117 Giving Face to Hubby in Public
If it weren’t for seeing the captain’s sister-in-law trailing behind him, Rebecca would’ve hugged Leon right now—along with giving him a couple of punches.
Seriously, why did you have to show up at this exact moment when I’m under pressure from across the table?
If you come any later, the main dish at your welcome banquet is going to be roast… something… not so great!
After a quick greeting, Walker stepped forward to explain,
“Mel and I ran into Senior Leon while patrolling outside the Empire’s city. So, we sneaked in with them.”
Rebecca blinked her pretty big eyes in confusion,
“This is just… way too coincidental, isn’t it?”
Walker chuckled, “Yeah, it was pretty lucky. Senior Leon just jumped down from a tree, and both Mel and I nearly jumped out of our skins.”
Now Rebecca looked even more confused and turned to Leon,
“Why were you up in a tree?”
“Uh… it’s a long story.”
Do I really have to tell you it’s because your sister-in-law wanted to relive some of our more… passionate “battle grounds” from back in the day?
Rebecca waved her hand, “Alright, let’s get to the serious stuff.”
She walked over to Leon, her gaze sweeping across the members in the hall, sharing what had just happened and what everyone was thinking.
After listening, Leon nodded and patted Rebecca’s shoulder,
“Thanks for the hard work, just leave it to me from here.”
Hearing this, Rebecca immediately felt relieved.
No matter the past days fighting with the Dragon Slayer Army or the recent crises, whenever Leon says “leave it to me,” he has a way of putting everyone’s minds at ease.
Leon then shifted his gaze to the Lionheart Association hall, slowly scanning each member.
Finally, his eyes locked on that instigator who had stirred the pot earlier.
And that guy noticed Leon’s gaze too.
Just five minutes ago, he had been boldly questioning Rebecca and everything about Leon like it was all some grand lie;
But in this moment, now that the person he questioned was right in front of him, he didn’t even have the courage to maintain eye contact with Leon.
Under all those glares, Leon stepped forward, slowly approaching him.
As a super soldier trained to slay dragons, Leon’s aura and killing intent were something no ordinary person could withstand.
Behind him, Nacho couldn’t help but worry,
“He’s not planning to show off, is he? That will only make things worse.”
Having served the Royal Family for years, Nacho knew the ins and outs of the workplace.
Even though Leon is the spiritual leader of the Lionheart Association, he’s still the new kid on the block.
Everyone’s understanding of him is based on stories from a few years back, told by Taige and Rebecca in casual conversations.
If Leon acted in ways that completely contradicted their first impressions of him, like showing off, it would undoubtedly harm the unity of the Lionheart Association.
Responding to Nacho’s concerns was the silver-haired beauty accompanying Leon.
“Don’t worry, he’ll handle it.”
Nacho turned to her, her delicate profile looking almost sculpted.
He frowned, “You’re… the Silver Dragon King?!”
Thinking she was just a new recruit, Nacho was almost about to shout “Wow!” when he got a closer look.
Roswiser said nothing, merely crossing her arms and quietly watching Leon handle the situation.
Leon stopped in front of that troublemaker, the very same one who had been questioning Rebecca and rallying the emotions of the crowd.
In any large group or organization, people like him aren’t exactly rare.
If this were back in the day, after Rebecca filled Leon in on the situation, that instigator would’ve already been pinned to the ground as an example.
In the Dragon Slayer Army, there wasn’t much time for moral persuasion; the fist was the hard truth.
But the Lionheart Association was built around him, and he couldn’t betray the hard work of his Master and Rebecca, nor could he let down those who trusted him.
They locked eyes in silence.
Leon towered over this guy, and even a nonchalant look from him could exert intense pressure.
Not a single person around dared to step forward to speak.
“This isn’t going to… turn into a fight, is it?”
“If it does, do you really think Rachel the hefty cook would stand a chance against the former strongest Dragon Slayer?”
“…True, that’s a fair point.”
“…”
People around were buzzing with speculation, thinking this situation might indeed end in a brawl.
Even if it didn’t come to blows, Leon’s methods would surely teach Rachel a solid lesson.
Just as everyone was thinking this, Leon finally spoke up,
“What’s your name?”
