Uh-oh.
Not only is Her Majesty inexplicably cheerful, but now even His Highness seems to be in a mysteriously good mood.
Could it be that this couple is actually preparing for another child... already?
The maids whispered among themselves, speculating that it hadn’t been long since Princess Aurora was born, and they were already eager to prepare for the fourth?
"Your Majesty, please take care of your health!"
"Shh~ They’re coming. Quiet down."
At that, the maids immediately fell silent, watching as the royal family and Her Majesty’s grandmother walked out of the sanctuary.
“Grandma, are you really not going to stay a few more days?” Rosvisser asked, holding her grandmother’s hand as they slowly descended the stairs.
“No, I still need to visit Isha. After that, I must return to the Far North to continue our investigation. Even without Ravi, the mission can’t be delayed.”
When they reached the expansive courtyard, Rosvisser held her grandmother’s hand tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
After decades apart, it had been such a short visit, and now her grandmother was leaving again.
Dragons rarely visited each other, but her grandmother had raised Rosvisser from childhood. The bond between them was as deep as any could be.
“Alright, my little Ros, once everything is settled, I’ll come back and spend more time with you and your sister.”
Her grandmother patted Rosvisser’s shoulder with a kind smile. “And don’t forget what I mentioned earlier. Stay alert, be prepared, and don’t let anything endanger your people or yourself.”
Rosvisser nodded. “I understand, Grandma.”
“I’ll take my leave then. Stay in touch by letter.”
Her grandmother paused for a moment and added with a chuckle, “Though I doubt any message dragon could make it to where I’m going.”
Rosvisser smiled through her tears, a touch of bitterness in her expression. “The message dragon might not reach you, but my thoughts of you surely will.”
Her grandmother smiled warmly. “Alright, off to see Isha now. You, Leon, and the little ones take care.”
“Goodbye, Grandma…”
“Goodbye, Great-Grandma!” Noa said, holding her baby sister, with Moon by her side, as they waved farewell.
Leon stood quietly behind them, waving as well.
Her grandmother bid farewell to each of them, then her gaze lingered on Leon.
For a long moment, the two stared at each other.
Finally, her grandmother narrowed her eyes slightly, and with a meaningful tone, said to Leon, “I hope to see you on the training field again next time.”
Leon was taken aback.
Was she… teasing him?
Or was there a deeper meaning behind those words?
“Uh… sure, we’ll meet again.”
Though he didn’t fully understand, Leon responded politely.
Her grandmother nodded, then turned and took a few steps before transforming into her dragon form, soaring into the clouds.
Rosvisser remained standing, watching her grandmother’s figure disappear into the sky without moving.
Milan, the maid, was about to step forward to remind her, but Leon gestured for her to stop.
“Noa, take your sisters and go play with Milan,” Leon said.
“Okay.”
Once the girls and the maid had left, Leon approached Rosvisser, standing by her side.
“You once told me your grandmother was very strict. I was expecting a much more rigid Dragon Queen.”
The older a dragon lived, the more stiff they became—or so the stereotype went.
Rosvisser wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a smile. “Oh? So, you’re saying you’re satisfied with meeting the family?”
Leon snorted, crossing his arms and turning his head. “What’s there to be satisfied or not satisfied with? We’re not a real couple.”
Rosvisser playfully punched him on the arm, her earlier sadness lifting slightly.
Leon noticed her smile and felt the force of her playful punch.
Good, she wasn’t sad anymore.
In just three sentences, he had lifted the Dragon Queen out of her mood. He should start calling himself *Cassmod the Life Coach*.
The couple strolled over to the pavilion in the courtyard and sat across from each other at the stone table.
In the past couple of days, they had kissed, hugged, and Leon’s stubbornness had softened a bit. Now that her grandmother had left, it was time to talk about more serious matters.
“Ravi, Blai, Jagus… the three Dragon Kings who specialize in spatial magic have mysteriously disappeared from their clans, and they, like Constantine, hadn’t participated in the human-dragon wars for a long time,” Leon began. “So it’s reasonable to suspect they might also be part of the Dragon Kings working with the Empire. But we don’t have concrete evidence to prove it.”
Rosvisser clasped her hands together, resting her chin on her fingers, continuing Leon’s thought, “And that evidence lies with Constantine’s former confidant. If we can find that confidant, we can uncover what these three Dragon Kings are up to.”
Leon nodded. “It’s been four months since Aurora was born. The internal strife in the Flame Dragon Clan should have settled by now, right?”
To an outsider, the birth of their youngest daughter and the Flame Dragon Clan’s internal situation might seem unrelated.
But this was how General Leon kept track of time.
He had slain countless dragons, and Constantine was just another among many—except that his behavior was a bit more erratic. Otherwise, Leon wouldn’t have bothered to remember the day he killed him.
But it just so happened that Aurora was born that very day.
He didn’t need to remember Constantine’s death anniversary, but his precious daughter’s birthday? That was engraved in his heart.
As for whether Constantine cared about Leon’s method of timekeeping—well, who cares?
“Mm… the Flame Dragon Clan has indeed calmed down internally,” Rosvisser said, though she seemed troubled. “But the smaller clans that Constantine had subdued seem to be plotting revenge. I already sent Shirley to gather information, and she reported that the Flame Dragon Clan has chosen a ‘new king,’ likely a scapegoat for Constantine’s conquests.”
“A new king? Could that be the confidant we’re looking for?”
“It’s possible. But he’s probably still in deep trouble himself and might not be the best target for interrogation right now.”
Leon stroked his chin, frowning in thought.
After a moment, he smirked, saying, “I think this timing is perfect.”
Rosvisser raised an eyebrow. “Perfect?”
“Yeah.”
That smirk on his face—Rosvisser knew he had another one of his sneaky plans in mind.
But instead of asking about his plan, she posed another question. “So, are you going to the Flame Dragon Clan yourself, or will you have Shirley bring the guy back?”
“The latter is riskier, and the success rate isn’t high. Plus, we might run into unnecessary trouble bringing him back.”
“So, His Highness Leon plans to lead the charge himself?” Rosvisser asked with a smile.
“Lead the charge? No, no, it’s called going deep behind enemy lines.”
“Deep behind enemy lines? Hmm… yes, you’re very good at going deep behind enemy lines.”
Leon blinked.
Wait a minute—did a wheel just roll over my face?
Looooolll... double meaning?
I think the operative term is "deep penetration".
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