Late at night, Leon leaned against the balcony railing, gazing at the distant mountains and forests.
In his hand, he held the list he had received from Pyre a few days ago. It contained the names of the five Dragon Kings who had collaborated with the Human Empire.
Just like with Constantine before, Leon had never encountered them in his military career. He had never even heard their names. Textbooks held no records of them. But now that he knew these Dragon Kings had secretly colluded with the Empire, he was no longer surprised. Who would list their "partners" in their own country's books for everyone to read?
It seemed the Empire understood the principle that the more you say, the more mistakes you make. After forming their alliance with these Dragon Kings, they erased them from all documents and textbooks. That was why even General Leon, who often swam in a sea of knowledge, had never heard of them.
Leon sighed and unconsciously tightened his grip on the list. In truth, he did not really care which Dragon Kings had teamed up with the Empire. If they were all on Constantine's level, they would not be much of a threat.
What he cared about more were the last words Pyre had said before committing suicide.
They will stop at nothing to kill you and take everything away from you. You cannot withstand the true backlash of the dragon race.
Pyre, the pawn, had cursed Leon with his final breath. And in those "last words," the part Leon could not ignore the most was "take everything away from you."
The former Leon would not have cared about such a threat from an enemy. He would have dismissed it as the impotent rage of a dying man. But the current Leon was different. Because everything around him had become more fulfilling than before.
In the Empire, he had a foster father who risked his life to clear his name. He had a female gunner who could have retired comfortably but chose to stand by his side again. And here, he had three daughters he deeply loved. And that nominal wife. The people he could count on two hands supported his entire world.
He had never thought about what he would become if he lost them one day. It was not that he did not want to think about it. He did not dare to. But Pyre's dying threat forced Leon to consider the question.
Facing the Empire and those Dragon Kings hidden in the shadows, could he really protect everything he cherished in this conspiracy that had been brewing for decades? He had never doubted his abilities, but now he urgently wanted to become stronger.
"Ever since you returned from the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan, you have been standing here alone every night for a long time."
A silver-haired beauty walked slowly to his side, leaning against the balcony railing with him.
Her footsteps were light, or perhaps Leon was too engrossed in his thoughts. He did not hear her approach at all.
Rossweise wore a loose spaghetti strap nightgown. Familiar dragon wing slippers were on her feet. Her soft bosom was faintly visible, and the dragon pattern on her chest rose and fell quietly with her breaths. Her hair was loose and slightly damp, emitting a pleasant floral fragrance. She had just finished bathing.
"Ah I cannot sleep." The beauty was by his side, but he had no mind to appreciate her.
Rossweise looked at her captive. This idiot seemed preoccupied these past few days. She had hoped he would come to her to talk about his troubles. But this stubborn man would not voluntarily share his feelings with anyone. He just kept everything bottled up.
If this were before, Rossweise would not have been interested in giving him advice. As long as he did not act weak in front of others, played the role of a fake husband, and managed the fake family well, that was enough. But now after all, this was the man who had said, "Rossweise, I like you." Rossweise wanted to keep hearing such words from him in the future. So
She decided to care about him a little. Just a little. Her eyes fell on the list in Leon's hand.
The list was crumpled from his grip, but he did not seem to notice. The psychological pressure was indeed considerable.
Rossweise's thoughts stirred, but she did not plan to directly ask what he was worried about. She wanted to start a conversation indirectly and then gradually lead into other topics.
"I have already told you about the three Dragon Kings skilled in space magic," Rossweise said. "Do you need this queen to explain the other two on the list?"
Leon now felt like laughing whenever he heard the words "this queen." It was not a mocking laugh. He just felt the mother dragon calling herself that was quite cute. It had a strangely appealing contrast. It seemed she only emphasized "this queen" when she was with him. When talking with the maids, Rossweise never used such a title. Who knew what kind of competition she was having with herself.
He grinned. "Sure, tell me."
"Star Dragon King Star, as far as I know, is an older Dragon King than Constantine. In the introductory books for the younger generation like Muen, Constantine is described as a hero. But when I was a child, the hero in the books was Star. That shows how old this guy is."
"But our dragon race is different from many other races, including humans. Most individuals of other races gradually weaken with age, but not dragons."
