Judging by the look on Leon's face, Rossweise could easily guess which "perfect candidate" he had in mind.
But...
"He holds not just a grudge against the Empire, but a rather significant one against you as well. Are you certain he will agree to help us?" she asked, voicing a valid concern.
Leon considered this for a moment. "The last time I went to him for information on the Empire, he made it very clear we were not allies. But I believe, when presented with a real chance for revenge against the Empire, he will take it."
Constantine might be prideful and hot-headed, but he was also fiercely pragmatic. Revenge against the Empire, the faction that had betrayed, resurrected, and tortured him, would undoubtedly outweigh his personal feud with Leon. After all, finding Leon was easy—he was right there in the Silver Dragon Sanctuary, a known location. But the Empire was a vast, fortified human territory, its leaders protected by layers of deceit and military might.
Leon was counting on this cold logic, making him confident that Constantine would see the strategic benefit of a temporary alliance.
"So, it is settled for now," Rossweise nodded. "With Constantine's Crimson Flame clan added to our strength, our odds improve significantly."
"Yes. We will solidify this plan for now. I will work out more detailed strategies with my master once he has regained more of his strength."
"That sounds like a wise course of action."
Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.
Out of courtesy, the couple answered it together.
It was Claudia.
"Good morning," Leon greeted her.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"Very well, thank you," he replied.
"Good. Now, come with me. There is someone I would like you to meet."
Leon blinked, puzzled. "Someone?"
He glanced at Rossweise, who looked just as confused. Apart from Claudia and the recovering Charlotte, they didn't know anyone else in the Sea Dragon Clan's palace.
Claudia smiled mysteriously. "You will see. The human girl is already waiting for you outside."
At that, Rebecca popped out from behind Claudia, practically vibrating with excitement. "Captain, hurry up! Claudia says we're going to be thrilled to meet this 'friend'!"
You don't even know who the 'friend' is, and you're this excited? Leon thought with a bemused smile. "Alright, we are coming."
Leon and Rossweise followed Claudia, with Rebecca trailing eagerly behind. They stuck to the quieter, less-traveled passages of the palace, avoiding guards and attendants. While Claudia's high status meant no one would dare question her guests, it was simpler to avoid any potential attention altogether.
Claudia led them to a serene, beautifully maintained underwater garden, complete with a patch of lush artificial grass and a charming small wooden house in the distance.
Leon stood just outside the garden's ornate fence, peering in. On the grassy area, he noticed a familiar-looking shadow moving leisurely.
"That silhouette... looks familiar," he muttered.
Claudia smirked and put two fingers to her lips, letting out a sharp, clear whistle.
The shadow on the grass immediately lifted its head, abandoning the tuft of grass it had been chewing to look in their direction.
It was then that Leon and Rebecca got a clear look at this "friend."
"Oh my god..."
"No way... It's A-Donkey!"
A flood of warm, chaotic memories burst forth in Leon's mind!
The familiar dusty gray fur, that energetically swishing tail, the strong, sturdy build, and those big, intelligent eyes—it was unmistakable.
"It's him! It's really him!" Rebecca cheered.
Just as Claudia began to say, "This is the friend I wanted you to—whoa, Leon, watch the fence! It was expensive!"
Before she could finish, Leon had vaulted over the fence in a single, fluid motion and was sprinting toward the figure he had missed for so long.
And the donkey, as if recognizing an old friend, broke into a joyful gallop to meet him halfway.
Man and donkey, like long-lost companions finally reunited in this magical undersea setting. It was a scene of pure, unadulterated joy.
"Donkey~" Leon called out, his voice filled with emotion.
"Eee-aw!" the donkey replied, its bray sounding equally enthusiastic.
"Aaah, Dooonkeeeey~" Leon stretched his arms out wide.
"Eee-awww!" the donkey cried, closing the distance.
"Aa—Ahh!"
What should have been a tender, heartfelt reunion took a sudden, violent turn.
The donkey skidded to a halt, lifted its powerful front leg, and without a hint of hesitation, kicked Leon square in the face.
The loud smack echoed across the garden. Rossweise and Rebecca, watching from the other side of the fence, winced in unison.
It was Rebecca who broke the stunned silence first.
"This... this is the only creature in all existence capable of inflicting genuine, physical harm on the Empire's most powerful dragon slayer, Leon Cosmodeous—"
"The one and only—"
"His own donkey!"
Rossweise sighed, covering her face with one hand. "This is not the time for dramatic commentary..."
Claudia watched the scene unfold with rare, utter confusion. "Honestly, Charlotte always talks about how deeply bonded her donkey is with Leon. I thought their reunion would be... well, touching. Who could have predicted... this?"
As a princess raised with the most refined etiquette, Claudia was momentarily at a loss for the right word.
But Rebecca, who was well-acquainted with the rougher sides of life, supplied it perfectly: "Abstract."
"Yes," Rebecca continued, nodding sagely. "Looking back on the captain's life, it has been both glorious and profoundly abstract. And most of his more 'abstract' moments seem to involve this particular donkey."
Rossweise let out another sigh. "He talks about that donkey so often and so fondly, one might think it was his first love."
"Come on, you are his real first love," Rebecca teased. "No need to be jealous of a donkey—ow!"
Yesterday, Rebecca had been on the receiving end of a flick from Leon; today, she received a nearly identical one from Rossweise.
Meanwhile, back on the grass, Leon clung to the donkey's neck, a thin trickle of blood running from his nose.
"Donkey, what's wrong? Don't you remember me?" he pleaded.
The donkey: 😗 (Unimpressed)
"Are you mad at me? Is that it?"
The donkey: 😶 (Stoic silence)
"Listen, I didn't know you were here! That's why I couldn't come to see you all these years!"
The donkey: 😒 (Deep skepticism)
"Now that I do know, I promise I'll finish my business outside, then I'll come right back to get you so we can be together again, just like old times!"
The donkey: (?? ??`) (Contemplating...)
Rossweise watched this one-sided conversation in astonishment. "He can... actually hold a conversation with a donkey?"
"I didn't believe it at first either," Rebecca admitted. "But I've observed a pattern: every single time he has one of these 'heart-to-hearts' with that donkey, he ends up getting kicked. So now, I'm a believer."
"He gets kicked every time? Does that mean he's—"
"Augh!"
Before she could finish, Leon was sent flying through the air once more, a fresh arc of blood tracing his path as he landed flat on his back in the grass, utterly dazed.
"Donkey..." he muttered, staring up at the artificial sky, half-conscious. "You're just as quick to kick me as ever."