"Please follow me, you two."
The servant made a 'please' gesture, and then led the two away from the gourmet street.
———
About half an hour later, they arrived at a unique standalone loft.
"Pardon me for only leading you this far. My lord is waiting for you two inside."
"Mm."
The couple stepped into the loft.
They had originally thought it would be some kind of extravagant and ostentatious interior, but unexpectedly, the large room contained only a single dining table.
Compared to the entire empty loft, the simple dining table placed squarely in the center of the room looked somewhat... eerie.
As if this loft was specially built just for this lunch.
Looking further, there sat a middle-aged man behind the dining table.
His manner was elegant, his expression composed.
Seeing Leon and Rossweise arrive, he stood up and said, "I've been waiting for a while, please have a seat, you two."
On the other side of the dining table, there were two chairs, clearly prepared for them.
Leon and Rossweise walked over. After sitting down, Leon asked in a low voice, "You're the Tower Master of Twilight Tower?"
"Yes, Mr. Casmodeous."
The Tower Master only acknowledged his identity and did not introduce himself.
This made the couple feel a bit on the back foot.
But it was within expectations. After all, everyone said that the Tower Master before them, the founder of Sky City, was extremely mysterious.
"Let's eat first, you two," The Tower Master smiled, a very friendly smile.
Yet neither of them even glanced at the delicious dishes on the table.
"If there's something, let's get straight to the point, Tower Master," Leon took the initiative, not wanting to let the other side take control of the conversation.
The Tower Master was slightly surprised, then chuckled and shook his head, "The Silver Dragon Prince is indeed direct, just as everyone describes you."
"Everyone?"
Leon sneered, leaning back slightly, "So quite a few people have been reporting my situation to you?"
"Let's not make the atmosphere so tense, Mr. Casmodeous."
The Tower Master took off the scarf at his collar and placed it on the table, also entering a serious negotiation mode.
"I invited you two here to talk about the Dragon Kings' secret meeting yesterday."
'As expected, this guy came for the secret meeting yesterday.'
Since that was the case, Leon and Rossweise already knew how to respond.
"What does the Tower Master want to discuss?", Rossweise asked.
"I heard that yesterday, Mr. Casmodeous, the proposal you made regarding Constantine received support from Odin and most of the others, and was finally decided upon, soon to be formally implemented, correct?"
"That's right."
When the Tower Master recounted the voting results, he deliberately separated 'Odin' and 'most people,' which indicated that he was aware of Odin's special status compared to the other Dragon Kings.
Leon noticed this, but didn't say much, continuing to wait for the Tower Master to make his move.
"Actually... Mr. Casmodeous, according to past secret meetings' conventions, the final action plan and measures have always been decided by the Dragon King of Mountain and Sea, Alres."
Alres, the old guy who advocated claiming the Primordial Power for himself.
"What do you mean by this, Tower Master? Do you want to use this private negotiation to get us to support Alres' plan?"
The fox's tail was showing, so Leon no longer needed to beat around the bush.
But the Tower Master shook his head, and his reply was somewhat unexpected.
"I don't care whether Alres' plan can be implemented or not. I've never pursued the matter of him using the Dragon Kings' meeting to seek personal gain."
"Because Twilight Tower is absolutely neutral. We only provide the Dragon Kings with a platform to communicate and discuss."
"As for the final course of action and its consequences, they're borne entirely by the Dragon Kings themselves."
"And precisely because of this... over the past thousand years, the already fragmented Dragon race has become even more turbulent."
"But who really cares?", At this point, the Tower Master shook his head with a self-deprecating smile and said coldly, "Everyone's still just living for themselves."
Leon's thoughts stirred slightly, 'So this Tower Master isn't on Alres' side?'
But even so, Leon still felt it was better to probe further.
"Every man for himself, and heaven will destroy those who aren't. This principle doesn't need me to explain further, right, Tower Master?"
"Of course. Every man for himself, and heaven will destroy the rest. But, Mr. Casmodeous, a person can act for themselves, but not to the extent that others have to bear the consequences, right?"
Upon hearing this, Leon's slightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
This Tower Master wasn't bad. He could be dealt with.
"Tower Master, since you've always quietly opposed Alres' actions, then as the founder of Sky City who possesses immense resources, why do you still tolerate and even indulge him?", Rossweise asked.
"Silver Dragon Queen, we Dragons need a neutral faction like Sky City. We need a transit point where we can sit down and talk without resorting to force. Or rather... we need order."
The Tower Master said, "So the moment I show bias to any side, the scales of order will tip. Then more Dragon Kings will seize the opportunity to start wars, and that would surely lead to a worse situation than we have now."
'Well said.'
If the ones in power can't be satisfied, the people below definitely won't get a slice of the pie.
And as for Sky City, neutrality is neutrality. No matter what, it remains an immovable scale, never tilting toward any side.
So after all that talk, the Tower Master expressed his dissatisfaction and helplessness toward Alres' behavior. Does that mean he wants Leon to help him in secret?
But that doesn't quite fit with his absolute neutrality either.
"So, Tower Master, you didn't invite us here today just to say these things, did you?"
