Sylveria and Elowyn both suddenly felt a shiver run down their spines. 'What was that?' they simultaneously wondered.
"Why are you two still standing there? Let's go—start walking," Nymeria said, snapping them out of their thoughts. The two exchanged a brief glance before quickly following Nymeria as she walked out of the room.
As Renan and the others left the castle, elsewhere within its grand halls, a luxurious room held a large round table at its center. Surrounding the table were numerous chairs, but the one at the head of the table stood out—a throne-like seat, far more ornate than the others. Sitting on it was none other than Ruston Ryvern, the Emperor of the empire and Renan's grandfather.
Ruston, who was observing the people seated before him, suddenly tilted his head slightly. A thought crossed his mind, 'Why is Renan leaving the castle with Nymeria?' Concerned, Ruston began to rise from his seat, intending to inquire about their destination. The empire was at war, and Renan's birth had only been announced yesterday. The empire was filled with spies and assassins waiting for the perfect chance to strike. Letting Renan leave the safety of the castle at such a time seemed reckless.
However, just as Ruston prepared to stand, a voice echoed in his mind, halting him.
"Ruston, don't worry. I'm protecting them from a distance," Belinda's calm voice assured him. She was using mana to transfer her words directly to his mind, ensuring no one else could hear.
Hearing this, Ruston sat back down and responded using the same method as Belinda, "I see. But why aren't you accompanying them directly? Why stay at a distance?"
Belinda replied, her tone steady, "When Nymeria approached me for permission to take Renan out, I agreed and even offered to join them as protection. But Nymeria said that if I came along, Renan would focus entirely on me. After all, I've spent more time with him, and he would be more comfortable with me than her, so She was worried that would prevent her from bonding with him. So, she asked me to guard them from afar, where Renan wouldn't know I was there. And I agreed."
Ruston nodded inwardly. "I see. Then be careful," he said, his voice tinged with relief.
Ruston's relief wasn't solely because of Belinda's formidable strength, though that was a factor. It was primarily because of her mastery of the space element. If things took a turn for the worse, Belinda could teleport Renan and the others to safety instantly—or even directly bring Ruston to their location to handle the threat himself.
"Understood. Goodbye," Belinda replied before ending the mental connection.
Ruston shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts, then turned his attention back to the people seated around the table. Despite the table's twelve to fourteen seats, only five or six individuals were present. Among them was Gracen, Renan's father, along with several older individuals who appeared to be in their forties or fifties.
"So, what do you say, Father-in-law?" Gracen asked Ruston, his voice steady but tinged with concern.
Ruston's heavy voice filled the room as he replied, "Starting Renan's training immediately is too much. However, we can't afford to relax either. You'll begin training him when he turns one year old and continue until he's eight. After that, he'll train with Namari on Solace Ground."
At the mention of Solace Ground, everyone's eyes widened slightly.
"But Father-in-law," Gracen began, his worry evident, "isn't that too much for Renan? He won't even be ten years old. Starting his training on Solace Ground with Namari at such a young age seems too much."
The other individuals seated at the table nodded in agreement, echoing Gracen's concern.
Ruston sighed deeply, his expression hardening. "Do you all think I want Renan to endure such harsh training this early? Even I know it's too much for a young dragon. But what choice do we have? The third war with humans isn't far off. At most, we have twenty years, according to what our spies have reported. Renan must become as strong as possible in that time, strong enough to protect himself from the mobs at least."
The room fell silent, the weight of his words settling over everyone. Heads lowered in contemplation, and when no one voiced further objections, Ruston spoke again.
"Since there's no disagreement, Gracen, you can return to your training with Namari. I heard her mention she's close to breaking through."
Then, turning his gaze to the elders seated opposite Gracen, Ruston continued, "Elders, I know you've been doing your best to train the younger generation, and I appreciate your efforts. But I must ask you to be even stricter with them. While Belinda has discovered a method for dragons to grow stronger rapidly, they still need time to become strong which we currently don't have much,"
The elders nodded solemnly, their expressions serious.
"Good. Then you may all return to your work," Ruston concluded, rising from his seat.
As he left the room, he thought to himself, 'Renan, my grandson, I know you may one day see this as a cruel decision, but it's for your own good. Please don't blame your grandfather.'
Meanwhile, Renan, oblivious to the decision made about his future, was exploring the world outside the castle for the first time, and observing it unaware of the decision that has been made for him.