Chapter 87: I’m Waiting for You in the Past, Dad

The practice proved that Leon’s “thieves don’t leave empty-handed” strategy was quite correct.
After successfully stealing the heartscale and returning to their ‘secret base’, Aurora first tried several dragon scales, but none showed signs of successfully activating the reversal magic.
It wasn’t until they had tried more than ten scales that they finally found one with magical properties similar to Ravi’s heartscale.
The first test of the reversal magic was also successfully completed.
Having solved the energy source problem, all that remained was careful debugging and modification to ensure there wouldn’t be accidents during the reversal process, such as tearing dad into strips, or sending back the person but not their clothes, and other such mishaps.
This process was equally substantial in workload. Aurora didn’t dare be negligent and worked day and night to perfect the reversal magic.
With less than three months remaining, she had to send dad back before then to prevent the battle that would lead to mom fighting to the death and falling into a coma.
During this period, Leon also continuously practiced the Nine Hell Gates according to the techniques his youngest daughter taught him, working overtime.
He didn’t forget about magical power condensation and storage either.
The spatial rift battle happened because he didn’t have enough preparation time, so after dealing with Sta, he was caught off guard by Ravi’s three companions and trapped in the spatial barrier.
But this time, with a full six months and rapid mastery of the Nine Hell Gates, even if the three Dragon Kings came to ambush him—or even if they came for a head-on fight—General Leon would just smile slightly and say ‘dinner time’.
Noia and Muen continued their regular field duties. In these crucial final months, they couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Thus, the father and four daughters each performed their duties, everything… preparing for the day when the reversal magic would be complete.
However… the busy and fulfilling battle preparation life couldn’t keep Leon focused all the time.
He would often get distracted thinking about another matter.
Rosvitha.
On the night when there were less than twenty-four hours left until the final deadline, Leon came alone to the room where Rosvitha’s crystal was kept, pulled up a chair, and sat beside the crystal.
The beauty in the crystal still lay there quietly, her brows relaxed, peaceful and beautiful.
Her hands were folded over her abdomen, pressing down on a photograph.
It was a ‘couple photo’ that the photographer had secretly taken when she and Leon went to take their family portrait.
In the photo, husband and wife gazed into each other’s eyes, their looks intertwined with tenderness.
On the back of the photo was written words that Leon would never forget in his lifetime:
“May the silver light forever shine in the eyes of the one I love.”
Leon believed that before Rosvitha lost consciousness, she didn’t know if she would wake up again.
For this unknown long slumber, Rosvitha chose this photograph as her only companion.
Noia said that mom didn’t quite understand feelings, nor was she very good at expressing them.
But she knew what she cared about, and she knew what she couldn’t live without.
In the timeline where ‘Leon didn’t exist’, she persevered alone for six months, she was the loneliest queen on the throne, and also the saddest, most heartbroken wife.
Until the moment before she fell into a coma, was she also believing… that Leon would definitely come back to save everything?
Over these months, Leon would come here almost every night to spend a long time alone with Rosvitha.
Not saying anything, not doing anything, just quietly watching his sleeping wife.
But…
Every time before entering this room, Leon needed a long time to mentally prepare himself.
He was afraid, terrified, sometimes even his legs would tremble.
In the beginning, Leon’s mental state was still fairly good;
However, as time passed, especially in these final days, he became increasingly afraid to approach Rosvitha, afraid to look at her, afraid to tell her what was in his heart.
He was actually a person with very delicate and sensitive thoughts, but he didn’t know how to adjust his own negative emotions.
Just like long ago, after that proxy Dragon King Aug of the Flame Dragon Clan told him “the Dragon Clan will take everything from you,” Leon also fell into deep self-reflection and self-doubt.
That time, he managed to get through it successfully.
It was Rosvitha who helped him find his way out.
Though she wasn’t skilled at expressing emotions, she understood Leon. She knew how to reach into the darkness of his heart and pull this awkward boy out of it.
Many, many times, she had been Leon’s ‘spiritual guide.’
After all, the Queen hadn’t lived these two hundred plus years for nothing – her life experience far exceeded Leon’s.
But now, what could Leon do when he was tormented by longing and worry?
Without Rosvitha, his heart felt like a twisted hemp rope.
Impossible to untie, only getting more tangled.
He pulled back his dejected thoughts, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
Then, Leon reached out and gently pressed his hand against the crystal.
The crystal was cold, just like this oppressive reality.
“I really… miss you so much.”
If everything went smoothly, he could actually see her in twenty-four hours.
But… who could guarantee everything would go smoothly?
Leon had rarely felt so unsure about anything.
Because he was never afraid of failure.
If he failed, he could try again. Fail once, try again. Fail countless times, try countless times – he was like a cockroach that couldn’t be killed.
But.
This time was different.
If he failed this time, he might truly never be able to embrace his beloved again.
The mountain-like pressure piled up in his chest, almost suffocating him.
