Lord Valerius frowned, his voice dangerously low. "What do you mean, you didn't bring the rest back?"
Scott scratched his forehead nervously and then clapped his hands. Two attendants promptly wheeled a cart into the room, upon which sat only Constantine's severed head.
Seeing this, Lord Valerius brought a hand to his face in sheer exasperation. "You truly are…" For a brief moment, he felt the urge to recall Nacho. Both men had failed him, but at least Nacho's failures weren't quite so… spectacularly pathetic.
"And the Dragon Scale?" Valerius pressed, a note of anxiety creeping into his voice. "Did you retrieve Bly's Heart Dragon Scale?"
Scott leaned back slightly, avoiding his superior's gaze. "Ah, well… the Heart Dragon Scale was destroyed by Leon."
"Destroyed?"
"Yes… it appears he used some form of remote detonation magic on Bly's scale. Constantine was… blown to pieces." Scott paused, then quickly added, "But, my Lord! I risked my life to recover Constantine's head! With his head and the other Heart Dragon Scales in our repository, we can create an even stronger fusion beast! Next time, we will definitely—"
"There will be no next time, Scott."
"W-What? My Lord, you— My Lord! Please, have mercy!"
Before Scott could finish his plea, Lord Valerius seized him by the collar with immense strength and dragged him deeper into the laboratory. He threw Scott to the cold floor.
"Leon Cosmodeous did not merely destroy that one Dragon Scale." Scott slowly lifted his head, his eyes following Valerius's gesture toward the stone platform where the Heart Dragon Scales were stored. It was now a pile of dust and rubble.
Lord Valerius's voice turned icy, sending a chill through all who heard it. "He destroyed the other five Dragon Scales you retrieved last time. The chain reaction from their destruction also annihilated every other scale in our repository. In a single moment, that bastard has undone years of the Empire's painstaking work."
"If before, he was merely a variable stepping outside the game… now, he has flipped the entire board." Valerius's eyes burned with cold fury. "Leon Cosmodeous has no idea what kind of power he has provoked. From this moment forward, the Empire will spare no effort, no resource, to hunt him down. We will not stop… until his bones are ground to dust!"
.
.
.
"Ah, a-choo—"
"Dad, do you have a cold?"
In the study, Muen looked up from her book, The Basics of Magic Theory, her small face filled with concern.
Leon rubbed his nose. "I don't think so…"
"Then why did you sneeze?"
"Maybe… someone is speaking ill of me?"
It was far more than "speaking ill." The old men of the Empire were openly vowing to grind his bones to dust. Fortunately, General Leon's constitution was robust enough that such a vicious "curse" resulted in nothing more than a sneeze.
"Perhaps Aunt Isha is secretly complaining while repairing the pavilion you broke," Little Light suggested from across the table without looking up.
Leon smiled and walked over to ruffle his youngest daughter's hair. "Focus on your studies. Tomorrow, I'll test you both to see what level you've reached."
The entrance exam for Saint Heath Academy was in just twenty days. Seeing his daughters' progress, Leon was confident they would pass. The real question was how well they would perform. Noah had set a record as the youngest applicant with the highest scores, and her little sisters, Muen and Little Light, were determined not to fall behind.
"Got it, Dad."
The little dragon girls buried their heads in their books once more. They were now in the consolidation phase, requiring less direct tutoring, which left their father with some free time.
The old father glanced at the wall clock; it was still early. "You two study for a while. I'm going out."
"Okay, Dad!"
"Remember to come down for dinner later!"
"Mm-hmm!"
After giving his instructions, Leon stood and left the study. He walked through the hallways, descended the stairs, and entered the main hall of the temple. Rossweise was seated on the newly refurbished oversized throne, dealing with a mountain of paperwork. With no official audiences or diplomatic functions today, she wore only light makeup and a simple, elegant dress. The necklace from her grandmother rested against her collarbone. Her silver hair cascaded freely down her back, save for the single small braid at her temple—a lasting keepsake from Leon's playful hands long ago, now her signature detail.
The hall was silent. Leon tried to soften his footsteps, but the quiet space seemed to amplify the sound. The beauty on the throne glanced at him, said nothing, and returned her gaze to her work. It wasn't until Leon ascended the steps and stood beside the throne that Rossweise finally spoke. "Is there something you need?"
