"Sis, you made it!"
When Rossweise had first received the invitation to this gathering, she had worried she wouldn't see a single familiar face.
Despite her usual icy composure as the Silver Dragon Queen, ever since "marrying" Leon, a more introverted side of her had surfaced with surprising clarity.
Most people talk about adapting to their partners; she had married a man who specialized in spectacular public displays of affection—it was inevitable her social anxiety would spike over time.
And yet, there was another, quieter reason for her reserve. In the past, she had faced every threat alone, relying solely on her own strength and will. But with Leon beside her, she had found someone she could truly depend on, someone who made her feel secure. Gradually, she had settled into the role of a "softer wife," though she would fiercely deny the label if anyone ever called her on it.
But back to the present.
Isha rose to greet her, a warm, genuine smile on her face. "What kept you so long?" she asked.
"Oh… we ran into a small delay on the way," Rossweise replied smoothly.
Not exactly.
As she spoke, she couldn't help but shoot a subtle, sidelong glance at Leon.
They were late because, during the flight, Leon had asked what the meeting would likely cover. Rossweise had explained it would focus on his recent clashes with Constantine.
"So, we're basically the guests of honor here, right?" Leon had grinned.
"Yes, you could say that."
"Then let's make a fashionable entrance. Arrive late."
Rossweise had frowned. "Why?"
"Because the main characters always enter last. It makes us look cooler, more important."
She could only sigh inwardly. The man she had married was, at his core, still a boy. So, she had reluctantly agreed. After arriving in Sky City, they had even taken a detour through the shopping district, ensuring their tardiness.
"Come, sit with us. We've been waiting for you."
We've been waiting for you.
That simple phrase filled Leon with immense satisfaction.
See? He knew it. The main character always gets the best entrance!
Once seated, Leon took a moment to survey the other figures around the table. Rossweise had said this was a gathering of Dragon Kings, meaning every being here held that formidable title.
With a few minutes left before the meeting officially began, Leon leaned close to Rossweise, his voice a low whisper. "You know, if I'd known the Dragon Kings held meetings like this back in my army days…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but Rossweise understood his train of thought immediately.
Picking them off one by one is tedious work. If I'd known then, I would have wished they'd all gather in one place so I could finish the job at once.
She rolled her eyes and whispered back, "These Dragon Kings are… different from the ones you fought before."
Leon's eyebrows arched with interest. "How so?"
Rossweise gave a subtle nod toward the elderly dragon sitting across from them. "See the older Dragon King? That is Odin, the Thunder Dragon King, Yuna's father—the one who accidentally ended up in the ancient ruins with Noa last time."
"He rose to power thousands of years ago, and even then, his strength was legendary. There were very few in the entire Dragon Clan who could rival him."
"Even that Star Flame Dragon King, Star, whom we defeated together, was no match for him."
Leon remembered Star clearly—one of the Dragon Kings secretly allied with the Empire, who had led the first major assault on the Silver Dragon Sanctuary. In the end, consumed by fury and humiliation, he had triggered a self-destruction using his own protective scales.
Despite his final, desperate act, Leon had respected Star's raw power; among all the Dragon Kings he had faced, Star was undoubtedly top-tier.
And this Thunder Dragon King… was even stronger than Star?
"You dragons never cease to amaze me," Leon murmured.
Their hushed conversation did not go unnoticed. Odin's sharp gaze shifted to them, stern and quietly intimidating.
Leon narrowed his eyes, meeting the ancient dragon's stare without flinching. In his experience, when a Dragon King looked at him like that, a fight usually wasn't far behind.
But after a long, tense moment, Odin simply looked away.
"These older dragons have keen senses," Rossweise whispered urgently. "And you are one of the central figures of this meeting. So when you speak, be cautious. A single misstep could reveal too much. Do you understand?"
Meetings had never been Leon's forte back in the Dragon Slayer Corps. His unit was built for direct action, never bothering with the formalities and subtleties of structured debate.
However, his time with Rossweise at the Silver Dragon Sanctuary had forced him to learn the intricate dance of politics and diplomacy.
He gave a firm nod. "Understood."
As he turned his gaze from Odin, Leon noticed the mature woman with flowing blue hair seated further down the table.
"Claudia's here too."
Following his gaze, Rossweise nodded. "It seems so. Likely because Helena was present in the ruins, so Claudia is attending on her behalf."
"But I thought Poseidon was the Dragon King of the Sea Dragon Clan. Why send Claudia?"
"For her to represent her clan at a gathering of this importance signals that Poseidon trusts her completely. Claudia possesses both the strength and the acumen to be the next Sea Dragon King," Rossweise explained.
"I see."
Sensing their attention, Claudia offered them a slight, knowing smile and a discreet wave, which the couple returned in kind.
Moments later, the meeting's facilitator entered the room.
