Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Angie slowly wiped the last of her tears and then she sat up straight.

Next with a puffed out chest, she declared with a voice full of pride.

"Ahem! I am Angie, a Dragon Warrior Candidate!"

She struck a pose as she said that, which made for an adorably dramatic sight, with fists on her hips and chin raised high.

"…But," she added with a sigh, "One of my biggest flaw is… I'm way too clumsy for a normal dragon."

Ace blinked, then nodded seriously. "maybe that's really a fatal weakness."

"I know, right?" she said, completely earnest.

Ace stifled a grin. "Alright then, little Dragon Warrior, for whatever reasons, how did you actually end up here?"

Angie's proud stance faltered as she tilted her head and blinked. "Hmm… I don't really know. My sisters jumped, so I jumped too. But I fell… and they were flying on swords.

After that... I blacked out and next thing I remember... I'm here."

"…Flying swords?" Ace repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Are you not a dragon? I thought dragons were the kings of the sky."

"Well, yeah," Angie said, squirming a bit, "but our race lost the ability to fight because of a dumb bet with the Phoenix Clan."

Ace leaned forward, confused. "Wait… Phoenix Clan? Dragon Clan? Surely you don't mean… how many dragons are out there?"

Her eyes sparkled. "You are curious about the rulers of the sky right! Let me tell you, There's a lot of us!"

She started counting on her fingers excitedly.

"There's the Azure Sky Dragons, the Crimson Flame Dragons, the Emerald Earth Dragons, and the Shadow Fang Dragons!"

Her tail,Ace only now realizing she had one wiggled with excitement.

"There are many more clans out there but amongst all of them, those four stand out because they're the most ancient the most! They are the most powerful!" she declared proudly, then gave a cheeky grin.

"Hehehe… I'm one of the Crimson Flame Dragons!"

Ace's expression shifted as her words triggered something in his memory. Crimson Flame… Azure Sky… Shadow Fang… Emerald Earth…

Wait a second…

He narrowed his eyes, lost in thought. Aren't those the same names as the titles used in the Seven Dragon and Phoenix Tournaments?

To confirm his suspicions, Ace asked casually, "And exactly how many Phoenix are out there?"

Angie froze, blinking twice. "Uh… I don't know."

But her thoughts betrayed her.

[No! I can't tell him there are only three Phoenixes! A whole Dragon Clan being subdued by just three Phoenix is soooo embarrassing!]

Ace narrowed his eyes slightly.

Three Phoenix… four Dragons… so that tournament ceremony at the end hadn't been nonsense after all? Or maybe it was just an old tradition passed down without anyone remembering why? Still… he needed to verify his doubts.

He decided to test her.

"Golden Radiance Phoenix. Scarlet Moon Phoenix. Silver Wind Phoenix," he said aloud, calmly watching her reaction.

Angie visibly slumped, her tail curling inward. Slowly, she nodded, her voice soft.

"Yes… you're right. But unlike dragons, they're… individuals. They go by many names, so don't ask. We dragons reproduce to preserve our legacy. They don't die. They just… live on. You know, phoenix. Even our oldest ancestors are like children compared to these three phoenix."

Then she slapped her own cheek with both hands.

[Ahhh! I said too much again! Why do I keep doing this? I can't let this human underestimate dragons! What do I do.. What do I do.. Ah!]

Quickly, she puffed out her chest and tried to recover. "O oh! But you see! Dragons are still really strong! I've only been cultivating for three years and I'm already Peak Legend rank! Almost ready to step into the Deity Realms!"

She flashed a hopeful and also a confident smirk.

Ace nodded sincerely. "That's wonderful. Now let's go and meet some people."

Angie froze, stunned. Her mouth opened in disbelief.

[What do you mean 'wonderful'?! Why are you so stupid?! That's a talent! A divine talent! No one among the dragons is as talented as me!]

"Waaah! Why are you bullying me?!" she suddenly bawled.

"Divine Step Realm…" Ace mumbled under his breath ignoring her outburst.

"Yes!" Angie nodded eagerly. "I was just about to reach that realm.. If I get out of here, I'll be able to reach it. Easy."

Her voice trailed off as she glanced at her hands. Her eyes widened in panic.

"Wait… where's my ring? Where's the ring?!"

She scrambled upright, clearly alarmed.

Just then, a shimmering flicker of light zipped into the room, delicate and quick like a fairy's flight.

"Master!" the tiny twinkle chimed.

Ace looked up and when he saw who it was, his eyes lid up.. "Rei!"

Can you believe it, I forgot about you for a while there.

Trailing just behind was Mati, her expression apologetic. "Ah… Master, I tried to stop her," she said softly as she stepped into the room.

And in her hand, she held a ring.

"Here's your ring," she said, holding it out.

Angie instinctively reached for it, but Mati didn't let go.

Her grip remained firm. "We still don't know much about you," she said evenly. "So I'll hold onto it for now."

Angie froze, staring at her.

[If I don't have the ring… how are my seniors going to find me? Will I be trapped here forever?]

She turned slowly, looking at Ace with growing dread.

When he caught her thought, Ace nearly stumbled backward.

"What the hell—" he muttered, and flicked her forehead.

"Ow!"

"I have no interest in kids," he said bluntly.

Her face turned scarlet. She squeaked, covering her head in embarrassment.

Without another word, she spun around and bolted out of the room, steam practically rising from her ears.

"Mati," Ace said gently, watching the doorway Angie had fled through. "You should return the ring. She's just a kid, departed away from her family. Let's help her in whatever way we can."

Mati hesitated, tightening her grip on the ring. Her brows drew together, and a flicker of unease crossed her usually calm face.

"But… Master…" she said softly, her voice laced with concern.

"She's not an ordinary child. She's already at peak Legend rank. We can't afford to treat this carelessly. We should handle it professionally, not let our emotions lead us."