Chapter 113: Another ceremony?

The awakening of elemental attributes after enlightenment is solely related to the user themselves, unaffected by the guidance method or the content of the learning during the enlightenment stage.

What’s learned during enlightenment is merely about sensing magic and manipulating magic, and so on.

So, whether Muen ultimately takes after her father or her mother, no one can say for sure. However, the day of her awakening is getting closer and closer, and soon it will become clear.

The day after receiving the key to the library from Rosvitha, Leon took Muen there. Upon entering, rows of neatly arranged bookshelves stretched as far as the eye could see.

Leon couldn’t help but sigh. There must have been tens of thousands of books here. A private library reaching the scale of a large public library – Rosvitha was indeed generous.

Thinking about it, Leon couldn’t help but wonder, with so many books…

Could the Dragon Queen read them all? But upon further consideration, he realized that dragons had lifespans reaching thousands of years, something humans couldn’t compare with.

With a thousand years at one’s disposal, even with intermittent efforts, all these books could be read.

Leon refocused his thoughts and walked alongside Muen, holding her little hand as they passed row after row of bookshelves.

Although there were plenty of books here, they were all meticulously categorized, covering various genres. This included novels about love, ghosts, and mythical legends – you name it.

However, Leon didn’t come here to cultivate his sentiments or pass the time. Alongside teaching Muen the basics of magic, he also needed to address his own issue of depleted magical power.

Leon selected a few introductory books on magic and then led Muen to a desk by the French windows.

He lifted Muen onto his lap, letting the little dragon girl sit comfortably, before opening one of the chosen books titled “Introduction to Young Dragon Magic.”

“Oh, I know this book!” Muen exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the table of contents. Leon chuckled and gently patted her small head. “Now, Muen, it’s time for you to follow your sister’s footsteps and study diligently.”

“Alright~”

No matter how silly she might seem at times, Muen was still a genius of a sister. Being a bit silly on the surface didn’t mean she couldn’t handle serious matters.

Leon had confidence in his little cotton ball.

As he flipped through the books, he explained some basic magical knowledge to Muen. In terms of these fundamental theories, both dragons and humans followed the same teaching methods.

“Magic is a composite force, formed by the combination of the user’s physical and mental strength. It is then guided through the user’s magical pathways within the body, ultimately producing the desired effects,” Leon explained to Muen in the simplest way possible.

The little dragon listened attentively, her fuzzy head nodding along. Then, she asked, “Daddy, what is mental strength?”

“Mental strength is just a term. It can be understood simply as ‘willpower,’ ‘intent,’ or ‘strong thoughts about a particular goal.’ Of course, this is just a simplified explanation; the actual description is much more complex,” Leon answered as he picked up another book.

“For example, when Daddy picks up this book, isn’t he using some strength?”

Muen nodded. “So, while using strength, Daddy also has the intention of ‘I want to pick up the book.’ With both driving forces, Daddy completes this simple action.”

Muen blinked her beautiful big eyes, softly murmuring in agreement. Then she asked, “But, but, if Daddy’s intention to pick up the book isn’t strong, can’t he still pick it up in the end?”

The simplified description naturally had some loopholes. Of course, these were intentional loopholes left by Leon. He wanted Muen to think and ask questions on her own, as that’s what would leave a lasting impression.

“Well, you’re not wrong, Muen, but that’s just for something as simple as picking up a book. The impact of intent or, let’s say, mental strength on it isn’t significant,” Leon explained.

“But if it’s something complex like ‘manipulating magic,’ then mental strength can have a significant impact on the final outcome. Let’s consider two extreme hypotheses regarding this.”

“Alright, Daddy, go ahead,” Muen said, listening intently. This was way more interesting than listening to stories about young dragons!

“Let’s consider two people,” Leon began.

“One is physically healthy and mentally sound, while the other is also physically healthy but strongly averse to using magic for some reason.”

“Now, let’s set the same goal for both of them—using dragon flame.”

