If one were to ask who among humans had the best relationships within the Dragon Clan, it would undoubtedly be General Leon.

The Silver Dragon Clan went without saying; his wife and child were there—that was his family, his home.

As for the Scarlet Flame Dragon Clan, he came and went as he pleased; even Old Constantine couldn’t do much about him.

In the Sea Dragon Clan, due to his connection with his master and madam, Claudia had also opened the green light for him.

The last time he visited the Sea Dragon Clan, Claudia said that he could come anytime to see his master and madam without worrying as much as before.

Of course, that was said privately.

Publicly, though, it was seen as the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the Sea Dragon Clan and the Silver Dragon Clan.

Ambassador Leon Casmode once again promoted the development of peace and unity between humans and dragons.

All the way, Leon pondered how he might persuade Claudia to part with more Primordial Magic manuals. Hours later, he reached the territorial waters of the Sea Dragon Clan.

It was still the same small island suitable for a brief rest. After waiting for a moment, a blue sea dragon broke through the water.

It was one of the Sea Dragon Clan’s “security guards.”

"Welcome to Atlantis, Silver Dragon Prince."

The domain of the Sea Dragon Clan was called "Atlantis," one of the few territories among the Dragon Clan to have a specific name.

"Mm, I’ve come to see Princess Claudia."

"Alright, Your Highness, please follow me."

To reach the underwater sanctuary of Atlantis, one must be guided by a sea dragon. Without a guide, any creature would be crushed to pulp by the deep-sea pressure in an instant.

"You can wait here for me; it won’t be long," Leon instructed the Silver Dragon guard who had accompanied him here.

The guard nodded. "Understood, Your Highness."

With that, Leon followed the member of the Sea Dragon Clan and dove into the depths.

Since this wasn’t his first deep-sea excursion, Leon had already adjusted to the sensation of gradually constricted breathing.

A brief adjustment later, he quickly grew accustomed.

About twenty minutes later, he arrived at the entrance to the Sea Dragon Clan’s sanctuary.

"Just now, I already sent word via a message dragon. A steward inside will receive you momentarily, Your Highness."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble."

"You’re too kind. Please feel free, Your Highness."

With that, the sea dragon guard bowed his head in salute before promptly departing the sanctuary entrance.

On land, the dragons used messenger dragons as their "couriers," while underwater, a creature known as the "message flood dragon" filled the same role.

It seemed the courier business thrived no matter where you went.

Before long, the grand doors of the sanctuary opened slowly, and a sea dragon maid approached, leading Leon inside.

Once inside, Leon looked up and saw Claudia seated on the throne, bent over a desk, busy with work.

That serious and focused demeanor reminded him strongly of Roswitha.

"I hope I’m not disturbing you, Senior," Leon said.

Claudia finally put down the stack of documents in her hand, let out a relieved sigh, smoothed a strand of hair that framed her face, and looked up at Leon.

"Here to visit your master and madam?"

Leon nodded but paused for a beat before adding, "Actually, I have another favor I’d like to ask of you, Senior."

The elegant woman raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "I knew you wouldn’t show up here without a reason."

She slowly rose to her feet, smoothing out the slightly wrinkled fabric of her gown before descending the steps to stand before Leon.

"We’ll talk about that later. Go see those two first," she said.

"Got it," Leon replied.

The two left the sanctuary together and headed toward the residential quarters.

Arriving at the room where his master and madam resided, Leon pushed open the door and entered.

The moment he stepped inside, he opened his mouth, ready to greet them. Yet, the scene before him left him speechless.

His master was bare-chested, lying prone on the floor. Though he was old, the muscles were still strikingly defined.

Meanwhile, his mistress was seated cautiously on his back, looking somewhat nervous as she stared at the elder.

The old man truly embodied the phrase "young at heart." Despite his years and having just narrowly escaped death, he was doing push-ups in the room with his wife on his back.

And if Leon recalled correctly, dragon bones were much denser than humans’.

In other words, though his madam appeared to weigh less than a hundred pounds, she might actually weigh closer to one hundred and fifty—or even more.

Drip. Drip.

Beads of sweat fell from his master’s chin onto the floor.

"Two hundred... and thirty... one!"

"Two hundred and thirty... two!"

When his master was about to complete the two hundred and thirty-third push-up, a pair of shoes appeared within his line of sight.

Leon crouched down, bemused. "Training again, Master?"

"Leon, please talk some sense into your master," Charlotte pleaded anxiously. "He insists on doing this rehabilitation training—and makes me participate."

Leon sighed. "Madam, you’ve been married to this stubborn old man for long enough; don’t you know how he is by now?"

"If he’s decided on doing a certain number of push-ups, he won’t stop until he’s finished. Two hundred and thirty-two so far, Master—what’s the goal this time?"

"F-Five hundred..." Charlotte answered before the elder could.

"Then you’d better call it quits, old man," Leon advised.

