The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases

The next morning, David was enjoying a hearty breakfast. He was shocked to see his father gulp down a bottle of "Clarity Potion." Then, with a look of discontent, as if he had suddenly gained a stepmother upon waking, Attilicia took Tania to report to the academy and, incidentally, to teach a class.

Shalaina naturally didn't miss this chance to ingratiate herself with Tania and volunteered to see them off.

Attilicia found it particularly hard to refuse, as he needed to take her out. This would allow David to crawl through the "Teleportation Portal" to clean up the mess and rearrange the Alchemy Room.

Only last night, Attilicia had felt frustrated and saddened for a long time after David told him his son had secretly mastered his "Teleportation Portal."

Every father sincerely hopes his children will achieve more than he did.

But when they discover their children, still young, are already showing signs of surpassing them in a crushing manner, most fathers feel much the same.

Especially when the father is still very 'young.'

Much like Attilicia at that moment, whose composure completely shattered.

So, when Shalaina, somewhat worried, asked before they left, "What about little David? Do you usually leave him alone at home all day?"

Attilicia, without turning his head or a second thought, replied, "Ah, no worries. Thefts are rampant lately, so he's perfect for staying home and watching the house."

Damn it all... David cursed inwardly. You're treating me like a dog here! Do you think I wouldn't tear this whole place down today?!

Shalaina, accustomed to David's 'mature and sensible' side, decided not to meddle for the time being.

Especially after meeting with Ailiando, the Elf King, and interacting with many Elven Nobles yesterday, she understood that Dewensen, or rather the entire High Elves Kingdom, was far from tranquil.

Since the great explosion in Spider Nest City, a considerable number of Drow had climbed to the surface through the 'Well of Miracles' and scattered.

Some even disguised themselves as High Elves and assimilated, severely impacting the security of the High Elves and even the southern human nations.

Some Elven officials even proposed reinstating parts of the disbanded navy as Public Order Officers.

But as soon as word of this got out, it was met with nationwide condemnation.

High Elves were not some cheap fodder to be summoned and dismissed at will; they had their pride and dignity.

After all, many scandals had already been exposed, like the 'unwarranted annihilation of the Seventh Fleet' and 'General Ahmed's resurrection.'

Not to mention the dissatisfaction with the sudden naval disbandment. The vast difference in treatment between the regular navy and temporary Public Order Officers alone ensured that not many Elven veterans would be willing to undertake such a thankless job.

Back when they were in the navy, they could occasionally 'hunt bandits' or 'go fishing' to compensate for the layers of deductions from their military pay.

After discharge, they could become mercenaries, enjoying relative freedom and supplementing their household income.

Was it worth risking being stabbed by roaming Drow to become a Public Order Officer?

Due to a combination of reasons, public security had become a major problem.

For instance, her own Mage Tower had been robbed by those Sorrowful Wind Transporters!

An idea immediately sparked in Shalaina's mind. Tsk, should I look for a job too? I can't really rely entirely on Attilicia's charity, can I? And I need to find a way to save money to buy two giant stone golems to deal with my father...

David, alone at home, naturally had no idea what this female Silver Dragon was plotting.

To be on the safe side, he patiently produced Crimson Ash in the washroom, waiting for her to return.

David had initially worried that Shalaina's presence might affect his and his father's grand alchemical endeavors.

However, Shalaina didn't return. Instead, his Silver Dragon father, having finished teaching the morning classes, came back first, much to David's surprise.

"Where's she?"

Attilicia, sporting dark circles under his eyes, immediately grinned proudly. "Well, she was starting to run short on money, so I recommended her to the academy's administrative department for a position as a Martial Technique instructor."

David was flabbergasted. "A dragon? Teaching others Martial Technique?"

Wouldn't that just be leading students astray?

But in any case, it wasn't his concern.

Attilicia, however, turned serious. "You shouldn't underestimate us Silver Dragons! I don't know about other Metal Dragons, but to prepare for combat in humanoid form, our Silver Dragons, regardless of form, are top-tier in close-quarters Martial Technique. Don't believe me? We can spar... AHEM."

