"Rebecca..."
Twenty years had passed. Rebecca, as a pure-blooded human who had never traveled through a spatial rift, naturally grew up and aged normally in this world where Leon Casmodeous does not exist.
She no longer had that crazy and neurotic vibe from before. Just the simple phrase "long time no see" revealed a sense of calm and restraint.
Although her height hadn't changed, her fashion sense had undergone a qualitative leap. Slim-fitting pants paired with a black trench coat highlighted her figure well.
And the iconic twin ponytails from back then had become a single ponytail, probably for easier maintenance.
Leon didn't expect to reunite with Rebecca under such circumstances.
He opened his mouth, suppressing the surprise and excitement in his heart, "I thought after Master left, you also weren't in the Empire anymore."
Rebecca put away her gun and walked over, "Old man left because of age, couldn't keep moving around the Empire, but I'm still lively as ever, so naturally no need to leave. Besides..."
Rebecca slightly tilted her head, her gaze bypassing Leon and looking at the three girls behind him.
Leon followed her gaze and recalled that Rebecca had probably never met his daughters before, only seen childhood photos of Noah and Luna.
So Leon introduced, "Oh, they are my—"
"Daughters," Rebecca said blandly, "I know."
"Eh? You guys... met?"
Before Rebecca could answer, Noah walked over and naturally stood next to Rebecca, smiling and greeting, "Aunt Rebecca."
A trace of displeasure and helplessness flashed across those cyan eyes. Rebecca sighed, "How many times have I told you, don't call me Aunt, it makes me sound so old."
"But you're the same generation as Dad. We can only call you Aunt," Aurora explained slowly, hands in her pockets, standing behind them.
"Mhm, big sis and Little Light are right," Luna chimed in.
Rebecca crossed her arms, looked up at the 1.7-meter Noah from her height of less than 1.6 meters, and coldly commented, "Haven't seen you in years, have you three just been busy growing taller? What kind of nonsense is going on in those heads of yours?"
Her roasting skills had declined a bit.
But as Leon listened to the conversation between his old teammate and his daughters, he seemed to realize something.
"Noah, the very reliable informant you mentioned... was Rebecca?"
Noah nodded, "Twenty years ago, after you disappeared into the spatial rift, the news spread quickly in the Empire. Grandpa Tiger and Aunt Rebecca contacted Mom despite the risk of exposure, and that's when we met."
"Still in that mountain stream cave. Old Man and I decided to stay in the Empire to see if we could find a way to reopen the spatial rift. If not, we'd avenge you in our own way."
Rebecca said, "For twenty years, the wanted notices for me and Old Man never stopped. We got caught twice, but luckily Martin helped from within the royal family, orchestrated our jailbreaks, and made it look like accidents."
"Martin... how's he doing now?", Leon asked.
In Leon's memory, during the years he was captured by the Silver Dragon, Martin had reverted back to that timid boy from the start.
He actually hoped Martin would learn to be strong and brave without him.
After all, being born into a minister's household in the royal family, cowardice would only make enemies bully you more.
"After dealing with Victor twenty years ago, Martin changed a lot."
Rebecca said, "Maybe it's because he knew his beloved captain was still alive, or maybe some other reason, but in short, your little fanboy has been thriving after taking over his father's position."
"He... took over his father's position?"
"Yeah. But don't worry, Martin didn't lose himself in power. Thankfully, with his help, I could get the latest intel from within the royal family and pass it on to Noah."
Rebecca said, "So, did you get the Heart-Protecting Dragon Scales smoothly?"
Leon shook the bulging black bag in his hand.
Rebecca raised her eyebrows, slightly surprised, "You didn't take all the dragon scales, did you?"
"Well, can't leave empty-handed."
"That's a major crime. Starts with ten executions," Rebecca said.
"Is there really a difference between ten executions and one? I'm dead the first time anyway. The rest are just for turning me into meat paste."
"I hate meat paste," Rebecca replied.
After a few jokes, the two old teammates looked at each other.
After a moment, they simultaneously opened their arms and hugged each other.
Rebecca leaned into the captain's arms, solid and warm. She held back the stinging tears and muttered, "Twenty years ago when I tried to hug you, you took half a step back."
"The situation's different now," Leon said.
Luna blinked, consistent in her timing, "How is the situation different?"
Leon: ...
'Do you really want to know, sweetheart?'
'Back then your mom and I were basically still in the honeymoon phase. If I was out hugging some other pretty girl, what happened to my moral integrity?'
'But now your mom and I are old married folks. We both know how much we love each other, so hugging an old teammate isn't a big deal anymore~'
"Second sis, don't ask things you shouldn't. Men are all like this after being married a while," Aurora suppressed a laugh.
Rebecca pushed Leon away, looked at the troublemaker, and blandly asked, "Little pinky, how's your decision coming along about making me your godmother?"
"You just said we shouldn't call you Aunt. Now you're talking about godmother?"
"Aunt is Aunt, godmother is godmother. So, let me hear you call me godmother?"
