The Silver Dragon Territory border.
Months of war had left the area barren, the land scarred by magical clashes. It would take some time before it could return to its former state.
Leon and Rosvisser walked slowly through the forest.
Rosvisser, sensing Leon’s lingering unease after their conversation about the Heartscale, tentatively reached for his hand.
They had been through so much together—fights, laughter, challenges. Even though they often playfully competed with each other, they were mostly honest when it came to important matters.
That was precisely why Rosvisser’s secrecy about the Heartscale weighed heavily on Leon.
It wasn’t just because she hadn’t told him right away. It was because losing the Heartscale was incredibly dangerous for her.
Leon didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.
And after learning that, in the future, Rosvisser had fallen into a coma because she no longer had the protection of her Heartscale, it only made Leon more anxious about why she had removed it and placed it in a “safe” place—especially without explaining it to him.
Throughout their walk, Leon remained silent, staring down at the ground.
Rosvisser decided to cheer him up. After all, she didn’t want their daughters noticing something was wrong when they returned home.
She tried linking her arm with his. When Leon didn’t pull away, she became bolder, slowly slipping her slender fingers into his larger hand.
Finally, their fingers intertwined, the tips lightly resting on each other’s skin.
They often kissed and enjoyed the intimacy that came with it, but holding hands? That was a rare occurrence.
It wasn’t because holding hands was any less exciting than kissing—it was just that this simple, intimate act while being fully awake and conscious of each other felt a little unfamiliar to them.
When they kissed, the dragon markings they shared would resonate, and the pleasure of being entangled with each other would make them dizzy with happiness. Even without the magic, the hormones and dopamine released would put them in a kind of pleasant, dreamy state.
In short, their minds weren’t particularly sharp in those moments. All they wanted was to be lost in each other.
But holding hands didn’t have the same effect.
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It allowed them to remain fully aware of their surroundings while maintaining a gentle, intimate physical connection.
This kind of closeness, while staying completely present, was... strange for them.
So, they didn’t hold hands often.
Even when they were alone, they usually just walked shoulder to shoulder.
Rosvisser’s hand had felt cool at first, but after a while, with the warmth passed between their palms, her hand soon grew warm.
Leon, remembering something, asked, “Does your cold hands and feet thing have to do with losing the Heartscale?”
Rosvisser blinked in surprise, lowering her eyes before nodding slightly.
Leon opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.
Rosvisser thought about making a joke, saying something like, “It’s no big deal. We have heating pads at home, and worst case, I can always summon a bit of dragon flame to warm myself up~”
But just as she was about to speak, she felt Leon tighten his grip on her hand, as though trying to lock in more warmth for her.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Until you get that damn scale back, I’ll just have to take extra care of you.”
*Tsk.*
Rosvisser smiled, her pale cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
“Well then, do as you like,” she said, gently swaying their linked hands. “But what if I never get my Heartscale back? What will you do?”
“I’ll just chop off my hand and tie it to your wrist.”
“...I was hoping for a slightly more romantic answer.”
Well, no need to push further. After all, there was no alcohol or outside danger involved—getting Leon Cosmod to say something like “I’ll take care of you” was already a big step forward.
Rosvisser knew her husband well, and she was satisfied with that.
The couple continued their walk through the forest.
After about half an hour, they arrived at the border of the Silver Dragon Territory.
Beyond this point, it was no longer their land.
Leon stood near the boundary, glancing around.
“Are you looking for something?” Rosvisser asked.
“My military medal.”
Rosvisser raised an eyebrow. “What military medal?”
“Constantine’s head.”
Just as criminals often return to the scene of their crime, General Leon liked to revisit the sight of his victories, admiring his “trophies.”
“Oh, you mean that?” Rosvisser said. “When the Empire and the other dragon clans attacked a few months ago, they took Constantine’s head.”
Leon frowned. “What use could they possibly have for a dead dragon’s head?”
Rosvisser shrugged. “Dragons don’t have a habit of collecting heads. I’m guessing the Empire took it back to use as some kind of propaganda tool for recruiting the Dragon Slayers.”
Leon chuckled and nudged her with his shoulder. “You’ve got quite the imagination. But you might be right. The Empire is definitely capable of pulling a stunt like that.”
