Chapter 189: The Chess Player
(6000 words!!)
That evening, Leon disguised himself and entered the banquet hotel with Victor.
Master was outside as usual, keeping a lookout. At the slightest movement, he would launch a flare, and then all the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled would make a quick getaway at light speed.
Leon’s insurance against the two potential traitors was straightforward—a classic “man-watching-man” tactic.
He kept an eye on Victor, while Rebecca had her gaze fixed on Martin.
With this setup, regardless of who was the traitor or what kind of conspiracies they were plotting, Leon and the others would be the first to know.
In the past, Martin had played the role of support mage in the squad and had weak close-combat abilities, so Rebecca could easily keep her eyes on him.
As for Victor, being watched by the eternally second-best meant he wouldn’t stir up much trouble.
“Uh? Where did Rebecca go?” Victor asked, noticing the girl wasn’t following Leon.
Leon had his hands stuffed in his suit pockets—the suit having been bought with Rebecca’s salary, which she mentally noted down with a frown. Master’s pension was already in the red. He replied nonchalantly,
“She said she has a way to get close to Martin but can’t take me along because it would attract too much attention.”
Victor frowned slightly, “If she has a way to find Martin, then she could have just come here herself. Do we really need to risk being discovered?”
Leon remained calm in his response to Victor’s confusion,
“Victor, I won’t let either of you leave my sight.”
“…Alright, maybe I was overthinking it.”
Leon didn’t dwell on the topic any further. He and Victor stood quietly in a corner of the hall, watching the increasingly lively banquet.
“It’s been three years since I last saw Martin; I wonder how much that kid has changed,” Leon mused.
As soon as he finished speaking, he sneakily peeked at Victor.
The weary bar singer subtly shifted his eyes, and Leon caught onto it.
“I last saw him quite a while ago,” Victor said.
“Seems like you guys haven’t been in touch.”
Victor shrugged with a bitter smile, “When you left, the squad fell apart. Everyone went their separate ways; we’re no longer united.”
Leon didn’t comment on Victor’s views about the team.
At eight o’clock, the banquet commenced.
Tonight’s guest of honor, the birthday girl, slowly descended from the second floor.
Martin’s stepmother was his father’s second wife after his first one passed away. She was in her thirties and still had the charm of a beautiful young woman.
She wore a black long dress, her hair elegantly pinned up, immediately drawing the attention of family and friends upon her entrance.
This classic formal attire—a long dress and styled hair—signified a woman’s respect for the occasion.
But for Leon, it couldn’t compare to… the Silver Dragon.
If Roswiser was a flower, then this beautiful woman didn’t even qualify to be a leaf; she was just so far off in terms of presence and elegance.
What a pity, he couldn’t just bring out our Mother Dragon to show them what true beauty looks like.
Next time, definitely, next time.
“Looks like they really spend big, Martin’s family is loaded,” Victor remarked with a hint of awe.
“Is that so…”
“Yup, the dress was custom-made; that store is famous across the entire Empire. And the necklace and ring go without saying—just look at their size, they must be expensive.”
Victor spoke enthusiastically.
He had always been well-versed in these delicate items, just like that guitar pick of his, Leon thought.
“And that hairpin,” Victor continued.
“Hairpin?”
“Yup.”
Leon shrugged, “How expensive can a hairpin be?”
Victor shook his head, “This is no ordinary hairpin. It’s made of S-rank Dangerous Species—polar mammoth ivory.”
“Polar mammoth… that sounds like a pretty rare Dangerous Species,” Leon commented.
“Yes. Long ago, people found that polar mammoth ivory had great malleability, making it the perfect raw material for luxury goods. The rarer it is, the more valuable it becomes,” Victor explained. “But considering it’s an S-rank Dangerous Species, it takes quite a bit of manpower and resources to hunt down one of those mammoths, so ivory products fetch prices much higher than regular luxury goods.”
“Oh~ so that’s how it works,” Leon feigned indifference.
Victor glanced at him and continued, “Moreover, later on, blacksmiths discovered that mammoth ivory not only has good malleability but also a great affinity for magic. After being enchanted, it can be used as a weapon, boasting tremendous penetration and lethality.”
Once he finished speaking, Victor looked back at Leon.
This time, Leon’s expression grew grave, “After being enchanted, it can be used as a weapon…”
“Exactly,” Victor said. “I hear that hairpin was a gift from Martin to his stepmother.”
Leon slowly turned his head to look at Victor. “But I heard Martin’s relationship with his stepmother is pretty standard. Would he really give such an expensive gift to her?”
Victor paused for a moment, his expression still calm. “Maybe he just wanted to please her.”
