A few days later, at the dragon-human border in a secluded mountain cave, it was time to exchange intel.
Leon's mentor wasted no time dropping a bombshell.
"Constantine's alive again?!"
Leon had suspected the Empire might make another attempt to resurrect Constantine, especially after the Ironwing Dragon King, Fael, had taken off with his head. But he hadn't expected it to happen this soon—barely six months since the last incident.
It seemed the Empire had an astonishing ability to rush headfirst into disaster.
"Yes, but this time Constantine seems to have broken free of the Empire's control," said Tiger, Leon's mentor.
Leon frowned. "Broken free? How did he manage that?"
Leon remembered how Constantine had attacked Isha's Red Dragon Sanctum last time—mindless, like a puppet, with no will of his own. Reduced to a mere biological weapon, the once-mighty Crimson Flame Dragon King had been forced into servitude. Even as his opponent, Leon had felt a shred of pity for Constantine's fate.
But now, this resurrected Constantine had supposedly broken free of the Empire's grip?
Leon wasn't sure whether to admire Constantine's iron will or scoff at the Empire's incompetence.
"Details are unclear, but I suspect the dragon who helped him escape played a part," Tiger explained. "Judging by the size and speed, it was likely a dragon king—longer tail than usual, wings a deep iron-green."
From Tiger's description, Leon immediately guessed who had rescued Constantine.
"The Ironwing Dragon King, Fael… He's the one who stole Constantine's head from the Red Dragon Sanctum last time. They must have struck a deal then."
"This Fael was previously cooperating with the Empire, correct?"
"Yes, the Empire likely ordered him to steal Constantine's head," Leon replied.
"But why would he suddenly turn on them by freeing Constantine? Isn't that a direct challenge to the Empire?" Rebecca asked, perplexed.
Rossweise answered, "Maybe seeing Constantine reduced to a mindless tool made Fael realize that the Empire doesn't view dragon kings as 'allies' at all. To them, Fael, Constantine, and the other dragon kings are just disposable pawns in their scheme."
Rossweise continued, "So Fael likely chose to help Constantine break free and sever ties with the Empire to avoid meeting the same fate."
Rossweise had heard of the Ironwing Dragon King before. Like the Silver Dragons, the Ironwing Dragons were known for their speed, and any dragon clan that shared such an advantage piqued her interest.
From what she knew, Fael was a shrewd player. Though his territory was small, he had carved out a place in this chaotic world by playing his cards right.
His current actions were another smart move—working with the Empire to gain benefits, then breaking ties when their intentions became clear, even aligning himself with Constantine as a hedge.
Rebecca nodded, eyes wide. "Oh, that makes sense! Wow, sister-in-law, you're so smart!"
The "sister-in-law" comment was loud and clear, making Rossweise's cheeks tinge pink as she looked away.
She wasn't sure if it was Rebecca's compliment that made her blush, or that bold title.
Even though she'd been called "sister-in-law" countless times, it never failed to fluster her.
"Hang on, Master," Leon said as he suddenly recalled something. "Didn't I destroy the Empire's Heartscale when Constantine attacked the Red Dragon Sanctum? They wouldn't still have any left, would they?"
Tiger shook his head. "No, the Heartscales are gone, but according to intel from Martin, this time the Empire used… Primordial Force to rebuild Constantine's body."
"Primordial Force? The Empire has Primordial Force?!"
Leon was shocked. Primordial Force was an ancient dragon power dating back to the very first Dragon King, Noah. It was nearly impossible for even the dragons to obtain, so how had the Empire managed it?
Tiger shrugged. "I'm not sure how they acquired it."
The two of them were at a loss, momentarily stumped.
At that moment, Rossweise moved beside Leon, whispering something in his ear. Leon's eyes widened.
"That explains it," he murmured.
Tiger looked at him, puzzled. "Explains what?"
"Oh, well," Leon began, "I received intel from the dragons a while back. Fael had stolen part of a research project conducted in the far north. At the time, we didn't know what the project was, but we assumed Fael was working for the Empire."
"Considering the Empire used Primordial Force to rebuild Constantine, it's likely that what Fael stole was exactly that—Primordial Force."
Years ago, St. Heath Academy's headmistress, Olette, had collaborated with Rossweise's grandmother on a project in the far north, a project that had taken years to complete. But Fael had stolen a portion of it at some point.
Back then, Leon and Rossweise hadn't known what this "project" involved.
But now, putting the pieces together, it seemed clear that the secret project had been an investigation into Primordial Force.
With Leon's explanation, Tiger nodded in understanding.
"Makes sense."
The realization that Rossweise's grandmother had been investigating such an ancient power left her with a feeling of unease.
Primordial Force was immensely powerful. Rossweise herself had used only the basics of it to help Leon destroy Constantine's Heartscale in the past.
And this power traced back to the first Dragon King, Noah, whose legacy still influenced dragons today.
What had driven her grandmother and the headmistress to delve into such ancient and dangerous history?
For now, Rossweise had no answers.
"If the Empire has Primordial Force, they might try to use it for more than just creating fusion monsters," Leon said, worried.
But Tiger waved a hand. "No need to worry. Martin also found out that the Empire exhausted their supply of Primordial Force to make this new version of Constantine."
"Exhausted it?"
"Yes." Tiger nodded. "They poured all their resources into creating this biological weapon, only for it to escape their control. Now, all their efforts are wasted. The official in charge of the project, Minister Lord Valerius, has even been dismissed."
Tiger paused, smirking. "I heard he was reassigned to a pig farm."
"Classic Empire demotion," Leon chuckled.
Tiger laughed, shrugging. "Good thing we retired when we did."
"No, Master, I was forced into retirement," Leon replied seriously.
"Oh? Sounds like I've still got the edge, then," Tiger said with a mischievous grin.
Rebecca, ever quick, jumped in. "Dad, Captain retired with a Grand Slam under his belt. What about you?"
"…Stay out of this, kid!"
After the light-hearted banter, Leon refocused on the current situation.
"Without the Heartscales or Primordial Force, the Empire might lie low for a while. They'll have to regroup, and they'll also need to worry about this rogue Constantine returning to seek revenge."
"After what they put him through, I'm sure he'll want vengeance," Leon said, nodding. "And I'm probably on his list, too."
"The question is, when will he make his move?"
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Constantine, now bolstered by Primordial Force and a stronger body, was sure to be a formidable foe. Leon wasn't entirely confident about facing him again.
"I have a theory," Rossweise said suddenly.
The three turned to the Silver Dragon Queen.
"I don't know when Constantine will strike, but before he does, I imagine… he'll want to be fully prepared."
Leon raised a brow. "Prepared how?"
"By obtaining more… Primordial Force."