Rossweise lightly tapped her forehead with her fingertips, sighing in frustration. "How could I have forgotten about him? Unlike other Dragon Kings who have their own lands and subjects to govern, Adam's a true lone wolf—nearly impossible to hold accountable through conventional means."
Leon nodded grimly, his expression thoughtful. "The recent victories and unexpected political developments made us overlook this particular Dragon King. He presents a completely different kind of challenge."
"The way dragon society is structured revolves entirely around the tribal system led by each Dragon King," Rossweise explained, slipping into her queenly analytical tone. "Typically, each Dragon King leads a specific tribe with established territories. There's a general understanding not to interfere with one another, though some do form strategic alliances."
"In simpler terms," she summarized, "everyone maintains their own domains and generally respects others' boundaries."
"But out of all the Dragon Kings, Warhammer Dragon King Adam is the exception that proves the rule."
"He has no territory, no tribe, no subjects to command."
As Rossweise elaborated, it became clear that Adam was the embodiment of a solitary dragon.
A single dragon constituted his entire tribe.
Because of this unique status, he couldn't care less about the secret meetings of other Dragon Kings or the punishments being handed out to those who had conspired with the fallen Empire.
What would territorial concessions or resource fines mean to someone like him?
The man had nothing to lose—no lands that could be seized, no subjects who could be threatened. If the Dragon Council wanted to punish him, they'd have to kill him directly. He was the definition of a dragon with nothing to fear.
"And he's remained completely out of sight this entire time," Rossweise continued. "Now that the Empire has collapsed, he's probably returned to his old profession as a mercenary, isn't he?"
When Rossweise referred to him as a "mercenary," she was describing Adam's established profession.
Being unbound by land or kinship ties, he had no traditional fears or obligations. He wasn't particularly worried about enemies, even though he had accumulated plenty over the centuries.
Because of this freedom, as long as the payment was substantial enough, Adam would take on any job for his employer. More often than not, these jobs involved the darker aspects of dragon society—assassinations, arson, espionage, and other shadowy dealings.
Leon mused over this for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "Remember the 'Shadow' I mentioned to you after that meeting with Nacho and the others?"
"Yes," Rossweise replied immediately, quickly following his train of thought. "You think Adam might be connected to this Shadow figure?"
"Exactly." Leon's eyes narrowed with concentration. "Nacho and his team never found the runaway Queen Elizabeth, and I'm willing to bet she took refuge with this so-called Shadow."
He continued, building his case, "Whoever could offer safe harbor to a queen of a fallen empire at her most desperate moment must be far more powerful and cunning than Canter, that puppet king ever was."
"So, we suspect that this Shadow is actually the true architect manipulating the Empire's relationship with the renegade Dragon Kings behind the scenes, using them to prolong the dragon wars for their own purposes."
"And if this Shadow is working toward some hidden agenda, then they would definitely continue their activities from the shadows. And Adam, who's never revealed himself before during all our conflicts..."
Leon let the sentence hang meaningfully.
"...is likely just one of their many hidden pawns."
Rossweise had mentioned to Leon before that, as a lone Dragon King, Adam's true combat capabilities were difficult to gauge accurately.
Being in the mercenary trade for centuries, without substantial skill and power, he would have been dead at the hands of his enemies long ago.
If this Shadow was indeed orchestrating the human and dragon conflicts for some deeper purpose, then even with the Empire's collapse and Canter's death, they would continue playing their hidden cards to advance their mission. And one of those cards could very well be Warhammer Dragon King Adam.
Leon took the worn piece of parchment covered in names and studied it carefully, as if the paper itself might yield new secrets.
"When I met with Nacho," he said, "we agreed to split our investigation into the Shadow across both dragon and human territories. We need to get moving before this lead grows cold."
Leon gave a small, confident smile and pulled Rossweise into his embrace, the gesture both affectionate and reassuring.
"Do you know what kind of enemy is the most terrifying?" he asked rhetorically.
She remained silent, recognizing this as one of Leon's teaching moments, allowing him to make his point.
"The scariest enemy isn't someone whose motives you can understand, however vile they might be."
"It's the one whose goals you can't even begin to guess, yet you know with certainty that whatever they're planning can't be anything good for our world."
Leon's fingertips gently grazed her soft cheek and brushed through her silver hair as he spoke. "With an enemy like that lurking in the shadows, we can't afford to remain passive and wait for them to make the next move."
