"Sis, you made it!"
When Rosswessi received her invitation to this meeting, she worried she'd find no familiar faces.
Despite her usual icy demeanor as Queen of the Silver Dragons, since "marrying" Leon, her inner introvert had emerged with surprising clarity.
Most people talk about adapting to their partners; she married a man who specializes in embarrassing public displays—her social anxiety was bound to increase over time.
And yet, there was another reason for her quieter demeanor. In the past, she had dealt with every threat alone, relying solely on herself. But with Leon at her side, she found someone she could depend on, someone who made her feel secure. Over time, she had grown into the role of a "gentle wife," though she might never admit it.
Now, back to the present.
Isha rose to greet her, a warm smile on her face.
"What kept you so long?" Isha asked.
"Oh… something came up on the way, a little delay."
Not really.
As she spoke, Rosswessi couldn't help but shoot Leon a sidelong glance.
They were late because, along the way, Leon had asked her what topics the meeting might cover. Rosswessi explained it would be about his recent battles with Constantine.
"So, we're the main attraction here, right?" Leon had grinned.
"Yes, you could say that."
"Then let's show up fashionably late, make an entrance."
Rosswessi had frowned. "Why?"
"Because the main characters always arrive last. That way, we look cooler and stand out."
She could only sigh. The man she married was still a kid at heart, so she had reluctantly agreed. After arriving in Sky City, they strolled around the shopping district, making themselves late.
"Come on over, we've been waiting for you."
"We've been waiting for you."
Those simple words instantly filled Leon with satisfaction.
See? He knew it—the main character always has the best entrance!
Once seated, Leon took a moment to survey the group at the table. Rosswessi had said this was a meeting for Dragon Kings, meaning everyone here held that title.
With a few minutes left before the meeting's official start, Leon leaned in close to Rosswessi and whispered, "If I'd known Dragon Kings had to gather for meetings back when I was in the army…"
He trailed off, but Rosswessi instantly caught on to his line of thinking.
One-by-one kills are tedious. If he'd known back then, he would've wished the Dragon Kings gathered in one place so he could finish them all at once.
She rolled her eyes and whispered, "These Dragon Kings are… different from the ones you fought."
Leon's eyebrows arched with interest. "How so?"
Rosswessi subtly nodded toward the elderly dragon across from them.
"See the older Dragon King? He's Odin, Thunder Dragon King and Yuna's father, the one who accidentally ended up in the ancient ruins with Noah last time."
"He rose to power over seven hundred years ago, and even back then, his strength was among the best. There were few in the Dragon Clan who could match him."
"Even that Star Dragon King we defeated together, Staar, couldn't stand up to him."
Leon remembered Staar well—one of the Dragon Kings secretly allied with the Empire, who led the first attack on the Silver Dragon Sanctuary. In the end, he'd self-destructed using his protective scales out of sheer frustration.
Despite his final act, Leon respected Staar's strength; among the Dragon Kings he had faced, Staar was top-tier.
Yet, here was this Thunder Dragon King… even stronger than Staar?
"You dragons sure do keep surprising me."
Their hushed conversation caught Odin's attention. His gaze fell upon the two, stern and quietly intimidating.
Leon narrowed his eyes, meeting Odin's gaze without flinching. In his experience, whenever a Dragon King looked at him like that, a fight usually followed.
But, after a few moments, Odin looked away.
"These older dragons have keen senses," Rosswessi whispered, "and you're the focus of this meeting. So when you speak, be cautious. A single misstep could betray you. Understand?"
Meetings were never Leon's strong suit back in the Dragon Slayer Corps. His unit focused on direct action, never needing the formalities of a structured discussion.
However, he'd spent enough time with Rosswessi at the Silver Dragon Sanctuary to learn some politics and the subtleties of diplomacy.
With that, his former views were gradually evolving, and he was improving in this area.
He nodded. "Got it."
As he turned his gaze away from Odin, Leon noticed a mature woman with blue hair sitting across the table.
"Claudia's here too."
Following his gaze, Rosswessi nodded. "Looks like it. Maybe because Helena was in the ruins at the time, so Claudia's here on her behalf."
"But isn't Poseidon supposed to be the Dragon King of the Sea Dragon Clan? Why send Claudia?"
"Representing her clan at such an important gathering indicates that Poseidon fully trusts her. Claudia has the strength and skill to be the next Sea Dragon King," Rosswessi explained.
"I see."
Sensing their gaze, Claudia offered a slight smile and wave, which the couple returned.
Moments later, the meeting facilitator entered.
Standing at one side of the long table, he rang a small bell and began, "Thank you all, esteemed Dragon Kings, for attending this meeting on Constantine and the Primordial Power."
"As the Twilight Tower's master cannot attend, I will act as your host."
"During the meeting, please feel free to share your thoughts on Constantine's situation; we will not interfere. I hope you all arrive at a solution to prevent further chaos within our Dragon Clan."
"With that, the meeting is now in session."
He bowed and then exited the conference room.
As the doors closed, every Dragon King turned their attention to Leon and Rosswessi.
"Silver Dragon Queen, among us, only you and your husband have had direct contact with Constantine. You discovered his attempt to seize the Primordial Power and tried to stop him. So, tell us: what is your opinion of Constantine as he is now?"
The one who spoke was an older Dragon King, not Odin.
"There's one correction I'd like to make," Rosswessi replied smoothly. "My husband and I did try to prevent Constantine from stealing the Primordial Power, but in the end, we did not succeed. He managed to seize most of it."
