After Aurora’s suggestion, Leon couldn’t help but smile. 

Aurora’s proficiency in the *Nine Gates of Hell* was impressive. With just a few simple words, she helped Leon understand the mistakes he had been making during his practice. 

After passing on some key techniques, the father and daughter sparred a bit to test his progress.

As expected, the weakened Leon was easily defeated by his youngest daughter.

Thus, the second dragon to ever defeat Leon Cassmod emerged.

Who was the first dragon to defeat him, you ask?

That would be Rosvisser, of course.

This just goes to show that the unbeatable hero can only be bested by his family!

After their sparring session, Leon lay on the soft grass in a starfish position, exhausted. Even such a simple practice session had put a significant strain on his worn-out body.

Aurora stood next to him with her hands in the pockets of her white lab coat. “Mom used to say that if you could defeat Dad, you could walk all over this continent. So, by that logic, I, Aurora, am now invincible.”

Leon let out a soft chuckle and slowly sat up.

Aurora sat down beside him, mimicking her mother’s usual sitting posture: knees slightly bent, arms wrapped around her legs, and her chin resting on her knees—resembling a well-behaved cat.

After sitting down, Aurora pulled out the photo of Claudia she had shown Leon earlier.

Looking at the photo, Leon asked, “When did Claudia leave?”

“About... five years ago, I think,” Aurora replied. “But she didn’t leave on good terms.”

“Not on good terms? What do you mean?”

“That day, she was teaching us some new magic. Based on the pace of her lessons, she was supposed to stay with us for at least another half-month.”

Aurora gazed down at the photo, reminiscing about the past. “But in the middle of teaching, she suddenly seemed to notice someone and rushed over to meet them. They disappeared behind some bushes, and it sounded like they were arguing.”

“After about ten minutes, Claudia returned and told us that our teacher-student relationship had come to an end. She said we now had enough strength to protect ourselves and that from then on, we weren’t allowed to mention her name to anyone.”

“After giving us those instructions, she left.”

Leon was deep in thought. “She saw someone... and they argued?”

Aurora nodded. “Yes.”

“Did you get a good look at who she was talking to?”

“No, but from the sound of it, the other person was also a woman, probably around Claudia’s age.”

Leon scratched his head, feeling even more puzzled.

He already knew very little about Claudia and her mysterious interventions. Now, there was another unknown woman involved, which only added to the mystery.

When Rosvisser had first told him about the Sea Dragon Clan, she had made it clear that there were no diplomatic relations between the Silver Dragons and the Sea Dragons.

But here was Claudia, not only helping Rosvisser’s family in their darkest hour but also staying with them for an extended period as their teacher.

What was her motivation? Why had she come to help them in the first place? And why had she left so abruptly?

Sigh. There was no making sense of it.

Leon let out a frustrated sigh, deciding not to dwell on it any longer.

“Dad.”

“Hm?”

“I have a bold theory.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Let’s hear it.”

“What if Claudia had a secret crush on you all along? She admired your handsome looks for years, and after learning that you were in trouble, she came to our aid.”

Aurora’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “After saving us, she quietly left, hiding her feelings and her contributions. Isn’t that just the most heartwarming story of an unspoken love? When Mom wakes up, I have to tell her this—ow! That hurts!”

Leon flicked his daughter’s forehead playfully.

“I have a small suggestion regarding your theory. You should take a closer look at my history. I never even set foot in the Sea Dragon territory, let alone meet Claudia. There was no secret crush,” Leon said.

Aurora rubbed her sore forehead, pouting. “So you’re denying everything I just said?”

Leon shrugged. “What else am I supposed to do?”

“Does that include denying the part where I said you’re handsome?”

“That part I’ll allow,” Leon replied, smirking.

Aurora pushed her glasses up with a grin, a habit she’d picked up.

“Besides, Dad,” she said, “Claudia wasn’t young. In fact, when Mom married you, even by human standards, she was considered ‘robbing the cradle.’ And now you’re trying to pair yourself with someone even older?”

Rosvisser was over two hundred years old, while Leon was in his twenties. 

Put nicely, the Queen had a fondness for younger men. But in less flattering terms... well, let’s just say some might be shocked.

“Age doesn’t matter that much among dragons. Relationships between dragons several hundred years apart in age are quite common,” Aurora explained. “But since you’re human, it’s different.”

She adjusted her glasses again—a habitual gesture.

Curious, Leon’s eyes twinkled with a sudden thought. “Wait, do dragons even get nearsighted?”

“Pure-blooded dragons don’t,” Aurora said. “But I’m half-human, and I spend all my time in the underground lab reading ancient texts, so nearsightedness was inevitable.”

When she mentioned being a half-blood, Aurora’s tone was light, as if it didn’t bother her in the slightest.

Leon pressed his lips together, hesitating before asking cautiously, “Aurora, how did you feel when you first learned that half your blood was human?”

Aurora blinked, immediately understanding the deeper meaning behind her father’s question.

She smiled softly. “Dad, are you asking if I can accept being half-human?”

“...Yes.”

“Of course, I can. Why wouldn’t I?”

Aurora turned to look at Leon, her pink eyes serious and sincere.

“I could even ask you in return, why would you think that your daughters might struggle to accept their heritage?”

Leon was taken aback, clearly not expecting that response. “Well, I just—”

“It’s not your fault. Mom had the same concerns when she told us,” Aurora continued. “She worried that we might resent you or be ashamed of ourselves.”

“She spoke to us at length, hardly letting us get a word in. She was so worried that we would hate our human bloodline or feel ashamed of our origin.”

“In the end, it was Noa who reassured her.”

“Noa said that in your mind, the first lesson you ever taught her might’ve been tutoring her for the Saint His Academy entrance exam.”

“But for her, the first real lesson you taught was how to accept oneself.”

“You woke up from a two-year coma with no idea how to be a father.”

“But you embraced your new role and accepted Noa and Moon as your daughters.”

“You knew they weren’t fully human, yet you still loved them without hesitation.”

“Because first and foremost, they were your daughters. Their bloodline was secondary.”

“At the time, I didn’t fully understand what Noa meant.”

“But now, I think I’m starting to get it.”

Aurora slowly stood up, gazing into the distance. The horizon, where the green of the earth met the blue of the sky, was a clear dividing line in her eyes.

“Accepting oneself is no easy task,” she said softly. 

“But Leon Cassmod managed to do it effortlessly.”

“So, as his daughters, why couldn’t we do the same?”

“And besides...”

Aurora looked down at her father, the seriousness in her face fading into a mischievous smile.

“You, the strongest dragon slayer in the human world, fell head over heels in love with the Silver Dragon Queen. Are you really going to stand here talking about ‘bloodlines’?”