Rossweise pondered his words carefully. She understood Leon completely and shared his urgency to uncover the truth behind the Shadow.
During their silent war with the Empire, they had found themselves in several perilous situations precisely because they had been too reactive rather than proactive—putting herself, their daughters, and their entire clan at risk.
There was the time Canter launched his second devastating assault on the Silver Dragon Sanctuary, and the catastrophic battle with the spatial rift created by Ravi.
Even Leon's master, Tiger, had been gravely injured during that period. If not for Charlotte sacrificing her Heartguard Dragon Scale, his master might not have survived...
Rossweise fully understood and shared Leon's determination to not let such threats gather in the shadows again.
"Previously, the Empire's throne used covert alliances with renegade Dragon Kings to extend the war's duration, profiting from the continued chaos."
Rossweise analyzed aloud, "But... I still feel that there's a lingering cloud hanging over this entire matter. After we defeated the Primordial Nightmare, overthrew the Empire, and brought judgment to the Dragon Kings who betrayed our kind..."
"Doesn't something feel... incomplete to you? Like an ominous cloud still darkening the horizon despite our victories?"
"Of course it does."
Leon had felt the same unsettling sensation.
Though they had ultimately achieved victory on all visible fronts, and Leon had not failed his master, the Lionheart Society, or the people of the Empire...
Yet, deep down, he had sensed a hidden current of danger quietly slipping away amidst the triumph, like a snake retreating into its burrow before the storm passes.
Now, thinking back with clearer perspective, he realized that the unsettling feeling he and Rossweise shared was likely caused by this Shadow entity escaping their net.
"So, since you've decided to act," Rossweise said firmly, "go boldly and do what you need to do. Don't hold back because of concerns for me or the girls."
Rossweise gently loosened her embrace, sitting up straight and tucking a stray strand of silver hair behind her ear, a soft but determined smile playing on her lips.
"No matter what you decide to do, no matter where this investigation leads," she declared, her silver eyes meeting his with unwavering intensity, "I'll be right there with you."
One of the things Leon adored most about her was this particular quality—her unwavering resolve and partnership. Where others might say, "I trust you" or "Do what you need to do," she would look him directly in the eye and say,
"I'll go with you."
Just as they'd promised each other from the beginning, they would protect their family together, side by side.
So how could she possibly be content just waiting to be protected each time danger appeared?
She wanted to stand with him in battle, facing whatever threats came their way, regardless of the risks.
Leon paused, smiling warmly at her declaration. "I know you'll always be by my side, Rossweise. I've never doubted that."
Rossweise, known for her strong sense of composure and royal dignity, glanced away briefly—hoping that he wouldn't see just how deeply and completely she truly felt about him (though, truthfully, he probably knew perfectly well).
After a moment of comfortable silence, she returned to the practical matter at hand.
"So... what's our next step?" she asked, all business once more.
Leon thought for a moment, organizing his plan. "First, we'll need to meet with Constantine. After all, it was his third-in-command who originally provided us with that list, so he might possess additional information we're currently unaware of."
"All right. Then—" Rossweise began.
"I'll go alone to meet Constantine," Leon interjected gently.
Rossweise raised an elegant eyebrow. "Did you even listen to what I just said about standing together?"
"Oh, come now," Leon said with a playful smile. "This is just a friendly meeting with Old Constantine to exchange information, not a battle or infiltration mission. I don't need to trouble you, the Dragon Queen, to handle such a straightforward task."
He added, his tone shifting slightly, "And..."
"And?" Rossweise prompted, curious.
Leon swallowed, his tone carrying a hint of resigned amusement and genuine caution, "And if we both go, I'm afraid we'll return only to find ourselves in the middle of another one of your 'dedication ceremonies' with the temple maidens."
Rossweise burst into melodic laughter, gently nudging his shoulder. "So that's what you're worried about! Fine, I'll stay home and manage the temple affairs, and in the meantime~~"
Leon raised an eyebrow, playing along. "In the meantime?"
She grinned mischievously. "I'll prepare a grand funeral for you with the girls—just in case your 'friendly meeting' with Constantine goes poorly!"
"You're impossible, Dragon Queen!" Leon laughed, pulling her close again, the weight of their discussion momentarily lifted by their familiar banter, but the determination in both their eyes remained, solid and unwavering. The hunt for the Shadow had begun.