Slacker Second Gen C46

Chapter 46: Dragon Dad 16

Before being activated, Lady Layla’s magical labyrinth resembled a vast and beautiful garden. Even the students of Holyleaf Magic Academy only got to see its true form during their graduation year when the labyrinth was fully opened.

“Overcoming the magical labyrinth” was one of the graduation requirements for Holyleaf students.

Now, Lady Layla had brought it out early to test the students and even increased the difficulty—she had filled it with numerous alchemical creatures crafted by her husband, the renowned alchemy master Anton.

The students from both schools, who had just finished their friendly exchange matches, were all thrown into the magical labyrinth.

At first, the students were confused, but excitement soon followed, especially among the Central Magic Academy students. They had long heard of the labyrinth’s wonders and were eager to explore it.

In contrast, the Holyleaf students, having heard various legends from their senior graduates, dared not take it lightly.

“We’re more familiar with this place. You’d better follow us, or if you run into any trouble, don’t blame us for not saving you,” a Holyleaf girl said awkwardly.

A Central Magic Academy boy immediately scoffed, “You’re just scared, aren’t you? Ha! We don’t need your help. It’s just a labyrinth—it won’t trap us!”

The boy clearly did not realize that the girl’s awkwardness stemmed from a different sentiment. Completely oblivious, he unintentionally shut her down.

Having just witnessed their beloved young dragon being taken in by a grumpy-looking boy, the Central Magic Academy students were fired up, determined to outshine the Holyleaf students.

The two groups of students parted ways.

Meanwhile, Layla and Lacia stood at the control platform, observing the students’ progress.

From the platform, the enormous labyrinth below was miniaturized and displayed clearly before them.

Fizke and two other teachers stood nearby, ready to intervene if any serious injuries or life-threatening situations arose.

Lacia wore a smile as warm as a spring breeze. Lady Layla’s smile bore a subtle resemblance to that of her former teacher.

Seeing the students scattered by the sudden appearance of alchemical creatures, Lady Layla remarked, “The Central Magic Academy students are very proficient with spells, almost casting them instantly. It seems their foundational draconic language skills are well developed.”

Lacia, stroking the young dragon in his arms, was less impressed.

“Their reactions are still too slow.”

The Meiva siblings swung a copper statue from the labyrinth, smashing it against the attacking alchemical giant. Though the impact dented the giant’s chest, it remained unscathed and retaliated by sending them flying with a single arm movement.

Leo, on the other hand, used ice magic to freeze the giant’s joints, causing it to topple over.

Lacia’s purple eyes lingered on Leo for a few seconds before he lowered his gaze, gently stroking the young dragon’s cheek.

“Qian, do you like that human?”

Back in Isaac City, Qian had already shown a preference for that boy. Unexpectedly, upon meeting him again at Holyleaf, she had the same reaction.

Lacia couldn’t help but feel curious and wanted to understand why.

The young dragon was still too little. Sitting on her father’s lap, she nibbled on snacks. When she heard the question, she nodded without hesitation.

“Like him!”

“Why do you like him?”

Qian struggled to articulate an answer.

As she grew, fragmented memories occasionally surfaced in her mind.

For some reason, Leo’s appearance and demeanor seemed vaguely familiar.

She thought hard, counting on her fingers, before finally tilting her head up and saying, “He looks… like… Daddy!”

Lacia looked at Leo in surprise.

How did that grumpy-faced kid resemble him in any way? Or perhaps, because the boy was skilled in ice magic, Qian felt a sense of familiarity?

After all, he was a descendant of a human bloodline blessed by an ice dragon.

When it came to things his young dragon liked—whether they were objects or living beings—Lacia had only one thought.

“If Qian likes him, why not bring him back? He can keep you company,” the dragon said matter-of-factly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lady Layla, who had been listening to their conversation, struggled to maintain her smile.

Helplessly, she said, “Teacher, Leo is a student I’ve taken under my wing. He still has many lessons to complete here.”

Lacia lifted his chin. “Are you saying I wouldn’t be able to teach him properly?”

Lady Layla softened her tone. “Of course, I trust in your abilities, Teacher. But this should depend on the child’s own wishes.”

She could tell that Lacia’s attitude toward the boy was far from one of appreciation.

Lacia merely snorted and did not press the matter further. He had no real interest in mentoring a “dragon hunter’s descendant.”

Lady Layla glanced at the young dragon nestled in her teacher’s arms. Curious about her, she seized the opportunity to shift the topic.

“Teacher, I haven’t heard Qian speak in draconic before.”

Lacia’s hand paused in its gentle strokes over the child’s head.

“Qian is still young.”

This had actually been puzzling him recently.

Dragons were born with an innate inheritance of knowledge. Draconic language, being fundamental, should have been something she was naturally fluent in. Some young dragons were late bloomers in speech, so he hadn’t been too concerned before.

But now that the child has already mastered transformation, she still has not spoken even a single sentence in Dragon Tongue.

It was as if the child had learned to walk before learning how to crawl.

Moreover, her oddities were not limited to just this.

Ever since she started speaking, besides the common language spoken by the humans around her, she would occasionally utter a completely unfamiliar language.

Lacia was already the most knowledgeable dragon on the continent, proficient in almost every language, yet even he had never heard of this one.

At first, he thought it was just the child’s meaningless babbling, but soon, he began to hear repeated and similar pronunciations from her more frequently.

With Lacia’s intelligence, he was able to extract some basic daily vocabulary from it and confirm that it was indeed a new language.

There was no one around who spoke that language—so where did the child learn it from?

The only possible answer was inheritance.

What concerned Lacia the most was whether this inheritance would grant her enough power.

As a father, his greatest fear was that his child would not grow up strong and healthy.

