Chapter 271: Silver Flower Castle (1)

Louis and Ariana weren’t the only ones surprised to see Genelocer.

“Mister?”

“Huh? It’s Mister!”

The twins’ eyes widened, their faces lighting up with delight.

But Genelocer’s warmth was reserved solely for his children.

“Hahaha!”

With a hearty laugh, Genelocer charged forward, arms spread wide for an embrace. But Louis, ever aloof, deftly ducked under his father’s arms, leaving Genelocer to awkwardly hug empty air.

“Ahem…” Genelocer turned away, slightly embarrassed and feigning disappointment. “After all this time, couldn’t you at least give me a hug?”

“Since when have I ever done that?” Louis retorted.

”…Well, you could start now.”

“No way. I never did it as a kid—why would I start now that I’m grown up?”

Louis’s refusal deflated Genelocer, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

But hope still flickered within him.

As if he had never been disheartened, Genelocer suddenly burst with renewed energy, reaching out to Ariana.

“Aww, look at our Ariana in her human form! Whose child could be so adorable? Come on, come on, it’s been ages since you saw your Daddy. Come give me a hug!”

Clap, clap!

Genelocer clapped his hands vigorously, throwing his arms wide open in invitation. He had no doubt that his precious youngest daughter would rush into his embrace.

But…

“I don’t want to.”

”…?!”

Ariana shook her head violently and buried her face in Louis’s chest.

Genelocer looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

“I like Oppa better!”

”…?!”

Ariana’s relentless assault finally brought Genelocer to his knees.

“Ugh…”

Kneeling and pressing his face against the floor, Genelocer murmured through tear-filled eyes.

“Damn those old geezers! That blasted Elder Council is making my own children forget who I am!”

”…I’ve never forgotten you, though?” Louis interjected.

“It’s all the Elder Council’s fault! I should just quit right now!” Genelocer continued, completely ignoring Louis’s remark. A thick aura of sadness, exhaustion, and utter frustration radiated from him in palpable waves.

Just then—

Tap, tap.

Ariana tugged at Louis’s collar, signaling that she wanted to be put down.

As soon as Louis lowered her, Ariana toddled over to Genelocer.

With unsteady steps, she wrapped her tiny arms around her father’s neck and whispered, “I like Oppa more… but I like Daddy too.”

Mwah!

She planted a kiss on Genelocer’s cheek.

Instantly, the gloomy aura that had enveloped him vanished like morning mist.

“Hehehe, that’s my girl!” Genelocer chuckled, his spirits instantly lifted.

Genelocer, beaming, swept Ariana into his arms and began twirling around in place.

“Hahaha!”

“Kya-ha-ha!”

Was it just his imagination, or did flower petals seem to flutter around Genelocer as he spun, his laughter echoing with joy?

Louis, watching them, sniffed the air, his nose twitching.

I smell it… I smell it! The scent of a monster!

Young Ariana already had Genelocer completely wrapped around her little finger. If she continued to grow up like this, she’d become a monstrous dragon herself.

“Hahaha!”

“Stop ittttt!”

Genelocer continued to whirl merrily, while Ariana flailed her limbs, clearly tired of the spinning. Unable to watch any longer, Louis abruptly snatched her away. He cradled Ariana tightly in his arms, patting her back gently as he let out a long sigh.

“Father, this isn’t home. Look around you.”

“What’s wrong with me hugging my own cubs?”

Despite his words, Genelocer discreetly glanced around. The twins were the first to catch his eye.

“Mister!”

“Oh my, Kani, you’ve grown even prettier.”

“Hehe.”

“Let’s see, Khan… you’re starting to look more and more like your father. That’s not a good sign.”

”…Mister, Kani and I are twins! Why is Kani getting prettier while I’m turning into Dad?!”

“What can I say? That’s just how it looks.”

“Tch.”

