If it weren’t for spotting the captain's wife following closely behind him, Rebecca would have already thrown herself into Leon’s arms—

With a couple of punches as add-ons.

Of all the times he could arrive, he had to show up when the situation on the opposite side was putting intense pressure on her.

Any later, and the featured dish at the welcome feast might’ve been "Grilled Rebecca Special"!

After exchanging simple greetings, Walker stepped forward to explain to everyone:

“When Mel and I were patrolling the outskirts of the Empire, we ran into Senior Leon and his wife, so we secretly snuck them in.”

Rebecca blinked her large, beautiful eyes in confusion.

“This is just... way too coincidental.”

Walker chuckled. “It really is. Back then, Senior suddenly jumped down from a tree, scaring both Mel and me half to death.”

Rebecca was even more baffled and turned to look at Leon.

“Why were you hanging out in a tree?”

“Uh… it’s a long story.”

Did he really have to tell her? Should he say that it was because his wife wanted to reminisce about the “battlefield” where they had once shared "passionate adventures", so that's why they ended up in a tree?

Rebecca waved her hand dismissively. “Alright, let's get to business.”

Walking to Leon’s side, she scanned the roomful of members, informing Leon of the events that had just taken place and everyone’s opinions.

After hearing her out, Leon nodded and patted Rebecca on the shoulder.

“You’ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me.”

Upon hearing these words, Rebecca instantly felt relieved.

Whether it was during their war days in the Dragon Slayer Army or the numerous crises they'd endured recently, whenever Leon said, "Leave it to me," his words had a way of calming everyone around him.

Leon turned his gaze toward the hall of Lionheart Association, slowly sweeping his eyes over every member present.

In the end, his piercing stare landed on the instigator who had earlier stirred up everyone’s emotions.

The man noticed Leon’s gaze upon him.

Mere five minutes ago, he had been boasting arrogantly, questioning Rebecca and insinuating that everything about Leon was nothing but a fabricated hoax.

But now, as he stood face-to-face with the man he'd doubted before, he couldn’t even muster the courage to maintain eye contact with him.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Leon began to move, striding towards the man with deliberate slowness.

Leon was a super soldier who was trained for the sole purpose of slaying dragons, his aura and latent killing intent were far beyond what any ordinary person could bear.

Behind him, Nacho watched this unfold and couldn’t help but worry.

“Is he planning to make an example out of the guy? That’ll only make the current situation worse.”

Nacho, who had long served the royal court, was well-versed in the intricacies of politics and workplace dynamics.

Even though Leon was the spiritual leader of the Lionheart Association, this was still his first proper appearance here.

The members' understanding and impression of him were still based on stories from years ago, as well as the tales that Rebecca and Tiger had shared about him.

If Leon acted inconsistently with those perceptions now—such as by making an overly aggressive move—it could severely harm the group’s unity.

However, answering Nacho’s concerns was the silver-haired beauty who had accompanied Leon.

“Don’t worry. He’ll handle it.”

Nacho glanced at her, taking note of her flawless profile, almost like a sculpture.

Squinting, he asked hesitantly, “Are you... Silver Dragon Queen?!”

At first, thinking she might’ve been a newcomer to the group, Nacho now doubted himself. Upon closer inspection, he almost blurted out a curse from sheer shock.

Roswitha didn’t respond, merely crossing her arms and watching silently as Leon carried forward.

The sound of footsteps came to a halt as Leon stood directly before the troublemaker.

This was the man who had just kept questioning Rebecca and inciting tension among the others.

In large organizations or groups, people like this guy weren’t exactly a rarity.

In the past, if Rebecca had filled Leon in on the situation, this troublemaker would already be pinned to the ground by Leon as an example to others.

In the Dragon Slayer Army, Leon hadn’t had the luxury of time to convince people with reasons—fists were the only language that prevailed.

But the Lionheart Association was different; it was a group formed around him. He couldn’t let down his master, Rebecca, or the faith that these people placed in him.

Leon and the man stood across from each other in silence.

Leon, being significantly taller, naturally imposed a stronger sense of pressure, even with just a cold, blank stare.

No one else dared to step forward or speak.

“You don’t think... they’re about to fight, do you?”

“If they were to fight, do you think this chubby chef, Rachel, would have even 1% of a chance to beat the former strongest Dragon Slayer?”

“...Fair point.”

“...”

Everyone speculated that this situation was bound to end with some kind of violence.

Even without actual fighting, Leon would surely find some way to teach Rachel a harsh lesson.

