Martin didn't react in time.
But Rebecca had already stood in front of Leon and was blowing hard on his face.
"OK, four to one, unanimously passed."
'Four to one?'
'Oh~'
'Victor counts too, huh?'
'Master is always so thorough, never missing a single detail.'
"Master... What you said does make sense, but if I leave here, can you guys really handle the Empire?"
"Of course. The Empire's main target is you. If they find out you've already left, they naturally won't invest too much manpower and resources in dealing with us. And with you in the Dragon Clan, their claws can't reach you. They can only send someone like Constantine to deal with you, but you've already given them a vivid lesson, proving that the strongest dragon slayer isn't just empty bragging."
Tiger had always been very confident in his disciple's strength. After all, in hundreds of years, only one such super SSR had appeared. So what if he was just a little ridiculously strong?
"In any case, if you return to the Silver Dragon, whether it's ensuring your own safety or gathering intelligence, it'll be far more efficient than staying with us in the Empire."
"I agree with Old Man's idea," Rebecca said.
"I also agree with Mr. Tiger," Martin chimed in.
Leon pressed his lips together, momentarily unsure of what to do.
Tiger observed his disciple's reaction. He knew his earlier words hadn't hit the mark, hadn't struck this stubborn brat's heart.
Alright then, since you're so stubborn, don't blame your master for being ruthless.
"Besides... you can reunite with your wife."
Leon: ?
"Th-th-th-this is the main point? Am I that kind of person? Rebecca, am I?"
"If I had such a beautiful wife, I'd also be thinking about going home. Captain, don't try to hide it."
"Hey, you! … Martin, you say it! Do I look like the kind of person who values romance over friendship?"
Martin thought seriously for a moment and replied, "Captain, you have indeed reached the age where it's normal to miss your wife. It's fine, nothing shameful about it."
"Nonsense! Ridiculous! I, Leon Casmodeous, am absolutely not the kind of person who would abandon my teammates just to see my wife. Even if the Empire hunts me down, even if my wanted posters cover every street and alley, I will never leave you guys."
"We're sending you out of the city tonight."
"Alright, thanks, Master!"
———
Originally, they had planned to wait for things to settle down before smuggling Leon out of the city.
But considering that his bounty level would likely surpass even the highest red-level wanted status, laying low wasn't an option.
So, they had to act quickly. Before the Empire discovered Victor was dead, they would send Leon away tonight.
Martin couldn't show his face, so he took the side roads back into the city.
Leon, Tiger, and Rebecca, on the other hand, sneaked toward the Imperial city gate.
It was already late at night, rain pouring down in torrents. Naturally, there were no merchant caravans passing through that Leon could hide in.
Besides, after the recent battle at the church, the Empire had already discovered Leon's whereabouts. They would definitely have tightened security at the gates. Even if he tried to hide in a carriage, he'd likely be discovered.
Likewise, scaling the towering city walls was impossible. Taking a detour would take at least a full day and night.
"Building such a long wall... that must've cost a fortune," Rebecca said, her focus always on the weirdest details.
The three of them lay on the rooftop of a low building, observing the situation at the city gate.
Not only had additional patrol squads been stationed there, but there were also cages on both sides of the gate, each containing a ferocious dangerous creature.
"Long-tailed demon apes," Rebecca immediately identified the creatures in the cages, "Smart monsters, much better at teamwork than regular dangerous beasts. Their stamina and endurance are incredibly strong."
"Kid, in a moment, Rebecca and I will create a distraction at the gate. You slip out in the chaos," Tiger said, "But they will definitely send people to hunt you down. Are you sure you can escape?"
Leon's expression grew serious, "Shouldn't be a problem. And even if I can't escape, I can always circle back, right?"
Tiger sighed, "Don't take it so lightly, kid. If you fail to escape and return to the Empire, getting out again will be nearly impossible. We only have one chance tonight."
Leon bit his lip, thought for a moment, then nodded, "Got it, Master."
"By the way, we need a system for exchanging information. Any thoughts?", Tiger asked.
Leon pondered for a bit, "Every three months, let's meet at the cave where you were hiding before. How about that?"
"Sounds good."
Who would've thought that even at this final step, his long-distance wife was still playing a role?
Once they settled on the meeting schedule, Tiger said, "Rebecca, fire a few shots to get things started."
"Got it, Old Man."
The crazy little loli loaded her twin guns, stood on the rooftop, and fired several shots into the cloud-covered sky.
The gunfire and flashes instantly caught the attention of the city gate guards.
"It's the red-level fugitive, Rebecca Clement. Capture her!"
Hearing the guards shouting, Rebecca snorted, "Just a few days ago, I was your colleague. Now I'm a red-level fugitive. Hah, I told you, rotting away in the patrol squad is the most dangerous thing."
Tiger drew his katana and turned to remind Leon, "Take care of yourself, kid."
"You too, Master. And Rebecca, make sure to stay safe."
"Got it, Captain! Just go find your wife in peace!"
Leon smiled helplessly, not bothering to argue anymore.
