Martin had arranged two royal freight carriages in total.

Although the city was currently under lockdown, once the royal carriages appeared, no one dared to question them too much. At most, a few guards would exchange a couple of words with the coachmen before letting them pass.

After all, no one could possibly suspect that the highest-ranking fugitive of the Empire twenty years ago had just stolen the Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale and then slipped into a royal carriage.

Inside the cargo compartment, Leon and Noa squeezed their shoulders in a corner, swaying lightly with the rapid motion of the carriage.

Noa hugged her long legs to her chest, leaning against Leon as she muttered, “Sometimes I wish my father were a top-tier sorcerer who could change his size at will. That way, we wouldn’t be so cramped now.”

“A sorcerer who has the sickness of incontinence? I’m not sure if that’s considered top-tier, but it’s definitely low-class,” Leon joked, playing on the wordplay with his daughter.

Noa showed the whites of her eyes with a giggle. “Aurora says your pick-up lines are terrible, but you seem pretty good with words to me. So, was it you or Mom who first opened up your heart back then?”

“It was your mom, of course. Do you think it was me?”

“Hmph... It must’ve been the first time when you came back to the Empire, right? Mom hugged you and said a lot.”

Leon was taken aback. “She told you about that?”

“Yeah.”

Noa continued, “Mom isn’t great at expressing her feelings. She’s not the type to take initiative in relationships, either. I can’t even imagine how much courage she had taken to say all those things to you at the time. She probably thought that... she would never see you again. That’s why she said that.”

Leon pressed his dry lips together and fell silent.

Looking back at his relationship with Roswitha, it was true that the most pivotal moment happened on the day they parted for the first time.

Roswitha had taken the initiative to hug him and pour out so many words.

And after he returned from the Empire, she had even mentioned “confessing” her feelings for the first time.

But Leon had never responded to her directly.

Noa’s words just now struck a chord in Leon’s heart.

Roswitha wasn’t great with emotions—or love—and wasn’t skilled at expressing herself, but every time, she had been the one to take the first step.

Leon still vividly remembered the night when Roswitha urged him to say, “I love you.”

On the surface, it seemed like she wanted Leon to be the one to initiate.

But thinking about it carefully, asking someone to say “I love you” is, at its core, an indication that you’ve already fallen for him—it’s your way of hoping they’ll respond in kind.

That female dragon... How stubborn and proud she was.

Then again, so was he.

“Hey,” Noa nudged Leon’s arms.

“Huh...? What?”

“When we go back, promise me you won’t leave Mom again, okay?”

“When we go back...”

Leon froze momentarily, but he quickly understood what Noa referred to.

She didn’t mean returning to that hidden underground sanctuary. She meant... going back in time.

If fate, in its rare generosity, had given Leon a chance to rescue everything after their dire straits, then the so-called “everything” surely didn’t include Roswitha.

Because to Leon, Roswitha was unique—something that didn’t fit into any category of “everything.”

In Leon’s heart, there existed a little world that belonged solely to Roswitha, and she had filled it completely.

Leon didn’t want to lump Roswitha into his grand mission like “save the future.”

She was his present, his only present.

As for the future, it doesn't belong to her or to him. It belongs to them both.

“I understand, Noa. When we go back, I won’t leave your mom again.”

Noa smiled faintly. “And what about us sisters? Are you just going to ignore us?”

“Of course I won’t leave you either.”

“You can’t be trusted.”

Noa fiddled with her nails, feigning indifference as she added, “What if one day you and your precious wife get all lovey-dovey again and leave us little ones at home while you sneak off on a honeymoon?”

“Well, then you should be happy,” Leon said.

“Why?”

“Because when the honeymoon is over, you might have a new little sister.”

“... So after the mightiest Dragon Slayer and the Silver Dragon Queen come together, the only goal left in life is to keep having babies?”

“Expanding the Melkevi family is my noble duty!”

... ...

At the break of dawn, the two royal carriages arrived at the gates of the Empire.

The number of guards here had at least doubled. All civilian movement was strictly prohibited, and every merchant convoy was subject to inspection.

“Captain, those two look like royal carriages, don’t they?” A new recruit, fresh on the job, caught sight of the slowly approaching carriages.

The guard captain glanced at that direction and nodded. “Yeah, it's abnormal, especially during the lockdown... sending royal carriages out is rare.”

