The Poison Winged Butterfly Queen, officially classified as an A-rank dangerous species, would normally have been no more than a brief distraction for Leon. It was the kind of task he could finish in the time it took to sip a single cup of tea, a mere warm-up.
But since Mevis had insisted that taking the beast down too quickly and effortlessly might negatively affect Noah's evaluation, Leon reluctantly held back his full power and worked in a deliberately synchronized, almost choreographed manner with her.
As they approached the nest, the Butterfly Queen, sensing the intruders, emerged with a furious flutter. Its massive, shimmering wings unfurled to their full, intimidating span, and it immediately released a thick cloud of toxic purple mist, letting out a high-pitched, piercing cry.
"Smile, Prince. Fear not—the mist is harmless to us," Mevis quipped, her voice laced with a subtle amusement.
She spread her own majestic, black dragon wings—far larger than the Butterfly Queen's—and gave them a single, powerful flap. The gust of wind she generated was enough to shred and disperse the poisonous fog into nothingness.
Leon stood perfectly still, hands tucked casually into his pockets, silently watching the display. But in his mind, he couldn't help but grumble:
'You show off wings bigger than the Butterfly Queen's, then nullify its primary offensive ability right out of the gate. How is this supposed to be "teamwork," lady? You might as well just solo this thing yourself!'
After efficiently clearing the mist, Mevis retracted her wings and landed gracefully beside him. She turned, her expression neutral.
"Prince, why are you just standing there watching? I believe it's your turn."
Caught off guard, Leon slowly pulled one hand out of his pocket and gave a half-hearted, mocking wave. "Go, Teacher Mevis! You're absolutely amazing!"
His sarcasm was palpable, but Mevis just offered a faint, knowing smile.
"You're quite the spectator, aren't you, Prince?" she observed dryly. She then added, "I assume you don't have a particularly elegant way to handle the mist, correct?"
Leon scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Well... I guess you've got a point there."
It was true; his thunder magic and poison-based abilities didn't mix well, so he indeed lacked a precise, non-destructive means of countering the mist. However, if it had been entirely up to him, he'd have simply activated his shadow-cloaked mode, punched the Butterfly Queen into next week before the mist even formed, and been done with it.
"Alright, let's coordinate properly from here on," Mevis suggested, adopting a more professional tone.
"Fine," Leon agreed begrudgingly, finally stepping forward to properly join her in the battle.
Realizing its mist attack had been completely rendered useless, the enraged Butterfly Queen took to the air, hovering above them. While flight might normally offer a significant tactical advantage against ground-based opponents, this wasn't the case when facing two beings with draconic heritage.
"Why didn't I bring Eagle Junior today?" Leon muttered to himself in frustration. "I'd have that overgrown insect punched out of the sky in seconds!"
Mevis tilted her head, a glint of humor in her dark eyes. "Prince, can't you fly?"
"I, uh... my wings are a bit injured. Haven't fully healed yet," Leon lied smoothly, avoiding her amused gaze by pretending to study the treetops.
Mevis let out a soft, almost inaudible laugh, lightly shaking her shoulders.
"What's so funny?" Leon asked, a note of genuine annoyance in his voice.
"Oh, nothing at all. My apologies, Prince," Mevis said, though her faint, enigmatic smirk lingered.
She then crouched slightly and laced her fingers together, offering her hands as a stable foothold. "Allow me to assist you, then."
"Isn't this a bit... theatrical? You could probably take it down in one move from here," Leon muttered as he stepped onto her linked hands.
"I dislike unnecessary violence when a simple solution exists," Mevis replied simply.
With a mutual nod, Leon braced himself, and with a powerful, coordinated heave, she launched him skyward toward the hovering creature.
The Butterfly Queen, seeing Leon rocketing toward it, unleashed another concentrated burst of poisonous mist. Mevis, still firmly on the ground, swiftly countered with another precise flap of her wings, clearing the path for Leon's ascent.
Leon, now within perfect striking range, channeled a controlled bolt of thunder magic into his right hand. A brilliant, fork-like arc of lightning shot out, striking one of the Butterfly Queen's primary wings with surgical precision. The creature let out a pained screech, its flight instantly destabilized as it spiraled and plummeted back to the ground with a heavy thud.
Leon landed gracefully beside it, dusting his hands off with an air of finality.
"Impressive control, Prince," Mevis said as she approached, her tone approving.
"Flattery isn't necessary," Leon replied, though a confident smirk played on his lips.
