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Mel's eyes sparkled, no less excited than when the apprentices were scrambling for the sprites...
I couldn't help but chuckle, then pinched Mel's cheek instead. "Let's go, if you keep looking, I'll start to wonder if I've turned into some ancient book inscribed with rare and precious spells."
Mel hugged me and replied, "There are so many ancient spells, you can always find another one if you miss one, but there's only one Xipei!"
The apprentices followed behind. When I turned around, I saw three pairs of bright, big eyes. Moli was fine because her contact lenses were black today (to be honest, I really didn't know Moli's original eye and hair color). But Anna and Ruiduo... when they hugged each other, they looked like a white cake base coated with dark chocolate, and their eyes together looked like... a traffic light.
Especially since both the red and green ones are so bright...
Noticing I was watching, Anna immediately changed the subject. "Wow, teacher, we don't have passports! How are we going to Holy Dragon? This is the outskirts of the city, and even if we do, will we be allowed into the city?"
Mel raised his hand and slapped her on the back of the head. "Your teacher is your passport!"
Oh-right! Mel is recognized by the dragons as the "Light of Nature," which is incredibly low-key compared to nicknames like "Evil Shadow Manipulator," which are widely loved by authors of erotic fiction. That's why I completely forgot about her.
To be honest, I'm a little curious. Based on what I knew before, the title "Light of Nature" is actually the most extraordinary. Just imagine, a dormant volcano that has been dormant for thousands of years erupts just as a newborn blue dragon is about to be born, and Mel is actually able to gather the blue dragons' frigid Magic Power to unleash a blizzard for three days and three nights to protect the blue dragon cubs from being scorched to death... This...
Uh... wait a minute, my expression suddenly changed. This duration of focused spellcasting...
I used to think of this as the legendary feat of a mysterious archmage, so I only felt admiration. However... Mel and I are now lovers, and I know Mel's mental state. Could it be that the blue dragons have some secret technique that can extend a mage's mental focus time?
--Because I can't keep chanting Blizzard for three consecutive days without sleep! If I draw runes, I won't be able to draw power from the blue dragons, so it has to be the mage himself who keeps chanting--
After hearing my question, Mel looked helpless yet couldn't help but laugh. He said, "Ah, that thing... it just so happened that the Dragon Queen was on vacation with the Blue Dragon Clan. It was the height of summer, and she insisted on skiing, so she led a group of Blue Dragons in some silly antics. You know, the magic dragons use is an innate power in their bloodline, and many dragons just spew saliva randomly when casting spells, completely unable to control it. Plus, with the Dragon Queen leading them in this mess, it caused a massive snow disaster..."
I... I think I should just keep my original positive impression of the Holy Dragon Empire.
"Then the Dragon Queen hurriedly called me. Oh, back then I hadn't taken my phone out of the box yet... She begged me to help cover up the Dragon King's scandal, so I rushed over to help break the spell. Because the blue dragons were too high and overexerted themselves, it took me a long time to successfully break the spell. And it wasn't until the third day that I dug the Dragon King out of the snowdrift. To save face for her, the Dragon Queen had to issue a gag order to the media, and the news reports became the version you know."
"Hahahaha..." I couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Is it really the Dragon Emperor himself? This kind of absurd gene in the Dragon Emperor's royal family has been passed down from generation to generation. It's amazing that the Holy Dragon Empire has survived for tens of thousands of years without being destroyed!"
--It's common knowledge that the dark history of their country's successive Dragon Emperors could fill a three-part comedic chronicle! The current Dragon Emperor has relatively few scandals; it seems the Dragon Empress has kept them quiet!
"... Perhaps every Dragon Emperor's partner is reliable," Mel replied.
