Leon lowered his gaze and spoke in a deep tone, "You're too deep into the act, Rossweise."
She didn't answer, only feeling the warmth of Leon's strong hand as she slowly closed her eyes.
———
As Isa had said, patrolling the borders was a good excuse for a work-related date.
Leon and Rossweise set off early in the morning, with Anna temporarily handling internal clan affairs in His Majesty's absence.
From the Silver Dragon territory to the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan, it would take Rossweise about four hours at her speed.
Upon reaching the border of the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan, Rossweise activated invisibility magic.
"There isn't a single guard at the border?"
Leon, sitting on Rossweise's dragon back, looked down, "Are they too preoccupied to manage this place?"
"Yes. When a Dragon King falls, the race he leads often takes years to recover."
Rossweise explained, "Not to mention, the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan made too many enemies in the past. Now that Constantine is dead, naturally, everyone wants to step on them."
"Hah, sounds pretty miserable for them."
"Are you feeling sorry for them now? Who was it that wiped out their leader in an instant?"
Leon bared his teeth in a grin, "That would be me!"
"Tch, idiot."
With a sonic boom, the Queen accelerated, diving deeper into the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan's territory.
By afternoon, the two landed in a forest.
Rossweise took out a map. A simple one drawn by Shirley, whom she had sent ahead to scout the area.
"Further ahead is the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan's main stronghold, though I doubt there will be many people left there."
Rossweise said, "We should rest here in the forest first. It'll be easier to move at night."
"Hmm... But how do we find that confidant?"
Leon asked, "When you probed Maureen's memories, didn't you only see a vague figure?"
"His appearance was blurry, but his build was quite clear."
Rossweise explained, "And since he was Constantine's confidant, he wouldn't have been able to keep a low profile after Constantine's fall. Whether it's internal faction struggles or external revenge, both would force him into the open. So finding him won't be too hard."
Leon nodded thoughtfully, "I see."
Fighting dragons and fishing out traitors, those were things he excelled at. But when it came to politics and factional struggles, Rossweise had a much better grasp.
As they talked, the couple found a tall, lush ancient tree.
Rossweise led Leon to the top of the tree, where the dense leaves provided cover while still allowing for a clear view of the surroundings. Any slight movement would be noticed from this prime vantage point.
"Speaking of which, if we do find that guy, do you have a way to make him talk?"
Rossweise leaned against the trunk and asked.
Leon sat cross-legged in front of her, "Of course. I might not understand your dragon politics, but I'm great at deceiving people."
Rossweise folded her arms and smirked, "Really? Just so you know, mind-probing magic only works when there's a huge power gap. Otherwise, the target will resist."
"No worries, I'm planning to go with psychological warfare this time."
Rossweise raised an eyebrow, intrigued, "Psychological warfare? Tell me more."
Leon smiled mysteriously, "I'll tell you tonight."
"Tch, playing mysterious now?", Rossweise rolled her eyes and yawned lazily.
"You should get some sleep. We've been flying for a long time. I'll wake you when it's time."
"You expect me to sleep against this cold, rough tree trunk?"
Not that she couldn't sleep, Rossweise wasn't that delicate.
But since there was a better option available, she certainly wouldn't settle for less.
Leon saw the mischievous grin on Rossweise's face. She was hinting so blatantly that he couldn't pretend not to understand.
Reluctantly, General Leon stood up, walked over, and sat down beside her.
Without a word, the Queen wasted no time, she turned and leaned against his shoulder.
'Hmm, much better than a tree trunk.'
'The moral of the story: If you're going to find a fake husband, make sure he has a good physique— Comfortable!'
Rossweise's soft body pressed against him, her faint fragrance lingering in Leon's nose. It smelled nice.
However... his arm, pressed under Rossweise, was a little uncomfortable.
But he didn't know where else to put it.
Rossweise opened one eye, sensing Leon's discomfort. She spoke softly, "Just put it wherever feels comfortable."
"Emmm..."
Both of them knew the most comfortable position for this posture.
And Rossweise had already given her approval. She allowed Leon to do as he pleased.
But Leon was hesitant, moving awkwardly.
Seeing his reluctance, Rossweise sighed and mumbled, "Idiot."
She then lifted Leon's arm herself, wrapping it around her and resting his hand on her shoulder.
Then, she snuggled back against him, enjoying her human-shaped pillow.
A beauty nestled in his arms, her soft and delicate back pressed against him. If he lowered his head slightly, his nose would brush against her hair…
'Isn't this position a bit… too intimate?' —So thought General Leon, who had already fathered three children with her.
'Eh, whatever.'
'She told me to do this. I'm just following orders. Not my fault.'
