Finally, the mole who had betrayed him three years ago and framed him was eliminated. Yet, Leon felt no joy of victorious revenge.

At this moment, his emotions were rather complex.

Compared to the satisfaction of avenging himself, there was a greater sense of confusion.

Could a person really abandon their principles and beliefs over something as trivial as being the "eternal second"?

Victor becoming a dog for the Empire—perhaps there were other reasons.

But Leon would never know, because a corpse doesn't talk.

Just as the Empire had once blamed the failures of the war and the betrayal on "a dead man" like Leon.

Of course, Leon had no regrets killing Victor.

A traitor must never be allowed to live.

Keeping him alive would not only pose a threat to Leon but also to his mentor, Rebecca, and Martin.

Leon adjusted his state and handed the two guns back to Rebecca.

One of them had been used to execute Victor, while the other was the blank-firing gun he assembled at Rebecca's house on the first day he returned to the Empire.

"I was wondering where that gun had disappeared to. Turns out it’s been with you all along," Rebecca said.

Leon withdrew his gaze from Victor's corpse and turned around, offering a weary smile. "You're not the least bit anxious about losing your gun?"

"I thought I just misplaced it in some corner of my house," Rebecca replied. She then carefully secured the gun. "You know, Martin and I are homebodies. Our place is always chaotic, so it's no surprise if we lose something."

Standing nearby, Martin winced in pain, clutching his chest, and attempted to defend himself. "Rebecca, my room is very clean. And I'm not a recluse, I simply prefer not to go outside."

"Preferring not to go outside makes you a recluse. What else could the definition possibly be, then?" Rebecca retorted confidently.

Martin, unable to argue, quietly shut his mouth.

Holding his chest, he steadied himself on the dining table and walked over to Victor's body.

Their former vice-captain lay lifeless, bathed in a pool of blood.

After a brief silence, Martin sighed deeply. "Why on earth would Victor help the Empire frame our captain...?"

Leon slowly shook his head. "Pondering the motives of a pawn is meaningless. It's better to simplify the question: why is the Empire so desperate to get rid of me?"

Coming from a ministerial family, Martin quickly surmised a reason. "Too powerful to be controlled?"

Following his graduation from the Dragon Slayer Academy, Leon had risen from an ordinary soldier in the Dragon Slayer Army to become the legendary “Strongest Dragon Slayer” within just a few years.

In terms of both strength and charisma, Leon was undoubtedly worthy of this title.

His growing prestige among the people and widespread support within the Dragon Slayer Army made him a potential threat to the Empire's central authority.

Leon had indeed contemplated this—did his emergence make him a thorn in the Empire's side, a threat they needed to eliminate to ensure consolidated power?

But this couldn't explain the Empire’s collaborative relationship with the Dragon Clan.

Or perhaps these were two entirely unrelated matters...

"I think the reason the Empire targeted you, kid, goes beyond just being too powerful to control," a voice said from behind.

Leon and the other two turned their heads to see Tiger leaning against the doorway, clutching his katana.

"In my youth, I experienced things that made me realize the Empire's strength and darkness. That’s why I've always advised Leon to focus solely on warfare and not to meddle in political affairs," Tiger said. "At the time, Leon’s understanding of power wasn't significant enough for the Empire to urgently eliminate him, so there must be something more to this."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Maybe it really does have something to do with the Dragon Clan. This war that has lasted for hundreds of years still holds countless secrets and conspiracies beyond our knowledge. Killing Victor, a mere pawn, won't stop the Empire from hunting Leon. We have a long road ahead of us."

Tiger's words cast a heavy atmosphere over the room.

Indeed, getting rid of a mole didn’t mean much.

Victor was merely a puppet being controlled—the true perpetrator pulling the strings had yet to reveal themselves.

To kill Leon, they had even dispatched Constantine, a Dragon King.

What other measures would they take next?

A stronger Dragon King? Or something else entirely?

Leon didn’t know.

The Empire, standing tall for thousands of years on the vast lands, had depths far beyond what Leon could presently fathom.

He needed more time and deeper exploration to uncover the layers of mist shrouding the truth.

But before that...

Leon looked over at Rebecca and Martin.

"The Empire will soon discover that we've killed Victor. My pursuit will escalate from being 'stabbed in the back by a mole' to an outright wanted fugitive alert. Martin, you're relatively safe, as no one knows you were with us tonight. Besides, your father can protect you."

