Chapter 337

"Moreover, they almost always bring in the dangerous species at night, deliberately avoiding crowds."

"That's suspicious, isn't it?"

Leon nodded in agreement. "It is indeed suspicious. According to the Empire's usual practice, every victory or successful extermination of a dangerous species is accompanied by extensive publicity to boost public support. But to quietly cultivate so many dangerous species... could they still be after Constantine?"

The master frowned slightly. "You mean, even after losing the Heart-protecting Dragon Scale, the Empire still intends to continue researching fusion monsters like Constantine?"

"That's right. That's just how they are, isn't it?"

What the young man said makes sense.

Others won't turn back until they hit a brick wall;

The empire is like someone who hits a wall once and then hits it again, to see if that wall is made of concrete or bricks.

Tiger had a vague premonition that if the Empire continued to research this fusion monster... it might be digging its own grave.

After all, those guys always like to pursue powers they can't control...

"In short, losing all the Heart-protecting Dragon Scale is undoubtedly a major blow to the Empire, but it has also thoroughly enraged them."

Tiger said in a deep voice, "After the laboratory explosion, the manhunt for me and Rebecca intensified. Even Martin was invited in for questioning a few times."

Upon hearing this, Leon frowned slightly. "Did they target Martin?"

Martin was the youngest of Leon's comrades, and he joined the Empire's Dragon Slayer Army because he admired Leon.

Upon learning that the Empire and Victor were plotting to frame Leon, Martin did not hesitate to side with Leon.

Unlike Rebecca, who was all alone, Martin, who came from Royal Minister, could have stayed away from this turmoil and quietly lived the life of a nobleman.

It's hard to say whether he'll achieve great success, but living a peaceful and uneventful life for the rest of his days is definitely not a problem.

But Martin still chose to become an inside agent for Leon and others within the royal family, doing everything he could to gather intelligence.

If anything happens to this kid, Leon will never forgive himself.

"With his father as a cover, the royal family didn't dare to do anything to Martin; they only asked him a few questions."

His master's words eased Leon's anxiety a little.

"As you know, ever since the Empire put a warrant for our arrest, the first thing they'll do is investigate our former acquaintances. Martin, as your teammate during your time in the Dragon Slayer Army, is naturally one of the targets. It's just that the Empire has been hesitant to take direct action because of his father's connections."

Tiger continued, "But while blowing up the Heart-protecting Dragon Scale and cutting off an arm of the Empire, it also enraged them so much that they couldn't care less about anything else. However, that little guy Martin was very clever and didn't leave any clues. He hid very well, and the Empire couldn't find anything out about him."

"However... it might be a bit more troublesome to gather intelligence in the future."

Leon nodded. "It's alright, Master. Compared to intelligence, staying alive is more important. Tell Martin not to push himself too hard, just do his best."

"Yes, I will."

Tiger let out a slow sigh, gently tapping the scabbard of his katana with his index finger, and said slowly, "The Empire won't easily give up on this monster fusion project; their rampant capture of dangerous species confirms that. After this, I will continue to monitor the situation and make sure to stop them before they create the next monster."

Leon's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't immediately agree to Tiger's suggestion. "Master, not only Martin needs to be extra careful, but you and Rebecca do too. Like I said, staying alive is more important than intelligence. If something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to my master's wife? She'll kill me."

Tiger paused for a moment, raised his slightly pale eyebrows, and then laughed, "Your teacher's wife is a million miles away from you, don't worry, she can't scold you."

"So... when can I meet my master's wife?"

"Don't rush. Come on, kid—"

As he spoke, Tiger took out a minimalist camera, pointed it at Leon, and pressed the open button. "Smile."

Click—

Leon was taken aback. "This is...?"

Tiger looked down at the preview photos on the camera and nodded in satisfaction. "Your teacher's wife told me not to just show her her granddaughter's photos this time, but to bring yours along too. Tsk, kid, you seem to have lost weight."

How could he not lose weight after spending all his time in the Silver Dragon Sanctuary living a shameless married life with the Dragon Queen?

Cough cough—

However, this is only one of the reasons.

Ever since he witnessed the terrifying power of Constantine, the super stitched zombie dragon, he had been filled with lingering fear.

If the Empire has already created such terrifying monsters, who knows if they will come up with even more indescribable creatures next?

Leon rarely felt so wary of anything, so it was normal that he didn't know how to deal with these troubling thoughts and therefore had a poor appetite.

"Seriously, Master, you and Rebecca absolutely must—"

"Yes, yes, I know, I know, safety first."

The technician carefully put the camera away. "Well... there's another thing. It's about those three people you mentioned earlier."

After a moment's recollection, Leon knew which three people his master was referring to:

Kini, Gitei, Gimei.

The Knife Trio.

Twenty years in the future, these three guys are invincible on the battlefield of dragon slaying, and can be called "Leon Casmod 2.0".

However, the power they wield does not originate from themselves, nor from human magic.

However, regardless of the circumstances, if the Empire were allowed to nurture these three individuals, it would be tantamount to creating three troublesome enemies for the future.

That's why Leon asked his master to keep an eye on these three people when they exchanged intelligence last time.