"Are you… busy today?"
Rossweise gestured with her chin toward the pile of files and reports on the desk. "What do you think? I was away at my sister's for two days, and this much piled up. I'll likely be working late tonight."
"Oh… Is there anything I can help with?"
Rossweise's pen paused for a moment. Without a word, she shifted slightly to the side, making space. "Sit here."
"Huh?"
"You said you wanted to help. Sit down."
"Oh."
Leon obediently sat beside her. The moment he settled onto the throne, a wave of familiar, wonderful memories washed over General Leon. He recalled not long ago, right after the throne had been renovated, when he and Rossweise had engaged in a little… 'artillery practice.' They had truly tested the limits of 'lèse-majesté' that day.
However, since that time, the couple hadn't collaborated on any "work" here. Partly out of fear of being discovered by their clansmen—the mere thought of the social mortification was enough to make one wish for a different planet to live on. Partly because the throne symbolized rule and authority, and while using it for their games satisfied a rebellious, forbidden thrill, tradition still deserved a degree of respect. So, something like 'artillery practice' was fine once or twice, but too much would be… undignified.
Snapping back to the present, Leon leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the files on the desk. "Which ones need my help?"
"Hm? None of them really need your help," Rossweise said.
Leon was taken aback. "Then why did you have me sit here?"
"By sitting here, you are helping me." Rossweise explained, "Facing all this tedious work, I need someone to keep me company. That person must be good-tempered, emotionally intelligent, and have a sense of humor. It would be even better if he's handsome."
"…Mother dragon, you're so shallow."
"I handle all the tribe's affairs with the depth and thoughtfulness of a queen, while also enjoying the emotional comfort provided by the man I admire sitting beside me. How is that shallow?" Rossweise slowly turned her head, a faint, charming smile on her lips as she looked at Leon. "Oh, and besides the emotional value, you're also quite pleasing to look at."
See, isn't it wonderful to be admired by a queen? On a small scale, it could buy you some extra time to talk if you were captured, which was helpful for casting a Blood Charm on the queen. On a larger scale, you didn't need to do anything; just sit there, and the queen would smile and tell you how handsome you were.
Leon suppressed a smile and silently accepted the compliment. Seeing this, Rossweise's smile deepened slightly, and she returned to her work without another word.
After a while, she spoke again, "Why did you ask if I was busy?"
"Emmm… I was thinking of asking you to go for a walk."
Rossweise blinked. "Are you… asking me out on a date?"
Leon pursed his lips, his gaze shifting away slightly. "I guess… maybe."
With his daughters' studies stable for the moment and his physical recovery a passive process, Leon had been feeling restless and unable to sit still these past few days. After some thought, he had finally sought out Rossweise. Going out for a walk and relaxing seemed like a good idea, right?
But the queen's response was: "I don't want to."
Leon: ?
"We're not dating, so why would I go on a date with you?"
Leon looked at her smiling profile, stunned for a moment before realizing the mother dragon was deliberately being coy. "How are we not dating?" he asked bluntly. Now that he knew she was teasing him, he discarded hesitation and went straight for the point. After all, a direct approach often cuts through all obfuscation.
"You've never made a formal confession. Of course, we're not dating."
A direct hit met with an even more direct return. Leon quickly conceded, somewhat embarrassed, rubbing the tip of his nose. "Okay…" He didn't extend the invitation again, choosing instead to silently provide Rossweise with emotional value… and to admire her beauty.
Rossweise said nothing more and continued her work. The afternoon passed quietly. The couple sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the throne. Rossweise steadily worked through the tedious documents, occasionally resting her head on Leon's shoulder for a short break when fatigue set in. After the "no confession, no dating" topic concluded, they didn't speak much.
.
.
As dinnertime approached, Rossweise set down her pen and stretched lazily, her graceful curves fully displayed. Leon couldn't help but sneak a glance. The queen let out a soft sigh of relief and looked at Leon. He seemed… a bit sullen? In short, he wasn't his usual lively self. She understood he was still dwelling on her rejection of the date invitation.
A smile touched Rossweise's lips. She stood up. "After dinner, meet me in the cherry blossom grove behind the mountain."
Leon's eyes lit up. "Are you asking me on a date, Your Majesty?"
