"Ah, we've also gathered some new clues here, and we've done some analysis," Tiger began speaking in detail.
"After you left, the Empire relentlessly pursued Rebecca and me, but this intense chase only lasted for about a month."
"A month later, the Empire diverted more manpower and resources into the Dragon-Slaying Army, and battles against dragon clans became more frequent."
"And according to the information Martin gathered from the royal family, the Dragon-Slaying Army has not launched any further attacks on the Silver Dragon Clan where you are. They probably fear your strength. After all, killing Constantine has become a terrifying topic within the royal family."
"Even so, Leon, you and the Silver Dragon King must not let your guard down. Back then, they were willing to send Constantine to invade the Silver Dragon Clan, which shows how determined they were to eliminate you."
"Perhaps the Dragon-Slaying Army is only pretending to attack other dragon clans, while their true target is still you. Do you understand?"
Leon nodded, "I understand, Master."
"Good. Now, let's move on to some speculations that Rebecca and I have made over the past three months, which are unrelated to dragon clans but likely involve some hidden truths within the Empire's royal family," Tiger said, "Do you remember when the previous king passed away?"
Leon was taken aback. He hadn't expected his master to suddenly ask such a question, but after thinking for a moment, he replied, "More than thirty years ago, right? It's written in the textbooks of the Dragon-Slaying Academy and in various biographies."
"Yes, thirty years ago. Recently, Rebecca and I went through all the newspapers, records, and documents from the time of the former king's death and discovered something very strange."
Leon furrowed his brows, "What strange thing?"
"In all records regarding the king's death, there are no photographs of his corpse," Tiger's tone grew heavier, and his speech quickened, "When a king dies, the people should be allowed to pay their respects to their great leader. However, at that time, the king's coffin was completely sealed. Not only commoners but even some of his close confidants weren't allowed to see his body."
"Beyond that, Rebecca and I also examined newspapers from various other years and were shocked to find that it wasn't just the previous king. Many royal family members and ministers had their deaths recorded only in text. No photographic evidence of their corpses at their funerals was ever published."
"If this was simply to protect royal privacy, making it inconvenient to reveal such things to the public, then how do you explain that for every king before him, there were always photos of their corpses in the news?"
Tiger let out a long sigh, looking into his disciple's eyes as he revealed his bold theory, "That's why I suspect... the ones truly holding power over the royal family right now are people who should have died decades ago."
Leon was stunned.
He struggled to process his master's theory, scratching his head before saying,
"Just based on the absence of corpse photos? Master, I'm afraid that's not enough to support your idea."
Leon knew his master was quite the madman.
But this theory… was too crazy to be casually stated as truth.
"Of course, that's not all," Tiger continued, "The reason I started looking into those old records was that, during my time in the Empire, I suddenly realized something. The current king's policies are almost identical to those of the previous king. There have been no significant reforms."
Leon's mind stirred. He glanced at Rossweisse, who was sitting quietly beside him.
In recent times, he had been learning a lot about the art of ruling from her.
And from his master's statement just now, he quickly grasped what was being implied and added,
"Not changing policies or governance methods is very unusual for a ruler. Every newly ascended ruler seeks to erase the legacy of their predecessor to consolidate their own power. From the moment they take the throne, the country becomes theirs, and they won't allow anyone. Living or dead—to interfere with their rule."
"In simple terms, a new leader always starts with three fires."
"The first fire burns away all enemies they encountered on their way to power."
"The second fire erases all weaknesses or blackmail material from their past."
"The third fire wipes out any trace of the previous ruler's existence."
Tiger's eyes lit up at Leon's analysis. He opened his mouth slightly in surprise.
'Damn it, my dear disciple. Didn't I tell you before to stay out of power struggles?'
'Why are you suddenly speaking so fluently about them?'
Rossweisse, sitting to the side, also flashed a barely noticeable smile.
'This idiot is learning pretty quickly.'
"Yes, your thinking aligns with mine," Tiger said, "Since the current king's coronation, the Empire's economic system, society, culture, education, welfare policies, nothing has changed. That's absolutely abnormal. So I started investigating the previous king, which led me to the strange facts about the funeral."
