"Ouch ouch ouch!!It really hurts! Be gentle, gentle!"

Inside the Casmode Orphanage, the anguished howls of the dragon-slaying hero echoed throughout the halls.

Just half an hour ago, this revolutionary leader who had declared the fall of the old Empire to a tyrannical king, and led the Lionheart Association to free the people from oppression and humiliation, was now sitting in a wheelchair.

Although the destructive power of the Ninth Gate was astonishing, Leon managed to cling to life thanks to Roswitha's Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale. But that didn't mean he got away without paying a price.

His right leg, which had kicked through the Primordial Nightmare, was now fully encased in plaster.

"I've temporarily treated it with healing magic, but you'll need some time to rest and recuperate," Rebecca said, squatting next to the wheelchair. She patted the plastered leg and continued, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. After so many years of fighting, this is the first time I've seen you this injured. Care to share your first-time experience, Captain?"

Leon shot her a sideways glance, speechless.

"Don’t think that just because I’m stuck in this wheelchair and I can’t deal with you."

Rebecca blinked her big, beautiful eyes, then stood up and quietly circled behind Leon's wheelchair. Grabbing a stick, she jammed it firmly into the wheels of his chair.

Returning to stand in front of Leon, Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest, her face smug with triumph.

"Come on then, chase me."

Leon tried to move the wheelchair, but the jammed wheels refused to budge even an inch.

"www" Rebecca stuck her tongue out playfully at him.

"You cheeky brat, I advise you not to gloat too much. Pain doesn’t disappear—it only transfers. Once I heal, guess whose turn it’ll be?"

Rebecca let out a defiant hum, standing her ground. "Who cares? Live in the moment! I don’t get many opportunities to bully you, so I’m going to call Martin to join the fun!"

Leon: ?

Rebellion! Utter rebellion!

Amid the teasing, Roswitha and Claudia returned to the orphanage with others.

"We couldn’t find Queen Elizabeth, but we’ve captured her subordinates like Scott," Nacho reported. "We’ll conduct thorough investigations next and judge them based on the crimes they’ve committed over the years."

Under Kant's reign, corrupt members of the royal family had enjoyed the greatest protection. Even upright officials who valued justice and responsibility didn’t dare investigate them.

But with Kant’s downfall, they could now freely and openly investigate these scoundrels.

Leon nodded. "And none of them confessed Elizabeth’s whereabouts?"

Elizabeth was Kant's wife. Claiming that she hadn’t participated in the Empire's oppression of the people would be laughable, even to a three-year-old child.

Leon had intended to hand the husband-and-wife duo over to the citizens of the Empire to face judgment together.

But now, while Kant was captured, Elizabeth had mysteriously disappeared.

Nacho shook his head. "No confessions. It’s as if she vanished into thin air."

Leon sighed. "Trouble comes, and it’s every man—or woman—for themselves, huh?"

"We’ll continue the search for Elizabeth."

"Alright. Be careful out there."

"Got it. By the way, Rebecca—let’s go."

"But I still want to mess with the captain!"

"Move it!"

Martin stepped forward and hoisted the petite Rebecca onto his shoulders.

"Martin! You don’t know the horrors that await in the future! This is our only chance to mess with Leon while he’s stuck in a wheelchair!"

Rebecca kicked her legs as Martin carried her off. The mad little girl’s voice gradually faded into the distance.

Leon shook his head with a helpless chuckle. "So lively, that one."

"Now that things seem to be wrapping up, I’ll head back," Claudia announced. "I’ve been away from the Sea Dragon Clan for some time, and they can’t manage without me for too long. I also need to inform Charlotte and your mentor about everything here—they must be worried sick."

"Alright. Please let my master and his wife know that I’ll visit them as soon as I’ve finished dealing with matters here," Leon said.

"No problem," Claudia replied with a smile. "Oh, and don’t forget the promise you and your wife made me."

Hearing this, Leon and Roswitha exchanged glances before nodding in unison.

"We won’t. When the time comes, bring Helena to our home, and we’ll take care of everything," they said.

Claudia nodded in satisfaction. "Alright. See you both in a while."

"Travel safely, Senior," they called after her.

After bidding farewell, Claudia transformed into a brilliant blue dragon and soared into the endless night sky.

Roswitha watched her departure, only turning away when the dragon’s figure disappeared entirely. Her gaze then shifted to the man in the wheelchair.

Leon, sensing her eyes on him, slowly turned his head to meet her gaze.

For a moment, the husband and wife simply stared at one another. Eventually, it was Roswitha who broke the silence.

"So now the whole world knows: the dragon-slaying hero married a Dragon Clan wife," she remarked.

Leon knew she was referring to their very public embrace and kiss earlier, witnessed by thousands.

The notion of a Dragon Slayer marrying a dragon was already a bombshell revelation.

What Leon hadn’t yet shared, however, was an even more jaw-dropping truth: Not only had he married a dragon—they had also had three kids.

...

Leon snorted, then feigned a serious expression. "So what? Besides, you didn’t object."

The dragon queen froze for a moment, then, with a mock-annoyed kick to his wheelchair’s wheels, she snarked, "Not objecting doesn’t mean I’m agreeing."

Leon: ?

Alright, alright, I see. We just defeated the Empire, and now you want to spar here? The queen’s punches are as sharp as ever!