This wasn’t just a race against time, but a love that needed to be saved across space and time.
And could he really do it?
“It’s already late, you should rest a bit.”
Noia’s voice came from behind, “Little Light says the reversal magic can be activated in a few hours, you need to maintain your strength.”
“No need, I feel fine.”
Leon didn’t turn around, continuing to gaze silently at Rosvitha. His tone was flat, but Noia could hear the slight tremor in his voice.
Noia hesitated for a moment, then walked to Leon’s side.
Only then did Leon notice from the corner of his eye that she was holding an exquisite small wooden box.
Though it was called exquisite, from its appearance, it seemed to be quite old.
“What is…?”
Noia opened the wooden box, which contained various unrelated small items.
A black fragment, a Rubik’s cube, a note, an essay, and a family photo.
“These are things that are very important to me,” Noia said.
Leon looked at those small items. He remembered that when he made the Rubik’s cube for Muen, he also made one for Noia. At that time, Noia was still very tsundere and didn’t like to pay attention to him.
The note had “Noia K. Melkvi” written on it, probably from when he was teaching Muen how to write and wrote down Noia’s name.
That essay recorded the entire process of his and Rosvitha’s date in Sky City, and Noia’s love for them.
The family photo needed no explanation.
“I originally wanted to collect many other things to eventually fill this small wooden box.”
Noia said, “But in these twenty years since you disappeared, nothing new has been added to it. Each item has its meaning, but when tragedy strikes, these meanings become torture. So…”
Dragon flame gathered in Noia’s hand, igniting the wooden box she had kept for twenty years.
Along with everything inside it – the Rubik’s cube, the note, the essay, the photo.
Only that black fragment remained, gleaming in the flames.
Leon was startled and quickly tried to extinguish the fire.
But Noia threw the box on the ground, letting it burn.
She held her father’s hand, tears in her eyes, voice choked,
“Whether we succeed or fail, I no longer need it now.”
“If you succeed in changing the past and restore the original timeline, then the box will return to my hands, and everything I care about will come back.”
“But if we fail… you and my sisters will be all I have left.”
“So go ahead boldly, Leon Casmode.”
“No matter what happens, you will never be alone.”
A few months ago, when he had heart-to-heart talks with his daughter, her future self gradually overlapped with her past self;
But at this moment, Leon saw Rosvitha’s shadow in Noia.
The person who could always pull him out of the abyss when he was lost and helpless seemed to have never left.
……
Several hours later, in the crystal room, Aurora prepared to activate the reversal magic.
The heart dragon scale floated silently in the magic array, providing energy for the entire spell.
Various complex and intricate incantations gradually began to shimmer with light, and the airflow stirred up by the magic array collided in the room.
Aurora tidied her hair that had been messed up by the airflow, turned to Leon,
“Stand here.”
Leon stepped into the center of the magic array.
“If everything goes smoothly, the reversal magic will be complete in ten minutes, which means… in ten minutes, you’ll be able to see Mom.”
“Alright, I understand.”
As the airflow howled, Aurora stood before Leon, head slightly lowered, “Dad.”
“What is it?”
“I… I was helpful, wasn’t I?”
Leon was slightly stunned, not quite understanding why Little Light would suddenly ask this question in the last few minutes.
“Twenty years ago, Little Light didn’t get a chance to receive your approval before you disappeared.”
Noia explained from behind, “So now… why don’t you praise your youngest daughter?”
Leon suddenly understood.
So that’s what it was.
He looked at Aurora, reached out his hand, and ruffled that pink hair,
“You did very well, Little Light, you’re Dad’s proudest daughter.”
“Really?”
“Ahem.” Noia cleared her throat, while putting her arm around Muen’s shoulders.
Leon quickly amended, “One of Dad’s proudest daughters.”
Little Light smiled, took off her glasses to wipe the corners of her eyes, then put them back on.
“After you go back to the past, remember to make sure I don’t stay up late reading books, I don’t want to wear glasses anymore.”
“Mm, I’ll remember.”
Muen also crept to Little Light’s side, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. She looked at her father in the light, and she, usually the most energetic, didn’t know what to say at this moment.
Was this a farewell…
Or the beginning of a reunion?
Muen couldn’t figure it out.
But she knew—
“Dad, you… you’ll definitely save the world, right?”
In her eyes, her dad was a hero, an almighty hero.
He was twenty years ago, and he still was twenty years later.
“I will, I definitely will, I promise, Muen.”
“Then, then after you go back, you have to make me lots of steak… I love your steak the most.”
“Alright, Mom and I will make it together for you.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Once the little moon started talking, she had so much to say.
But she knew the remaining time should be left for her sister.
Muen and Little Light stepped aside, allowing Leon and Noia at the door to look at each other.
Noia stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall.
She looked into those black pupils, and then, smiled gently.
“I’ll be waiting for you in the past, Dad.”