"No, Mr. Casmodeous. I have a request for you today."
"What request?"
"Previously, the Thunder Dragon King Odin rarely attended the Dragon Kings' meetings, and Mr. Casmodeous, this was also your first time attending. But even under such circumstances, you both managed to temporarily suppress a civil war within the Dragon race at Alres' hands."
The Tower Master said, "Odin goes without saying. His status among Dragons is even higher than Alres. Many people cast their votes based on Odin's stance."
"And you, Mr. Casmodeous, are the complete opposite of Alres."
"The meeting needs someone like you to counterbalance Alres. Only this way can the Dragon race continue further into the future."
"So I'd like to ask you to attend future meetings whenever possible."
So it was to counterbalance Alres.
That doesn't really break the Tower Master's neutrality principle.
"Then why not just go directly to Odin? You said it yourself, Odin is more senior, and many people follow him."
The Tower Master shook his head, "I went to Odin last night, but he said he only attended the meeting to express his gratitude to you."
"Odin's exact words were, 'I think that kid is interesting. If not for him, I wouldn't bother attending such a boring meeting.'"
"So... Mr. Casmodeous, you're the only one I can ask. Because if you don't attend, Odin won't either."
Leon: "..."
'So now I've become your Dragon race's little darling, huh?'
'If this were before, I would've taken Odin down for a major promotion, and I'd live in luxury for the rest of my life.'
Sigh, but alas, times have changed. Leon has to sit next to this "super merit badge" and counterbalance a greedy pixiu that only knows how to pocket benefits.
"So, Mr. Casmodeous, what's your answer?"
Leon stood up, "I need to go back and discuss it with my wife. At the next meeting, you'll have your answer, Tower Master."
The Tower Master's gaze flickered, nodding in agreement, "No problem, Mr. Casmodeous."
"Then we'll take our leave. Thank you for the lunch."
Even though the couple didn't eat a single bite, they still had to express thanks.
Watching the Silver Dragon couple leave the loft, the friendly smile on the Tower Master's face gradually faded.
Replaced by a face full of indifference.
At this moment, the same servant from before walked in and respectfully asked, "Master, how did it go?"
The Tower Master slightly narrowed his eyes, gazing in the direction Leon had left, "Just like Odin said, he's an interesting guy."
"But being interesting isn't enough, right?"
"The fact that he could clash with Constantine, who had obtained the Primordial Power, under the ruins in the far north shows that his strength is extraordinary."
The Tower Master recalled, "Moreover... over the past few years, the Silver Dragon Clan has been invaded multiple times by their own kind, and it was all resolved single-handedly by him. From this, it's clear that Leon Casmodeous has already met the basic qualifications."
The servant pondered for a moment, then asked again, "But Leon Casmodeous' origins are unknown. According to my investigation, he basically appeared out of nowhere in the Silver Dragon Clan and married the Silver Dragon Queen. Can someone like him... really be the person in the prophecy?"
"Who knows?", The Tower Master withdrew his gaze and looked down at the floor beneath his feet.
He felt the pulse and rhythm of this Sky City, gently closing his eyes, "Balance, neutrality, order... These terms are far too vague and illusory for the vast majority of Dragons."
"If it weren't for the 'prophecy' and the 'Fear of All Things,' I wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to maintain Sky City and Twilight Tower for so long."
"Let's hope... let's hope that hot-blooded guy named Leon Casmodeous..."
"Is the one... from the prophecy."
———
"That's a very ancient prophecy."
"Ten thousand years ago, not long after I had just quelled the Dragon race's civil war, a Dragon priest made this prophecy."
"The priest's exact words were:"
"When the firmament falls, and the universe collapses, the end of all things and the fear of all existence will once again descend upon this land. At that time, only the one who wields thunder shall reverse the heavens and save the people from annihilation."
"Ancient Dragons really believed in prophecies, precognitive dreams, and such. Even though most of the time these things weren't very accurate, as long as one or two predictions occasionally came true, they would gain the support of the masses."
"When someone asked this priest how he made such an almost world-ending prophecy, he only said that he saw the future of the Dragon race and all races on the Samael continent from the wails of fate."
"You know, priests and clergymen are always cryptic like that. Using your modern brat terminology, they're... 'riddle speakers,' right?"
"But regardless of whether he was a charlatan or a riddle speaker, the ancient priest's prophecy has some credibility. And the 'fear of all existence' he mentioned in the prophecy might very well be the same thing as the 'Fear of All Things' I want to stop. So even I have to take this doomsday prophecy into account."
Inside the dim golden waterway, Noah leaned against the wall, quietly listening to the ancient ancestor explain historical stories.
Ever since this original Dragon King came clean with her, besides borrowing her body for some fresh air from time to time, she would also teach Noah knowledge that wasn't found in textbooks.
Especially in history.
After all, no matter how much archaeological evidence reconstructed the truth of history, it couldn't compare to this living fossil Noah saying it personally.
And the little curl-head naturally welcomed all kinds of knowledge.
The more she understood history, the more she could comprehend the true face of this world.
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