Vol. 5 Ch. 95

Leon stirred awake, his vision slowly focusing on Rosvisser sitting by his side. Turning his head, he noticed Isha was still in the room as well.

"You’re awake, Leon," Rosvisser said softly, helping him sit up and lean against the headboard.

Hearing her voice, Isha walked over.

"Awake already, brother-in-law? Care to explain yourself?"

Leon blinked in confusion.

"Explain what?"

"Why am I ranked below a donkey in your mental list of important things?"

"…"

Leon looked utterly baffled, scratching his messy hair.

"Big Sister, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

Rosvisser chuckled softly and proceeded to explain the things Leon had said while under Dr. Rachel’s guidance.

After hearing the explanation, Leon gulped nervously.

"That doesn’t count, Sis, it doesn’t count."

"Counts or not, it still happened. If you want it to change, we’ll have to rank things while you’re fully awake," Isha retorted.

"Imagine, after all I’ve done for you, I’m still ranked below a donkey."

"Just let it go, Sis. That donkey is sometimes more important than I am," Rosvisser teased, narrowing her eyes with a playful smile.

"But to be fair, the donkey is adorable. I’ll introduce you two someday."

Isha smirked faintly but didn’t press the matter further. Instead, she asked,

"How are you feeling now, Leon?"

Leon blinked, taking a moment to assess himself, then shook his head.

"Still not great… Wait, where’s Dr. Rachel?"

"She said your symptoms aren’t related to your mental state but recommended someone who might help with your nightmares," Rosvisser explained.

"Who?"

"The Twilight Tower Master," Isha answered.

Leon frowned in confusion. "The Tower Master? Isn’t their specialty spatial magic? How are they supposed to help with dreams?"

Rosvisser shook her head.

"Dr. Rachel didn’t give many details, but she said the Tower Master is the most likely person to help. It’s not a big hassle to visit Sky City tomorrow, so what do you think?"

Leon hesitated, but before he could respond, Isha interjected,

"Rosvisser wrote to me recently, saying you haven’t been eating or sleeping well. She’s been worried sick about you—"

"Big Sister, why are you bringing that up!" Rosvisser blushed slightly, clearly embarrassed about her concern being revealed.

Isha shrugged, making a zipping motion across her lips to indicate she’d stop talking.

"I don’t mind going to Sky City," Leon said, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. "But something about this feels… off. Like it’s not as simple as it seems."

Rosvisser raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Leon furrowed his brow in thought before turning to Isha.

"Sis, how did you come across this Dr. Rachel?"

Isha thought for a moment before answering.

"It was a few weeks ago. I was in Sky City discussing the next phase of cooperation between the Wind Dragon Clan and us."

"After the meeting, the Wind Dragon King suggested we take a stroll through the shopping district. I had nothing else to do, so I agreed. We bought clothes, had ice cream, and—"

"You two went on a date, didn’t you?" Leon interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "That doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with a psychologist."

"Let me finish," Isha said, rolling her eyes.

"During our stroll, we visited a fortune-teller’s shop. The fortune-teller, a woman named Aphra, claimed she could read tarot cards, interpret dreams, and more."

"When she mentioned dreams, I thought about Rosvisser’s letter and asked if she could help with your nightmares. But honestly, I thought she was just a charlatan spinning stories for entertainment."

"Later, as we waited for other Dragon Kings to join the alliance discussions, I happened to meet Dr. Rachel. We got to talking, and the subject of your nightmares came up. She offered to help, so I brought her here."

After finishing her story, Isha sighed and leaned back in her chair, resting her chin in her hand.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect this to require anyone else’s help. Reputation doesn’t always equal reliability, I suppose."

Hearing this, Leon grew more convinced that the situation wasn’t as coincidental as it seemed.

After some thought, Leon spoke plainly.

"Do you think it’s possible the Tower Master deliberately orchestrated this to draw us into something?"

Isha raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.

"What? Why would the Tower Master go to such lengths? Do they have nothing better to do?"

"It’s not impossible," Leon said.

"If they wanted to involve me, they could’ve just sent an invitation directly. There’s no need for such an elaborate setup."

Leon shook his head, explaining further.

"This is about more than cooperation or defeating the Shadows. The Tower Master wants control—over the partnership, over the flow of information, and ultimately over the outcome."

"By creating a situation where we need their knowledge, they’re forcing us into a position of dependence. It’s a game of silent negotiation, a battle of leverage. And right now, they’re waiting for the perfect opportunity to tip the scales in their favor."

Rosvisser nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful.

"Whether through honesty or manipulation, they want to dictate the terms of this alliance. We need to tread carefully."

Leon exhaled, then smiled faintly.

"But if Dr. Rachel was sent by the Tower Master to lure us in, it also means they’re running out of patience."

Isha’s eyes lit up.

"That’s true. If they’re going to such great lengths to involve you, it means they’re getting desperate."

Leon stood and walked to the window, gazing at the horizon.

"Desperate or not, we won’t know until we go and find out for ourselves."