Due to Leon's human identity, it wasn’t very convenient for Leon to roam around the Sea Dragon Palace without Claudia’s company.

Thus, after getting up in the morning, he and Roswitha stayed in their room the entire time.

After finding out last night that Roswitha's Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale had been transplanted into him, Leon felt quite complicated.

The importance of the dragon scale was something even he, as a human, understood very well.

Although Roswitha had reassured him that she initially transplanted the dragon scale to aid her future revenge, it was still something so precious and even tied to Roswitha's very life.

How could Leon truly accept it with a clear conscience?

He sat at the tea table on the balcony, his hand briefly touching his chest.

His heartbeat was firm and strong.

And the one who had brought his heart back to life was Roswitha.

“You’ve been silent the whole morning; how do you even manage that?”

A cold, indifferent female voice sounded from behind him.

Leon turned his head slightly, noticing Roswitha sitting on the other side of the table.

She casually crossed one leg over the other, and the hem of her dress slid down her smooth thigh, the black trim faintly visible.

But Leon wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the queen’s early morning “bonus.”

“Still hung up on the dragon scale issue?”

Seeing that the foolish man wasn’t in the mood for flirting, Roswitha set her legs down and prepared to have a proper conversation with him.

Leon withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and gave a muffled "mm" in response.

Roswitha sighed with a helpless chuckle and shook her head.

She propped her head against her hand, her gaze lazily fixed on the undersea world beyond the balcony.

“I didn’t tell you all this time because I was worried you’d start overthinking.”

“You gave me something as important as the Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale—how could I not overthink it?”

“Well then, what emotions are you feeling right now? Guilt? Gratitude? Or something else entirely?”

Leon contemplated the question carefully before shaking his head.

“It’s complicated. I honestly can’t pinpoint how I feel.”

Roswitha let out a sarcastic laugh. “Well then, why don’t you have a proper chat about it with your mentor? You two should have plenty of shared topics now.”

“What makes you say that?”

Roswitha sat up straight, lifting her hand to tick off her fingers one by one.

“Both of you are Dragon Slayers; both of you have uncovered the Empire's schemes; both of you have a Dragon Clan wife; and both of you were saved by your wife’s Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale.”

*Clap!*

The queen cheerfully clapped her hands together.

“That reminds me of a song. Ahem—”

“When I grow up~ I’ll become you~”

Leon couldn’t help but laugh at the queen’s random, nonsensical joke.

Seeing him laugh, Roswitha dropped her playful act.

Hmph, this fool should feel lucky—this queen personally lowered herself to cheer him up. Not just anyone gets such treatment.

“You’re laughing now, so you’re not allowed to mope again.”

Afraid that Leon might sink back into his brooding thoughts the very next second, Roswitha quickly reminded him.

Leon nodded. “Alright.”

Roswitha typically didn’t act like this, but he was her only husband, after all.

If she didn’t cheer him up, who else would?

Luckily, Leon was the type to go along with her good intentions, neither dragging things out nor wallowing endlessly in his emotions. Otherwise, he’d seem a bit melodramatic.

“By the way, my inability to gather magic before—was that also related to your Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale?” Leon asked.

Roswitha nodded.

“After the dragon scale was transplanted into you, it required a massive amount of magic to function properly.”

“Strictly speaking, given your physical condition back then, you shouldn’t have fallen into a coma for two years just from the side effects of the Blood Affliction.”

“But after I transplanted the dragon scale to you, all of your magic power was drained by it, leaving your body severely weakened. Combined with the impact of the Blood Affliction, you ended up unconscious for such a long time.”

Leon nodded thoughtfully after hearing her explanation.

“So, even now, after all these years, I still can’t rely on my own magic reserves?”

“Most likely not,” Roswitha replied. “For us in the Dragon Clan, it takes at least two hundred years to fully cultivate a Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale. During that time, the scale needs to be constantly nourished with magic. You’re only five years in; strictly speaking... there’s still about a hundred and fifty years left to go.”

Leon swallowed nervously. “O-one hundred and fifty years... By then, I’ll already be dust. What use will the dragon scale be then...?”

“Hmph, by that time, I’ll just retrieve my dragon scale from your ashes, clean it up, and put it back in my body,” Roswitha replied with a completely serious face.

“...Do you think it’s a colored contact lens or something? Like you can just casually put it back in.”

“In any case,” Roswitha said, “with the current situation, you can only rely on the magic stored in your Dragon Mark for combat.”

She paused and added, “Of course, the dragon scale can also serve its original purpose when necessary.”

“Its... original purpose?”

“Yes, in your terms, it’s like a safety mechanism to ensure you won’t be harmed by your own magic.”

“Got it, understood.”

After discussing the dragon scale, Roswitha shifted the conversation to a more pressing matter.

“So, what do you plan to do next?”

Leon understood what Roswitha was getting at.

He reached into his pocket and took out the Recording Stone Rebecca had given him yesterday. It contained critical evidence of the Empire's collusion with the Dragon Clan—using war to exploit the people.

If this evidence were made public, it would not only expose the Empire’s evil deeds and save the people from their suffering but also clear Leon’s name from the charge of treason.

“We now have evidence strong enough to bring down the Empire. I think it’s time for us to take the initiative.”

Leon clenched the Recording Stone in his hand, his tone heavy with determination.

“Besides, if we wait any longer, more lives will be lost.”

His mentor’s near-death experience had deeply impressed upon Leon the truth of the saying, “Sacrifice is the price of revolution.”

He understood this sentiment, but when it played out before his eyes, it was much harder to accept.

To prevent more needless bloodshed, Leon knew he had to end this charade as quickly as possible.

“A full-scale confrontation?”

Roswitha carefully considered his words, helping him analyze the situation.

“If the Empire could create a monstrous hybrid like Constantine, it’s likely they have even more extreme measures and stronger trump cards up their sleeve.”

“And let’s not forget that trio of infamous swordsmen who’ve been making waves recently. Even if one of them lost an arm to your mentor, their strength is still formidable.”

“So if you’re determined to take on the Empire head-on and expose their schemes to everyone, you’ll need allies.”

Leon deliberated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

“The Empire has the Lionheart Association my mentor founded as an inside force, but that soft approach won’t be enough on its own. We’ll also need... some hard power.”

“I can go with you,” Roswitha offered.

“No—”

“No what? Do you think I’d let you go alone?”

The queen rolled her eyes at him, then turned her head away, awkwardly muttering under her breath, “I’d be worried about my Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale, that’s all.”

Leon froze momentarily before breaking into a knowing smile.

“Alright. Then this time, let’s go as husband and wife, united and unstoppable.”

“Corny. Try again.”

“Uh... Silver Dragon rides forth; nothing shall remain!”

“Too edgy. I hate it.”

After that exchange, the couple fell silent for a moment.

They looked at each other, paused briefly, then burst into laughter simultaneously.

“Alright, but just me helping you probably won’t be enough. We also need to account for the possibility that some of the Empire’s Dragon Slayer Army might still side with them even after learning the truth. So...”

“Let’s see if we can get Claudia to lend a hand,” Leon suggested.

“Yeah, especially since the Sea Dragon Clan has their own grievances with the Empire.”

Roswitha added, “Is that enough, though? Should we find a Dragon King-tier ally as well?”

Leon thought for a moment. “If we’re looking for people with grudges against the Empire...”

“I do have someone in mind who’d be perfect.”