At nightfall, after carefully observing the patrol routes of the Imperial Guard, Leon chose the right moment to bring Muen to the base of the high wall on one side of the Imperial City.
It was a shadowy, overlooked spot, with a patrol passing by every ten minutes. Father and daughter crouched in the darkness, discussing their next move.
Infiltrating the central Imperial City was far more complex than blending in with a merchant caravan had been.
This district housed the Empire's nobility; even the lowest-ranking aristocrat never traveled without at least four or five guards. Those in higher positions of power were, of course, even more heavily protected.
Leon reached out and pressed his palm against the cold, rough stone of the outer wall. A faint, steady hum of magical energy vibrated against his skin.
"Just as I thought,there's a barrier here," Leon confirmed.
If the outer city walls had sensory barriers,the Imperial City's defenses would be far superior. The strength and complexity of the magic here would be on another level entirely.
"If we try to climb over, the barrier will detect us immediately," Leon said, his voice low.
"I'll try to create a temporary breach. Muen, keep watch. Alert me at the first sign of anyone approaching."
"Yes,Dad."
Muen stood immediately,her senses sharpened as she scanned their surroundings.
Leon closed his eyes, focusing his will, and began probing the barrier's structure.
Back at the Dragon-Slayer Academy, instructors had taught basic barrier-breaking principles—a necessary skill for any commander who might encounter enemy defenses in the field.
Regardless of its function, a barrier was, at its core, a magical matrix. Find its operational pattern, and you could find a weakness.
Yet, after several careful attempts, Leon met with failure.
He dared not use force; a brute-force breach would instantly alert the Royal Sorcerer Corps.
This elite unit was responsible for maintaining the barriers on the outer walls, the Imperial City, and all other key installations.
They also served as magic tutors to the royal family and its scions. Leon had never trusted them, even in his heyday.
To a man, they were fanatical, amoral, and dangerously ambitious. Before the Silver Dragon War, rumors had swirled about their "dangerous species breeding" experiments.
The mutated creatures he'd encountered during his last return to the Empire suggested they had succeeded.
Who knew what other abominations they had concocted in twenty years?
"It's no use," Leon admitted, frustration edging his tone.
"The barrier's structure is too complex, far more advanced than it was two decades ago."
Barrier-breaking was never his specialty.He could reduce this wall to rubble with a single blow, but that would reveal their presence completely. They were here to secure the Heart Scale, not to pick a fight.
Muen tried as well, channeling her own magic into a delicate probe, but she too met with failure.
Her shoulders slumped, and a faint sigh escaped her lips. "Why is it so stubborn…"
Leon gave her a comforting pat on the head.
"It's designed to protect the Imperial City, built by full-time specialists. If the two of us could break it so easily, those mages would be out of a job."
"So what do we do now,Dad?"
"Well…if stealth fails, we fall back on the old methods. Let's see if we can find some cover and slip in unnoticed, like we did during the day."
"Okay."
It was a long shot,but better than doing nothing.
Leon and Muen moved like ghosts, avoiding the patrols until they reached the roof of a courier station near the Imperial City's main gate.
From this vantage point, they could observe the comings and goings. The traffic was sparse, but the few carriages that did pass were opulent, their fittings gleaming even in the dim light. It was as if the horses' hooves were shod with diamonds.
"Unlike the outer gate, the Imperial Guard checks every carriage meticulously. Hiding underneath would be suicide," Leon concluded with a sigh.
"Dad, didn't you used to come to the Imperial City often when you served the Empire?" Muen asked, her voice curious.
Leon thought for a moment, then shook his head. "At first, yes. Later, not so much."
"Eh? Why?"
"Frontline generals like me weren't granted free access to the Imperial City.We only came when summoned for honors or by special decree."
Muen blinked. "But you said you came often?"
"Because your dad earned alot of honors."
A wry smile touched Leon's lips as he reminisced.
"Back then… I was bagging a Dragon King almost every month. That meant a monthly trip to the Imperial City for a ceremony with that damned Emperor. Most people are lucky to get one honor a year."
"After a while,they got tired of awarding me, and I got tired of attending. We eventually settled on once every six months."
Muen's eyes widened, looking at her father with pure admiration. "Wow~ you were incredible, Dad."
Leon coughed lightly,deflecting the praise. "Well, your mother was a rather 'special award' herself…"
Ah, best not to dwell on the past. Besides, he'd ended up marrying that 'special award,' so there was no need to boast about old glories.
Muen pressed on, "So what did you get for all those honors?"
Leon nodded. "Money, provisions, fine clothes… all sorts of things. My squad used to joke that I looked like I'd been on a shopping spree every time I returned from the Imperial City."
Muen covered her mouth, giggling softly.
"Dad, you must have been quite the handsome sight back then."
"That's a strange thing to say. Aren't I young now?"
"You're a twenty-three-year-old uncle now."
Leon reached out and gently pinched his daughter's cheek.
"If I'm an uncle at twenty-three, what does that make you at twenty-two, hmm?"
"Your uncle's daughter"
Muen retorted with a playful grin, her earlier frustration forgotten in their familiar banter.
Leon chuckled, releasing her cheek. His gaze then returned to the imposing gate below, his expression growing serious again.
"Enough joking. We need to find another way in. If we can't go over or through with the traffic…"
He trailed off, his eyes scanning the formidable walls. "Then we'll have to find another weakness."