Olette walked up to Veronica and stood beside her, looking at the milky-white energy mass suspended in the magic formation.
"You… don't trust him?"
"It's not that I don't trust him. A man that Little Rose chose couldn't possibly be a bad person. It's just… I don't know him well enough yet."
Olette nodded thoughtfully. "Then, are you delivering Isha's Primordial Crystal in person?"
"Mm."
A thought crossed Olette's mind, and she asked, "Are you really sure about giving Ancient Dragon King Noah's power to these younger ones?"
At these words, Veronica narrowed her eyes slightly and didn't answer directly. Instead, she countered with a question, "Angelina, now that I think about it, do you know how humans pass down their legacy?"
Olette shook her head. "Humans only live for a few short decades. Even the longest-lived among them barely reach a hundred years. Compared to dragons, their lifespan is insignificant."
"But they keep expanding their understanding of the world and continuously learn new knowledge."
"They work so hard to live out their short lives and then pass their achievements down to their descendants."
"That's how humans have grown and advanced, generation after generation."
"So I think that in this increasingly chaotic and absurd era, maybe it no longer belongs to us old folks."
Veronica looked at her old friend and smiled.
"So why not pass down the achievements of our predecessors to our descendants and let them put an end to all of this? Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
…
"Leon… I-I'm so nervous."
"Don't be nervous. There's a first time for everything. You just need to give it a try. Be brave and take the first step."
"But I still don't feel confident…"
"It's fine. I'll guide you through it. First, extend your hand and slowly feel the flow of power. Yes, that's right… just like that. Do you feel it?"
"I feel it… It's kind of hot, and it keeps expanding outward…"
"Mm, see? Even though this is your first time using this method, you're doing great. Keep going. Yes, just like that."
"Leon! Look, isn't something white coming out?"
"It really is! Keep going, Rossweise! Hold on!"
"I… I don't think I can control it anymore, Leon. It's getting a bit too hot… Let's stop."
"Sigh… Alright. What a pity—we were already at this stage."
On the lawn of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary's rear garden, the couple sat cross-legged, facing each other.
Rossweise shook her hands to ease the burning sensation before lifting her head to look at Leon.
"First of all, thank you for accompanying me in practicing the condensation of Primordial Power."
"But next time, can you not use such… ambiguous wording?"
Leon blinked innocently. "What was ambiguous?"
"Stuff like 'first time,' 'don't be nervous,' and 'don't stop'? Don't you think those words sound way too weird?"
"And what about your 'white thing coming out' and 'too hot to handle'? That wasn't weird at all?" Leon retorted, his reasoning impeccable.
"I-I only got influenced by you!" The queen was just as confident in her argument.
General Leon rolled his eyes. "Alright, mother dragon, it's not like we're some innocent young kids who've never been in love. What's wrong with using some adult words? As long as the meaning is clear, it's fine."
"What do you mean by that, Cosmodeous? From the way you said it, it sounds like you've been in a relationship before?"
"Hah? Doesn't my relationship with you count?"
"It doesn't!"
"…Whatever you say."
Leon let out a breath, leaned back, and lay down on the soft grass.
Not long ago, when he met up with his master and Rebecca, Leon had asked his master to help find some books on Primordial Magic, and his master agreed.
However, he and Rossweise weren't entirely relying on his master as if he were some treasure chest, capable of pulling out anything they needed from a four-dimensional pocket.
So after returning, the couple had started researching Primordial Magic on their own.
Just as Rossweise had mentioned before, Primordial Magic was too ancient and mysterious. There wasn't a single existing book or document that recorded it in detail.
All they could do was dig through various historical texts, piecing together whatever scattered information they could find about it.
After some exploration, Roseweisse discovered that the prerequisite for using Primordial Magic was to condense "Primordial Power."
If ordinary magic was used instead, the effects of Primordial Magic would be significantly weakened.
At first, Roseweisse had no idea how to condense Primordial Power.
It had nothing to do with talent or diligence because Primordial Magic was the kind of thing that, no matter who tried it, they would be completely clueless at the start.
But just a few days ago, Rossweise was shocked to find that she could faintly sense a force within her, one that was entirely different from regular magic.
Since then, she had been trying to draw this power out of her body.
And today, with Leon's guidance, she had made some small progress.
She opened her palm, and a tiny white flame of energy flickered in her hand.
"It's strange. Just a few days ago, I couldn't sense Primordial Power at all, and now I can already condense it," Rossweise said.
Leon lay on the grass, gazing at the sky. "That just means I'm a good teacher."
Rossweise huffed lightly and kicked his leg. "Stop being so full of yourself."
Leon chuckled, sat up, and looked at Rossweise's radiant, beautiful face. "Then that just means my wife is extraordinarily talented."
Caught off guard by the compliment, the queen's lips curled up slightly in pride. "Hmph, at least you know."
She paused, suddenly realizing something.
As the thought dawned on her, she raised her foot and kicked Leon again. "Stop trying to cozy up to me! Who's your wife? You should address me as Your Majesty, the Queen."
"Yes~ yes~ Your Majesty, the Queen."
Lately, this damn man's words had been sweeter than usual. What the hell was wrong with him?
Could it be that his blockheaded brain had finally cleared up, and he had come to realize her worth?
Or… was he brewing some evil scheme?
Knowing him as well as she did, Rossweise found it hard to believe that he would suddenly start acting like this for no reason.
There had to be something suspicious going on!
But in reality, things weren't as complicated as the queen imagined.
Leon had promised their daughters in the future that when he returned, he would take the initiative to interact with Rossweise more.
Now that life had returned to normal, he was feeling a bit hesitant.
But as a proud general, Leon would never go back on his word!