Leon pondered for a moment before saying, "If the previous king really faked his death, then how did he extend his lifespan?"
Tiger had his own thoughts on this, "Immortality or longevity has been a research topic for the royal alchemists for centuries, so... perhaps their research has made progress?"
"But if it is the royal alchemists' work, then the king wouldn't need to fake his death and hide this breakthrough, right?", Leon reasoned, "A longer lifespan means accumulating more knowledge and experience. It would solidify his rule and serve as proof of humanity's magical advancements. But faking his death forces him into the shadows. Even if he still holds real power, it would make many things inconvenient, wouldn't it?"
Leon pointed out something Tiger hadn't considered before.
The old man stroked his chin, furrowing his brows in deep thought, "That's true… so what do these clues really mean…?"
As new speculations arose, so did new questions.
Leon, his mind racing, quickly proposed, "Maybe this so-called 'immortality' comes with a price. A price that absolutely cannot be revealed to the public."
He paused, then added, "Of course, a revolutionary discovery like immortality or lifespan extension could be kept secret for security or strategic reasons. But…"
"I lean toward the idea that the price of this 'immortality' is something too dark to be exposed. And… it might be related to the never-ending war between humans and dragons."
Tiger struggled to keep up, "What do you mean?"
"Think about it, Master. The war between humans and dragons has lasted for thousands of years, and every action taken by both sides is deeply interconnected."
Leon explained, "That's why I believe the former king's longevity—or immortality—is somehow tied to the dragon war itself."
Tiger fell into silent contemplation.
At that moment, Rebecca, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke in a serious tone, "I think Captain is right."
The usually reckless girl suddenly jumping into such a serious discussion made both Tiger and Leon look at her.
"Oh? Why do you think so? Share your thoughts."
Tiger figured young minds like theirs processed information faster, and Rebecca might understand Leon's ideas better than he could.
Rebecca, looking solemn, said with a straight face, "Because Captain talked a lot, so following his idea must be right!"
Tiger: "..."
Leon: "..."
Rossweisse: *Struggling not to laugh.*
'I must not laugh. I am a queen. I must remain serious.'
Leon slapped Rebecca's face lightly, pushing her aside,"Go play somewhere else. Adults are talking."
Rebecca scooted away, then stuck out her tongue at him, "You're only one year older than me, dumbass!"
Leon ignored her and continued discussing plans with his master.
Feeling left out, Rebecca suddenly had an idea.
'This team of old and weak fools doesn't deserve my presence.'
The mischievous girl chewed her bubble gum, stuffed her hands into her pockets, and absentmindedly kicked a pebble.
Unexpectedly, the pebble rolled right toward Rossweisse.
Tap—
It gently hit Rossweisse's high heel. She slowly opened her silver eyes, looking down at the pebble before raising her gaze to Rebecca.
For a moment, Rebecca tensed up.
Unlike Leon, she wasn't bold enough to face a Dragon King, let alone marry one.
But to her relief, Rossweisse simply swept the pebble back with her tail and closed her eyes again.
Rebecca exhaled in relief.
'Looks like Captain married a really gentle dragon wife.'
The little interaction between the crazy girl and the queen was not noticed by the master and disciple.
After handing over the intelligence and confirming the next course of action, Leon asked about his master's wife, "Is my master's wife still with her maternal family?"
Tiger pressed his lips together, seeming like he wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he still replied, "Yes, she's still there, very safe."
Leon scratched his head and said, "Master, why don't you tell me where my master's wife's maternal family is? If I have time, I'll go visit her. I haven't seen my master's wife in a long time."
Haven't seen a donkey in a long time either.
"Well… her maternal family is quite remote, it's hard to explain in words," The master was a bit vague, "Once the matters in the empire are settled, I'll take you there."
'Why does this old man seem reluctant to let me visit my master's wife?'
Leon muttered to himself inwardly but didn't say anything aloud. He simply nodded and agreed, "Alright, then we'll talk about it later."
"Mm."
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