Five hundred weighted push-ups were indeed overdoing it, given his current condition.

Hurriedly, Leon helped his master sit on the edge of the bed.

The elder panted heavily, sweat pouring down his face.

Charlotte handed him a towel, and he reached out to wipe his drenched forehead.

"So, what brings you here all of a sudden, kid?" the old man asked.

"If I hadn’t come, your back would’ve probably given out completely by now. Dragons might have Heart-Guarding Dragon scales, but they certainly don’t have Back-Guarding Dragon scales, right?"

The old man rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Hmph, smart aleck. Out with it—what do you need?"

As the master and apprentice chatted, Charlotte prepared two cups of tea and brought them over. Shortly afterward, she stepped aside to join Claudia, chatting away in hushed tones about matters only sisters would understand.

"It’s like this, Master," Leon began. "The human-dragon war has completely ended, but one Dragon King who previously colluded with the Empire remains unaccounted for..."

Leon proceeded to explain his suspicions regarding Adam and Shadow to his master.

In truth, his visit to the Sea Dragon Clan wasn’t solely to obtain Primordial Magic manuals for Old Constantine; another purpose lay in hearing his master’s perspective about Shadow.

After all, his master and Rebecca had spent considerable time in the Empire during their earlier years. Though they had exchanged intelligence with Leon every three months, there might have been overlooked details.

That was why Leon had decided to visit in hopes of uncovering potential clues.

"Hmm... So you're saying that this 'Lord Shadow' might actually be the true mastermind behind the Empire?"

The old man furrowed his brows in thought. "But during all my years investigating within the Empire, I never once heard of such a person."

Leon ruffled his hair in frustration, troubled. "But if he’s who Queen Elizabeth sought refuge with when all else failed, there must be deep ties to the Empire. How could he leave no trace, as though he never existed at all...?"

His master stroked his chin in contemplative silence.

After a moment, the elder slapped his thigh with sudden realization.

"Hold on, kid—remember how I once mentioned that after Kant ascended to the throne, the Empire’s governance style barely changed compared to the previous king’s reign?"

Leon nodded. "Of course, I remember."

During one of their intelligence exchanges, his master had brought up this anomaly.

Normally, each monarch’s ascension would subtly introduce changes to the governing style of their predecessor, as a way to consolidate their power.

Yet, in the thirty years of Kant’s coronation, the Empire had seen no notable shifts compared to previous years.

What’s more, when the former king and several high-ranking officials passed away, the Empire’s newspapers featured not a single photograph of the bodies.

This was unprecedented in their record of royal deaths.

At the time, both the master and apprentice had merely made passing note of it, not investigating further.

But now, with the emergence of this new enemy in the shadows, the elder was reminded of this critical clue.

"Here’s a bold hypothesis: If the Empire’s governance style over the past thirty years hasn’t departed from the previous king’s approach, could it mean that the one controlling Kant—the puppet king—is actually the former king?"

The old man continued, "And that the former king, operating from the shadows under the alias ‘Shadow,’ has been secretly pulling the strings behind the Empire’s every move?"

His words struck like a bolt of lightning, illuminating Leon’s thoughts. Slowly, the young man nodded.

"It does make sense... But there’s a key issue: If Shadow is indeed the former king, how is he still alive?"

"The previous king was already in his seventies at the time of his supposed death. If he’s still alive now, he’d be over a hundred years old."

"Could someone over a century old truly orchestrate schemes of this magnitude?"

The elder had clearly considered this issue, responding gravely,

"I suspect it’s through some kind of magic—or special means—that he managed to extend his life."

"But life-prolonging magic of this kind is forbidden. Tampering with it could just as easily lead to premature death."

Life-extension magic of the forbidden variety was entirely different from preserving one’s body with a crystal.

With a crystal, the subject is sealed before death—silent, immobile, but able to hear the world outside.

Life-extension magic, however, forcibly prolongs life, carrying immense risks. There was always the chance, as Leon had noted, that it might backfire and result in early death.

"Well... It’s certainly something new to consider. You should keep an eye on this angle," the elder advised.

"Understood."

Given the current state of affairs, Leon resolved to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of the truth.

After chatting with his master for a little while longer, Leon rose to his feet.

Charlotte stepped forward, her voice filled with concern.

"How have you been recently, Leon?"

Leon smiled warmly. "I’m doing well, Madam."

She nodded, reassured. "Good to hear. If you have the time... bring your wife by for a visit. The last two times you were here, things were so rushed that I didn’t get the chance to sit down and have a proper chat with her."

Understood, the mother-in-law wanted to chat with her daughter-in-law about everyday life.

It made perfect sense.

"Sure, madam. When Roswitha has time, we'll come together to see you and mentor."

"Mhm, mhm."

"Alright, family time is over."

Claudia stood with her arms crossed, leaning slightly against the bedroom doorframe. She smiled as she looked at Leon.

"Now, can you tell me what favor you came here to ask me for?"