The next morning, Albion was back in the training courtyard.
His sword clashed against Lyrios blade.
Clang!
Albion stepped back.
Clang!
He twisted his body and redirected the next strike.
Clang!
Lyrios followed with another slash.
Albion ducked underneath it.
Clang!
He jumped backward and landed several meters away.
Both of them were using Dragon Steps, moving with bursts of speed that made their footwork almost impossible for an ordinary warrior to follow.
Lyrios lowered his sword slightly.
"Prince, have you chosen which path of the swordsman you wish to take?"
Albion nodded.
"Yeah."
He rested his sword against his shoulder.
"There are four paths, right?"
Lyrios nodded.
"Dual Wielder. Swordsman. Great Weapon. And Spellblade."
Albion smiled.
"I've chosen the Spellblade Path."
Lyrios looked at him for a moment.
"Why?"
Albion thought about it.
"Because I don't want to choose between magic and swordsmanship."
He raised his sword.
"I want both."
Lyrios nodded slowly.
"A fitting choice."
Albion looked at his sword.
"I already have Light, Dark, and Water magic. Why would I stop using them just because I picked up a sword?"
"Indeed."
Lyrios raised his blade.
"But understand something."
Albion straightened.
"The Spellblade Path is not simply a swordsman who knows magic."
Albion's expression became serious.
"Then what is it?"
"It is a warrior who makes the sword and magic one style."
Lyrios took a stance.
"Your magic should not replace your sword."
He stepped forward.
"Your sword should not replace your magic."
Clang!
Albion blocked.
Lyrios continued.
"They should support one another."
Albion pushed his blade against his teacher's.
"So I could attack with my sword and cast a spell at the same time?"
"Yes."
Albion's eyes lit up.
"That's awesome."
Lyrios smiled slightly.
"That enthusiasm will be useful."
He suddenly pushed Albion back.
"But enthusiasm alone will not make you a Spellblade."
Albion regained his footing.
"Then teach me."
Lyrios raised his sword.
"Gladly."
Albion grinned.
"Again?"
"Again."
Albion tightened his grip.
"Let's go."
He rushed forward.
Clang!
And the next lesson began.
As they both prepared to move again, footsteps could be heard approaching the training courtyard.
King Albion entered.
Lyrios immediately lowered his sword and bowed.
"Your Majesty."
King Albion raised a hand.
"Rise, Lyrios."
Lyrios straightened.
Albion looked at his father.
"Dad, what are you doing here?"
King Albion looked at his son.
"I received news that your grandfather, Albion the First, is coming for a visit."
Albion froze.
His eyes widened.
His grip on his sword loosened.
"...Grandfather?"
King Albion nodded.
"Yes."
Albion's face slowly went pale.
"GRANDFATHER?!"
Lyrios blinked.
He had seen Albion fight monsters.
He had seen him cast powerful magic.
He had even watched the young prince unlock his Dragon forms.
But he had never seen Albion look this terrified.
Lyrios glanced at King Albion.
"Is there something I should know?"
King Albion sighed.
"Probably."
Albion immediately pointed at his father.
"Dad, you didn't tell me he was coming!"
"I only found out this morning."
"When?"
"About ten minutes ago."
Albion stared at him.
"Ten minutes?!"
King Albion nodded.
"Your grandfather travels quickly."
Albion looked toward the castle.
Then back at his father.
"Why is he coming?"
King Albion smiled.
"To see his grandson."
Albion's expression became even more horrified.
"That's worse!"
Lyrios raised an eyebrow.
"Prince Albion."
Albion looked at him.
"Yeah?"
"You seem more frightened of your grandfather than you are of actual monsters."
Albion slowly nodded.
"Because monsters don't embarrass you in front of the entire royal court."
King Albion crossed his arms.
"Your grandfather is not that bad."
Albion stared at him.
"Dad."
"Yes?"
"You once told me he taught you swordsmanship by throwing you off a cliff."
King Albion paused.
"...That was a different situation."
Lyrios slowly looked at the king.
"Your Majesty."
King Albion sighed.
"It was a very safe cliff."
Albion's jaw dropped.
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"
Lyrios looked toward the castle.
"I believe I understand the Prince's concern now."
King Albion shook his head.
"Enough. Your grandfather simply has... unconventional teaching methods."
Albion slowly lowered his sword.
"I'm going to hide."
King Albion immediately grabbed him by the back of his shirt.
"No."
"Dad!"
"You are a prince."
"I can be a missing prince."
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
Albion groaned.
"This is worse than Dragon training."
Lyrios quietly smiled.
"Perhaps I should continue your training."
Albion looked at him.
"You're trying to save me."
"Yes."
"Thank you."
King Albion sighed.
"You two are ridiculous."
