129 The Number One Female Marksman in the National Server
In the early hours of the morning, Nacho returned to the Lionheart Association with a gang of people.
Will was trailing behind.
From the smug grin on the rogue’s face, they must have succeeded.
“Walker, take this kid to get familiar with the surroundings.”
“Understood.”
Walker led the curious Will away.
Nacho quickly found Leon, who was busy studying a flat map of the Empire’s five major regions.
“Everything’s ready.”
Nacho said, “We placed Shadow Stones in all the Paper Lanterns at the warehouse. We also got the locations for these lanterns for the Lantern Festival: the Imperial City, the Upper District, and the Central District.”
“Didn’t cover the Lower City and the slums?” Leon asked.
Nacho shook his head. “Perhaps those areas don’t warrant special Paper Lanterns in the eyes of the royal folks.”
Leon scoffed at that.
It did sound a bit absurd, but thinking about it being the Empire made it all make sense.
“No worries. The Paper Lanterns we collected through other channels should be enough to cover the Lower City and the slums too.”
Leon said, “Now we just have to wait for the Lantern Festival to arrive, coordinate our personnel, and launch the Paper Lanterns at specific locations. We’ll expose the Empire’s ugly face in one fell swoop.”
“Nothing’s happening on Martin’s side, so the Empire probably hasn’t caught wind of our actions yet.”
Nacho analyzed, “So our greatest uncertainty right now is what cards the Empire might pull when they’re desperate.”
On this point, Leon had previously discussed it with Master.
Just a bunch of Fusion Beasts, Dangerous Species, and whatnot.
That’s precisely why Leon had invited three helpers, including Roswiser, for this operation.
With three Dragon King-level companions on board, the odds were definitely in Lionheart’s favor.
“Don’t worry, if the Empire has cards, we have ours too.”
Leon said, “This battle is going to be a real showdown, and everyone is prepared for it.”
Nacho nodded, about to say something, but then he suddenly noticed that the members in the hall seemed particularly excited.
They were passionately discussing something.
Nacho blinked, asking, “What’s all this excitement? Can’t sleep at night with all the jitters?”
Leon chuckled, glancing toward their companions in the hall, “There might be a bit of tension, but more than that, it’s excitement.”
“Excitement?”
“Yep.”
The twin-tailed girl walked over, giving Nacho a playful poke on the arm, “Half an hour ago, the captain gave everyone a pre-battle pep talk, and wow, it really pumped everyone’s enthusiasm up!”
“Was it that dramatic…”
Coming from a royal background, Nacho didn’t really buy into pep talks and speeches.
After all, he knew these things were just ways to brainwash the troops into throwing themselves into danger without a second thought.
“Of course it was.”
Rebecca chimed in, “Back when I was in the Dragon Slayer Army, the captain would always give us a big speech right before the battle, telling us not to be scared, to face our fears, and balabala about offering our hearts.”
“Sure, it was a bit cringe, but it worked wonders!”
“Today’s pep talk was way better than years ago. After hearing him speak, it felt like… the captain wasn’t just a captain anymore, but a real leader.”
Listening to Rebecca, Nacho glanced at Leon.
In that moment, it felt like he finally understood why he’d never beaten Leon when they were at odds before.
Leon seemed to have an unquenchable fire in his heart, no matter the circumstances.
In despair or gloom, he could always find the sole ray of light amidst the darkness and strive towards it diligently.
He had this infectious positivity, spreading his hope to every follower around him.
Even Roswiser, esteemed as a Dragon King, willingly stood by him, enough to showcase Leon’s charismatic charm.
In contrast, the Empire, appearing to have an overwhelming number of people, was actually a disorganized mess.
Relying on brainwashing and threats would eventually backfire.
Therefore, in terms of winning hearts, the Empire would never outmatch Leon.
“Tell everyone to get some rest early. Tomorrow we’ll set everything up in advance.” Leon commanded.
“Yes, Captain.”
“Nacho, you’ve worked hard too, go rest.”
