To be honest, at this moment, Leon found it hard to believe what he was hearing.

Constantine having a daughter was shocking enough.

And that daughter had been injured by Adam more than thirty years ago, forcing Constantine to seal her in a crystal to keep her alive.

What’s more, Constantine's initial decision to cooperate with the Empire stemmed from learning that Adam was among the faction allied with the Dragon Kings. Through the Empire’s connections, Constantine hoped to find Adam and take revenge for his daughter.

Yet throughout all these years, regardless of the initial antagonism or their eventual “ally” status, Constantine had never mentioned this to anyone.

This led Leon to always assume that Constantine was just as he claimed—a battle maniac who simply enjoyed fighting.

But in truth, the reason Constantine kept engaging in battles was a stark contrast to his fiery and irritable demeanor.

Who would have thought that the infamous Crimson Flame Dragon King, who had stormed through battlefields with unmatched ferocity, was also a father weighed down by guilt and vengeance?

"At the time, Heffy was just a tiny thing in Adam’s hands. That bastard could have crushed her if he’d applied even a little more strength."

Constantine's tone had a faint note of sorrow. As he spoke, it was as if the scene replayed vividly in his mind.

"If I had hesitated or wavered even slightly in my decision back then, I might not have been able to save Heffy at all."

"But in the end, Adam still seized the opportunity to gravely wound her. Afterward, I had no choice but to seal Heffy within the crystal to maintain her vital signs temporarily."

"However, the crystal’s effect has a time limit—roughly thirty-five years."

Thirty-five years...

Leon recalled something: in the timeline of the future, Roswitha had been sealed in a crystal for twenty years. Because of that, the three sisters back then weren’t as panicked, allowing them to calmly research reversal magic.

"Thirty-five years is nothing but a blink of an eye for any Dragon Clan member."

Constantine raised his hand, his palm lightly resting on the surface of the crystal, as if trying to feel the faint pulse and heartbeat of his daughter through its thick barrier.

"But I wish these thirty-some years could pass a bit more slowly, even slower... until I find a way to save Heffy.”

If Constantine’s grudge against Adam came from some other reason, Leon might not have felt as empathetic about it.

But for his daughter... well, that really caught Leon's attention.

Leon’s expression turned serious as he pondered for a moment, then asked, "Would the Primordial Power work?"

After all, it was the mysterious force left by the ancestors of the Dragon Clan. It should be capable of saving a little girl, right?

But Constantine shook his head.

"After returning from the Far North, I immediately tried awakening Heffy with the Primordial Power, but it had no effect."

"Our Crimson Flame Dragon Clan’s most talented healer told me that there is only one thing in the world that can save Heffy—a herb called ‘Ghost Lotus Grass.’"

"But that herb is virtually extinct across Samael Continent. Over these thirty years, I’ve searched almost every corner, yet haven’t found even a single plant."

Ghost Lotus Grass?

Why did that name sound somewhat familiar to Leon?

No, not familiar exactly... Not to the point of being fully acquainted with it.

In some once-fuzzy memory, Leon thought he had come across the name “Ghost Lotus Grass” only once.

But when?

Where? And from whom did he learn about it?

Leon was certain: this wasn’t his memory playing tricks on him.

He must have heard of this herb somewhere before.

"The crystal will fail in less than two years. I must find a way to save Heffy within those two remaining years."

"Of course, if I run into Adam in the process, I’ll definitely cut off his head and grind it to bits."

Hearing Constantine’s resolute and fierce words, Leon had no doubt about his commitment to this vow.

Well, in a way, this meant the two of them were aligned in their objectives once again.

Previously, they both wanted to crush the Empire.

Now, they both wanted to find Adam.

And coincidentally, both times, Leon was driven by the need to uncover the truth about something, while Constantine was propelled by vengeance.

The two of them were basically the dragon-and-human version of the comedy duo: no mind and unhappy.

Constantine collected himself, shifting his mood and demeanor. Once again, he donned the image of the cold and strict Crimson Flame Dragon King.

"Let’s head out," he said.

"Alright."

The two left the basement and returned to the temple’s grand hall.

"If you find Adam’s whereabouts, make sure to notify me," Constantine said.

"No problem. But before you chop him into bits, let me get the answers I want from him first."

Constantine nodded at that.

Leon let out a subtle sigh of relief.

Although this trip didn’t give him any solid lead on Adam, he did uncover Constantine’s hidden past.

An unexpected gain, if nothing else.

It also further confirmed Leon’s evaluation of Constantine:

This guy might seem reckless, but he had his principles and was very trustworthy.

After all, how bad could a doting father really be?

He only wanted to tear the bastard who hurt his daughter to shreds. Was that really so wrong?

While Leon’s thoughts drifted, Constantine had already taken his seat back on his throne.

When Leon snapped out of his daze, he heard Constantine speak.

"Oh, by the way, there’s another matter."

"What is it?"

