The Lionheart Society wasn't just a simple resistance group against the Empire; its members were elites from various fields who had become disillusioned with the corruption.
So, when the news spread that their leader, Leon Cosmodeous, was not only married to the Silver Dragon Queen Rossweise but also had three daughters with her, the members erupted into spirited discussion.
A former imperial dragonologist marveled, "I've studied dragon reproductive biology for half my life, but I never imagined a human and a dragon could produce viable offspring! This is monumental for cross-species research!"
A former royal psychologist mused, "What sort of psychological framework would a human male need to successfully bond with such an exceptional female dragon? The intersection of human and draconic psychology presents fascinating questions."
And a retired five-star general from the Dragon Slayer Corps declared confidently, "If you give Leon Cosmodeous an opportunity, he can win over a queen dragon. Even if the Sun God himself stood beside him, he'd be overshadowed by Leon's legacy. This man is destined to become the most luminous figure in the shared history of humans and dragons!"
.
.
.
Listening to everyone speculate and analyze his relationship with the "dragon queen," Leon simply smiled, not bothering to interrupt. As long as they accepted Rossweise as a legitimate ally, he didn't mind what theories they discussed.
After all, he had told them the truth. He had no reason to worry about rumors spreading.
When no one was looking, Rossweise gave him a sidelong glance before sneaking her hand over to his waist and giving him a sharp pinch.
A jolt of pain shot through him. But with everyone watching, he restrained himself from crying out, though his face contorted for just a moment.
The moment Rossweise released him, Leon instinctively stepped back, clutching his sore side.
"What was that for?" he whispered through gritted teeth.
The queen's cheeks flushed slightly, and she avoided meeting his gaze, crossing her arms in front of her and looking straight ahead as if nothing had happened.
"You... you had to announce our private business in front of everyone, didn't you?"
"But I told the truth, didn't I?" Leon countered, genuinely puzzled.
"You—!"
"Everyone from the ancient dragon elders down to the five-year-old hatchlings in your clan knows we're married. Don't the humans have a right to know too?"
Rossweise huffed, unable to find a logical flaw in his reasoning. After a few moments, she could only grumble under her breath, "Always twisting logic to suit yourself."
"How am I twisting logic? My dear dragon queen, let me tell you—"
Halfway through his sentence, Leon paused as a realization struck him. He looked at Rossweise's faintly reddened cheeks and blinked in understanding.
"Oh~ I get it now."
Rossweise rolled her eyes dramatically. "Now you 'get it,' huh?"
"You're actually thrilled that I called you my wife in front of everyone, but you're just too tsundere to admit it openly. You didn't want to break character as the regal Silver Dragon Queen, so you pinched me to hide how excited you really are. Am I right?"
Rossweise's blush deepened as Leon precisely identified her innermost thoughts. Embarrassed and indignant, she shot him a glare that could freeze lava.
"If there weren't so many people around, I'd activate a dragon mark and teach you a lesson right now."
"My mistress used to say the same thing to him," Leon quipped, a playful grin spreading across his face.
"Then you and your master are cut from the same shameless cloth," she retorted.
"No, what I meant is..." He deliberately dragged out his words, making her wait in suspense.
Rossweise found herself leaning in slightly, listening intently despite herself.
"We're becoming more and more like a real couple."
"...If you keep saying such shameless things, I'll air all your embarrassing secrets right here in front of the Lionheart Society!" she threatened, though the effect was somewhat undermined by her flushed complexion.
Leon immediately straightened up, holding back his laughter with visible effort.
The members continued their lively conversations around them, and the two refrained from further interjecting.
Leon moved over to the edge of the platform and easily jumped down. The platform was about a meter high, and with her long dress and heels, Rossweise couldn't make such a leap gracefully. So after Leon landed, he turned back and offered his hand to help her down.
Rossweise accepted his hand, using her other hand to lift her dress slightly as she gracefully descended.
"Captain, this world is truly incredible," Rebecca's voice piped up from behind them.
Leon released Rossweise's hand and turned around. "What do you mean?"
