PAID

As they neared the northernmost lands, the temperature plummeted, and snow began to fall softly from the sky.

Fortunately, the tour group had provided travelers with thick clothing, and St. Heith Academy had ensured proper winter gear for the students participating in the field test.

That evening, Leon stood outside, watching the Young Dragons laughing and throwing snowballs at each other. It reminded him of his days at the Empire’s Dragon-Slaying Academy, where every winter, the students would flock to the training grounds for massive snowball fights.

Snowball fights, he knew, had a certain etiquette. Unlike “team battles,” snowball fights were essentially “everyone for themselves,” and Leon had mastered the art back then: never, ever become the random target of three or more students, or you’d find yourself pelted with an unmanageable number of snowballs.

Watching the students play, Leon thought about how long it had been since he’d joined a good snowball fight. After graduation, he’d joined the dragon-slaying army, and his time had been entirely occupied with battle, leaving little room for simple fun. Even in recent years, with his daughters still too young for such a “rough” game, he hadn’t had the chance.

Well… perhaps when they grew a bit older, he could revisit those carefree days.

“Hey!”

A sudden shout broke his reverie. Leon turned, only to be hit square in the face with a snowball.@@novelbin@@

Shaking the snow off, he looked in the direction it had come from and found Rosvisser, bent over and forming another snowball, grinning mischievously. She was bundled up in a fur-trimmed cloak, wearing gloves and a pair of pink earmuffs with little dragon claws, looking surprisingly playful for someone who’d just called *him* immature.

“Here comes round two! Catch this!”