"When are you going to deliver on that room full of Primordial Power manuals you owe me?"

...

A wave of awkwardness instantly spread, and in the silent grand hall, it almost felt as though a crow were cawing “caw-caw” overhead, flying mockingly above Leon's head.

Damn it. He’d left in such a hurry and was so focused on Adam that he completely forgot about the manuals!

Leon scratched his temple awkwardly and stammered,

"Uh, well... you know, compiling that many manuals takes time for review and verification."

Constantine raised an eyebrow. "Review and verification? Those manuals were written by ancient ancestors. What’s there to review so thoroughly?"

"No-no-no, even the ancestors might have made typos, right? My wife and I have been working overtime recently to edit them. Once we’re done fixing those typos, I’ll bring the manuals over to you."

Damn it all—Leon hardly believed his own excuse as he said it.

He could only silently pray that Constantine would buy into it.

But this time, Constantine wasn’t so easily duped.

Leaned slightly against the armrest of the throne, he propped his face on one hand, his fiery red dragon eyes scrutinizing Leon. After a pause, Constantine said flatly,

"You don’t actually have a room full of manuals, do you?"

"How could I not—"

"You don’t." Constantine was certain.

Seeing that his far-fetched lie had been exposed, Leon had no choice but to admit,

"Alright, fine. I really don’t."

"Hmph."

Constantine let out a cold snort, seeming as though he had anticipated Leon’s unreliability all along. He didn’t complain much—just enough to show slight dissatisfaction.

Leon felt guilty. Constantine had helped out considerably and, though their objectives aligned, Constantine had still lent substantial effort.

Yet all Leon had offered in exchange was empty promises. That simply wasn’t right.

For all his behind-the-scenes scheming, Leon didn’t want Constantine to see him as someone insincere or unreliable.

Otherwise, any future collaborations might not go as smoothly as the previous one.

"Having an entire room of manuals was definitely an exaggeration, but I can genuinely get you one or two books."

"You’re not bluffing again?"

"...I’ll try my best. If I can’t deliver, I’ll find another way to thank you for your help last time."

Hopefully, Claudia still had some additional stockpiles, Leon mused inwardly.

"Alright. I’ll await your good news, Casmode."

Leon blinked, switching topics.

"Speaking of good news, I noticed that when I arrived, many of the surveillance squads from the other Dragon Clan factions had already withdrawn from your lands. Did you know about this?"

Constantine nodded.

"It started gradually after the Human-Dragon War officially ended. By now, I believe only one or two small teams remain stationed outside."

"It seems Arlais is convinced he won’t gain the Primordial Power from you anymore and doesn’t want to continue wasting resources on you, so he pulled his troops back," Leon commented.

"And those other Dragon Kings who wanted a share of the spoils likely saw Arlais withdrawing and figured it wasn’t worth lingering any longer."

"The relationships within the Dragon Clan are as complex as they are simple," Constantine mused. "In the end, it’s always about personal gain."

"Arlais always had designs on my Primordial Power. Fortunately, you saw through his schemes early and proposed that decision at the Dragon King meeting—to station surveillance around my Crimson Flame territory rather than declaring open war."

"Now that the Human-Dragon War is over, the internal strife in the Dragon Clan hasn’t completely ceased. I suspect that old fox Arlais is devoting more of his attention to maneuvering against other tribes now."

"And he can’t afford to spread himself thin dealing with me. Not that it matters—I would never hand over the Primordial Power anyway."

Leon chuckled. "Are you sure you can truly control such overwhelming Primordial Power?"

"You’ll find out the next time you and I spar."

Constantine paused for a moment and then asked, "By the way, regarding our duel, when exactly will you have time?"

"No time recently. And there’s someone else ahead of you waiting to spar with me."

"You’re quite busy, aren’t you, human boy?"

Old Constantine was speechless. "Who is it?"

"Thunder Dragon King, Odin."

Leon shrugged. "I don’t know why that old man insists on sparring with me. I originally didn’t want to agree, but he’s been very supportive of me at the Dragon King meeting and has helped me a lot. So, I had no choice but to agree."

Constantine pondered for a moment, somewhat lost in thought. "That old man has always been eccentric. Nothing he does is surprising."

"Yeah."

Leon stuffed his hands in his pockets. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now."

"No need to say you’re leaving. You’ve practically taken my Scarlet Flame Dragon Sanctuary as your own home," Constantine remarked sarcastically.

"Oh, come on, don’t say that. I’m very polite, aren’t I? How about I knock next time?"

"Knock," as in using the Scarlet Dragon Guards to smash the door open.

Constantine closed his eyes, refusing to engage further with this guy.

Naturally, Leon didn’t press the issue. He turned and left the sanctuary.

Walking through the forest, he returned to the area where the Silver Dragon Clan was stationed.

"Sherry."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Arrange someone to take me to the Sea Dragon Clan. Also, send a message to Her Majesty the Queen, telling her I might be a day late in returning."