Early the next morning, Leon and Roswitha packed their things. Before they departed, they visited their daughters' room.

Leon gently pushed open the bedroom door. The three little ones were still fast asleep.

The eldest lay flat on her back, the second clung to the eldest, and the youngest was nibbling on the second's tail.

Though their sleeping positions were rather peculiar, they still managed to look harmonious.

Leon tiptoed over, carefully removed Muen's little tail from Aurora's mouth, and set it aside.

Aurora muttered incoherently in her sleep. Not finding anything to hold, her little hands instinctively reached out and latched onto Leon's wrist.

He froze for a moment, then smiled warmly.

Gently, Leon unwrapped Aurora's hand and tucked her small arm back under the cover. Then, he lightly caressed her babyishly chubby little face.

The usually chattering little one was surprisingly serene when asleep.

Leon shifted his gaze. On the other side of the room, Roswitha was also busy adjusting Muen’s sleeping posture, making sure the she wasn’t pressing her arms and legs against her older sister.

But it was clear that even in her sleep, little Muen clung devotedly to her elder sister. Unlike Aurora, she wasn’t so easily “rearranged.”

Just like a kitten that insists its paws rest on top of everything, no matter how many times Roswitha moved her, Muen would instinctively snuggle back up to Noa.

Finally, Roswitha gave a helpless smile and gently pinched the tip of her daughter’s nose.

“You little thing, when will you stop sticking to your sister like this?”

“Mmm… Sister… smells nice…” Muen murmured in her sleep, her little face burying itself deeper into Noa’s neck.

Leon and Roswitha retreated to the doorway, stealing one last glance at their peacefully sleeping daughters.

“Let’s go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can come back and be with them,” Leon whispered.

Roswitha's gaze lingered on their daughters for a moment longer before she nodded. “Alright.”

Drawing their eyes away, the couple carefully closed the door behind them.

Minutes later, a massive silver dragon took off from the courtyard of Silver Dragon Castle, its wings beating as it soared into the distance.

Little did they know, on the balcony of the sisters’ room, a small figure watched silently as the gleaming dragon disappeared into the horizon.

---

By dusk, at the edge of a forest near the Human Empire’s border.

Roswitha deactivated her invisibility spell, joining Leon as they hid among a treetop.

Leon was familiar with the terrain of this forest. Years ago, when he was training at the Dragon Slayer Academy, he often took part in combat exercises here.

He was also well-acquainted with the Empire's patrol routes around the forest—some of the watchpoints had even been installed by him personally.

This knowledge allowed Leon to guide Roswitha in evading the patrols with ease.

Perched on a branch, Leon gazed toward the entrance of the city walls.

“With all the recent battles, it looks like the Empire has reduced its patrols,” Leon observed.

“That makes it easier for us to sneak in.”

“How do you plan to get in?” Roswitha asked.

“Well, obviously, by hitching a ride under one of the merchant caravans crossing through the checkpoint.”

This tactic had always proven effective. Whether in the past, at present, or twenty years later in the future, the guards of the Empire never searched under the carriages.

“That’s… quite an unorthodox method. But then again, knowing you, it somehow makes perfect sense.” Roswitha teased lightly.

The pair settled in to wait for a merchant caravan.

However, luck didn’t seem to be on their side that day. Even as night fell, not a single caravan came through.

Scratching his head, Leon muttered, “What’s going on? Did everyone stop trading with the Empire? Have they all made enough money or something…?”

“There are many factors that can disrupt trade—seasonal changes, population shifts, the frequency of wars, and so on,” Roswitha explained. “As you mentioned, with the Empire so active on the battlefield recently, they likely lack the resources to support external commerce.”

Leon blinked and looked at his wife.

“Why have you never taught me anything about money?” he asked, half-joking.

Roswitha blinked back, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Because I’m afraid you’d start hoarding case-dough.”

“…”

There it was—the timeless struggle of married men everywhere: the war against secret savings.

On a more serious note, it wasn’t that Roswitha didn’t want to teach Leon these things. It was just that there was so much to teach, and she needed to take her time.

She couldn’t just dump everything she’d learned in her fifty years of ruling at once. Otherwise, his “piggy brain” might get fried.

“So, what do we do without a caravan?” Roswitha asked.

“Wait for another chance,” Leon replied earnestly.

Roswitha tilted her head, then smirked knowingly. “In other words, you don’t have a backup plan, do you?”

“...Give me a break. You think the Empire is your backyard, where you can just waltz in anytime you want?”

Leon had a point. For all its flaws, the Empire—arguably the strongest nation in the Human territories—was no pushover.

His previous successful infiltrations, in part, had relied on luck.

And the last time Leon and his companions had escaped from the Empire, it had involved brute force and sheer determination rather than stealth.

