Chapter 19: The Place Where Dreams Begin
“The Dragon Kings cooperating with the Empire are not limited to just one…” Leon stroked his chin, furrowing his brows in thought.
Truth be told, this intelligence should have been quite explosive under normal circumstances. However, after the incident of exposing Victor during the last purge, Leon had a profound realization of the Empire’s darkness and the decay of its power.
Therefore, even if more sensational information about the Empire were to surface, Leon wouldn’t find it particularly surprising.
“Do we have any specific leads?” Leon inquired.
Rosvitha shook her head. “Maureen was just one of Constantine’s pawns, not even a significant player in this conspiracy. Constantine only occasionally mentioned the possibility of other Dragon Kings’ existence.”
“What were his exact words then?”
“‘Leave such trivial matters to those old fogies, yet they insist on me handling it.’ Maureen overheard this remark during her exchange of information with Constantine. Just as she was leaving, she overheard Constantine conversing with another member of the Scarlet Flame Dragon Clan.”
Upon hearing this, a spark lit up in Leon’s eyes. “So, you’re saying that if we find the member of the Scarlet Flame Dragon Clan who conversed with Constantine, we might uncover other Dragon Kings collaborating with the Empire?”
“That’s theoretically correct. However, Maureen’s memory holds no detailed information about the other person present at the time. Their appearance was very vague, and she didn’t even catch their voice because she was in a hurry to return to the Silver Dragon Temple and didn’t linger with Constantine.”
The flicker of hope that had just ignited was instantly extinguished. The anticipation in Leon’s eyes also dimmed.
He leaned against the table in the cell, lost in thought for a moment before softly remarking, “But at least knowing there’s someone like that, we might uncover more secrets about this conspiracy. It’s not entirely fruitless.”
Rosvitha managed a weary smile. The side effects of the memory probing magic she had just used hadn’t fully subsided yet. With half-lidded eyes, she quietly supported herself with one hand on the edge of the table, nodding in agreement with Leon. “Yes, that’s true.”
“If we were to go to the territory of the Scarlet Flame Dragon Clan, perhaps we could find this person?” Leon suggested.
Rosvitha pondered for a moment before shaking her head. “That might not be feasible in the short term. When a Dragon King of a tribe falls, the tribe becomes extremely chaotic and unpredictable. The dispersal of power signifies absolute chaos, especially considering that the Scarlet Flame Dragon Clan is an ancient tribe of nearly ten thousand years, with internal power factions far more complex than ordinary dragon tribes.”
“And with Constantine pillaging and plundering everywhere this past year, accumulating so much resentment, only to be killed by you just over half a month ago, there are surely a lot of people lining up to seek revenge on his old turf. If you go looking for someone now, you might run into trouble.”
Each king had their own way of thinking.
At this moment, Rosvitha was analyzing the current situation from the perspective of a Dragon King, and her analysis was spot on. Observing the clear yet naive expression on this foolish, dogged man’s face, Rosvitha knew he hadn’t even considered this aspect. But she couldn’t blame him. Warriors who galloped on the battlefield had no interest in understanding the power games of the highborn.
“You make a valid point,” Leon conceded, never one to argue with Rosvitha on such serious matters.
Even though the mother dragon had a bit of a dark side, her professional abilities were unquestionable. Being a Dragon King to her was just a job, and she happened to be a top-notch workaholic.
“But since the Scarlet Flame Dragon Clan will become turbulent in the short term, will the person we’re looking for take the opportunity to slip away or… die in the process of power transition?” Leon pondered.
“Hmm… escape is possible, but since he was in a position trusted by Constantine, if he does flee, it will surely draw attention from others, so it won’t be difficult for us to find him later,” Rosvitha explained.
“As for dying in this struggle for power… it’s possible. But if that’s the case, there’s nothing to regret. After all, even if the person who knows the secret dies, the secret still objectively exists, waiting for us to uncover it.”
See, that’s what you call professionalism (leans back on the sofa). Extract intelligence, find clues, analyze the situation, list all possibilities, and then inject a bit of motivational pep talk to let her captive gentlemen experience a comprehensive “full-service” treatment.
Leon slowly contemplated Rosvitha’s words just now. Her thoughts were clear, and her way of thinking as a Dragon King was worth pondering and learning from.
And he couldn’t help but wonder, if they had brought Rosvitha along when they went back to the Empire to catch the traitor… would they need to be here searching for clues now, or would they have already breezed through the Empire’s instance?
If that were the case, he, his master, and the combination of Rebecca’s old, weak, and sickly would have to change their name. Change it to “Old, Weak, Sickly, and Pregnant.”
But this was just a whimsical thought when teasing oneself afterwards. Leon knew it was impossible.
If Rosvitha went to the Empire, it wouldn’t just be described as “risky.”
“Alright, let’s wait for a while before going to dig up clues from this person,” Leon said.
“Mm.”
The couple exchanged a final glance at Maureen. The probing magic had damaged her brain, leaving her dull and confused.
But fortunately, they had obtained the desired intelligence. The traitor, who appeared harmless on the surface but harbored a dark and cold heart, was now useless.
Neither of them expressed any emotion towards her, not even a hint of mockery. Any emotion spent on a traitor who had abandoned her people and beliefs would be a waste.
The two left the cell. However, just a few steps outside, Rosvitha suddenly felt dizzy, her feet unsteady, and she toppled backward.
Luckily, Leon acted swiftly, gently supporting her waist.
As his large, cool hand steadied her, her first thought was surprisingly, “Should I lie back down and see if the fool can catch me?”
In the past, the Silver Dragon Queen would have panicked and quickly stood up, then stubbornly explained to Leon that she was fine. But now, she was so rich in complex and amusing thoughts.
Oops.
Uh-oh, it seemed like a bit of that married couple dynamic was seeping in.
“Are you alright?” Leon’s voice brought Rosvitha back from her whimsical thoughts.
She straightened up, shaking her head. “I’m fine, just the side effects of the probing magic. I’ll be fine in a moment.”
“Alright… thank you for your hard work,” he said. This was the second time he had thanked himself for his hard work within ten minutes.
The Queen smiled knowingly and murmured softly to herself, “You do have a conscience, fool.”
Leon’s straight male soul was directly hit by the coquettish “fool,” causing him to shudder involuntarily three times. He quickly withdrew his hand from Rosvitha’s waist, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. “I’ve always had a conscience.”
Rosvitha crossed her arms, watching his reaction, feeling mischievous. She glanced around at the surrounding cells, and mischief bubbled up inside her. “But conscience can’t help this queen relieve boredom, you know. Instantly viewing so many memories is quite tiring for the body and mind.”
Leon shrugged. “What do you want to do then?”
She chuckled. “Come with me, I’ll take you somewhere.”
Leon became cautious. “What… somewhere?”
“The place where dreams begin.”