Albion looked toward the castle again.
"Grandfather Albion the First..."
He swallowed.
"Why do I have a feeling this visit is going to become a disaster?"
A few hours later
A carriage arrived, royal banners flowed in that air.
The Wyvebrs moving the carriage dropped it
Knight from each Elemtals King Sroduned.
As he stepped out
The carriage doors opened.
The royal knights immediately lowered themselves to one knee.
The soldiers surrounding the courtyard followed.
Even the Wyverns became still.
Albion stared.
The man who stepped out of the carriage looked nothing like the cheerful grandfather Albion had imagined.
He was tall.
Very tall.
His long white hair fell over his shoulders. His face was sharp and stern, with ancient eyes that seemed to have seen centuries of war.
He wore heavy black armor beneath a deep red royal cloak.
And in his hands was an enormous sword.
Albion swallowed.
'Oh.'
'This is Grandpa?'
Albion the First slowly looked across the courtyard.
His eyes moved from the knights.
To the Elemental Monarchs.
Then to King Albion.
Finally, his gaze landed on the young boy standing beside him.
His expression remained completely serious.
Albion slowly moved behind his father's leg.
King Albion looked down.
"Son."
Albion whispered.
"He's terrifying."
Focalors covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
King Albion sighed.
"He's your grandfather."
"That doesn't make him less terrifying."
Lyrios stood nearby, trying very hard not to smile.
Albion the First finally walked forward.
His heavy footsteps echoed across the courtyard.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Albion's eyes followed every movement.
The older Dragon stopped in front of King Albion.
For several seconds, neither said anything.
Then Albion the First spoke.
"My son."
King Albion bowed his head slightly.
"Father."
Albion the First looked at him.
"You've grown."
King Albion smiled faintly.
"And you haven't changed."
"I am old. Changing would be inconvenient."
Focalors stepped forward.
"It is good to see you again, Father."
Albion the First nodded.
"Focalors."
Then his eyes moved back toward Albion.
The little Dragon Prince immediately became stiff.
Albion the First stared at him.
Albion stared back.
Neither moved.
Five seconds passed.
Ten.
Albion started sweating.
'Say something.'
'He's my grandfather.'
'Just say hello.'
Albion slowly stepped out from behind his father.
"Hello."
Albion the First continued staring.
"Come closer."
Albion hesitated.
He looked at his father.
King Albion gave him a small nod.
Albion slowly walked forward.
When he stood in front of his grandfather, Albion the First looked down at him.
"So this is my grandson."
Albion nodded.
"Yes."
The old Dragon crouched down.
Albion blinked.
His grandfather's terrifying face was now much closer.
Albion's nervousness increased.
Albion the First raised one hand.
Albion flinched.
The old Dragon stopped.
Then he placed his hand gently on Albion's head.
He was silent for a moment.
"Your Dragon blood is strong."
Albion blinked.
"Really?"
"Very."
Albion's eyes sparkled.
"Does that mean I'm going to become really strong?"
Albion the First's stern expression softened slightly.
"If you train."
Albion nodded immediately.
"I train every day."
King Albion raised an eyebrow.
"Almost every day."
Albion turned around.
"Dad!"
Focalors giggled.
Albion the First actually smiled.
It was small.
Almost impossible to notice.
But it was there.
"I see."
He stood back up.
"So you are already learning the sword?"
Albion nodded.
"I'm training with Lyrios."
Albion the First looked toward the Black Luster Soldier.
Lyrios immediately straightened.
"Your Majesty."
The old King studied him.
"Black Luster Soldier."
"Yes."
"You are teaching my grandson?"
Lyrios nodded.
"I am."
Albion the First looked back at Albion.
"And what path have you chosen?"
Albion's expression became serious.
"The Spellblade Path."
There was a brief silence.
Albion the First raised an eyebrow.
"Spellblade?"
Albion nodded.
"I want to use both magic and the sword."
The old Dragon looked at King Albion.
Then at Focalors.
Then back at Albion.
"Hm."
Albion waited.
Finally, his grandfather nodded.
"A sensible choice."
Albion's face brightened.
"Really?"
"Your Primary Attribute is Light."
Albion nodded.
"And you possess Dragon blood."
Another nod.
"Then why limit yourself to only one?"
Albion's eyes widened.
His grandfather placed one hand on the enormous sword at his side.
"Strength is not about having the largest weapon."
He looked directly at Albion.
"It is about knowing how many weapons you possess."
Albion stared at him.
'Okay.'
'Grandpa is terrifying.'
'But Grandpa is also really cool.'
Albion the First suddenly looked toward the training grounds.
"I have heard you recently awakened your Dragon Form."
Albion froze.
"Uh..."
King Albion smiled.
"Yes."
