After a few hours of flying, Roswitha and Leon arrived at the border between human territory and the lands of the Dragon Clan.

She led Leon to the mountain ravine where Taige had hidden back then.

Since it was unclear whether Taige was currently in the Empire or had already left, they decided to check out the place briefly while passing through.

Leon stood at the edge of a sheer, perilous cliff, gazing at the torrential waterfall and abyss below. He couldn’t help but marvel, "Did my master really hide himself here?" He couldn’t help but marvel."

Roswitha nodded, "Do you still think your master is just an ordinary farmer?"

To find such a secretive hideout—and even live there for a period of time—this wasn’t something an ordinary farmer could achieve.

His master, that old man... just how many secrets was he still hiding?

Once they reunited, Leon was determined to get the answers.

Roswitha and Leon slowly descended into the treacherous ravine, arriving at the same waterfall from before. Flexing her wings, she created a gust of wind strong enough to part the water, forming a gap in the waterfall.

The two of them passed through the gap and found themselves in a concealed cave.

Leon stepped inside, with Roswitha following closely behind.

The wooden furniture Roswitha had seen during her last visit was still there, but...

She traced the table’s edge, gently brushing her hand across its surface, revealing a layer of thick dust. This suggested that the place had been abandoned for quite some time.

Leon had noticed this as well. He ventured deeper into the cave, but still came up empty-handed. "My master and mistress aren’t here."

After a pause, he glanced inside one more time with a trace of reluctance, adding, "Not even the donkey."

Roswitha remembered that Sherry had mentioned before: when Taige left the Empire for this secluded place, he had sold his farm and livestock. The only exception was the donkey, which he took with him.

This implied that the donkey—one of the rare four-legged, long-eared creatures to have ever injured Leon—held a special place in Taige’s family.

And now, neither the master, the mistress, nor the donkey were here...

"In that case, there are only two possibilities," Roswitha concluded.

"Either your master has already resolved the problems in the Empire, picked up your mistress and the donkey, and is now waiting for you to return home; or... the issue remains unresolved and has turned out to be far more complicated than he anticipated. In that case, he might not have had the capacity to care for your mistress, so he temporarily relocated her elsewhere."

Leon nodded, pondering briefly before saying, "Let’s keep moving."

Seeing Leon’s urgency, though he tried to maintain his composure, Roswitha opened her mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.

In the end, she simply murmured an almost inaudible "Mm," spread her wings, and led Leon away from the area.

The two of them remained quiet along the journey.

She could sense Leon's tense and repressed mood, just as Leon could feel the emotions Roswitha was trying to hold back.

The two, who would normally bicker endlessly whenever they met, now couldn’t find anything to say to each other.

The only sounds surrounding them were the roaring winds, which unsettled Leon’s thoughts.

As they entered human territory, Roswitha activated a cloaking spell and slowed their pace, proceeding cautiously.

Human lands were not somewhere they could trespass lightly—every additional step forward increased the risk.

Back when Leon had first awakened, Roswitha had brought him back to the forest near the Empire.

At the time, still reveling in her sadistic glee, she had vowed to drag him there every month to thoroughly humiliate his dignity and beliefs.

That first time, however, turned out to also be the last. Roswitha wasn’t willing to put herself in such danger just to torment Leon.

Unexpectedly, here they were again in human territory, but for a purpose entirely opposite from their last visit.

From "keeping him by her side forever" to "personally sending him back to his homeland"... the contrast was too stark.

And the emptiness in the queen's heart was far too vast.

After several more hours of travel, they finally reached the Empire.

Roswitha landed in the same forest as before. From this vantage point, the Empire unfolded before her.

Leon stood at a high point, gazing at his distant homeland.

The dazzling city lights reflected in his dark pupils, evoking a flood of mixed emotions.

His homeland was still his homeland, but was the "Empire" still the "Empire"?

Last time he had stood here, it had been his unwavering faith, the boundary worth guarding with his life.

Now, at this very moment, the Empire resembled a sleeping beast. No one knew whether it would wag its tail submissively at him or open its gaping maw to unleash a ferocious roar.

Leon clenched his fists tightly, his breathing becoming involuntarily heavy.

