Vol. 6 Ch. 63

"Eternally imprisoned…"

Leon thought for a moment, then asked, "Then who is this 'rebellious fool' that Chronoz saw in the Web of Time?"

Noa shook her head.

"That, I have no way of knowing. And even the Dragon God would not have had the answer."

"The Web of Time may record the past, present, and future, but even its creator, Chronoz, could not interfere too much."

"Besides, if someone has already stepped half a foot into the forbidden realm, how could it be possible to openly declare their identity?"

"Back then, Chronoz feared eternal imprisonment, which is why TA ultimately chose to close their eyes to the vision of their own fate."

Rosvisser pursed her lips, realizing the deeper meaning behind Noa’s words.

"Elder, are you saying that everything throughout history is recorded within the Web of Time?"

"Yes."

"Then… does that mean everything is predetermined? That nothing happens by chance or accident?"

Faced with such a grand, philosophical question, Noa hesitated.

She scratched her temple.

"That’s… a rather complicated thing to explain. The Dragon God did tell me something about it before falling, but—"

"Then, Elder, could you explain it to us now?"

"Emmmm… The thing is, I wasn't really paying attention at the time…"

The whole family: ???

Aurora: "How could you zone out during something that important?!"

Leon: "Truly, dragons have their own way of doing things."

Rosvisser: "Wait, Elder, are you serious—"

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

"Alright, alright! Look, I may not know if everything truly happens exactly as recorded in the Web of Time, but I do know this—"

Noa finally set aside her playful attitude, her gaze sharpening as she looked at Leon and Rosvisser.

"The rebellious fool is fated to become the next God of Time."

"This is the result of Chronoz peering into the forbidden, and it cannot be wrong."

"The next God of Time—though called a god—will be eternally imprisoned upon the Throne of Time."

Hearing this, Leon recalled a past conversation with Rosvisser.

Back then, he had asked her—

"What does the throne mean to you?"

And Rosvisser's answer had been:

"A cage."

Leon had understood what she meant.

When one becomes a king, a leader worshipped by the masses, their life is no longer their own. It belongs to those who follow them, to those who place their faith in them.

It was not a choice, but a duty—a state of mind one had to embrace.

And the Throne of Time was the same.

To possess the power to command time itself, one had to bear the chains of fate—

And be forever bound to that cold, divine prison.

Noa turned toward the window, gazing out at the deep blue sky, her mind wandering toward the traces left behind by the old gods.

She, too, was curious about the rebellious fool.

"Who could it be?"

"Aurora! Are you ready? We’re about to leave!"

Monday. Silver Dragon Sanctuary, front courtyard.

Noa, carrying a backpack stuffed with snacks, called toward the front of the sanctuary.

"Coming, coming!"

Aurora walked over, carrying a cup of coffee in one hand.

"Sorry, sorry! I was just preparing some Memory Recollection Magic tools."

Noa raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Memory Recollection Magic? Today is the Academy Anniversary Festival—why are you preparing something like that?"

According to dragon tradition, on this day, students would bring special food or unique keepsakes from home to share at the festival.

But Noa had never heard of someone bringing magic tools to an event like this.

"It’s because our family's got way too many people attending the academy!"

Aurora explained in detail,

"Big Sis is planning to buy logic puzzles from Helena. Second Sis is cooking grilled steak. Muse is just straight-up performing."

Saying this, Aurora shrugged her fluffy arms.

"At this rate, we’ll have food, entertainment, and brain games covered—so I figured I’d take a different route."

Hearing Aurora’s reasoning, Noa chuckled.

"Alright, I get it now. Let’s go—we’re heading out!"

“Mhm.”

Leon stood beside the massive silver dragon, lifting his daughters one by one onto her back.

Xiaoxue was also joining them for this family outing to the academy’s anniversary festival.

Just as Leon and Rosvisser had hoped, attending the event would help her integrate into the crowd.

