Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

Seeing the beautiful, blue-haired woman silently appear before them, Rebecca tensed up.
She noted that the woman had a long tail, much like Rosvisser, though her tail was a deep ocean blue. So… was this Claudia, the one Captain had been shouting for over the waves?
Without wasting any time, Leon spoke directly, “Claudia, please, save my master.”

The beautiful woman raised an eyebrow as she looked at Tiger, lying unconscious on the ground. Her expression shifted, her gaze turning complicated.
The flicker of emotions on Claudia’s face was quick but telling—an initial displeasure at hearing "master," followed by a flash of shock and recognition upon seeing Tiger.
Leon noticed these subtle changes. It seemed his master indeed had some mysterious connection to the Sea Dragon Clan.

“What makes you think I’d save a human?” Claudia asked, neither agreeing nor refusing, but challenging Leon on the mere fact of Tiger’s humanity.
“My… my master kept saying he needed to come to the Sea Dragon Clan,” Leon replied, trying to reason with her. “I believe there must be something here that can save him.”
“That’s not the answer I’m looking for, Leon,” Claudia replied, her tone calm yet piercing. “Or perhaps I should phrase it differently: you and the girl beside you—both humans, right?”

Leon pressed his lips together, his voice lowering as he glanced at his unconscious master. There was no point in hiding anymore.
“Yes, we’re both human.”
“So, the hero who once saved the dragons by stopping the dimensional rifts, the prince of the Silver Dragon Clan, Leon Cosmod, is actually human,” Claudia remarked, her gaze sharp and unyielding.

Leon’s eyes flickered with discomfort, but he looked Claudia in the eye, meeting her cool gaze. “You’re right about everything, Claudia. I’ll explain everything in time, but please, save my master first. He doesn’t have much time left.”
Claudia let out a sigh, a smirk curling her lips. “Fine, kid. At least you’re honest.”
With that, she gracefully leaped down from the rocks and walked over to them.

Rebecca, still wary, leaned in close to Leon’s ear and whispered, “Is she the Claudia you were yelling for earlier?”
“Yes,” he whispered back.
“Wow, she heard us all the way out here?” Rebecca asked, astonished.

“Don’t be naive, little human,” Claudia interrupted, overhearing them.
Claudia moved beside Rosvisser, saying, “It was Rosvisser who released a magic signal only Dragon Kings could feel. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have heard a single thing, no matter how loud you yelled.”
“Dragon King… but isn’t the Sea Dragon King supposed to be Poseidon?” Rebecca asked.
“Of course,” Claudia replied, rolling her eyes. “But with my father away, you would’ve been greeted by the Sea Dragon guards instead.”

Rebecca gulped, whispering to Leon, “She seems to have a short temper.”
Leon whispered back, gritting his teeth, “Then stop calling her ‘auntie.’”
“Oh, got it!” she whispered back.

Compared to Leon and Rebecca, Rosvisser remained calm. She understood that once Claudia sensed her magic, she knew exactly who was visiting. If Claudia didn’t intend to help, she could’ve just ignored them entirely, letting Leon and Rebecca shout into the night. But the fact that Claudia appeared gave Rosvisser hope for Tiger’s survival.
Claudia knelt beside Tiger, assessing his condition.
“Severe heart damage, internal injuries to multiple organs… who did this to him?” she asked with a grim expression.

“A newly-formed special team of the Empire, the Blade Trio. They wield the power of primordial energy,” Leon explained.
“Ah, yes, I’ve heard about them. They’ve been quite active on the front lines, causing heavy losses to several clans,” Claudia remarked, then glanced at Leon. “How is he doing?”
“Not well,” she replied bluntly, standing up. “I’ll need to take him for a more thorough examination to see if anything can save him.”

Leon’s face lit up, unable to hide his relief. “You mean… you’ll save him?”
“Don’t celebrate just yet, Leon. His injuries are grave. All I can say is… I’ll do my best.”
Claudia walked to the shore. “Come with me. I’ll guide you to the underwater palace of Atlantis.”

With that, an immense surge of magical energy pulsed from Claudia. In an instant, she transformed into a magnificent blue dragon, shooting into the sky.
Claudia’s dragon form was unlike Rosvisser’s or Isha’s. It was more like a long, slender serpent—a true sea dragon, sleek and agile.
“Whoa… I’ve never seen a dragon like that before,” Rebecca murmured, captivated by the sight. “So beautiful.”

Leon cleared his throat.
“Oh! Of course, Rosvisser’s dragon form is also beautiful. Everyone’s beautiful!” Rebecca quickly added, clearly learning her lesson.
Claudia circled above, and in a moment, a large magical bubble surrounded the group, lifting them off the ground and following Claudia into the depths of the ocean.