Genelocer shifted his gaze from the pouting Khan to Pablo. Meeting the dark eyes fixed on him, Pablo couldn’t help but swallow hard, his throat suddenly dry.

A memory flashed through Pablo’s mind: his first encounter with Louis.

Louis had definitely said it: his father was a Demigod-level dragon.

Pablo’s knees trembled as he stood before Genelocer.

Genelocer chuckled at Pablo’s nervousness. “Ah, so you’re the half-pint who hangs around with our Louis, right?”

“Y-yes, sir!” Pablo stammered, snapping to attention like a private before his division commander.

“Keep looking after Louis for us,” Genelocer said, patting Pablo on the shoulder. He then turned to the Flame Siblings. “Oh! So you two must be Louis’s disciples.”

“Greetings, sir! I’m Kendrick!”

“Good, good,” Genelocer replied.

While Kendrick greeted him boldly, Tania, uncharacteristically, hesitated. “Hello,” she murmured, her face slightly flushed as she modestly crossed her arms over her chest and bowed.

Then came the loaded words:

”…Father.”

Kendrick stared at his little sister in astonishment, utterly taken aback by her meek and innocent demeanor.

Oblivious to his intense gaze, Tania continued to gaze at Genelocer with fervent longing.

“Please, Father, feel free to call me Nia,” she said.

“Huh? Oh, right,” Genelocer replied, forcing an awkward smile and hastily averting his eyes.

His gaze landed on Lavina. “And you…?”

“I… I’m…”

“A maid, it seems.”

That was all. Genelocer paid no further attention to Lavina. In truth, if these people hadn’t been connected to Louis, he wouldn’t have even acknowledged them.

As Genelocer’s interest waned, Lavina’s face crumpled into a pout.

Watching his father personally greet each member of their travel party, Louis was overcome with a strange mix of emotions.

Come to think of it… this is a first.

In his past life, Louis had never been able to introduce friends or acquaintances to his parents.

Back then, he had been an orphan.

But now, things were different.

It felt strange to show his parents the connections he had forged.

But that sentiment was fleeting.

“So, what brings you here? Have you finished taking care of everything?” Louis quickly steered the conversation back to business.

Genelocer chuckled in response. “Of course! I finished everything and rushed here because I missed my little ones!”

”…How did you even know we were here?”

At that question, Fin, nestled in Louis’s arms, tentatively raised her hand. “Um… I told him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Genelocer wanted to surprise you, Louis…”

Fin scratched her cheek apologetically.

Louis didn’t scold her; it was predictable. Genelocer had undoubtedly pressured her. Instead, Louis glared at Genelocer with narrowed eyes.

“Tell me the truth.”

“About what?”

“Something happened, didn’t it? That’s why you came straight here.”

“What could possibly have happened? Hahaha!”

”…”

“Hahahaha!”

”…”

“Haha… haha…”

Louis remained silent, but the unspoken threat in his gaze forced Genelocer to surrender.

”…Alright, alright, Child. I’ll tell you. Just stop looking at me like that. You’re hurting your dear old dad’s heart.”

“What happened?”

“What do you think? It’s all because of our overly talented son.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you! I heard you’ve reached Zero’s Domain?”

“How… how did you do that?!”

Louis looked at the Twins, but they shook their heads vehemently, signaling that they hadn’t revealed his secret.

Meanwhile, the eyes of those who didn’t know Louis had reached Zero’s Domain widened in astonishment.

Leaving them behind, Genelocer cut to the chase.

“Son.”

“Yes.”

“Go to Silver Flower Castle. The Elder Lords are waiting for you.”

Louis let out a soft sigh.

A colossal dragon soared vertically through the clouds, its white form piercing the atmosphere.

Beyond the atmosphere and into the vast expanse of space, the white dragon ascending endlessly was none other than Louis.

Genelocer’s words echoed in his mind: “Why did I summon you? You’ll understand when you get there.”

