Chapter 79: However, She Calls Me Daddy

On Saturday, the St. Hys Academy’s Family Sports Day proceeded as scheduled.

As a new initiative, the school authorities attached great importance to this sports day. All facilities were luxurious, with venues large enough to accommodate several human-dragon wars.

Guided by the staff, the Leon family of four entered the venue.

Leon held Muen in his arms. As they stepped into the vast venue, they were deeply attracted by the dazzling array of first-class awards displayed before them.

If each of these were worth a fortune, they could buy many nice things for their donkey.

Today, the great Dragon Slayer would defeat all the dragons!

—Of course, on the field.

“Your seats are over here,” said a staff member.

The family continued toward their designated seats.

In the spectator stands for young dragons, each family was assigned a professional dragon caretaker to watch over the young dragons while their parents and relatives participated in the games.

That was a considerate arrangement.

After the family of four took their seats, Muen pointed to the track below, his chubby face filled with surprise. “What a big venue.”

About twenty minutes later, the spectator stands were filled with people.

Vice Principal Wilson sat at the lectern, adjusted the microphone, cleared his throat, and then announced, “The inaugural Family Parent-Child Sports Day of St. Hys Academy begins now!”

At the Vice Principal’s command, applause thundered through the spectator stands.

It is worth mentioning that school sports days around the world follow almost identical procedures. Speeches are followed by the opening ceremony, with each class marching past the lectern in formation.

After each class had showcased their performance, Vice Principal Wilson delivered a brief address, essentially stating, “Friendship first, competition second. I hope all students will do their best.”

With that, the sports day officially began.

The first event went straight to the family relay race, no holds barred, living up to the reputation of a warrior nation.

Each family sent three dragons, including at least one student. In the case of the Chrysalis Dragon family, where only one parent was available, the school allowed them to invite a direct relative from their own tribe to form a team together.

With more participants, the race became more exciting, and it also accommodated the few Viviparous Dragon families, allowing them to participate fully.

“We’ve practiced relay races these past few days,” Leon said.

“Yeah, but let’s not underestimate the competition. I just saw some Electric Dragons among the participants,” Rosvitha reminded.

Electric Dragons, like Rosvitha’s Silver Dragon clan, maximized their speed attribute. They were not to be taken lightly.

Leon nodded, placing Muen on a chair. “Alright, let’s do this.”

The dragon caretaker assigned to them immediately approached and sat beside Muen.

Muen was sociable, so she wasn’t afraid of strangers talking to her. She sat obediently on the chair and waved to her family, “Good luck!”

“Got it!”

The trio headed to the edge of the track, warming up and preparing for the race.

After receiving their race numbers, they began to decide the order of the relay.

“The relay race covers a total of 3000 meters, with each person running 1000 meters. The family with the shortest time wins,” Noia explained.

“Does that include the young dragons running 1000 meters?” Leon asked.

Noia nodded.

If this were a human sports event, allowing children under ten to run 1000 meters would be considered student abuse. But when it comes to the dragon sports event, everything becomes reasonable.

After all, the warrior nation capable of writing children’s stories like “How to Slay S-Class Dangerous Species” in books like “Dragon Hatchling Stories” is definitely not to be judged by common sense.

“So, Mom goes first, I go second, Dad—you go third, okay?” Noia was about to instinctively say “Dad.” But it seemed like the little one was a bit reserved, or perhaps shy? In the end, she couldn’t say it. But it was okay.

Leon was already quite satisfied when he heard that faint syllable. At least it was a lot of progress compared to just forming the “b” mouth shape last time.

The couple had no objections to their daughter’s arrangement. “Once you’ve confirmed the relay order, please have all family members ready at their respective starting points. Our relay race is about to begin,” shouted the referee on the sidelines.

Since Leon’s trio was at the starting point for the first leg, Rosvitha didn’t need to move. “Alright, Mom, we’ll go get ready,” Noia said.

“Okay, don’t be nervous. Mom will definitely pass the baton to you first,” Rosvitha smiled, shaking the relay baton in her hand.

Noia’s stern little face also showed a smile. “Okay.”

After reassuring their eldest daughter, Rosvitha looked up at Leon. The couple exchanged a glance, not saying much, just nodding at each other almost imperceptibly.

Leon withdrew his gaze and accompanied Noia to the position for the second leg. Throughout the process, neither father nor daughter said a word.