He rarely feared tangible entities—be they dragons, dangerous beasts, or anything else. Confronting them had never frightened him.

But now, staring at the once-sacred Empire he had sworn to protect, a baseless fear rose within him.

His master had once said, monsters with physical forms aren’t scary. What’s truly terrifying are the unseen and untouchable things within human hearts.

Leon's pupils quivered slightly as an icy chill washed over him, pressing down on him so heavily he could barely breathe.

Instinctively, he took a half-step back, recoiling from this invisible dread.

But just then, warmth spread across his back.

Leon froze, then slowly lowered his head, looking at the slender arms wrapped around his waist.

The softness and warmth from behind instantly dispelled all the chilling fear and unease before him.

"Roswitha..."

He tried to turn around, but she stopped him with a stern tone, "Don’t move. Stay still. Don’t look back."

Leon could feel her forehead resting gently against his back.

Her embrace wasn’t tight—it was unclear if it was because she didn’t dare to... or because she simply couldn’t.

Looking at the pale, delicate hands clasped around his waist, Leon hesitated for a moment before reaching up and placing his hand lightly over hers.

A night breeze swept through the forest, stirring the leaves into a soft rustling sound.

Cicadas chirped out of the black depths of night, and fireflies danced around them. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, sprinkling silvery light across her cascading hair.

Ahead of Leon lay the perilous Empire and the answers waiting from his master;

Behind him stood his one-time adversary, who had now become his constant companion.

After a long silence, Leon spoke softly,

"Once I’ve dealt with the trouble, I’ll—"

"I won’t wait."

Roswitha cut him off, like a stubborn girl upset, interrupting him before he could finish.

She had been holding back for too many days now. Even along the way, she had made every effort to restrain herself.

Now, with only minutes left until they would part ways, she surrendered to her emotions. She wanted to be selfish just this once—even if only for a fleeting moment.

"Why should I wait for you? Who are you to me? I won’t wait. I don’t want to."

Leon bit his lip and lowered his shoulders in defeat. "I’m sorry."

She tightened her hold around him, her voice trembling with unrestrained emotion.

"Don’t let anything happen to you, Leon. Promise me, don’t let anything happen..."

Indeed, selfishness didn’t suit her.

Leon gritted his teeth and firmly grasped her wrist, letting her feel the determination in his grip.

"I promise, Roswitha. Nothing will happen to me."

She didn’t respond but continued to hold him from behind.

After a while, Leon asked softly, "What about the girls? How will you explain it to them?"

"I’ll handle it myself," Roswitha replied after calming her emotions. "If you can’t resolve the Empire’s issues soon, then every three months, as long as you’re still alive, go to that mountain ravine where your master once hid. That’s near the border between human and Dragon Clan lands—it’s relatively safe. I’ll explain everything to the girls and take them to see you."

Clearly, this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. With her personality, she had undoubtedly planned it all out in advance, Leon thought to himself.

"Did you hear me?" she pressed, lightly nudging his back with her forehead.

"Yes, yes, I heard you."

"Every three months. Don’t you dare skip it. Got it?"

"If you’re still alive, go there."

"Every three months, no excuses."

For Roswitha, such words were already as straightforward as she could make them:

She needed Leon to stay alive.

"I remember. I’ll be there on time."

Roswitha closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

"Lastly, give your daughter a name."

"You want me to name her?"

Roswitha nodded, quickly adding, "No stars. No wild men."

At her words, the two of them chuckled simultaneously.

She subtly shifted, resting her cheek against his back, hugging him a little tighter. The two swayed gently in the evening breeze.

After some thought, Leon said,

"Then let’s name her Aurora. It means ‘dawn’ and the ‘northern lights.’ After all, our youngest daughter was born at dawn."

"Aurora... perfect. Let’s go with that name."

The smile on Roswitha’s face gradually faded. Reluctantly, she released Leon and took a few steps back, gazing at his silhouette.

"Go now, Cosmod. Do what you must."

The man before her slightly turned his head, the moonlight tracing his resolute profile as the wind brushed through his fringe.

He nodded, then strode forward toward the silent, slumbering beast.

The Silver Dragon Queen stood frozen, watching his figure fade into the distance. She murmured softly,

"Leon, may fortune favor you on the battlefield."