Leon continued, "But... Rebecca... I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess. Once the situation calms down, Master and I will escort you out of the Empire to a safe place. Master, can you take Rebecca to Master's wife?"

Tiger scratched his head and raised an eyebrow. "I can... but, well, the thing is, your Master's wife has returned to her family, and I don’t really get along with her kin..."

"Master, you've been married to Master's wife for thirty years and still aren’t familiar with her family?"

Tiger's old face turned red. "What does being married for thirty years have to do with anything? Thirty years doesn’t mean we’re close... We don’t often visit. Mind your business, kid."

Leon was at a loss. "I see... That’s a bit tricky, then. How about this: Rebecca can stay with Martin for the time being. At least we can ensure her safety for a while. After all, the Empire wouldn’t just barge into a minister’s residence to search for someone, right?"

Tiger nodded. "That’s not a bad idea. Martin, what do you think?"

"I don’t mind. Rebecca is welcome to stay at my house for as long as she likes. I’ll prove to her that I’m not a recluse," Martin replied.

"Alright, then—"

"I object!"

The twin-tailed young girl raised her hand high. "While I appreciate you three deciding my fate for me, could you perhaps consider my own thoughts on the matter?"

The trio turned to her in unison.

Leon already anticipated this wild girl's plan. "You’re not thinking about joining me and Master as wanted fugitives, are you...?"

"Of course! Don’t forget, we’re the the motley crew of the old, frail, and wounded! Without me, you’d just be an old and disabled duo! How awful does that sound?"

Rebecca added with an air of seriousness, "Besides, isn’t having a beautiful girl in the team a requirement?"

Leon raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You... a beautiful girl?"

"Beauty, Young, Girl! How am I not a beautiful girl!"

To be fair, Rebecca did fit the public’s impression of what a “beautiful girl” should look like.

Coupled with her vibrant personality, perfectly proportioned thighs, and signature twin tails, she’d certainly strike the weak points of certain individuals’ preferences.

Unfortunately for her, their captain wasn’t into that.

Of course, she also knew this this clueless, straight-as-a-ruler man found no appeal in her style.

He's into glamorous, silver-haired onee-samas~~

But that didn’t grant him the right to deny her status as a beautiful girl!

Taste is subjective; being a beautiful girl is an objective fact!

Leon stopped provoking her buttons and got serious.

"But coming with us would be dangerous. Are you sure about this?"

"I already told you, Captain, the biggest danger isn’t defying the Empire—it’s wasting away in a patrol unit."

Rebecca declared resolutely, "That’s settled. Don’t even think about ditching me."

Leon had considered that Rebecca might insist on staying but didn’t expect her to stick with such determination.

Oh well, once this wild girl made a decision, not even Leon could change it.

"Uh... Captain," Martin quietly interjected.

Leon startled and quickly said, "You’re staying home and out of this mess, understand?"

It wasn’t that he doubted Martin’s capabilities; he just didn’t want to drag another exceptional junior into danger with him.

Besides, Martin, unlike Rebecca, wasn’t alone in the world. Martin, born into a minister’s family, may not have a life of all sunshine, but he’d never lack for material comfort.

Leon couldn’t destroy Martin's bright future for his own cause.

"No, no, I won’t burden you, Captain," Martin explained quickly. "I just thought that, if I stay at home, I could help gather intelligence about the Empire. Don’t worry—I know the methods, and I’ll be careful."

Leon folded his arms, frowning in thought.

Seeing that Leon didn’t respond, Martin pressed on, "Captain, let me contribute somehow."

Rebecca chimed in to advocate for Martin, "That’s right, Captain. Ever since you got into trouble, Martin has been dispirited. Now that you’re back, his life finally has some hope. You can’t just pour cold water on his fighting spirit."

After considering for a while, it seemed like the only option was to agree.

Leon sighed. "Fine. But only if you guarantee your safety first while gathering information. Got it?"

Martin’s eyes lit up. "Yes, Captain!"

Clap—

Rebecca clapped her hands together. "Great! Now we can update the team name to 'Elderly, weak, disabled, and recluse!'"

"I told you, I’m not a recluse!" Martin protested feebly.

Rebecca stuck out her tongue at him. "Look, the recluse is throwing a fit~ RLook, the recluse is throwing a fit~"

But at this moment, Tiger, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke,

"Leon, you cannot stay in Empire."