130 You Thought You Were the Only One with Helpers?
As midnight approached, the gates of the imperial city slowly swung open, with the royal guards stepping out first.
Following them was a massive land vessel, more accurately described as a “land yacht,” designed for cruising.
Supported by a row of wheels underneath, the yacht moved smoothly, surrounded by numerous troops besides the royal guards.
With security this tight, the reason was simple:
Standing on the deck of the yacht was none other than the current king of the empire—
King Cant.
And right beside him, the ever-charming Queen Elizabeth.
There was the king, draped in opulent garments, one arm linked with the enchanting queen, while he waved to his subjects with the other hand, trying to display his amiable demeanor.
Following the tradition of the Lantern Festival, as the clock struck midnight, everyone would release their paper lanterns together.
And each year, this was also the key moment for King Cant to parade with Queen Elizabeth.
Back when Leon was still in the Dragon Slayer Army, the couple had different ways of making their grand entrance every year.
Sometimes they’d arrive by hot air balloon, sometimes they’d use illusion magic for a dramatic reveal, and a few times they’d hide amongst the crowd only to make a flashy appearance later.
So when this “land yacht” rolled out this year, Leon wasn’t too surprised.
According to intel from Martin, the yacht’s speed was precisely calculated to hit the intersection of the imperial city and the upper district at the stroke of midnight.
Simultaneously, thousands of paper lanterns embedded with Shadow Stones would be released.
Leon took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled as he watched King Cant and his army drawing closer.
Once upon a time, he was proud to guard the nation and the king like those guards. He’d have even risked his life for it.
But what he got in return was betrayal and defamation from the empire.
In the empire’s eyes, everyone and everything was just a tool for their leaders to exploit; even this war was merely a game designed by them.
But when a piece comes off the board, they’d chase it to the ends of the earth with no hesitation.
And now, that piece that had escaped was back.
Old grudges and new grievances would be settled tonight with that dog of a king!
“Dong—Dong—Dong—”
The midnight bell tolled precisely.
As the heavy, ancient sound rang out, countless paper lanterns slowly began ascending into the night sky, illuminating it like broad daylight.
At that very moment, the massive land yacht gently docked at the intersection of the imperial city and upper district.
King Cant slowly moved to the bow of the ship, looking down upon the crowd.
He had the pride of a king but lacked the aura of one.
Leon watched him quietly, waiting for the moment to strike.
“My dear citizens, it’s that time of year again—the Lantern Festival! On behalf of the imperial family, I’d like to thank you all for your outstanding contributions to the empire over the past year!”
Outstanding contributions, which meant:
Paying unjust taxes, fighting in unnecessary wars, doing work that shouldn’t have to be done…
Even those who weren’t members of the Lionheart Association knew well about the empire’s dark corners.
But who would dare rip off this facade of hypocrisy?
When that lofty king spoke these insincere words, no matter how many had already seen the empire’s true face, the only response they could muster was applause and agreement.
After a few brief thank-yous, King Cant dived into the cheers of the masses.
Once the applause began to fade, he finally said,
“Okay, don’t let my and Elizabeth’s presence disrupt the Lantern Festival tradition, go ahead and release your paper lanterns!”
Phew—
Finally.
The crowd on the street collectively sighed in relief.
And this was the moment Leon and the Lionheart Association had been waiting for.
At midnight, paper lanterns were released throughout all five districts of the empire, and at that moment, Lionheart members activated the Shadow Stones hidden within them.
Just as Master once told Leon, this world is a gigantic and intricate machine, and you just have to be a well-placed screw.
But tonight, Leon was unwilling to be a puppet.
He intended to control this machine and make it run the way he wanted.
As the citizens and King Cant admired the paper lanterns, countless beams of light flickered within them.
The lights sparkled like stars, stretching from the furthest slums all the way to the upper district and the imperial city.
Even non-magic practitioners could see that the light was not from the lanterns but from some magical source.
This bizarre spectacle immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“What’s that…”
“Mom~ Mom~ So beautiful! Look, there are more in the distance!”
“Is… is that the light of the Shadow Stones? Who would put so many Shadow Stones in a paper lantern?”
“No… rather than asking ‘who would do that’, shouldn’t we be asking ‘who could do that’? The newspaper explicitly said these lanterns were custom-made by the royal family. If this isn’t some new activity concocted by the royal folk, then whoever pulled this off… really has guts.”
…
King Cant raised his head to the flickering lanterns in the sky, eyebrows furrowing as he muttered,
“Who arranged that? Why wasn’t I consulted beforehand?”