Noia took this sports event very seriously, so Leon didn’t make any light-hearted jokes with her to relieve tension. With other children, it might have had some effect, but not with Noia. Once she got serious, anyone trying to be funny with her might just dampen her enthusiasm.

It wasn’t until they stood at the starting point for the second leg that Leon turned to her and said, “I’ll be waiting for you at the third leg, Noia.”

“Okay,” she replied.

After a pause, Leon looked down at his right hand, then clenched it slightly and extended it towards Noia. “Could you give Dad some encouragement?”

Understanding his gesture, Noia raised her small fist and gently tapped it against Leon’s. Just like the day they took the entrance test together, both big and small fists could clearly feel each other’s strength.

After the fist bump, Leon turned and ran towards the starting point for the final leg.

Once all families were in position, a dazzling dragon flame exploded in the air, and the race officially began. At the starting point for the first leg, a silver figure moved like lightning, its long tail trailing behind, leaving a blur that was astonishingly fast, eliciting gasps from the audience and commentators.

Leon was about to make a small celebration, but then he saw another dragon catching up with Rosvitha.

“Someone can actually keep up with Rosvitha’s speed…” Leon muttered in amazement.

“Hmph, of course. It’s not like only your Silver Dragon clan is good at speed,” a voice came from beside him.

Leon looked in the direction of the voice and saw a slender dog-like creature standing at 1.9 meters tall.

Leon glanced down and noticed a faint lightning mark on the other dragon’s tail. “Electric Dragon clan…”

During the war, Leon had a deep impression of the Electric Dragon clan. Despite their low combat power, they were impossible to catch if they wanted to escape. They often launched feint attacks against Leon’s troops, only to disappear without a trace afterward. It was what they called the “Toad Tactics” – not biting, but irritating.

“Look! Misty of the Electric Dragon clan has overtaken Rosvitha of the Silver Dragon clan! She’s leading by a body length!” The commentator’s voice was filled with excitement.

Leon looked back at the first leg of the race. Indeed, the mother Electric Dragon had surpassed Rosvitha, with Rosvitha now struggling to catch up from behind.

The slender dog-like creature beside Leon chuckled triumphantly. “Although this is an entertainment event, the final results somewhat represent the differences between the various clans, don’t you think?”

Leon kept his hands in his pockets, remaining silent.

“Oh, come on! My wife is already leading yours by two body lengths! Is there any point in continuing to watch?” The Electric Dragon seemed a bit smug.

Leon glanced at him and replied casually, “Well, your wife is great.”

The Electric Dragon raised an eyebrow. Even though it was a compliment to himself, why did it sound strange?

Before he could retort, Leon continued, “But mine is even better.”

On the track, there was now only a hundred meters left until the second leg. Misty, the Electric Dragon, continued to lead the race. At this rate, her family would easily win the relay race championship.

However—

Before she could feel too proud, she caught a glimpse of a silver figure beside her.

The Silver Dragon behind her had caught up again!

Rosvitha’s lips curled slightly. “Running in the lead, the wind resistance must be tough, right?”

“W-what…”

So the reason this Silver Dragon had been trailing behind her was to reduce wind resistance using her body?

Short-distance sprinting was the specialty of both Silver and Electric Dragons, so who would be faster depended on the final burst of speed.

But Misty had been blocking the wind for Rosvitha the entire way, and her stamina was clearly dwindling now.

Rosvitha accelerated explosively once again, dashing towards Noia’s position amidst Misty’s astonished gaze.

The baton was passed!

Noia, starting the second leg, began running alongside the little Electric Dragon beside her.

After passing the baton, Misty bent over, hands on knees, panting heavily.

Rosvitha, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, not a hint of exertion showing on her face.

Is that all? I haven’t even broken a sweat yet.

She turned her head to look at the third leg where Leon was.

He was far away, but he raised his arm and gave her a thumbs-up.

Rosvitha chuckled lightly and waved back in response.

Then, she turned her gaze to her daughter.

Although Noia didn’t have the advantage in age or height, she was soon caught up by Misty’s son.

But catching up was one thing; surpassing Noia was another.

The two young dragons raced side by side on the track, neither giving an inch.

From the looks of it, it seems like they’re about to arrive at the third leg simultaneously. However… Noia ultimately lost due to her size.

After all, she’s still too young. That little Electric Dragon, with its advantage in age and leg length, gradually surpassed Noia. In the end, Noia arrived at the exchange point second.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“Look at Daddy.”

