"I see that you're truly a special individual, little human... Hahaha... Truly interesting."
The dragon in human form, still pleasantly surprised by what he had just witnessed, approached the baby and carefully took him into his arms. Cradling the baby, he realized that the small human was still struggling to fully regain consciousness. Despite successfully breaking the trance with admirable efficiency, the baby seemed to have exerted an enormous effort to do so. His eyes were cloudy and fluttering, as if affected by dizziness, and even drool was running from his mouth.
But none of this disgusted or disappointed the dragon. On the contrary, he became even more impressed, noticing the tenacity with which the baby was trying to recover. Mentally, the dragon compared him to a warrior who, even wounded, still strives to stand and fight.
"This Lord are truly grateful to Aura for bringing us together, little human. This is a delightful surprise. For that reason, This Lord have the duty to give you the best opportunity to grow and flourish splendidly…"
Almost singing with emotion, the dragon began to envision various scenarios in his mind, trying to find the best possible alternative to nurture and develop the baby's fortuitous potential. Truly struggling to choose between the best options, the dragon weighed the pros and cons of raising the child himself or entrusting the task to someone he trusted implicitly.
In mere minutes, countless hypotheses and incredibly detailed and minimalist alternatives were simulated and discarded at a supernatural speed. With thoughts far beyond the natural pace, the dragon realized that only a few scenarios remained suitable and met the requirements.
However, the option of raising the child himself, though the one that benefited him most, was discarded as it wouldn't fully nurture the baby's potential. Therefore, he was left with the need to rely on people he trusted to handle this task.
Of the few people he had in mind, only three were certain to be capable of carrying out such a task. One of them was Dorothea, the dragon's own wife, who had an immense maternal instinct—though this potential could be slightly excessive, in his and many others' opinions.
The second was one of the most trustworthy and disciplined individuals he knew, whose life philosophies were patience and rigor. She would have been the most sensible candidate, if not for the fact that she had little interest in tasks that interfered with her routine.
The third, and perhaps the least likely, was one of the brightest young rulers of the continent, with the potential to reach the pinnacle of power at a younger age than anyone in 5,000 years. Unfortunately, this brilliant gem had been tarnished by her own pride, leading her to withdraw in shame after her reputation was soiled.
"The most beautiful pearl discarded, now muddy and dull," he thought. No one would believe it had once shone so splendidly.
"Let's go, little human. This Lord know the perfect person to take you in. She'll adore you, and I'm sure you'll thank me one day. Soon, you'll be in your new home…"
As if all the complex calculations and simulations he had performed were so simple that they hadn't taxed his mind, the dragon made his decision about the baby's fate. Once he had, the dragon gently let the baby float in front of him, then stepped back several meters. When he deemed the distance sufficient, the dragon stopped.
The same light that had appeared when the dragon took human form reappeared. As before, it became so bright that it obscured everything, but a few seconds later, the colossal creature dominated the landscape again.
Looking down at the floating baby, the dragon drew him closer to his snout, right in front of his eyes. Seeing that the baby was still struggling to recover, the dragon decided to end his efforts and put him to sleep.
With a slight movement of his eyes, a kind of bubble formed around the baby, instantly sending him into a deep slumber. The bubble also served as protection for the little human on the journey ahead. With another glance, the bubble moved along with the baby to a specific point between the dragon's two larger horns, where it settled.
With all preparations complete, the dragon lifted off smoothly, but quickly accelerated until his silhouette vanished from the sky. Meanwhile, the clearing that had been created for the dragon's landing began to restore itself at the same speed. Within a minute, the trees were back in place, and even the ground appeared untouched, as if nothing had ever happened.
________________________
Thousands of kilometers away from that dark forest stood a grand estate, with a palace at its center. A truly opulent place, with numerous accommodations, small outbuildings, and various structures scattered across its vast grounds.
The palace itself, a place worthy of a king, was visibly well-maintained and regularly tended to. Hundreds of square meters of elegantly designed architecture served both as a work of art and a highly functional space.
A large lawn stretched out hundreds of meters in front of the palace, while a garden with trees, flowers, orchards, lakes, and other attractions lay behind it. Smaller buildings dotted the estate, including a type of gymnasium, a professional athletic field, a small training center, and a well-equipped large academy.
Stables, fields with exotic animals, an entire forest, and some bomb-like craters also filled the landscape.
Even just observing the palace alone, one could vaguely imagine the immense wealth and power of the estate's owner. However, a prominent warning at the property's entrance made it clear that visitors would not be welcomed.
Inside the estate, contrary to common assumptions, only a few people could be seen walking the palace corridors. Among them, one figure stood out with her stoic posture and disciplined demeanor.
knock knock knock
"Lady Inessa…" Standing before a relatively large but simple door compared to the other grand doors in the palace, was a woman dressed as a maid.
In her maid uniform, adorned with red frills and gold embroidery along the edges, the woman had white hair, blue eyes flecked with gleaming specks, and full lips. Her long, pointed ears marked her as a lunar elf.
Having a maid was expected in such a noble house, but these were the least distinguishing features about this woman. Her skin was an incredibly dark shade of grey, so smooth it appeared to shine in the sunlight. This skin tone made another characteristic of the lunar elves even more striking—their golden glowing tattoos.
Beginning at her neck, the tattoos, which could be as varied in color and shape as river stones, stretched across her entire body. Each elf had a unique number of tattoos, depending on their connection to the Aura.
knock knock knock
"Lady Inessa... Would you like to take a walk in the garden? The weather is lovely, and Lady Abigail suggested that getting out of the room would do you good. She also called to inquire about your well-being."
Speaking without stepping too close to the door, knowing it wouldn't make a difference to the person inside, the maid's tone was calm and compassionate. Yet the silence continued as a response, slowly wearing down the dedication behind this daily ritual.
Even though she did this nearly every day and received the same response 90% of the time, this duty could not be neglected or carried out with ill will, irritation, or laziness.
After all, on the other side of the door was a powerful dragon with highly developed empathy. Even silence was a good sign, as it meant the act had been done with goodwill. If not, the response would have been an aura wave, causing a slight headache for anyone trying to touch the door with dark feelings.
knock knock knock
"Lady Inessa, should I bring food to your quarters?"
"Go away, Aglaya. I don't want to be disturbed this week."
From the other side of the door, a soft and sweet voice, though notably tired, was heard. Its tone was firm, leaving no room for further conversation. Silence once again took hold.
"Understood, Lady. I will inform the others not to disturb your rest this week. I'm leaving now, Lady Inessa."