Standing at the head of the long table, he rang a small, silver bell to command attention. "Thank you all, esteemed Dragon Kings, for attending this council concerning Constantine and the Primordial Power."
"As the Master of the Twilight Tower is unable to attend, I will serve as your humble host."
"During these discussions, please feel free to share your thoughts on Constantine's situation openly; we will not interfere. It is our hope that you will collectively arrive at a solution to prevent further chaos within our Dragon Clan."
"With that, the meeting is now in session."
He bowed deeply and then exited the conference room, closing the heavy doors behind him.
As the sound of the latch clicking into place faded, the focus of every Dragon King in the room shifted to Leon and Rossweise.
"Silver Dragon Queen," began an elderly Dragon King—not Odin—his voice gravelly with age and authority. "Among all of us here, only you and your… husband… have had direct contact with Constantine since his acquisition of the Primordial Power. You discovered his attempt to seize it and endeavored to stop him. Therefore, we ask for your assessment: what is your opinion of Constantine in his current state?"
"There is one correction I would like to make," Rossweise replied, her voice smooth and regal. "My husband and I did attempt to prevent Constantine from stealing the Primordial Power, but in the end, we were not successful. He managed to absorb the majority of it."
She spoke with calm authority, the serene dignity of the Silver Dragon Queen unwavering.
"As for our view of Constantine now… my husband and I believe that while his strength has indeed surpassed that of most Dragon Kings, it still falls short of the highest tier."
"Falls short of the highest tier?"
A younger Dragon King raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Lady Melkvey, I have heard tales of the Primordial Power's might—an ancient force fundamentally different from any modern magic, something beyond our current understanding. And yet, you claim that even wielding such power, Constantine cannot be considered top-tier? I find that difficult to believe."
"The Primordial Power may be formidable, but without true mastery, it is little more than wasted potential."
It was not Rossweise who answered this time, but Claudia.
All eyes turned to the elegant Sea Dragon princess.
With her arms crossed and her gaze lowered slightly, her expression remained impassive. Even surrounded by the collective might and presence of the Dragon Kings, Claudia showed not a flicker of intimidation.
"So, you are suggesting… that Constantine has not yet fully mastered the Primordial Power?" the young Dragon King pressed.
"Mastery is not quite the right term. The Primordial Power is, at its core, simply energy. Think of it as holding a bomb; one can still throw it and cause damage," Claudia explained, her tone cool and analytical. "For someone like Constantine, hurling it is not the difficult part. The true challenge lies in maximizing its effect. How does one add more explosive force? Increase its range and accuracy? Control the devastation it leaves in its wake?"
Leon and Rossweise exchanged a brief, knowing glance. Her explanation was strikingly apt.
When they had faced the stitched-together abomination of "Constantine" at the Red Dragon Sanctuary, Rossweise had managed to deal him significant damage using the pure, unrefined form of Primordial Power. Later, they had acquired Soul Judgment from Leon's mentor—a sophisticated spell derived from the Primordial Power.
Claudia's point was clear: Constantine may possess the raw fuel, but he lacks the technique and control to wield it with true efficiency. In other words, he was a blunt instrument, not a precision blade—not a dire threat for the moment.
"The Sea Dragon Princess speaks wisely," added another elderly Dragon King, his voice dripping with the unshakable confidence that only millennia of life can bestow. "The ancient arts of Primordial Magic have been lost to time. Finding any substantial records of them now would be a near-impossible feat."
Dragon Kings were often like this—the older they grew, the more certain they became of the limits of the world. Having lived so long, they assumed the scope of their knowledge defined reality itself.
A younger Dragon King, either seeking to curry favor or genuinely believing he had done his homework, chimed in, "The elder is correct. I myself spent years searching for any trace of ancient Primordial Magic and found nothing. I daresay it is truly extinct in this era."
Extinct Primordial Magic.
The Silver Dragon couple had to struggle to keep straight faces.
"Yes," Claudia agreed, her voice a model of neutrality. "Perhaps Primordial Magic has… truly vanished from the world."
As she spoke, she shot another fleeting, knowing look toward Leon and Rossweise.
They understood perfectly. Claudia was the author of Soul Judgment; she was deliberately downplaying the truth about the Primordial Power's accessibility.
It made strategic sense. Since this meeting was focused on the threat of Constantine, there was no need to reveal crucial, clan-specific knowledge. They were here to form a strategy, not an alliance.
The couple also carefully avoided any further meaningful eye contact with the graceful Sea Dragon. It wouldn't do to give her a look that screamed, "Wow, so you're the one who wrote that incredibly powerful manual!"
The discussion about Primordial Magic soon circled back to Constantine.
"If you don't mind me veering slightly off-topic," said Morgan, the Golden Sand Dragon King, directing his question squarely at Leon. "I have a question for the Silver Dragon Prince."
"What is it?"
