Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 324 - 319: The Truth

Chapter 324: Chapter 319: The Truth

Fiora didn’t trust Leon’s integrity... As for Isily, who had just met Leon, it was understandable for her not to trust the Red Dragon. But Fiora, who had known Leon for decades, either held an incomprehensible bias or concealed ulterior motives. Only she knew the truth of the matter.

Leon used to be a restrained and law-abiding person—he committed no crimes but often bent the rules. After transforming into a Red Dragon, his moral standards sharply declined. He had done many things akin to "I don’t eat beef," as if dragging the Silver Dragon from Belen Kingdom to Watchtower Port was done merely for amusement, without malicious intent.

He didn’t mind bullying outsiders but refrained from targeting his own. He had long considered Fiora one of his own, knowing that internal discord could easily emerge. People might start to think, "If he bullied Fiora today, he might bully me tomorrow."

It really wasn’t a big deal. Fiora had sacrificed herself willingly to protect Isily. As long as Leon guaranteed to follow through on his promise and not harm Isily, it would end up being just a trade, without tarnishing Leon’s reputation or leaving him with the infamy of mistreating his subordinates.

Even so, Leon couldn’t bring himself to take advantage of the fool. He gave Fiora a disdainful glance, shook off her hand, and left, tossing back only one phrase: "Believe it or not."

As for Fiora, she stood somewhat despondently by the shore, watching Leon’s receding figure while muttering softly, "Idiot."

Leon went back, the banquet resumed, and lasted late into the night.

The volcano on Volcanic Island hosted multiple lairs. Everyone returned to their respective homes. For those without accommodations, Leon’s villa at the foot of the mountain had numerous guest rooms available for them to stay in.

Tassera had her Mage Tower on Volcanic Island, but she opted to stay. She stayed in Leon’s room.

That wasn’t just a battle; it was a campaign. It consisted of various fights across different battlefields, spanning a considerable duration. At one point, Leon nearly depleted his months-long stockpile of ammunition.

Leon didn’t turn in for the night immediately. Instead, he held Tassera close, recounting his travel anecdotes. Tassera enjoyed hearing those tales of unknown creatures and foreign cultures.

Leon spoke about encountering a sea snake on his way to Belen Kingdom, the Storm Predecessor at Iron Port, and how he drove away a powerful Kraken. Proudly, he proclaimed his newfound confidence in naval combat. He ended by mentioning extorting ten thousand Gold Coins from the Frost Giants, noting how stunning the Frost Wind Witch was.

"I don’t want to say it, but Fiora’s brain really has issues."

Leon recounted Fiora’s indiscreet offer at the banquet, grumbling, "Do you really think I’m that lustful? Just think about it—my idea of making Isily a bed warmer was clearly a joke. Yet she seriously offered herself to protect Isily."

"It’s hard to see clearly when you’re in the thick of it. As an outsider, the situation looks different," Tassera replied, resting her head on her arm and watching Leon. She teased, "Could it be that her intent to replace Isily was just a pretext, and what she really wanted was to get closer to you?"

"Impossible," Leon replied without hesitation.

"Why’s it impossible?" Tassera rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

"She’s already a young dragon. By now, she’s likely nearing adulthood," Tassera, having been through it herself, explained. "From mid-youth, mating urges arise simultaneously with fertility, peaking in early adulthood, and only tapering off in late old age or the early stages of being an Ancient Dragon."

"Take that Brass Dragon for instance. When we met him, he was already an Adult Dragon, yet he still doesn’t have a mate. He doesn’t seem too bothered by it either. Clearly, not every dragon experiences mating urges," Leon remarked, not hesitating to gossip about the Brass Dragon, thinking that, as the protagonist, supporting characters had no right to breed.

"Doesn’t he have countless wives?" Tassera scoffed. "Dozens of them—haughty heiresses, frosty beauties in uniform, warm and graceful noblewomen... an absurd variety. But they’re all ornaments at this point."

"A rogue and a gentleman can never coexist," Leon retorted scornfully. "I’m a Colorful Dragon while she’s a Metal Dragon—a Bronze Dragon at that. Among Bronze Dragons, courtship and mating always involve cautious decorum."

"Which is why she’d need an excuse—protecting a junior—just to justify to herself accepting a Colorful Dragon, especially a Red Dragon," Tassera analyzed.

"Now that you mention it, it’s not entirely impossible," Leon mused.

Tassera studied him with a smile on her face. "It’s good I acted quickly. Otherwise, a young dragon who can already defeat a mighty Kraken—and let’s not forget, some even worship Krakens as household deities—would be impossibly desirable if they founded a Dragon Country. I can’t imagine how sought-after you’d be."

"The day you get older, I think even Her Majesty might send you an invitation," Tassera joked fearlessly, being a Storage Dragon and a mage whose belief systems were often uncommitted.

Leon trembled as he thought of Tiamat and said, "Don’t say such terrifying things... I absolutely don’t want to become her consort. That’s the one thing that’s absolutely off-limits."

Tassera smiled faintly and continued, "So? After hearing my analysis, are you feeling regretful now? Knowing the truth, does it pain you to think about how you could’ve had Fiora if you’d just agreed back then?"

"I don’t regret it," Leon shook his head.

"Stubborn as ever," Tassera remarked with a playful curl of her lips.

"What do you know..." Leon said. "The reason I rejected her then doesn’t mean I won’t have a chance later. But if I accepted her at that moment, agreeing to let her replace Isily, it would mean I’d have to give up any future interest in the Silver Dragon."

Tassera furrowed her brow at his words and said, "You’re not wrong... It’s rare for you to plan so far ahead."

Leon grinned smugly and said, "We have to think beyond the immediate."

"Speaking of which," Tassera’s voice suddenly turned ominous, "you’re saying you also have designs on Isily, aren’t you?"

Leon snorted—not the least afraid of his wife—and replied, "I’m a king now, and I’ll be an emperor in the future. A royal harem with three palaces, six great halls, seventy-two beauties, and three thousand concubines? That’s just standard practice, isn’t it?"

"I’ve never heard of emperors doing that... whether in today’s empire, ancient fallen empires, or the Elf Empire," Tassera said, confused by how Leon spoke so matter-of-factly.

"That’s just because you haven’t seen enough," Leon said without elaborating.

Foolish or not, a female knight is a classic and simply unmissable.

If Fiora has the inclination, Leon certainly has the intent. One more wouldn’t hurt.

Leon briefly pondered how to win over Fiora eventually, but didn’t worry about it too much. After all, what’s a cooked duck going to do—fly away?

They chatted about Fiora for a while before moving on to other topics, such as Leon’s upcoming plans.

Leon had already been planning during his journey from Belen Kingdom back to Watchtower Port. With a new infusion of funds—thanks to both Storm Predecessor and the Frost Giant warlord giving him a haul of rare alchemy materials—he could splurge once again and refine several Heavenly Immortal Pills.

Women will only affect my sword-swinging speed.