Two swords clashed again and again in the courtyard of the Royal Mansion, the morning sun glinting off steel as sparks danced across the training ground.
Sir Lyrios braced himself, feet firm, as he caught Albion's strike with a single hand.
The young prince—now ten years old—slid back with surprising balance for a child. His stance lowered, wings twitching with focus, before he burst forward again.
—CLANG!
Lyrios shifted just enough to redirect the blow. Albion twisted, breath steady, and in an instant—
Dragoon Step.
A crisp whoosh of displaced air echoed behind Lyrios as Albion vanished from his front and reappeared behind him.
The knight didn't even look back—his blade was already there, blocking Albion's next strike.
A heartbeat later, Lyrios swept Albion's leg, pinned the prince to the ground, and held his sword lightly against his chest—just enough to signal defeat.
Lyrios smiled beneath his helmet. "You got better, Prince."
Albion groaned beneath him. "I was so close…"
"You almost cut my shoulder." Lyrios stepped back and offered a hand. "That is closer than most full-grown dragons ever come."
Albion accepted the hand and stood, brushing dust off his training clothes. "Still not enough. You didn't even activate your wings."
"And you didn't faint from Dragoon Step this time." Lyrios crossed his arms. "That alone is progress. Three years ago, using it once would knock you out cold."
Albion puffed out his cheeks. "…That was one time."
Lyrios placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It was seven times, Prince."
Albion turned away. "I said ONE time."
Lyrios chuckled quietly.
Their morning training wasn't over, but for once?
Albion was smiling instead of exhausted.
Meanwhile in the Tree, where Eria, Wynn, Dharc, Aussa, Hiita and Lyna are watching him, with the Dragon Maid and Vesiculo.
Each of them is older than in the past.
Dharc was reading from a spell book as he looked up. "You have improved a lot from before".
Albion just glared at him. "Hey, it's been 3 years since I was trained, do you think I would be stronger"
Dharc didn't look up as he said 1 word. "Yes".
Eria slapped Dharc on the back of the head so fast that even Lyrios paused mid-step.
"Dharc!" she hissed. "You can't just SAY that!"
Dharc adjusted his hood, utterly unfazed. "It was the truthful answer."
Wynn giggled behind her hands. "He's not wrong, though… You did fall asleep standing up during training last month."
Albion pointed dramatically upward at the tree. "THAT WAS ONE TIME!"
Hiita burst out laughing. "Nope. That was twice. The second time your tail knocked over Aussa."
Aussa crossed her arms with a pout. "I bruise easily…"
Lyna hugged her sympathetically. "It's okay, Aussa. Albion didn't mean to belly-flop you with a dragon tail."
Albion felt his soul leaving his body.
"Can everyone PLEASE stop remembering the embarrassing things!?"
From the branch above them, Vesiculo smirked.
"You can't stop memories, Albion. Especially when they're funny."
Tillroo nodded. "They're like taxes."
Chame added, "Or chores."
Parla chirped, "Or laundry!"
Laudry DragonMaid perked up, entirely too excited.
"Did someone say laundry?"
A soft groan came from Albion. "Oh no—no, no, no, no—don't you dare—"
FWIP
Laudry leapt off the branch with the energy of a missile launched for domestic warfare.
In one graceful flip midair, she snatched Albion's outer coat right off his body.
Like a magician performing a vanishing act.
Albion stared down at his now-shirtless torso.
Wynn covered her face, screaming into her sleeves.
"Why does she keep doing that!?"
Dharc didn't even raise his eyes from his book.
"This is the fourth time this week."
Laudry stood proudly, coat folded perfectly in her arms.
"Your coat had 0.3% dust. UNACCEPTABLE."
Albion let out the sigh of a boy who had fought destiny and lost.
"I WAS STILL WEARING IT."
Nurse DragonMaid hurried over.
"Albion, do you feel a sudden chill? Fever? Sudden loss of clothing might indicate a temperature imbalance—let me check your pulse—"
Albion backed up like she was a monster.
"No! NO MORE CHECKUPS! One of you already stole my coat!"
Hiita was cackling. "This is the best show I've seen all week."
Lyrios cleared his throat loudly from the courtyard.
"Prince Albion. Get your coat back and return to training."
Albion whispered under his breath, defeated:
"…Why is this my life…"
"Well, nothing really changes". One female Voice came
As they saw Scarlet, she fixed her Black Dragon Wings and Hair, as he red eyes looked at them all.
Next to her was Asterion as he yawned, his blue eyes white Dragon was clearly dragged in, as he looked at all of them.
Albion looked at his two friends. "Hey, Scarlet, hey Asterion, surprise visit?"
Asterion grinned at him as he spoke. "Pretty much".
