There were only two times when Rossweise would speak her mind without any filter: when she was drunk, or when they had just finished their "homework," her mind pleasantly hazy as she snuggled into Leon's arms to rest.
This was one of those times.
She draped her pale arm over the man's chest, her warm palm gently stroking the dragon mark there. The mark's glow was finally fading. Looking at the identical mark on her own arm, she saw it had also calmed down.
Rossweise secretly let out a sigh of relief. "It's finally… over."
Even the most powerful dragon mark resonance had its limits, dictated by their physical endurance. If they had kept going, they would probably be walking while holding onto the walls tomorrow.
Seeing the dragon marks settle, Leon also relaxed, lifting his hand to cover Rossweise's cool one.
After a comfortable silence, Leon suddenly spoke.
"By the way, now that the dragon mark's reaction is so sensitive, will it affect our daily lives? | What if it activates during a battle? That could be dangerous."
It was a valid concern. Imagine Leon in a fierce fight against some fearless Dragon King, when suddenly, his wife back home thinks of him with worry—and his dragon mark lights up! The Dragon King opposite him would see General Leon's chest and arm glowing purple, thinking he was about to unleash an ultimate technique. | But in reality, General Leon would just be feeling a sudden, intense desire to snuggle with his wife.
The opposing Dragon King would be outraged: "Can you please take this fight seriously?"
Rossweise shook her head.
"It won't happen. Whether the dragon marks resonate depends a lot on our subjective thoughts."
"Subjective thoughts?"
"Mm-hmm. For example, as you said, the marks reacting mid-battle is impossible." Rossweise explained, "Even if we are worried or missing each other during a fight, the nature of that focus is completely different from our thoughts during quiet, idle moments. What separates these states of mind isn't the dragon marks, but us."
She quietly withdrew her hand, sliding it up to rest on Leon's neck, her fingers gently brushing his jawline.
"You wouldn't be thinking about going on a date with me in the middle of a life-or-death battle, right?"
General Leon pretended to think it over seriously before answering in a mock-serious tone, "Well, it's hard to say. Considering that the Dragon Kings I've faced were all weaklings, I might just have the mental space to think of you."
Rossweise gave him a playful slap on the arm. "What do you mean, 'all weaklings'? Are you saying I'm a weakling too?"
"No, no, you're anything but weak. After all, I've never had to battle any other Dragon King until dawn!"
"Ugh, you're awful!"
Rossweise pulled her hand back and scooted to the other side of the bed, deliberately putting some distance between them. Leon didn't follow. The two of them lay there, side by side, staring up at the ceiling.
After a moment, Rossweise broke the silence. "Judging from the intensity of the resonance earlier, the second dragon mark is a success. We can store much more magic power now."
"Yeah."
The main purpose of engraving the second dragon mark was to make them stronger, allowing them to store more magical energy for battle—though the more intense "homework" sessions were a welcome side effect.
"But…" Rossweise's voice grew softer. "Relying on this alone still isn't enough. Simply having larger reserves won't fundamentally change a battle's outcome. I need… other methods to improve myself."
Leon glanced at her. "You're a Silver Dragon, a specialist in speed. You're not like Constantine or Star, who focused purely on destructive power. Forcing a different kind of growth could carry unpredictable risks."
Rossweise nodded. "There are risks, yes. But I don't want to…" Her voice trailed off as if she was hesitating.
"Don't want what?"
Rossweise closed her eyes, a slight smile touching her lips. Then she slowly turned her head, her beautiful silver eyes meeting his gaze.
"I don't want to always hide behind you. I want to stand beside you, Leon."
Leon's gaze met hers, his pupils shifting slightly.
"During the battle with Star, didn't we fight side by side? You're already incredibly strong, Rossweise."
"Yes, we fought together. But whether it was breaking his ultimate defense, the Golden Dusk Bell, or neutralizing his final self-destruction, it was all thanks to you." Rossweise gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. "A captive stealing the queen's thunder—doesn't that make this queen look a bit incompetent?"
"Not at all, silly." Leon gently caressed her cheek, his voice soft. "If you hadn't intervened at the critical moment, I wouldn't have walked away from Star's explosion without a scratch. I'd have been at least a little worse for wear."
"So, my role is just to make sure you get fewer scratches?"
"Hey now, I didn't say that, Your Majesty. That's your own interpretation."
Rossweise laughed softly and lay back down.
"Hmm… I've actually thought of a way."
Leon sighed inwardly. Of course she had. His wife was as stubborn as a mule; once she set her mind on something, not even eight dragons could pull her back. But he was still willing to listen.
"What is it?"
"Have you ever heard of… 'Primordial Magic'?"
.
.
.
"Primordial Magic… I've heard the name, but not much more." Leon pondered for a moment before continuing. "The professors at the Dragon Slayer Academy mentioned it in passing. | They said Primordial Magic was created by the ancestors of various races at the dawn of this continent, 'Samuel,' using the purest form of energy. | It doesn't have elemental attributes like lightning, fire, or wind, nor does it have specific forms like the Chidori or Thunder Wolf Breaker. | Primordial Magic is pure energy release, and its effects are completely different from the diverse elemental magics we use today. | But as for the specifics… I'm not too clear. The academy didn't offer any courses on it, and we never delved deeper."
Listening to his explanation, Rossweise nodded approvingly.
"Primordial Magic has existed since the creation of this continent millions of years ago. Not only humans, but even dragons have very few records on it. | But there is one thing that is highly reliable."