Judging from Leon’s expression, Roswitha had a rough idea of who this so-called "perfect candidate" might be.
But...
“He not only has grievances with the Empire, but also holds quite a grudge against you. Are you sure he’d be willing to lend a hand?”
Leon thought for a moment before replying, “Last time I went to him to inquire about information on the Empire, though he claimed we weren’t allies, I’m convinced that as long as he’s given a chance for revenge against the Empire, he’ll take it.”
Old Constantine might be a bit hot-tempered, but he was still more reasonable than most.
Avenging himself on the Empire versus avenging himself on Leon—clearly, the former was far more difficult.
After all, finding Leon was easy. He was holed up at Silver Dragon Castle, tied down by his three kids. Leon was the textbook case of “A monk can escape, but a temple can't.”
But the Empire was a completely different story.
Not only was it located far away on human-occupied lands, beyond the territory of the Dragon Clan, but it was also controlled by shadowy rulers armed with no shortage of dirty tricks, many of which Constantine still wasn’t privy to. Jumping into such a situation recklessly would likely lead to his demise.
Leon, of course, had already taken this into account. That’s why he decided to seek Constantine’s help.
From a rational standpoint, helping Leon to take down the Empire was beneficial to Constantine.
Emotionally, Leon could always resort to some good old-fashioned “moral coercion” by dredging up the time he had opposed launching a war against the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan during the Dragon King and Queen’s Secret Meeting.
If Constantine refused to help him, it would make him look like an ungrateful, petty man, unworthy of his Dragon King title.
Thus, this plan left Leon in a position of complete flexibility.
“Alright. If Constantine gets involved, our chances of success will be much higher,” Roswitha said.
“Mm. Let’s leave it at that for now. Once my mentor's health improves a bit, I’ll go discuss the finer details with him.”
“Sounds good.”
Knock, knock, knock—
Just as the conversation ended, there was a knock at the door.
Out of courtesy, the couple went together to open it.
It was Claudia.
“Good morning, senior,” Leon greeted politely.
“How’d you sleep last night?” Claudia asked.
“Pretty well.”
“Good to hear. Come on, I’ll take you to meet someone.”
Leon blinked, momentarily stunned. “Who?”
He glanced at Roswitha, who shook her head just as confused.
People in the Sea Dragon Clan who were known by the couple were only Claudia and Leon’s mentor’s wife, Charlotte.
And Charlotte was still recovering, not in any condition for visitors.
That aside, they certainly didn’t have any other friends in these underwater domains.
Knowing their confusion, Claudia smiled enigmatically.
“You'll find out when we get there. Come on, the human girl is already waiting for you outside.”
The moment she finished speaking, Rebecca peeked out from behind, bouncing up excitedly like a little frog.
“Captain, hurry up! Aunt Claudia said meeting this friend will make us super happy!”
Wait—so even you don’t know who this ‘friend’ is? And you’re this excited?
Leon couldn’t help but chuckle in his heart, then replied, “Coming.”
The couple followed Claudia, with Rebecca tagging along.
On their way out, they made a conscious effort to avoid the Sea Dragon guards and maids.
Not that it was strictly necessary. Given Claudia’s status, even if their clan members spotted Leon and Rebecca, no one would dare ask too many questions.
What business is it of yours if our elder princess brings back a few friends who prefer not to show their tails?
Besides, look at the neighboring Silver Dragon Queen—forget friends, her own husband doesn’t like showing his tail!
…Oh, the Silver Dragon Queen happens to be right here among us. Never mind then.
Anyway, their stealth was mostly because Claudia didn’t want to waste energy putting on an act. It would have been tiresome to order, “Everyone shut your mouths and ask no questions!” in an imposing, regal tone.
The Sea Dragon Clan was naturally laid-back, so maintaining excessively rigid hierarchies wasn’t ideal.
Thankfully, they reached their destination unnoticed.
It was a submerged courtyard.
Within the courtyard was a patch of artificial grass and, off in the distance, a wooden cabin.
Leon stood outside the railings, gazing toward the open field.
In the center of the grass, a grayish-black figure was leisurely wandering about.
“Hmm—looks familiar,” he muttered.