Mevis chuckled lightly, her smile carrying an enigmatic warmth that seemed to hold a universe of unspoken thoughts.
The Butterfly Queen, battered and grounded, gave a final, mournful cry. It glanced longingly toward its nest atop the waterfall before laboriously flapping its one functional wing and retreating into the deep safety of the forest.
"Should we pursue it and ensure it doesn't return?" Mevis asked, looking to Leon for the decision.
Leon shook his head. "No need. Poison Winged Butterfly Queens don't typically build nests near water sources unless they're preparing to lay eggs. It's likely relocating its nursery after this encounter. A wise choice."
He continued, his voice taking on a more thoughtful tone, "Once its mating season ends in a few weeks, it will stop releasing the pheromones entirely. These creatures are a natural part of this forest's ecosystem—they're important pollinators for the larger, rarer flora. Killing it unnecessarily would only create an imbalance. The objective was to stop the pollution, not commit extermination."
Mevis nodded, her expression becoming genuinely thoughtful. "You are different from many of the other parents I've observed, Prince."
Leon raised a questioning eyebrow. "How so?"
"Many parents treat these tests as a mere box-ticking exercise. While they technically complete the objectives, they often miss the entire point—the shared experience, the subtle lessons in coexistence and family involvement. Your approach, however, was... refreshingly considerate."
Leon shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I just want my daughters to learn that how you achieve something often matters more than the result itself. Some paths are worth taking slowly."
Returning to the waterfall, Mevis carefully removed the large, empty nest. Then, she retrieved a palm-sized, jade-green purification crystal from her bag. She placed the crystal into the heart of the once-polluted pool, where it immediately began to pulse with a soft, cleansing light.
Within moments, the water cleared before their eyes, the ominous dark purple hue vanishing as the crystal's magic neutralized the residual toxins.
"The second objective is now complete," Mevis declared, retrieving the now-dim crystal. She pulled out a small, glowing timer stone from her pocket, which displayed the remaining test time. "We finished in just over four hours. That leaves us nearly eight hours to spare. Let's head back to the forest entrance and wait for Noah and Helena."
"Sounds good to me," Leon agreed, feeling the mild fatigue of the day's activities begin to set in.
Back at the Forest Entrance
The night was deep and quiet now. Mevis lit a fresh, small campfire to ward off the chill and handed Leon a thick, woolen blanket from her seemingly bottomless bag.
"Rest up, Prince. I'll keep watch," she said, her voice soft in the darkness.
Leon muttered his thanks, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders as he leaned back against a sturdy tree. The day's events, combined with the cool night breeze, were oddly soothing.
As the fire crackled softly, its symphony accompanied by the distant chirping of crickets and the rustling of nocturnal creatures, Leon closed his eyes, intending only to rest them for a moment.
"Prince... are you asleep?" Mevis's soft voice suddenly broke the comfortable quiet, barely more than a whisper.
Leon, his curiosity instantly piqued, chose to feign sleep. He remained perfectly still, regulating his breathing, waiting to see what she would do.
He heard her footsteps then—soft, deliberate, and careful on the forest floor. She crouched down beside him, her movements so measured they were almost silent. Leon could sense her presence through the faint shifts in the air and the subtle rustling of the grass beneath her feet.
He felt her reach out toward him, her hand nearing his knee. Beneath the cover of the blanket, Leon discreetly gathered a small, harmless charge of thunder magic in his palm, his body tensing, ready to act if her intentions proved hostile.
Got you, he thought, his heart rate steady, certain this was the moment her true colors would finally be revealed.
But instead of anything threatening, Mevis's hand simply gently tugged at the edge of the blanket, pulling it up and over his chest, tucking it more securely around his shoulders.
"Such a grown man, yet you sleep so carelessly. You'll catch a cold out here," she murmured, her voice so soft it was almost carried away by the wind, filled with a tenderness that shocked him.
The gathered thunder magic in Leon's palm dissipated into nothingness, leaving him feeling slightly foolish and profoundly confused. He continued his ruse, listening as she stood and walked back to her seat by the fire.
Cracking one eye open just a sliver, Leon watched her silhouette against the dancing firelight. She sat perfectly still, gazing into the flames with an unreadable, almost sorrowful expression.
The enigma of Mevis had only deepened, wrapping itself in layers of contradictory actions and whispered concern.
Who are you really, Teacher Mevis? Leon mused silently, as the gentle, hypnotic sounds of the night finally began to lull him into a genuine, deep, and puzzled rest.