### The Family Legacy of Melkway: One vs. Three
“The Sharp Blade Special Forces is just a nickname based on those three guys’ names.”
Three days later, the father and daughters regrouped.
Noia elaborated on the details of those three characters for Leon, “Their actual operation codename is ‘Sharp Blade’. Just like the name suggests, they are elite soldiers developed by the Empire fifteen years ago, which was the fifth year after you disappeared. Each of them possesses exceptional individual combat abilities.”
She paused and added, “Some say… they even surpassed the notorious Black Armor from back in the day.”
“Huh… huh?!”
At this, General Leon was wide awake, “Who said that? Who said that?!”
Noia expected this reaction and merely shrugged, “That’s what the defeated Dragon Race is saying.”
“But even though these guys are strong, it seems like the power they wield… isn’t very stable.”
Aurora adjusted her glasses and said, “A few years ago, I stumbled upon their battle. The trio’s teamwork was seamless, but halfway through, their leader, Gini, suddenly seemed to lose control of his power, leading to a hasty conclusion of that battle. Also, big sister, you felt that too, right? The power they use—”
Noia picked up on her sister’s words and added, “Doesn’t belong to them.”
“Doesn’t belong to them? What do you mean?” Leon asked.
“It’s just a feeling. Their magic is weird, but I can’t quite put my finger on what’s so odd about it,” Aurora explained. “Anyway, that’s not the main point. The Sharp Blade Special Forces came to the royal city for a merit award, right?”
Just like Leon had told Moon a few days prior, front-line soldiers, no matter how high their rank, couldn’t freely enter the royal city unless they were being awarded.
No matter if you’re a Three-Trick or a Hill Chicken or a Three-Kun, it’s a definite no-go.
“Are you thinking of sneaking in during the awarding ceremony?” Leon asked.
“That might be a bit unrealistic. The awarding ceremony happens within the royal city, and during that time, everyone entering or leaving must not carry any weapons; there will be body searches,” Noia replied, shaking her head.
“No chance of getting into the royal city anymore. The barrier is way too complex, even Little Light can’t crack it. So we’ll have to adopt the second countermeasure from back then—kidnap some people for interrogation.”
“Kidnap those three guys?”
“No, the three from the Sharp Blade Special Forces don’t know the location of the Heartguard Dragon Scale.”
Noia stated, “But their superior should know.”
“Superior?”
“A man named Nacho Salaman,” Noia explained. “He’s currently in charge of the liaison between the Dragon Slayer Army and the royal city. In theory, the entire Dragon Slayer Army is under his command. Nacho—huh? What’s with that face? You look like you know this Nacho?”
Leon rubbed his chin, frowned slightly, and nodded, “Yeah, twenty years ago, he was just a clerical worker in the Dragon Slayer Army. Who would’ve thought he climbed all the way up to be the big boss of the Dragon Slayer Army?”
Being a ‘big boss’ or ‘top guy’ is a term anyone can understand easily.
In reality, managing an army of hundreds of thousands is no walk in the park—it can’t be done by just one person.
Leon’s official title back in the day was ‘Commander of the Battlefield’, which can be easily understood as “when the gunfire starts, even a division commander has to listen to me!”
As for outside the battlefield, there were tons of officials and small-time managers.
The position Noia mentioned, “responsible for the liaison between the Dragon Slayer Army and the royal family,” can also be interpreted as a sort of ‘top guy’ role.
So, this Nacho… from a small clerk to one of the big bosses, this guy sure looks like someone who’s serious about his political career.
“The higher his rank, the more likely he is to know where the Heartguard Dragon Scale is,” Aurora suggested.
“Okay, if we want to capture Nacho for interrogation, do you know his route?” Leon asked.
“My informant brought new intel yesterday. After the awarding ceremony ends, Nacho will host a banquet for the Sharp Blade Trio outside the royal city at ‘Hisna Manor’. He does this every time after returning from an award ceremony.”
Leon’s eyes lit up, “That indeed is a custom of the Dragon Slayer Army, we used to do the same. So, the banquet to welcome them back is our chance?”
“Exactly. But even with a clear target, we still need to come up with a thorough and detailed plan because Nacho will reserve the entire manor, and guards will be monitoring every exit.”
“Leave that part to me; I can get close to Nacho without being noticed,” Leon declared.
“Good. Nacho will arrive early at Hisna Manor, so that should be your best time to approach him,” Noia said.