"The majestic Silver Dragon Queen needs a hand to descend from a one-meter platform, while the rough and ready dragon-slaying hero considers his wife's every need. Isn't that just the power of love?" Rebecca teased with an impish grin.
The couple could tell the young woman was deliberately teasing them.
Rossweise, aware of maintaining her "gentle sister-in-law" persona in Rebecca's eyes, kept silent. Leon, however, had no such qualms.
He walked over and picked Rebecca up by the collar. "Your sister-in-law flew to the Empire overnight without rest. She's exhausted, and I was simply helping her down. Got a problem with that?"
Dangling in the air with a cheeky grin, Rebecca laughed, "No problem, no problem! I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and, uh... triplets next time!"
The moment she said "triplets," Leon released his grip, and Rebecca promptly fell to the ground with a soft thud.
She scrambled up, dusting herself off. "Geez, why is he only gentle with my sister-in-law? Still so rough with everyone else."
If only you could see how rough I can be with your sister-in-law when you're not around, Leon thought with an internal smirk.
"By the way, where's Martin?" Leon asked, changing the subject.
"At home," Rebecca replied, becoming serious again. "Due to his family's political position, he rarely comes here to maintain his cover. But whenever the Empire plans something major, Martin gives us advance warning. His intelligence has been crucial to the Lionheart Society's survival until now."
Leon nodded in understanding. Martin's role as a deep-cover agent was too valuable to compromise.
"Captain, now that we're finally going to declare war on the Empire, expose their schemes, and clear your name, what's the actual plan?" Rebecca asked, her expression turning earnest.
Leon had already formed a rough strategy on their journey to the hideout.
"Let's see... In three days, it'll be the Empire's annual Lantern Festival. It's one of the biggest celebrations, with everyone in the streets releasing paper lanterns. We can use that opportunity to reveal the Empire's corruption to the public."
The Lantern Festival was a cherished human tradition, celebrated once a year with great enthusiasm. During the festival, people would write wishes inside paper lanterns before releasing them into the night sky. Legends claimed that if one wrote their wishes sincerely, a deity would fulfill them.
Children particularly loved the festival, scribbling their dreams and hopes before sending the lanterns skyward. Adults, while generally no longer believing in such superstitions, still participated enthusiastically, treating the event as a joyful community celebration.
Regardless of individual beliefs, the Lantern Festival guaranteed crowded streets throughout the Empire—perfect cover for their operation.
"So, what's the actual plan?" asked the man standing next to Rebecca.
Leon turned to him, squinting slightly. The man seemed familiar, but he couldn't immediately place him.
After staring for a moment, the man introduced himself, "Nacho Salamander, former assistant to the Dragon Slayer Corps' chief, Lord Valerius."
Nacho...
Memories flooded back to Leon. In the alternate future where "Leon didn't exist for twenty years," Nacho had risen through the ranks, eventually succeeding Lord Valerius as chief of the Dragon Slayer Corps. In that timeline, Nacho commanded the fearsome "Blade Trio," and Leon had actually extracted information about the Heartguard Dragon Scale from Nacho himself.
Seeing Leon's prolonged silence, Rebecca mistakenly thought he was doubting Nacho's loyalty and offered an explanation.
"Captain, a few years ago, Nacho's father was framed by the Empire and died in prison. That's when he joined us in the Lionheart Society."
Rebecca's summary was brief, so Nacho supplemented it with more detail.
"My father was forced by the Empire to falsify official records under threat to our family. Over time, the discrepancies grew, and when they were discovered, the Empire threw my father under the carriage as a scapegoat."
"Lord Valerius promised me that if I successfully led dragons to kill you, he'd spare my father's life."
"But after the battle in the Spatial Rift of Ravi, Lord Valerius lost faith in my capabilities and replaced me with my assistant, Scott."
"When I finally went to see my father in prison, I learned he'd been killed by a group of death-row inmates in what was called a 'random altercation.'"
"Who would believe it was mere coincidence? My father knew too much about their insider schemes. As long as he remained alive, those higher-ups would never feel secure."