She spoke calmly, with the serene dignity of the Silver Dragon Queen.
"As for our view of Constantine now… my husband and I believe that his strength has indeed surpassed most Dragon Kings but still falls short of the highest tier."
"Falls short of the highest tier?"
A younger Dragon King raised an eyebrow. "Lady Melkvey, I've heard of the Primordial Power's might—an ancient force unlike any modern magic, beyond our understanding. And yet, even with such power, Constantine still can't reach the top tier? I find that hard to believe."
"The Primordial Power may be formidable, but without mastery, it's little more than wasted potential."
It wasn't Rosswessi who answered this time but Claudia.
All eyes turned to the elegant Sea Dragon princess.
With her arms crossed and gaze lowered, her expression remained impassive. Even in a room filled with Dragon Kings, Claudia showed no sign of intimidation.
"So you're suggesting… Constantine hasn't yet fully mastered the Primordial Power?"
"No, Primordial Power is ultimately just energy. Think of it as holding a bomb; throwing it can deal damage," Claudia explained, her voice calm. "For someone like Constantine, hurling it isn't the hard part; the challenge lies in maximizing its impact. How do you add more explosive material, increase its range, its accuracy, and control the aftermath?"
Leon and Rosswessi exchanged glances, finding her explanation quite reasonable.
When they had faced "Frankenstein Constantine" at the Red Dragon Sanctuary, Rosswessi had dealt him significant damage using the purest form of Primordial Power. Later, they had acquired Soul Judgment from Leon's mentor—a spell derived from the Primordial Power.
Claudia's point was clear: Constantine may have power, but he lacks the finesse to wield it effectively. In other words, he's not much of a threat… for now.
"The Sea Dragon Princess is right," added an elderly Dragon King. "Ancient Primordial Magic has long been lost. Finding records of it would be nearly impossible."
A younger Dragon King chimed in, either to curry favor or genuinely believing he'd investigated the topic. "The elder is right. I spent years searching for ancient Primordial Magic but found nothing. I daresay it's truly extinct in this era."
Extinct Primordial Magic
The Silver Dragon couple stifled a chuckle.
"Yes, perhaps Primordial Magic has… truly vanished."
As Claudia spoke, she shot a knowing glance at Leon and Rosswessi.
They were well aware that Claudia was the author of Soul Judgment, meaning she was subtly downplaying the truth about the Primordial Power.
The discussion about Primordial Magic soon returned to Constantine.
"If you don't mind me veering slightly off-topic," said Morgan, the Golden Sand Dragon King, directing his question at Leon.
"What is it?"
"None of us know how Constantine learned about the Primordial Ruins, but we're curious: how did you know he intended to seize the Primordial Power?"
You see, my former boss turned Constantine into a patchwork monster using Primordial Power, hoping to use him as a weapon. But things went sideways; Constantine gained self-awareness, decided he wanted more power, and, oh, vengeance against me and the boss. So he set off to find the ruins.
↑
Shall I explain all that, old pal?
Say a word of it, and not a single one of us leaves this room.
"I have a unique information network," Leon said smoothly. "Tracking Constantine's movements wasn't difficult."
"An information network? Fascinating. What prompted you to establish something like that?"
"After fighting Constantine twice, I felt a little on edge, so I set up a communication hub to share intel, just in case he decided to ambush us again."
"Oh? Silver Prince, that's quite…"
Before Morgan could dig deeper, Isha cut in, "Hey, Morgan, aren't you being a bit nosy? That's their secret information network—you don't have to know everything about it, right?"
"Ah, that's…"
Rosswessi joined in, keeping the momentum, "Besides, this was meant to be a preventive measure. If you dig too deep, all my husband's effort goes to waste, doesn't it?"
Morgan hesitated, briefly flustered by the two formidable women.
At last, he could only shake his head with a wry smile. "You both make a fair point."
"Humph," Isha huffed with satisfaction, throwing a playful wink at her "brother-in-law," Leon.
The meeting continued for hours as the Dragon Kings discussed their options against Constantine. Eventually, they voted to adopt a plan:
1. Deploy a guard unit to monitor the territory around the Red Flame Dragon Clan.
2. Apply pressure on Constantine, gradually tightening the net.
3. Gather information on Primordial Power to extract it from Constantine's control.
When it came time for comments, Leon raised his hand.
"Once we've extracted the Primordial Power from Constantine, then what?"
"Obviously, we'll put it to good use."
"Good use…"
Leon mulled over the phrase.
He wasn't so sure about the one who'd said them.
"You have a different idea, Silver Prince?" an elderly Dragon King prompted.
Leon glanced at Rosswessi. She gave him a subtle nod.
"I believe we should simply monitor Constantine and his territory without provoking conflict."
The old Dragon King chuckled. "Very well. Let's put the Silver Prince's suggestion to a vote."
Besides Rosswessi, Isha, and Claudia, no one else raised their hands.
"What a shame, Silver Prince, it seems your proposal has not been accepted."
"In that case, I declare—"
Odin, who had been silent the entire meeting, slowly raised his hand.
"I agree with Cosmod's suggestion."
Morgan immediately followed. "Leon makes a solid point—no need for all this bloodshed."
One by one, the rest followed. No one dared oppose Odin.
Soon, the hands in favor far outnumbered those against.
Leon smirked, arms crossed.
"Old man, I declare your declaration invalid."