If a dragon failed to inherit great power, how could she protect herself?

The child was completely unaware of her old father’s worries. She munched on her snacks while watching the students in the maze run around in a panic as if their butts were on fire. It was as entertaining as watching a great show.

Lacia stroked the child’s head, thinking that he should find time to take her back to Dragon Island—the homeland of their kind. Perhaps there, her inheritance could be completed.

The magic labyrinth was open for an entire day. Initially, the students from both schools kept their distance from each other, but as they became scattered throughout the maze, they had no choice but to form small teams and cooperate against the various traps and enemies lurking within.

They were exhausted and starving, their mana depleted, and many were injured.

The teachers were relieved to see that all the students had persisted until the end.

Although, as soon as they emerged from the maze and saw Professor Fizke waiting outside with healing potions, these “tough” students immediately broke down, crying like a flock of baby chicks running to their mother hen.

By the time the students of the Central Magic Academy returned, the Meiwa siblings—who had suffered the worst injuries—had to be carried by their classmates.

Yet, despite this, they lay there with blissful smiles.

“Didn’t expect to be treated the same way as Qian when we go back, haha!”

Lio rejected Lacia’s suggestion for him to accompany them to the Central Magic Academy.

“I haven’t even mastered the basics. How could I possibly follow a dragon to learn more advanced magic?” Lio was clear-headed, knowing exactly what was best for him at the moment.

As she was held in her father’s arms, Qian knew it was time to leave. She leaned on Lacia’s shoulder and waved at Lio.

“Goodbye, goodbye!”

Looking at the adorable young dragon, Lio, for once, smiled and said, “Goodbye.”

Starting with Winter Holly Magic Academy, each month, students from different grade levels would take turns visiting other academies for exchanges.

Lacia accompanied them every time. Some students speculated that he was simply taking the little dragon out for fun, while others believed that the dragon was there to cheer them on. Because of this, no matter which school they visited, the Central Magic Academy students strutted around like they owned the place—so arrogant that it made people want to punch them.

At Fei Leisi Magic Academy, where the students had a natural advantage in physique, the fifth-year students—regardless of gender—were generally half a head taller than their Central Magic Academy counterparts.

Fei Leisi was also known as the Magic Knight Academy. Unlike traditional magicians, they placed equal importance on physical training and magic.

As a result, the “weakling” students of the Central Magic Academy suffered greatly in terms of physical strength.

However, outside of competitions, putting a group of young, attractive students together inevitably sparked romantic encounters.

Back at Hollyleaf, students who developed crushes would only shyly promise to stay in touch, but at Fei Leisi, the “knights” easily won over the hearts of their peers, and soon enough, flowers were being exchanged.

“This is a flower I grew myself. I hope you’ll accept it.”

“Thank you… it’s beautiful.”

A handsome young man and a graceful girl stood at the edge of a circular corridor, both looking shy.

“Can I… hold your hand?”

“…”

They averted their eyes, hesitantly reaching out, testing the waters, until they finally grasped each other’s hands.

The young man thought, A girl’s hand is really small.

But… isn’t this a little too small?

Just as the girl was about to feel flustered over her hand being held, she also sensed something was off. Wasn’t this hand too small?

They both looked down—

And there, between them, was an adorable little creature with horns on its head, holding onto each of their hands with a pure and innocent gaze.

“…”

Meanwhile, elsewhere:

“I always see you sitting alone, reading your magic notes instead of hanging out with your classmates. Don’t you feel bored? There’s a lake near our school with a beautiful view. I can take you there!”

A cheerful and spirited girl grinned as she spoke.

The reserved and delicate-looking boy lowered his head and answered softly, “We’re not allowed to wander off. And we can’t leave the school grounds.”

“Oh, come on! We sneak out all the time. No one will notice!”

“…”

“Haha, why aren’t you saying anything? You’re blushing—so cute!”

“D-Don’t get so close to me…”

“This? This isn’t even close!”

The two of them kept inching closer and closer. Just as it seemed like the girl was about to pin him against the wall—

A soft, childlike voice suddenly piped up from the side.

The little one with horns, who had apparently been watching for some time, clutched a flower in her tiny hand and pointed at them, exclaiming, “Kiss!”

Startled, the two teenagers turned bright red.

By the time this exchange ended, compared to their last visit to Holyleaf, the students were practically unscathed.

After all, the gentlemanly “knights” of Fei Leisi were mindful not to hurt their visiting guests, and the academy’s headmaster had not subjected them to any insane challenges.

Whether the students gained much training was uncertain, but one thing was clear—some of them were no longer single after this trip.

The next exchange visit was to the Northern Magic Academy, attended by the fourth-year students.

Sixteen-year-old boys and girls arrived at the academy, which was built within the Manuo Grand Canyon. There, they were immediately captivated by the massive flying beasts as tall as a person.

These creatures, known as Wind Birds, lived in the canyon and nested on the cliff walls.

Each year, the Northern Magic Academy’s teachers would collect abandoned eggs and hatch them within the school, assigning students to care for them until they eventually became their lifelong companions.

The warm and down-to-earth students of the Northern Magic Academy eagerly invited their Central Magic Academy counterparts to ride on the Wind Birds, gliding through the canyon’s narrow crevices.

Gripping the harness, they soared with the Wind Birds, twisting and diving through the air, their exhilarated screams echoing throughout the canyon.

Qian, too, attempted to climb onto a Wind Bird.

But the moment she sat on its back, the bird—sensing the presence of a dragon—immediately crouched down, refusing to take flight no matter what.

In the end, Qian had to be carried by her old father as they flew over the canyon. However, since her father was far too large, he couldn’t squeeze through the narrow gaps like the Wind Birds could.