More than twenty years ago, Leon was just a boy at the Cosmod Orphanage, playing harmless pranks with his friends. Even back then, his natural strength and height made him stand out among the other children. Ironically, he often played the role of “the dragon’s dad” in their games—who could’ve predicted that he’d grow up to become a dragon slayer and marry a dragon?

Leon had always shown a natural talent for learning. After his games, he’d go straight to the orphanage’s small library to read. The library subscribed to the Empire’s daily newspaper, and although Leon didn’t remember every headline, he clearly remembered the big names—especially when someone important died.

One such name was Fuehr Last, a high-ranking official who had supposedly died over twenty years ago. His death was covered in the newspapers, and the Empire had even held a grand memorial for him. The event had left an impression on young Leon. And yet, here was that very same Fuehr Last, alive and sitting in a cell.

“We tried using memory-probing magic to figure out what’s going on,” Nacho explained. “But every time we did, some kind of strange power would block it. It’s as if there’s an invisible force preventing us from accessing his memories.”

“A mysterious force? Like a psychic barrier?” Leon asked, recalling instances where similar barriers had been used to prevent access to someone’s mind.

Nacho shook his head, looking grim. “No, it’s not a barrier exactly. Our sorcerers said it’s like nothing they’ve seen before. It’s more of a passive effect than an active one, and it doesn’t just block memory probes—it seems to absorb any magic energy that enters his body.”

“That’s… unusual.” Leon frowned. “Magic energy just disappears inside him?”