“Sure.”
Rebecca and Nacho left, and the members of the Lionheart Association slowly dispersed, heading back to their own quarters.
Leon remained at the long table in the hall, staring at the large map of the districts.
The locations for launching the Paper Lanterns were nearly set.
Leon was now planning the escape routes.
Only with thorough preparations could they minimize the chances of accidents and casualties.
As the night grew cool, some time later, a delicate, pale hand gently rested on Leon’s shoulder.
“It’s late, you should get some sleep.”
A cool voice came from behind him.
“Yeah, I’ll be there soon.”
Roswiser sat down beside him, stealing a glance at the map filled with circles and routes.
As the leader of the Silver Dragon, she certainly understood some tactics and strategies of commanding troops.
She could tell Leon was working out the escape routes.
But it seemed like he was facing a dilemma.
Without saying a word, Roswiser silently observed the map.
After a while, she pointed at an unmarked area, “How about we start the escape route from here in the Central District? There’s a river on the left, and just ahead is the east entrance of the Lower City. I remember there’s an abandoned garbage dump there, perfect for extraction and ambush.”
Like a light bulb moment.
Leon’s eyes lit up, “Brilliant, Your Majesty.”
“You’re just running on fumes from staying up too late, your brain’s not in gear.”
Roswiser lifted her lovely chin, “How many more routes do we have left to draw?”
“Just the one we just discussed.”
Leon closed the map and stood up, “Let’s go get some sleep.”
“Alright.”
Roswiser blew out the candle on the table, and using the faint moonlight streaming in from the clock tower, she linked her arm with Leon’s and walked toward the resting area.
…
The Lantern Festival, the Empire’s grand annual festival.
Tonight, all five districts of the nation, regardless of whether they were wealthy or poor, were soaking in the joyful festive atmosphere.
The streets were adorned with various Paper Lanterns, and there were stalls selling all kinds of rare snacks and goodies.
Children ran around, wielding Paper Lanterns, chasing each other joyfully.
Fireworks erupted in the air, forming beautiful patterns.
For a moment, the joy of the festival seemed to overshadow the Empire’s underbelly of darkness and decay.
Rebecca stood on a low building in the Upper District, dressed in short shorts, her fair thighs each strapped with a handgun.
She also had a modular sniper rifle slung on her back.
Of course, ADCs couldn’t solo; Leon had paired her with support from Nacho and Martin.
“Wow, I never got this treatment back in the Dragon Slayer Army, but now I have two spotters!” the wild girl exclaimed excitedly.
Martin and Nacho each held a pair of binoculars, peering over the edge of the low building below.
“Save the excitement for after the battle.”
Nacho raised his binoculars and scanned the boundary between the Upper District and the Imperial City, where Leon was about to trigger the signal for their operation.
“You’re the best marksman in the Lionheart Association, which is why Leon entrusted you with such an important sniper role.”
Nacho continued, “When the time comes, you better take that dog Emperor out with a b*llet.”
“Rest assured, the target on my practice paper is the big face of King Cant. I’ve been training for this day for a long time,” Rebecca said confidently.
“Empire’s number one female marksman!” Martin cheered on.
Rebecca proudly rubbed her little nose, “Gotta stay low-key, stay low-key.”
“Alright, enough chitchat.”
A figure appeared in Nacho’s binocular view; it was Leon. “Get ready, wait for Leon’s signal.”
“Got it!”
Meanwhile, down on the bustling and lively street, Leon, cloaked in a black hooded cape, moved against the jubilant crowd, making his way to the boundary between the Upper District and the Imperial City.
With each step up the stairs, it felt like he was inching closer to the goal he’d pursued tirelessly for years.
The blend of joyous voices and laughter heightened the festive spirit all around.
After finishing the staircase, a few hundred meters ahead lay the main entrance to the Imperial City.
Leon slowly took a Paper Lantern from his cloak pocket, one filled with the names of the children and teachers from the Casmod Orphanage.
“All past grievances, let’s settle them tonight.”
