Published at 25th of August 2026 9:07 am

Volume 8, Chapter 57: Two Negatives Make a Positive

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Orion Pyx — captain of the Blazing Sun City Guard. During the joint examination between the Blazing Sun Clan and the Dragon Saint Hith Academy, she had been paired with Hefei.

Leon remembered her well. In a city devoted to light and to the imperfect god Apollo, Orion had remained steadfast in her own ancestral faith and in her belief in the Blazing Sun Clan’s future.

“You still go to the orphanage every week to volunteer and play ball with the children?” Leon asked, his tone light but edged with curiosity.

Orion nodded. Her voice was as calm and cool as ever. “Yes, Mr. Leon.”

Leon looked at her impassive face and smiled faintly. Still the same—distant, reserved, never a word more than necessary.

After a brief greeting, Orion turned to leave, tugging Teresa by the collar.

“Let’s go, Teresa. Don’t be so reckless next time.”

“But, Captain! I haven’t cuddled a dragon girl in ages!”

Teresa still wasn’t over her old obsession. Ah, you’ve caught the dragon-girl bug. You’re doomed now.

Orion’s brow twitched. “Did you not hear me, Teresa?”

“...Yes, Captain.”

Without another word, Orion rested her right hand on the hilt at her hip and strode toward the exit of the hall.

Teresa trudged after her. She managed only a few steps before glancing back, waving pitifully at Muse.

“I’ll miss you, Muse—!”

Muse could tell the dragon-girl maniac was seconds away from bursting into tears.

After a moment’s hesitation, Muse stepped forward.

“Um... Miss Orion, during the exam I was in the same team as Miss Teresa. But after it ended, we never saw each other again. Since we finally met today... could I play with her for a little while?”

Teresa’s eyes lit up instantly, the excitement rushing back. But she bit her lip, waiting for her captain’s verdict.

Orion paused mid-stride, turned, and looked first at Teresa’s pleading eyes, then at Muse’s. After a brief silence, she sighed.

“Fine. You have thirty minutes to catch up, Teresa. But stay in the reception hall—we’re responsible for the guests’ safety.”

“Yesss! Thank you, Captain!!”

Teresa nearly leapt into her arms, throwing both hands around Orion’s neck. Just as she leaned in to plant a grateful kiss on that stoic face, Orion raised a palm and stopped her flat.

Her expression didn’t even flicker. Clearly, she’d seen it coming.

“Save your lips for your favorite little dragon girl.”

“Yes, Captain!”

Snapping to attention, Teresa gave a comically crisp salute—and in the next instant blinked to appear right in front of Muse. She crouched down and swept the small dragon girl into a tight bear hug, rubbing her cheek against Muse’s.

“Mmm—still the same! The same soft skin, the same sweet scent—gods, I missed this!”

Muse gave up resisting and let herself be hugged and sniffed like a plush toy. Honestly, being born into House Melkvey meant every child went through this stage.

Noa, Moon, Aurora—all of them had endured it. Muse was no exception.

Orion looked at Leon and said softly, “Please forgive her, Mr. Leon.”

The general just waved it off.

“I’m used to it.”

In truth, for a doting father like him, seeing someone adore his daughter so sincerely was more flattering than offensive. If Muse didn’t like it, that would be another story—but as long as she didn’t object, he saw no harm.

“Captain, do you really not like dragon girls?” Teresa asked as she lifted Muse up like an oversized stuffed toy.

“They’re unbelievably cute.”

Orion’s face remained expressionless. “I’ve outgrown the age for that sort of affection, Teresa.”

“No one in this world’s as afraid of closeness as you,” Teresa muttered, blinking. “Really, Captain?”

“Really,” Orion said, lowering her gaze.

“When did we ever lie to each other?”

“Orion! It’s really you—you’re here too!”

A bright, familiar voice cut into the conversation. Orion turned, eyes widening slightly.

“Hefei...”