Albion the First looked back at him.
"Show me."
Albion's eyes widened.
"Right now?"
"Right now."
Albion looked at his father.
King Albion shrugged.
"Go ahead."
Albion sighed.
'Fine.'
He stepped into the open courtyard.
Mana began gathering around his body.
His eyes glowed.
Light spread across his skin.
His wings began to grow.
His horns appeared.
His tail extended behind him.
A moment later, the small white Dragon stood proudly in the courtyard.
Silence.
Albion the First stared at him.
Albion puffed out his chest.
"Well?"
His grandfather continued staring.
Albion's confidence slowly disappeared.
"...What?"
Albion the First walked toward him.
He crouched down.
Then he gently grabbed Albion's cheeks.
Albion blinked.
"Grandpa?"
The ancient Dragon King stared at the adorable little Dragon in front of him.
His stern expression finally cracked.
"...He is tiny."
Albion's face turned red.
"I'm not tiny!"
Albion the First lifted him off the ground.
Albion's legs dangled.
"I'm ten!"
"Exactly."
"Put me down!"
For the first time since arriving, Albion the First laughed.
A deep, quiet laugh.
King Albion covered his mouth.
Focalors was already smiling.
Lyrios looked away.
The Elemental Monarchs were trying not to laugh.
Albion crossed his little arms while still being held in the air.
"This family is terrible."
Albion the First smiled.
"Yes."
He looked at his grandson.
"But it is good to finally meet you."
Albion stopped complaining.
He looked at his grandfather.
"...Yeah."
For the first time, Albion wasn't afraid of him.
He just looked up at the ancient Dragon King holding him.
'Maybe having a terrifying grandfather isn't so bad.'
Inside Albion the First's mind, however, something else was happening.
The ancient Dragon King continued patting his grandson's head.
From the outside, he looked calm.
Inside his mind, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly spoke.
Ding!
[World Event Detected.]
Albion the First's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Ah.'
He had not heard that voice in a very long time.
'System?'
For the first time in centuries, the Monarch System had awakened.
Albion the First looked down at the little Dragon in his arms.
His grandson was still complaining about being held like a baby.
'System, it has been a long time since you answered me.'
He paused.
'Why the sudden reactivation of the Monarch System?'
Ding!
[Because, Host, the System has located one of the Protagonists of this World.]
Albion the First's expression changed.
He slowly looked at Albion.
The little Dragon was still trying to escape his grandfather's grip.
"Put me down!"
"No."
"Grandpa!"
Albion the First ignored the complaints.
His mind was racing.
'So it really is him.'
He looked at his grandson again.
'The one destined to stand against Zorc.'
Ding!
[Correct.]
Albion the First's eyes narrowed.
'The Chosen One you told me about?'
Ding!
[Correct.]
[The one destined to eventually stand against Zorc and bring an end to the darkness.]
Albion the First was silent.
For five thousand years, he had waited.
Five thousand years of preparation.
Five thousand years of gathering knowledge.
Five thousand years of building the foundations for a future that he might never live to see.
And now...
The child was finally here.
Albion the First looked down at his grandson.
The little Dragon had finally stopped struggling.
Instead, Albion was staring curiously at him.
"Grandpa?"
Albion the First smiled.
"What?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
The old Dragon gently placed Albion back on the ground.
"Nothing."
Albion tilted his head.
"That's suspicious."
Albion the First chuckled.
'He really has no idea.'
The System spoke again.
Ding!
[Host has successfully completed the preparation phase.]
[The inheritance prepared over the last 5,000 years may now be transferred.]
Albion the First's smile disappeared.
'Already?'
Ding!
[Yes.]
'Then the road I built...'
He looked toward the distant horizon.
'...has finally reached its destination.'
The System remained silent for a moment.
Then another message appeared.
Ding!
[World Event: The Awakening of the Dragon Prince.]
[Status: Active.]
[Primary Protagonist Located.]
[Inheritance Requirement: Fulfilled.]
Albion the First looked back at Albion.
The young Dragon was now showing his father his wings.
"Look! I can make them bigger!"
King Albion smiled.
"Yes, yes. We saw."
"Look again!"
Focalors laughed.
Albion the First watched them quietly.
Then he thought to himself.
'Albion.'
'You have no idea what awaits you.'
His eyes became serious.
'But that is exactly how it should be.'
'For now, you should simply enjoy being a child.'
He placed a hand against the enormous sword at his side.
'The time will come when you need the gift I prepared for you.'
A faint smile returned to his face.
'And when that day comes...'
'Five thousand years of preparation will finally have meaning.'
Ding!
[Monarch System entering dormant observation mode.]
[The Host's next directive will determine the beginning of the inheritance.]
Albion the First glanced toward his grandson one last time.