But suddenly recalling the painful memory of being pinned and thrashed by his son, he quickly changed the subject. "Don't let her delicate appearance fool you. Her father is a dragon combat professor on Dragon Island. When it comes to draconic close-quarters combat skills, probably no young dragon on the entire island is her match."

David's scales bristled, and he flared up in Wrath. "Then why did you tell me to go head-to-head with her yesterday?"

If he hadn't been quick-witted, he might have been pinned and thrashed in that sudden encounter, facing his first defeat as a dragon.

His fight with Nifadora didn't count. He'd strategically withdrawn from that one; it was a draw, at best.

Attilicia, however, said matter-of-factly, "You're a demigod, after all! And it's not like she got the better of you, right?" Just yesterday, he had used a "Regeneration Spell" to treat Shalaina's burns, which had looked horrific even to him.

"I..." David was suddenly overcome with a strong sense of powerlessness. It was clear this issue couldn't be explained to his father in just a few words.

It was like trying to change the mind of someone whose worldview was already fixed; once they believed something, they were unshakable. This was even truer for naturally arrogant dragons.

What David didn't know was that for his father, Attilicia, and indeed for almost all dragons, achieving demigod status was the ultimate lifelong dream.

In Attilicia's eyes, even the greatest adversary of his draconic life, the Crimson Calamity Pafila, had only just reached legendary status.

However, very few dragons, even ancient ones, could sever their 'obsession' with treasure and embark on the path to become a Deification Dragon.

Many more hoped to discover divinity on their own during their relatively long lifespans, ascend to demigod status, and eventually become Dragon Gods ruling their own domains.

But over countless years, the Dragon Gods spoken of in draconic lore were few, namely:

Bahamut, King of the North Wind

Tiamat, Chromatic Dragon Queen

Estella, The Acquirer

Kronus, The Silent Observer

Farazur, Night Dragon

Carrex, Destroyer of All Things

Hel, The Humorous Keeper

Landis, Scales of Justice

Tamara, Lady of Mercy

And Io, the Nine-Faced Dragon God, who had not delivered any oracles for many years.

As for the so-called Creatrix Goddess Asterna, she was merely a demigod. However, as the messenger of the Nine-Faced Dragon God, most dragons revered her as one of the Dragon Gods.

Therefore, in Attilicia's fatherly eyes, his son, still in his youth yet already possessing divinity, had an immensely promising future.

Even if he never became the eleventh Dragon God, becoming a carefree demigod like Asterna should surely be just a matter of time and accumulated experience, right?

Such were the limitations of perspective.

Sometimes, one could never comprehend the vast chasm between 'gods' also possessing divinity without reaching a certain realm themselves.

When David had inadvertently entered the 'Pantheon,' compared to those Divine Realms resembling celestial bodies, he had been but a speck of dust, like a firefly's glimmer.

And if he hadn't managed to wrench a fragment of divinity from the Divine Realm of Tempas, the War God, using the Authority of the Seven Sins, David, with his senses at the time, might not even have perceived this truth.

Although Attilicia couldn't perceive this truth, he clearly sensed David's displeasure. Unsure how to proceed, he awkwardly changed the subject, "So... now, shall we go create?"

That restrained, hesitant demeanor reminded David for a moment of his father from his past life. It was as if he had traveled through time and seen him again, trying his best to make amends after a disagreement, awkwardly saying, "Ahem, dinner's ready, son."

But that world... he could never return to it.

"I'm coming, Dad!" David suddenly laughed. He stood up and threw his arms around Attilicia, his father in this world.

"Hey, hey! Son, what's gotten into you?"

Attilicia was initially a little uneasy with David's sudden embrace. But soon, experiencing this unique familial affection for the first time, he too smiled contentedly.

Until he realized his son's embrace was growing tighter.

Tighter... and something felt very wrong...

By the time he tried to speak, his chest was so compressed he couldn't utter a word. He could only pat David's back repeatedly with his hand.

But David mistook it for encouraging pats from his father.

Not until a sickening CRACK sounded did David react. He hastily let go of his father, who had collapsed to the ground like a boneless heap, David's face filled with disbelief.

He was a dragon, after all! Could transforming into humanoid form make him so fragile?

"Dad! Dad! What's wrong? Say something, Dad!"

"Don't scare me..."

"Dad!!!"