“Yes, we have three kids!”
As the topic shifted toward the Empire’s forced acquisition of Rachel’s family restaurant, people eagerly began sharing their grievances and injustices with Leon.
These stories varied in scale but all echoed the corruption and darkness of the Empire’s regime.
Leon used to assume that only the underprivileged of the Empire lived in dire conditions, but in reality, many of those who joined the Lionheart Association out of disappointment with the Empire were middle class, with even a tiny fraction from the upper echelon.
In short, as long as you engaged in unscrupulous dealings with the Empire, you’d sail smoothly through life; however, if you insisted on your principles—even if you weren’t opposing the Empire directly—they’d still treat you as an enemy.
Under such extreme rule, even without the Lionheart Association, others would step up to unite the oppressed and rise against the system.
Leon quietly listened to everyone’s accounts, jotting them down one by one.
Sitting at the edge of the Lionheart Association’s podium, he engaged in conversation as if chatting with friends, seriously attentive to each person’s tale, completely devoid of any superiority complex.
Meanwhile, at the back of the crowd, Roswiser, Rebecca, and Nacho silently observed the scene.
“I think… the Captain has changed a lot,” Rebecca remarked, gazing at Leon blending in with the Lionheart Association.
“You’ve been in contact with your captain all these years, seeing him every three months. How come you suddenly feel he’s changed so much?” Nacho inquired.
Rebecca shook her head. “When exchanging intelligence, the captain was still the same—calm, wise, able to devise any strategy under pressure. We simply followed his lead.”
“But… I’ve never seen this version of the captain before.”
“He’s never been the most cheerful person; the Dragon Slayer Army’s loyalty comes from his countless life-saving acts. That loyalty formed the kind of captain he is now.”
“When we first met him, most thought he was serious and anti-social, with a bit of stubbornness.”
At this, the green-haired girl smiled, her expression filled with warmth and a hint of relief—as if she felt her ‘big son’ had finally grown up.
“Now he’s accepted by everyone in just a few hours?” She turned to Roswiser, “Sister-in-law, the captain has learned a lot from you, hasn’t he?”
Curiosity flickered in Nacho’s eyes. He had only ever known about dragons through the Empire’s brainwashing education, where they were depicted as fierce, greedy, warmongers—barbaric creatures who only knew how to brawl.
But ever since this Silver Dragon Queen appeared before him, he hadn’t sensed any aggressive emotions from her. The labels plastered on dragons by the Empire had nothing to do with Roswiser.
Without Rebecca’s introduction, Nacho saw her simply as a silver-haired ice queen, entirely different from the Empire’s portrayal of the Dragon Race.
It had been during these five years under her guidance that Leon had grown into who he was today.
Roswiser crossed her arms, her silver eyes fixed on her husband.
After a moment, she smirked and replied softly, “Learning is reciprocal. I’ve learned a lot from him too.”
Keeping up the principle of giving her husband face in public, her answer reflected high emotional intelligence. She silently affirmed Rebecca’s claim that the captain learned a lot from her while modestly expressing that she benefited from Leon as well.
Yup… quite a lot.
Wait, actually, more like a whole ton.
Just as Nacho contemplated how talented dragons could be, he suddenly received an elbow to the gut from Rebecca.
“You crazy girl… What was that for?” Nacho clutched his belly.
“See? My sister-in-law is the perfect woman—fights on the battlefield and cooks in the kitchen, does it all!”
Nacho smirked, “Yeah, totally the opposite of that under-six-foot crazy woman.”
Rebecca blinked, a bit slow on the uptake. She pointed to herself, confused. “Are you talking about me?”
“Nope! Hehe.”
…
“Captain Leon, Rebecca mentioned there’s a mysterious helper this time, but we haven’t seen anyone for days. Can we meet them now?” A Lionheart member asked excitedly.
Leon paused for a second, then nodded, “Sure, no problem.”
He stood up from the podium, and all the members fixed their gazes on him.
“Before introducing our mysterious helper, I’d like to ask everyone a question.”
Leon began, “You all know about that incident five years ago where I was betrayed by a teammate and gravely injured, right?”
“Yeah, Uncle Taige spoke about it, and Martin’s Shadow Stone recorded the evidence of the Empire’s backstabbing you,” one member chimed in.
“Good. So, do you know how I survived?”
Leon glanced back at Roswiser.
Their eyes met, and she discreetly lowered her hands and took a deep breath to collect herself.
“Uncle Taige said you were saved by a Dragon King.”
“Wrong! He said, wounded Leon had a fierce standoff with the dragons, eventually forcing them to heal him.”
“What? I heard the captain claimed a Mother Dragon as his godmother to survive!”
“……”
Perfect.
Leon and Roswiser’s hearts practically dropped.
They thought everyone would discuss their attitudes toward dragons, making it easier for Leon to introduce his wife.
But why were there so many different versions of “The Captain Leon Tortured Saga”?!
Master, how much did you tweak my resume back then?!
Leon clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
“I was injured and… well…”
He carefully searched for the right words; how could he phrase “prisoner dragon knight” more naturally?
“I had quite the ‘engagement’ with a Dragon King, and in the end, she saved my life, allowing me to stand here today.”
“And is this Dragon King the godmother you recognized?”
