Vol. 3 Ch. 129

In the early hours of the morning, Nacho returned to the Lionheart Society headquarters with a group of members.

Trailing behind him was Will, his face lit up with a triumphant grin that suggested success.

“Walker, take this kid around to get familiar with the place,” Nacho instructed.

“Understood,” Walker replied, leading an eager Will away.

Nacho then went directly to find Leon, who was studying a large map of the Empire’s five regions.

“All done,” Nacho reported. “We’ve hidden recording stones in all the paper lanterns stored in the warehouse. We also secured the placement locations for the Lantern Festival—there’ll be lanterns in the royal city, the upper district, and the middle district.”

“No coverage for the lower district and the slums?” Leon asked.

Nacho shook his head. “Seems those in the royal family don’t think these areas are worthy of special lanterns.”

Leon chuckled bitterly.

Absurd as it sounded, with the Empire, it somehow made sense.

“No worries. We’ve gathered enough lanterns from other sources to cover the lower district and slums as well,” Leon said. “Now, we just need to wait for the festival to begin. Once we’ve positioned our people, we can launch the lanterns and reveal the Empire’s rotten truth to everyone.”

“Martin’s been quiet, so the Empire doesn’t seem aware of our actions,” Nacho observed. “Our biggest unknown now is what the Empire might pull out as a last resort.”

Leon had discussed this with his mentor earlier. Likely threats included fusion beasts and dangerous creatures.

That’s why Leon had enlisted the help of three powerful allies, including Rosvisser, for this mission.

“With our own aces in play, we’ll be ready. This will be a real fight, and everyone’s prepared for that,” Leon said.

Nacho nodded, about to say something more when he noticed a palpable excitement among the members in the hall.

Curious, Nacho raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s up with everyone? Can’t sleep from nerves?”

Leon grinned, looking around at his comrades.

“Maybe a little nervous, but mostly excited.”

“Excited?”

“Absolutely.”

A young girl with twin ponytails sauntered over, patting Nacho on the arm. “About half an hour ago, the captain gave everyone a pre-battle pep talk. It got everyone totally fired up.”

“Was it really that impressive?”

Coming from a royal background, Nacho had always been skeptical of speeches and pep talks, which he viewed as brainwashing tactics to make subordinates more willing to die.

“Of course it was,” Rebecca chimed in. “Back in the Dragon Slayer Corps, the captain would always give us a huge speech before battle—telling us not to be afraid, to face fear head-on, to ‘offer up our hearts’ and all that. It was a little cheesy, but boy, did it work!”

“This time, though, it was even better. Hearing him talk, it was like… he wasn’t just our captain. He felt like a real leader.”

Nacho glanced at Leon thoughtfully.

In that moment, he finally understood why he’d never won against Leon when they’d been on opposite sides.

Leon was the type who always had a spark inside him, a force that kept him moving forward, no matter how dark things got. He had an incredible ability to stay focused on that glimmer of hope and to inspire everyone around him with his unwavering faith.

Even someone as powerful as Rosvisser, a Dragon Queen, was willing to stand by his side, a testament to Leon’s charisma.

Meanwhile, the Empire, despite its numbers, was fractured at its core. Sustaining loyalty through brainwashing and threats could only lead to backlash.

In terms of rallying people to his cause, Leon was in a league of his own.

“Tell everyone to get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll start our preparations,” Leon said.

“Yes, Captain,” Rebecca replied.

“And Nacho, you’ve worked hard—go rest too.”

“Alright.”

Rebecca and Nacho left, and the other members of the Lionheart Society gradually dispersed to their rooms.

Leon remained seated at the large table in the hall, gazing at the map of the city.

The locations for releasing the lanterns were nearly finalized.

Now, he was focused on mapping out their escape routes.

Only with thorough preparation could he minimize unexpected incidents and casualties.

As the cool night deepened, a soft, white hand rested gently on his shoulder.

“It’s late. You should get some sleep,” a calm voice murmured from behind him.

“Mhm, just a moment,” Leon replied.

Rosvisser sat down beside him, glancing at the map on the table, marked with circles and lines.

As the leader of the Silver Dragons, she understood some strategy and tactics herself and could tell that Leon was working on their retreat plans.

Noticing he seemed stuck, she remained silent, studying the map quietly.

After a long moment, she pointed to an unmarked area on the map.

“How about starting the middle district evacuation point here? There’s a river on the left, and a bit farther on is the east entrance to the lower district. I remember there’s an abandoned dump there—it’d be perfect for regrouping and ambushes.”

Her suggestion immediately clicked.

Leon’s eyes lit up. “Impressive, Your Majesty.”

“You’ve just been awake too long; you’re not thinking clearly.”

She raised her chin proudly. “How much more needs to be mapped out?”

“That was the last piece.”

Leon rolled up the map and stood. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

“Alright.”

Rosvisser blew out the candle on the table. In the dim moonlight streaming from the clock tower, she took Leon’s arm, guiding him toward the rest area.

...

The Lantern Festival—the Empire’s grand annual celebration.

Tonight, all five districts of the Empire, from the wealthiest to the poorest, were immersed in the festival’s lively spirit.

The streets were adorned with colorful paper lanterns, and stalls offered various rare treats and foods.

Children ran around with lanterns in hand, playing and laughing.

Fireworks lit up the sky, forming beautiful patterns that, for a moment, seemed to cover up the Empire’s hidden darkness and decay.

Rebecca stood on a low rooftop in the upper district. She wore a pair of short shorts, and holstered on each thigh was a pistol. She also had an assembled sniper rifle strapped to her back.

Of course, an ADC (Attack Damage Carry) like her wouldn’t work alone; Leon had provided her with two “support” teammates—Nacho and Martin.

“Wow, I didn’t even get this kind of support in the Dragon Slayer Corps, but now I have two spotters!” the sharpshooter said excitedly.

Nacho and Martin lay at the edge of the roof, each holding a pair of binoculars, scanning the streets below.

“Save the excitement for after the battle,” Nacho muttered, eyes fixed on the boundary between the upper district and the royal city. That was where Leon would soon signal the start of the operation.

“You’re the best shot in the Lionheart Society, which is why Leon assigned you the crucial role of sniper,” Nacho added. “When the time comes, you might even need to put a bullet in that dog emperor.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been practicing for ages. My target dummy has always been a big poster of King Canter’s face, so I’m more than ready,” Rebecca said confidently.

“Empire’s top female marksman!” Martin cheered her on.

Rebecca puffed up with pride, wrinkling her nose playfully. “Oh, stop. Let’s keep it low-key.”

“Alright, enough chit-chat.”

Through his binoculars, Nacho saw Leon in position. “Get ready. Wait for Leon’s signal.”

“Got it!”

Meanwhile, down on the bustling street below, Leon moved slowly through the crowd. Dressed in a black hooded cloak, he made his way against the flow of people, walking toward the boundary between the upper district and the royal city.

As he ascended the steps, every step brought him closer to the goal he had been striving toward for years.

The festive atmosphere grew more intense with each step, the air filled with cheers, music, and fireworks.

After climbing the final step, just a few hundred meters separated him from the royal city’s main gate.

From his cloak, Leon pulled out a paper lantern covered in names—the names of the children and teachers from the Casmod Orphanage.

“All debts, all grudges… tonight, they end.”