“Orion!”

Hefei ran over with open arms—clearly asking for a hug.

Teresa chuckled under her breath.

“Don’t bother, little dragon girl. The captain’s immune to charm. Come here instead, my arms are—wait, she’s actually hugging her?!”

“Captain, you literally said a second ago that no kid could ever—!”

Orion held Hefei close, her face still impassive.

“Special case. Special treatment, Teresa.”

“...You’re just making that up, aren’t you, Captain?”

“Am I the captain, or are you?”

“...”

Teresa sighed inwardly. Rank crushes reason. You’re the captain; you win.

After a moment, she asked:

“But seriously, Captain, how did you get so close with the dragon kids?”

Hefei answered for her:

“Miss Orion and I were teammates during the exam—just like Muse and Miss Teresa! And...”

Both Teresa and Muse perked up.

“And?” they asked in unison.

Hefei and Orion exchanged a glance, then said together, perfectly in sync:

“Not telling. It’s a secret.”

Teresa rolled her eyes.

“Tch. Fine, fine—keep your secret. As long as I still get to hug my little dragon girl.”

The “secret,” of course, was simple.

Back during the exam, Hefei had told Orion that she envied Muse for having someone as gentle as Aunt Rosvisser—a mother who hugged and comforted her so freely. And since Orion had no talent whatsoever for comforting words, she’d simply pointed at herself, wordlessly inviting Hefei to hug her if she wanted to.

That small gesture had given Hefei a warmth she’d never known.

During the winter break, she often wrote letters to Orion, and Orion replied to each one, carefully. Their bond, born from that single embrace, had quietly grown through the cold of winter.

Teresa had never once seen her usually icy captain so gentle with anyone—not even the children she volunteered with. But somehow, this little outsider had managed it.

Leon, watching Hefei’s arrival, realized that meant her father must be here too.

He glanced toward the door—sure enough, Constantine was walking in with his measured, heavy stride.

“Father!” Hefei called, waving.

After greeting a few of the dragon kings, Constantine made his way toward them.

“Mr. Constantine,” Orion said politely, “it’s been a while.”

Constantine stopped, his golden eyes locking on her face. His mouth opened slightly—but no words came out.

For a long moment, the two simply stood there, staring at each other in silence.

After nearly ten seconds, Leon couldn’t help blurting out:

“What, flame-breather—your respiratory system shut down?”

The tension broke at once.

“Oh. My apologies,” Constantine said finally. “I was... thinking about something. Long time no see, Miss Pyx.”

Orion nodded. “Did you ever remember where you’d heard my surname before, Mr. Constantine?”

During the joint exam, when they’d first introduced themselves, Constantine had mentioned that her last name sounded familiar. Orion and her teacher were the only ones known to bear the name Pyx, so they’d assumed he was mistaken.

Her question now was nothing more than polite conversation.

Constantine shook his head.

“Not yet. I suppose I must’ve only... dreamed it.”

“Is that so? Dreams can be strange. They say when someone’s thinking of you, she’ll appear in your dreams.”

“There’s such a saying?”

“Mm. I heard it from my teacher.”

“Your teacher...?”

“She had the same surname as mine. But she passed away many years ago.”

“I see. My condolences, Miss Pyx.”

“It’s all right, Mr. Constantine.”

Their exchange had clearly moved well past mere pleasantries.

Leon and Teresa stood side by side, watching in quiet disbelief.

“Does your captain always talk this much?” Leon murmured. “She’s usually the silent type, isn’t she?”

Teresa shook her head. “No idea. But that dragon king doesn’t seem nearly as cold as he looks, either. He’s good at talking too.”

At her comment, Leon suddenly realized the same thing—Constantine, normally terse to the point of silence, was chatting fluently.

Two people who rarely spoke a word were suddenly chatting away.

Leon scratched his head and sighed.

“So this is what they mean by... two negatives make a positive?”

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