To be honest, Leon found it hard to believe what he’d just learned.

Discovering that Konstantin had a daughter was surprising enough, but learning that this daughter had been severely injured by Adam over thirty years ago—forcing Konstantin to seal her in a crystal to preserve her life—was staggering. Konstantin’s initial choice to cooperate with the Empire had been driven by the knowledge that Adam was among the allied Dragon Kings. The partnership with the Empire was his way of tracking Adam down, to avenge his daughter.

Yet, through all their interactions, whether as enemies or allies, Konstantin had never once mentioned any of this.

Leon had always assumed Konstantin was simply the “battle fanatic” he claimed to be, someone driven by nothing more than a thirst for combat. But now he realized that Konstantin’s unrelenting pursuit of battle was fueled by something far deeper and more personal.

Who would have imagined that the infamous, battle-scarred Red Flame Dragon King would turn out to be a father with a heart full of vengeance?

Konstantin’s voice carried a trace of sorrow as he recounted the memory. “She was so small in his hands, so fragile… He could have crushed her with just a little pressure. If I’d hesitated even for a second in making my decision to save her, I might have lost her entirely.” His gaze fixed on the crystal, the memory replaying in his mind. “Even so, Adam took the opportunity to wound her. In the end, I had no choice but to seal her in this crystal to keep her alive temporarily.”

But the crystal had a time limit—a lifespan of about thirty-five years.