped him on the shoulder with a knowing expression."Just get used to it. Kids always come up with ideas we adults can’t comprehend."

"So, your family’s 'creative ideas' involve turning a funeral into a summoning ritual?"

Leon spread his hands. "You can’t blame me for that. Blame it on the time Noa and Moon first tried this. Rosvisser was there, and she didn’t stop them."

Rosvisser: ?

Smack!

A silvery tail quietly struck the dog-man's rear.

Leon yelped, "Ow!" and, rubbing his behind, turned to ask,"What was that for? Did I say something wrong? Weren’t you there?"

Rosvisser’s face flushed faintly red, her voice a mixture of shame and irritation as she explained,"I… I passed out back then, okay?"

"Passed out?" Leon blinked, the gears in his head turning."Oh~~ Right, that was because of the blood—mmph?!"

Rosvisser promptly covered the idiot’s mouth.

Even if Constantine had no idea what "blood" might imply, Rosvisser wasn’t about to let such a mortifying detail slip out, not even with a one percent chance of exposure!

Dinner was a pleasant choice.Despite Constantine and Mevis's presence, the evening meal was lively and extravagant.

However, the maids serving the dishes showed a noticeable wariness toward Constantine.

Although everyone understood that Leon and Constantine had reconciled over the incident from years ago, thanks to Rosvisser’s efforts, the Silver Dragon maids had never personally seen Constantine visiting the sanctuary.

Adding to that, the losses caused by the Red Flame Dragon clan on the day of the third princess's birth were still fresh. Even though Constantine had paid a hefty price for his actions, the maids’ lingering hostility wasn’t surprising.

Sitting opposite, Leon noticed Constantine’s discomfort and the tension in the air. After a brief moment of thought, Leon spoke up.

"Milan, leave the rest of the dishes on the cart by the door. We’ll serve ourselves from there."

Milan nodded slightly. "Understood, Your Highness."

As Milan led the maids out of the dining hall and closed the door, the previously tense atmosphere began to ease.The remaining dishes were placed on a cart by the door, just as Leon had instructed, leaving the group with a more relaxed dining environment.

Constantine understood Leon’s intention, glanced across the table at him, and smiled faintly. He raised his glass in a silent toast.

Leon, utterly undeterred, raised his own glass and drained it in one gulp.

Rosvisser leaned slightly toward Leon and whispered,"Your alcohol tolerance is terrible. Drink less."

Leaning closer to her, Leon whispered back with a mischievous grin,"Don’t worry. I swapped it out for juice. Watch me drink that fire-breathing dragon under the table tonight."

Getting Constantine drunk was a goal of the past.Tonight’s target? Finishing a bottle of Constantine’s prized floral wine.

"By the way, Teacher Mevis, what did you do after resigning from your position?"

"Yes, we missed you so much," chimed Moon.

Mevis, who had discussed her answer with Noa on the way back, responded smoothly,"I didn’t go anywhere special, just wandered around a bit. After teaching at Saint Heath Academy for so many years, I decided it was time to see the outside world, so I resigned."

"Will you ever return to Saint Heath Academy, Teacher Mevis?" Moon asked, her voice tinged with hope.

Mevis shook her head with a soft smile."No, I won’t, Moon."

"Ah… why not?" Moon’s disappointment was evident.

Mevis didn’t answer right away. She glanced at Noa beside her, then at their parents seated at the head of the table. Finally, she reached out to ruffle Moon’s hair gently and said warmly,"Because my journey isn’t over yet, Moon."

Moon tilted her head up to look at Mevis, her expression earnest."When will it end, Teacher Mevis?"

"It’ll be… a very long time."

Moon sniffled but persisted,"Then when will I get to see you again?"

Mevis hesitated, caught off guard by Moon’s sparkling, sapphire-blue eyes. Her gaze swept over Little Light and Muse, who were also waiting expectantly for her answer.

After a moment of thought, Mevis extended her hand and hooked her pinky finger."When you grow up, Moon, you’ll see me again. Let’s make a pinky promise, okay?"

"Okay! When I grow up, you must come back to see me."

"I promise."

She loved her sisters deeply—both in the past and in the future.

Later that evening, as expected, Constantine was thoroughly drunk and had to be carried to the guest room by his guards. Helena was also settled in the room next door, and the children were all asleep.

Only Rosvisser stayed behind to keep Mevis company in her room, while Leon joined his eldest daughter for a walk in the backyard.

Hands in her jacket pockets, Mevis casually kicked a pebble along the ground and said,"I’ve told you before, Dad. I don’t want to share too much about that bleak future.I don’t want my sisters to shoulder those burdens with me."

She stopped walking and sighed softly, her voice calm."All they need to know is that Ultimate Fear was defeated, and the world didn’t end. That’s enough."

Leon looked at his daughter, his thoughts swirling.

After a moment, he shook his head with a rueful smile."Sometimes I wish you were a little less like me."

Mevis chuckled."Can’t help it. After all, I’m your eldest daughter."

The two continued strolling along the training track in the backyard, talking about the past, the present, and the future.There seemed to be no end to their conversations.

The stars twinkled in the night sky, and crickets chirped in the grass.Before they realized it, it was already past midnight, yet they still had so much to talk about.

Sensing the lateness of the hour, Mevis finally came to a stop and gazed at the empty training field.

"What’s wrong?" Leon asked, turning to look at her.

"Dad," she called out.

"Yes?"

Mevis pulled her hands out of her pockets and slowly walked to the center of the training field.

Once there, she turned to face Leon. Her right hand rose, and a blue glow illuminated her palm, casting a soft light on her profile.

"Let’s duel. Just you and me."