“It’s over, Her Majesty must have lost her mind. How could she surrender? She never taught us like this before... Head Maid, say something, Head Maid!”
Inside the magic-suppression cage wagon, Anna leaned against the bars, looking at the maid commander in front. Inside with them sat the very queen they had served for decades. Truth be told, Anna herself didn’t understand why Her Majesty, so unlike her usual self, had surrendered without a fight.
Was it fear of the enemy’s strength?
Or... something else.
Anna closed her eyes, refused to think too much, and sighed softly.
“What’s done is done. Sherry, sit and recover your strength. We’ll wait for a chance to escape.”
Hours later, Rosvisser announced her surrender to the Imperial Dragon Corps, becoming the captive of Leon Casmod. Along with her were taken Anna, Sherry, and other Silver Dragon guards.
They were locked in cages that suppressed magic, transported through dragon territory toward the human Empire.
The young and beautiful maid clutched the cage bars, pressing her pretty face between them, glaring out viciously at the escort soldiers.
“Damn humans! Don’t you dare let me out, or I’ll burn you all alive!”
One soldier only glanced at Sherry and replied flatly:
“If not for Lord Kant’s orders that surrendering dragons must be taken alive, Captain Leon would’ve shot you all already. You wouldn’t still be barking here.”
“What Captain Leon? If he’s got the guts, let him come here and I’ll duel him!”
Before the soldier could answer, a voice came from the front cage—Rosvisser’s.
“Rest, Sherry. Even all of us together aren’t his match.”
“Your Majesty, it’s one thing you surrendered, but now you’re praising him and crushing our Silver Dragon pride?”
Rosvisser leaned back in the cage, answering lazily:
“It’s fine, Sherry. Believe me—defeating the enemy doesn’t have to be on the battlefield.”
Sherry froze. If not on the battlefield, then where?
Rosvisser smiled, glanced at Leon escorting them himself, and went on:
“Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of methods I haven’t used yet.”
She didn’t really know why things had diverged from what Aurora said just now. Yet she hadn’t lost her memories, and she could still act of her own will. Since that was the case, she might as well take advantage of this “server admin privilege” to play with Leon.
She loved nothing more than teasing her great hero of a husband. Especially at the moment of their very first encounter. Everyone knew Leon at this time was still green—besides fighting, he could hardly think of anything else.
So Rosvisser, married to the Leon of the real world for more than ten years, found this “opening” utterly easy to ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) handle.
Most importantly—according to Aurora, even though this “opening” was set more than a decade in the past, the Leon before her was still only a Leon with his real-world memories sealed. Everything she did to him now, she could sense and remember.
Just imagining how, when Aurora’s magic ended, she’d test Leon with what happened here—Rosvisser was excited already.
Surrendering was only the first step. As she said, defeating the enemy didn’t always mean on the battlefield. She had plenty more tricks against Leon.
“If you’re going to plot escapes or discuss how to deal with me, try to keep your voices down. I’m not deaf.”
Leon spoke without turning, still facing forward as he rode.
At that, Rosvisser narrowed her beautiful eyes. Mischief stirred inside her.
She leaned against the cage bars, gazing at his back, and purred in the sweetest voice:
“Hero... hero, can you give me some water? I’m so thirsty...”
“Water? You want water? How about a bullet instead?”
Before Leon could speak, Rebecca cut in, striding up and aiming her pistol at Rosvisser.
The queen’s lips twitched faintly. Lowering her eyes, she looked at Rebecca.
“Rebecca, can’t you find someone else to serve? Why would I beg for someone’s service, just to let you sneak a shot at your captain?”
Even though this wasn’t truly a time-slip to the past, Sherry and Rebecca of that era were every bit as hot-tempered.
Rosvisser understood. Back then, dragons and humans were mortal enemies; both sides hated each other enough to draw guns on sight.
No one had expected that from this very moment on, the fate of dragons and humans would be rewritten by her and Leon together.
“Go on, Rebecca. Go chat with that teammate of yours, Martin. Off you go.”
Rosvisser summoned her maternal aura, coaxing Rebecca like a child.