Leon would never let his obedient daughter blame herself. After taking the relay baton, he immediately chased after the slender Electric Dragon. Noia pinched her sleeve, biting her lower lip as she murmured softly, Leon’s figure reflected in her eyes.

“Come on… Dad.”

Guided by the staff, Noia arrived at the finish line through the express lane. Rosvitha had been waiting here for a while.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I wasted the advantage you gave me.”

Rosvitha ruffled Noia’s hair. “Noia, you did great. All your opponents are older than you. Let’s cheer for Dad together now.”

“Okay.” Noia nodded obediently.

“Go, Dad! Dad is the best!” Muen cheered from the spectator stands.

The little dragon girl indeed had the potential to be a cheerleader.

On the track, Leon closely followed behind the slender Electric Dragon.

“Hmph, why are you still struggling? I haven’t even exerted myself yet, but I’m already so far ahead of you. Yet, you seem to be giving it your all already?” A teasing voice came from the front.

Leon ignored it, silently adjusting his pace and breathing rhythm.

“In five seconds, I’ll be ahead of you by a full five seconds. Remember that.”

With those words, the slender Electric Dragon accelerated once again, pulling ahead of Leon by three positions. Leon clenched his teeth, continuously squeezing out the strength from his body.

If he wanted to secure the first place in the overall results of the sports festival, he had to excel in every event. That was the safest approach. And, don’t underestimate my determination for the holidays, you bastard! That’s a full seven days!

Leon suddenly accelerated, gradually catching up to the slender Electric Dragon. The two of them raced side by side, sprinting towards the finish line together.

“Tsk, you actually caught up. Next, I’ll accelerate even more. Can you keep up with me?”

They chased each other relentlessly, not giving an inch.

The audience was ignited by this intense chase, not expecting such excitement right at the beginning of the sports festival. This duel had captured the attention of everyone present. And the most astonishing thing was, not a single dragon in the audience could have imagined that the one rivaling the renowned speed of the dragon clan was actually a… human!

However, Leon’s current speed was already at its limit. If the opponent continued to exert more force, it might indeed be a bit—

“Go, Dad!”

Leon’s ears keenly caught the voice—it wasn’t Muen’s! He looked towards the finish line, where Noia was jumping, waving at him, and shouting loudly, “Dad! Come on!”

She called me Dad.

She called me Dad!

I’ve longed for that “Dad” for so long…

At that moment, in Leon’s eyes, everything about speed, talent points and unbeatable physical limits was shattered by Noia’s tiny figure.

He couldn’t afford to lose. Absolutely, he couldn’t lose. Leon roared as if he had returned to the battlefield of years past, driven by the belief that had repeatedly pulled him out of corpses—a belief in coming home. And now, this belief came from his daughter.

With miraculous speed, he surpassed the Electric Dragon beside him. The Electric Dragon, sensing this, felt uneasy. It then moved with malicious intent, edging closer to Leon’s side.

Zap— A faint electric light flickered on the Electric Dragon’s shoulder, gradually closing in on Leon.

Leon had a keen sense for lightning or electric magic, given his background in studying lightning magic. And he could roughly guess what this Electric Dragon was up to.

At that moment, standing at the finish line, Rosvitha seemed to sense something amiss. The Electric Dragon was inexplicably getting closer to Leon, likely planning some trickery.

Rosvitha frowned slightly, her whole body tensing up.

Leon cast a disdainful glance at the Electric Dragon beside him, snorting, “This time, let’s settle old scores and new grudges together.”

Old scores: Your Electric Dragon clan used to harass my troops like crazy back in the day, never engaging head-on. It was downright irritating.

New grudges: Now you want to ambush me? How could I pass up such a good opportunity?

This time, you won’t get away!

Seeing Leon standing firm without flinching or realizing, the Electric Dragon continued to boldly approach.

But little did the Electric Dragon know, Leon accurately seized the moment of its deceleration as it leaned in, taking big strides and completely overtaking it. The Electric Dragon’s scheming failed, and its body even experienced a slight imbalance.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Leon ran ahead, vigorously shaking off the dust from his shoes. Because the Electric Dragon had gotten too close in its attempt to ambush Leon, it ended up getting a face full of dust kicked up by him.

Some dust particles even got into its eyes, causing the Electric Dragon’s vision to black out momentarily. Its body lost balance suddenly, and it fell forward, landing face-first in the dirt.