A guard beside him quickly lowered his head, “Your Majesty, this… this isn’t part of our plan…”
Cant blinked in surprise, “Are those Shadow Stones glowing inside?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Since it wasn’t arranged by the royal family, someone must be pulling the strings on purpose.
And with so many Shadow Stones, if it was to convey certain messages or display some scenes, the entire nation would be watching.
As the ruler, Cant would of course not allow such a situation that could threaten his reign to occur, promptly issuing an order,
“Send the word down, sh**t down all the lanterns in the sky!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
But before the guards could relay the order, Cant noticed a dark figure slowly approaching the front of the land yacht.
The royal guards raised their spears and guns, aiming at the figure.
Cant narrowed his eyes, “Who is that…?”
“Stop!”
The captain of the royal guards brandished his sword, aiming it directly at the figure in the black cloak,
“Take one more step, and it’ll be lethal!”
The cloaked figure remained still, but not because he was intimidated by the captain’s threat.
Instead, he calmly pulled a paper lantern from under his cloak and slowly opened it in front of the bewildered royal guards.
Just then, a gust of wind blew, dislodging the cloak’s hood.
Black hair fluttered in the wind, revealing a scarred face to everyone.
Someone recognized him immediately.
“Leon… Leon Casmod! It’s Leon!!”
“Everyone prepare for battle!”
Their tension was understandable; after all, in some ways, the threat Leon posed felt as intense as any dragon king.
Yet faced with dozens of guns and hundreds of swords, Leon remained calm and collected.
He held the paper lantern, filled with the hopes of Teacher Caroline and the entire Casmod Orphanage, and snapped his fingers above the fuel opening.
A tiny spark of electricity sparked forth, igniting the alcohol inside, as the lantern gently ascended to the sky.
“Before you make a move…”
This man, who had returned without warning, finally spoke.
And those few short words instilled a sense of intimidation among the front-line royal guards.
They tightened their grips on their weapons; despite Leon being the empire’s most wanted criminal and standing in front of them unarmed, no one dared to take the first shot.
Because that was… Leon.
“I hope you can pay close attention to what comes next. After watching, then decide whether to block my path.”
His voice was loud enough for King Cant and Queen Elizabeth on the yacht to hear.
The two exchanged glances, wondering not just how Leon had returned to the empire, but what on earth was in those Shadow Stones…
Queen Elizabeth gritted her teeth, her attention briefly faltering before she shouted,
“Attack! Capture this traitor Leon!”
However, even with the queen’s orders, the royal guards showed no signs of action.
They were all too familiar with Leon’s strength, after all, they had been colleagues once upon a time.
“You!”
Buzz—
The resonating sound of the Shadow Stones interrupted Elizabeth’s words.
Above the empire, tens of thousands of paper lanterns flickered with ghostly green light, interacting and connecting with each other.
But no images or sounds emerged.
Elizabeth furrowed her brow, “Just trying to fool us, huh… hmph, just capture him already, don’t forget who you’re serving!”
Yet when the paper lantern Leon released finally reached the pinnacle of the sky, as if completing a puzzle’s last piece, the entire resonance array of the Shadow Stones began to operate.
In the next moment, a giant image emerged in the sky over the empire.
The figures within weren’t anyone but King Cant and Queen Elizabeth, standing atop the land yacht at that very moment!
“What is this guy… trying to do…” Cant gritted his teeth.
Before long, voices filled the scene:
“The Sharp Blade Plan is proceeding extremely smoothly; even without Leon, we can still work alongside the dragon kings and control the war as before.”
“Queen, you’re brilliant.”
“Much of that credit goes to you, Scott. I heard it was you who formed the Sharp Blade Trio. You’ve done the empire a great service.”
“Thank you, Queen. I just did what I had to do.”
“Good, having this awareness puts you a hundred times ahead of Casmod. That guy never knew his place, or he wouldn’t have ended up being hunted by my empire.”
“Moreover, regarding the new tax system, many civilians have protested. Shouldn’t we make some adjustments—”
“No need. Anyone wanting to make a living in this empire needs to obediently follow its commands; let those people go.”
“Cant is right; as long as we occasionally release fake dirt on some bureaucrats, those fools will believe we’re on their side. In reality—heh…”
“……”
They painted the ugly faces of the rulers in a way that no one noticed.
If it weren’t for Martin’s daring recording,
If it hadn’t been for Leon exposing this conspiracy,
If it weren’t for the Lionheart Association’s meticulous preparations,
These dark and rotten truths would have seeped further with the war’s continuance until the nation was completely corroded, like a withered branch.