Claudia chuckled softly and brought her thumb and forefinger to her lips, letting out a sharp whistle.
That gray figure seemed to take notice instantly, dropping its mouthful of grass and raising its head to look in their direction.
It was then that Leon and Rebecca finally got a good look at this ‘friend.’
“What the hell—?!”
“It’s YOU!”
The memories came flooding back like a breached dam—
That sleek, grayish coat, the swishing, lively tail, the regal posture, and those gem-like, sparkling eyes!
It was unmistakable. It was that donkey.
“Alright, this is the friend I wanted to—Hey! Be careful, Leon! That railing is expensive!”
Before Claudia could even finish her sentence, Leon had already leapt onto the railing and vaulted over it in one fluid motion, sprinting toward the familiar figure across the lawn.
And the donkey, as if sensing its old companion, immediately seized the moment. It kicked up its four hooves and charged toward Leon with equal vigor.
The man and the donkey seemed like star-crossed lovers, cruelly separated by fate for years, now at long last reunited in this romantic underwater setting.
Such a touching moment—such a heart-wrenching moment—such a moment worthy of being immortalized in the chronicles of the Dragon Clan, the Human Kingdom, and the Donkey Lineage alike!
“Ah, DONKEY~!”
“Hee-haw~!” (The Sound of the donkey)
“DON—KEYYYY!”
“Hee—" (The Sound of the donkey)
"DON—AHHHH"
What should have been a tender embrace between the man and the donkey swiftly descended into chaos.
The donkey reared up onto its hind legs and, without hesitation, kicked Leon squarely in the face with its powerful front hooves.
A single resounding whack echoed through the courtyard. From the railing, Roswitha and Rebecca couldn’t help wincing in vicarious pain.
Rebecca reflected first.
“This is it! The only creature capable of delivering genuine physical damage to Leon Casmode—arguably the most formidable Dragon Slayer alive today—”
“The one, the only—”
“His very own donkey!”
Roswitha buried her face in her hands. “Please, for the love of the gods, drop the heroic narration for now…”
Even Claudia seemed flustered by the unexpected turn of events. Scratching her temple, she admitted, “Honestly, Charlotte’s always telling me how incredibly close Leon and their donkey are, so I thought their reunion would be, I don’t know, heartfelt? Who’d have guessed it would turn out so…”
As someone raised within the aristocratic etiquette of the Sea Dragon Royals, Claudia struggled to find an appropriate word.
But Rebecca, having clawed her way up from the bottom rungs of the Empire, found it instantly:
“Absurd.”
“The captain’s entire life—a dazzling life, but also an absurd one. And I’d say seventy percent of those absurd moments involve his donkey!”
Roswitha sighed deeply.
“He mentions his donkey often enough. Anyone who knows would think it’s just a well-loved pet. But anyone who doesn’t know might mistake it for Leon’s first love.”
“Sister-in-law, technically speaking, you’re the captain’s first love,” Rebecca teased. “No need to be jealous of a donkey—OW!”
Yesterday, Rebecca had received a flick to the forehead from Leon; today, she earned one from Roswitha.
Meanwhile, in the yard, Leon was sprawled on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose as he hugged the donkey’s neck.
“Donkey, what’s wrong? Don’t you remember me?”
The donkey: ╭(╯^╰)╮
“Are you mad at me, Donkey?”
The donkey: (￣^￣)
“Listen to me! The reason I haven’t visited you all these years is that I had no idea you were here!”
The donkey:乛 з乛
“But now I know! I’ll take care of the mess out in the world and then come get you. We’ll be together again, just like the old days!”
The donkey: ( ´◔ ‸◔`)
Roswitha swallowed nervously. “He… he can actually communicate with his donkey?”
“I didn’t believe it at first either. But then I noticed he always gets kicked in the face whenever he tries to talk with it. That’s when I was convinced.”
“Wait—every single time? Does that mean he—”
“Holy s***t—”
Leon’s words faltered as he was flung backward, blood trailing beautifully through the air in a perfect arc.
SPLAT.
He landed flat on his back on the grass, muttering with a dazed expression, “Donkey… you haven’t changed a bit. Still kicking me every chance you get.”