His voice was steady and powerful, the tone devoid of ups and downs, but it wasn’t accusatory.
“R-Rachel…”
At the mention of the name, Leon paused, thoughts swirling, then asked again,
“You used to supply instant meals to the Dragon Slayer Army, right?”
Rachel was taken aback, “How do you know?”
Ha, how would I not know?
There’s only one place in the entire Empire where instant meals don’t have eggplant and carrots!
Of course, I remember!
But it wasn’t just the eggplant and carrots that jogged Leon’s memory; he could recall most people he had crossed paths with.
Like Walker, who had snuck him in just moments ago.
Five years ago, when he and Roswiser had finished a battle in the Empire’s woods, they encountered a Dragon Slayer squad led by Walker.
Leon hadn’t really thought having a good memory was much of a skill until Roswiser told him during her “Leadership 101” that if a boss remembers their subordinates’ names, it’s super comforting for them.
Sure enough, upon realizing that Leon still remembered him, Rachel’s expression visibly relaxed.
He lowered his gaze and let out a heavy sigh.
That sigh was filled with guilt and self-reproach.
With his anxious feelings calmed, Rachel’s judgment and sense returned to normal.
“The instant meals your family provided were pretty good. I used to enjoy them a lot while I was in the Dragon Slayer Army,” Leon said.
“What good does that do, Captain Leon…”
“What do you mean by that?”
Rachel wiped his face and sighed again,
“Three years ago, the Empire wanted to buy my family’s restaurant. I didn’t sell, and they kept sending people to h*rass me outside the restaurant so that no customers dared to come in, and business tanked day by day.”
“In the end, I had no choice but to sell my father’s restaurant to the Empire.”
“I thought they would run it properly, but who would have guessed… they were eyeing the location. On the surface, it’s still a restaurant, but behind the scenes, they’re up to no good.”
“The Empire ruined our family name; my brother went to confront them and said that even if we went back to being cooks, we couldn’t tarnish the family reputation.”
“But in the end, my brother was thrown into prison, and I still don’t know if he’s alive or dead.”
“Captain Leon… I was just anxious, otherwise, I wouldn’t have said such harsh words. I really… apologize.”
Rachel bowed his head deeply, sincerely apologizing.
Leon nodded almost imperceptibly; his way of handling things was clearly right.
“The Lionheart Association is growing stronger, with more members, which means more minds and opinions. With more voices, it’s natural that there will be disagreements; that’s quite normal.”
Leon placed his hand on Rachel’s shoulder and calmly said,
“I understand how you feel.”
“Don’t worry, now that I’m here, I’ll help you find your brother.”
With that, Leon lifted his head, scanning the room and raising his voice,
“And I will also help everyone, all of you, to reclaim the humiliation and injustices you’ve suffered from this rotten Empire!”
As those words echoed, there was a brief silence before a thunderous applause erupted.
They cheered Leon’s name, signaling their acknowledgment of this leader.
Seeing this, Nacho was both surprised and delighted.
“He was my colleague back in the Dragon Slayer Army, but we didn’t meet much. At that time, I thought of him as a brute, someone who knew nothing but fighting and wasn’t exactly favored by the nobles in the Royal Family.”
Watching Leon seamlessly blend in with the members of the Lionheart Association, he looked like a leader conducting an inspection in the countryside.
“Just a few short years, and he’s already become so clever. Saying he’s a qualified leader… it’s really not an exaggeration.”
Rebecca puffed out her chest proudly and linked arms with Roswiser, saying,
“Of course! Just look at who his wife is!”
“Your pride makes it sound like you’re the one married to him,” Nacho commented, mercilessly.
Roswiser covered her mouth with a laugh, “I didn’t teach Leon much; most of what he knows, he figured out himself. He’s quite perceptive.”
This was a half-truth.
Leon indeed had impressive insight and learning abilities, but the knowledge and experience Roswiser imparted were far from minimal.
The reason she phrased it this way was to give face to her husband in public, of course.
The “Dog Man” was stepping into the role of boss, and Roswiser had to help him build some reputation from the side.
Oh, and she wouldn’t be helping Leon without some payback…
Once everything was resolved, she certainly planned to exact some… compensation from him.
