Vol 7. Chapter 38: The Meaning of All Things Long and Enduring

The first half of the final round ended much earlier than Principal Wilson had anticipated—and not just a little early, but much earlier. Kale and Sita were quickly defeated by in succession by both Isha and Claudia.

"The Red Dragon Queen and the Sea Dragon Princess... they're unexpectedly strong."

"And the Red Dragon Queen has actually mastered the legendary Primal Force. I always thought that kind of power could only be used by the Silver Dragon King... I didn’t expect this."

"Kale, it seems like we've really been left behind by the times. We’ll need to train even harder from now on."

They understood well that a sparring match between Dragon Kings was a rare opportunity, so even in defeat, both Kale and Sita calmly adjusted their emotions and turned to self-reflection.

Unfortunately, some people didn’t even get the chance to reflect at the scene—

"My lord, my lord—please hear me out..."

A weak voice suddenly called out from behind them. The two turned around to locate its source.

They saw Beren, clothes torn and tattered, faint wisps of scorched smoke still trailing from his body, staggering toward them.

"Beren!"

Kale and Sita rushed forward, supporting him by the arms from either side.

"I told you not to go head-to-head with Leon Casmod. That guy doesn’t know how to go easy," Kale said.

"I knew he wouldn’t go easy, but... cough cough—I didn’t think it’d be that bad..."

Beren coughed lightly and glanced back at Leon.

"You okay, Senior Beren?" Leon asked from a short distance away.

Compared to the disheveled Beren, General Leon looked pristine—his clothes were clean, not a hair out of place, as if the fight had never even taken place. And though Beren accused Leon of not holding back, the truth was that Leon had controlled his power.

Beren just looked worse than he actually was. He hadn’t suffered any serious injury. A few days of rest and he’d be bouncing around again like nothing happened.

"I’m fine... The Silver Dragon Prince’s reputation is well-deserved... I hope next time we spar, I can last more than five minutes."

It was just small talk, polite and diplomatic.

Isha walked over to Leon, glanced briefly at the pitiful-looking Beren, then looked back at Leon.

"He actually managed to tussle with you that long?"

"Yeah, I was just playing around. I couldn’t just knock him out in one blow, could I? That’d be too disrespectful. He’d hold a grudge."

"Not bad, brother-in-law. You’re getting better at this whole social courtesy thing."

While the two were chatting, Beren suddenly addressed Isha:

"Miss Isha... I wish you success in the upcoming election."

It was a courteous remark, and Storm Tribe dragons weren't known for being overly slick or flattering. No need for Isha to give him the cold shoulder, so she returned the gesture politely,

"Thank you. Be sure to get plenty of rest."

Isha turned her body and performed the full, proper etiquette.

But to Beren’s ears, the words didn’t quite sound that way.

It was hard not to misinterpret it as a sign that Isha cared about him.

But Beren wasn’t a fool. He had no intention of pursuing Isha, nor would he confess anything sentimental now—that would be way too... pathetic. Oh right—pathetic dragon.

So he merely nodded, then turned to leave the arena with Kale and Sita supporting him.

Once the three Dragon Kings were escorted away by the academy staff, Principal Wilson stepped forward.

"Congratulations to all three of you for making it to the final melee round. Would you like a short break before we begin?"

Leon shook his head.

"No need. I didn’t really exert myself anyway."

Isha crossed her arms and shrugged:

"Same here. But I plan to withdraw."

Leon blinked in surprise.

"Withdraw? Sis, you’re..."

Isha turned her gaze toward him.

"You’re not seriously thinking Claudia and I could beat you if we teamed up, are you, brother-in-law? Rather than waste everyone’s time, we might as well declare the winner now."

"Besides..."

She turned to look at Wilson.

"The teachers on the council surely understand my brother-in-law’s strength too. So me forfeiting now isn’t exactly surrendering before the battle even starts. I’m not just saving my own time—I'm saving everyone else’s."

She wasn’t wrong. Leon’s abilities were well-known; every teacher on the school board was aware of it. And judging from Principal Wilson’s composed expression, they had clearly discussed this in advance and reached a consensus.

In any other scenario, conceding before even fighting would go against everything the dragon race stood for—unless your opponent was Leon Casmod.

When it came to reputation, General Leon had things locked down tight.

"Sorry about that, sis."

Isha raised an eyebrow.

"What’s there to apologize for? Alright, alright... Principal Wilson, go ahead and dissolve the independent space. Let’s move directly to the final scoring phase."

Wilson nodded.

"Alright, then let’s—"

"Wait."

A voice interrupted him. It was Claudia, who had remained silent until now.

She stepped forward. Dust clung to her clothes from the earlier battles.

"Any doubts, Claudia?" Principal Wilson asked.

Claudia shook her head.

"No doubts. I just want to say... I’m not planning to withdraw."

Isha blinked in surprise.

"Senior, you know your own strength and patience better than anyone. You really want to go a few rounds with him?"

Claudia nodded firmly, her expression calm.

"I know the outcome won’t change. But I still want to experience the entire election process from beginning to end."

In other words, Claudia had done this before. She had told the Tower Lord earlier that this final round would be Leon’s stage, that she probably wouldn’t get a good score.

Even so, she still wanted to try.

If Beren had been present, he would have clearly seen the difference between himself and Claudia.

"To strive for what you know you can’t attain"—it wasn’t just a phrase to be thrown around like Beren had.

That kind of courage and determination—quiet, honest, without pomp or pageantry—that was Claudia.

"Alright. I understand, Senior Claudia. I’ll spar with you."

Leon had always respected Claudia. After all, she’d taught him so many techniques in the past. Even now, hearing her explain her reasoning, he felt a deeper respect.

So he would face her properly and give this match the seriousness it deserved.

Seeing this, Principal Wilson had no reason to stop them.

"If you are ready, you may begin at any time."

With that, Wilson and Isha stepped aside—

Yes, even though Claudia had now expressed her resolve, the elder sister and headmaster had no interest in getting involved.

It wasn’t that Isha lacked courage. Her situation was simply different.

She only joined this election to avoid a marriage arrangement; there was no need for her to stake everything in a public showdown.

"Wait a second... Is this Claudia declaring her intent to take the Vice Principal role seriously?" Isha murmured.

"Exactly," Wilson replied, his eyes fixed on the two combatants who were already preparing. "The Sea Dragon Tribe wants to return to the forefront of the dragon clans. Connections and resources are essential, and the Vice Principal position could help Claudia accumulate both rapidly."

Isha’s pupils quivered slightly.

"But no matter how you spin it, Senior Claudia can’t possibly beat my brother-in-law. She even collected one fewer Emerald Dragon’s Tear than he did. In the final scoring phase, she can’t possibly outdo him, right?"

Principal Wilson gave a subtle shake of his head.

"Even if the outcome is already ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) determined, that doesn’t diminish what we gain and realize along the way. That’s the meaning of all things long and enduring."