"What did you say?", Leon didn't hear clearly.
Rossweise turned back with a smile, "Nothing, just praising you."
After a brief chat, the couple refocused on the guerrilla battle below.
"When Shirley came to gather intelligence earlier, she found someone who fits our requirements."
Rossweise said, "He recently became the acting Dragon King of the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan. His faction is also part of Constantine's camp. Even if he isn't the person in Maureen's memory, he must still know a lot of inside information."
Leon's eyes flickered, but instead of focusing on the person Rossweise mentioned, he asked, "The dragon clans also have different factions within them?"
Rossweise nodded, "Of course. Especially for a large and ancient clan like the Crimson Flame Dragons, internal faction struggles may not be outright hostile, but they still stir up trouble whenever possible. Take Constantine's fall, for example. His faction must have put in a lot of effort to keep their hold on power and prevent it from being taken by other factions."
"Their house is on fire, and they're still fighting amongst themselves?", Leon was surprised.
"Power is the most addictive poison in the world. No one can resist it."
Leon thought for a moment and then asked, "So does your Silver Dragon Clan also—"
"Shh~ There's something new happening," Rossweise placed a finger over her lips, signaling Leon to look down.
The new development came at a coincidental moment, stopping Leon from finishing his question.
Rossweise knew he wanted to ask if the Silver Dragon Clan also had factional struggles since the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan did.
The answer, of course, was yes.
However, Rossweise had successfully suppressed or reconciled all such conflicts.
The struggle for power was dark and filthy, filled with countless schemes and tricks. Rossweise didn't want Leon to be exposed to such things yet.
She did want her fake husband to understand the darker aspects of this world to avoid being schemed against in the future, but it had to be a gradual process, not something rushed.
Otherwise… she might end up traumatizing Leon, this bright and cheerful young man, into a state of despair.
She reined in her thoughts and focused on the situation at hand.
Rossweise pointed to the dense flames flickering under the trees, "Looks like they've found the leader and are cornering him."
"Is it the person Shirley reported?"
Rossweise nodded, "Probably."
Leon looked at the panicked Crimson Flame Dragons fleeing below and sneered, "When the sky falls, the tallest ones get hit first. Sitting in the Dragon King's seat isn't easy."
"Well, he's only the acting Dragon King. To be able to stand up and take charge in such chaos is already impressive. If he survives this ordeal, rising again isn't impossible."
Rossweise glanced at Leon, "Now, let's hear about your brilliant plan."
"It's not brilliant, but it'll work. They're handling this guerrilla battle with ease, which means the pressure isn't enough. So, we need to add more pressure."
"I'll follow your lead."
The couple disappeared into the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Meanwhile, below, the external dragon forces were pursuing the remnants of the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan.
"Chase them! Catch up! It's time for revenge!"
"Hey, you Crimson Flame Dragons up front, I actually preferred your arrogant attitude before. Can you bring it back?"
"..."
The Crimson Flame Dragon Clan, though furious, still prioritized retreating.
"Damn it, these guys are like flies! They're not launching full-force attacks or trying to wipe us out, just harassing us non-stop."
"Hmph! A bunch of small fries! They want revenge but fear our lingering power. They don't deserve to be called dragons!"
"Bro, stop boasting. Let's just cover Augus and get to the safe house. Once we're there, we should be able to shake them off."
Augus was the acting Dragon King they had chosen.
As Rossweise mentioned, he was a civil official—because all the military officers had been wiped out by General Lai.
His subordinates had some combat ability, but if they were to engage in a real fight with those pesky pursuers, they might not be able to protect Augus.
So, in this wounded state, it was best to lay low and recover.
"Damn, they know the terrain well. It's hard to catch up to them!"
"Even so, we need to make them suffer! If we don't take a chunk out of them now, once they recover, we'll be in trouble."
"Wait! One of the Crimson Flame Dragons just got taken down? Who did it? There's a reward!"
The situation in the chase subtly changed.
The Crimson Flame Dragons, who had been retreating and fighting back with ease using the terrain, started losing people one by one.
"W-What's going on? An ambush?"
"Cowards! Attacking from the shadows isn't honorable! If you're a true dragon, face me in battle!"
"Bro, the more you talk, the worse it gets. Just run!"
Under the protection of his fellow dragons, Augus was getting closer to the safe house.
However, as his kin had pointed out, their numbers were gradually decreasing.
This meant that among their pursuers, there was an incredibly fast assassin, far stronger than their group.
'Someone who can silently take people out one by one… Who is it?'
Augus pondered, 'Silver Dragons? After all, only Rossweise's race has such ghostly speed.'
