Gara was already inside the new headmaster’s office.

However, the person facing him was not the elderly man who had given the welcoming speech in the great hall earlier. Instead, it was a middle-aged man who looked energetic, composed, and wise.

The man smiled.

It felt... familiar.

That was when Gara realized how closely this man resembled the headmaster.

Before his confusion could deepen, the man spoke.

"This is my true appearance. The elderly form you saw earlier was merely to reassure the students."

For a moment, Gara’s mind failed to process his words. Then it clicked.

When he had seen the headmaster as an old man, he had instinctively felt safe. As if Gyakarta Academy’s legacy would remain secure in those hands.

Magnus gestured for Gara to sit on the guest sofa, then took the seat opposite him.

Gara couldn’t tell whether it was nervousness or the sheer weight of the aura emanating from the man in front of him, but he felt short of breath even while sitting still.

Noticing his guest’s discomfort, Magnus offered a gentle smile. At the same time, the pressure Gara felt eased dramatically.

It was obvious Magnus had deliberately restrained his aura.

Normally, Gara disliked small talk and would have immediately asked why he’d been summoned. But something about Magnus made him cautious.

In the end, Magnus spoke first.

The elder dragon chatted lightly, almost as if speaking to a grandchild. Gara responded politely, albeit stiffly.

Then Magnus dropped the bomb he had been holding.

"Thank you for taking in Ares."

Gara’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Did Vice Headmaster Agus Soren tell you?"

Magnus nodded, his expression still calm and wise.

"The situation at Palapa Peak is quite chaotic at the moment. I hope you can keep Ares hidden until matters there are resolved."

Once again, Gara was stunned.

A minute later, he nodded.

It seemed Magnus was making a major move within dragon territory. Gara understood then that Ares wouldn’t need to hide forever. There would come a time when he could reappear before the public as a living being.

That realization made Gara genuinely happy for him.

He knew Ares well. He was an extrovert who thrived on social interaction. Being confined to the dimensional space forever would be no different from a life sentence.

Just as Gara thought the conversation had ended and he could take his leave, Magnus stood up and walked to a cabinet at the side of the room.

He took out two boxes.

One was square, about the size of a fist. The other was a rectangular case as long as an arm.

The two velvet boxes, clearly containing valuable items judging by their luxurious appearance, were placed on the table in front of Gara.

"Please give this to Ares and tell him his grandfather will resolve the existing issues," Magnus said, indicating the smaller box.

Before Gara could respond, Magnus pointed to the longer box.

"And this is for you, as a token of gratitude for accepting and protecting Ares."

Gara instinctively tried to refuse. After all, Ares hadn’t been idle in the dimensional space. He helped manage the household and even assisted with babysitting Gara’s children.

"I can’t accept—"

"Please accept it," Magnus said with a smile.

"The dragon race expresses gratitude by giving its finest gifts."

Gara closed his mouth.

If this was truly a dragon custom, then the quickest way to conclude the matter was to accept the gift.

"Open it," Magnus added.

Gara no longer objected. He carefully opened the velvet box meant for him.

His eyes widened.

Inside lay a light-blue dagger that gleamed softly. Its small hilt was adorned with beautiful gemstones.

Rather than a weapon, it looked more like a decorative piece. Gara even felt that if he handled it too roughly, it might shatter.

He quickly thanked Magnus and closed the box again.

Before he could leave, Magnus glanced at the long velvet case and said,

"That dagger is extremely sharp. Be careful when using it."

Gara sucked in a quiet breath, suddenly awkward.

He felt as though Magnus had seen straight through his earlier thoughts.

...

Back inside the dimensional home, Gara went looking for Ares but couldn’t find him.

Wina informed him,

"He went to see Sir Agus at the manor gate."

Gara stared at her, stunned.

"They got close almost immediately, even though they’ve only met for a few hours," Wina added with a small smile.

Gara chuckled.

He remembered that before Fian trained under the former headmaster, Agus often invited him to hunt mist monsters together. Agus would practically foam at the mouth trying to chat with the young elf, while Fian gave no response at all.

Meanwhile, Ares had been longing for conversation at home, only to receive babbling noises from babies in return.

Yes. They should have met long ago.

Gara told Wina about the gift from Ares’s grandfather and showed it to her.

Like Gara, Wina was stunned by the luxurious-looking dagger.

Carefully, Gara took it out of the box. The moment his fingers touched the hilt, his entire body jolted.

He felt the energy inside him being drawn toward the dagger.

Startled, Gara loosened his grip. The dagger fell onto the wooden table, leaving several scratches despite only grazing the surface.

Once again, Gara was dumbfounded.

"That dagger is incredibly sharp, son," Wina murmured.

"An ordinary dagger wouldn’t leave marks like that just from falling."

Gara snapped out of his daze and nodded. Magnus’s words echoed in his mind.

He shouldn’t have assumed a dragon’s gift was merely decorative.

He knew dragons were famous for hoarding treasure chests filled with gold coins and jewelry. Their lives were famously glamorous, especially those of the royal family.

Seeing the dagger, those rumors immediately came to mind.

What Gara didn’t realize was that despite appearances, everything dragons collected had a purpose.

They possessed such vast treasures because they were far more intelligent than most believed. They weren’t creatures who indulged in excess.

Though the current Dragon Lord seemed determined to prove every negative rumor true.

Gara then headed toward the manor gate.

He wasn’t trying to interrupt Ares and Agus. He wanted to personally deliver the gift from Ares’s grandfather.

He worried he wouldn’t have time later. His schedule was already overwhelming.

Besides, he also wanted to ask Agus about the dagger he had received.

Beyond the manor gate, Agus was luring mist monsters from beyond the barrier.

"There aren’t any gathering here anymore, even when they see me," Agus complained.

"The mistfiend leading this area has ordered the mistwalkers and mistwights to stay away."

"But because of that, Sir Agus started figuring out how to lure them," Ares replied.

"And even learned how to draw out the mistfiend first before dealing with the rest."

Agus laughed heartily.

"Exactly. That’s exactly right."

From the gate, Gara watched them with a resigned expression. "They’re a perfect match."

...