After a round of gunfire, Tiger and Rebecca leaped off the rooftop and clashed with the patrol squads.
Magic explosions, flashes of blades, bullets flying, chaos quickly erupted.
Leon took advantage of the distraction, circling around the low building and sneaking toward the city gate.
The massive city gate was tightly shut. It would take at least four people working together to activate the mechanism and open it.
However, nearby was a special passage designed for royalty.
Leon couldn't open the main gate, so he had no choice but to slip through the special passage.
But two guards stood at the entrance.
Taking them down wasn't hard, the problem was that after dealing with them, he'd have to escape immediately without a second of delay.
Leon prepared himself, then crept silently toward the passage entrance.
The two guards held long swords, with standard-issue pistols at their waists. They were focused entirely on the chaotic battle ahead, completely unaware of Leon sneaking up on them.
Leon crouched low, moving without a sound, approaching from behind.
Once he was close enough, he struck swiftly, chopping one guard at the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious instantly.
The other guard reacted quickly, swinging his sword at Leon.
If you think that was a smart move, remember, once upon a time, an Imperial security officer tried to solo the strongest dragon slayer, General Leon, with a short sword.
Leon easily dodged the slash. The guard, unwilling to give up, reached for his pistol, but before he could aim, Leon's whip kick sent him sprawling to the ground.
"Take Care!"
With that, Leon swiftly turned around and unleashed a Chidori, blasting away the security door of the special passage.
He took long strides, sprinting all the way, and rushed out of the empire's walls.
The guards who were entangled with Tiger and Rebecca also heard the commotion. By the time they turned around, Leon had already run far away.
"It's Casmodeous! Chase him! Release the Long-Tailed Demon Apes! We must catch him!"
With that order, the cages were opened, and two demon apes let out excited howls as they charged after Leon.
The heavy rain poured down, turning the ground into thick mud, greatly slowing Leon's running speed.
But the Long-Tailed Demon Apes were beasts, and running on all fours was second nature to them.
The distance between them rapidly decreased.
The apes' howls grew sharper, as if mocking their prey that was about to fall into their grasp.
Leon glanced back at the two monkeys while running, then raised his right hand, where faint lightning flickered in his palm.
The sky, covered in thick clouds, also began to churn.
A deafening thunderclap echoed, and in the next moment, a thick bolt of lightning struck down from the clouds, directly reducing the two demon apes to charcoal.
After this move, Leon's steps faltered slightly.
"Tch, the magic accumulation is still too slow...", He muttered to himself, quickly adjusting his pace and heading toward the forest ahead.
Cross the forest, leap over a few mountains, traverse a stretch of desert, and he would reach the border between human and dragon territories.
It sounded simple, but in reality, even with human stamina, for someone like Leon, traveling non-stop would take at least half a month.
And that was just leaving human territory. To return to the Silver Dragon Clan, it would take at least another ten days.
Leon calculated the time needed for his journey. Stopping beneath a tree, he propped himself against the trunk and wiped the rain off his face.
"Suddenly, I kinda envy that female dragon. These winged creatures... they just fly whenever they want."
The Silver Dragon Clan, known for their speed, could complete this long journey in just three hours.
After a brief moment of grumbling, Leon was about to continue his journey.
However, at that moment, piercing demon ape howls echoed from all directions.
Leon's heart tensed, "Looks like the empire was well prepared..."
The rustling of leaves and the creaking of tree trunks filled the air.
Leon remained vigilant, carefully observing his surroundings to prevent these cunning dangerous creatures from ambushing him.
The eerie howls reverberated through the rain-soaked night.
The creatures were in no hurry to attack; instead, they wanted to slowly wear down Leon's fighting spirit.
Leon attempted to gather magic, but the lightning in his hand merely flickered twice before vanishing.
ROAR!!
As if realizing their prey could no longer use magic, one Long-Tailed Demon Ape darted from the flank like a specter, launching a sneak attack on Leon.
Leon reacted swiftly. The moment the creature pounced, he stepped forward, bent his knees, and delivered a ferocious straight punch directly into the demon ape's stomach.
The demon ape let out a painful wail. Seizing the opportunity, Leon grabbed its tail with both hands and stomped on its lower leg, snapping it.
The ape clutched its broken leg, howling in agony, and its cries attracted even more demon apes.
Like raindrops, they descended one after another, surrounding Leon completely.
Leon estimated, at least forty of them.
"Damn, I really stirred up a monkey nest."
Unlike other dangerous creatures, Long-Tailed Demon Apes were highly intelligent and excelled at teamwork and tactics.
Leon knew this well, so he had no intention of dragging out the fight.
Not to mention, the empire's pursuers would arrive soon. He couldn't afford a prolonged battle here.
He had to escape as quickly as possible.
Leon scanned the group of monkeys, his gaze locking onto one in particular. The next second, he kicked off the ground, splashing mud and rainwater as he dashed toward that demon ape.
The apes hadn't even reacted before Leon had already charged in.
"Awrooo!! Roar!"
"Awooo!!"
The cacophony of cries continued—excitement, pain, triumph, threats, intimidation...
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