Rossweise hummed lightly. "It's merely a routine inspection of the back mountain. It is not a date." Her expression almost spelled out "I'm being tsundere."
Leon understood her perfectly. The couple shared a smile, their eyes filled with unspoken affection. After their brief, silent exchange, Rossweise turned, arms crossed, and descended the steps. "Let's go have dinner."
Leon followed. At the dinner table, the daughters reported on their afternoon studies. Leon and Rossweise listened attentively, offering words of encouragement. After the meal, the couple exchanged another glance. Rossweise gave a subtle nod toward the back mountain. Leon understood immediately.
While the maids cleared the table, Leon left first for the back mountain. After being married for so long, they had developed this kind of unspoken understanding. Sometimes, a single look was enough to arrange a secret rendezvous.
He arrived at the cherry blossom grove. Soon, he heard footsteps approaching. Leon looked toward the sound and frowned slightly. Rossweise was not alone. She was accompanied by the maid, Milan.
Under Leon's astonished gaze, Rossweise approached with Milan. A faint, triumphant smile played on her lips, savoring the look on her husband's face.
"Milan… you're here too?" Leon managed.
"Yes, Prince Leon. I am accompanying Her Majesty on her inspection of the back mountain," Milan replied respectfully.
Damn. So it really is an inspection! Where's the date we talked about?
"Well… that's… fine." He couldn't very well tell the maid to leave so he could have a romantic moment with the queen. While Milan wouldn't be upset—she might even be thrilled to see her favorite couple together—saying that would make it seem like Rossweise had him completely wrapped around her finger.
Rossweise, watching her husband's expression, felt deeply satisfied. Yes, yes, this is exactly the reaction I wanted. 'Why did she bring someone else? I wanted to be alone with her! Ugh, my wife, my dear wife! I want to hold your hand, but I can't!' Ah, men. Not long ago, he could banter with me as an equal, but now? He's fallen, completely fallen in love~
"Milan, go and check the area over there. The prince and I will take this path," Rossweise instructed.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Milan, understanding the situation perfectly, immediately hurried off.
Rossweise turned her gaze back to Leon, grinning. "For a moment there, did you think our alone time tonight was ruined?"
"Tch, stop messing around." Leon waved a dismissive hand and turned away, not wanting to indulge the playful dragon queen.
But Rossweise took his hand, her teasing continuing. "Aw, are you sulking, my little lion?"
"Cut it out, mother dragon... that's enough." If this continued, it would devolve into some over-the-top romantic drama, and General Leon had a reputation to maintain.
Rossweise giggled and finally relented. "Alright, alright. I'll stop." She tilted her head toward the grove. "Shall we take a walk?"
"Yeah."
The couple strolled hand-in-hand through the cherry blossom grove. They first discussed their daughters' progress, then moved on to the recent events concerning Constantine's resurrection.
"The Empire has already mastered that twisted fusion magic... It seems future battles will not be easy," Rossweise remarked.
"It's not as bad as all that," Leon said. "My detonation spell wasn't designed to target just one Dragon Scale. When activated, the other five scales exploded as well. And from what I saw in the future, the Heart Scales were all stored together. So... by now, the Empire is probably cursing me to the heavens."
Rossweise chuckled. "Why didn't you use the detonation spell earlier? Then Constantine wouldn't have been resurrected as a fusion beast at all."
"You mean, I should just wake up one morning, randomly snap my fingers, and—boom!—the Empire's Dragon Scale repository explodes?" Leon turned to look at the silver-haired beauty beside him. "That would completely lack a sense of drama."
Rossweise lightly punched his arm. "You and your 'sense of drama.' Because of your theatrics, my sister's lawn and pavilion had to be completely rebuilt."
Leon laughed. "Well, let it be rebuilt. It's not like I'm the one paying for it."
The couple continued their playful banter, and the conversation naturally drifted from Isha to Rossweise's grandmother.
"Oh, that's right. A letter came from my grandmother this morning. She will be visiting my sister next week," Rossweise said. "I was thinking of taking the girls with me. It would be a good opportunity to take that family photo. What do you think?"
Leon nodded. "Sounds good."
"Mhm. And... perhaps I can try asking Grandmother about... the Far North again."