79 Bring Your Daughter to Court
As night fell, Leon, having mapped out the patrol route of the Empire’s guard, seized the moment and sneaked down to the high walls of the royal city with Moon in tow.
This spot was tricky to spot and had patrols passing by only every ten minutes.
The father and daughter crouched by the wall, brainstorming tactics for breaching the heavily-guarded royal city.
Gaining access to the center of the royal city was a breeze compared to mingling in the Empire during the day!
This place was a hub for the Empire’s royal nobles, and even the lowest-ranking officials had at least four or five bodyguards trailing them.
As for those lofty figures in power? No need for elaboration!
Leon raised a hand and gently pressed against the outer wall of the royal city.
It was icy and rough, and there seemed to be a pulse of magical energy within it.
“Just as I thought, there’s a barrier here,” Leon said.
The barriers on the Empire’s walls were equipped with sensing magic, so obviously, the royal city was no exception.
And the strength and functionality of the barrier in the royal city would undoubtedly surpass that of the outer walls.
“If we try to climb over, it’ll definitely trigger the barrier’s alarm,” he warned. “I’ll see if I can create a hole in this barrier. Moon, keep an eye out, and alert me if you see any movement.”
“Got it, Dad!”
Moon promptly stood up and scanned the surroundings.
Leon began the task of breaking the barrier.
During his time at the Dragon Slayer Academy, he’d learned a thing or two about bypassing barriers, mostly because you never knew when you’d bump into enemy barriers on the battlefield.
But no matter the barrier’s function, its essence was still a magic array.
Find the pattern, and you might just crack it.
However, after several attempts, failure greeted him every time.
He didn’t dare force his way through the barrier, as that would certainly attract the attention of the “Royal Sorcerer’s Guild.”
All the barriers on the outer walls, the royal city, and various other significant structures were managed by the Royal Sorcerers.
Besides that, the Guild also taught magic to royal family members and their offspring.
Years ago, when Leon was leading troops in battle, he wasn’t fond of those sorcerers.
Every one of them was a nutcase—and not in a charming way!
Leon remembered the rumors before the Silver Dragon War about them conducting experiments to “domesticate dangerous species.” Judging by the dangers he faced last time he returned to the Empire, those nut jobs must have found some success.
Who knows what kind of ridiculous stuff they’ve fried up in twenty years?
“No way. The structure of this barrier is way too intricate. It’s a lot more complex than twenty years ago.”
And breaking barriers wasn’t Leon’s strong suit.
He could smash a hole through the wall in a jiffy, but that was sure to give away their position.
Their risky mission to infiltrate the Empire was for the Heartguard Dragon Scale, not to stir up trouble!
Moon gave it a shot too, but alas, no dice.
Her usual perky hair drooped as she pouted a bit, “Why is it so hard…?”
Leon ruffled her hair, reassuring her, “After all, it’s a barrier protecting the royal city, designed by a bunch of pros. If we could just waltz in and break it, they’d be out of a job!”
“So what do we do now, Dad?”
“Well… since sneaking in isn’t going to cut it, maybe we can do what we did during the day—find some cover and slip in unnoticed.”
“Okay!”
The chance of success with this plan wasn’t particularly high, but it was better than doing nothing!
Leon led Moon to hide from the patrols, guiding her to the rooftops of a nearby inn overlooking the royal city’s main entrance.
From here, they could see the royal city gate clearly.
The traffic of carriages was sparse, but the ones that did pass by screamed wealth with their lavish adornments.
It was like they were just a hoofstep away from diamonds on those horseshoes.
“Unlike the city gate, the royal city guards thoroughly inspect each and every carriage entering and exiting. Hiding beneath one is a surefire way to get caught,” Leon mused.
“Dad, didn’t you come to the royal city often when you were in the Empire?” Moon asked.
Leon pondered for a moment before shaking his head, “In the beginning, yes, but then I didn’t come so much anymore.”
“Why’s that?” Moon asked, intrigued.
“Well, as a frontline soldier like me, unless you’ve earned a commendation or achievement, you can’t just stroll in and out of the royal city.”
Moon blinked, “So you used to come a lot in the past?”
Leon chuckled, “That’s because I was racking up achievements.”
He reminisced, “Back then, probably one dragon king a month, so I had to visit the royal city every month to receive my commendation from that dog of an emperor. A normal person gets honored maybe once a year.”
“Eventually, they got tired of awarding me, and I got tired too, so we decided to just aim for once every six months.”
Moon’s eyes widened with admiration as she gazed at her dad, “Wow~ You’re so impressive, Dad!”
Leon cleared his throat, realizing he couldn’t let this B continue.
Why? Because back in the day, her mom was considered a top-tier achievement in Leon’s eyes…
Ah, old stories are just that—old stories.
In any case, he was now married to that top-tier award. Let sleeping dogs lie!
Moon then asked, “Dad, when you were honored, did you get any rewards?”
Leon nodded, “Sure! Money, food, clothes, all kinds of stuff. My squad mates joked I looked like I was resupplying every time I returned from the royal city.”
Moon giggled, covering her mouth, “Dad must have been quite the charmer back in the day.”
“Hey, are you saying your dad isn’t charming anymore?”
“I’m twenty-three, so I’m a big uncle now~”
Leon pinched his daughter’s cheek, “If I’m a big uncle at twenty-three, then what does that make you at twenty-two? Hmm?”
“I’m the big uncle’s daughter!”
In their playful banter, new commotion arose at the royal city gate.
They stopped and leaned over to look down.
A relatively modest carriage came to a stop, from which three people descended.
Leon scrutinized their attire, posture, and gait, deducing they’d just returned from the front lines of battle.
As for whether they belonged to the Dragon Slayer Army, he couldn’t tell.
But Moon recognized them right away.
“It’s the ‘Three Basics Tactical Team,’” she said with all the seriousness of someone delivering news of an impending apocalypse.
Leon blinked, “Three, three what? Are your brains scrambled, sweetheart?”
“It’s not ‘Three Chickens,’ it’s ‘Three Basics.’”
Moon patiently clarified, “After you disappeared for five years, the Empire slowly turned the tide in the Dragon-Human War thanks to these three.”
Leon raised an eyebrow, “They… are strong?”
“Yeah, according to survivors from the defeated tribes, these three are ridiculously powerful—they remind folks of the ‘era of black armor domination.’”
Ah~
Papa also had fond memories of the days when black armor ruled.
Feeling nostalgic, Leon inquired further, “Do we know anything specific about these three?”
“Hmm… I only know their names.”
Moon thought for a moment, then said,
“Gini, Kite, Jimei.”
“…Such familiar names. Reminds me of a long-lost friend.”
Casmod, bring your daughter to court!
