Arriving before it, Kaelan’s eyes fell on a sword. It appeared to be made of pure gold, but one could tell from looking at it that was not the case. It seemed to twinkle with what looked like golden galaxies inside of it. Along the sharp edge of the blade were strange markings-runes, perhaps― different from normal, running from the tip to the golden handle, glowing white.
Hazerion paused, his eyes lingering on the pedestal where ?Restriat rested. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
“The dragon god…”
“……eventually grew strong enough to fulfill his creator’s final wish. With ?Restriat in hand, he ended the life of his creator, just as he was destined to.”
Hazerion’s eyes darkened as he continued, stepping closer to the sword, his gaze fixed on its gleaming blade.
“But after that… for reasons no one knows, he died. Whether it was instant or took a few years, no one can say for certain. Some believe it was the curse of the sword, others say it was the loss of purpose. But the fact remains, the dragon god, the most powerful being, met his end.”
Kaelan followed Hazerion in silence for a moment.
Kaelan then decided to speak up.
“Why are you telling me all this, Lord Hazerion?”
Hazerion hesitated, his usual confident demeanor faded for just a moment. He glanced at the sword, then back at Kaelan, his expression conflicted.
“Because, Kaelan… I may not have made any progress so far-”
‘Is this what the system is trying to talking about? Because he unable to grow strong fast enough he won’t be able to protect his people?’ Alister wonderd as he gazed upon Hazerion trough Kaelan’s eyes.
Hazerion stopped, his voice catching in his throat. For a dragon lord of his stature to show such vulnerability was almost unheard of.
He clenched his fists, taking a deep breath before continuing.
“But I believe that if I can somehow get tRestriat to recognize me as a descendant of the dragon god, maybe… just maybe, I will be able to gain the strength needed. The strength to create a barrier strong enough to protect everyone.”
“Your clan uses swords with runes like this one, right? I was thinking maybe you could-” Hazerion paused again, as if the words were trapped in his throat.
Kaelan’s gaze lingered on ?Restriat, his expression hidden behind his helmet as he finally spoke.
“Wielding a legendary sword like this and wielding an natural arms sword are two completely different things, Lord Hazerion. Even someone like you should be well aware of that. The sword… it decides its wielder. And it’s not just anyone; it must be the overlord. And even among the overlords, the number who have been chosen by this legendary weapon can be counted on one hand. My lord… What I’m trying to say is… You should try to get over the thought of using tRestriat.”
“You have to first focus on becoming the overlord…”
“…first gaining recognition from the heirloom…”
Hazerion stiffened, his eyes narrowing slightly as Kaelan’s words hit him. Before he could respond, Kaelan quickly spoke up.
“I mean no disrespect, my lord, but-”
Hazerion’s voice suddenly cut through the air, sharper than before. “I wouldn’t kill my brother… not for the throne, not for anything.”
Kaelan quickly spoke up, wanting to defend himself, “I didn’t say you have to be the one to kill him, my lord, just order someone else to—”
“How will I be able to call him my brother after that?” Hazerion instantly said, yelling slightly.
The tension in the room grew as Hazerion’s words hung in the air. His fists clenched, the golden light from tRestriat casting long shadows across the treasury.
Kaelan’s thoughts raced.
~ ‘I’m just a Hippocrate, asking my lord to do something even I couldn’t go trough with… But if a decision isn’t made…. All of us will be doomed to perish.’~
Kaelan immediately bowed, his head lowered. “I’m sorry for bringing it up, my lord. I was being far too forward. I’m just saying that if something isn’t done soon, it could be too late for all of us.”
There was a long pause, the weight of Kaelan’s words pressing heavily on both of them. Hazerion’s expression looked conflicted. Finally, he sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly as he wrestled with the decision.
“Head back,” Hazerion said, his voice quieter now. He turned away from Kaelan, his gaze once again fixed on ?Restriat, as if searching the blade for answers he couldn’t find within himself. “I… I need time to think.”
“Yes my lord.”
Kaelan turned on his heel, ready to leave as instructed. Just as he reached the grand doors, the clatter of footsteps echoed through the corridor outside.
The doors burst open, and a dragon kin guard rushed in, his armor clinking as he moved. His face was paler than usual, sweat going down his brow. He dropped to one knee before Hazerion, his breath coming in short, panicked bursts.
“My Lord Hazerion!”
“Your brother-he’s here! His forces have flown pasts the city walls! They’re invading as we speak!”
“W-what? This isn’t what he and I agreed on. We said we wouldn’t pull innocent people into this?”
Hazerion was referring to the agreement he had made with his brother: their generals would face off, and in the end, they would do the same. The one with the most victories would be declared the winner, and the loser would willingly surrender their life.
Hazerion, who had grown to love his brother, now found himself in a position where he had to kill him to protect dragonkind, who desperately sought his protection. This tragic situation could have been avoided if their father had lived long enough to name a successor.
But since that didn’t happen, the brothers were forced to fight for the throne. In truth, Hazerion had no desire to rule; it was just that when the darkness first descended, he had been with his father, and many witnessed his ability to protect himself. Now, many sought to stand beside him.
He couldn’t turn away those who had pledged their loyalty, so he had to fight his brother for their sake. He would have settled this personally, but their generals wanted to prove their loyalty, which led to this situation.
