Borrowing the character setting arranged for him by Rossweise, and combining it with some of his own real experiences, Leon began narrating vividly,."Do you still remember the time when I led a team on a mission? Although everyone wasn't a rookie, it was my first time taking on the responsibility of team captain."
"Every single action of the entire team was up to me to decide. Honestly, the burden was a bit heavy. I was very worried that a single wrong decision of mine might cause the team members to get injured or even… lose their lives."
"So in all the strategic maneuvers, I was extremely cautious, never daring to reveal my trump cards, and I had no confidence at all in the command skills I had learned."
"I thought such a conservative strategy could at least hold out until the mission ended, but unfortunately...", At this point, Leon paused slightly.
And Noah's interest was piqued. She had always liked listening to Leon talk about his past.
"Unfortunately?", Noah tilted her head slightly.
Leon gave a bitter smile, rubbed the tip of his nose, and continued, "Unfortunately, just as the mission was about to end, we were forced into a desperate situation by the enemy."
"And the reason for that outcome was because I was too cautious in my decisions. The enemy grasped this habit of mine and so... I fell into their trap."
Noah's pupils trembled slightly, and she said, "But Dad, in the end you still survived, didn't you."
"Yeah."
"How did you manage that?"
"At the time, there was a gunner in our team, ah, a girl good at long-range magic. When I was full of self-blame because my poor decision had trapped everyone in a trap, she slapped me right across the face."
Speaking of this, Leon couldn't help but laugh. He rarely recalled such black history from back then.
If it weren't for helping his precious daughter get over her mental block, he wouldn't have said so much.
"She told me, 'You didn't become captain because of orders from above, but because everyone trusts you, respects you, has absolute confidence in your ability, that's why they dare entrust their lives to you.'"
"'But all day long, you've been like a conservative country housewife, afraid to do this, afraid to do that. If you played chess with old grandpas in the park, they'd think you're a coward.'"
"I asked her if she regretted making me captain."
"She said no, but if I still didn't get up and continue to command the team, she'd give me a second slap."
"It was at that moment I understood. When you become a team leader, you and your teammates are a single unit. They are your left and right arms, and what you have to do is to command them as if you were commanding your own body."
"Since everyone acknowledges you, it means they're also willing to bear whatever consequences come with the decisions you make," As he said this, Leon slowly stood up and gently placed his hand on Noah's head, "Just like your mom. She wasn't recognized because she became the Silver Dragon Queen. It was because she gained everyone's recognition that she finally sat on the throne."
"Your dad and mom both walked this path step by step, Noah, so Dad understands how you're feeling right now."
"Dad doesn't expect you to immediately overcome the difficulties in your heart, but please, remember one thing—", He slowly stood up, and a few more people came out from behind him.
Noah looked over, "Mom… everyone..."
"We believe in your ability. No matter the result, you don't have to face it alone."
As his words fell, the host's voice also came from the stage, "Next up is the play directed by Noah K. Melkvei, 'As Love Sets in the West.' Everyone, please welcome~"
Although Noah herself might not realize it, the name 'Noah' in the Young Dragon Division usually represents the word "invincible", with national recognition to the point of being a household name.
And when the audience below heard that name, they clapped even more enthusiastically.
Rossweise took Luna and walked toward the stage.
Leon followed closely behind.
When passing by his eldest daughter, he raised his hand and patted Noah on the shoulder, "Did you hear those cheers, Noah? They're all for you."
———
After the stage props were set up, Leon and the others also took their places.
The first scene, just like during rehearsal, was Rossweise sending Luna away, and chatting alone with the "captured" Leon.
The classic moves of "Tail Chokehold" and "Handsome, Manly, and Scarred" were performed, and the school leaders and judging teachers below began whispering among themselves.
"The young actors' performances aren't bad, quite methodical, really feel like the real deal."
"The female lead's expressions and tone are also spot-on, especially the rhythm of her lines, it really gives the vibe of a proud princess, or even a queen."
"You think there's a chance she really is a queen?"
"Why is no one talking about the male lead's acting? Didn't you see how superbly he portrayed that unyielding yet helpless aura of a defeated prisoner?"
"Yes, saw it, his acting was excellent."
"Almost didn't seem like acting at all."
Hearing the teachers heap praise on this model family's performance, Vice Principal Wilson, sitting slightly to the left of center in the judges' row, stroked his white beard with satisfaction.
He slightly turned and leaned toward Principal Angelina Oullette's ear, lowering his voice, "So, Principal, didn't I say the Melkvei family would surprise us?"
Principal Oullette nodded in agreement, "Indeed."
The performances of Leon and his wife did somewhat surprise Oullette.
She remembered their first meeting was in her office when Veronica entrusted her to pass the original crystal to Rossweise as a wedding gift.
