As a human, Leon couldn't roam freely through the Sea Dragon Clan's palace without Claudia as an escort. So, after waking up, he and Rossweise remained in their room, using the time to talk and plan.
The revelation from the previous night—that Rossweise's Heartguard Dragon Scale was embedded within him—still weighed on Leon's mind. He understood the profound significance of a dragon's scale, even as a human. Despite Rossweise's insistence that her initial motive had been revenge, the fact remained: she had given him something integral to her very life force. How could he not feel the immense weight of that?
Sitting at the small table on the balcony, he absentmindedly touched his chest, feeling the strong, steady heartbeat beneath his palm. It was a heartbeat sustained by Rossweise's sacrifice.
"You have been quiet all morning. How are you processing it?" a cool, calm voice spoke from behind him.
Leon turned to see Rossweise seated across the table. She had crossed one long leg over the other, her skirt shifting. But Leon wasn't in the mood to appreciate the view; his thoughts were too occupied.
"Still brooding over the dragon scale?" Rossweise asked, uncrossing her legs and settling into a more serious posture.
Leon averted his eyes, muttering a soft, "Yeah."
Rossweise sighed softly, shaking her head slightly. She leaned her chin on her hand, gazing out at the mesmerizing undersea world beyond the transparent barrier.
"I kept it from you all this time because I worried you would overthink it exactly like this."
"Giving me something as vital as your Heartguard Dragon Scale… how could I not overthink it?"
"So, what are you feeling right now?" she probed gently. "Guilt? Gratitude? Or… something else?"
Leon considered this for a long moment before shaking his head. "It's complicated. I can't really put it into words."
Rossweise chuckled lightly. "Then perhaps you should have a chat with your master later. It seems the two of you have plenty in common now."
"Why do you say that?"
She sat up straighter, counting points on her fingers. "Well, both of you are former dragon slayers. Both of you uncovered the Empire's grand conspiracy. Both of you married dragon queens… and both of you were saved from certain death by your wife's Heartguard Dragon Scale."
With a playful clap of her hands, she added, "It reminds me of that old human song… 'When I grow up, I'll be just like you~'"
Leon couldn't help but laugh at her unexpected humor and the absurd accuracy of the comparison.
Seeing him smile, Rossweise dropped her playful act. Hmph, he'd better appreciate this, she thought. Not everyone got to see the Silver Dragon Queen acting silly just to lift their spirits.
"You are smiling now, so no more brooding," she said, as if worried he would sink back into his thoughts the moment she looked away.
Leon nodded. "Alright."
It wasn't a role Rossweise often took on, but he was her only husband—if she didn't cheer him up, who would?
Fortunately, Leon was reasonable. He knew better than to let himself wallow in unproductive guilt when there were urgent matters at hand.
"By the way," Leon said, shifting the conversation, "my innate inability to gather and store magic… is that connected to the dragon scale?"
Rossweise nodded. "It is. After the scale was implanted, it required a massive, continuous influx of magical energy to bond with you and function properly."
"With your constitution back then, there is no way you should have been in a coma for two whole years, even with the side effects of the blood enchantment."
"But the dragon scale, in its initial bonding phase, drained all of your body's natural magic reserves, leaving you in an incredibly weakened state. Combined with the blood enchantment's strain, it is what kept you unconscious for so long."
Leon nodded thoughtfully, pieces of his past finally clicking into place. "And now, after all these years, I still can't store magic internally on my own?"
"Unfortunately, no. For a dragon to fully form a Heartguard Dragon Scale takes at least two hundred years, during which we must continuously nourish it with our own magic. It has only been five years for you, so… you are about a hundred and ninety-five years short of it being self-sustaining."
Leon swallowed hard. "A-a hundred and ninety-five years? By then, I'll be dust. What's the point of the dragon scale for me then…"
"Hmph, if that is the case, I will just retrieve it from your ashes, clean it off, and return it to myself," Rossweise replied with a completely deadpan expression.
"…You are not talking about a contact lens; it does not work that way," Leon retorted with a scoff.
"In short, for now, you must continue to rely on the external magic stored in your Dragon Marks during battle," Rossweise summarized. "And in certain critical situations, the dragon scale will still perform its primary life-saving function."
"Its primary function?"
"Yes. It acts as a ultimate safeguard. It will prevent any unstable or backlash magic you release from fatally harming you."
"Got it."
After this brief but important conversation about the dragon scale, Rossweise steered them toward the more pressing matter.
"So, what is our plan from here?"
Leon knew exactly what she was asking. He pulled out the memory stone Rebecca had given him the day before. It glowed softly in his palm, containing the irrefutable evidence of the Empire's secret dealings with renegade dragons, exposing how they deliberately prolonged the war to exploit their own people.
With this evidence, he could expose the Empire's corruption, save countless citizens from needless suffering, and finally clear his own name.
"With this, we finally have what we need to tear the Empire's conspiracy out by the roots. It is time we stopped reacting and took the offensive."
He clenched the memory stone, his tone becoming somber and determined. "If we wait any longer, more innocent lives will be lost."
His master's near-fatal encounter had been a harsh reminder of the old adage: "revolution demands sacrifice." He understood the concept intellectually, but experiencing it personally was entirely different.
He had to act quickly to prevent more bloodshed and end this nightmare once and for all.
"A formal, public confrontation with the Empire…" Rossweise mused, helping him analyze the situation. "The Empire managed to create Constantine, that Primordial-powered abomination, so they undoubtedly have more extreme methods and powerful assets in reserve."
"And we cannot forget the elite Blade Trio. Even though your master severed one of their arms, they remain a formidable force, each possessing strength comparable to a Dragon King."
"If you are going to confront the Empire head-on and expose their conspiracy to the world, you are going to need powerful allies," Rossweise advised pragmatically.
Leon nodded in firm agreement. "My master has established the Lionheart Society as an internal resistance network, but that alone will not be enough. We will need… a undeniable show of force to match the Empire's military might."
"I will go with you," Rossweise stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"No—" Leon began to protest, out of habit.
"No?" She gave him a sideways glance, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she muttered, "Do you really think I would let you march into the Empire's heart without me? Besides… I do not trust anyone else with the safety of my Heartguard Dragon Scale."
Leon blinked, then a warm, heartfelt chuckle escaped him. "Alright, then. Let's tackle this together as husband and wife—unstoppable together."
"That is so cheesy. Try again," she teased, though a small smile played on her lips.
"Uh… 'With a Silver Dragon on the battlefield, not a blade of grass shall grow!'" he offered, striking a mock-heroic pose.
"Ugh, too edgy and destructive. I do not like it."
They paused for a moment after that, sharing a long look before both burst into genuine laughter, the tension of the morning finally melting away.
"Alright," Rossweise said, recomposing herself. "But with only me helping, it might still be a stretch. If a significant portion of the Dragon Slayer Corps remains loyal to the Empire, we will need to account for that force as well. So…"
"Let us go and see if we can enlist Claudia's help," Leon suggested.
"Yes, that is a logical step. The Sea Dragon Clan has its own historical grievances against the Empire for the scale-harvesting operations."
Rossweise then added, "Do you think we will need another Dragon King as an ally? To truly tip the scales?"
Leon thought for a moment, his mind running through the list of powerful figures they knew. A determined look settled on his face.
"If it is a matter of seeking allies with a powerful vendetta against the Empire…"
"I think I know just the right candidate."