With luck clearly not on Leon’s side this time, waiting patiently seemed their only option. He sighed inwardly, hoping an opportunity would present itself soon.

He turned to Roswitha, intending to chat, but found her missing from her spot.

He stood up and looked back, spotting her standing on the trunk of a nearby tree. She scanned the surroundings as if searching for something.

“What are you looking for?” Leon asked curiously.

“Ah, I'm trying to see if that certain tree is still here or if it's been cut down.”

Leon’s curiosity grew. He approached her, standing at her side and following her gaze.

All he could see were rows of giant trees, none standing out in particular.

“What tree?” he asked again.

“The one where I humiliated you in front of your beloved Empire back in the day.”

Leon: …

The memories came flooding back—branches swaying, creaking ominously… Even if he didn’t want to think about it, vivid images of that day came rushing into his mind.

“Well, aren’t you quite the sentimental one, Your Majesty,” Leon said through gritted teeth.

Roswitha gave a soft humph, ignoring him as she continued scanning for the tree where their story began.

Moments later, her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, “Oh! Found it!”

Excited, she pointed it out to Leon. “There! See it?”

Leon, of course, didn't remember such trivial details. Five years ago, all he could think about was how he’d love to have had Roswitha executed right then and there.

So he barely glanced at the indicated tree and scoffed dismissively.

“It looks the same as all the others. I think you’re just randomly pointing at a tree.”

“I am not. I’ll take you over to see for yourself,” Roswitha declared.

Unfolding her dragon wings, she grabbed Leon and flew toward the tree she had indicated.

Landing gracefully on the highest branch, Roswitha stomped lightly, eliciting a familiar creak from the wood.

“Does this sound familiar, Leon?” she teased.

“...Can we focus on the mission, Mother Dragon? Stop dredging up traumatic memories.”

After a moment’s pause, he added, “Also, you still haven’t told me how you managed to identify this specific tree.”

“Oh, that’s simple,” Roswitha replied. She stepped forward, pointed in the direction of the Empire, and said,

“This spot offers the best view of the Empire. At the time, I made sure to choose it so you could get a good look.”

“Well, wasn’t that considerate of you, Your Majesty,” Leon quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The banter was cut short when Leon suddenly had a thought. Raising his hand, he motioned for Roswitha to stay silent. He crouched low, his sharp eyes scanning the area below.

“What is it?” she whispered.

“This area falls within the patrol range of the Dragon Slayer Army,” Leon replied.

“Remember that time, after… that day on this tree, when we ran into a dragon-slaying squad? Their captain even gave me a signal flare to use in emergencies.”

Roswitha thought back. Yes, she vaguely recalled such an incident.

Which meant they were indeed within the patrol zone.

“We should move back to our previous position. It’s safer there,” Leon suggested.

“Alright.”

As much as they teased one another, they wouldn’t let it compromise their mission.

But just as the couple prepared to leave, they heard approaching footsteps from below.

Dropping into defensive silence, they crouched low, holding their breath. Neither dared to risk rustling a single leaf.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted. When’s this patrol shift over?” a voice groaned.

“Almost done. Just two more kilometers, and we can head back,” another replied.

“Two more kilometers? Ugh, working for the Empire sucks. One coin for doing the work of two people!”

Leon and Roswitha exchanged glances.

“Definitely a patrol unit. Stay alert,” Leon whispered.

Roswitha nodded.

“When will these miserable days end? Hey, Walker, did you do these kinds of patrols when you were in the Dragon Slayer Army?”

“Ah… No, not at first,” Walker replied. “I used to fight on the front lines, but then a royal brat needed a cushy spot for ‘career experience,’ so I got shifted out to patrol duty.” He sounded infuriated. But the emotion didn't last long. After all, there was no need to mention those bad things all day long.

Leon and Roswitha listened intently, taking in the conversation.

“It was all just to make that brat look good? The royals are really shameless,” one of the soldiers muttered angrily.

“Don’t worry, Walker. When we overthrow that rotten emperor, things will change.”

“Mm… Let’s just keep moving,” Walker said dispassionately, clearly unwilling to dwell on the topic.

“Ugh… We’ve been walking forever. Should we request to station someone here as an inside contact instead?”

"Our Lionheart Association doesn’t have many members, and every one of us has our own responsibilities. You, just keep working hard, collect more dirt on the Empire. It'll come in handy when we finally overthrow that dog emperor," Walker replied.

"Hah, easy for you to say. What dirt can I possibly dig up while working in the patrol squad? Will I even live to see the day when that dog emperor falls?"

"Didn’t Senior Rebecca say that day is fast approaching? And also..."

"That man is about to return as well."

However, that very man was right above your head at this moment, Brother Walker.