Leon figured she was just using her stubborn nature to tease him, so he played along.

"Well, too bad, Your Majesty. The mood was already there—how could I not kiss you?"

Roswitha’s cheeks turned a rosy pink as she looked away. "Idiot..."

As the couple bantered and exchanged affectionate, cheesy lines, more injured individuals were being brought into the orphanage’s courtyard.

Though the earlier earth-shattering battle hadn’t resulted in civilian deaths, many people were still hurt. The hospitals in several districts were overflowing, but fortunately, the orphanage nuns had basic first-aid skills and could handle minor wounds.

Leon himself had only arrived at the orphanage a short while ago.

Among the injured, Leon spotted a familiar figure.

Constantine entered the yard, his expression one of disdain as he surveyed his surroundings, as if saying, "Pathetic humans, living in such a rundown area?”

He scanned the place before locking eyes on Leon. Without hesitation, he strode over.

"Leon," the Crimson Flame Dragon King began, stopping in front of him. His eyes fell on Leon’s cast-covered leg. "What’s this? Completely broken?"

"...It’ll heal," Leon replied.

"Good. Saves me the trouble of not being able to defeat a fully functional you later."

"Haha, you Dragon Kings certainly have a unique sense of humor."

"Enough nonsense. When are you going to give me that collection of Primordial manuals you promised?"

Leon scratched at his temple, his gaze wandering as his brain churned. After a moment’s deliberation, he replied with mock gravity, "The Empire’s issues just wrapped up. There’s still plenty left to sort out. Once I’m done, I’ll hand them over to you."

The promise he made was growing increasingly larger.

Constantine narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Leon closely.

Leon met his gaze without flinching, his composure calm and natural.

After a long stare-down, Constantine finally said, "Fine. I’ll wait. But, oh—"

"Brother Leon!"

A lively voice interrupted their conversation.

They turned to see where it had come from and found Sister Sharon and Teacher Caroline approaching with bright smiles.

"Sharon, Teacher Caroline," Leon greeted them with a wave and a grin.

"Leon," Caroline said as she neared, her expression warm. "Thank you for your hard efforts."

"It’s no problem. All the mess is cleaned up now, and no one will ever steal the orphanage’s funding again."

"Yes, we have you to thank for that."

"Oh, no, no. I was just clearing my own name and saving the people while I was at it."

Hearing this, Roswitha brought a hand to her face in silent exasperation.

Here he goes again.

Even Constantine couldn’t help but sigh.

Meanwhile, he was also scratching his head, wondering:

Damn it, how on earth did I ever lose to this idiot?

"Brother Leon! Really!" Sharon pouted, her tone laced with mock complaint. "Why didn’t you tell us you were back earlier? Why you disguised?"

Leon rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Ah, well, it wasn’t convenient to reveal my identity back then. I didn’t want to put you all in any unnecessary trouble."

Sharon blinked, considering his words. "Is that so..."

"Yep."

"But still, even if that’s the case, you didn’t have to use the name Constantine!"

Leon froze, sneaking a glance at the nearby real Constantine.

Sure enough, the Crimson Flame Dragon King’s face remained stoic, but there was unmistakable fury in his eyes—a fiery intent to smash Leon’s wheelchair into smithereens.

"Constantine… What’s wrong with that name? I think it’s great—very majestic," Leon swiftly tried to cover his tracks.

"It’s not majestic at all! It’s scary and mean, not nearly as nice as your real name!"

"..."

"Hey, human," Constantine finally spoke, his voice laden with the inborn dignity of a Dragon King. "I am Constantine."

Sharon: ...

Oh no. A flood mistakenly swept into the Dragon King’s temple.

It was now the early hours of the morning, and the dim light had prevented Sharon from recognizing the real Constantine standing behind Leon. She had assumed he was just another member of the Lionheart Association.

But the tone in Constantine’s voice carried the unmistakable authority of a Dragon King, enough to make Sharon shrink back in alarm.

Teacher Caroline positioned herself in front of Sharon, shielding her as if fearing the Dragon King before them might suddenly turn hostile.

Although the overthrow of the Empire's rule had been assisted by the Dragon King, the stereotype that "the Dragon Clan is innately violent and bloodthirsty" was deeply ingrained in the hearts of the Empire's citizens.

It was, to be honest, unlikely that such perceptions could change so quickly.

"Constantine, you're scaring my friend," Leon said.

Old Constantine let out a cold snort. "Foolish humans."

As the Crimson Flame Dragon King, he certainly wouldn’t stoop to quarreling with a young girl. With a flick of his sleeve, Constantine turned and walked toward the door.

Standing at the orphanage's entrance was a man with green hair.

It was Fael.

Before leaving, Constantine glanced back briefly. "Leon, until we meet again."

As he finished speaking, a steel-green dragon appeared abruptly on the street, startling everyone in the courtyard.

Fael flapped his dragon wings, lifting Constantine into the night sky.

Teacher Caroline exhaled in relief, as though a massive weight had been lifted.

"Goodness... I've never seen a dragon this close before."

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Leon. "So, do you have any plans for what's next?"

Leon paused to consider before replying, "I'll stay in the Empire for a few more days to help Rebecca and the others sort out the aftermath. And after that..."

"And after that?"

"Go home with my wife."