Chapter 97: Pat Yours (Part 2)
“Suit yourself,” Roseweisses said, gently swinging their clasped hands. “But what if my dragon scale never comes back? What will you do?”
“Then I’ll chop off my hand and tie it to your wrist.”
“…I was expecting something a bit more romantic.”
Ah, well. I’ll let it go.
With no alcohol or external enemies around, it was already pretty good for Leon to say, “I’ll reluctantly take care of you more.”
Roseweisses knew her fake husband well, and she was satisfied.
They continued walking toward the edge of the forest.
About half an hour later, they reached the border of their territory.
Beyond this point, they were no longer in Silver Dragon land.
Leon stood near the boundary line, glancing around.
“Are you looking for something?” Roseweisses asked.
“My medal of honor,” Leon replied.
Roseweisses raised an eyebrow. “What medal?”
“Constantine’s head.”
Like how murderers return to the scene of the crime to admire their work, General Leon had the habit of revisiting his “medals of honor.”
“Oh, that.” Roseweisses said, “When the Empire and the other dragon clans joined forces to attack a few months ago, they took Constantine’s head.”
Leon frowned, “What use would a dead dragon’s head be to them?”
Roseweisses shrugged, “The dragons don’t have a habit of collecting heads. I’d guess the Empire took it, maybe using it as a prop for their dragon-slaying army recruitment campaigns?”
Leon snorted, playfully bumping her shoulder, “You’ve got quite the imagination. But you’re not entirely wrong. The Empire has many tricks to recruit for their dragon-slaying army.”
“How did you decide to join the dragon-slaying army back then?”
The couple sat down on a large rock at the forest’s edge.
“It was my master.”
Leon said, “He was a retired dragon slayer. After he adopted me, he raised me by the standards of a dragon slayer. When I was old enough, he naturally sent me to the Dragon Slayer Academy for training. Once I graduated, I enlisted.”
Roseweisses’s eyes flickered slightly. “And if… if your master hadn’t sent you to join the dragon-slaying army, what would you have wanted to do?”
Leon leaned back on the rock, one hand supporting himself, the other still holding Roseweisses’s hand, as he gazed up at the sky.
A few birds fluttered past, and the wind rustled the leaves.
“I’d probably save up some money and move to a remote countryside.”
“Open a ranch, raise some cows and sheep.”
“Oh, and I’d have to raise a donkey too.”
“Then, I’d marry a woman who’s neither too pretty nor too plain.”
“And we’d have a cute daughter.”
“Then I’d wait for time to slowly wither me away. I think, if possible, that’s the life I’d want.”
When he first woke up from the two-year coma, Leon had imagined living such a life.
This thought had always been buried deep in his heart. He had never told anyone.
Not because it was some shameful secret, but because… it just felt like a pipe dream.
Born into a war-torn era, with talents like his, how could he ever live a peaceful life?
Roseweisses propped her chin with one hand, while her other hand traced slow circles on the back of Leon’s hand.
After a while, she said, “Then when the next Silver Dragon King ascends the throne, let’s live just like that.”
Leon froze. “What?”
“Move to the countryside, open a ranch, raise cows and sheep and donkeys, and bring our daughters there to live.”
She paused, then added, “But the part about marrying a woman who’s neither too pretty nor too plain might not come true.”
Leon turned his head and gazed at Roseweisses’s elegant profile, smiling as he picked up on her hint. “Because the woman playing my wife is far too beautiful.”
“Tch, flatterer.”
“You led me to say that, so how does that make me a flatterer?”
“I don’t care, you’re a flatterer. Always complimenting me; who knows what schemes you’re cooking up in that head of yours.”
Roseweisses teased with a laugh.
“Hmm, you’re right. I’ve been plotting all along to seize your throne as the Silver Dragon King.”
After some playful banter, Leon changed the subject.
“Speaking of my master… you’ve seen him and Rebecca recently, right?”
Roseweisses nodded. “Yes. When they found out about the space rift, they started searching for ways to bring you back from within the Empire.”
She paused, then added, “We agreed to meet again in three months, so there are about… twenty days left? Perfect timing to take you with me, so your master can put his mind at ease.”
“Okay.”
Leon responded though he seemed a bit distracted.
Roseweisses blinked her lovely eyes and leaned in to ask, “What’s on your mind?”
“Ah… remember I told you yesterday that in the future, it was Claudia Poseidon of the Sea Dragon Clan who taught our daughters after we were gone?”
“Yes, I remember. But our Silver Dragon Clan has never had any formal ties with the Sea Dragon Clan. There’s no reason for Claudia to look after our daughters, let alone train them.”
“Right. But the book my master gave me, The Gates of the Nine Hells, was also written by Claudia. She even taught that technique to Guanguang.”
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly. “Although it sounds a bit far-fetched, do you think my master might have some connection to the Sea Dragon Clan?”
Roseweisses pondered. “That’s not out of the question. But two dragon clans can’t just casually interact; it could lead to misunderstandings. So, we’ll have to wait and ask your master about it when we meet in twenty days.”
Leon nodded. “It’s strange… Claudia Poseidon has only appeared twice in our lives, and both times were crucial.”
Roseweisses chuckled. “Twice is nothing. After all, if fate wants to bring someone into your life, even a single encounter could change everything.”
Leon glanced sideways at her, noticing how her mischievous and tender smile seemed as if it could command fate itself.
A moment later, Leon’s hand unconsciously tightened around hers.
Roseweisses rested her cheek on his shoulder, her long silvery hair cascading down her back, exuding a faint sweet scent of dragon blood.
The couple sat together on the rock, basking in the warmth of the setting sun, neither of them uttering a word.
This time, it was a truly peaceful silence.
