Ancient Dragon in Arknights

"Nesario, are you really not planning to go home?"

On campus, Nesario was walking side by side with three girls. All four of them had done well in their final exams, and there was no risk of failing. They were all even rated as excellent students, so they naturally seemed very relaxed.

However, the issue they were discussing at that moment was not the results, but rather Nessario's future.

"Yes, although Colombia is close by, the round trip still takes quite a while, and more importantly, the various procedures and documents are very troublesome."

"But you can't completely avoid going back, can you? Don't you want to see your family?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Interestingly, of the four, only Fiona truly grew up surrounded by family love.

According to her, her mother was a very strong-willed Waiva woman who taught her from a young age that "Waivan women must not be weak." It seems that getting into military school was also the result of Fiona's slight struggle with this teaching. As for her father... it's hard to imagine his family status, but judging from the fact that they have such a warm and lovely daughter, they must be a happy and fulfilling family.

As for the others... hehe.

Rita: The second daughter of a noble family. The White Wolf family suffered a series of defeats due to the dramatic death of the king, and now they are hiding in a rural territory on the border. Rita has never approved of her father's concessions since she was a child, so there is still conflict between them.

Nesario: A suspected Drak adopted by the Vayvan family, but the unfamiliarity of blood ties is meaningless. Nesario and Saria's relationship is undoubtedly better than that of biological siblings; however, their problem lies with their father—Cenat's harsh education cut off any possibility of warmth from a young age, and he molded the two siblings into rational and stubborn individuals.

Nesario was certain that even if he returned to Colombia, he would go to meet up with Celia. As for his father... the two of them would probably write a report-style letter together, and that was the end of it.

It's not that there's no affection in this family, it's just that Senat's fatherly love is too cold.

As for Chen... sigh, the most pitiful kid, let's not talk about him.

With a cold and selfish father and an incredibly loving mother, but an older sister who was a few years older, it was a fairly good childhood.

Subsequent events unfolded... Her mother was constantly in tears, her father's relationship with his wife deteriorated, and her sister was taken away by enemies; her uncle Wei Yanwu, who raised her, was also in a bad state. In this light, the only person who brought Chen warmth was her aunt, Princess Wenyue.

“Our family is a bit special. We don’t need to meet each other; we can just let each other know what’s going on. Especially my father, there’s nothing to say when I meet him; it’s just awkward. As for my mother… she passed away before my sister and I were old enough to understand.”

Nesario didn't say that he couldn't leave Lentinium, as that would only attract unnecessary concern. He just wanted the three girls to go home peacefully, without doing anything extra.

"Speaking of which, Nana, do you have an older sister?"

"Yes, she studied at Trimont University in Columbia; her achievements were about the same as those at Victoria National University."

Fiona is an only child. Because it is difficult for Vaivaans to reproduce, it is considered good if a Vaivaan couple has one child. Therefore, she is very interested in Nesario's affairs.

"Where are the captain and Chenchen? Do you have any older brothers or sisters?"

A whole semester has passed, and we haven't discussed family matters at all? Probably because discussing other people's families is considered impolite, so we didn't start in that direction in the first place. Now, the four of us have become closer, and it's okay to ask those kinds of questions.

“I have an older brother and sister, but they are no longer at home. My brother is in the army, and my sister helps manage the territory. I can’t say that I’m very close to them.”

"Eh... Are all nobles like this? It feels really uncomfortable... I'm sorry, Captain, I shouldn't have asked such a thing."

Fiona had clearly heard tales of noble heirs fiercely vying for titles and lands, and obviously, such a topic was not suitable to discuss in front of Rita.

“No, it’s alright. They are them, and I am me. We all uphold the honor of the Scamanderos family, and that’s enough. It’s you… who’s more like a troublesome younger sister.”

"Huh!? In the captain's eyes, am I really that much of a worry?"

"Of course! When have you ever given me a moment's peace of mind?"

Chen suddenly interrupted the conversation, rambling on about Fiona's problems. These were all everyday trivialities, but the sheer number of them was indeed quite worrying.

Although the entire conversation was filled with a cheerful atmosphere, Nesario and Rita still saw through Chen's intention—that he didn't want to discuss anything related to family.

They glanced at each other, their eyes meeting briefly in mid-air. After a moment's pause, they naturally turned back to each other and began chatting.

They quickly changed the subject from family and began discussing their upcoming itinerary.

Fiona chose to go home, supposedly to a place called Oakshire.

"We have a huge wheat field, two tractors, and a whole herd of meat trucks. If you'd like to come over, you're warmly welcome! My mom makes a creamy stew that's a million times better than the one at school!"

"I will definitely go if I have the chance."

Rita also chose to go home, but she didn't recommend that anyone visit her house, as this would be considered taking sides in Victoria and carries risks.

"I choose to return to Longmen. The Chinese New Year is just a month away in Yan Country, but it seems that Victoria and Colombia don't have this tradition?"

"There will be some activities, but it won't be like the nationwide celebrations in Yan."

To be honest, Nesario was quite interested in this; it was New Year's Day! Even though it was just a similar leaf, it offered some solace. Unfortunately, he was currently under house arrest in Lentinium.

The four-person team then had their last get-together of the semester at a Syracuse-style pizzeria before returning to school to pack their bags and prepare to go home.

