"That is truly surprising news."
Leon raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected that the former Queen of Sumeru—who was believed to be dead—was actually still alive. This added more variables to the situation and gave him greater room to maneuver.
And he also wanted to meet the former queen.
According to the information gathered so far, she had been an almost perfect ruler.
If possible, he wanted to have an in-depth conversation with her.
"Where is she now? But if she's still alive and hasn't taken any action given Sumeru's current situation, that means she can't move freely at the moment, right?"
"Well, we accidentally overheard news that she was still alive. They say she's currently in a place called the [World Tree]."
"The World Tree?"
"Yes, but there's no information beyond the name. At the very least, we haven't found such a tree in Sumeru, and it seems that even the sages of Sumeru don't know much about the [World Tree]."
Seriously… it didn't matter.
After thinking for a moment, Leon picked up the bonsai on the table and gently rubbed its branches and green leaves between his fingers.
His intuition told him that the [World Tree] was extremely important.
And Leon's intuition never failed.
More importantly, once he cared about something, no matter how deep the mystery was, he would get to the bottom of it.
"Although I don't know what the World Tree is, I believe the current queen should know the answer. I can ask carefully when the time comes to rescue her."
"…I understand. Since she was designated as the successor by the previous queen, it's only natural that she would know…"
Alpha looked at Leon with admiration.
They had been searching for information about the World Tree for a long time without success, but after meeting Leon, they immediately found their direction.
Alpha felt it was right to follow this man. He always seemed capable of showing the path forward.
"Do you know where she's being held?"
"Yes. She's currently imprisoned in a sanctuary called the [Sanctuary of Surasthana]. This is a detailed topographical map. While the guards aren't much of an issue, the sanctuary's defenses themselves are extremely strong, and even we couldn't break through the area."
An overly detailed map was spread out on the table, with the entire region of Sumeru carefully marked. In a world without satellites, this map was nothing short of a strategic treasure.
It showed that Night Raid had truly infiltrated the Kingdom of Sumeru completely.
"This is certainly strange, but it doesn't matter. I'll handle it myself when the time comes," Leon said casually.
"Yes. Any barrier means nothing to you," Alpha said with a smile.
"When can we act?"
"Night Raid will need at least three days to prepare, and Lumine will probably need another five days."
"Excellent. It just so happens that it will be the day of the Sabzeruz Festival. So this prince's birthday will be celebrated in the Kingdom of Sumeru. Haha, that's truly exciting."
Leon gazed toward the horizon.
He seemed to be able to see the nation of wisdom, nestled between desert and rainforest. Though the distance was vast, it felt as if it were already in the palm of his hand.
Alpha put the map away.
She smiled and stepped closer to him.
Raising her arms, Alpha skillfully wrapped them around his neck.
Then she whispered into the black-haired prince's ear:
"Well, this time you don't have to do it alone. Let's act together and make the Kingdom of Sumeru the birthday gift prepared just for you."
"Excellent. I'm looking forward to it."
"I'll definitely give it to you—but it's been quite a while since we last saw each other… Leon, can you reward me?"
Alpha said this as she sat on his lap, unbuttoning one of the buttons on Leon's lapel.
Faced with the direct affection and embrace of his beloved, no decent man would refuse.
The corners of Leon's eyes twitched as he felt the chains of his rationality snap.
He wondered how this girl could be both pure and seductive, cold and affectionate at the same time.
Unable to endure it any longer, he captured her lips.
---xXx---
Half a day later.
"Tsk… you really used healing magic again."
Leon looked dissatisfied as he stared at the open window.
He was absolutely certain he wouldn't be able to get the elf girl out of bed again for at least two days.
But now Alpha was gone; the open window marked her departure.
"It seems that next time, before eating Alpha, I'll have to drain her magical power first. Hmph! You always use healing magic to cheat."
Leon was about to close the window when he suddenly noticed a sneaky figure.
"Huh? Where is Barbara going?"
The light-blonde, spiral-curled hair was so eye-catching that Leon immediately recognized the owner of the silhouette.
He hesitated for less than a second before deciding to go take a look. After all, he was a bit bored at the moment. Even after such intense exercise for so long, he was still brimming with energy.
It could only be said that the protection of the two Dragon Kings was absurdly powerful.
Leon was perfectly fine now; let alone half a day—he could last an entire day or even all night. Although his body structure was still that of a human race, his strength was already comparable to that of a dragon.
Not just his skin, but his internal organs as well.
A stomach capable of digesting even stones.
A heart that beat like the engine of a sports car.
In short, his current capital was enormous. He could play to his heart's content, and his physical consumption could barely keep up with his recovery.
---xXx---
…In the mansion courtyard…
Barbara looked around and let out a sigh of relief after confirming that no one was nearby.
The girl clenched her fists to encourage herself.
"Go all out this time, Barbara!"
"Why did you come here?"
"Kyaaah! Your Highness!!"
The priestess was startled.
Barbara watched in horror as her legs suddenly gave way when Leon abruptly appeared in front of her.
Leon quickly grabbed her hand to stop her from falling.
"What are you doing, Barbara? Hm? And what's all this equipment?"
He noticed that Barbara was struggling to hold a bag.
When he opened it, he saw that it was filled with equipment used by knights—armor, swords, wrist guards, and more.
With her secret exposed, Barbara hesitated for a moment, then decided to confess.
"Your Highness, I don't want to be a priestess anymore!"
"Ah… huh?!"
"I want to be a knight, like my sister!"
Barbara's eyes were firm—the look of someone who had already accepted the consequences of her decision.
Leon widened his eyes in surprise, thinking to himself: Had this girl finally realized it? Had she realized that studying medicine couldn't save Mondstadt?
(End of the chapter)