Contrary to Leo's beliefs, Dumpy was never a useless frog, it could perfectly understand the stories that Leo narrated to it since birth and it looked up to Leo like an idol.
Since it was a newborn frog with undeveloped vocal cords, it could not respond to Leo as calmly as it wanted to, however, it understood everything that Leo conveyed to it nonetheless.
From Dumpy's perspective, Leo, a.k.a his esteemed 'Lord Father', was a towering figure of strength, wisdom, and incredible valor.
Ever since the moment of his birth, when Lord Father had first spoken to him, Dumpy had listened attentively, his tiny frog heart swelling with admiration and awe that it had gotten such an amazing Lord Father.
Though his vocal cords were too underdeveloped to respond, Dumpy absorbed every word, every heroic tale, and every grand story that Lord Father narrated and felt happy to listen.
In Dumpy's eyes, Lord Father wasn't just any adventurer—he was a legendary figure, capable of defeating armies of wolves and monsters with sheer willpower and that too just after birth.
Although Dumpy didn't understand all the complex words that Leo spoke, the emotions and grandeur behind them resonated deeply within him.
'Lord Father is the strongest… He is unstoppable… If he can defeat wolves, then one day, I will, too!' Dumpy thought with wide, sparkling eyes, admiring Leo as though he were the greatest being in the universe.
When Lord Father stood over him, recounting his tales of battle and bravery in his office, Dumpy puffed up his little green chest and croaked in pride.
It didn't matter that Lord Father didn't seem to notice, as according to Lord Father's words himself, the little one was not yet worthy of his attention.
Yet, despite Leo's disregard, Dumpy loved him nonetheless and vowed to one day grow strong like him, and to make Lord Father truly proud of his strength.
Then came the moment of the snake.
At first, Dumpy had no idea why Lord Father would want him to fight such an… inferior creature. 'A snake? This is nothing compared to wolves,' Dumpy thought, his little heart beating rapidly.
He longed to show his strength against mightier foes, ones worthy of Lord Father's grand stories but for today it seemed to have a weak opponent as his first match-up.
'Why would Lord Father make me face such a lowly creature?' he wondered at first in confusion? but then blinked, as a new realization dawned on him.
'Ah, I see! Lord Father has chosen this snake because… there must be something more to it that I don't understand. Perhaps this snake is all I'm capable of fighting for now, The Lord Father is wise, far wiser than me. Perhaps this snake holds a secret strength that only he knows of! I must take it seriously!'
Determined to show his worth, Dumpy decided he would not use his tongue or venom.
No, if Lord Father had assigned him this task, there must be a challenge to it! He must prove his might through strength alone—just like Lord Father had done in his stories, and just thinking about it Dumpy's tiny legs twitched in anticipation.
As the snake lunged, Dumpy leaped into action, his heart filled with pride.
His body moved on instinct, effortlessly dodging the snake's bite with grace. In his mind, Dumpy imagined Lord Father watching him with approval, his face gleaming with admiration.
'I must not fail! I will impress Lord Father!'
With all the strength his small body could muster, Dumpy hopped and landed on the snake's head, just like he had imagined his Lord Father to do, while crushing his enemies in the glorious tales.
Every stomp was delivered with determination, his little legs thudding down again and again, until the snake lay still beneath him.
Panting slightly, Dumpy paused, standing atop the fallen snake. He turned his gaze toward Lord Father, his small eyes wide and hopeful.
'Is Lord Father proud? Did I do well?' Dumpy thought, staring at Leo with an innocent, almost childlike wonder.
But surprisingly the great Lord Father looked… panicked?
His voice was frantic, and his arms were flailing wildly, making Dumpy tilt his head in confusion.
'Oh no! Did I do something wrong? Did I disappoint my lord father? Is lord father… worried about my legs?'
Dumpy blinked, then looked down at his legs, but they were fine— completely strong and unhurt.
The snake had been vanquished without a scratch on him, making him croak softly, as if to reassure Lord Father that everything was okay.
When Leo finally calmed down and stared at him, Dumpy could only blink back.
He wondered if Lord Father was impressed by his victory? Or if it had not performed adequately enough.
He wondered if he had he proven himself worthy of the great and mighty Lord Father's affection? Or had he failed miserably?
Thinking such thoughts, Dumpy's kid heart fluttered nervously as he waited for the answer, his wide, hopeful eyes locked onto Leo's face.
'Did I make you proud, Lord Father?' Dumpy wondered, sitting still, his tiny legs folded neatly beneath him as he waited for the praise to flow in—
For a while, he remained silent, waiting for some sign of approval, some recognition of his strength as all he wanted was for Lord Father to acknowledge him as a worthy pet, but unfortunately it never happened.
Lord Father did not acknowledge it, but did not seem too disappointed either, as if the little one's performance was barely passable.
'One day, I will fight wolves and make you proud,' Dumpy thought, his tiny heart swelling with determination once more.
'One day, I will be as great as you, Lord Father' He thought, as he kept staring intently into Leo's eyes, who mistakenly took its intense looks as a sign of extreme lack of intelligence.
"Is there something on my face? What are you looking at?" Leo asked, as to him, he could never understand Dumpy's pov and how godly he was for the little one.