"Even powerful special ones like Constantine become stronger and stronger."
"Star Dragon King Star is the same. However, I have only seen brief records about him in dragon books. As for his current strength, I am not sure."
Leon nodded. "What about this Warhammer Dragon King?"
"Oh, he is quite special. His entire clan is gone, leaving only him."
Leon was stunned. "Really? A lone commander?"
"Mm-hmm, you could put it that way."
"Would not other clans easily take him down?"
"Not at all."
Rossweise said, "Because being alone with nothing to lose, Adam does whatever he wants without any scruples. Hunting and being hunted, revenge and being avenged wherever Adam goes, he leaves behind a land filled with corpses and endless hatred. For a long time, he was the nightmare of the entire dragon race."
"But later, he seemed to get tired of that life. Adam started working as a mercenary."
Leon's brows furrowed slightly. "A mercenary?"
"Yes. Whichever dragon clan offered the highest price, he would help that clan. Burning, killing, looting, exterminating clans, destroying cities as long as he was paid enough, he would do anything."
Rossweise said, "But there has not been any news about Adam for nearly a century. Probably after collaborating with the Empire, he abandoned his old profession?"
"Maybe"
Leon pondered Rossweise's words. "Alone with nothing to lose"
"Yes, people without scruples are invincible. Probably that is the idea."
After saying that, Rossweise seemed to realize something. She turned her eyes to Leon. The idiot who had been seriously listening was now lost in thought again.
Oh, I see. The problem lies here.
Hearing that Adam was invincible because he was alone, Leon must have thought of what Pyre said before he died.
Well, since the root of the problem is found, it can be treated accordingly.
"You are distracted again, idiot," Rossweise said softly.
"Huh? Oh sorry."
"I can guess what you are thinking," the queen gazed at the deep night sky, a mischievous smile on her lips. She spoke to Leon without looking at him.
Leon looked at her delicate profile. "What?"
"You are worried about me."
"Good night."
"Hey, wait"
Rossweise quickly grabbed him. General Leon had said it, but he had not intended to leave. He was easily stopped.
"Can you speak properly?" Leon was speechless.
Rossweise snorted softly. "Then let me rephrase. You are worried about us, is that better?"
Leon scratched his nose, mumbling. "Mm."
Rossweise turned sideways, leaning against the railing, arms crossed, looking into his eyes. "As expected, my sister was right."
"What did your sister say?"
"All doting fathers in the world are family heroes."
"Huh?"
"It is a joke. It essentially means you care a lot about your family."
Leon shrugged, accepting Rossweise's evaluation of him. Seeing the lack of interest in his expression, Rossweise decided to quickly get to the point.
"Leon, have you ever heard the saying family is your strongest support?"
"Yes, I have heard it."
"Do you think it is true?"
Leon thought for a moment, replying. "I guess family is support, home is a haven. That is what people say."
He had always viewed his fake family this way. Regardless of whether the haven was real or fake, as long as it could dock ships, it was a good haven.
"So you have been misled by people," Rossweise said.
"What do you mean?"
"For ordinary families, family indeed serves as an island to rest when there is nowhere else to go. But have you ever thought that your wife is not an ordinary person?"
Rossweise smiled, looking into his slightly moved eyes. She continued in a slow, deliberate tone.
"Come on, dear husband. Your wife is the Silver Dragon Queen. If you think I cannot protect myself in this chaotic world, how did I get to where I am today?"
"I am not blaming you, Leon. I am just reminding you not to see me as a woman who needs to rely on others for security."
"You always think about how to protect us in this conspiracy, but have you ever thought that I can stand beside you like now?"
"Why can we not face those unknown dangers together?"
"Noah, Muen, and Little Light are your daughters. Are they not also my daughters?"
"Leon, do not carry everything on your shoulders alone. Understand that you are not alone now."
"Indeed, people without scruples are invincible and victorious in battle."
"But"
The queen stepped forward, gently placing her hand on Leon's cheek. Silver and black eyes met, reflecting each other's images.
"The place where the person you miss is, is the final destination."
She smiled gently, a softness Leon had never seen before. A softness that seemed to permeate the bones.
"So stop trying to be a hero alone. Your wife will not be happy with that."