Nacho's tone was flat, his emotions seemingly dulled by years of grief and bitterness.
After hearing Nacho's story, Leon pieced together the complete picture. In the alternate future, Nacho had succeeded in luring Leon into the dimensional rift, effectively erasing him from that timeline. With his mission accomplished, he had climbed the ranks, his father had been spared, and his career had flourished.
But thanks to Little Light's temporal magic, Leon had returned to the present, altering the course of events. This version of Nacho, having witnessed the Empire's corruption firsthand, had joined the Lionheart Society—whether for revenge or to find renewed purpose.
Still, one unresolved issue remained between them.
"You said Lord Valerius's mission for you was to use dragons to eliminate me, and my resistance caused your mission to fail. So, fundamentally... we were genuine enemies, Nacho."
Leon's simple statement laid bare the past conflict between them. Unlike the other members of the Lionheart Society, he and Nacho had truly fought on opposing sides.
Leon wasn't necessarily questioning Nacho's current loyalty; he simply wanted to understand where his former adversary now stood.
Much like Constantine—though admittedly less unhinged—Nacho's past experiences could potentially provide a foundation for mutual understanding, if properly addressed.
Nacho paused, then replied with sober clarity, "I never thought joining the Lionheart Society would erase the wrongs I've done. I only want a chance—a chance to avenge my father properly. After that, you're welcome to throw me in prison."
After a moment's consideration, he added, "I mean... a prison in the new Empire we build, not this corrupt one."
Leon met Nacho's gaze in silence, assessing the man before him.
He realized Nacho was fundamentally different from Constantine. Constantine's willingness to work with Leon didn't stem from any moral reformation—he was simply a pragmatic dragon. If the Empire benefited him, he'd work with them; if they betrayed him, he'd seek revenge. It was a straightforward, transactional approach.
Nacho, however, didn't view his past actions as something that could be easily absolved. He'd willingly accept punishment, but not from the corrupt system that had created him. He wanted judgment from a better, fairer authority—one they would build together.
Rossweise watched the exchange quietly, recognizing this as a pivotal moment for Leon's leadership and choosing not to intervene.
Rebecca, meanwhile, glanced anxiously between the two men, her heart racing with worry. She had genuinely come to appreciate Nacho as a comrade. Despite his past association with the Empire, she believed he was ultimately a good person forced into impossible choices.
She desperately hoped Leon wouldn't reject him solely because of their complicated history.
"You're right; you would fit well in a prison," Leon finally said, his expression unreadable.
Nacho blinked, as if expecting that response all along.
Rebecca, however, looked horrified. "No, no, no! Captain, don't send him to jail! He's been invaluable to us!"
"So after we topple the emperor," Leon continued, a grin slowly spreading across his face, "I'll talk with the new administration about making you warden of a prison. How does that sound?"
Rebecca blinked, needing a moment to process the sudden shift. Then, with an exasperated pout, she complained, "Captain, could you not phrase things to make us think you were being serious?"
Leon chuckled warmly at her reaction.
"Because of some... unusual circumstances I experienced, Nacho and I had encountered each other outside of direct battle," Leon explained, carefully alluding to the events of the alternate future without revealing too much.
Nacho frowned, genuinely puzzled. "I don't remember any such encounter."
"Well, it's a long story for another time. But I know you're a capable administrator, especially in organizational management. The Lionheart Society's growth and efficiency owe something to your efforts, don't they?"
Nacho allowed himself a small, proud smirk. "It's mostly Tiger's foundation. I just helped optimize some operational procedures."
"I'm truly sorry about what happened to your father, Nacho. But as for that revenge you seek..."
Leon extended his hand formally, "I'll help you achieve it—properly, through justice, not mere vengeance."
Without hesitation, Nacho took Leon's hand in a firm grip.
"Then let's end this corrupt charade together," Nacho said, his voice filled with renewed purpose.
As their hands clasped, the members of the Lionheart Society who had witnessed the exchange nodded in approval. Their leader had not only accepted a former enemy but had transformed him into a committed ally for their cause.