The giant dragon beneath his feet let out its final breath and then became still.
One of the oldest Dragon Kings, the mighty Crimson Flame Dragon King, had fallen.
Constantine was without a doubt one of the top three most powerful Dragon Kings Leon had ever slain.
If he had the time, Leon would have loved to fight such a strong opponent for a while longer.
But he had "matters at home" to attend to. He could not afford to linger.
He had to end the fight quickly and hurry back. After all, he was eager to meet his third child.
What?
You say it is because Lord Leon had used all his mana and was afraid to keep fighting?
Haha.
Then Lord Leon can only say this:
If you are weak, you should practice more.
If you cannot accept defeat, then you should not have started the fight.
The past is the past. This is now.
If you keep comparing me to when I was out of mana, why not compare me to when I was slaying Dragon Kings left and right?
Leon jumped down from Constantine's massive head.
The injured Shirley, holding her wounded shoulder, limped over. Several Silver Dragon warriors followed her.
"Your Highness… I never knew you were this powerful…" Shirley said, her voice full of awe.
Of course. Three years ago, I might have even fought your own Silver Dragon kin. Do I need to tell you that?
Leon took off his helmet. Most of his black hair and face were covered in blood that had seeped through his armor.
Normally, he would look terrifying. But on a battlefield where losing limbs was common, a little blood was nothing. It was just a minor thing.
He tucked the helmet under his arm and looked around. With their king dead, the Crimson Flame Dragon soldiers were now leaderless. They fled in every direction.
The Silver Dragon clan had also suffered heavy losses. Anna was badly wounded and needed help immediately. Chasing the fleeing enemy now could lead to more unnecessary deaths.
After thinking for a moment, Leon spoke. "The battle here is over. Do not chase the ones who are running. Focus on regrouping. Deal with Constantine's body. Cut off his head and hang it at the border of our territory. Then, send the remaining elite soldiers to guard the back mountain. We must be ready if the enemy tries a surprise attack."
He looked at Anna, who was still badly hurt. "Lastly, if you do not send a medical team now, your head maid is going to join Constantine in the afterlife."
Shirley jolted back to action. She quickly dragged her injured body toward Anna. "Head Maid! Please hang on! The medics are coming right now!"
.
.
.
The Silver Dragons sprang into action. Some dealt with the dragon's body, while others helped the wounded. A group of soldiers gathered in a circle, stacking their tails together like a totem pole. It seemed to be part of a victory celebration.
Leon saw this and grinned. "What a romantic way to celebrate," he commented.
He turned away and began walking heavily toward the Silver Dragon sanctuary.
Damn, these Silver Dragons have no manners. I went through all that trouble to kill their enemy, and no one is even here to help me back?
He complained to himself. If this is how you treat me, next time someone attacks, I will just lie down by the spring and do nothing.
Just as he was thinking this, he heard footsteps. He looked up and saw Milan. The yoga instructor was followed by several guards carrying a stretcher. They ran up to him and placed the stretcher on the ground.
Leon was surprised. He looked at the stretcher. "This… this is not for me, is it?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Please lie down," Milan said seriously.
"…I do not think I am hurt badly enough to need a stretcher."
Leon had been in countless battles. He had only ever used a stretcher once, and it was not even from a fight. It was back when he first joined the dragon-slaying army.
One night, he had eaten a terrible meal with eggplant and carrots. That night, the future greatest dragon slayer was carried to the hospital on a stretcher.
His master had teased him about it for two whole weeks. "Defeated before the battle even began, with tears of eggplant and carrot filling his chest."
Ah, well. A hero does not dwell on the past.
Leon sighed and pushed the memory away. He obediently lay down on the stretcher. Since they were being so respectful, he might as well enjoy the royal treatment.
Two guards lifted the stretcher, one at the front and one at the back. They carried him toward the Silver Dragon Sanctuary. When they reached the front yard, Leon motioned for them to stop.
"It is alright, Your Highness, we can carry you inside," one guard offered.
Leon waved his hand. "No, it is fine. I can walk from here."
Even though he had used all his magic in half an hour and was completely exhausted, he could not let himself be carried inside on a stretcher.
If his daughters saw him like that, they would think he was badly hurt.
In some ways, Leon liked to appear strong. He believed that a good father, and husband, should always be in his best condition when he comes home to his family.
So what if he had just slain a mighty Dragon King?
[Author Note --- Never underestimate the power of a Dad.]
In the old days, he would have shown off Constantine's dragon horn to his friends. He would have boasted and enjoyed their jealous looks. But now, he just wanted to go home. He wanted to hug Noah and Muen. He wanted to check on his wife, who was having their baby.
He took off the armor and let the lightning fade away. He transformed back into a good dad for his daughters and… Rossweise's pretend husband.
Clang—
His iron boots made heavy sounds on the stone steps of the sanctuary as he walked slowly inside.
Before entering Rossweise's bedroom, he took off his black-gold armor. He left it in the nearby nursery.
It was also a chance for his "old friend" to see the place he had lived in for the past year.
[Black Gold Chariot: "So you have been living like a king, huh? And you left me in the junkyard!"]
He used the nursery bathroom to wash the blood from his face.
He did not want to scare his daughters.
After he was cleaned up, Leon walked toward Rossweise's bedroom.
Several doctors were still gathered around the bed. When the door opened, Noah peeked out from the balcony. She saw Leon and immediately grabbed her sister's hand. They both ran over.
"Daddy!"
The two little dragon girls hugged him from both sides, burying their faces in his waist. Leon, who could barely stand, braced himself and hugged them back as well as he could. He patted their heads and asked in a light voice, "Is Daddy awesome?"
"Awesome, awesome, awesome! Daddy is the awesomest!" Noah showered him with praise.
Muen shook the little tuft of hair on her head. "Daddy is the second strongest dragon Muen has ever seen!"
Leon blinked. "Who is the first?"
"It is Mommy, because Daddy always listens to Mommy," the little dragon girl said seriously.
The strongest in the universe is not the great warrior, but the great warrior's wife. Well, that made sense.
But Leon felt a little puzzled. Do I really seem like I am under my wife's thumb? No way, I would say we are equals. I often beat her in our one-on-one fights.
Oh… speaking of her.
Leon looked toward the bedroom. The doctors by the bed respectfully moved aside for him. The sound of a baby crying came from the large bed. It seemed to announce that everything was over. His two daughters let go of his hands.
Leon walked toward the bed. The silver-haired beauty lay weakly on the bed. Her hair was a little messy, with some strands sticking to her cheeks. Beside her was a newborn baby, wrapped tightly in a blanket.
His heart felt full of relief and happiness. He moved closer carefully. His eyes became soft as he looked at Rossweise and their new child.
The room felt peaceful, like a new beginning. Leon knelt by the bed. He gently brushed the hair away from Rossweise's face. Then he softly touched the tiny hand of his newborn baby.
"Welcome to the world," he whispered. He felt overwhelmed with thankfulness for his family.
The baby's continuous cries filled the room. The little one was eagerly breathing the fresh air of this new world. The first light of dawn came through the window. The morning breeze gently moved the thin curtains.
In the middle of the crying, two pairs of eyes met. One black, one silver. They locked onto each other.
In that moment, words were not needed. They were powerless.
Just looking into each other's eyes was enough. It gave a comfort and understanding that was deeper than any words could ever be.