47 Fight to the Last Breath
“In summary, losing all the Heartguard Dragon Scales is undoubtedly a significant blow to the Empire, but at the same time, it has thoroughly pissed them off.”
Taige said in a hushed tone, “Since the lab explosion, the wanted poster for me and Rebecca has ramped up. Even Martin has been invited in for tea a few times.”
Upon hearing this, Leon raised an eyebrow. “Have they gone after Martin?”
Martin was the youngest among Leon’s comrades, who joined the Dragon Slayer Army out of pure admiration for Leon. After discovering that the Empire and Victor were plotting against Leon, Martin didn’t hesitate to stand with him.
In contrast to the lone Rebecca, Martin, coming from a noble family, could have stayed out of this mess, living the life of a pampered prince. While hitting the jackpot was debatable, living a trouble-free second half of his life was definitely within his grasp.
But Martin chose to be an inside man for Leon and the others in the royal family, doing his best to gather intelligence.
If anything happened to that kid, Leon would never forgive himself.
“With his father as a cover, the royals wouldn’t dare do anything to Martin, they’ve just asked him a few questions,” Taige reassured.
Leon’s heart, which had been hanging by a thread, relaxed a bit.
“You know, ever since the Empire issued the warrants for us, they would naturally start looking into familiar faces, and Martin, being your teammate during your Dragon Slayer Army days, became a prime target. The Empire has always held back because of his father’s connections and hasn’t acted directly,” Taige continued. “But blowing up the Heartguard Dragon Scales has cut off one of the Empire’s arms and left them too furious to care much about that now. Fortunately, that clever boy Martin didn’t leave any traces; he’s hiding well, and the Empire hasn’t found out anything.”
“However… it might be a bit tricky to gather intelligence going forward.”
Leon nodded, “It’s fine, Master; living is more important than intel. Tell Martin not to push himself, just do his best.”
“Right, I’ll make sure he knows.”
Taige let out a slow breath, lightly tapping the blade sheath with his finger, and said, “The Empire won’t easily abandon the monster integration project; their mass capture of Dangerous Species confirms that. After this, I’ll keep watching to make sure we stop them before they create the next monster.”
Leon’s eyes shifted slightly, and he didn’t immediately agree with Taige’s suggestion. “Master, not just Martin, you and Rebecca also need to be careful. Like I keep saying, surviving is more crucial than intel. If something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to Master’s wife? She’d k*ll me.”
Taige blinked, raised an eyebrow that was slightly graying, and chuckled, “Your Master’s wife is light-years away from you, don’t worry; she won’t find you.”
“So… when can I meet Master’s wife?”
“Don’t rush it. Now, kid—”
As he spoke, Taige pulled out a simple camera, pointed it at Leon, and pressed the button, “Say cheese.”
Click—
Leon froze, “What’s this…?”
Taige looked down at the camera’s preview, nodding in satisfaction. “Your Master’s wife told me not to just show her pictures of her granddaughter but also to include you. Tsk, kid, you seem to have lost weight.”
Living in the Silver Dragon Temple with the Mother Dragon in a shameless post-marriage life, how could he not lose weight?
Cough, cough—
But that was just one of the reasons.
Ever since witnessing the terrifying power of Constantine, the Super Suture Zombie Dragon, he had been on edge. The Empire could create such horrifying monsters—who knew what strange, even more terrifying creatures they would conjure up next?
Leon rarely felt such trepidation about anything, which made it normal for him to have a poor appetite.
“Let’s get serious, Master; you and Rebecca must—”
“Uh-huh, uh-huh, I know, I know, safety first.”
The Master neatly stowed the camera away. “Then… there’s another matter. About those three people you mentioned earlier.”
Leon thought for a moment and recalled who the Master was referring to:
Gini, Kite, Jimei.
The Sharp Blade Trio.
In twenty years’ time, these three would sweep the battlefield of dragon-slaying, practically “Leon Casmod 2.0.”
But the power they wielded wouldn’t come from within or human magic.
Regardless, if the Empire successfully cultivated these three, it would mean three more pesky enemies down the line.
That’s why Leon had asked his master to keep an eye on them during the last intel exchange.
“Any news on them?”
“Yep. The Empire is secretly developing a project called ‘Sharp Blade,’ aimed at nurturing a new generation of dragon-slaying weapons.”
At this point, Taige paused for a moment.
He bit his lip, as if recalling some rather unpleasant memories.
Leon asked softly, “Master?”
“Ah… nothing.”
Taige took a deep breath and continued, “The Empire is raising them just like they raised you and me. However… this time, the Empire has learned from past mistakes.”
Taige glanced down at the great sword on the table.
“The sharper the blade, the sturdier the sheath must be, so the master won’t get hurt.”
“The resources the Empire has poured into the Sharp Blade Trio far exceed what they invested in you years ago, and they’ve taken enough precautions to ensure these three sharp blades won’t turn around and stab them in the back.”
“In other words… the enemies we’re likely to face in the future, aside from super-suture monsters like Constantine, may also include the most loyal and vicious hunting dogs the Empire has ever seen.”
Listening to his Master, Leon fell into deep contemplation.
The Master had just mentioned the future, and Leon was the only one who had been to the future.
In a world “without Leon,” two decades later, the human Empire had nearly grasped the pulse of all warfare; their methods were countless.
Outwardly, they relied on the great power of the Sharp Blade Trio to sweep across battlefields;
Internally, they continuously bolstered the people’s belief through successive victories.
So rather than call it a “future without Leon,” it was better described as a “future controlled by the Empire.”
And obviously, that kind of future… was utterly terrible.
People lived in a deception called “comfort,” paying taxes to filthy, decaying rulers, and even taking delight in it, feeling quite content.
They waged wars not for humanity but merely for… themselves.
Leon had promised Noia in the future that he would rewrite the future and find a way through the turbulent currents of time.
He couldn’t go back on his word.
“Whether it’s a super zombie or the Sharp Blade Trio, no matter what monsters the Empire cooks up, we have only one choice, Master.”
The two exchanged meaningful glances and spoke in unison,
“Fight to the last breath.”