Genelocer hadn’t offered a clear explanation, only a bitter smile and an insistence that Louis absolutely had to go. Something about his tone made Louis drop everything and head for Silver Flower Castle. Ariana’s tearful tantrum about tagging along was merely a minor disturbance along the way.

Whoosh… whoosh…

After hours of flight, Louis finally broke through into space. He paused briefly to gaze down at Evan.

Beautiful…

Though its appearance differed, the planet was a vibrant blue, much like Earth.

Louis gazed at it briefly before resuming his flight through the weightless void.

This is harder than I expected.

He had traveled this path once before, as a child carried in Genelocer’s arms, but back then, he hadn’t realized how challenging it would be. Even for a dragon’s robust physique, ascending beyond the atmosphere was no easy feat.

If I could use space movement, this would be a breeze…

But for some unknown reason, dragons were strictly forbidden from using space movement to reach Silver Flower Castle. The only way to get there was by flying, a grueling task even for a dragon.

At least weightlessness makes it less strenuous.

Moreover, Louis possessed the Strength Attribute among his powers. For him, zero gravity felt more comfortable than the open sky.

Now, why would the old men want to see me?

He had a pretty good idea.

It’s probably about the Elder position, right?

He was now a Zero Rank dragon, fully qualified to serve as an Elder. In fact, the current Elders would likely be begging him to take the position.

That was why he had deliberately concealed his Zero Rank status, but somehow his secret had been exposed.

Well, I’ll find out the details when I get there.

After flying for some time, Silver Flower Castle, the sacred ground of the dragons, finally came into view.

Louis leisurely entered the castle, transforming into his human form as he looked around.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

The last time Louis had visited Silver Flower Castle was after his safe return from a forced exile. He had been summoned to explain why he had demolished the dragon-specific postpartum care barrier.

Lost in these memories, Louis resumed his walk.

Tok… tok… tok…

His footsteps echoed loudly through the halls.

After a long walk, Louis arrived at the doors of the Grand Assembly Hall of the Thirteen Originators—the very place where his attribute power had been assessed during his childhood.

Whoosh…

The moment Louis reached the doors, the colossal gates swung open on their own. A dense wave of power surged toward him.

No, this isn’t attribute power…

He hadn’t understood it back then, but now he knew the truth:

This is the Origin!

And the owners of that very Origin were gathered inside the Grand Assembly Hall.

The Ancient Dragons lay prostrate, maintaining their true forms. As they raised their heads, the dense Origin they exuded nearly overwhelmed Louis’s senses.

Is this… really what they’re like?!

Louis had reached Zero’s Domain at a relatively young age, fostering a touch of pride within him. But that arrogance had been utterly shattered by his encounter with the Elders.

This is… the Thirteen Originators of the Dragon Race…

Intelligent beings who had achieved Demigod status and lived for countless eons. Even Genelocer, a Zero Rank dragon himself, paled in comparison to these entities. Their Origin was so vast that Louis’s own seemed like a flickering candle flame.

Gulp.

Louis swallowed hard, his mouth dry. Overwhelmed by the Elders’ colossal presence, he suddenly noticed something he had overlooked:

There are only four Elder Lords here?

Louis suddenly realized that only four Ancient Dragons were present in the Grand Assembly Hall.

Snapping out of his daze, he quickly regained his composure and bowed deeply. “Ah, my apologies! Louis, son of Genelocer, greets the Elder Lords.”

The four Elders chuckled warmly at his respectful greeting.

[ “Heh, he’s already surpassed his father,” ] one remarked.

[ “When Genelocer first reached Zero Rank and stood in that very spot, he was completely overwhelmed for quite some time,” ] another added.

Louis raised his head slightly at their lighthearted banter. “I heard you summoned me.”

Sandra, the Time Attribute Ancient Dragon who had served as an Elder the longest, replied, [ “Indeed, we called for you.” ]

“May I ask why?”

Sandra smiled. [ “Because you have earned the right.” ]

“The right to what?”