Once all the footage played, Leon stood quietly in place.
If he guessed correctly, what would come next—
“Cant! You arrogant dog of a king!”
“My son had joined the Dragon Slayer Army, thinking he could defend the home, and even sacrificed himself on the battlefield, while this war was merely a game you planned! Cant, you took my son’s life!”
“So in your eyes, we common folks are nothing more than idiots who pay taxes and serve as soldiers, right?”
“This nation doesn’t belong to you, Cant! We won’t let you trample this land!”
“……”
The suppressed anger and discontent exploded at this moment;
The shouts and voices surged like a tide, drowning Cant;
Those whom he had once despised, hated, and scorned now rose in rebellion against him.
The crowd was surging toward that precious land yacht.
Meanwhile, the lower-ranking royal guards wavered.
Holding their weapons, they didn’t know whether to turn against their fellow citizens or abandon their already battered ruler.
Everything unfolded too quickly and suddenly, Cant was at a loss, mouth agape, unsure of what to say or do.
“d*mn it, disturbing the people’s hearts! Leon Casmod, you damned traitor! How dare you sow discord during the Lantern Festival! Capture him!”
As soon as he finished speaking, three figures swiftly landed before Leon.
The trio exuded a solid presence, but one of them was missing an arm.
“Good to see you again, Casmod.”
The leader of the Sharp Blade Trio, Gini, said coldly, “I hadn’t expected to meet you in such a setting.”
Leon glanced at him casually, “So, after learning of Cant’s conspiracy, you choose to remain loyal to him?”
“Loyalty means little to us three brothers; we just want to k*ll more dragon kings and make the whole world remember our names.”
Gini stated, “And the empire conveniently provides us with that opportunity. So we don’t really care if this is a well-planned game; as long as we can shed bl**d, we’ll do anything.”
Leon let out a cold snort,
“Then how about this: If you three turn back now, I won’t be able to satisfyingly take my revenge for my master.”
“Oh? So the old guy really is dead?” Gini scoffed.
“My master is alive and well, but you three… are about to d*e.”
As Leon spoke, an overwhelming killing intent erupted from within him.
Even the trio, who had slaughtered numerous dragon kings, felt a hint of fear.
To be honest, Leon rarely displayed such strong deadly intent, but these three idiots had severely wounded his master. If it weren’t for his master’s wife, Leon’s master would not have survived.
This debt, Leon had to repay.
At this moment, Elizabeth again shouted from the land yacht,
“Not enough! Scott, unleash all your Fusion Beasts and Dangerous Species! Eradicate Leon completely!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
As soon as the words were spoken, the ground beneath began to violently tremble.
The crowd fell into panic, desperately seeking a Safe Place.
Just as they cleared the street, the ground suddenly fractured.
In the next instant, countless monsters crawled out from the rift.
They howled and wailed, like souls that had escaped from hell.
In no time, Leon found himself surrounded by the Sharp Blade Trio, along with dozens of Fusion Beasts and Dangerous Species.
“Well, Casmod, even if you possess incredible skills, your two fists can’t defeat four hands. Let’s see how you escape today.” Elizabeth seemed confident of her victory.
“Escape?”
Leon chuckled, “Since I dared to stand here, I never thought about escaping.”
“But don’t you see the current situation? Those Fusion Beasts can crush you just by sheer numbers.”
“What’s the use of numbers? Just a bunch of ants.”
“Don’t talk big! You!—”
“Besides…”
Leon slowly raised his hand, cutting off Queen Elizabeth. “You think you’re the only one with helpers?”
“What?”
As the words fell, Leon lightly snapped his fingers.
In the next second, a dragon’s roar echoed through the night sky.
Everyone in the upper district looked up.
A blue dragon elegantly soared through the air, then dove down, transforming into a blue-haired beauty by Leon’s side.
“Princess of Sea Dragons, Claudia.”
“It’s… a dragon…” Elizabeth’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling uncontrollably.
Before Elizabeth and the others could process the arrival of the colossal blue dragon, a gust of wind swept overhead.
A massive silver figure flapped its dragon wings and slowly descended beside Leon.
Transforming from dragon form, a tall figure with silver hair stood there, exuding cold pride.
“Silver Dragon King, Roswiser.”
Leon crossed his arms, a smile on his face as he watched Elizabeth, continuing,
“And if you thought this was it—”
Boom—
A red figure landed in a ‘superhero landing’ pose in front of everyone.
Leon then introduced the final helper of the night:
“Red Flame Dragon King, Constantine.”