At that time, the couple had left a good impression on Oullette: modest and courteous, skilled in conversation and knowing boundaries. They managed to show sincerity without being overly open, always leaving themselves room.
A smart couple, that was the label Oullette had given them.
And now, watching their vivid and nuanced performance, Oullette had reason to believe that they were not only a clever couple but also a loving and in-sync one.
She used to hear Vice Principal Wilson rave about how loving and perfect they were and hadn't quite believed it.
After today's live performance, she believed.
"Was it all recorded in the Memory Stone?", Principal Oullette asked.
"Every. Single. Frame," Wilson said smugly.
The principal smiled faintly.
'Great, I'll send the footage to Veronica later.'
'Let the old lady be happy too, and see what a perfectly matched couple her granddaughter and grandson-in-law made.'
On stage, the first act had ended.
In the second act, Little Light appeared as the fairy, guiding the captured male lead to escape from prison, enduring countless hardships until he finally returned to his homeland.
But just as he was about to enter his country's borders, he ran into the princess who had been chasing him.
He thought she would stop him, but unexpectedly, the princess who had fallen for him had come to say goodbye.
The two of them lingered and fussed endlessly, going on and on, but still didn't confess their feelings to each other.
Watching from the side, the pink-haired fairy was anxious again.
She was anxious during rehearsal;
She was still anxious during the actual performance.
But her older sister told her, this couldn't be rushed.
Otherwise, if Act Two ended, there'd be nothing left to perform in Act Three.
Alright, director is boss, listen to the director.
Finally, after a bunch of mushy farewells, it ended.
Little Light waved the prop magic wand in her hand, "Then, brave knight, I have seen the prophecy, you and the princess shall meet again in the future. Now, quickly return to your homeland, regroup, and face even greater challenges~"
With Little Light waving the wand, the second act came to an end.
The performance of Act Two also received applause and cheers from the audience.
The judges continued analyzing the actors' performances.
"If Act One laid the groundwork for the characters' personalities, giving the audience a clear impression of the roles, then Act Two broke that impression in a logical way, making the characters more full."
"Yes, by showing emotional development to carry the plot transitions, and it wasn't abrupt, really have to say the scriptwriter here is excellent."
"The script is solid, but I think being able to link the two acts so seamlessly, credit also goes to the director. After all, a stage play has to be acted out in the end, which really tests the director's skill."
"Hmm… true. What's the name of the director again? The host said earlier—"
"Noah, Noah K. Melkvei, that youngest one in the Young Dragon Division, who's always ranked first."
"Oh? I usually coach stage plays in Sky City, and was invited to judge this competition. Didn't expect your academy to have such a gifted student."
"Teacher, don't try poaching Noah, directing is just one of her talents. She's going to be one of the top dragon warriors someday."
"Hahahaha~ Got my intentions exposed in an instant~"
The judges gave high praise to these two scenes.
Then came the most intense conflict scene, Act Three.
The face-off between Leon and Claudia.
In this act, Noah played a handmaiden at Claudia's side.
Scene transition, stage blocking, setup, all finished. Noah watched her dad walk up to Aunt Claudia.
She saw her dad nod and bow, respectfully saying, "Mother."
Upon hearing that, Noah secretly let out a sigh of relief.
'Good job, Dad. That line you were so unwilling to say, 'Mother', you finally said it!'
They exchanged a few lines of dialogue, and due to time constraints, the conflict soon erupted.
"You say you want to go back to that woman? Impossible! I will never allow you to do such a thing!", Claudia was full of majesty, her acting convincing, as if…
Leon really was her son, and she really wouldn't allow him to fall for a princess from an enemy nation.
No matter how many times Noah watched this performance, she always admired it from the bottom of her heart.
She thought only her dad and mom had acting talent, but didn't expect Aunt Claudia to be a pro too.
Leon had the same thought before.
Until last time, Claudia told him and Rossweise that her Sea Dragon Clan actually didn't approve of her sister marrying her brother-in-law.
Only then did General Leon realize:
Turns out, "Life is a drama, all based on memory" didn't apply just to him and Rossweise.
'Sigh, every family has its own difficulties,' Leon thought silently.
"Mother, just let me see her once!"
"I said no. If you must see her, fine. Take off your armor, remove your insignia, strip yourself of all honors. Then, you may go see her."
"...Fine, fine! Mother, you said this!", Leon stripped off his armor and other props.
"Mother, are you satisfied now!"
"You... you gave up all this for that woman! Is it worth it?"
"It is. For her, it's all worth it."
"Fine… fine… Someone! Banish him from the kingdom, until he comes to his senses!"
After several rounds of dialogue, Noah was enjoying the scene immensely.
No need to say anything about her dad, his rebellious, reckless, chuunibyou aura was like it was made for him.
And Aunt Claudia conveyed the emotional shifts in those few lines extremely naturally.
From shock, to anger, and finally to helplessness, it all transitioned smoothly.
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