Aurora stomped her foot and turned to her sister for help, "Big sis! Look at her, she's bullying me again!"
Noah waved her hand, signaling that she was not getting involved in this kind of matter.
She had no way of dealing with Rebecca's mouth either.
Leon blinked. Understood.
This is called: evil meets evil.
Two roast-masters clashing, whoever had the quicker tongue would win.
Clearly, Rebecca flattened Little Light.
"Are you guys trying to leave the city before dawn?", Rebecca asked.
"Yeah, tight schedule and heavy tasks. After we get back, we still need to keep working on the Reversal Magic."
Leon paused, then added, "Oh, Reversal Magic is—"
"I know. Noah gave a brief explanation when we exchanged intel."
Rebecca said, "Although I didn't fully understand the theory behind the Reversal Magic, in short... Captain, you're going to save the world again, right?"
"Hey, it's not like I want to, but with my skills, I kind of have to."
That's the vibe.
Not seeing Captain show off for twenty years, Rebecca always felt something was missing in life.
Now life felt complete.
"But before saving the world, you need to leave the Empire first, right?", Rebecca said.
"Yeah, but a few hours ago we kidnapped Nacho to get the exact location of the Heart-Protecting Dragon Scales. That's already alarmed the Empire, so getting out... will be very risky."
Leon said, "I'm planning to sneak to the city gate under cover of darkness, then have Noah and the others transform into dragon form and break through. Silver Dragons are naturally fast, so shaking off pursuers shouldn't be too hard."
Rebecca's eyes flickered slightly as she analyzed, "But the Empire has raised quite a few flying-type dangerous beasts over the past twenty years. Although their overall abilities can't match dragons, in terms of pure speed... they might rival Silver Dragons. If the Empire sends those after you, escape will still be tough."
"Really now...", Leon was at a loss.
Getting in was easy, getting out was hard.
If they hid somewhere in the Empire to lie low, there was no telling how long "temporary" would last.
Now there were less than three months left of the six months Aurora had mentioned.
Time was tight, they couldn't afford to waste it on a tug-of-war with the Empire.
They had to get out fast.
"Alright, I'll have Martin arrange it. Use the royal family's cargo carriage to get you out."
Rebecca said, "Although the city is under lockdown, there's still some hope. We can take a gamble. If we're discovered, then we break through."
Leon thought about Rebecca's suggestion. At this point, that was the only option.
"How long will it take Martin to get it ready?"
Rebecca raised her pretty eyebrows, "Right now. How about that?"
———
Martin over there arranged a total of two royal-exclusive cargo wagons.
Now, although it's a full-city lockdown state, once the royal wagons come out, people really don't dare to say much, at most just chat with the coachman for a couple of words, then let them pass.
After all, no one could have imagined that the empire's most highly wanted fugitive from twenty years ago could sneak into a royal-exclusive wagon right after stealing the Heart-Protecting Dragon Scales.
Inside the cargo hold, Leon and Noah squeezed shoulder to shoulder in a corner, gently swaying along with the high-speed galloping of the wagon.
Noah curled up her long legs, leaned against Leon, and couldn't help but mutter, "Sometimes I really wish my father were a top-tier mage who could change size anytime anywhere, then it wouldn't be this cramped."
"Whether a mage who pees and poops anywhere is top-tier, I don't know, but definitely has no manners," Leon played a pun joke with his daughter.
Noah gave him a glare with a teasing smile, "Little Light said your pickup skills suck, but I think you're pretty smooth? So, back then between you and Mom, who opened up their heart first?"
"Of course it was your mom, would it be me?"
"Hmph... it was when you first returned to the Empire, right? Mom hugged you and said a whole lot."
Leon froze, "She even told you guys that?"
"Mm."
Noah said, "Mom's someone who doesn't really know how to express emotions, and isn't the type to take initiative in relationships. I really don't know how much courage it took her to say those things to you back then. Maybe she thought... she'd never see you again, that's why she said it."
Leon pursed his dry lips, silent.
Thinking back to the development of his relationship with Rossweise, it seemed the most critical turning point really was the day of their first separation.
Rossweise had taken the initiative to hug Leon and said so many, many things to him.
And after returning from the Empire, she even brought up "confession" for the first time.
But Leon had never directly responded.
Noah's words just now did awaken Leon.
Rossweise wasn't very good at emotions, or rather, at love, and she wasn't good at expressing them either. Yet every time, it was always her taking the initiative.
Leon still remembered that night when Rossweise wanted him to say "I like you."
On the surface, it looked like she wanted Leon to be more proactive;
But thinking deeply, wanting the other person to say "I like you," isn't it exactly because one's own heart had already been moved, and thus hoped for a response from the other?
'That mother dragon... really tsundere and awkward.'
Of course, he was the same.
"Hey," Noah nudged Leon's arm.
"Ah... ah?"
"After we go back, don't leave Mom again, got it."
"After we go back..."
Leon paused, but quickly understood what Noah meant by "after we go back."
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