2 Are you awake? You’re a dad now!
Looking back at the life of Leon Casmod, the strongest Dragon Slayer in the Empire, it was a brief life, but a glorious one—
Of course, that glory might have come with a sprinkle of absurdity that would leave anyone chuckling.
When he was five, Leon single-handedly took down the neighbor’s aggressive dog, saving a little girl in the process. This heroic act caught the eye of a passing Dragon Slayer Master, who promptly whisked him away to become his prized disciple.
At six, Leon was declared a prodigy with an astonishing talent for dragon slaying, so his Master decided to throw him into some tougher training—starting with a martial arts technique touted to be unbreakable.
By the time he was ten, Leon had entered the Empire’s premier Dragon Slayer Academy—
“What’s that? You want to know what Leon was up to from ages seven to nine?”
Well, he was lying in a hospital bed.
You see, when his Master had him show off his unbreakable technique, Leon got just a tad too excited and went for a dramatic chest smash.
Spoiler alert: the rock smashed his chest instead.
That one hit landed Leon in the hospital for three years.
His Master nearly knit a eulogy, even considering how to apologize to the orphanage that had taken Leon in.
But surprise, surprise! A prodigy is a prodigy. He somehow came out of it!
If it had been anyone else, they’d have started a new account and retrained for two years by now.
When Leon finally recovered under his Master’s careful guidance, he was as fit as a fiddle.
So, on his tenth birthday, his Master sent him off to the Dragon Slayer Academy.
Leon thought, leaving my Master might not be so bad after all.
At least in the Academy’s curriculum, there probably wouldn’t be a subject on smashing rocks on your chest, right?
And so, Leon graduated from the Dragon Slayer Academy at the youngest age and with the highest accolades ever recorded.
By fifteen, he picked up a weapon and jumped into the dragon-slaying battlefield.
His team cut through foes like butter, racking up a body count and reclaiming lost territory for the Empire.
Leon’s name became legendary among the Empire’s citizens.
They called him a once-in-a-century dragon-slaying hero, the sole hope for leading the Empire to victory and ending the war.
However, a background-less orphan like Leon shouldn’t have built such a solid fanbase.
As his fame peaked, the Empire’s royal family sent him off to the harshest battlefield against the Silver Dragon Race.
Yep, that’s where the bl**d and guts flew for years on end, with casualties on both sides piling up.
In the final showdown, just when Leon was about to breach the Silver Dragon Temple, he was betrayed and ended up as Roswiser’s captive.
Who was this traitor?
He probably wouldn’t get the chance to find out.
But, hey, at least Leon made sure that the Empire’s greatest enemy—the Silver Dragon Queen—paid a hefty price at the moment of his demise.
And about that dubious pregnancy spell, well, Leon stumbled upon it in a battered old tome.
After reading it, he thought, “How dare this wicked, lascivious magic exist? I’ll just burn it for justice!”
Little did he know that Roswiser would gift him a golden opportunity that he never saw coming.
If it were any other dragon slayer who got captured, they’d just spit some revenge lines and call it a day.
But Leon at least got the chance to gross out the Silver Dragon Queen one last time.
Talk about a win!
Sure, he ended up dead, but Leon figured with his colorful past, getting into heaven shouldn’t be a problem.
And that line about “waiting for Roswiser in hell” wasn’t a prophecy or a curse.
He just thought it sounded cool.
You know, like a young person’s bravado.
But as cool as that was, Leon felt that the overwhelming sense he was left with was:
Exhaustion.
Dead tired.
His life may have been short, but boy was it tiring.
If given a choice, Leon fantasized about a peaceful retirement life.
He dreamt of leaving the Empire, buying a farm in a tucked-away little town, marrying a not-so-pretty but not-ugly girl, and having an adorable daughter.
Then, he’d sip milk while watching the years slowly wither him away.
After all, milking cows was a lot safer than slaying dragons!
Not achieving his ideal life was a regret for Leon, by the way.
Well, regrets are a part of life, and that’s what life is, isn’t it?
Bzzz—
A buzzing sound erupted in Leon’s brain, jarring him from his thoughts.
But…
Brain?
Doesn’t that mean he only has thoughts left?
Why does he still have this “brain” sensation?
Before he could process, his “sight” suddenly snapped back.
Fragments of memories flickered before his eyes like a movie reel.
His birth, his childhood, his experiences in the Dragon Slayer Academy…
It was like watching a film unfold.
Until the last image froze in a dungeon belonging to the Silver Dragon Race.
Sunlight filtered through the single window as he was tied to an iron frame, locked in a gaze with the Silver Dragon Queen.
That was a look shared between the vanquished and the victor, like a fallen follower seeking forgiveness from a saint.
In the next moment, the scene shattered, and a beam of light pierced the void like a sword.
Leon slowly opened his eyes, countless sensations and perceptions awakening.
Body heat, breathing, heartbeat, pulse…
“I… I’m not dead?”
And then there was sound.
Leon tried moving his fingers.
A bit numb and weak, but hey, they still worked!
He forced himself to sit up and found himself in a cozy, luxurious room.
The decor was predominantly pink, with walls adorned with suns and clouds, and a few stick-figure angels—
Though they were abstract, one could still tell the haloed little figure was meant to be an angel.
Wait.
An angel?
Does this mean his soul has finally arrived?
If so, he could finally shed his past glories and go reunite with the brothers who fell on the battlefield.
Regaining a bit of strength, Leon got out of bed.
Dragging his weary body to the window, he peered outside.
Clear skies, birds singing, flowers blooming.
“I’m in heaven! Truly, this is paradise!”
It looks like his life has finally concluded on a perfect note.
Or perhaps an exclamation mark?
After all, Leon thought his brief life was filled with wonders.
Eh, whatever.
At the end of the day, ending up in heaven is a good thing.
“Hey~ you’re awake~”
A sweet, childish voice came from behind him.
Leon turned around to investigate.
There stood an adorable little girl, matching the cuteness of her voice.
She appeared to be about three or four, with a cherubic face and a hint of baby fat—definitely a beauty in the making.
From her appearance, she perfectly fit Leon’s preconceived notion of a “little angel.”
Except for her rather odd hair color.
Mainly black but streaked with silver.
Black and silver was actually quite stylish, just a bit odd for a little girl.
Really now?
You hire child labor as angels in heaven and then style them like they’re in a punk band?
Leon internally snarked as he approached the little girl, squatting down to ask,
“Hello there! What’s your name?”
“Moon,” the girl answered seriously.
“What a lovely name! It means ‘moon.’ Who gave you such a beautiful name?”
“Mommy did.”
Leon froze.
“Um, no offense, but you angels have moms too? I thought you were all created by the Almighty!”
“I’m Leon, Leon Casmod,” Leon introduced himself out of politeness.
“Mm-hmm, I know your name. It sounds like ‘lion.’”
“Who told you that?”
“Mommy did.”
“……”
Suddenly, Leon had a sinking feeling.
Slowly standing up, he looked at Moon with panic in his eyes, “If I may ask, who is your mommy…?”
“Roswiser!”
Moon ran forward, hugging Leon’s leg, excitement sparkled in her eyes, “Daddy, you’re finally awake!”
Maybe, just maybe, Leon’s glorious yet brief life wasn’t ending with a period or an exclamation mark.
But rather, an unfinished ellipsis…
