Of course, it's a meeting.
Two silver figures flashed under the full moon.
"Your Majesty, ahead is the border of Constantine's territory. There have been occasional internal conflicts among dragon clans recently. For safety, shall we take a detour?" Shirley flew beside Rossweise, suggesting.
"Very well."
They adjusted their direction, circumventing the territory ahead. If not for needing Shirley as a guide, Rossweise could have traveled alone—coming and going quietly without causing any disturbance.
Unfortunately, Shirley mentioned that Tiger's hiding place was too secretive. It would be difficult to find based on verbal descriptions alone.
Moreover, Tiger had set up shielding spells all around, rendering any tracking magic or recording stones ineffective within their range. Shirley had been flying aimlessly at the time and stumbled upon it purely by chance.
Thus, this journey required her guidance.
Hearing Shirley's description, Rossweise grew even more curious about Leon's master. Previously, her understanding of him had been limited to Leon's casual remarks.
From those snippets, the impression Rossweise had formed was of a "mischievous old man," "reliable in critical moments despite usual carelessness," and "an ordinary farmer who knows basic magic."
However, it was clear that someone who could find such a concealed hiding place and set up shielding spells was no simple figure. Moreover, Shirley had mentioned last night that Tiger could have easily killed her.
Though Shirley excelled at infiltration and intelligence gathering, she was relatively weaker in combat.
Yet she was still one of Rossweise's confidantes. Even the current top human dragon slayers might not be able to kill her easily.
If they couldn't win, couldn't they at least escape?
But Tiger had genuinely made Shirley feel panic.
Who was this old man?
"Shirley, accelerate."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Two figures streaked across the sky at extreme speed, heading toward the border between humans and dragons. The detour added several extra hours of flight. By the time they reached the border, dawn was approaching.
Rossweise and Shirley activated their invisibility magic. Without the cover of night, caution was necessary.
"Follow me, Your Majesty."
"Alright."
Shirley adjusted her angle and flew toward a mountain gorge below. The two landed at the gorge's summit and looked down. The entire gorge was steep and rugged, with several small waterfalls cascading from top to bottom.
The river at the bottom churned violently. If a human fell in carelessly, they would be swept away in an instant.
Shirley pointed to a waterfall midway down the gorge. "The Tiger couple is behind that waterfall. Your Majesty, he said he only wants to see you. I can only wait here for Your Majesty."
"Very well. If I haven't returned in an hour, you know what to do."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Please be careful."
Rossweise nodded, then, in human form, spread her dragon wings and flew slowly toward the waterfall.
As Shirley had said, they were hidden behind the waterfall. Without the ability to fly, finding and reaching them would be difficult.
Moreover, as soon as she entered the gorge, Rossweise keenly sensed a slight limitation on her magical abilities.
While normal magic flow was unaffected, some auxiliary and tracking spells seemed less effective. The shielding enchantments were already active from this point.
Rossweise gently flapped her dragon wings, creating a gust of air to deflect the water as she passed through the waterfall, avoiding getting wet. Behind it was an artificial cave, neatly arranged.
Various wooden chairs, wardrobes, beds, and a simple kitchen indicated that someone lived here—and lived quite comfortably. However, no one was present.
But in the next moment, the scene before Rossweise began to distort.
When the distortion ceased, an elderly man with silver hair stood by the table. Yet "elderly" hardly captured his demeanor.
Though he appeared around fifty in human terms, he exuded a remarkably calm and intimidating aura without any action, even in the presence of the Silver Dragon Queen.
His slightly clouded eyes gazed at Rossweise, creating subtle pressure. Countless dragon slayers had fallen to the Silver Dragon Queen's dragonfire, but only one was special—Leon.
He was the only opponent Rossweise found formidable. If not for the sneak attack back then, Leon might have led his team to breach her Silver Dragon Temple.
Now, his master, Tiger Lawrence, possessed almost the same charisma and presence as Leon had back then.
Rossweise also noticed that before the distortion, there were only a few teacups on the table, but now a slender longsword lay there conspicuously.
The blade emitted a chilling, solemn light, its hilt within the old man's easy reach—signifying his readiness to draw and strike Rossweise at any moment.
He was well-prepared: the magic shielding, the distorted illusions, and, for a dragon slayer, an essential weapon. And these were only what Rossweise could see. Likely, many more preparations lay hidden from view.
Tiger locked eyes with Rossweise for a moment before speaking slowly, "How is Leon?"
Rossweise was slightly taken aback by the directness, pausing momentarily. After regaining composure, she nodded. "He is alive."
"It's been two years. I've been waiting."
Rossweise's thoughts stirred, quickly understanding the deeper meaning. "You did this intentionally?"
Tiger nodded. "Yes, I've been banking on this opportunity today."
Leon had disappeared during the crucial battle against the Silver Dragon Clan two years ago.
The battle report claimed he died, but no body was found. If there was any hope of Leon being alive, it likely involved the dragon clan. That was why Tiger had been waiting. Waiting for a long time, and finally, he had the chance to draw out this Dragon King.