“Is that so? Alright.”
Meanwhile, on the second floor above the hotel hall, Martin stood side by side with Rebecca.
“Victor has changed a lot,” Martin remarked.
“Not everyone gets to live the glamorous life like you, the little lord of a minister, where everything’s handed to them on a silver platter~” Rebecca patted his shoulder.
Martin forced a bitter smile, “If I could, I really would like to swap places with you, Rebecca.”
“Swap? No way! I’m afraid I’d end up shooting your grumpy stepmother without holding back.”
Rebecca paused for a second and asked, “Why did you revert back to your old self after the captain left?”
Martin shrugged, his head hanging low, “People need a reference point. Without it, it’s like a horse without direction. After the captain’s incident, I didn’t even know who to aim for.”
“Little Martin, you have to learn to grow up.”
“Why does it sound weird when you say that, Rebecca? Aren’t you just a year older than me?”
“Being just a year older counts! What’s wrong with that?!”
Martin chuckled, not bothering to argue with her.
The banquet continued.
By ten o’clock or so, the birthday girl and her guests were starting to feel a little tipsy.
Martin’s father also spent the evening socializing at the table.
As a royal family member, each banquet was an opportunity to expand resources and connections; not even his wife’s birthday was an exception.
No one paid attention to Martin, who had organized this ordinary banquet.
Rebecca glanced towards a corner of the first-floor hall.
She saw Leon adjusting his flamboyant silver tie.
This was the signal “we can retreat,” and Rebecca understood immediately.
What she didn’t understand was why the captain would choose such a flashy silver color.
She knew he liked silver, but he had never pursued it in terms of clothing and appearance before.
But once she remembered the captain had spent the last three years in a Dragon Race stronghold, Rebecca figured out the underlying reasons.
“Heh, the married shy guy,” Rebecca offered the most fitting assessment.
“What?”
“Nothing. Let’s go; the captain signaled.”
“Okay.”
Rebecca led Martin out through the back door of the hotel;
Leon and Victor followed closely behind.
In the hotel’s back alley, Taige was already waiting with the carriage.
The two groups climbed aboard the carriage one after the other. Leon tapped on the partition, and Taige, understanding immediately, cracked the whip, sending the horses galloping into the night.
Inside the bouncing carriage, Victor and Martin sat across from each other.
Their meeting felt a bit awkward.
After all, Leon had gathered them just to flush out the traitor between them.
Both were acutely aware of each other’s identities, but given the situation, “playing the good guy” was the best choice.
A true wolf wouldn’t show their claws until the final moment of the showdown.
The carriage raced on, and about two hours later, they arrived in the Empire’s slum.
Everyone got off the carriage.
Taige leaned against the side of the carriage, lighting a cheap cigarette. “Go on, kid; tonight no one will disturb you while you clean house.”
“Thanks, Master.”
Taige took a pleasant drag from his cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke.
Leon turned and led Rebecca and the others into the dilapidated house.
Everyone felt a bit nervous.
No matter who the traitor was, judging by Leon’s meticulous preparations, he was determined to end it all tonight.
In the middle of the room stood an old dining table.
The four of them stood around the table, each on one side.
Leon faced Rebecca;
Victor faced Martin.
Who was the wolf, who was the good guy, would soon be revealed.
The four looked at each other, exchanging glances, neither willing to be the first to speak.
Finally, it was Leon who broke the silence.
“It seems you all know what will happen tonight. Alright, let’s cut to the chase and get this over with.”
Leon pulled out a handgun from his lower back, disengaged the safety, and firmly gripped it in his hand.
Rebecca glanced at the g*n in Leon’s hand, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before quickly vanishing, betraying no unusual emotion.
“In fact, I already know who the traitor that set me up is.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the other three merely sighed heavily, showing no signs of panic.
They all knew how Leon operated; this guy never took on a battle he wasn’t confident about.
If he said he knew who the traitor was, then he definitely did.
(Though Rebecca thought the captain was probably putting on a show with such a big scene. If she were in charge, since she already knew who the traitor was, she would have just shot him right there~)
Leon looked down, fiddling with the g*n in his hand, and said slowly,
“It’s such a pity that after three years, our team reunion ends up this way.”
“I never imagined the person who betrayed me would be you.”
Leon slowly raised the g*n, pointing its cold muzzle at the person beside him.
Martin.
Rebecca’s eyes widened, the sight of the little black g*n reflecting in her azure pupils made her gulp, “Captain… are you sure it’s Martin?”
Before Leon could respond, Victor spoke up from the side,
“Martin, you appear surprisingly calm; don’t you want to explain anything?”
