Book 3: Chapter 129 (1) |
Sharon held out the lantern with both hands.
It was already unfolded.
The lantern’s exterior was covered with the names of all the nuns and children at Kasmod Welfare Home, so densely packed there was barely room left.
But at the very top, a single line stood alone.
That line bore just one name:
Leon Kasmod.
“This lantern is…”
“It’s very meaningful, sir!”
Perhaps from too much excitement, Sharon stumbled over her words.
Leon, of course, noticed the solitary name written at the top.
Judging by the handwriting, it was likely written by Teacher Carolyn.
In that moment, Leon seemed to realize something.
*Could it be that Teacher and the others have already… recognized me?*
“He’s our hero, sir.”
Teacher Carolyn reached out, gently supporting Sharon’s hands, pushing the lantern a bit closer to Leon,
“He was before, he is now, and he will be in the future.”
“So, please accept this lantern. It carries the hopes of everyone at Kasmod Welfare Home.”
Leon confirmed his suspicion.
But now wasn’t the time for a reunion—too many eyes outside. Once everything settled, there’d be time for embraces.
Leon looked at the lantern covered in names, his pupils trembling slightly.
After a moment, Leon reached out, solemnly accepting it.
“I understand. Thank you, Teacher Carolyn, and Sharon.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
Carolyn paused, then smiled, her tone deeply serious,
“*May your martial fortune prosper*.”
As a nun, she almost never said “may your martial fortune prosper” when parting ways.
Over the years, only one person had ever prompted Carolyn to say those four words each time they parted.
His name was Leon, the most outstanding child she’d ever taught.
…
In the early hours, Nacho returned to the Lionheart Society with a group of people.
Will trailed behind them.
Judging by the smug grin on the chivalrous thief’s face, they’d likely succeeded.
“Walker, take this kid to get familiar with the place.”
“Got it.”
Walker led the curious Will away.
Nacho quickly found Leon, who was studying a flat map of the Empire’s five districts.
“All done.”
Nacho said, “We’ve placed recording stones in all the paper lanterns in the warehouse. We also got the placement locations for these lanterns on the day of the Thousand Lantern Festival—they’ll be in the Royal District, Upper District, and Mid-District.”
“No coverage for the Lower District or Slum District?” Leon asked.
Nacho shook his head, “Guess those two districts aren’t *worthy* of special lanterns in the royals’ eyes.”
Leon scoffed at that.
It sounded absurd, but when it came to the Empire, it all made sense.
“No worries. The lanterns we’ve gathered from other channels should be enough to cover the Lower District and Slum District.”
Leon said, “Now we just wait for the Thousand Lantern Festival. Once we’ve got our people in place and release the lanterns at the designated spots, we can expose the Empire’s ugly face in one fell swoop.”
“There’s been no movement from Martin’s side, so the Empire probably hasn’t noticed our actions yet.”
Nacho analyzed, “So our biggest uncertainty now is what kind of *trump card* the Empire will pull out when they’re *pushed to the wall*.”
Leon had discussed this with his master before.
It’d likely be fusion beasts, dangerous species, or the like.
That’s exactly why, for this operation, Leon had specifically called in three allies, including Roswitha.
With three Dragon King-level teammates, the Lionheart Society’s odds of success would be much higher.
“No problem, don’t worry. The Empire has trump cards, but so do we.”
Leon said, “This battle’s bound to be a *real clash of steel*. Everyone’s mentally prepared.”
Nacho nodded, about to say something when he suddenly noticed the members in the hall seemed unusually excited.
They were passionately discussing something.
Nacho blinked, asking, “What’s up with everyone? Too nervous to sleep?”
Leon smiled, glancing at the comrades in the hall,
“There’s probably some nerves, but it’s mostly excitement.”
“Excitement?”
“Yeah.”
The twin-tailed girl strolled over, patting Nacho’s arm, “Half an hour ago, the Captain gave everyone a pre-battle pep talk. Wow, it really fired everyone up.”
“Was it *that* dramatic?”
Nacho, who came from royalty, didn’t really buy into pre-battle speeches or rallies.
He knew those things were mostly about *brainwashing* subordinates to make them fight recklessly.
“Of course it was!”
Rebecca said, “Back in the Dragon-Slaying Corps, the Captain always gave us these big speeches before a fight—stuff like ‘don’t be afraid, don’t fear, the way to conquer fear is to face it,’ and ‘offer your heart’ and all that.”
“It’s a bit *chuunibyou*, but the effect was amazing!”
“And this speech was way better than the ones from years ago. After hearing him talk, it felt like… the Captain wasn’t just a captain anymore, but a… true leader.”
Listening to Rebecca’s words, Nacho looked at Leon.
For a fleeting moment, Nacho seemed to finally understand why he’d never beaten Leon when they were rivals.
Leon, no matter the situation, always had a spark of drive in his heart.
In despair or low moments, he could always find the faintest glimmer of light in the gloom and keep pushing toward it, tirelessly.
At the same time, he was incredibly infectious, able to pass his stubborn hope to every follower around him.
Even Roswitha, a Dragon King, willingly stood by his side—a testament to Leon’s charisma.