Rosvisser smirked. “So, what made you decide to join the Dragon Slayers back then?”
The couple sat down on a large boulder at the edge of the forest.
“It was my master,” Leon explained. “He was a retired Dragon Slayer himself. After adopting me, he raised me with the mindset of a Dragon Slayer. When I came of age, he sent me to the Dragon Slayer Academy. Once I graduated, I joined the army.”
Rosvisser’s eyes softened as she asked, “And if your master hadn’t sent you to join the Dragon Slayers, what do you think you would have done?”
Leon leaned back on the boulder, one hand propping him up while the other still held Rosvisser’s. He tilted his head to look at the sky.
A few birds flapped their wings overhead, and the wind rustled the leaves, making a soft, soothing sound.
“I probably would’ve saved up some money, then moved to a remote countryside,” Leon mused.
“I’d open a ranch, raise some cows and sheep...”
“Oh, and donkeys. I’d definitely have to have a donkey or two.”
“Then, I’d marry a woman who’s not too pretty but not ugly either.”
“Have a sweet little daughter.”
“And then I’d just wait for time to slowly take me away. I think... that would have been the life I wanted.”
When Leon had woken up from his two-year coma, he had dreamed of such a life. The idea had always been tucked away deep in his heart, a quiet fantasy he had never shared with anyone.
It wasn’t a shameful secret, but it did seem a bit... far-fetched.
Born in the wrong era, trapped in a time of war, how could someone as skilled as Leon ever live such a peaceful life?
Rosvisser propped her chin in one hand, using her other to trace slow circles on the back of Leon’s hand with her finger.
After a moment, she said, “Once the next Silver Dragon King is crowned, we can live that life.”
Leon blinked. “What?”
“We’ll move to the countryside, open a ranch, raise some cows, sheep, and donkeys, and live there with our daughters.”
She paused before adding with a smirk, “Though I’m afraid the ‘not too pretty, not too ugly’ wife part won’t come true.”
Leon turned to look at Rosvisser’s perfectly chiseled profile, grinning as he picked up where she left off. “Because the woman playing my wife is far too beautiful.”
“Tch, flatterer.”
“You’re the one who led me into saying that. How does that make me a flatterer?”
“I don’t care. You’re a flatterer. Always saying sweet things to get on my good side. Who knows what tricks you’ve got up your sleeve?”
Rosvisser teased with a mischievous smile.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m definitely planning a coup to steal the throne from you.”
After a bit more playful banter, Leon changed the subject.
“Speaking of my master... you’ve seen him and Rebecca recently, haven’t you?”
Rosvisser nodded. “Yes. After learning about the space rift, they’ve been looking for ways to bring you back from the Empire.”
She paused before adding, “We were supposed to meet up again in three months, so we’ve got about... twenty days left? Just in time. You’ll come with me to see him and put his mind at ease.”
“Alright.”
Leon agreed, though his expression seemed a bit distracted.
Rosvisser blinked her pretty eyes, leaning closer. “What’s on your mind?”
“Ah... Do you remember what I told you yesterday about how, in the future, our daughters were trained by Claudia Poseidon of the Sea Dragon Clan in our absence?”
“Yes. But the Silver Dragon Clan has never had any formal relations with the Sea Dragon Clan. It doesn’t make sense that Claudia would take care of them, let alone train them.”
“Right. And it turns out that the book my master gave me, *Nine Gates of Hell*, was written by Claudia. She also taught that technique to Aurora.”
Leon narrowed his eyes. “As wild as it sounds, do you think my master might have some connection to the Sea Dragon Clan?”
Rosvisser considered this. “It’s not impossible. But relations between two dragon clans would have to be handled very carefully, or it could cause unnecessary tension. We’ll have to wait and ask your master when we meet him in twenty days.”
Leon nodded. “It’s strange... I only recently
found out my master was a powerful Dragon Slayer. And now he might have ties to the Sea Dragon Clan. What else is that old man hiding from me?”
Rosvisser chuckled softly, tilting her head to rest it gently on Leon’s shoulder.
“Even elders may have their reasons for not being completely honest.”
“Are you using my master to justify your own secrets?”
“Looks like you caught me.”
Leon laughed, letting Rosvisser lean into him as the breeze rustled through the trees and sunlight bathed their shoulders in a warm, peaceful glow.