Chapter 83: As long as the thief doesn’t leave empty-handed
Even though twenty years had passed, there had been many personnel changes in the Empire. However, Leon had been a well-known figure two decades ago, and on top of that, he hadn’t aged a day, so there was still a chance he could be recognized.
“Hmm… That is a problem. My handsome face is pretty recognizable,” Leon admitted, now seriously considering the issue.
Three lines of exasperation formed on Noa’s forehead.
Mom loved his sense of responsibility, bravery, selflessness, and strength. But does she also love this vanity of his?
Mom, I think you were just starving.
“Fortunately, I came prepared,” Leon said.
As he spoke, Leon pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, along with a silver coin he had taken from Nacho.
The disguise was secondary; the real key was the silver coin, which represented royal status and rank.
Back when Leon served in the Dragon-Slaying Army, the Imperial Court had given him something similar.
It looked nice, but Leon had never cared for such trinkets.
So, when he got home, he tinkered with it and turned it into a bell for his mule, hanging it around its neck.
Whenever the mule plowed the fields, the sweet sound of the bell rang out endlessly, adding some charm to the mule’s “996” grind on the sunglasses, casually tossing the silver coin between his fingers, then threw the guards a deliberate, commanding nod.
“We shall proceed, Miss Noa,” he said, affecting an official tone.
Ugh—
What is this strange feeling of disgust mixed with a strong desire to play along?
Was Mom the same when she was dating him back then?
You’re twenty-three, old man. Could you please grow up a little?
Despite her internal complaints, Noa went along with him.
“Yes, Lord Leon,” she responded obediently.
The two walked calmly toward the entrance to the underground facility.
The sound of their footsteps put the four guards on alert immediately.
“Who goes there? What business do you have here at the imperial storage of Western tributes this late at night?” The lead guard barked sharply.
Leon didn’t respond, continuing to play with the silver coin in his hand.
The coin flipped back and forth between his fingers effortlessly.
Noa stepped forward and answered in a low voice,
“Western culture is renowned across the world. Daytime is too crowded, so we’ve chosen the night to come and appreciate it.”
The guards relaxed, casting a glance at the silver coin in Leon’s hand. Realizing they were dealing with someone of considerable rank, the lead guard’s expression softened instantly.
“Apologies, my lord. The passcode is set by the royal family. No matter who comes, we must verify it first.”
The passcode was cleverly embedded into the conversation, using ‘Western tributes’ as a cover for the Heartguard Dragon Scales. Anyone who didn’t know the code would be tripped up by this.
Leon breathed a silent sigh of relief but remained silent, allowing “Miss Noa” to continue handling the exchange.
“No worries, I understand. It’s all part of the job. We’re here to check on the items—just a routine inspection. Please disable the barrier for a moment,” she said.
“Of course,” the guard responded with a respectful nod and immediately deactivated the facility’s barrier.
Noa half-turned and said, “My lord, we may proceed.”
“Ladies first.”
Ladies first—
Ew!
So, he’s a drama king too.
Well, sometimes Mom could be quite dramatic too.
Alright then, that makes sense.
No wonder they say a couple who sleeps under the same roof will end up alike.
The father and daughter entered the underground facility, one after the other, making their way down the stairs.
Torches lit up as they descended, and after navigating a series of staircases, they finally arrived at the underground chamber where the Heartguard Dragon Scales were stored.
The chamber was vast and empty, with dozens of stone pedestals arranged neatly. Floating above the pedestals were dragon scales, each emitting a different-colored glow.
The moment Noa stepped into the chamber, she felt a heavy pressure.
She frowned slightly, scanning the room full of Heartguard Dragon Scales.
She knew this oppressive force came from the scales. Though the Dragon Kings may have fallen, the power contained in their scales still lingered.
However, Noa wasn’t very familiar with such things, as Heartguard Dragon Scales only began to form after a dragon had lived for a hundred years.
And she was only twenty-two.
“There aren’t many dragon scales here…” Leon remarked. “A lot of the pedestals are empty.”
“Mm, maybe they’ve already used some, or they’re saving space for newly acquired scales.”
Noa replied, “But the small number also suggests that the Empire isn’t just collecting any dragon scale, right?”
Leon nodded, “Yeah, hundred-year-old dragons are common. If the Empire was simply collecting scales, there’d be far more here. Unless their goal is to collect particularly special Heartguard Dragon Scales, like…”
“The Dragon King’s Heartguard Dragon Scales,” Noa finished the sentence.
“And young Guang’s reversal magic just happens to require a Dragon King’s Heartguard Dragon Scale to activate,” Leon added.
Noa clicked her tongue, “But how do we figure out which one has a similar nature to Ravi’s magic?”
If they grabbed the wrong one and couldn’t activate the reversal magic, this entire trip to the Empire would’ve been a huge waste.
However, Leon simply said,
“Isn’t that easy?”
Noa glanced sideways at him.
The old general pulled a black cloth bag out of his pocket.
“We’ll just take them all, won’t we?”
Oh no.
This is giving me ‘Sun Wukong joining the Peach Garden staff’ vibes.
…
At the entrance, Leon pinned a black pouch to his waist, stuffed full with dragon scales meant to protect the heart.
He and Noa approached the entrance, one behind the other.
Seeing them, the guard deactivated the barrier, allowing the two to pass safely through.
“My lord, how was the inspection? You didn’t lose any scales, right?” the guard asked with a smile, a self-satisfied tone in his voice.
None were missing?
Wrong.
None were left.
Correct.
Although General Leon had never been a thief, he understood one thing well: A thief never leaves empty-handed.
In response to the guard’s question, Leon subtly nodded and gave a muffled “Not bad, keep it up. I’ll put in a good word for you with the higher-ups.”
“Th-thank you, my lord!”
Leon held a straight face, but sneaked a glance at Noa, silently communicating with his eyes:
See that? He’s thanking us!
Noa rolled her eyes.
“My lord, it’s getting late. We should go,” Noa said.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Footnotes:
- 996– jiǔ jiǔ liù (九九六): A work schedule that refers to working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. It’s commonly associated with high-pressure jobs in Chinese tech companies.
- Sun Wukong joining the Peach Garden staff– sūn wùkōng jiārù pántáoyuán de gǎn jué (孙悟空加入蟠桃园的感觉): This is a reference to the famous Chinese tale Journey to the West, where Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) causes chaos when put in charge of guarding the heavenly peaches. Here, it’s used to convey the mischief and trouble Leon might cause by taking all the scales.