“……Can we skip the godmother part?”
“Alright, please continue, Captain.”
“Even though I was saved, I was unconscious for two years. When I woke up, I lived with that Dragon King for three years.”
Leon continued, “During that time, I gradually changed my views on dragons.”
“Of course, I can’t guarantee all dragons are like her, but I promise she’s nothing like what the Empire describes in manuals and textbooks.”
Some members were surprised but not overly so. After all, Taige had already told them bits and pieces about Leon and the mysterious Dragon King.
Yet hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth still stirred a mix of excitement and curiosity.
“She’s not the one who initiates wars because she could easily support her tribe with her own skills.”
“During those years living with her, I learned an abundance of fresh knowledge.”
“Many of you might still hold stereotypes about dragons—trust me, I used to too. That’s totally okay.”
“But please believe me, this Dragon King who saved my life is worthy of your trust.”
“And she’s the ally I’ve brought here today.”
He looked toward the back of the crowd.
Everyone followed his gaze only to see a silver-haired beauty standing tall, elegant, and as breathtaking as a meticulously sculpted statue.
“She… she is the Dragon King?!”
“Oh my god, I was sharing the same room with a Dragon King for two whole hours!”
“I-I’ve turned into jelly! This is terrifying!”
“……”
This was precisely why Leon built up to this revelation.
While people’s perceptions of the Dragon King weren’t as hostile as before, there were still traces of fear.
After all, in their eyes, Dragon Kings were monsters that could command the skies and breathe fire.
“Come on, there’s no way this beautiful woman can be a Dragon King,” said a short-haired girl.
Right on cue, Roswiser unfurled her dragon wings and revealed her silvery tail, confirming her identity as a Dragon King.
Instantly, everyone retreated five meters—
Ten meters?
Twenty?
They couldn’t go any further; the Lionheart Association’s hall couldn’t hold them!
“Everyone, don’t be scared. She doesn’t bite,” Leon quickly clarified.
“Hey you!—”
Okay, I’ll let it slide.
I’ll deal with you later at home.
Roswiser tucked her wings and tail back in, returning to her frosty beauty form.
Once the crowd calmed down a bit, a member asked, “Captain Leon, we were a bit prepared for this, but seeing a live Dragon King in front of us is still quite shocking, please forgive us.”
“No problem, I understand.”
Regular folks or even typical Dragon Slayers would indeed find the Dragon King terrifying.
Only Leon would treat a Dragon King like an extraordinary asset.
“Back to the main topic. Since we don’t know how many hidden cards the Empire has, I’ve brought along the Silver Dragon King from the Dragon Race; her name is Roswiser.”
Leon looked over the crowd towards her, “Would you like to introduce yourself?”
Roswiser opened her mouth, wanting to refuse because she wasn’t used to introducing herself in front of a crowd of humans.
But she figured it was best to cooperate with Leon. They needed the Lionheart folks to trust them; otherwise, toppling the Empire would be quite the challenge.
So, Roswiser stepped forward, and the crowd automatically parted for her.
She reached the podium, turning to face everyone.
Her icy gaze and calm tone filled the room,
“I am Roswiser Melkway, the Queen leading the Silver Dragon Race. I’ve come at Leon’s behest to aid you in escaping the corrupt and dark regime.”
With her words, the hall fell silent.
It wasn’t intended to embarrass Roswiser; it was her regal presence and aura that swept over the entire hall from the moment she spoke.
That kind of pressure was challenging even for ordinary dragons to endure, let alone the humans present.
Roswiser noticed the members of the Lionheart Association seemed a bit intimidated by her.
It was understandable; after all, this was her first time introducing herself in front of outsiders, and she couldn’t help but exude a certain overwhelming energy.
Realizing this, Roswiser quickly reined herself in.
This eased the tense atmosphere in the room.
Clap—
Rebecca was the first to applaud.
Nacho followed suit.
Then a thunderous wave of applause erupted.
Roswiser scanned the crowd, thinking she probably was the first Dragon King ever to receive applause from outsiders.
After all that serious, concise self-introduction, she planned to throw in a quick joke and hop off the stage.
“Oh right, there’s one thing I must emphasize.”
Roswiser spoke earnestly, and everyone listened attentively.
Even Leon looked curiously at her, unsure of what she meant to stress.
Building suspense, Roswiser flashed a mischievous smile,
“I’m really not Leon’s godmother, so don’t get it twisted.”
A small joke, but the crowd relaxed, their tense spirits dissolving.
“Wow, dragons have a sense of humor?”
“So who started that rumor about the Captain adopting a Mother Dragon as a godmother?”
“Not me, don’t look at me! I heard he adopted a goddaughter!”
“……”
“Hey? Silver Dragon King! If you’re not the Captain’s godmother, then what’s your relationship with him?”
One brave soul posed the most critical question of the night.
Roswiser paused momentarily, her brain racing.
After some internal conflict, she figured it was better to keep it under wraps.
I mean, this wasn’t home, right? No need to play house… ahem… no need to pretend to be married in front of Leon.
“Oh, we’re just—”
“She’s my wife.”
Roswiser: ?
“And we have three kids.”
Roswiser: ??
Lionheart members:
“Whoa, that’s the most explosive version ever!”