Chapter 110 Daily Life

"Phew... See you next year."

"Oh! Nana, please be careful."

"Who has the right to cause him trouble?"

At the entrance to the station closest to the school, a very conspicuous Vayvan was standing there saying goodbye to three distinctive girls—Nesario had helped bring over their luggage, and he was saying a final farewell.

Fiona earnestly told him to be careful, but in Chen's view, Nesario was the real danger to others.

"Are you sure you're staying in Lentinium for the entire holiday?"

"Hmm. What instructions do you have, Captain?"

"Hmph, Nesario!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Don't slack off during the holiday. Maintain about one hour of theoretical study and two hours of physical exercise daily. Avoid bad habits, ensure a reasonable sleep schedule of early to bed and early to rise, and maintain appropriate social interaction... Also, if you have any questions, feel free to write to me, and I will offer help and advice to the best of my ability. That's all!"

"Yes, sir."

Nesario smiled and agreed. As for whether his smile was due to the motherly rule or Rita's final request for him to write to her, that remains to be seen.

"And me too! Nana, you can ask me anything you don't understand!"

"Fiona, you should just give up. You struggle to even write a tactical report and analysis. Besides, won't you spend all your time playing in the fields when you get home? Will you have time to read letters?"

As her roommate, Chen knew Fiona's ability to express herself in complex writing better than anyone else—she needed his help to write even a tactical report, so how elegant could her letters be?

“Chen, you’re wrong to say that. Fiona’s description of the countryside alone makes me yearn for it. So, I would be even more grateful if you could send me a few photos.”

"I definitely will! Just you wait and see!"

Fiona's inexhaustible energy was instantly ignited by Nesario's approval, and she now wished she could carry the car home and send the photos to Nesario.

"I also welcome inquiries by letter. By the way, is there anything from China that you'd like? I'll bring some back when I go back to school."

"Knowing the gift in advance will diminish the surprise, so I would appreciate it if Ms. Chen could help me choose one."

"No problem."

"Chenchen! I want one too!"

"Everyone gets a share! Ah—my train is about to depart. Let's go!"

"be careful."

Chen was about to reach the exit facing Longmen. It seemed that her family had arranged for someone to pick her up and drop her off, so her safety was probably not a concern.

"Our time is almost up. Nesario, don't relax too much during your vacation."

"As you command, sir."

"Nana, bye-bye."

......

After seeing the three girls off, Nesario left the station—which was some distance from the school—and decided to walk back to give himself some time to calm down and think things through.

On the streets, the wealthy people of Lentinium remain the same as yesterday; the city has not stopped operating because of a school holiday.

Nesario, dressed in civilian clothes, lost the appeal of his heroic military uniform, but his striking racial features still attracted the attention of some people on the street.

Suddenly—the rate of people turning their heads to look at the camera increased significantly again. Why?

A delicate fragrance wafted into Nesario's nostrils; he was all too familiar with that scent, as clear as a spring.

"Excuse me, handsome sir, do you have some time later?"

Lothiri quietly followed behind Nesario. Today, this beautiful young woman had dressed up specially—a little dress that she could wear in her daily life, with exquisite tailoring and high-quality fabric; the dark fabric concealed her ample bosom under the double-breasted buttons, and a silver braid secured her shawl; the temperature in Londinium was gradually dropping, but she was still wearing a little skirt—this time a plaid skirt in reddish-brown fabric with a black trim.

But none of these were the most attractive features. What truly drew attention were her long, straight legs encased in slightly sheer white stockings that peeked out from under her skirt and onto her delicate high heels. Upon closer inspection, the stockings even had patterns on them. Every step she took exuded a girlish charm, and the crisp sound of her high heels seemed to resonate in the hearts of the boys around her.

Unfortunately, Lothiri stood next to Nesario.

Is she already taken? How sad and lamentable.

"I'm sorry, I just parted ways with another girl and I'm still feeling lonely. So maybe next time."

"No, no, no, as the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new. Let me help you overcome your loneliness; there's a nice place here."

"Since you are so kind, it would be impolite to refuse. I will cover the rest of the expenses."

Nesario decisively pulled his thoughts back; instead of racking his brains alone, he decided to discuss it with a smart person.

He followed Losilly through Lentinium, constantly drawing admiration and wonder from passersby, until they finally stopped on the street where they had first met.

"You're not talking about Valerie, are you?"

The ill-fated relationship between Nesario and Lothiri began here, when both of them showed their most perfect, yet most hypocritical, sides.

Nesario came here a few more times afterward, but always with Rita and the others. One of the shop assistants always gave Nesario a resentful look. He didn't remember ever offending her. On the contrary, every time he came with Fiona, he should have significantly increased the shop assistant's sales.

"Of course not. It's a coffee shop."

"Coffee...my sister loves it, but I personally think it's just so-so."

"Hmph, this coffee shop has something special about it. You'll see when you get there."

The two strolled slowly along this bustling and expensive street, where the surrounding passersby appeared noticeably wealthier, and even a few beauties whose looks could rival those of Lori.

Unfortunately, they either had no male companions or were simply no match for Nesario. Men like him, who so perfectly combined strength and heroism, were rare indeed.

"We've arrived. This is it."

"Cat paw coffee?"