He then went to Aussa as he spoke. "So... Aussa how have you been lately"
Aussa looked at him in puzzlement as she fixed her glasses. "Great. But um, why are you asking?"
Asterion looked away as he spoke. "Just checking on you".
Aussa blinked, still not understanding why he was acting strange. Before she could ask, Scarlet rolled her eyes so hard it was audible.
Scarlet: "Ignore him. He's been weird ever since he hit his 'I must check on everyone personally' phase."
Asterion: "I DID NOT—!"
Scarlet: "You literally checked on every dragon in the territory last week. Even the ones who were asleep."
Asterion's face flushed blue — quite literally, considering his Dragon heritage.
Asterion: "THAT WAS— THAT WAS A HEALTH CHECKUP!"
Dharc didn't look away from his book. "Sure. A health checkup. On Aussa."
Asterion: "I CAN CHECK ON FRIENDS!"
Hiita smirked, leaning forward. "You mean just Aussa?"
Asterion combusted internally.
Asterion: "I— YOU— NO— MAYBE— SHUT UP!"
Aussa, meanwhile, just stared at him with that blank academic expression, glasses sliding slightly down her nose. "Are you feeling unwell? Your face is changing colors."
Scarlet let out a snort-laugh she failed to hide.
Scarlet: "He's fine. He's just finally hitting his awkward phase."
Albion crossed his arms, amused. "Took him long enough. Mine was three years ago."
Scarlet smirked. "Yours never ended."
Albion: "HEY—!"
Lyrios, still polishing his sword on the ground, didn't look up as he added:
Lyrios: "She's right, Prince."
Albion: "LYRIOS—!"
Eria leaned closer to Wynn, her voice barely above a whisper. "He definitely has a crush on Aussa."
Wynn didn't even glance away from the scene — Asterion stuttering, Aussa confused, everyone else enjoying it. She whispered back, "I think everyone sees it but Aussa. This is like… the reverse of every romance novel ever."
Eria blinked. "Reverse?"
Wynn nodded seriously, as if delivering ancient wisdom. "Yeah. You know how in romance novels, the girl is oblivious and everyone knows the boy likes her?"
Eria: "Mm-hm."
Wynn: "Well here… it's the guy who's obvious, painfully obvious, and the girl is so deep into academia she might not notice even if he turned into a textbook."
Hiita, who heard everything, smirked. "Honestly, if he did turn into a textbook, she'd probably read him cover to cover."
Dharc finally looked up from his spellbook. "Knowing Aussa, she'd correct his grammar."
Asterion froze mid-defensive rant, horrified.
Aussa tilted her head. "Why would I correct grammar on a dragon?"
Everyone: "...…"
Albion facepalmed. "Aussa… please don't ever change."
Scarlet stretched her wings, chuckling. "At this rate, she won't. But Asterion might rupture a vein trying."
Asterion: "I DO NOT— I AM COMPLETELY CALM—!"
His voice cracked.
Wynn whispered again, "Like I said… reverse romance novel."
Eria could only nod in agreement.
Asterion grinned, clearly proud of himself.
"And you can name your second kid Sirius. Means Loyal Hound in some old dragon culture."
Silence.
Then—
Every single Dragon Maid within earshot turned bright red.
Laudry dropped the coat she had been meticulously folding.
Nasary froze mid-pulse-check stance.
Chame covered her mouth.
Parlar squeaked.
Even Housekee choked.
Albion looked around slowly.
"…Why are you all blushing?"
No one answered.
Because in their collective imagination—
Future children.
Royal heirs.
Little Albions running around.
Scarlet buried her face in her hand. "Why did that escalate so fast…"
Wynn whispered, "They skipped like ten years ahead."
Eria nodded solemnly. "They even picked nursery colors."
Asterion blinked, confused. "Wait—why are they reacting like that? I just suggested a name."
Hiita smirked. "You triggered the 'future royal lineage' button."
Meanwhile Albion just stood there, blinking.
That was an unintentional Harry Potter reference.
He stared at Asterion.
Then stared at the blushing maids.
Then stared at the sky.
"…Ok."
Deadpan. Flat. Emotionally detached.
That somehow made it worse.
Laundry DragonMaid fainted.
Nurse DragonMaid immediately dove to catch her. "I NEED A MEDICAL KIT—"
Scarlet pointed at Albion. "You can't just say 'ok' like you're approving the next generation of dragons."
Albion shrugged. "He suggested a name. I said ok."
Dharc flipped a page in his book. "At this rate, the kingdom will announce a royal engagement before lunch."
Albion narrowed his eyes. "I am ten."
Hiita grinned. "And yet, here we are."
Lyrios cleared his throat loudly from the courtyard.
"Prince Albion. Perhaps focus on mastering one sword before planning two heirs."