Leon was taken aback, “Is that also intel from your informant?”
“Yeah, over the years, Nacho has always arrived early at the manor. It’s not out of courtesy; he just wants to seize control of the banquet.”
Noia shrugged, “This guy seems to want to control everything and everyone no matter where he is.”
“I’m getting more and more curious about your informant, who can dig up Nacho, the big boss of the Dragon Slayer Army, so clearly,” Leon inquired leisurely. “So when can I meet this mysterious big shot?”
“No rush. Once we capture Nacho and she’s cleared things up, we should be able to meet her.”
Noia stated, “Until then, feel free to maintain your excitement.”
Leon thought to himself—if the eldest daughter were born in a peaceful era, she would definitely make an excellent serialized novelist.
She really knows how to keep the suspense going.
Then, Noia provided the route and timing of Nacho’s schedule for Leon to draft a more specific plan.
Once they confirmed everyone’s responsibilities for the mission, the father and daughters started chatting again about the recent Sharp Blade Special Forces.
“Although they are nominally part of the Dragon Slayer Army, they’re not bound by its constraints and directly follow orders from the royal family,” Noia noted. “Fifteen years ago, the Sharp Blade Trio emerged, wielding power rivaling that of the ancient Dragon Kings, winning consecutive battles on the human-dragon front.”
Aurora added, “Aunt Isar had to move her people to the belly of the Dragon Race a few years ago because of the pressure from those three. It’s a safer spot for now, but that’s just a temporary measure. At the current pace, in less than a decade, the Empire will penetrate deeper into Dragon Race territory.”
“When that happens, there won’t be any place to hide.”
Leon began to ponder.
The Sharp Blade Trio started their activities five years after his disappearance.
And during Leon’s service, he had never heard about these three characters.
Could they be the Empire’s secret powerhouse?
Not necessarily.
If they were the Empire’s secret weapons, then why didn’t they show up to help when General Leon was rampaging through the Empire, cleaning up traitors, or even battling against Star?
So, it was highly probable that these three had grown during the five years he was absent—or perhaps had obtained such powerful abilities through some means.
“You just said the Sharp Blade Trio’s power doesn’t seem like it belongs to them?” Leon asked.
“Yeah. When we normally use magic, you can think of the steps as ‘gathering power, then releasing power’,” Noia explained. “But they give me the impression of ‘borrowing power from somewhere before releasing it’. Plus, they exhibit reactions of power going out of control; that’s just too abnormal.”
“Did your informant fail to dig up their past as well?”
Noia shook her head, “No. The Sharp Blade Trio really does seem like they’ve just emerged out of nowhere, leaving no time for anyone to react.”
Aurora’s expression turned serious, “They’re powerful, as the surviving Dragon Race members say—powerful enough to rival the ancient Dragon Kings.”
Moon, sitting quietly to the side, curled up her long legs, hugged her knees, and, faced with the serious discussion, dared not interrupt, just listening quietly.
But she understood very well the strength of the Sharp Blade Special Forces.
If it came down to fighting those three, who knows if they could win.
“Dad.” Aurora broke the slightly tense silence.
“Yeah?”
“I just saw you zoning out. What were you thinking about?”
“Ah… just remembered something funny from the past,” Leon said, sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking down, chuckling.
Noia blinked, “What could have made you so happy?”
“You, of course.”
“Me?”
Leon lifted his head to look at his eldest daughter, “The Sharp Blade Special Forces; there are three of them, which reminds me of how Noia once took on three at Saint His Academy.”
At this, the pink-haired little sister perked up, all gloom gone, “What do you mean took on three? When did big sister take on three? I’ve never heard of this! Spill it!”
Leon animatedly recounted Noia’s glorious achievements from back in the day.
After hearing it, Aurora patted big sister’s shoulder, “As expected of you, the boss of the Melkway family!”
Noia blushed at the praise, turning her head away, her haughty attitude mirroring her mom’s perfectly, “Don’t say that; I was just fighting back against campus bullies.”
“So, I reckon this Sharp Blade Special Forces isn’t anything to be scared of. If necessary, Dad will demonstrate what a family legacy of one versus three looks like.”
Noia paused for a moment, oh? Why is Old Deng feeling so confident?
Oh~~~
Got it.
This is what Mom meant when she said to let him build up his blue bar—he’ll get wild beyond measure.
But his confidence is certainly built on his own strength.
As this man’s daughter, Noia had never doubted his power.
—
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