'Not yet.'
'Let him grow first.'
The System gave no response.
For now, it went silent once again.
Albion the First smiled as Albion ran toward him.
"Grandpa! Watch this!"
The old Dragon King opened his arms.
"Very well."
Albion jumped.
And for the first time in five thousand years, Albion the First felt that the future might actually be worth looking forward to.
Albion the First looked toward his son.
His expression became more serious.
"Now, son. I want to give you something."
King Albion raised an eyebrow.
"Something?"
Albion the First reached inside his coat.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then he pulled out a massive blue crystal.
It was almost the size of a human torso.
The crystal was perfectly smooth, with clouds of blue energy slowly moving inside it. Tiny sparks of light danced across its surface.
Everyone went silent.
Even the Elemental Monarchs stared.
King Albion's eyes widened.
"...Father."
Albion the First held the crystal out.
"The Sky Gem."
King Albion stared at it.
"The Sky Gem?"
Albion the First nodded.
"The very same gem that was used to forge my sword."
His hand tightened around the crystal.
"I carried this piece of the original Sky Gem for thousands of years. I always intended to pass it down."
King Albion looked at the enormous crystal.
"But why give it to me now?"
Albion the First smiled.
"Because I don't want you to use it."
King Albion blinked.
"...What?"
Albion the First placed the Sky Gem into his son's hands.
"It isn't for you."
King Albion stared at the crystal.
Albion the First looked toward his grandson.
Albion was currently running around the courtyard, completely unaware that his family was discussing an artifact that had survived for thousands of years.
"One day, your son will use it."
King Albion slowly looked toward Albion.
"My son?"
"Yes."
Albion the First nodded.
"I believe one day, Albion will forge a sword of his own."
The young Albion suddenly sneezed.
"Ah... Achoo!"
Focalors smiled.
"Bless you."
Albion rubbed his nose.
"Thanks."
He went back to playing.
King Albion looked at the Sky Gem again.
"You want this to become his sword?"
"Not just any sword."
Albion the First's expression became solemn.
"The Sky Gem isn't simply a powerful crystal. It has been absorbing the power of the skies for thousands of years."
The blue energy inside the gem suddenly pulsed.
BOOM.
A wave of pressure spread across the courtyard.
Several nearby banners flew backward.
Albion's eyes widened.
"What was that?"
Albion the First calmly held the gem.
"The gem responding to its rightful owner."
King Albion looked at his father.
"You're saying it already recognizes Albion?"
"Not completely."
Albion the First looked at his grandson.
"But it has noticed him."
King Albion stared at Albion.
The young Dragon was completely oblivious.
He was currently trying to catch one of the tiny magical lights floating around the courtyard.
Albion the First chuckled.
"Keep it somewhere safe."
King Albion nodded.
"And when the time comes?"
"Give it to him."
Albion the First looked at the crystal one last time.
"Let him decide what kind of sword it becomes."
King Albion frowned.
"You don't already know?"
"No."
Albion the First smiled.
"That's the point."
He placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"The Sky Gem has enough power to create a legendary weapon."
His eyes shifted toward Albion.
"But the weapon shouldn't decide what kind of warrior he becomes."
"The warrior should decide what kind of weapon the Sky Gem becomes."
King Albion smiled.
"I understand."
Albion the First nodded.
"Good."
He turned toward Albion.
The little Dragon finally noticed the crystal.
His eyes immediately widened.
"Whoa!"
He ran over.
"What's that?"
King Albion quickly moved the Sky Gem behind his back.
"Nothing."
Albion frowned.
"That is definitely not nothing."
Albion the First laughed.
"Curious little Dragon."
Albion pointed at the crystal.
"Is it a magic stone?"
"Something like that."
"Can I touch it?"
Albion the First looked at King Albion.
Then he smiled.
"Not yet."
Albion pouted.
"Why?"
"Because it isn't yours yet."
Albion tilted his head.
"Then whose is it?"
Albion the First looked at him.
"Yours."
Albion froze.
"...Mine?"
"One day."
The old Dragon King gently patted his grandson's head.
"When you're ready."
Albion looked at the enormous blue crystal with sparkling eyes.
He had absolutely no idea what kind of weapon it would eventually become.
He only knew one thing.
He wanted it.
"How long until I'm ready?"
Albion the First laughed.
"That depends on you."
Albion clenched his tiny fists.
"Then I'll get stronger!"
King Albion smiled.
Focalors smiled.
Even Lyrios looked amused.
Albion the First simply watched his grandson.
Inside his mind, he thought quietly.
'Five thousand years.'
'And now the Sky Gem has found its next wielder.'
He looked at the blue crystal.
'When the time comes, Albion...'
'Make a sword worthy of yourself.'
To be continue
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