But Rebecca froze, as though realizing something. She darted up to the cage, looking Rosvisser in the eyes.
“How do you know Martin and my names? I remember clearly, we never mentioned them along the way.”
“Uh...”
Rosvisser rubbed her forehead. Time travel contradictions again. She was too used to calling Rebecca and Martin by name, too used to Rebecca calling her “sister-in-law.” Dropping back into “opening-phase” interaction was awkward.
“Intelligence. You know—wars always involve intelligence. Just like you know my surname is Melkvey.”
“That... makes sense—wait, no! Don’t you dare use that motherly tone with me! I’m not buying it!”
“Mhm, mhm, you’re not buying it, you don’t even like me talking, right?”
“Of course not! I hate you dragons the most. Especially you, Silver Dragon Queen! When you threw yourself at me crying “sister-in-law,” you didn’t say that! Forget it, forget it. I’m a noble ‘future woman,’ I won’t stoop to these bumpkins.”
“Then why do you hate me most?” Rosvisser asked.
“Because you look like Captain’s old flame.”
“...Old flame?”
Leon Casmod, didn’t you swear you had nothing with that senior Elusa?! How is she suddenly your old flame?!
“Stop talking nonsense, Rebecca. I haven’t contacted Elusa in years. Even back in school, we barely interacted.”
Perhaps because the buried memories of paper-thin feelings surfaced—or maybe it was just instinct—but Leon couldn’t help explaining as he walked ahead.
“Hmph, quick on your feet, aren’t you.”
Rosvisser shot him a glare.
“If you don’t clear this up properly right now, when the magic ends I’ll make sure you don’t get a wink of sleep, or I’m no Silver Dragon Queen!”
“...So just because I resemble your friend, you hate me most?”
“Of course not. It’s because you look like Senior Elusa. Captain wouldn’t cut you down right away just now. He~ couldn’t~ bear~ to—”
“Captain—augh! I’ll stop, just let go!”
Leon had had enough. He turned, grabbed Rebecca by the collar, and tossed her to Martin like a chick.
“Watch her. Don’t let her run her mouth.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“I just wanted to lighten the mood between us and the prisoner!”
“Mmm~~”
Martin pressed a finger gently to Rebecca’s lips, lowering his voice.
“Captain’s not in the best mood. Victor’s case isn’t cleared yet. Don’t stir trouble.”
Rebecca pouted, turned aside, hugging her knees and resting her hands behind her head.
“Hmph. Fine, no talking then.”
At this time, Rebecca wasn’t skilled at expressing sadness. She coped with grief by chattering nonstop, distracting herself. Not everyone handled their emotions that way.
After a long while—
Rosvisser looked at Leon’s back, fell silent, then spoke.
“Some people are destined not to walk the same path as you. There’s no need to waste time on them.”
Leon’s steps faltered, but he didn’t look back.
“You talking to me?”
“Who else?”
“I don’t need an enemy giving me therapy. Hah, damn man, that clinging, pretentious tone of yours—it really takes me back.”
But if he could talk back, at least he wasn’t fully broken.
Rosvisser called to him. Leon didn’t answer.
“Hey, hey!”
Still nothing.
“Hey, I’m calling you, great hero~”
“Men! Tape this dragon woman’s mouth shut.”
“...Leon?!”
So that’s how it is, Casmod? Gagging me with tape?
Fine. I’ll remember. When this magic ends, tomorrow night, we’re playing that way!
Just as Rosvisser plotted how to keep teasing Leon, he suddenly raised his hand, signaling the convoy to halt.
Rebecca and Martin rushed up.
“What is it, Captain?”
Leon stared ahead, expression grim.
“Trouble.”
They followed his gaze.
Several kilometers away, a mass of dragons flapped their wings, blotting out the sky, surging straight toward the convoy.
Sherry’s eyes lit up.
“It’s—it’s our Silver Dragon remnant come to rescue us?”
Anna looked harder, frowning.
“No, Sherry. From size and color... they’re not Silver Dragons. They look more like—”
“The Redflame Dragons?”