The recruit pursed his lips, hesitating before he said, “I’ll go and check them out.”

Just as he was about to step forward, the captain grabbed his arms firmly.

“What’s wrong, Captain?”

The captain gave him a serious look. “Kid, don’t be stupid. Sure, we’re on lockdown now, but those are bigwigs’ carriages. Don’t go acting like before, insisting on meticulously inspecting every single one.”

The captain was referring to how, just a few days ago, this rookie—lacking any real experience—had insisted on taking military regulations far too seriously. He only earned a meager twenty-gold coin salary while he was worrying as though he were making two hundred. It wasn’t worth the trouble.

Now, during the lockdown, this unusual situation presented a perfect opportunity to teach the rookie a valuable lesson.

After warning, the captain released the recruit’s shoulder. “Go on now. You know what to do.”

The rookie froze in place for a couple of seconds before stiffly nodding his head.

He turned and headed toward the two carriages.

“Hey, clear the way for us! If you delay the lord’s cargo, can you shoulder the responsibility?” The coachman demanded impatiently.

The rookie forced himself to remain calm, squeezing out a smile. “It’s just—well, you know, unusual times, Uncle. I’ll just take a quick look, it won’t take long. Please cooperate with my work.”

“Fucking cooperate!”

The coachman’s tone was tough. “There are so many carriages waiting for inspection. By the time you’re done with us, it’ll be too late!”

“Uncle, with the time you argue with me, I’ll already be finished. Look at that special lane over there—once I’ve checked, I’ll let you take that shortcut.”

The coachman snorted and eventually agreed reluctantly. “Hurry up. Don’t waste my time.”

“Got it, Uncle.”

The rookie let out a quiet sigh of relief.

This was probably his first “negotiation” with personnel from another department.

Not bad... for a start.

The rookie approached the cargo compartment door of the carriage and opened it, peering inside.

It was filled with jars and bottles along with several large wooden crates. From the doorway, nothing seemed out of place.

The rookie hesitated for a moment, then bent down and entered the compartment.

Using the hilt of his sword, he tapped on the wooden crates, producing a dull and heavy sound.

At the very back of the compartment, Leon and Noa were already prepared to strike.

If the rookie discovered them, they would have no choice but to fight their way through the gates.

The footsteps grew closer. Noa stared intently at the floor, slowly raising her right hand. Sparks of electricity flickered in her palm.

However, Leon caught her wrist and pushed it down.

Noa looked up at him.

“Shh,” Leon whispered, pressing a finger to his lips to signal her to hold off for now.

Noa could tell that Leon, too, was drenched in sweat.

Forcing their way through the gates meant facing countless enemies and unknown dangers.

Leon wasn’t afraid of any powerful adversaries; he just knew this wasn’t a battlefield for open combat.

There were hidden currents of danger lurking just beneath the surface, moving somewhere they could not see.

Creak—creak—

The sound of boots creaking against the wooden floor of the compartment grew louder.

The father and daughter huddled tightly in the corner, holding their breath.

This time, Noa was truly about to strike.

If the man took even one more step closer—just one step—she would not hesitate to unleash her power. Leon releasing her wrist meant tacit approval.

But then—

The rookie abruptly stopped.

“The captain... was right. Why am I fussing over a twenty-gold coin salary like it’s worth two hundred?”

The young Empire guard muttered under his breath, then chuckled to himself, turned around, and walked out of the compartment.

Bang—

The compartment door closed, and the guard’s voice called from outside, “All clear, Uncle. You can go ahead—take the special lane here! Oh—don’t forget to mention us gate-keepers to the lords.”

“Yeah, yeah, just open the gate,” the coachman grumbled impatiently.

The carriages began moving again, gradually picking up speed.

Inside the compartment, Leon and Noa finally let out a breath of relief.

“Do you remember that guy just now?” Leon asked.

“Hmm... a few days ago, I think he was insistent on inspecting every merchant carriage thoroughly. He seemed like a really diligent rookie,” Noa responded.

“But in just a few days, he has already learned how to survive in the Empire.”

Noa shrugged. “Quick learner, I guess.”

The rate at which people sink into the mire of corruption is always faster than one can imagine.

The two royal carriages, carrying the Empire’s top fugitive and his three daughters, sped away.