"Aren't you afraid of losing the bet?" Rossweise asked.
"It's more accurate to say I already considered him dead," Tiger replied.
In truth, many years ago, the first time Tiger saw Leon, he knew Leon wouldn't stay by his side for long. When Leon was ten, Tiger sent him to the academy. Since then, every encounter felt like it might be their last.
Tiger's gaze met Rossweise's directly. She could somewhat glean his current concerns from his eyes and spoke up, "In these two years, Leon has never given up. That's to be expected."
"It sounds like you know him quite well," Tiger remarked.
"Naturally. His only identity now is my prisoner."
"Every day, he enjoys top-tier treatment as my prisoner in the Silver Dragon Temple. Well, I can't say he's freeloading. At least Leon still pays his 'rent,'" Rossweise said.
Hearing this, Tiger snorted and muttered, "Stubborn brat… Two years and still so defiant. How much suffering does he have to endure in enemy hands?"
Then, changing the subject, he continued, "Anyway, knowing he's alive puts my mind at ease."
After a pause, he asked again, "What deal did you two strike?"
It was unsurprising that Leon would find a way to contact Rossweise, but why would the Silver Dragon Queen help? There had to be a reason.
Rossweise assessed the old man before her. He was like an aging lion—his claws and ferocity undiminished by time, yet he still had a soft spot: Leon.
Rossweise sensed his care and restraint toward Leon. Care, because he was the genius dragon slayer he had raised from childhood; restraint, because of the longstanding conflict between their races, making it difficult to converse as old friends.
But the fact that they didn't immediately clash upon meeting was already positive. Though they couldn't achieve complete calm, being able to chat calmly here about the same man was rare indeed.
Was the situation special, or… was the man they discussed special?
"To fulfill his request, Leon has already paid the corresponding price," Rossweise replied.
"In that case, knowing him as I do, he must have tried every means to escape back to the empire before making this request," Tiger said.
Oh, he did more than try—he never stopped for a single day. Rossweise nodded, "He has been attempting but continuously failing."
Tiger expressed no opinion on this. As long as the brat was alive, that was enough.
"Starting from now, for at least a year, if you let Leon escape back to the empire, it would only prove your entire Silver Dragon Clan is useless," Tiger said.
Rossweise raised an eyebrow.
While she never intended to let Leon go, Tiger's statement was peculiar. Knowing his student was alive, he not only didn't rush to rescue him but seemed to prefer him staying in enemy hands longer?
"You're provoking us," Rossweise's tone cooled.
"You coming alone implies you don't want combat with me. Even if it came to that—"
Tiger remained composed, casually stroking the sword hilt on the table, exuding confidence built over years.
"The reason for not letting him return?"
"No comment," Tiger replied.
Rossweise narrowed her eyes, observing the human before her.
Decisive, powerful, with his own logic and principles, strong enough to stand firm even against a Dragon King… Leon's master and the man before her were completely different.
After a brief standoff, Rossweise nodded. Since he refused so decisively, she wouldn't press further.
Regardless, whether it was one year or ten, or even a lifetime of capturing Leon, she had no issue with it. But even so, she wouldn't engage in a losing deal.
"Not letting Leon return to the empire within a year is fine, but I have a condition," Rossweise stated.
"Name your price," Tiger responded, unsurprised.
The Silver Dragon Queen wore her trademark smirk. "Tell me more about Leon, especially his childhood."
Tiger's stern expression softened almost imperceptibly. He gestured to the seat opposite him. "Sit. This will take a while."
As Rossweise sat, Tiger poured tea from a pot that hadn't been there moments before. "He was a reckless child. Always getting into trouble, but too clever for his own good."
He slid a cup toward Rossweise. "When he was a child, he tried to 'slay' one of my chickens, claiming it was a dangerous beast. The chicken pecked him so badly he ran to his mistress crying."
Rossweise sipped the tea, finding it unexpectedly refined. "And?"
"And his mistress scolded me for letting a chicken bully her 'precious boy,'" Tiger grumbled, though fondness warmed his voice. "She insisted I teach him proper sword forms after that. Said if he was going to fight, he should at least win."
"So that's where his stubbornness comes from," Rossweise mused.
"Partly." Tiger studied her. "Why the interest in his childhood?"
"Let's just say... understanding one's prisoner is key to maintaining proper captivity."
Rossweise's smile was all sharp edges. Besides, she can't say that; the man is the father of my children. Is it so strange to want to know what kind of child he once was?
Tiger's eyes narrowed, but he didn't challenge her. Instead, he continued, "He always had a strong sense of justice. When he was six, he tried to protect a litter of fox kits from hunters. Got himself lost in the woods for three days. When we found him, he'd built a shelter and was sharing his rations with them."
Rossweise filed this away—another piece of the puzzle that was Leon. The man who fought dragons yet cared for vulnerable creatures.