Chapter 45: No one understands assessments better than I do.

A few hours later, a family of three arrived at St. Hys Academy. It was strategically positioned for defense in the central part of the mountain range with the same name. Similar to the Sky City, only races with the ability to fly could reach it.

Upon landing at the academy’s gate, Rosvitha returned to her humanoid form, holding Noia’s hand. Many other dragon families accompanied them, but families with both parents present, like Noia’s, were rare.

“Let’s go inside,” Rosvitha said, leading the way towards the academy gate, with Leon following closely, hands in pockets.

They encountered a campus with an ancient design, spacious pathways, and a massive dragon-shaped stone sculpture inside the gate. Perhaps crafted to commemorate a dragon hero, Leon.

Crossing the pathways, they reached the enrollment office for the Young Dragon Section. Since it was a noble academy within the dragon community, they didn’t have to wait long before being personally received by the academy staff.

The staff led them to an office where they filled out basic information.

“Name, Noia K. Melkvi, Silver Dragon, age one year and three months?” the staff read, looking slightly surprised at Noia’s age.

Rosvitha, anticipating the question, responded, “Well, about the age issue, my husband and I have considered it. We don’t believe it will have any impact, and our daughter has no objections.”

The staff turned their attention to Noia, who sat quietly between her parents, her calm demeanor unusual for a dragon of her age.

“Your daughter meets the basic requirements to participate in our school’s entrance test. Please take this testing card and proceed to the fourth floor to await the test,” the staff said, handing a card to Noia.

Noia took the card and exclaimed, “I’m going now, Mom.”

“Good, best of luck,” Rosvitha replied, and Noia hurriedly left the office.

The staff then addressed Rosvitha and Leon, “Curious about her age, but since she insists, we’ll proceed. Please follow me to the third floor to assess viviparous families.”

Leon and Rosvitha exchanged glances and nodded subtly, confident in their ability to handle assessments. The staff led them to the third floor, where two families were ahead in the queue.

“I’ll go inside and register for you. There are two families ahead. Please be patient,” the staff said, and Leon responded, “Yes, thank you.” They settled in, prepared for a short wait.

Leon and Rosvitha took a seat on the corridor bench. She lowered her head, her tail involuntarily curling up, hands on her knees, nervously pressing and rubbing her nails. She seemed a bit anxious.

Leon leaned back on the chair, glancing sideways at Rosvitha. Since last night, she talked about feeling nervous and under pressure, even “lecturing” Leon about it in her classic way. Afterwards, she even explained something she had never done before. Surely, she must genuinely value this entrance test. It was a significant matter concerning Noia.

Leon pursed his lips, lifted his hand, and looked at the fair back of Rosvitha’s hand. After a moment of hesitation, his hand ultimately landed on Rosvitha’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong? Did the stress relief from last night wear off so quickly?” Leon teased.

Rosvitha chuckled, giving him a playful glare. She could tell Leon was trying to make a joke to ease her tension. “Your words aren’t providing any comfort at all.”

Leon shrugged. “Well, how would you like me to comfort you? Should I do it more often?”

“Go to hell.”

Rosvitha laughed, playfully scolding him, then shifted her shoulder, shaking off Leon’s hand. But this little joke did help alleviate her recent nervousness and anxiety.

Rosvitha tilted her head back, took a deep breath, and waited quietly for the test to begin. After about an hour, the two families ahead of them had completed their assessments. The staff member who had accompanied Leon and Rosvitha led them into the office.

The office was more spacious, and the interior was more luxurious. In the office, three elderly dragons with white hair sat side by side behind a long table. The two on either side sat with serious expressions, upright and meticulous. The one seated in the center wore a friendly smile adorned with gold-rimmed glasses, presenting a cultured and gentle appearance.

The staff member instructed Leon and Rosvitha to wait at the door while approaching the three elderly dragons for a calm conversation.

Taking advantage of the moment, Rosvitha leaned towards Leon, lowering her voice, “With your experience, do you think these three are easy to handle?”

Leon carefully assessed the three dragons and concluded, “Easy kills.”

Rosvitha was shocked, “Easy kills?”

He nodded, “Yeah, the me before being captured by you could undoubtedly take their heads in fifty rounds.”

Rosvitha helplessly supported her forehead. “I wasn’t asking about whether it’s easy to deal with or not… I’m talking about the assessment later. Will they give us some difficult questions, OK?”

Leon shrugged, “Don’t worry, we’ve prepared well for the written assessment. We won’t make mistakes.”

About five minutes later, the staff came over with two answer sheets.

“Both of you, please come here for the assessment. There is no time limit, but you cannot talk during the assessment. Thank you for your cooperation.”

The staff led Leon and Rosvitha to a table, asking them to sit on either side of the table. A non-transparent board was placed in the middle of the table. The assessment officially began.

Leon looked at the questions on the paper, most of which they had discussed during the nights they spent together. In those short few nights, their understanding of each other had already surpassed that of couples married for many years. So, answering questions like these in the test wasn’t stumbling for them. It went quite smoothly.

Half an hour later, they each handed in their answer sheets. The staff handed the answer sheets to the dean on the left for approval. “Please come over and have a seat, both of you.”

The couple looked at each other. They both saw a hint of confusion in each other’s eyes.

Hadn’t the assessment ended? Why did they need to talk to the school leaders?

With a sense of puzzlement, they walked over. After taking their seats, the white-haired elder in the middle introduced himself gently, “Hello, both of you. I am Walter Wilson, the vice principal of St. Hys Academy. I am pleased to be in charge of your assessment.”

“Hello, Principal. I am Rosvitha Melkvi, the leader of the Silver Dragon Clan, and this is my husband, Leon Casmode. We are fortunate to participate in the assessment at your esteemed school.”

Principal Wilson nodded, “Let’s skip the small talk and proceed to the second part of the assessment, the interview.”

“Interview!”

Principal Wilson smiled with narrowed eyes, “Yes, this is a new assessment stage we’ve introduced at St. Hys Academy this year. Are both of you ready?”

The couple’s expressions turned serious, “Ready for what?”