Chapter 77: An Excellent Warrior Won’t Be Defeated by the Same Move Twice

“Why would the Empire have dragon heart scales?”
After a pause, Leon added another question, “And I still haven’t figured out what exactly this heart dragon scale is? It’s not exactly a detonator, and it doesn’t seem to be an organ that stores final energy either.”
“Heart dragon scales are extremely important to dragons.”
Noia explained, “Its function isn’t what it appears to be on the surface – storing energy and detonating it in a mutual destruction scenario. The heart dragon scale actually acts more like a ‘safety device’.”
“A safety device?”
“Yes.”
Noia said, “Dragons with heart scales can control their power more perfectly, because pure-blooded dragons have a desire for violence flowing in their bloodline, and when fighting they may act without considering consequences. The heart scale prevents dragons from being consumed by their own power at crucial moments. Of course, besides this, it has many other functions.”
“Like enhancing dragons’ vitality, or being used as a detonator at critical moments, just like Star Dragon King Sta did back then.”
Leon pondered Noia’s words, “Safety device… being consumed by power…”
He seemed to think of something and turned back to look at Rosvitha in the crystal, “Could your mother’s falling into a coma after exhausting all her strength also be related to the heart dragon scale?”
Noia nodded, “Great-grandmother said Mom’s heart dragon scale was very strange. Although it existed, its effect was very small, to the extent that when she released that miraculous power at the end, the dragon scale didn’t function, which led to Mom falling into a coma.”
“Of course, the dragon scale might not be the only reason. There could be many reasons that could make a Dragon King-level body like Mom’s fall into slumber, and the dragon scale is just one of them.”
Leon thoughtfully made a sound of acknowledgment, not discussing the heart dragon scale issue further.
So the topic returned to the original question:
“Why would the Empire have dragon treasures?”
Noia shrugged, “I’m not too clear about that. The person who provided me with the intelligence only said there are many heart dragon scales stored within the Empire.”
Leon raised an eyebrow, “And this person who provided you with intelligence is?…”
Noia snorted with a laugh, “Not telling you.”
“Tch, keeping secrets from your old man now.” Leon pouted.
The cool sister made a tongue-sticking face but still didn’t say anything more about this informant.
Leon wasn’t very concerned about the informant’s identity, what he cared more about was, “Is this person reliable?”
“Very reliable, extremely reliable, there’s absolutely no one more reliable than her in the world.”
Alright, taking back what he said earlier, General Leon’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued.
Who could this mysterious person be that made the naturally suspicious and cautious Noia directly say they were “extremely reliable”?
However, Noia seemed to want to keep this mystery going.
Leon didn’t dwell on it further.
“Besides the Empire, do we have any other way to get dragon scales with power nature similar to the Star-Wandering Dragon clan?” Leon asked.
“Ravi fell only twenty years ago, the Star-Wandering Dragon clan probably hasn’t selected their next qualified Dragon King yet.” Noia said.
The succession of Dragon Kings in each tribe is an extremely long and complex matter.
Determining candidates, allocating resources, gradual nurturing, public opinion surveys within the tribe, ability tests by tribal elders, and finally the Dragon King trial – it’s a very time-consuming process.
At minimum several years, and at maximum… well, that’s hard to say.
And this is assuming the previous Dragon King died naturally of old age or illness.
If it’s like Ravi who suddenly perished, then the situation becomes much more complicated.
Are there Dragon King candidates within the clan? Is there any obvious faction about to win in the party struggles?
Or other internal factors, all of these would affect the ascension of the next Dragon King.
“If it’s not a Dragon King level heart dragon scale, then we might still not be able to successfully activate the reversal array.”
Aurora said, “We don’t have many chances for trial and error left, only three months remaining. The next time… we must succeed.”
The father and three daughters looked at each other, and finally, they all turned to look at Rosvitha in the crystal.
The silver-haired beauty lay there, peaceful and beautiful.
But Leon wanted to see that cunning and sharp-tongued Silver Dragon Queen more. Trapping her in a dream from which she would never wake was undoubtedly the cruelest punishment for her.
After a long while, Leon slowly spoke,
“We… go to the Empire.”
……
Leon hadn’t expected he would return to the Empire for such a reason.
Back when he cleared out the traitors and left this place, he thought that when he returned to the Empire again, it would definitely be to overturn that dog emperor’s throne.
But times have changed, different troubles and problems have come one after another, leading to today’s situation.
Leon had to return to this homeland that he both loved and hated, to save his wife and his family.
In the forest several kilometers away from the Empire, Leon was already very familiar with this place.
He pointed to a certain highland, looking back at Aurora, “Here, this is where Little Light was born.”
“Dad, are you already senile at twenty-three?”
Aurora mercilessly criticized, “I was clearly born in Silver Dragon territory, okay? Mom told me so.”
“I mean, this is where I gave you your name.”
Speaking of this, the General’s smile was harder to suppress than an AK, “Ah, thinking back then, your mother was holding onto me here, constantly begging me not to leave, crying so pitifully with tears streaming down her face— Hey hey where are you going! Wait for me!”
The three sisters headed towards the forest exit, showing no intention of listening to their old father reminisce about the past.
The father and daughters came to the outskirts of the Empire’s city walls, hiding behind a slope to observe the situation.
The Empire’s entrance was busy with merchant caravans and various mission-executing teams coming and going.
Civilians rarely entered or left the city because of the troublesome procedures required – by the time the paperwork was done, it would be too late.
Looking at the current situation, this point hadn’t changed in twenty years.
“Is there a way to get in?”
Noia asked, “My informant said there’s a sensing barrier above the Empire’s city walls, invisibility magic won’t work, we can only enter through the main gate.”
“Dad is their wanted criminal from twenty years ago, who knows if the wanted notice has been withdrawn or not.”
“Whether it’s withdrawn or not, we can’t just walk in brazenly.” Leon said.
Muen was seriously listening to her father analyze the situation, trying to learn more practical infiltration skills from it.
However, the old man’s next sentence made Little Moon unable to help but sweat.
He said seriously, “A handsome guy leading three beautiful women would attract too much attention.”
Muen & Noia & Little Light: “……”
That’s about enough.
Why does this old rascal’s face get thicker the closer we get to his hometown?
Aurora sighed and asked, “Then what’s your brilliant idea, handsome Dad?”
Leon fixed his eyes on the passing merchant caravans.
An excellent warrior won’t be defeated by the same move twice;
But the Empire’s security guards definitely will be.
“Now, Dad wants to see if you’ve been exercising properly.”
Leon said, “Especially planks and such.”