Chapter 19: The Place Where Dreams Begin
(First Update)
“Looks like there’s more than one Dragon King working with the Empire…”
Leon rubbed his chin, pondering deeply.
Now, normally, this intel would be explosive.
But after the last little clean-up operation where they caught Victor, Leon had a keen sense of the Empire’s dark underbelly and the rot of power.
So when even more outrageous intel about this shady Empire dropped, he wasn’t surprised at all.
“Got any concrete leads?” Leon asked.
Roswiser shook her head, “Morin is just a lackey of Constantine; she’s barely a pawn in this grand scheme. Just a minor player. Constantine has only hinted at the possibility of other Dragon Kings existing.”
“And what did he say exactly?”
“‘Let those old geezers handle this little matter; why do I have to deal with it?’ It just so happened that Morin was finishing up her intel exchange with him when she overheard this while he was chatting with another member of the Red Flame Dragon Race.”
Leon’s eyes lit up, “So, if we find this Red Flame Dragon who spoke with Constantine, we might just uncover other Dragon Kings working with the Empire?”
“That’s true, but the problem is, Morin can’t recall any specific details about that other person—facial features are hazy at best, and she didn’t even hear the voice because she was in a hurry to get back to the Silver Dragon Temple.”
And just like that, the flicker of hope was doused faster than a match in a rainstorm.
Leon’s excitement faded like a sunbeam behind a cloud.
Leaning against the table in the cell, he thought for a moment and then said thoughtfully, “At least we know this person exists; they could hold more secrets about this conspiracy. It’s not a complete waste.”
Roswiser forced a tired smile. The side effects of her memory-gathering spell were still lingering; she half-lidded her eyes, one hand subtly gripping the table’s edge, nodding along with Leon, “Yeah, that’s true.”
“Well, if we head to the Red Flame Dragon territory, maybe we can find this person?”
Roswiser mulled it over and shook her head, “That might not work out in the short term. After a Dragon King falls, their tribe becomes chaotic and unpredictable. Fragmented power means absolute confusion. Plus, the Red Flame Dragon tribe is ancient, thousands of years old, and their internal power dynamics are way more complicated than usual Dragon tribes.”
“And with Constantine rampaging around, creating enemies like it’s a hobby, he just got half-killed a month ago! You can bet there’s a long line of folks itching to take revenge on his hometown. If you waltz in now, you could end up in a bit of a predicament.”
Kings have their way of thinking.
At this moment, Roswiser was helping Leon analyze the situation from a Dragon King’s perspective.
And boy, did she hit the nail on the head.
Looking at the dimwitted Dog Man and his clear cluelessness, Roswiser knew he hadn’t even considered this angle.
But hey, can you blame him?
A battle-hardened warrior doesn’t exactly sit around thinking about power plays in high society, right?
“You make a point.”
In these serious matters, Leon never contradicted Roswiser.
Sure, the Mother Dragon might be a tad shady, but her professional skills were unquestionable.
For her, being a Dragon Queen was just a job, and boy, was she a workaholic!
“But if the Red Flame Dragon tribe is about to descend into chaos, isn’t it possible the person we’re looking for will slip away or, you know… get caught up in the power transition and bite the dust?”
“Hmm… escaping is a possibility. But if they’ve been trusted by Constantine to such an extent, running away would definitely draw attention. We wouldn’t have much trouble tracking them down later.”
Roswiser continued, “As for dying in this power struggle… it is possible. But if that happens, it’s not really tragic. Because whether the secret-keeper is dead or alive, the secret remains. It’s still waiting for us to uncover it.”
See that? That’s what you call being professional (cue the reclining sofa).
Extracting intel, identifying leads, analyzing the situation, listing possibilities, and then wrapping it all up with some soul-soothing wisdom to ensure her captive husband experiences the ultimate in “all-inclusive service.”
Leon pondered Roswiser’s words; her thought process was clear, and the way a Dragon King thinks was definitely something he could learn from.
And he couldn’t help but wonder… if he’d brought Roswiser along when they went to catch the rats in the Empire, would they have blitzed through the Imperial dungeon instead of fumbling around for clues?
If only! Then he and his ragtag group of misfits with Rebecca would need a name change.
How about “Old, Weak, Sickly, and Pregnant”?
But that was just his brain goofing off in hindsight; Leon knew that wasn’t gonna happen.
If Roswiser went to the Empire, it wouldn’t just be a matter of ‘risk.’
“Alright then, we’ll wait a while before digging for leads from this person,” Leon concluded.
“Yeah.”
The couple exchanged glances with Morin.
The mind probe magic had left her brain damaged, and she appeared dazed and confused now.
But thankfully, they had gathered the intel they wanted; this seemingly harmless traitor was of no use to them anymore.
Both of them felt no need to express emotions, even a little mocking quip was off the table.
A backstabbing traitor who abandoned their kin and beliefs? Any emotion they’d waste on her was just pointless.
The two exited the cell.
Just a few steps out, and Roswiser suddenly felt dizzy, losing her balance and almost toppled over.
Good thing Leon was quick on the draw, gently catching her around the waist.
His cool, broad hand supporting her made her first thought, “Should I just flop back down and see if Dog Man can catch me again?”
In the past, the Silver Dragon Queen would’ve jumped up in a panic, insisting she’s fine and not wanting to appear weak.
But now? Well, her mental gymnastics were rich and playful!
Uh-oh.
That’s not good.
We might be getting a little too cozy for a couple married to duty.
“Are you okay?”
Leon’s voice snapped Roswiser back to reality.
She straightened up and shook her head, “I’m fine, just a little side effect from the memory magic; I’ll be good as new in a sec.”
“Good… you’re working hard.”
That was the second time he’d told himself that in ten minutes.
The Queen smiled knowingly, muttering, “Look who’s got a conscience, you big dummy.”
Leon, like a deer caught in headlights, was hit squarely by her teasing ‘big dummy’ and shuddered.
He quickly pulled his hand from her waist and bashfully turned away, “I’ve always had a conscience!”
Roswiser crossed her arms, her playful side waking up at his flustered appearance.
She glanced around at the prison cells, a mischievous grin brewing, “But a conscience doesn’t really help this Queen unwind, you know? Seeing all those memories? That’s exhausting mentally and physically.”
Leon shrugged, “So what do you want to do?”
Roswiser chuckled softly, “Follow me, I’m taking you somewhere.”
Leon got suspicious, “Where… exactly?”
“To the place where dreams begin.”
