Vol. 4 Ch. 41

Rosvisser lightly tapped her head, sighing in frustration. "How could I forget about him? Unlike other Dragon Kings who have their own lands and subjects, Adam’s a lone wolf—nearly impossible to punish."

Leon nodded, "The recent victories and unexpected developments made us overlook this particular Dragon King, who’s much harder to handle."

"The way dragons live and form their society revolves around the Dragon King’s tribal system. Typically, each Dragon King leads a specific tribe. There’s a general understanding not to interfere with one another, though some form alliances."

“In simpler terms, everyone keeps to their own territories.”

“But out of all the Dragon Kings, Warhammer Dragon King Adam is the exception.”

“He has no territory, no tribe, no subjects.”

As Rosvisser explained, Adam was a true solitary dragon.

A single dragon was his whole tribe.

So he couldn’t care less about the hidden meetings of Dragon Kings or the punishments handed out to those who conspired with the Empire.

What would territorial concessions or fines mean to someone like him?

The man had nothing to lose; if they wanted him, they’d have to kill him. He was the definition of a dragon with nothing to fear.

“And he’s remained out of sight this entire time. Now that the Empire has fallen, he’s probably back to his old line of work as a mercenary, isn’t he?”

When Rosvisser referred to him as a "mercenary," she was talking about Adam’s past profession.

Being unbound by land or kin, he had no fears or obligations. He wasn’t worried about enemies, even though he had plenty.

Because of this, as long as the payment was right, Adam would take on any job for his employer. More often than not, these jobs involved shady dealings—assassinations, arson, espionage.

Leon mused over this for a moment, then shook his head slightly, "Remember the Lady of Shadows I mentioned to you after that meeting with Nacho and the others?"

“Yes,” Rosvisser replied, quickly following his train of thought. “You think Adam might be connected to this Lady of Shadows?”

“Exactly. Nacho and his team never found the runaway Queen Elizabeth, and I’m willing to bet she took refuge with this so-called Lady of Shadows.”

Leon continued, “Whoever could offer refuge to a queen of a fallen empire at her most desperate moment must be far more powerful and cunning than Canter, that puppet king.”

"So, we suspect that this Lady of Shadows is actually the one manipulating the Empire’s relationship with the Dragon Kings behind the scenes, using them to stir up the dragon wars."

"And if she’s working toward some hidden goal, then she would definitely continue her activities in the shadows. And Adam, who’s never revealed himself before…"

“…is likely just one of her pawns.”

Rosvisser had mentioned to Leon before that, as a lone Dragon King, Adam’s true strength was difficult to gauge.

Being in the mercenary trade, without substantial skill, he would have been long dead at the hands of his enemies.

If this Lady of Shadows was indeed orchestrating the human and dragon conflicts for some deeper purpose, then even with the Empire’s collapse and Canter’s disappearance, she would continue playing her cards to complete her mission. And one of those hidden cards could very well be Warhammer Dragon King Adam.

Leon took the worn piece of paper covered in names and looked at it carefully.

“When I met with Nacho, we agreed to split our investigation into the Lady of Shadows across both dragon and human territories. We need to get moving.”

Leon gave a small, confident smile and pulled Rosvisser into his embrace.

"Do you know what kind of enemy is the most terrifying?"

She remained silent, recognizing this as one of Leon’s rhetorical questions, allowing him to continue.

"The scariest enemy isn’t someone whose motives you understand."

“It’s the one whose goals you can’t even guess, yet you know whatever they’re planning can’t be anything good.”

Leon’s fingertips grazed her soft cheek and brushed through her hair as he spoke, “With an enemy like that, we can’t afford to remain passive.”

Rosvisser pondered his words. She understood Leon and his urgency to uncover the truth behind the Lady of Shadows.

During their silent war with the Empire, they had found themselves in several perilous situations due to being too reactive, putting herself and their daughters at risk.

There was the time Canter launched his second assault on the Silver Dragon Sanctuary and the battle with the spatial rift.

Even Leon’s master had been gravely injured. If not for Mistress Xiatou using her protective dragon scale, his master might not have survived…

Rosvisser fully understood Leon’s determination.

“Previously, the Empire’s Dragon King throne used covert alliances to extend the war’s duration, profiting from the chaos.”

Rosvisser said, “But… I still feel that there’s a cloud hanging over this entire matter. After we defeated the Primordial Abyss, overthrew the Empire, and punished the Dragon Kings who betrayed us…"

"Doesn’t something feel… off to you? Like an ominous cloud?”

“Of course.”

Leon felt it too.

Though they had ultimately achieved victory, Leon had not failed his master, the Lionheart Society, or the people of the Empire.

Yet, deep down, he sensed a hidden current of danger quietly slipping away amidst the triumph.

Now, thinking back, he realized that the unsettling feeling he and Rosvisser shared was likely caused by the Lady of Shadows.

“So, since you’ve decided to act, go boldly and do what you need to do.”

Rosvisser gently loosened her embrace, sitting up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, a soft smile playing on her lips.

“No matter what you do, I’ll be with you.”

One of the things Leon adored most about her was her unwavering resolve. Where others might say, “I trust you” or “Do what you need to do,” she would look him in the eye and say,

“I’ll go with you.”

Just as they’d promised each other, they would protect their family together.

So how could she be content just waiting to be protected each time?

She wanted to stand with him in battle, no matter the risks.

Leon paused, smiling warmly. “I know you’ll always be by my side, Rosvisser.”

Rosvisser, known for her strong sense of composure, glanced away briefly—hoping that he wouldn’t see how deeply she truly felt about him (though, truthfully, he probably knew).

After a moment of silence, she returned to the topic at hand.

"So… what’s the next step?"

Leon thought for a moment. “First, we’ll meet with Millerstan. After all, it was his third-in-command who gave us that list, so he might have more information we’re unaware of.”

“All right. Then—”

“I’ll go alone.”

“Did you even listen to what I just said, Your Majesty?”

“Oh, come on. This is just a friendly meeting with Old Canter, not a battle. I don’t need to trouble you, the Dragon Queen, to handle it.”

Leon added, “And…”

“And?”

Leon swallowed, his tone carrying a hint of resigned amusement and caution, “And if we both go, I’m afraid we’ll come back only to find ourselves in the middle of another ‘offering’ ceremony.”

Rosvisser burst into laughter, gently nudging his shoulder. “So that’s what you’re worried about! Fine, I’ll stay home and, in the meantime~~”

Leon raised an eyebrow, “In the meantime?”

“Prepare a grand funeral for you with the girls!”

“You’re impossible, Dragon Queen!”