"I can climb up myself, Uncle Leon."

"Alright, be careful."

Xiaoxue nodded, then nimbly climbed up onto Rosvisser’s dragon scales, settling in cross-legged alongside the little dragon girls.

Leon was the last to climb aboard.

Once he was seated, he patted the scales beneath him and said:

"Alright, driver, let’s go!"

Since dragons in their full form couldn’t make expressive facial gestures, Leon didn’t get to see it—

But internally, Rosvisser had already rolled her eyes to the heavens.

"Childish."

Muttering to herself, the Silver Dragon Queen spread her wings and soared into the clouds.

A Few Hours Later – Arrival at Saint Heath Academy

When the Melkvey family landed at the entrance to Saint Heath Academy, Leon couldn’t help but marvel at the scene before him.

The entire area was packed with dragons.

"This is insane. Not even when we visited Sky City was it this crowded."

Rosvisser, now back in her human form, bent down to pick up Muse, carrying her in her arms.

She stepped forward to stand beside Leon, gazing at the bustling crowd as she replied,

"It’s the 700th anniversary of the academy. It’s a significant event, so they also invited alumni from past generations."

Over seven centuries, the academy had produced countless remarkable dragons, so naturally, the turnout was massive.

But speaking of distinguished alumni—

Leon glanced sideways at Rosvisser.

"Did you get an invitation? Or were you… not an 'outstanding' alum?"

WHACK.

Rosvisser’s tail lashed across his backside.

"Of course I got an invitation. I’m giving a speech later."

"Whoa, really? And what’s the speech about?"

"I’ll be sharing my growth experiences over the years."

"And wishing all the students luck in finding a partner as outstanding as your husband?"

Rosvisser: ==

Leon: (#^^#)

"Ugh. If there weren’t so many people here, I’d be bullying you right now."

Laughing, the couple held their children's hands and stepped into the academy.

Inside the Academy – The Festival Atmosphere

The moment they entered, the vibrant festival energy hit them like a wave.

Booths selling academy-themed souvenirs lined the walkways.

Ribbons, flower baskets, and decorations of every kind filled the space.

Even the usually strict professors and instructors had dressed down for the occasion, mingling with students in a rare display of informality.

"Noa-chan!"

A soft, sweet voice called out.

Noa turned to see her blue-haired friend waving excitedly as she ran toward them.

"Helena, hey!"

"Helena-nee-san, hello~"

"Helena-nee-san, hi!"

"Uh… I, um… My name is Xiaoxue. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, a new friend?" Helena smiled warmly. "Hello, I’m Helena, from the Sea Dragon Clan."

The dragon girls bonded quickly.

After a brief round of introductions, they scattered off to their booths, getting ready to welcome more students.

A Familiar Presence

Since Helena had arrived, that could only mean—

"So? Any news on the girl’s origins?"

A rich, mature voice cut through the air.

Leon and Rosvisser turned to see a striking woman with long, deep blue hair.

With her arms crossed over her chest, she elegantly approached them.

"Claudia."

Rosvisser nodded politely in greeting.

"Not yet," she admitted, "but one thing is certain—Xiaoxue is indeed the key left behind by Chronoz."

"And that key… is meant to open the Palace of Time."

"The Palace of Time?" Claudia raised an eyebrow. "That’s the first I’ve heard of it."

"Just goes to show how ancient the Primordial Gods’ influence really is," she mused. "Even Dragon Kings like us don’t know everything."

Leon shrugged.

"We don’t know much either. We’re figuring it out as we go."

Claudia nodded in understanding.

"I’ll see what I can uncover on my end as well."

"Much appreciated, Elder."

"Oh, by the way," Claudia added with a smirk, "I just spotted a redhead a little ways back."

She raised her arm and gestured behind her.

"Not sure if it’s your eldest daughter or that fire-breathing lizard."

Leon grinned.

"Shall we go find out?"