Speaking of which, I've researched the history of dragons before (because dragons are truly covered in precious magical materials; even the fungus on their toenails is useful). It's said that in ancient times, before the legendary ages, dragons and humans waged war for a thousand years, leaving all races in chaos. Finally, an ancestor of an imperial family, with the blood of a demigod, defeated the Radiant Dragon and signed an unshakeable pact with him, which was passed down through generations, establishing the Holy Dragon Empire. From then on, humans and dragons ruled together in peace and prosperity, continuing to this day. Even during the Dark Ages when the Holy Dragon Empire was isolated by other countries, they never abandoned their dragon companions, and the dragons never forgot to protect the empire.
So, I guess it's because everyone in this Dragon Knight Kingdom is so reliable that their national leader seems particularly unreliable—and I also suspect that the ancestor who signed the contract prematurely exhausted the sense of responsibility of all his descendants.
Therefore, I heard that the Holy Dragon Empire is mainly about the dragons causing trouble and the dragon knights cleaning up the mess (among all the reliable dragon knights who are serious, dedicated and responsible for cleaning up the mess, only the Dragon Emperor can slack off).
--From this perspective, the Dragon Knight is truly the most remarkable breed among knights.
"I've heard that this generation of Dragon Emperor is exceptionally... unreliable."
"Yes!" Mel nodded in deep agreement. "The current Dragon Queen, Agnes, is currently working in the entertainment industry. Her acting is terrible, but because she's the Dragon Queen, even if she acts like a pile of dragon dung, she still has fans watching!"
Oh, I know that. Moli watched the drama starring Dragon Emperor and loved it. While watching, she kept exclaiming that the acting was really terrible, but she still refused to change the channel.
"Fortunately, Her Majesty Queen Cynthia is a former commander of the Dragon Knight Corps, currently the highest-ranking Dragon Knight in the Empire. This way, having a mere figurehead Dragon Emperor isn't a problem," Mel said. "Furthermore, the Holy Dragon from the Dragon Clan is quite reliable; he's the Queen's combat partner. At various international public events, the Dragon King and Queen usually attend together. Anyway, given the Holy Dragon Empire's political system, the Holy Dragon can also represent the nation. So, let the Dragon Emperor do whatever she wants in the entertainment industry; we can rest easy."
See how important it is to find a wonderful partner! I looked at Mel with satisfaction and nodded.
We soon arrived at a border city of the Holy Dragon Empire. The country's architectural style was magnificent and unique. Because it was a country shared by humans and dragons, their buildings were exceptionally tall. If you used an enlargement spell to enlarge the buildings in the Osland Federation, they would be roughly the size of buildings in the Holy Dragon Empire.
The city's skyscrapers are also served by a convenient light rail system, but the lines strictly avoid the dragons' public lairs. While many modern dragons, besides residing in traditional, cave-like lairs, also enjoy big-city life, they still physiologically crave to revert to their dragon form. Therefore, the city has designated areas for dragons to stretch their limbs, and we received a text message notification before entering the city.
"Welcome to the Holy Dragon Empire! Private flights are permitted in low-altitude areas of the Holy Dragon Empire, and while high-altitude flights are not prohibited, if you are crushed to dust by a roaring dragon, don't blame us for not warning you, and insurance companies won't cover such deaths— Holy Dragon Empire Foreign Affairs Office."
Mel took out his phone and dialed a number—he called Queen Cynthia. After a few simple words, it seemed the matter was settled. Shortly afterward, at the highway entrance into the city, we saw a dragon knight rushing over, holding five golden cards, claiming they were special entry and exit permits issued by the Holy Dragon Royal Family.
... Although the story of how he obtained the title of Light of Nature was fabricated, the Holy Dragon Empire's respect for Mel was genuine! Especially Her Majesty Queen Cynthia, who seemed to be an old friend of Mel's.
I thought to myself, trying hard to restrain the urge to praise Mel —he was not only a distinguished guest of the Federation, but also a good friend of the Holy Dragon Empire's Dragon Queen, which was truly admirable!
After receiving the item, I saw the dragon rider give us a strange look before silently riding away on his motorcycle.
"He's riding a motorcycle?" I was a little surprised. I thought the Holy Dragon Empire would be full of dragon knights riding giant dragons all over the place, but the knight I just saw was riding a motorcycle.