Let's go back to this morning.
Leon found Anna.
"Good morning, Anna," Leon said, holding two drinks. He handed one to her.
"Good morning, Your Highness."
Anna took the drink but didn't seem to want to drink it. Instead, she smiled and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness. Is there something you need from me?"
"Oh, it's nothing important. I just wanted to ask if there are any interesting places around the temple. Or maybe places that Rossweise likes to go. I want to take a walk and clear my head."
Anna nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. I can have someone show you around."
"No need for that. Just give me a list and maybe a map. I'll find my own way."
"Sure thing."
A little later, Anna marked some places on the map. "These are places that Her Majesty the Queen likes to visit."
"Great, thank you, Anna."
"You're welcome, Your Highness."
With the map in hand, Leon went to the mountain behind the temple. He had only been awake for a little over a month. Before, Rossweise had kept him in the nursery, so he had no chance to look around. His world was just that room, the backyard, and the training ground.
This time, with Rossweise unconscious, he had a chance. Leon had to use this opportunity to carefully plan his revenge. He wanted her to know that in this world, it's not just dragons who remember things.
As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. And Leon is a clever rabbit who knows how to wait and set a trap.
Following the marks on the map, Leon first came to a cherry blossom forest. The land here was quite high, with old, thick cherry blossom trees growing here and there.
Leon walked around, looking at the area. He stopped under a tree and turned to look down at the Silver Dragon Temple below.
From here, he could see the whole temple. The old, grand castle, the big yards, and the different defenses were all clear. He could even see the path he took two years ago during his attack.
Now, the guard posts along that path were stronger than elsewhere. It seemed the mother dragon had learned her lesson.
Back then, Leon had studied for a long time to find the weakest spot in the temple's defenses. If not for the attack from behind, he might have actually succeeded.
"Well, no use dwelling on past victories."
Failure is failure. But you could say bad luck sometimes turns good. Leon is now helping the dragon-slaying cause in his own way. Seriously, being able to keep the Silver Dragon Queen in check without using a single soldier—that has never happened before in history.
What Rossweise said about him recently was right: he was now a figure who had earned two side achievements along with the main one.
Leon shook his head to clear his thoughts. He walked to the bottom of a tree, lifted his arms, leaned forward, and put his hands on the strong trunk. He turned his head slightly. From this angle, he could see the whole temple perfectly. "This angle and pose are just right."
Satisfied, Leon happily went to the next place. After many twists and turns, he came to a cave. There were no signs of animals inside, making it seem good for two people to focus on what they loved to do. But…
Leon crouched down and pinched the dirt. "It's a bit hard, might hurt her knees. Also—"
"Hey!"
"Hey~hey~~~"
The cave immediately echoed with clear sounds. "The echo is too loud, it ruins the mood. This won't do." With that, Leon put an "X" on the map over the cave.
The next stop was a small stream in the mountains, flowing straight down the slope. Leon lay down next to it. The cool water ran quickly under his head. With a clear view and no trees around, lying here at night would let you see the whole sky.
"Not bad, this spot will do." He put a checkmark on the map for the stream, just like he did for the cherry blossom forest.
For the whole day, Leon looked at different kinds of land and scenery near the temple. It reminded him of his days as the captain of the dragon-slaying squad two years ago.
Every time they sneaked in, they had to carefully plan the route, weighing all the pros and cons. It was because of that strong foundation that Leon could find the "right places" today. Mother dragon, this time you are finished!
By the time he finished, it was already night when he came down the mountain. The temple at the bottom was full of lights, looking much softer than during the day. Leon looked at it for a moment, then quickly walked to the backyard.
As he got closer, he saw it looked lively. The maids were all together, as if… they were having a bonfire party! Leon walked over eagerly, but a closer look showed it wasn't a party. It looked more like they were remembering someone who had passed. And at the front were his two daughters.
"What abstract pretend game are they playing…" Leon muttered as he jogged over. The maids were both crying and laughing, which confused him even more.
Puzzled, Leon kept walking to the front. He found his two daughters saying things like, "I made steak for you, come back and see us," or something similar. Then, he quietly went up to Noah and saw that she was about to throw a wooden box into the bonfire.
With daughters, you have to trust them first. If they don't understand, it's okay; the first job is to join in.
So—
"Who are you saying goodbye to? Let me join in too."
"When I was little, your grandfather taught me how to play the suona. Do you know what a suona is? It's a mysterious instrument from the East, often played at ceremonies. Would you like Dad to play a little for you?"
"The princesses' love has moved the heavens! His Royal Highness is back from the dead!"
Leon turned his head, his face full of black lines. "Who is so rude? I never died, where did this 'back from the dead' come from?"
He looked at Noah and Muen again. The two little ones looked shocked and stunned, as if… they really saw Leon come back to life.
Leon leaned back a little, feeling uncomfortable. He looked to the side at the table behind the bonfire. A photo was placed there in a hurry. And the person in the photo… looked quite handsome.
"Ah, it's me! WHAT!!!"
"Excuse me, may I ask what you two are doing…?"
My dear daughters, if you are holding a ceremony for me, is it not a little too much?
"Daddy!"
Muen jumped into Leon's arms, holding a steak in her hand.
Leon naturally opened his arms and caught his youngest daughter.
"Daddy! Sob~ Muen thought Daddy didn't want Muen anymore~"
"What nonsense are you talking? How could Daddy not want you?"
"But Muen and I looked for you many times and couldn't find you. I thought you—"
As Leon comforted Muen, he explained, "Ah, I went for a walk in the hills today and lost track of time, so I came back late."
When she heard this, Noah's eyes got a little wet. She felt a lump in her throat. Without thinking, she held the wooden box tighter, lowered her head, and said nothing. So it was… she had blamed him for nothing, hadn't she?
Seeing how Noah was, Leon looked at her and then at the maids. There were too many people around; it wasn't a good time for a deep talk with his eldest daughter. Maybe it would be better to talk about it later. He patted Muen's head and noticed the steak in her hand.
"Muen, why are you still holding the steak?"
Muen sniffled, her shoulders shaking, tears and snot running down her face. "This is, this is an offering for Daddy."
"…An offering?"
Muen nodded hard."Sister said that after someone leaves, the food they liked is called an offering."
Leon silently put his hand over his face."Alright…"
"So, Daddy."
"Yes?"
"Now that you're back, can Muen eat your offering?"