But Silver Dragons sacrificed their offensive power for speed. No matter how fast they were, they shouldn't be able to kill a Crimson Flame Dragon instantly and escape unnoticed.
'Who is it…'
Augus didn't have time to think. He had to reach the safe house as soon as possible.
However, before he could take a few more steps, a streak of ghostly blue light slashed past the back of his head, and another Crimson Flame Dragon fell.
Augus immediately turned and unleashed a blast of dragon fire.
But there was no one behind him.
The remaining Crimson Flame Dragons quickly surrounded Augus to protect him.
"That speed… Is it a Silver Dragon?", Some started suspecting.
"No, that was clearly lightning magic… Since when do Silver Dragons use lightning magic?"
"You idiot! Did you forget how King Constantine died? He was taken down by someone using lightning magic in armor—wait… don't tell me… he's here?"
The guards panicked, scanning the surroundings with heightened vigilance.
Augus stared into the darkness. He had never seen the so-called 'armored man who wielded lightning magic' with his own eyes.
On the day King Constantine led the expedition, Augus had been ordered to stay behind.
A civil official was not suited for the battlefield.
That decision had saved his life. According to the survivors, if he had been there, the armored man probably wouldn't have spared him either.
But in the end, he couldn't escape forever.
The one who killed King Constantine… had finally come.
A sharp bird cry interrupted Augus's thoughts.
By the time he snapped back to reality, two more of his guards had collapsed.
"I-It's him! It has to be him!! Lightning Rush… so fast!"
"Hah! You think a little lightning magic scares me? Show yourself, and I'll tear you apart with my own hands!"
"Bro! You f***ing—never mind, I give up. Just let the world burn."
Cold sweat dripped down Augus's forehead.
Oppression.
This was the oppressive presence the survivors had described…
Even though he hadn't seen the armored man wielding lightning magic yet, Augus could feel it.
'Such overwhelming power… No wonder King Constantine has fallen to him.'
'And he… is merely a human.'
"There's movement over there! Quick, chase after them!"
The pursuers who had heard the sound of thunder hurried over.
The remaining guards stood in front of Augus.
"Run! Get to the safe house, as fast as you can! We'll stay and draw them away!"
Augus dared not linger. He turned and sprinted toward the safe house at full speed.
Before long, the sounds of magical clashes erupted behind him.
After covering some distance, Augus realized that the thunder-wielding figure had not attacked again. It seemed the guards had successfully lured him away.
Augus stopped and looked back. The battle was still raging in the distance.
"Former King… what should I do…", Augus muttered to himself.
"If you really want to know how your former king would answer, I don't mind sending you to his side," A foreign voice came from behind.
It was as if an electric current had shot through Augus's spine. He froze in place, and every pore on his body seemed to exude the raw essence of fear.
Footsteps slowly approached.
Augus's heartbeat quickened.
Clenching his teeth, he summoned every ounce of strength he had left, turned around, and unleashed a scorching burst of dragon flame.
But the opponent's lightning was clearly superior, effortlessly shattering Augus's fire.
At that moment, Augus realized the identity of the person before him.
"Leon Casmodeous…"
"Oh? So I'm quite famous, huh?"
The lightning-wielder stepped out from the shadows, his right hand crackling with blue arcs of electricity, ready to launch another attack at any moment.
Augus forced himself to remain calm and quietly took half a step back.
Seeing that Leon hadn't noticed his small movement, Augus suddenly unfurled his dragon wings, intending to escape into the sky.
This human was undoubtedly powerful, but in the end, he could not fly.
Meanwhile, the dragon pursuers behind had been drawn away. Augus could completely retreat to the safe house from the air.
It was a good plan—until reality dealt him a brutal blow.
Just as he looked up, a silver figure descended from the sky.
Boom!
A thick cloud of dust erupted as the ground shook.
When the dust settled, Rossweise was standing on Augus's arm, her silver dragon wings spread wide behind her.
"Well, well. You knew I couldn't fly, so you tried to escape into the sky."
Leon clapped a few times in mock admiration as he slowly walked toward Augus, "But my wife can fly. Didn't see that coming, did you?"
Rossweise, who had been maintaining a serious stance, nearly broke character at the words "my wife."
She glared at Leon, her face turning red.
If they hadn't agreed on this "brilliant" plan in advance, she would have already complained about him a thousand times in her head.
Rossweise withdrew her gaze, then kicked Augus toward Leon before folding her dragon wings and stepping to his side.
Augus sat up in disarray, looking at Leon before turning his gaze to Rossweise.
"To think that the Dragon Queen would actually mate with a human… What a disgrace to our kind."
"We—"
"So what?", Rossweise's voice was cool and steady, "I married a good husband. My daughters have a good father. I fail to see what's disgraceful about that."
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