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Inside the Silver Dragon Sanctuary—
Leon explained everything to Rossweise. Hearing this, Rossweise gracefully descended the steps, joining Leon and gazing at the Primordial Crystal in his hand.
"As expected," she said softly, "the crystal is glowing with a steady pulse."
Judging by the intensity of the light, if the crystal wasn't malfunctioning as a result of some error, then... Noah's soul must be nearby—
Very nearby.
Leon shifted slightly, turning back to look at the distant Leviathan, which had already flown several kilometers away and was accelerating further.
He compared Leviathan's distance with the crystal's glow, occasionally glancing at the object in his hand.
Even as Leviathan flew farther away, the crystal's glow and frequency didn't change.
"It's not related to Leviathan or anyone on it... That means Noah's soul must be in the Silver Dragon Sanctuary!"
It was a simple process of elimination, but the conclusion was so startling that even Leon found it hard to believe.
Rossweise was equally shocked. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the crystal in Leon's hand.
"When did it start glowing?" she asked.
Leon thought for a moment before answering:
"The crystal emits faint magical fluctuations when it glows. I noticed some warmth in my pocket earlier when I was holding Muse. After our daughters went inside, I finally had time to take it out and check."
"Then I suspect it started glowing when Leviathan hovered over the courtyard," Rossweise deduced.
"To confirm..." Leon began but suddenly stopped speaking.
The Tower Master exchanged a glance with Rossweise. Their eyes met, and without words, they immediately realized they were thinking the same thing.
After a brief pause, they said in unison:
"The crystal began glowing when Noah and the others landed."
In their room, Leon paced back and forth with a heavy expression, confusion and anxiety clouding his face.
"How is this possible? The soul of your dragon ancestor dragon kingNoah, is attached to one of our daughters?"
Rossweise was also frowning, silent in contemplation.
Although Noah, the Primordial Dragon King, was revered as the most sacred and exalted being in dragon lore, the idea of their soul attaching to one of their daughters—even without knowing which one—was both unsettling and confusing.
As parents, their first concern was naturally for their children's well-being.
Noah's soul was undoubtedly powerful and imposing, a symbol of divine authority.
But to Leon and Rossweise, it was also a potential risk to their daughters.
Even Leon, who had once been impulsive and hotheaded, might have already lined up all four daughters to try and extract the soul.
After a moment of silence, Leon suddenly stopped pacing. His expression had calmed as he turned to Rossweise.
"First, we need to confirm which daughter carries Noah's soul," he said.
Rossweise pressed her lips together and nodded. "Yes. But we can't question them all at once—they'll get suspicious if they're separated."
Her suggestion was reasonable, and Leon agreed.
"Who should we start with?" Rossweise asked.
Leon thought for a moment. "Let's begin with the eldest. She's the only one who's been to the ruins beneath the extreme north."
"If the Primordial Dragon King's soul really attached to someone, Noah is the most likely candidate."
Rossweise nodded thoughtfully. "All right. Let's not delay—let's go find Noah."
"Agreed."
The two of them left the room.
As they descended the stairs, they heard the melodic sound of a flute coming from Rossweise's music room.
They exchanged a glance and, without a word, headed toward the source of the music.
When they reached the door, they peeked inside.
The room was occupied by Muse and Muwen. Noah and Aurora were not there.
Muse sat in a chair, flute in hand, playing with a worried expression.
Muwen sat obediently nearby, swaying gently to the rhythm of her sister's playing. Even the tuft of hair on her head bobbed in time.
It was a peaceful scene that highlighted the bond between the two sisters.
Leon pulled out the crystal from his pocket. "Since we've run into Muwen and Muse first, let's test them while we're here."
Rossweise glanced at the crystal in Leon's hand. The glow's frequency and intensity had diminished significantly, suggesting it wasn't either of them.
Leon pursed his lips. "This might not be the best time for jokes, but..."
"What is it?"
"I'm glad we didn't have more kids—otherwise, we'd be too busy to handle this."
Rossweise couldn't help but laugh, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow.
"Enough. Let's find Noah and Aurora. They should be in the courtyard."
Leon nodded. "Let's go."
The couple left the music room and headed to the practice field in the backyard.
Sure enough, Noah and Aurora were there.
Aurora sat on the ground, practicing her archery with focused determination.
Noah was a short distance away, refining a newly learned combat technique.
Leon and Rossweise decided to start with Aurora, who was closer.
The testing order didn't really matter; as Leon had said, they only had four daughters, so the process wouldn't take long.
The two of them snuck behind a bench near the old locust tree, where Aurora was reading a book.
Leon gestured for silence, and Rossweise nodded in understanding.
Slowly, Leon retrieved the crystal from his pocket.
The glow's intensity was slightly stronger than it had been in the music room, but it was still not as strong as when the daughters had first returned.
Leon tucked the crystal back into his pocket and shrugged at Rossweise.
They quietly left the bench and moved toward Noah.
If Leon's earlier deduction was correct, Noah was the most likely candidate. She was the only one who had entered the ruins, and now she was the last to be tested.
Leon furrowed his brow and called out to his eldest daughter. "Noah, can you come over for a moment?"
Noah paused her practice and turned toward him. "What is it, Dad?"
Leon leaned toward Rossweise and whispered, "You distract her with a conversation. I'll check the crystal."
Rossweise nodded. "Got it."
The couple approached Noah, who was wiping sweat from her face with a towel.
Before Leon could act, a voice interrupted them from across the courtyard.
"Dad! Mom! My stomach hurts! Waaaah~"
Hearing Aurora's cry, the couple abandoned their plan and rushed toward her.
Noah followed, concern etched on her face.
Leon scooped Aurora into his arms while Rossweise gently rubbed her stomach.
"Are you okay, Aurora? Did you eat something bad?" Leon asked worriedly.
Noah stood behind them, looking at her sister with equal concern.
But just as Noah was about to speak, Aurora peeked over Leon's shoulder and silently mouthed to her:
"Run!"