Chapter 157: The Dragon Cubs’ Full Moon Banquet

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: The Dragon Cubs’ Full Moon Banquet

Ali nodded. She carefully examined her fingers against the sunlight and found it quite novel that there was truly no more discomfort. "Ophelia, why are you always able to find such novel things? Your luck is just too good!"

Ophelia remained silent.

Tyler hurriedly changed the subject. "It’s getting late. Let’s start grilling."

"Right, right, you guys keep skewering the meat. I’ll go prepare the rest," Ophelia said. She ran over to the pile of firewood the little dragon cubs had gathered to find branches suitable for a makeshift grill.

Half an hour later, the skewers and the rabbit were all prepared. Ophelia began to show off her skills, placing the makeshift grill over the firewood. She roasted the fat trimmed from the mutton by the fire. Soon, it began to sizzle and render, and she immediately brushed the grease over the grill. Once all the branches were coated in oil, the meat skewers were laid out on top one by one.

Ali crouched to the side, cupping her cheeks like a curious child. She alternately watched Ophelia grill the mutton skewers and Laxus roast the rabbit. About ten minutes later, Ophelia sprinkled cumin and chili powder over the meat. Roasted by the fire, the aroma of the meat mixed with the spices immediately spread through the air.

Ali swallowed hard. "Ophelia, this meat smells so good! Is it almost ready? I can’t wait anymore."

Seeing Ali’s impatience, Ophelia chuckled. "Alright, you can have a taste. Careful, it’s hot."

After taking the mutton skewer, Ali completely ignored Ophelia’s warning. She opened her mouth to take a bite, but the hot branch seared the corner of her mouth, leaving a red mark.

"Ah, it’s hot!"

Hearing Ali’s cry of pain, Laxus, who was grilling nearby, immediately dropped his half-roasted rabbit onto the ground. "Let me see."

Seeing Laxus’s tense expression, Ophelia knew the two had grown quite close, so she didn’t rush forward. "Laxus, quickly take Ali to the stream to wash up."

"Okay." Laxus bent down, scooped Ali up in his arms, and walked toward the stream with long strides.

Ali mumbled shyly, "I was only burned. It’s not like my foot is injured. You don’t have to carry me."

Laxus’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his expression grave. "This is faster."

By the stream, Laxus scooped up some water and gently cleaned Ali’s mouth. Even so, the pain made Ali gasp.

"Does it hurt a lot? I’ll take you back to see the clan doctor."

Ali shook her head. "It doesn’t hurt as much as it just did. Let’s go back."

Laxus’s gaze fell on Ali’s slightly swollen mouth, confirming once more, "Are you sure you’re okay?" Ali nodded solemnly to show she was fine.

When the two returned to the campfire, the mutton skewers had cooled down considerably. Ophelia handed a mutton skewer to Ali, but Laxus snatched it away first. Ali curled her lip. Just as she was about to complain, she saw Laxus blowing on the skewer. After cooling it for a moment, he finally handed the mutton skewer back to Ali.

"It’s not hot anymore. You can eat it."

Seeing her brother being so considerate, Ophelia couldn’t help but tease him. "Oh my, since when did you become so thoughtful, Laxus? I want you to blow on mine, too."

Hearing Ophelia’s words, Ali’s cheeks turned bright red. Laxus shot his sister a helpless look. When he actually made a move to do it, Ophelia stopped him.

After finishing the barbecue, Ophelia and Ali ate some grapes to cleanse their palates before the group headed back to the Fuzu Tribe together.

Upon returning to the Fuzu Tribe, Laxus brought up the matter of the little dragon cubs’ one-month full moon celebration. Because of Laxus’s previous injury, the event had been put on hold. Ophelia had been busy saving lives for the past two days, so she had forgotten about it completely. Now that Laxus suddenly brought it up, her memory was jogged. But she immediately thought of Zerev’s sudden departure, which meant he wouldn’t even be able to attend the celebration.

"Ophelia, what do you think?" Laxus asked.

"Let’s go ahead with it. However, we have to tell outsiders that the little dragon cubs are Tyler’s children. We can’t expose their identities as Winged Dragons," she replied.

Laxus frowned slightly. "But the auras on the little dragon cubs make it easy to tell that they’re completely different from Tyler."

"You don’t need to worry about that. Moye has the Concealing Breath Fruit. If we let the little dragon cubs eat it, it will hide their Winged Dragon auras." Ophelia and Zerev had come up with this countermeasure long ago when they first started preparing for the full moon celebration.

"Alright, as long as you have a solution. I’ll escort Ali back to the singles’ dormitory first, then go home and discuss the full moon celebration with our father."

"Okay."

Thinking about the full moon celebration reminded Ophelia of Zerev. Feeling a bit down, she nodded casually and returned to her room.

Noticing that something was off with Ophelia, Laxus gave Tyler a look. Tyler understood and followed him out of the stone house.

"What’s wrong with Ophelia?" Laxus asked.

"Yeah, why does Ophelia look so unhappy? Did something happen?" No matter how oblivious she usually was, even Ali noticed that Ophelia’s mood was off today.

"Zerev had to leave to take care of something, so the Princess is in a bad mood," Tyler explained.

"He left? Where did he go? Does he not want Ophelia anymore?" Laxus pressed. ℴ𝗆

"No, it’s nothing like that," Tyler said. "He just left for some unavoidable reasons. Don’t worry. The Princess is strong; she can adjust her mood on her own."

Hearing Tyler say this, Laxus felt a bit relieved, though he was still somewhat dissatisfied with Zerev’s departure. "Even if he had a reason to leave, when he comes back, I’m still going to settle the score with him." As a male, causing his mate to feel sad and heartbroken was entirely his fault, regardless of the reason.

Seeing Laxus looking ready to beat someone up, Tyler curled his lips into a smile.

Ali stood to the side, equally indignant. "That’s right! You have to beat him up good to teach him a lesson. He’s not allowed to make Ophelia sad anymore! Besides, my brother is coming soon."

Hearing the news of Klein’s impending arrival, the expressions on Laxus and Tyler’s faces subtly changed. After all, Klein was coming this time in his capacity as Ophelia’s mate. And he had only managed to become her mate by giving up one of his kidneys. The three people present were all well aware that Ophelia didn’t like Klein. But since he was her own brother, Ali still hoped that Ophelia would grow to love Klein over time. Just like she had with Laxus.

The news that the Fuzu Tribe was going to hold a full moon celebration in three days quickly spread. Ophelia even sent people specifically to notify the Clan Leaders of the nearby tribes, inviting them to attend. The full moon banquets for the cubs were always held by the Wishing Pond on the mountain. When the time came, everyone present would pick a small red flower and throw it into the Wishing Pond to pray for the cubs, wishing that they would grow up strong and healthy.

Meanwhile, the leader of the main White Dragon Clan—which shared blood ties with the Golden Dragon Clan—also received an invitation. After the messengers from the Fuzu Tribe left, the young male standing next to the White Dragon Clan Leader finally spoke up.

"The Fuzu Tribe? That’s the tribe Ophelia established," the young male said. "A little female daring to attempt to establish her own tribe—it’s simply absurd!"

The White Dragon Clan Leader’s gaze was sharp. "Is it really absurd? I heard that the rice she planted yields a thousand or two pounds a year. That’s higher than the Mountain Goat Clan, who have been growing rice all year round. Furthermore, she’s raising wild boars, rabbits, and chickens, and I hear they’re doing quite well."

"Father, do you mean..." the young male trailed off.