"Have you heard from them?"

"Yes. The Empire is secretly carrying out a project called 'Sharp Knife,' which aims to cultivate a new generation of dragon-slaying weapons."

At this point, Tiger paused slightly.

He pursed his lips, as if recalling some unpleasant memory.

Leon asked in a low, concerned voice, "Master?"

"Ah... it's nothing."

Tiger took a deep breath and continued, "The Empire nurtures them just as it nurtured me and you. Except... this time, the Empire has learned its lesson."

Tiger glanced down at the katana on the table.

"The sharper the knife, the more sturdy its sheath needs to be, so as not to hurt its owner."

"The resources the Empire has poured into the Knife Trio far exceed those you had a few years ago, and they have also taken sufficient precautions to ensure that these three sharp knives will not turn around and stab them."

"In other words... in the future, in addition to super Constantine -like monsters, we may also face the most loyal and vicious hounds in the history of the Empire."

Listening to his master's words, Leon fell into deep thought.

The master just mentioned the future, and Leon is the Only One who has been to the future.

Twenty years after "the world without Leon," the Human Empire has almost completely seized control of the fate of all wars, and their methods are endless.

Outside, relying on the formidable strength of the Knife Trio, they swept across various battlefields;

Internally, the people's faith was continuously strengthened through successive victories in the struggle.

Therefore, it's less a "future without Leon" and more a "future controlled by the Empire."

And clearly, that kind of future... is terrible.

People live in a deception called "comfort," paying taxes to corrupt and filthy rulers, and even enjoying it immensely.

They waged wars never for humanity, but solely for... theirselves.

Leon had promised Noa in the future that he would rewrite the future and find a way out of this turbulent flow of time.

He never breaks his promise.

"Whether it's a super zombie or the Knife Trio, no matter what monsters the Empire creates, we only have one choice, Master."

The master and disciple looked at each other and spoke in unison.

"Fight to the death."

The atmosphere in the cave suddenly became serious and heavy—even tinged with a hint of childish angst.

Even after living with Leon for so long, Losweiser still doesn't quite understand the shifts in human emotions.

She crossed her arms, leaned slightly to the side, and whispered in Rebecca's ear, "..."

"What are they doing? Why do they look so heroic?"

Rebecca chuckled and patiently explained to her beautiful sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law, where do you think the captain's King B temperament and heroic complex come from? It's all thanks to his master's excellent teaching!"

"You mean, Leon's current personality is largely influenced by Tiger?"

"Of course, a son takes after his father. Although he's not his biological son, he's still the master who raised him from childhood, so his personality will be somewhat similar to his father's."

Losweiser squinted at her fake husband.

At the same time, I kept recalling the words Rebecca said in my mind, "Zitang Yiyi (seven) is like a witch for a long time, like IX and eight, following his father."

She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Noa grew up with this kind of eccentric and silly temperament...

It's understandable that she was a cool and aloof girl when she was young;

But if she grows up to be a chuunibyou (delusional) girl with a ghostly fire, then Losweiser will go crazy!

But...

She shook her head, banishing her chaotic thoughts, then silently breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Leon's profile.

Resolute, handsome, and his scars only accentuate his imposing presence.

A slight smile appeared on the Queen's lips.

"So what if I'm a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur)? So what if I have a hero complex? Anyway, they're all... kind of cute."

Rebecca didn't hear the first half of the sentence clearly, only the word "cute" at the end.

She looked up at Losweiser with a grin, "Sister-in-law, are you talking about me when you say 'cute'?"

Losweiser lowered her eyes, reached out and pinched her cheek, smiling as she said, "Cute is a derogatory term among Dragon Race ~"

"Tch~"

The master and apprentice continued their discussion at the wooden table.

As Leon had predicted, the information his master brought was indeed plentiful.

Fortunately, he brought paper and pen with him in advance and wrote down this key information.

Although most of the news was bad, it was still better than being caught off guard when others had already attacked your doorstep.

"That's about it, Leon," Tiger said.

"Hmm... okay."

Tiger observed his apprentice's reaction. "You seem... worried?"

Leon shook his head with a wry smile. "Even with the Empire around, I can't laugh, Master."

"Really."

Tiger sighed as well, "Our situation is becoming increasingly urgent, so we must find the truth as soon as possible and expose the conspiracy between the Empire and the Dragon Race."

Leon's thoughts stirred slightly. "Hmm... it's time to take the initiative."

"Take the initiative? What are you planning to do?"

"I haven't decided yet, because before I came here I had no idea there would be so much bad news."

Leon said, "But after that, I will immediately begin to devise a strategy."

"No problem, Rebecca, Martin, and I will try our best to gather as much information as possible for you."

Leon smiled and extended his fist. "Thanks, Master."

Tiger raised his hand and lightly bumped fists with Leon, saying, "You're my only disciple, so of course I'll do everything I can to help you."

"Speaking of helping, Master, I asked you to help me find some books about Primal Magic last time... any progress?"

Tiger smiled smugly. "I was just about to say that. I actually found a book about Primal Magic."

As he spoke, Tiger took an old book out of his backpack and handed it to Leon.