“Oh, what a pity! The Electric Dragon competitor, who had a chance to contend for first place, unexpectedly made a mistake and fell down! Now, it seems the competition is without suspense, with the participant who was reluctant to show its tail taking the lead!” The commentator remained enthusiastic.

Amidst the cheers of his daughters, Leon crossed the finish line first. Noia jogged over, wanting to high-five Leon in celebration. To her surprise, Leon bent down and scooped her up.

Noia was startled but didn’t struggle. “What did you just call me? Hm?” Leon asked with a smile.

Noia’s face turned red, and she averted her eyes. “Dad…”

“Ahh, that feels good~ Any more of that?” Leon teased.

“Hmph, wait until you win first place in the sports festival,” Noia replied, turning her head away completely.

Leon affectionately rubbed Noia’s cheek. “You’ve got the same spirit as your mom.”

Rosvitha also walked over, asking softly, “Are you okay? Didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “You saw that?”

“Yeah, but because of the angle, it seems like the referee on the sidelines didn’t notice. We should report it directly. We can’t let them get away with it.”

Rosvitha’s expression was stern, indicating she was genuinely angry.

Who would have thought, the thief cried foul—

“I’m reporting! I’m reporting! He’s cheating! Seriously cheating!”

The voice came from the Misty family, the very Electric Dragon family that had just attempted to ambush Leon but had been outsmarted by him.

Upon hearing this, the referee team also approached to listen to the Electric Dragon’s account of what happened. However, after over ten minutes of discussion, the referees unanimously agreed—

Leon did not commit a foul.

“Why?! My husband was injured because of him! Why isn’t that considered a foul?!”

“Please calm down, madam. Leon’s actions indeed do not constitute a foul. Instead, it seems your husband got too close during the race, which doesn’t quite comply with the safety regulations,” the referee explained.

“Hey, you—!”

“Thank you for your hard work, referees. Since we’re all here, why don’t we take a look at the Electric Dragon’s shoulder, just to see if his clothes got burnt by the electricity,” Leon said as he walked over, still holding Noia. Rosvitha followed beside him.

“Burnt? What do you mean, Mr. Leon?”

“This guy just tried to ambush me with electricity during the sprint. I got scared and ran for my life, accidentally kicking up some dust. But as you just said, that’s not my fault, right?” Leon said convincingly, while Rosvitha stifled a laugh beside him.

The referee nodded. “Hmm, go on, check the person’s shoulder.”

Two referees approached and examined the Electric Dragon’s shoulder. Indeed, there were traces of burnt on its clothes.

Then, the referees took out a memory stone and replayed the footage of the sprint multiple times. In the footage, the Electric Dragon did indeed attempt to use a weak electric current to ambush Leon.

“The evidence of foul play is clear. According to the regulations, the Misty family’s eligibility for future participation is revoked, and their current results are invalidated,” the referee announced, then sighed. “The influence you have on your children with such actions is not good. I hope you learn from this.”

Visibly, the little Electric Dragon from that family looked extremely disheartened, clearly affected greatly by the incident. However, the adult Electric Dragon seemed defiant, about to retort. But as its gaze shifted past Leon’s shoulder, it suddenly wilted.

Leon also noticed this and turned to look back. A white-haired dragon was approaching.

The old dragon was also slender, with a faint lightning symbol on its tail.

The white-haired dragon walked up to Rosvitha, nodding slightly. “My kin have caused trouble for your family. I am deeply sorry for this, Melkvi.”

Rosvitha smiled faintly. “I hope you can discipline your kin, Sol. Luckily, my husband was quick-witted this time and wasn’t injured. If he had been injured earlier, a simple apology from you wouldn’t suffice.”

“I understand, Melkvi. I will take care of the Misty family when I return.”

“Good.”

With a glance from Sol, the Misty family scurried away, following him out of the arena.

Leon leaned over to Rosvitha and asked, “Who is that old man?”

“The leader of the Electric Dragon clan, Sol.”

“Ah, top-notch treatment!”

Rosvitha chuckled and gave him a playful glare. “All you think about is achievements, huh?”

Leon chuckled mischievously, then jokingly praised Rosvitha, “Anyway, dear wife, you’ve got quite the face.”

“Hmph, any normal dragon clan should apologize to me like the Sol clan did, as long as they’re not as arrogant as those silly dragons from the Red Flame clan.”

As Rosvitha finished speaking, she seemed to realize something was amiss. She promptly elbowed Leon. “Who’s your wife? Don’t call me so affectionately.”