Chapter 17 Genius

The mountains were ablaze with color, the layered forests dyed in hues, the blue sky washed clean, white clouds as soft as cotton. Noah stood at the entrance of the Dragon Nest, looking out into the distance, only to see the high skies and thin clouds, the mist-covered mountain hues, and the deepening autumn beauty that was simply breathtaking.

The streams winding around the peaks reflected the blue sky and white clouds, occasionally carrying a few falling leaves adrift. The autumn breeze gently caressed the mountains, carrying a slight chill, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers and herbs.

The sounds of the playful fairies again drew the Golden Dragon's gaze to the magical garden. The autumn's desolation was kept at bay by the fairies' magic outside the garden; inside, the flowers and plants were still lush and vibrant, brimming with vigorous life.

What was even more admirable was that during his Deep Sleep Period, this garden had more than doubled in size. The fairies had found their own way to repay the Golden Dragon for his protection.

"Your Highness Noah!"

As the Golden Dragon lowered his gaze, Sifreya, the fairy appointed as the garden's caretaker, fluttered over, her butterfly wings beating.

Specks of glowing dust sprinkled down as the fairy flew, appearing dreamy and beautiful. Below her path, the flowers touched by the dust also swayed, becoming more lively.

Noah wondered if it was just an illusion, the fairy before him seemed to have grown a bit larger, but on closer inspection, her size hadn't really changed.

"Sifreya, how long have I slept this time?"

"You have been asleep for three natural months."

The fairy replied.

"That's quite a long time."

Noah nodded slightly, not too concerned, for although autumn had arrived, the winters here weren't cold. At its coldest, there would only be a few flurries of little snow.

Even though the Golden Dragon didn't like snowy environments, he could adapt. However, this region seldom experienced snowfall, making the climate fairly warm and suitable for most creatures to live and thrive.

"Your Highness, during your sleep, a human noble named Tidel frequently came looking for you."

"Tidel? You've had contact with him?"

Three months had passed, and regardless of what happened to that father and son duo in the Capital, they should have returned by now. Noah wasn't surprised, but rather slightly pleased, as nothing seemed to have gone wrong with them.

"Yes, he is a very rude human."

Dancing in mid-air, Sifreya couldn't hold back and began to complain to the Golden Dragon, her delicate face filled with furious emotion, her tiny fists even swinging in the air.

"Rude? What did he do to you?"

Noah's gaze suddenly sharpened, an invisible ripple spreading out with it.

"N-No."

The fairy, previously dancing in the air, gently trembled and landed on the petal of a large exotic flower, lying down with a slightly trembling voice.

"It's just that he claims to be your brother, which is so arrogant and rude."

"I see."

Noah relaxed immediately; he thought that young man might have done something excessive to these fairies,

"Ignore him, humans are such creatures that love to brag, attaching many false titles to themselves."

"But he has no regard for nature at all..."

It was evident that Sifreya was genuinely angry, as she began to enumerate Tidel's numerous offenses.

Every time Tidel came, he trampled on and destroyed many plants and even wrecked several fairy homes. In the fairies' eyes, he was like a demon.

"Hahaha!"

Noah couldn't help but laugh out loud. In the fairies' description, Tidel seemed absolutely worthless, lacking any virtue, filled only with traits that the fairies found particularly detestable.

However, this was precisely why creatures of vastly different sizes found it difficult to coexist. Larger creatures could unconsciously destroy everything smaller ones owned without realizing it.

"Noah, you're finally awake!"

As Noah gathered his majesty and harmoniously mingled with the garden fairies, starting to judge which one of the daring fairies had woven the prettiest wreath, a bold, hearty voice came from outside the garden.

"That human is here again!"

"How can we get him to understand that he's really not welcome here?"

"I really despise him. Your Highness Noah was just about to judge my flower wreath."

Amidst the fairies' complaints and whispers, Noah looked towards the tall young man standing still outside the garden.

Last time he saw the young man was four months ago, and for a dragon, that amount of time was merely a couple of naps; there wouldn't be any changes.

But for short-lived species like humans, especially young ones going through puberty, four months was enough for them to undergo a complete transformation inside and out.

Although the young man's face had changed significantly compared to before, becoming more rugged with a few more edges, his stature had grown taller, by half a head.

But most importantly, his demeanor had changed, entirely different from before. It seemed that after some kind of honing, the young man's eyes were full of confidence and vigor, without a hint of restraint or shyness.

"Why don't you come in?"

Gazing at the young man before him, Noah's eyes revealed a sense of emotion, a trace of a smile emerging.

The young man's attire and style were significantly different from when he left. The insignificant metal ornaments and occasional flashes of light on his clothes were all noted by Noah's discerning eyes.

"I don't dare come in. Where did you find these Little Flower Spirits? When you weren't awake, they scolded me pretty badly."

Hearing Noah's invitation, Tidel's expression fell as he complained to the Golden Dragon.

"You trampled on the houses they painstakingly built. How could they not scold you?"

"I didn't see them."

Tidel showed annoyance.

"Come on in, I'll have them use your current path as a basis to clear a road for you."

"That's more like it. If you give me a pathway, I won't wander around recklessly next time."

Tidel also saw those little flower fairies in the garden glaring at him with anger, showing no pleasant faces, and immediately displayed a smile he thought was friendly.

"Hmph!"

"Bah!"

However, no fairy showed a pleasant face to the young man.

"Hahaha."

Noah watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but laugh again.

In fact, just from the fairies not avoiding or dodging when they saw the young man, it was already proof of his character and morality.

In some sense, these Little Flower Spirits had already recognized him.

"Noah, it's really hard to see you these days!"

The young man, who had finally made it close to Noah, couldn't help but exclaim.

"It's already good that you get to see me once."

When the young man got closer, Noah gave him a once-over, also letting out a sigh,

"You've really changed a lot."

"Of course, I swept through the Capital's young noble circle as the Genius Knight. You wouldn't believe how many noble ladies and maidens sent me love letters and handkerchiefs."

"I know, the scent on you has already betrayed you."

"The scent on me?"

Tidel was stunned.

"You have many young female scents on you. Besides humans, it seems there's also an elf? A halfling too? And why is there a naga's scent?"

Noah sniffed the air, his eyes involuntarily becoming peculiar.