If anyone were to ask which human was most welcomed by the dragons, the answer would undoubtedly be General Leon.
His wife and children were in the Silver Dragon Clan, making it a second home. He came and went freely from the Crimson Flame Clan, and even Constantine could not truly bar his entry. As for the Sea Dragon Clan, his connection to his master and foster mother, Charlotte, gave him an in with Princess Claudia. On his last visit, she had even told him he was welcome anytime without formalities. Of course, this was a private understanding; if it became public knowledge, it would look like a formal alliance between the Sea and Silver Dragon clans, with Ambassador Leon Cosmodeous as the goodwill bridge uniting humans and dragons.
Reflecting on this, Leon finally arrived at the outer limits of the Sea Dragon territory after a few hours of travel.
As he waited on a small island that served as a landing point, a sleek blue dragon broke the water's surface and greeted him.
"Prince of the Silver Dragons, welcome to Atlantis."
The Sea Dragon territory, known as Atlantis, was one of the few dragon lands with a specific name.
"Yes, I'd like to see Princess Claudia," Leon said.
"Very well, Your Highness. Please follow me."
Reaching the underwater sanctuary of Atlantis required descending through the dragon lands. Without the dragons' protective magic, any creature would be crushed by the immense deep-sea pressure in moments.
Turning to his Silver Dragon guard, Leon instructed, "Wait here for me. I won't be long."
The guard nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."
With that, Leon followed the Sea Dragon guide into the depths.
It wasn't his first journey into the ocean's depths, so he was relatively accustomed to the initial struggle for breath, quickly adjusting to the water's weight and pressure.
After about thirty minutes, they reached the grand entrance of the Sea Dragon Clan's sanctuary.
"I have already notified the attendants inside. Someone will meet you shortly," the Sea Dragon guard said.
"Thank you for your assistance."
The guard bowed slightly and departed.
Moments later, the sanctuary doors opened, and a Sea Dragon attendant arrived to escort Leon inside.
Upon entering, Leon looked around and noticed Claudia seated at her desk, immersed in a stack of documents. She appeared focused and determined, much like his wife, Rossweise, during her own work.
"Excuse me, ma'am," Leon greeted.
Claudia set her work aside, stretched, and brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear as she looked up at him.
"Here to see your master and foster mother?"
Leon nodded. "Yes, and I also have a favor to ask."
Claudia raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly. "I knew you wouldn't visit without a reason."
Rising from her seat, she smoothed her dress and walked down the steps to stand before him.
"We'll discuss it later. First, let's go see them."
"Of course."
The two left the sanctuary and made their way to the resting quarters.
Leon pushed open the door to his master's room, ready to greet him, but stopped short at the sight.
There was his master, shirtless, on the floor, his body still remarkably muscular for his age. Meanwhile, Charlotte was sitting nervously on his back, her eyes fixed on the back of his head.
The old man, it seemed, wasn't as worn out as Leon had thought. Despite having recently returned from the brink of death, here he was doing push-ups with his wife on his back! And if Leon remembered correctly, a dragon's bones were significantly denser than a human's, meaning Charlotte, who appeared petite and light, actually weighed quite a bit more.
Sweat dripped from his master's chin, hitting the floor with soft splashes.
"Ninety-eight... ninety-nine..."
Just as he was about to reach one hundred, Leon's shoes came into his line of sight.
Leon squatted down with a smirk. "Keeping in shape, Master?"
Charlotte looked up, frowning at Leon with concern. "Leon, you should stop him! He insisted on this as part of his recovery training and made me join him."
Leon chuckled. "Mistress, you've been married to this stubborn old man for how many years now? You know he won't stop until he hits his target. Master, how many are you aiming for today?"
"Five... hundred..." his master wheezed out.
Leon helped his master up and guided him to the bed, where the old man sank down, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat.
Charlotte handed him a towel, which he gratefully used to wipe his forehead.
"What brings you here, kid?" his master asked between deep breaths.
"I figured if I didn't check in, you'd throw out your back. Dragons might have protective scales for their hearts, but I doubt you have the same for your spine."
The old man rolled his eyes, muttering, "Always running that mouth of yours. Now, tell me, what do you need?"
As the two chatted, Charlotte brought over two cups of tea before joining Claudia in the corner for some sisterly conversation.
"Well, Master, the recent conflict with the Empire has intensified," Leon began, "and there's one Dragon King who's been in hiding, someone who once colluded with the Empire. I have yet to locate him..."
Leon shared his suspicions regarding Adam and the figure known as "Shadow," hoping for any insight or advice.
His master listened, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Shadow... So you think he's the true mastermind behind the Empire?"
Leon scratched his head. "Elizabeth sought refuge with this 'Shadow' when she had no other options, which suggests a close connection to the Empire. But it's as if he never existed; there's no trace of him."
"Remember, kid, I once told you that under Canter's rule, there wasn't much change from the Empire's previous king?"
Leon nodded, recalling the detail from an earlier intelligence exchange.
In most cases, a new ruler would subtly shift the administration to assert their authority and secure their position. Yet, during Canter's thirty-year reign, the Empire hadn't changed significantly.
What's more, when the previous king and other high-ranking officials died, there had been no public display or even photographs of their bodies, which was highly unusual.
This peculiarity had only come up briefly before, but now with Shadow's influence emerging, it seemed a crucial clue.
"Here's a theory," his master suggested. "What if the Empire's continuity in leadership style over the past thirty years indicates that Canter was merely a puppet and that the previous king had been pulling the strings all along?"
Leon nodded thoughtfully. "It would explain a lot... But here's the issue: if Shadow is indeed the former king, how has he lived so long?"
The former king had reportedly died in his seventies. If he were still alive, he'd be well over a hundred by now.
"Could a man that old really orchestrate something this complex?"
The old man considered this, then replied, "I suspect he might be using a forbidden magic or some other dark art to extend his life."
"But such forced life-extension techniques are risky," he continued. "They can affect one's soul or even lead to premature exposure."
"There's the stasis crystal technique, which suspends the target's bodily functions, leaving them alive but immobile, able only to hear the world around them. And then there's life-extension magic, which forcibly prolongs life. But as you said, the risks are high, and discovery is a real possibility."
"This is definitely a new angle to explore," his master concluded.
"Understood."
Leon wasn't going to let any potential lead slip away.
After chatting with his master a while longer, Leon stood up.
Charlotte approached him with a gentle smile. "How have you been, Leon?"
Leon returned her smile. "I've been well, Mistress."
"Good. When you have a chance, bring your wife along sometime. The last few visits were so rushed I haven't had a proper conversation with her."
It seemed his mother wanted quality time with her daughter-in-law. A perfectly reasonable request.
"Of course, Mistress. Once Rossweise has a free moment, we'll visit properly."
"Good."
"Alright, family time is over," Claudia said with a smile, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. "Now that you've seen them, perhaps you can tell me what favor you're here to ask?"