"None of us know how Constantine learned of the Primordial Ruins' location. But we are curious: how did you know he intended to go there and seize the power?"
You see, my former superior from the Empire resurrected Constantine as a patchwork monstrosity using Primordial Power, hoping to use him as a weapon. But the experiment went sideways; Constantine regained his will, decided he wanted more power for himself, and, oh yes, vengeance against both me and my former boss. So he set off to find the source of that power in the ruins.
↑
Should I explain it all just like that, old friend?
Say a single word of that, and I doubt any of us will be leaving this room peacefully.
"I maintain a unique information network," Leon said, his voice even and convincing. "Tracking Constantine's movements was not particularly difficult."
"An information network? Fascinating. What prompted you to establish such a thing?"
"After facing Constantine twice, I felt it was prudent to be prepared. I set up channels to share intelligence, just in case he decided to launch another surprise attack."
"Oh? Silver Dragon Prince, that is quite… foresighted of you."
Before Morgan could probe further, Isha cut in, her tone sharp but playful, "Hey, Morgan, aren't you being a bit nosy? That's their private intelligence apparatus—you don't need to know every detail of its origins, do you?"
"Ah, well, that's…" Morgan stammered, momentarily flustered.
Rossweise swiftly joined in, maintaining the pressure, "Besides, this was always meant as a preventive measure. If you inquire too deeply, you risk undoing all the careful work my husband has put into it, don't you think?"
Morgan hesitated, caught between the formidable reasoning of the two women. Finally, he could only shake his head with a wry, defeated smile. "You both make a fair point."
"Humph," Isha huffed with satisfaction, throwing a playful, conspiratorial wink in her "brother-in-law's" direction.
The meeting dragged on for hours as the Dragon Kings debated various strategies for dealing with Constantine. Eventually, they moved to a vote and settled on a plan of action:
Deploy a joint guard unit to monitor the territory around the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan. Any unusual movement from Constantine would be intercepted promptly. Apply gradual pressure on Constantine, tightening the net around him until he was forced to make a move. In the meantime, gather as much intelligence as possible on the nature of the Primordial Power, with the ultimate goal of finding a way to extract it from Constantine's control.
When the floor was opened for final comments or alternative proposals, Leon raised his hand.
"A question. Once we've successfully extracted the Primordial Power from Constantine, what then?"
"Obviously," the same elderly Dragon King from before replied, his tone implying the answer was self-evident, "we put it to good use."
"Good use…"
Leon mulled over the phrase.
The words themselves were harmless, but he deeply distrusted the intent behind the one who had spoken them.
It wasn't that Leon held some blanket grudge against all dragons; it was that the power in question was simply too immense, too corrupting. Did he truly believe that these proud, powerful rulers… would wield such a force responsibly?
"You seem to have a different idea, Silver Dragon Prince?" the elderly Dragon King prompted, a hint of condescension in his voice.
Leon glanced at Rossweise. She gave him a subtle, almost imperceptible nod—her silent permission to speak his mind.
"I believe we should simply monitor Constantine and his territory. We should refrain from applying pressure or provoking any direct conflict."
Leon was no fool; he knew exactly how this game was played.
Using your own people's lives as pawns to seize a power that was never yours to begin with. You go ahead and try it; you'll be hailed as heroes. But if you don't? Then just watch him. No complicated games, no unnecessary bloodshed.
The old Dragon King chuckled, a sound like dry leaves rustling, as if humoring a naive child. "Very well. Let us put the Silver Dragon Prince's suggestion to a vote."
His tone was laced with certainty. After all, what Dragon King in their right mind would pass up an opportunity to claim a fragment of the Primordial Power for themselves?
And sure enough, when the vote was called, only three hands rose in support of Leon's proposal: Rossweise's, Isha's, and Claudia's.
The old Dragon King's lips curved into a thin, victorious smile. "What a shame, Silver Dragon Prince. It seems your proposal has not found sufficient support."
"In that case, I declare that the original plan—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Odin, who had remained utterly silent throughout the entire long meeting, slowly raised his gnarled hand.
"I agree with Cosmodeous's suggestion."
A ripple of shock passed through the room.
Morgan, the Golden Sand Dragon King, immediately slapped his own hand down on the table and thrust his arm into the air. "Hey, hey! Our friend Leon makes a solid point! Why all the needless bloodshed? Let's all just sit down, share a nice pot of tea, and talk it out like civilized dragons!"
One by one, the remaining Dragon Kings exchanged hurried, wide-eyed glances. They all knew better than to openly defy the will of the Thunder Dragon King.
Soon, a forest of hands shot up around the table. Those in favor of Leon's cautious approach now far outnumbered those against it.
Leon leaned back in his chair, a slow, triumphant smirk spreading across his face as he crossed his arms.
"It seems, old man," he said, his voice cutting through the stunned silence, "that I declare your declaration… invalid."