“Which person do you think will achieve a better result?” Leon asked.

Muen raised her hand. “The first one!”

“Why’s that?” Leon inquired.

“Because Daddy just said that magic is composed of physical and mental strength. So, with the same physical health, the strength of their mental will determines the final outcome of the magic,” Muen explained.

Leon chuckled and pinched her little cheek. “Exactly. The strength of the intent to ‘use dragon flame’ determines the actual effect of the spell.”

“On the other hand, what I said about ‘strongly averse to using magic for some reason’ was just a general statement.”

Muen tilted her head. “What does that mean?”

“There could be many reasons for not wanting to use magic. For example, just finishing a battle and wanting to rest as soon as possible, or feeling the pressure from an opponent after witnessing a friend’s defeat.”

“There are many scenarios like these. That’s why in the process of learning magic, there are specific courses focused on training mental and willpower.”

“Muen will encounter them in the future,” Leon explained.

“Oh, I see, Muen will remember that,” Muen nodded.

“Of course, having enough mental strength alone isn’t enough. Physical strength is also crucial. Muen has been exercising regularly recently, which is great,” Leon praised.

The little dragon wagged her tail proudly. “Of course~ Muen doesn’t want to fall too far behind my sister.”

Such a good daughter, always so diligent from a young age. In the future, she’ll surpass all the other dragon lords!

After explaining a bit more, Muen started practicing on her own. Leon could finally focus on his own tasks.

He approached several shelves of magic books, carefully selecting the ones that might be useful. Having just reviewed the composition of magic with Muen, Leon also had a fresh perspective.

“Since magic is composed of both physical and mental energy, my physical strength should be sufficient now, and my mental energy shouldn’t be lacking either.”

“Why then is my magic still in a state of depletion?” He muttered under his breath, delving into deep thought as he browsed through books.

“Is it impossible to generate magic… No, during the refining of Dragon Strength and when sparring with Rosvitha, I was able to briefly use lightning elemental magic. This indicates that I can synthesize magic.”

“What could be going on…”

For the entire morning, he flipped through numerous ancient magic texts, indeed finding some precedents of magic depletion. However, Leon merely lightly attempted those solutions, to no avail.

Tricky.

Looks like this will be quite a lengthy task, Leon thought to himself.

During lunchtime, Leon took Muen to the dining hall.

Rosvitha was already there.

“Mommy~” The little dragon girl called sweetly, her fluffy hair bouncing as she ran over.

Rosvitha smiled and lifted her up. “Are you tired from your morning studies?”

“Not at all, Daddy explained everything so well, and Muen listened super attentively~”

Rosvitha gently rubbed her daughter’s cheek. “That’s good then. Muen, you should awaken your inherent element soon. Mommy is really looking forward to the day you awaken.”

As she spoke, she lifted her gaze and glanced meaningfully at Leon.

Leon snorted softly, knowing exactly what the dragoness was thinking.

Whether Muen ultimately awakened as a fire or lightning element wouldn’t have much impact on her future studies, but it would greatly affect the couple’s status within their family.

Noia had already awakened the lightning element, which was a significant advantage for Leon and Rosvitha to flaunt; So if Muen also awakened as a lightning element, Leon was afraid they’d be able to rub it in Rosvitha’s face with champagne.

However, if it were the fire element, the queen could regain some ground, reclaiming some advantage, and preventing that damned dragon slayer from incessantly gloating.

Their competitiveness was peculiar, much like how normal families would often argue about “who the child resembles more.”

Lunch progressed slowly.

Halfway through the meal, Anna approached with a letter in hand.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty, Your Highness, it’s a letter from the academy.”

Anna handed the letter to Rosvitha.

Rosvitha opened the letter and read through it from top to bottom.

Leon also set down his utensils; concerning their daughter, he was also very interested. “What does the letter say?”

Rosvitha passed the letter to Leon. “The academy invites us to attend the award ceremony for Noia’s composition competition.”