At this moment, Martin was drenched in cold sweat, his current calmness was entirely due to his shock—he didn’t know what to say or do.
The moment Leon pointed the g*n at him, it felt like the area in his brain responsible for “thinking” was struck by something.
In that instant, all his senses dulled; he could only feel his heart thumping furiously in his chest.
Thump thump—thump thump—
After what felt like an eternity, Martin finally mustered the strength to open his mouth,
“Captain, I—”
Bang!——
A gunshot rang out, and the b*llet struck Martin right in the chest.
The scrawny boy fell to the ground, his face etched with bewilderment and terror.
“Martin!”
Rebecca exclaimed, hastily crouching beside him, “Martin! Martin!!”
With a clatter——
After the shot, Leon immediately threw the cold weapon onto the dining table.
He leaned against the edge of the table, crouching slightly, and took heavy breaths.
Victor glanced at the g*n on the table, then walked over to Leon’s side, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
“You don’t need to blame yourself, Captain… Honestly, I was surprised too that Martin was the traitor… but he made the wrong choice, so don’t carry too much of a psychological burden.”
Leon’s lips had turned pale; he was trying to hold up his collapsing body and looking at Rebecca.
“Dispose of him; there’s a swamp not far away, a round trip will take just ten minutes. Toss him there, and no one will find him.”
After a brief moment of sadness, Rebecca accepted the reality, picking up Martin’s body to carry him outside.
Victor was about to glance over at them, but Leon suddenly draped an arm over his shoulder.
Victor quickly withdrew his gaze and helped Leon lean against the table.
The room fell into a deep silence, only the sound of Leon’s heavy breathing and the dragging of the body could be heard.
“Feeling better, Leon?”
Leon ignored him, closing his eyes and clutching his heart, silently adjusting his breathing.
Seeing Leon like this, Victor lowered his gaze to the g*n on the table.
This was the last chance.
The former Dragon Slayer Army vice-officer slowly reached out, gripping the short but formidable handgun, then—
He pressed the g*n barrel against Leon’s temple.
Leon sensed the hardness and coldness of the g*n barrel, slowly opened his eyes, “Turns out it’s you…”
“You have ten minutes to go back and forth; it’s enough time for me to k*ll you and leave this place, Casmod,” Victor coldly stated. “Tomorrow’s headlines would read: Former vice-officer of the Dragon Slayer Army executed Empire traitor Leon Casmod. Unfortunately, he couldn’t save a certain minister’s son. How do you like that story?”
Leon chuckled coldly, “You never had much of a sense of humor.”
“People change, Casmod. Shouldn’t you have known better? Killing Constantine made you think you were capable of challenging the Empire?”
“So the Empire and the Dragon Race… really are in cahoots.”
Victor cocked the g*n and placed his finger on the trigger,
“Leon, all those years, you were the one winning against me; but in today’s contest, you lost miserably. You failed, Leon, and who defeated you? The underling you’ve always looked down on. Doesn’t that make you regret it?”
“Regret? I swear, Victor, after you pull the trigger, you’ll be the one regretting it.”
“Heh, still proud to the end, the former dragon-slaying hero. I’m curious to see how you’ll make me regret it!”
Victor couldn’t contain the killing intent in his eyes.
He pulled the trigger with a bang and prepared to listen to the wonderful sound of bl**d splattering.
Click—
A crisp mechanical sound echoed in the room.
But not a single spark ignited.
Victor’s heart skipped a beat, and he frantically pulled the trigger a few more times.
Yet the g*n offered no response.
Before he could figure out what was going on, Leon’s iron fist crashed into his face.
Suddenly, Victor felt dizzy and went crashing down onto his back.
The metallic taste of bl**d surged in his nose as he looked up at the unfeeling man,
“You… how could you…”
“I told you, I already knew who the traitor was. You should have confessed when I said that; perhaps I could have spared your life.”
Yeah, right. Leon had absolutely no plans to spare him.
He just wanted the traitor to feel more regret before he died.
Leon slowly walked toward Victor, stepping on his calf.
The intense pain rendered Victor immobile; he glared at Leon, unwilling to accept his fate, “When did you start suspecting me?!”
“When? If I really had to say, it was probably three years ago.”
Leon replied leisurely, “After all, the only other person who knew the positions of each raid team was you.”
During the Silver Dragon War, after Leon was betrayed, all the raid team’s positions were exposed.
And the only one who knew their locations, aside from the commander of the army, Leon, was his aide, Victor.
“Of course, just this alone can’t confirm that you were the one who set me up back then.”
Leon slowly crouched down, looking at Victor’s weathered face,
“So, three years later, I returned to the Empire and began my plans.”