Even Asterion finally realized what happened.
His face turned blue again.
"…I didn't mean it like that."
Everyone stared at him.
Scarlet patted his shoulder. "Sure you didn't."
Albion sighed.
"Why is this my friend group."
Asterion grinned, clearly proud of himself.
"And you can name your second kid Sirius. Means Loyal Hound in some old dragon culture."
Silence.
Then—
Every single Dragon Maid within earshot turned bright red.
Laudry dropped the coat she had been meticulously folding.
Nasary froze mid-pulse-check stance.
Chame covered her mouth.
Parlar squeaked.
Even Housekee choked.
Albion looked around slowly.
"…Why are you all blushing?"
No one answered.
Because in their collective imagination—
Future children.
Royal heirs.
Little Albions running around.
Scarlet buried her face in her hand. "Why did that escalate so fast…"
Wynn whispered, "They skipped like ten years ahead."
Eria nodded solemnly. "They even picked nursery colors."
Asterion blinked, confused. "Wait—why are they reacting like that? I just suggested a name."
Hiita smirked. "You triggered the 'future royal lineage' button."
Meanwhile Albion just stood there, blinking.
That was an unintentional Harry Potter reference.
He stared at Asterion.
Then stared at the blushing maids.
Then stared at the sky.
"…Ok."
Deadpan. Flat. Emotionally detached.
That somehow made it worse.
Laundry DragonMaid fainted.
Nurse DragonMaid immediately dove to catch her. "I NEED A MEDICAL KIT—"
Scarlet pointed at Albion. "You can't just say 'ok' like you're approving the next generation of dragons."
Albion shrugged. "He suggested a name. I said ok."
Dharc flipped a page in his book. "At this rate, the kingdom will announce a royal engagement before lunch."
Albion narrowed his eyes. "I am ten."
Hiita grinned. "And yet, here we are."
Lyrios cleared his throat loudly from the courtyard.
"Prince Albion. Perhaps focus on mastering one sword before planning two heirs."
Even Asterion finally realized what happened.
His face turned blue again.
"…I didn't mean it like that."
Everyone stared at him.
Scarlet patted his shoulder. "Sure you didn't."
Albion sighed.
"Why is this my friend group."
Lyrios looked at Albion, his expression returning to that calm, disciplined focus.
"Now."
Albion exhaled slowly, the teasing fading from his face. He stepped forward and grabbed his sword from the training rack.
"Yeah, I know. Back to training."
The air shifted.
The laughter in the tree quieted down.
Even Asterion straightened.
Lyrios raised his blade. "Again."
Steel clashed.
Albion moved first this time — faster than before. His footwork was sharper, less flashy, more controlled. Dragon Step flickered beneath him, not as a burst of speed, but as precise repositioning.
Lyrios' eyes narrowed slightly.
Good.
Albion feinted left.
Lyrios didn't bite.
Albion pivoted — low sweep—
Blocked.
But this time Albion didn't overextend.
He twisted, sliding the edge of his blade upward toward Lyrios' wrist.
Lyrios deflected, but there it was—
A small smile.
From the tree, Dharc murmured, "His intent is cleaner."
Eria nodded. "He's not trying to look cool anymore."
Hiita crossed her arms. "Took him three years."
Scarlet smirked. "He still wants to look cool."
Clash.
Albion locked blades with Lyrios.
The ground cracked slightly under their feet.
Albion pushed.
For a second—
Just a second—
Lyrios' stance shifted half an inch.
Lyrios' eyes widened faintly.
Albion saw it.
He grinned.
Then Lyrios rotated his wrist and flipped Albion over his shoulder.
Albion hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Silence.
Then—
Lyrios pointed his blade down at him.
"You hesitated when you saw advantage."
Albion stared at the sky, catching his breath. "…I got excited."
"Yes."
From the tree:
Asterion: "Progress."
Dharc: "Still reckless."
Wynn: "But cooler."
Nasary clasped her hands nervously. "He's not injured, right? That fall looked severe."
Chame leaned slightly forward. "If he is, we'll know in three seconds."
Albion groaned and sat up.
"I'm fine."
Lyrios extended a hand and pulled him up.
"But," Lyrios added calmly, "you are approaching the lower tier of your grandfather's foundation."
Everything stopped.
Albion blinked.
"…Foundation?"
"Yes. The basics he mastered before he turned twelve."
Albion stared at him.
From the tree, Asterion whispered, "That family is illegal."
Scarlet nodded. "Absolutely unfair."
Albion tightened his grip on his sword.
"…Then I'll surpass his basics before I turn eleven."
Lyrios' expression didn't change.
But his eyes sharpened.
"Good. Show me."
Steel clashed again.
And this time—
Albion didn't hesitate.
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy