As night fell, Leon carefully observed the patrol routes of the Imperial guards. Finding the right moment, he led Moon to the base of the tall walls surrounding the royal palace.

The spot was secluded, and a patrol only passed by every ten minutes.

The father and daughter crouched by the wall, discussing how they could sneak in.

Getting into the royal palace, located in the heart of the Empire, was not going to be as simple as their earlier infiltration. The people living there were either royals or nobles, with even the lowest-ranked among them accompanied by at least four or five guards at all times. 

As for those with real power, they were naturally even more heavily protected.

Leon raised a hand and gently pressed it against the cool, rough surface of the wall. Beneath it, he could sense the faint flow of magical energy.

“Of course, there's a barrier here too,” Leon muttered.

If the outer walls of the city had a sensory barrier, the royal palace would undoubtedly have an even more complex and powerful one.

“If we try to climb over, the barrier will definitely detect us,” Leon said. “I’ll try to make a small hole in the barrier. Moon, keep watch and let me know if you hear anything.”

“Yes, Dad.” 

Moon stood up and kept a careful lookout, scanning their surroundings with vigilance.

Leon began working on the barrier. During his time at the Dragon Slayer Academy, he had been taught some basic principles and techniques for breaking through barriers. After all, in war, it was common to encounter enemy barriers with different purposes. 

But no matter how complex the barrier's function, at its core, it was still a type of magic array. If he could find its operational pattern, he might be able to disable it.

However, after several attempts, Leon was unsuccessful.

He couldn’t force his way through, as that would alert the ‘Royal Sorcerer Corps.’ 

The sorcerers were responsible for maintaining the barriers around the outer walls, the royal palace, and all the other important buildings in the Empire. They also taught magic to the royal family and their descendants.

Back when Leon was leading troops in battle, he hadn’t liked the sorcerers much. To him, they all seemed like madmen—unhinged, with no ethical boundaries.

He’d heard rumors before the Silver Dragon War that they were conducting dangerous magical experiments on "tamed dangerous species." From what he’d encountered on his last return to the Empire, it seemed those experiments had been successful.

Who knew what more terrifying things they’d come up with in the twenty years since?

“This isn’t working. The barrier is far more complex than it was twenty years ago,” Leon finally admitted.

Besides, breaking through barriers wasn’t his specialty. He could easily blast a hole through the wall with a powerful spell like *Chidori*, but that would immediately reveal their presence.

Their goal in sneaking into the Empire was to find the Heartguard Dragon Scales, not to pick a fight.

Moon tried her hand at it too, but she also failed.

Her tuft of hair drooped as she sulked. “Why is this so difficult?”

Leon patted her on the head, comforting her. “This is the barrier protecting the royal palace, after all. It was designed by a whole team of experts. If we could break it so easily, they might as well retire.”

“So, Dad, what do we do now?”

“Hmm... Since sneaking in won’t work, let’s see if we can find some cover, like earlier today, and blend in with the crowd.”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t the most reliable plan, but it was better than doing nothing. They had to try.

Leon and Moon avoided the patrols, making their way to the roof of a waystation near the main gate of the royal palace. From this vantage point, they could clearly see the situation at the entrance.

There weren’t many carriages coming and going, but the few that did were extravagantly decorated. It was obvious that the people inside were wealthy. The carriages were so fancy that they were practically one step away from having diamond-encrusted horseshoes.

“It’s different from the city gates,” Leon mused. “The guards here are carefully checking every single carriage. If we try to hide under one, we’ll be discovered for sure.”

“Didn’t you visit the royal palace often when you were in the Empire?” Moon asked.

Leon thought for a moment and then shook his head. “I did at first, but not so much later.”

“Why not?” Moon asked curiously.

“As a soldier on the front lines, the only times I was allowed into the palace were for ceremonies or after major accomplishments.”

Moon blinked. “But didn’t you just say you used to come here often?”

“That’s because I accomplished a lot back then.”

Leon recalled, “At that time... I was defeating a Dragon King about once a month. So, I had to come to the palace for a medal ceremony every month. Normal people only came once a year.”

“After a while, both the officials and I got tired of the ceremonies, so we agreed to make it once every six months.”

Moon’s eyes widened in admiration. “Wow~ That’s amazing, Dad.”

Leon coughed lightly, not wanting to continue basking in the praise.

And why was that?

Because back then, in Leon's eyes, her mother was also quite the "grand achievement"...

But those were old stories, best left in the past.

After all, he had married his “grand achievement,” so there was no need to boast about his past glories.

“Did you get any rewards for those ceremonies, Dad?” Moon asked.

Leon nodded. “Yeah, money, food, clothes—stuff like that. My squad members used to say that every time I came out of the royal palace, it was like I was stocking up on supplies.”

Moon giggled. “You must’ve been quite the charming guy when you were younger, huh?”

“What do you mean ‘younger’? You saying I’m not young anymore?”

“Well, you’re twenty-three now. That’s kind of old~”

Leon pinched her cheek. “If I’m an old man at twenty-three, then what are you at twenty-two?”

“I’m the daughter of an old man!”

As they bantered, they noticed a new commotion at the palace gates.

They both quieted down and looked down below.

A relatively plain-looking carriage had just arrived. Three people stepped out of it.

Leon observed their outfits and posture, noting that they looked like soldiers who had recently returned from the frontlines. As for whether they were part of the Dragon Slayer Corps, he couldn’t be sure.

But Moon recognized them immediately.

“That’s the ‘Three G-Team,’” she said seriously.

Leon was confused. “The... *Chicken Team*? Are you hungry, kid?”

“No, not ‘chicken,’ the ‘Three G-Team.’”

Moon explained earnestly, “Five years after you disappeared, the Empire began gaining the upper hand in the human-dragon war, and it was all thanks to those three.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Are they... strong?”

“Yes. Survivors from defeated dragon tribes say these three are absurdly powerful. It felt like they were back in the era of the ‘Black Armored King.’”

Ah~ Leon missed those days when the ‘Black Armored King’ ruled supreme.

After a moment of nostalgic reflection, he asked, “Do you have any details about them?”

“Hmm... I only know their names,” Moon said, recalling, “Guinea, Gitae, and Gime.”

“...Those names sound oddly familiar. They remind me of an old acquaintance.”

Leon sighed, “Bring your daughter to court, Casmod.”