“You might think that since I just returned to the Empire and I’m unfamiliar with everything, you instinctively treated me like a pawn on the chessboard.”
“Two days ago, when we first met, you deliberately led me to think in line with your ideas.”
“You brought up the gift Martin gave his stepmother, and then, when the banquet began, you intentionally shifted the subject to that hairpin of his stepmother.”
“You claimed it was from mammoth ivory, enchanted to be used as a weapon, with significant penetration. Heh… Sounds a lot like the weapon used to stab me in the back back then, doesn’t it?”
“If Rebecca hadn’t told me at the start that Martin had a poor relationship with his stepmother, I likely wouldn’t have contacted Martin before heading to the banquet after leaving your bar. Your scheme might have actually worked.”
“But unfortunately for you, I’m not a pawn on the chessboard, Victor. I’m the one playing chess.”
Victor’s heartbeat quickened, his breath heavy, overwhelmed with the disparity that he started to blabber,
“No… that can’t be… impossible!”
Leon smirked faintly and continued,
“There’s nothing impossible about it. Oh, by the way, your guitar pick also revealed your identity as a traitor.”
“You were right, ivory is highly moldable; it can be made into a hairpin, or it can be crafted into a pick to hang around your neck.”
“I have no idea if you thought I was ignorant, but honestly, how could a guy so broke he has to use an old guitar afford a pick made of ivory?”
“The best way to destroy evidence other than ‘burning’ it is to transform it into something entirely new.”
Pausing for a moment, Leon added, “But connecting it with what you said earlier about being an underdog, I have reason to believe you meant to keep the weapon that could k*ll me close, as a personal trophy, right?”
Victor’s pupils contracted, “Leon! Don’t think that by defeating me, you’ve defeated the entire Empire! The Empire will avenge me!!!”
Leon shook his head.
“Victor, being eternally second-best isn’t your crime; becoming the Empire’s lackey and going against me is your greatest mistake.”
“If you hadn’t been so impatient this time, perhaps I wouldn’t have detected your identity so quickly. It was your eagerness that betrayed you because… the Empire pressured you, am I right?”
The Empire was willing to send Constantine to k*ll Leon, showing just how badly they wanted him gone.
Leon then turned that intense pressure against Victor, making him believe he was following Leon’s thoughts. In reality, every step Leon took was to bait him into revealing the bigger fish.
In the past, General Leon never played psychological warfare when leading troops; he would simply charge in. After all, only a few dragons could withstand his blue magic.
Why could he now manipulate people’s hearts so easily?—
Please, did you think General Leon’s two years of captivity was for nothing? He learned a lot from that Mother Dragon.
Victor fell silent momentarily, then erupted into a neurotic laugh, “Yes… yes… you’re right, Leon. But what about Martin? You used him as bait to draw me out. Once his father finds out his son is dead and, coincidentally, you returned to the Empire, guess how he’ll react?”
Leon looked at Victor with disdain, “Is that the best plan you could come up with to make me fail?”
“What…”
“As a teammate who once fought alongside you, you should know Rebecca has a habit of loading her g*n, right?”
Leon picked up the g*n from earlier, spinning it in front of Victor.
“She can disassemble and reassemble the g*n repeatedly, enjoying it for a whole night. Plus, to make it more fun, she usually includes a b*llet. And that b*llet… is a practice blank.”
“Practice blank…”
“Yes, the kind that can’t k*ll.”
Leon stood up slowly as Rebecca supported the “resurrected” Martin back into the room.
Martin held his chest, looking grave, “Captain… the practice blank may not k*ll, but it still hurts a lot. I think I might have broken at least two ribs.”
“Real men tough it out. Look at Victor here; I punched his nose crooked, and he didn’t even scream,” Leon said with authority.
Rebecca helped Martin get to the table, then turned her frosty face towards Leon, pulling out another handgun from her waist and handing it to him.
Leon chambered the g*n and aimed it at Victor’s forehead.
“Do you have more information about the Empire you’d like to share?”
d*ath stood right before him, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air, causing the last thread of Victor’s composure to snap.
“Don’t k*ll me, Leon… please don’t k*ll me! I was wrong; I realize my mistake, I shouldn’t have served the Empire… please forgive me, I beg you! Please, Leon!”
It seemed there was no point in trying to extract any more information from him.
“Victor, you don’t realize your error. You only know that you’re about to d*e.”
Bang!——
One shot rang out, and silence enveloped the room.
—
This chapter is 6300 words long, and I’m posting three chapters at once, so it also counts as making up for the ones I owe from yesterday.