As they descended, the vibrant, otherworldly seascape revealed itself, teeming with colors and life.
“Do the Sea Dragons live here all year round?” Rosvisser asked.
“Yes. To adapt to underwater life, our ancestors gradually changed our dragon forms to better suit the ocean,” Claudia’s voice echoed through the bubble, carried by magical waves.

Leon, thinking of his master’s connection, asked, “Claudia, you know my master, don’t you?”
Considering Claudia’s reaction earlier and the two magical books Tiger had, it was clear there was a connection.
Claudia fell silent for a few seconds before replying, “I suppose you could say that.”

“Then, you two are—?”
“Don’t ask any more questions,” she cut him off. “Soon, someone else will explain everything to you.”
Leon blinked. “Someone else?…”

Did someone else in the Sea Dragon Clan know him or his master?
Puzzled, Leon continued following Claudia until they reached the very depths of the sea—
“Welcome to Atlantis, the palace of the Sea Dragon Clan.”

A hidden paradise revealed itself amid the endless rocks and dark trenches—a breathtaking sanctuary under the sea.
Claudia reverted to her human form and, with a wave of her hand, dissolved the magical bubble.
Rebecca clutched her nose and mouth, alarmed. “Oh no! Blue-haired lady is trying to drown us!”

“…You’re not dead from the water pressure by now; why are you worried about breathing?”
“Huh?”
Rebecca hesitantly lowered her hands, realizing she could breathe. “Wait… it’s… it’s breathable?”

“The Sea Dragon Clan can’t actually breathe underwater. We have a barrier around Atlantis with plenty of oxygen,” Claudia explained.
“Oh, I see…” Rebecca nodded, half-understanding.
Rosvisser, looking up at the barrier above, silently admired the place. “This is truly a hidden sanctuary.”

“Come, everyone. We need to move quickly to save him.”
Leon hoisted his master up and followed Claudia without hesitation.
“Cough… kid… have we… arrived?” Tiger asked weakly.

“Yes, Master. We’ve made it to the Sea Dragon Clan. You’ll be okay now,” Leon reassured him.
“Good… good…” Tiger mumbled, a strange satisfaction in his voice.
Leon found this odd. Tiger didn’t seem focused on finding a way to save himself; he just wanted to reach the Sea Dragon Clan, no matter the cost.

But there was no time to ponder. Whatever his master’s intentions, Leon was determined to save him.
Claudia led them to a secluded chamber behind the palace. At the center was a bed made of dark, icy crystal.
“Place Tiger here,” Claudia instructed, indicating the bed.

Leon carefully set Tiger down. “Is this… some kind of magical material?”
“It’s Abyssal Ice, used for life extension,” Claudia explained concisely.
As soon as Tiger lay down, he began coughing up blood, staining the ice bed.

Claudia immediately began a more in-depth examination.
“Leon, and you, girl, go to that shelf and bring me two boxes labeled ‘Ghost Lotus Herb’ and ‘Frost Bone Powder.’”
They quickly fetched the items, handing them to Claudia.

“Ghost Lotus Herb… Frost Bone Powder… and Abyssal Ice… The Sea Dragon Clan is truly resource-rich. Many dragons would never even hear of these,” Rosvisser remarked.
“Living underwater has its advantages. We have access to treasures from ancient times.”
Claudia used the herb and powder to infuse magic into Tiger’s veins, aiding him in absorbing the potent medicine.

Leon and Rebecca stood in silence, their hearts pounding. If Tiger didn’t make it, the loss would be unbearable.
After a painstaking hour of treatment, Claudia stepped back from the bed, visibly exhausted, beads of sweat on her brow. Yet, Tiger remained unresponsive.
“Claudia… how is he?” Leon asked, anxiety in his voice.

Claudia straightened, pausing before she shook her head. “His heart is too damaged. Even Ghost Lotus, a top-tier healing herb, can’t save him.”
Leon felt his heart shatter as he stood there, his mind blank.
He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was choked with despair and grief.

Rosvisser approached him, gently holding his trembling hand.
“No… this can’t be. My master can’t just—”
“Leon,” Claudia said firmly, interrupting his spiraling thoughts.

“Tiger knew better than anyone that his injuries were beyond repair. He
 came here not to seek a cure.”
“Then why… why did he insist on coming to the Sea Dragon Clan if there was no way to save him?”

“Because—”
Claudia’s words were cut off as commotion erupted at the door.
“Your Highness! You can’t enter! Lady Claudia said—”

“Let me in! He came for me, didn’t he? I know he’s here for me! Let me through!”
“Princess, please, Charlotte!”
Charlotte…

The name made Leon’s head snap toward the entrance. A familiar figure struggled against the guards, trying to push through.
Leon’s eyes widened, and he whispered in shock, “Master’s wife…”