Leon adjusted slightly to make Rossweise more comfortable while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.
———
That night, under the bright moonlight, Leon and Rossweise caught a break.
In the distance, near the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan's main base, a few fires flickered.
Perched on the treetop, the couple observed the scene under the moonlight.
"That doesn't look like the Crimson Flame Dragons."
Rossweise remarked, "They must be outsiders here for revenge."
"Then where are the Crimson Flame Dragon remnants? Hiding?", Leon asked.
Rossweise shook her head, "Hiding would mean giving up their territory. Even without Constantine, his followers wouldn't do that. They're likely hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. Without a Dragon King, any conflict could spiral out of control, so they have to be cautious."
"Oh~ I get it now."
They continued to observe.
After forty minutes, more fires appeared, accompanied by louder footsteps and conversations.
The dragons seeking revenge weren't trying to completely wipe out the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan. Otherwise, they would have sent more forces.
They simply wanted to harass and humiliate them. After all, when a wall collapses, everyone pushes.
Failing to find many Crimson Flame Dragons, the revenge-seekers began indiscriminately attacking the clan's sacred sites and buildings.
Explosions echoed in the night.
Before long, the sounds of battle and shouting erupted.
"They finally showed up. Let's get closer and see. If we're lucky, we might find that guy right away," Rossweise said.
"Wait a second," Leon grabbed her wrist.
"What?"
"I'll go alone. You stay here."
Rossweise raised an eyebrow, smiling, "Are you really that worried about me getting hurt?"
"Save the banter for later. Just stay put, mother dragon. Understand?"
Rossweise pretended to think seriously before replying solemnly, "No."
Leon: ?
"Ever heard an old saying?", Rossweise smirked.
"What?"
"A united couple is as strong as unbreakable gold!"
Your teammate, Rossweise Melkvei, has joined the room. Matching begins now!
———
When the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan invaded the Silver Dragon Clan back then, General Leon conducted a round of indiscriminate layoffs.
Not only did he physically "impeach" their boss, Constantine, but his elite subordinates were also nearly wiped out.
So now, as they face the uprising of various dragon clans, they are struggling to put up any resistance.
Their only advantage is home-ground combat, familiarity with the terrain, and the ability to fight while retreating.
Constantine's remnants may want to find a place to lay low and rise again, but that seems impossible in the near future.
The dragon clans that were previously invaded by the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan would not let go of this golden opportunity. They must take advantage of their weakened state and fiercely bite off a piece of their flesh.
As for whether the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan will slowly recover in the future and seek revenge, that is a matter for another time.
Dragons have always had a fanatical obsession with "revenge."
Take Leon's "Blood Charm" back then, which landed Rossweise with a pregnancy. She gave her all to save him, and once he woke up, she repaid all the suffering she endured with interest.
And now, the dragon clans that had been plundered by Constantine are the same. They know the saying, "When will revenge ever end?" But they don't care.
Returning vengeance is an instinct engraved in a dragon's bloodline, one that has never faded over thousands of years.
Leon and Rossweise crouched on the treetop, watching the show unfold.
The dragons who came to participate in the "kick them while they're down" event were highly efficient. In no time, they forced Constantine's remnants out of hiding.
And so, a delightful game of cat and mouse began.
Although the vengeful dragon clans weren't arrogant enough to believe they could wipe out the entire Crimson Flame Dragon Clan in one go, making these leaderless and demoralized remnants miserable was satisfying enough.
After watching for a while, Leon asked in confusion, "Why does it seem like, aside from Constantine, there's not a single capable fighter in the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan? They're just being chased around."
"You already took out all the strong ones. The ones left now are basically the clan's civil servants, so of course, they have no combat strength," Rossweise replied.
After a pause, she added, "Besides, whether they can fight or not doesn't make much difference to you, does it?"
Leon was momentarily stunned, then thought it over, "That actually makes a lot of sense..."
It's like students scoring 10 and 20 on a test.
From an objective standpoint, a score of 20 is indeed higher than 10, but it's still a "fifty steps laughing at a hundred steps" kind of difference. In the eyes of a true academic prodigy, they're all just failures.
For General Leon, all Crimson Flame Dragons below Constantine—whether they scored 10, 20, or even 30—were all "failures."
That's why Rossweise said, "It makes no difference to you."
Since it was rare for the dragon queen to praise him, Leon decided to milk the moment, "Now you see how powerful I am, don't you?"
Rossweise clicked her tongue and humored him like a child, "Yes, yes, you're amazing, you're amazing."
"Of course I am."
"Hmph... Silver Dragon prisoner," Rossweise muttered.
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