So this is the young lady of the wealthy Dragon family!

Attilicia, who was originally picky about the Dragon family, had a significant change of heart upon seeing the Red Dragonkin before him. The polite smile on his face became much more genuine. Wait a minute...

"Excuse me, what is Glaciya's relationship to you?"

"Her Highness Glaciya is the nominal ancestor of our line of Succubi. Any Succubus who has been graced by Glaciya with promotion carries this surname."

Attilicia let out a long sigh of relief. By Pafila, he thought his son had gotten himself tangled up with that Lord of the Six Hells again.

Ever since he acknowledged David Uthos, this Red Dragon whelp, as his son, his once-solid worldview had been repeatedly and severely challenged...

Wait, aren't you a Red Dragonkin? How did you become a Succubus as well?

Sensing Attilicia's confusion—the Dragon dad's, that is—Yolanda reintroduced herself.

"I am a Dragonkin Succubus, a half-blood born of a Succubus and a Red Dragon. My father is Xenophilius Christoph Chastin Sed Ponga. Have you perhaps heard of him?"

"..." The Barto red bronze coin slipped straight from Attilicia's grasp.

CLANG! It landed right on his toes. Attilicia bit his lip in pain, his face visibly flushing crimson as he held back a yelp.

"HISSS!" More than just heard of him? His name is practically legendary!

Isn't that Pafila's ancestor?

No, wait. Pafila's ancestor's daughter...

Attilicia's mind reeled in confusion for a moment, then he blurted out the exact same astonished thought David had when he first heard:

A Dragonkin Succubus! Incredible!

Truly worthy of the name Sed Ponga! What a player!

Before Attilicia, the Dragon dad, could embarrass himself further, David, who had been looking around but hadn't spotted his little Dragon sister, asked directly,

"Where's Tania Dragon?"

"She's inside, fast asleep." Mentioning Tania, Attilicia sounded a little exasperated by her lack of drive.

David's swaying tail, however, froze mid-air.

"Shouldn't she be at school today?"

"A while ago, she said she didn't want to attend Dewensen Magic Academy anymore. She even made a fuss about wanting to go back to the Old Continent to find you. And you know I've been completely swamped lately..."

Upon hearing this, David used his tail to unceremoniously move his Dragon dad, who was blocking the way, to one side and squeezed into the rather small treehouse.

Hearing the deafening creaks and groans, Attilicia was stunned.

"You brat! Are you trying to tear the house down?"

Ignoring him, David simply ripped Tania's bedroom door off its hinges and squeezed his head inside.

He saw the small figure curled up on the bed suddenly seem to catch her brother's scent. She sniffed the air and, like a kitten, pounced, clinging to David's face. She burst out crying with a WAAAH! smearing snot and tears all over David's head and face.

"Brother David, Tania missed you so, so much!"

"It's been seven years and seven months! How could you be so cruel! Tania thought you didn't want me anymore!"

"I wanted to come back to find you, but Dad was worried about me, a lone Dragon, traveling back by myself. And he couldn't get away from his business in Dewensen..."

David's heart ached for her. He gently cupped his little Dragon sister, Tania, in his claws, holding her close and patiently listening to her longing and distress.

"It was my fault for not thinking it through. I'll tell Hiatt and Nifadora. From now on, if you miss me, they can bring you to me, alright?"

"Mhm!" Tania clung to David's face like a little koala, refusing to let go.

"Tell me, why did you stop going to school?" David finally had a chance to ask.

"I just... I just didn't want to go anymore..." Tania was still reluctant to say.

"Did someone bully you?" David pressed.

The word "bully" seemed to break through Tania's defenses, and tears of grievance welled up in her eyes, dripping down her face.

"No one exactly dared to bully me... but a few months ago, my old friends suddenly started distancing themselves from me. They became afraid to play with me."

David's lips curled into an inward sneer. Heh. So they ostracized you. It's obvious now—most likely the work of those newcomers from the Eternal Gathering Island.

Wrath

"Yeah." Tania pouted. Although she still felt a bit wronged, her brother's few words had eased her worries, and she suddenly felt not quite so aggrieved anymore.

Seeing this, David's heart ached for her even more. At the same time, the anger in his heart boiled over. He smashed a hole through the roof, then turned to question Attilicia, who was looking inexplicably guilty.

"Tania was being bullied at school, and you didn't even know? Is that how you act as a father?"

"I..." Attilicia suddenly felt wronged too but didn't dare to talk back. At this moment, it felt as if his son was his father...

"Don't blame Dad. He's been very busy and worn out these days. I didn't want him to worry about me," Tania said, showing her understanding.

But David was in no mood to be understanding.

"Do you know who the instigators behind this might be?"

Tania whispered the names of a few Elves.

"Let's go." David immediately tossed Tania, who landed with a PUFF! on his neck, looking just like a proper little Dragon Knight.

He then turned to the Succubus beside him, who looked eager, and asked,

"Interested in stirring up some trouble with the Elves?"

"Of course. Destruction is in our nature as Devils," Yolanda said with a smile.

This is a perfect opportunity to curry favor with both David Uthos and his sister. It's an absolute bargain, Yolanda thought.

And as a Dragonkin Succubus from Hell, she didn't have many scruples either.

"David Uthos, what are you planning to do?" Attilicia, his Dragon dad, panicked when he saw the situation unfolding from behind.

"What else? Help Tania vent her anger."

Attilicia was terrified he would cause huge trouble, which would completely ruin his smuggling business in Dewensen.

"But what if..."

But David couldn't be bothered with 'what ifs'.

"There are no 'what ifs'. If Dewensen Academy can't give me an explanation that satisfies me,"

"then it no longer has any reason to exist."