Leon couldn’t recall the reason he wanted to do something. Recently, he had been incredibly busy—busier than he had been in many years. Even so, it still wasn’t as hectic as the time when he was founding his kingdom, which had been days of sheer chaos, exhausting both mind and body.
"Why does the Master seem a bit distracted?" Cecilia, now serving as the Prime Minister of the Zhen Dan Kingdom, was always swamped with work. Yet, she never complained of fatigue—perhaps power was the ultimate stimulant? In any case, whenever she had a moment, she would rush to Leon’s side. After all, her power stemmed from Leon.
Leon was currently in his human form, lying on the sofa with his arms crossed. He didn’t hide his thoughts, saying, "It’s nothing major, just that I feel like I’ve forgotten something important."
"Recruiting a batch of Dark Elf maids?" Cecilia teased. "I remember Master used to go on and on about wanting some white-haired, dark-skinned, big-chested, slender-waisted, long-legged Dark Elf maids. Otherwise, having Tiefling maids around all the time might get a bit boring after a while."
"Dark Elves are just too difficult to deal with. Recruiting them isn’t the issue; the problem is that all ten out of ten of them have ulterior motives." Leon remarked with disdain. "Besides, I want my maids to be pure, innocent girls—not some depraved, promiscuous hussies... So forget it; Dark Elf maids are out of the question."
"It’s not impossible to find pure Dark Elves," Cecilia said. "Just harder to locate."
Leon laughed heartily. "Still easier than finding Enchanting Demon Paladins."
"Dark Elf maids aren’t an option, Elf maids aren’t much easier, but Half-Elf maids seem quite feasible," Leon pondered, nodding thoughtfully.
"Half-Elves look like Elves to humans and like humans to Elves. Living between two worlds yet belonging to neither, they can neither integrate into human society nor adapt fully to Elven society. In the end, many choose to wander on their own or band together with other outcasts to embark on adventures," Cecilia explained. "Half-Elves are no problem; as long as we show them a bit of acceptance, it’s easy to gain their loyalty."
"Recruit a few Half-Elf maids—leave this task to you... That’s one issue resolved, but it’s not the thing I’ve forgotten," Leon said, suddenly furrowing his brow as something clicked in his memory. He knew what he had been forgetting.
"Now I remember what I’ve been forgetting all along." Leon excitedly clapped his thigh. "Wasn’t it said that the Sahuagin had attacked ships under our protection on the Flash Sea? But back then, I was busy doing alchemy and didn’t have time to trouble them. I planned to deal with them once my alchemy was finished."
"Then a Kraken suddenly showed up, and I ended up refining two pills in one go. Several months flew by, and I just completely forgot about them," Leon added. "The Sahuagin—what’s their current status?"
"Since Master subdued the Kraken, they’ve been lying low, staying obedient, and no longer daring to attack any ships," Cecilia, who was well-acquainted with both major and minor affairs of the Zhen Dan Kingdom, replied.
"Do they think it’s over just like that?" Leon raised an eyebrow, laughing so hard he bent forward and backward. "Do they think this is a public bathroom where they can come and go as they please?"
"I don’t know what they’re thinking... logically, their intelligence shouldn’t be that low," Cecilia shrugged. "Perhaps they believe that living in the sea depths means we can’t do much about them... Although Fiora and I can dive, at best, we can intimidate them—we wouldn’t be able to take down their deep-sea city."
"Don’t they realize I can transform into a Kraken?" Leon retorted. "Not only can I beat a Kraken on land, but I can also defeat one underwater."
The 72 Transformations had eliminated Leon’s weaknesses; now, he had none.
"I’m sure they don’t know that," Cecilia quipped. "What a bunch of stupid fish-heads."
"Whether they know or not, it doesn’t matter. They’ve crossed me—if they don’t offer tens of thousands of Gold Coins and swear allegiance, they really think hiding will solve everything? Do they think I’m someone they can mess with? Offend me and still hope to walk away scot-free?" Leon fumed. "I’m going to have a chat with them now."
Leon was gearing up, not just because of the Sahuagin—those insignificant Sahuagin weren’t worth all his attention—it was also because he hadn’t thoroughly explored the deep sea beyond his brief dive when visiting the Belen Kingdom.
"I support Master heading to the deep sea to deal with the Sahuagin. Beyond them, there are also Triton Fishmen and Merrow Merfolk..." Cecilia observed. "Currently, no one on the surface of the Flash Sea dares defy us, but beneath the waves, there are still plenty of powers that don’t submit to us."
"Agreed." Leon nodded. "Let’s seize this opportunity to unify the Flash Sea completely."
"I’m willing to accompany Master into the deep sea," offered Cecilia, who, as a Green Dragon, was amphibious and could breathe underwater.
"No, you can’t." Leon shook his head. "If I go, it might take a while. Zhen Dan Kingdom can’t do without its Prime Minister."
Leon thought for a moment before muttering to himself, "I’d prefer to go alone, but the deep sea isn’t like land—it doesn’t provide a clear, commanding view. The visibility there is terrible, and it’s easy to get lost. I’ll need a guide..."
"Fiora grew up in the Flash Sea, a native who, as a bronze dragon, loves diving to the depths to cool off, hunt for pearls or sunken treasures, feast on aquatic plants and seafood, and combat malicious marine creatures... I doubt anyone knows the Flash Sea seabed better than her," Leon decided. "I’ll bring Fiora along—she’ll make an excellent guide."
"What’s with that strange look in your eyes?" Leon noticed Cecilia was giving him a peculiar gaze.
"Does Master genuinely want Fiora as a guide?" Cecilia asked. "Or is there some other agenda?"
Leon pretended not to understand. "What else could I possibly be scheming?"
Cecilia simply smirked knowingly.
Leon maintained his composure and said, "Go summon Fiora for me—I need to talk to her."
The greedy Red Dragon, the conflicted Bronze Dragon, the love-and-strife dynamic between Colorful Dragons and Metal Dragons, and Cecilia’s penchant for gossip—all of it excited her immensely.
In no time, Cecilia left and brought Fiora back.
"I have something I’d like to discuss with you." Leon briefed Fiora on his plans. "Are you willing to accompany me?"
"I’m the Minister of Navy—it’s my duty," said Fiora. Leon’s retinue was small, and each person had to wear multiple hats to sustain the framework of the Zhen Dan Kingdom. Fiora wasn’t just the Minister of Navy; she was also the Minister of Justice... and the Minister of Navy certainly wouldn’t be assigned to a mere human like Andrea.
"That settles it—get ready. We’ll depart tomorrow." Leon waved briskly. "You may leave."
Fiora left, and as she turned away from Leon, she lightly bit her lip.
Leon, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes as he watched Fiora’s departing figure.