But right when everyone thought this would escalate, Leon finally broke the silence and asked,

“What’s your name?”

His voice was deep and steady, devoid of inflection or a tone of reproach.

“R-Rachel...”

Leon paused for a moment when he heard the name. His mind wandered briefly before he asked again,

“You used to provide ready-made meals for the Dragon Slayer Army, didn’t you?”

Rachel froze, stunned. “How... how could you possibly know that?”

Ah? How could he not know?

Your boxed meals were the only ones in the entire Empire that didn’t contain eggplant or carrots. Of course, I’d remember!

However, Leon’s memory of this man wasn’t solely tied to vegetables. When he met someone, he usually committed their name to memory.

Take Walker, for example—the man who had smuggled him inside today.

Five years ago, when Leon and Roswitha had concluded their "battle" in the Empire’s forest, they had encountered Walker’s dragon-slaying squad.

In the past, Leon hadn’t considered his strong memory much of an asset, but Roswitha—while teaching him the “Art of Leadership”—had mentioned that superiors who remembered their subordinates’ names could build trust and goodwill.

Sure enough, upon realizing that Leon remembered even a humble chef like him, Rachel relaxed a bit.

Lowering his gaze, Rachel let out a heavy sigh.

This single sigh carried with guilt and remorse.

His previously agitated mood now calmed, allowing his judgment and reasoning to return.

“The meals your family provided were pretty good. I always liked eating them back in the Dragon Slayer Army,” Leon said.

“What difference does that make, Captain Leon...”

“Why do you say that?”

Rachel wiped his face and sighed once more before continuing grimly.

“Three years ago, the Empire tried to buy out my family’s restaurant. When we refused, they sent thugs to loiter outside our restaurant, scaring off all the customers. Business dwindled day by day.

“In the end, we had no choice but to sell the restaurant my father left us to the Empire.

“At first, I thought the Empire would run it like a proper business, but who knew... they’d only bought the location for its prime real estate. On the surface, it remained a restaurant, but secretly, they were conducting unpresentable operations there.

“They destroyed our family’s name. My older brother went to confront them, even offering to work as a cook for them, just to preserve the reputation of our lineage.

“But in the end, my brother was thrown into prison, and to this day, I don’t know whether he’s alive or dead.

“Captain Leon... I was just overwhelmed—otherwise, I wouldn’t have said so many harsh things earlier. I truly... sincerely apologize.”

Rachel bowed deeply, a solemn gesture of regret.

Leon gave the slightest nod, reassured that he had taken the right approach.

“As the Lionheart Association grows, so does the diversity of its members. With more people come more ideas, and with more ideas, disagreements are inevitable. That’s only natural.”

Leon rested his hand on Rachel’s shoulder and said softly,

“I understand how you feel.”

“Rest assured, now that I’m here, I’ll help you find your brother.”

Then, Leon straightened up, his eyes sweeping across the room as he raised his voice:

“And I’ll help all of you—everyone—to return all the suffering and injustice you’ve endured back to this corrupt Empire!”

The room fell silent for a beat, before erupting in thunderous applause.

They chanted Leon’s name, expressing their approval of their leader.

Witnessing this, Nacho was both surprised and delighted.

“Back when he was in the Dragon Slayer Army, he was more like a colleague to me, though we didn’t interact much. My impression of him then was of a brute—good at fighting, but unable to do much else. Even in the royal court, the ministers didn’t think much of him.”

Looking at Leon now, seamlessly bonding with the members of the Lionheart Association, his presence was reminiscent of a senior leader conducting a village inspection.

“In just a few short years, he’s managed to become so shrewd. Calling him a competent leader... wouldn’t be an exaggeration at all.”

Rebecca puffed out her flat chest with pride, walking over to Roswitha and linking arms with her sister-in-law.

“Of course! What do you think? Look at who his wife is!”

“You’re acting more smug than if she were your wife,” Nacho interrupted mercilessly.

Roswitha chuckled softly, covering her mouth with one hand. “I haven’t taught Leon much—most of what he’s learned, he’s figured out on his own. He’s quite perceptive.”

Her words were only half-true.

Leon’s aptitude for learning was indeed impressive, but the knowledge and experience Roswitha had passed on to him far exceeded what she claimed.

The reason she said so was simple: they were in public, and as his wife, she had to ensure her husband’s prestige was held high.

After all, the man was here to establish leadership, and Roswitha intended to bolster his reputation.

Of course, such efforts wouldn’t come for free.

Once this matter was resolved...

She would definitely expect some... compensation from Leon.