If taking the initiative was too difficult, then Leon had just shower Rossweise with sweet words. As long as she was happy, that was what mattered.
Women—sometimes they were incredibly hard to please, but when they were easy to please, they were easy to~
Rossweise narrowed her eyes as she watched Leon grinning foolishly to himself. She asked suspiciously,
"You're definitely up to something, aren't you?"
Leon snapped back to reality, looking a little dazed. "Up to… what?"
"Lately, you've been going out of your way to make me happy, saying things you never used to say. When something unusual happens, there must be a reason behind it. You must have an ulterior motive, right?"
"I don't."
Leon asked, "Do you think that little of me?"
The queen seriously considered the question before nodding solemnly. "Yes."
"…Even though you've completely misunderstood me, I'm still happy."
"Why?"
"Because at least I still exist in your heart."
Now she was speechless.
"Cosmodeous, I preferred you when you were arrogant and rebellious, always threatening to cut me down. Do me a favor and go back to that version of yourself."
Rossweise sighed. "Whatever it is you're planning, just say it outright. Stop pretending to be all lovey-dovey."
Because if you keep going… I might believe you.
"Hey, what do you mean pretending? I mean every word from the bottom of my heart!" Leon protested.
"Yeah, right. You'll keep this up for three days at most, then give up when you don't get what you want."
Seeing that she still didn't believe him, Leon grew anxious.
"Alright, mother dragon, since you insist—"
Rossweise raised an elegant brow.
Judging by his tone, he was finally going to drop the act.
Hmph, I knew it! This damn man—
But then, to her surprise, Leon continued,
"Then I'll just say it to you every single day."
"No, not just every day. I'll say it for a year—no, a year isn't enough."
"I'll say it for ten years, twenty years, thirty years. Even on the day I'm buried in the ground, I'll still say those sweet words just to annoy you! Let's see if you still underestimate me then!"
Looking at his serious and determined expression, Rossweise knew that he wasn't lying.
He intended to whisper those sweet nothings to her for a lifetime!
Rossweise was momentarily dazed. Her silver tail behind her unconsciously curled up slightly.
She quietly pinched the hem of her skirt, trying her best to suppress the waves of shyness stirring in her heart.
"You… You think I'll be scared just because you say that? If you dare to say it, I dare to listen!"
Their gazes locked, and it felt as if invisible sparks were crackling in the air.
After a brief stare-down, both of them turned their heads away at the same time.
"Childish man," Rossweise muttered, then stood up and patted the dust off her skirt. "Let's go, time for dinner."
"What's for dinner?"
Leon asked while following behind her.
"Stir-fried eggplant with carrots."
"If you make that dish, I swear, Rossweise, the only thing getting stir-fried tonight won't just be the carrots."
"Eat it or don't. I hate picky eaters the most."
"I know, I'm the exception."
"Shameless!"
Bickering as they went, the two of them walked toward the Silver Dragon Sanctuary.
The setting sun stretched their shadows out—long, so very long.
…
Somewhere within the depths of the imperial capital, the echoes within an underground facility were swallowed by thick stone walls, shrouding the place in an atmosphere of mystery and cold composure.
In this deep and hidden space, El-Lanti, the supreme commander of the Imperial Dragon-Slaying Army and the Royal Sorcerers' Order, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
He stood atop a cold metallic platform, where dense veins of circuitry pulsed beneath his feet, resembling currents of energy flowing through the entire chamber.
Before him stood a massive cultivation chamber. Though its exterior appeared crude, it was outfitted with a complex array of alchemical devices. Numerous liquid conduits extended from its sides, connecting seamlessly to the chamber.
Inside, the chamber was filled with a pale green nutrient solution that remained still, rippling faintly with an eerie glow. The entire scene was both tranquil and unnerving.
But what was truly astonishing was the object suspended within the solution—a half-decayed head.
A dragon's head.
A deep, crimson glow emanated from it, like embers buried beneath the earth. Though its flesh had long since rotted and one of its horns was shattered, the head still bore the weight of an unmatched, once-glorious legacy.
"Even after being dead for so long, its majesty can still be felt," El-Lanti's voice echoed softly in the sealed chamber, carrying an indescribable mix of admiration and fervor.
The air itself seemed to thrum with pressure, an invisible force radiating from the dragon's remains as if its presence could break free from the confines of the nutrient solution and seep into the visible world.
El-Lanti's gaze pierced through the shimmering liquid and the illusory reflections, locking onto the faintly open dragon's eye, silently confronting it.
Even after enduring the ravages of time, the head still harbored an unyielding will, as if its master had never truly succumbed to eternal rest and still roamed the world.
El-Lanti's expression grew more and more impassioned. He gently traced his fingers along the transparent casing of the cultivation chamber, as if engaging in a silent communion with the remains of this Dragon King.
"Dragons… truly are the most nearly perfect creatures in this world," he murmured to himself, his tone filled with both admiration and an insatiable greed.
Ancient bloodlines, immense power, extraordinary longevity, and an indomitable will.
Any single one of these traits was beyond the reach of other races.
But fortunately for El-Lanti, he was on the verge of making this perfect being his own.
Here's the continuation:
After a brief moment, his attendant, Scott, approached him and gave a slight bow before reporting,
"My lord, the first phase of the 'Blade Special Forces' selection process has concluded. Approximately one hundred candidates have passed the basic tests. From these, we will select three to inherit the power of the Primordial Dragon King—Noah—and forge them into the Empire's sharpest blades."
Good news.
Since the initiation of the Blade Project, the Empire has invested considerable manpower and resources.
Now that the first phase had been completed, the next step was simply to eliminate the unqualified candidates one by one.