* * *
“Hmph… You lot are truly fascinating. Just when things start to get boring, unexpected developments like this happen.”
Hernan shivered under the dragon’s gaze, which seemed to pierce him.
The dragon smirked, its eyes curling like a crescent moon.
“Leave the boy here. I want to observe him more closely.”
At the dragon’s command, the Duke hurried out of the shrine, leaving Hernan behind.
Had he been offered as a sacrifice to the dragon?
Was this really how he would die?
Just as Hernan closed his eyes in terror, he heard a booming laugh echoing in his mind.
From that day on, Hernan moved into the shrine at the back of the estate.
The dragon had plenty of time and plenty it wanted to teach him.
“Do I really have to learn all of this?”
Hernan flipped through a pile of ancient scrolls written in unknown languages, utterly confused.
A staff swiftly struck him on the head.
“Of course. You’ll need to know this.”
As Hernan rubbed his red, swollen forehead, he thought, But why?
He didn’t dare ask aloud, knowing he’d only get hit again.
Having grown up constantly beaten by his brothers, Hernan had developed a keen sense of when to keep quiet.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Though the Velon duchy had autonomy, it still followed the laws of the Empire, which adhered to the principle of primogeniture.
Unless there was an overwhelming difference in ability among the heirs, the eldest son would inherit the title.
There was no exception for Hernan.
After all, despite being officially recognized as a legitimate child, within the household, he was nothing more than an open secret—an illegitimate son.
As long as his two older brothers were alive and well, Hernan would never inherit the Velon name.
“…”
Hernan, still feeling a little resentful, picked up the quill with his small hands and began copying the characters.
The dragon narrowed its eyes.
“Brat, were you just complaining in your head about doing something pointless?”
It was exactly right, but Hernan quickly shook his head.
“N-no, not at all…”
“Not at all, huh?”
The dragon clicked its tongue, its body elegantly twisting in the air as it floated above him.
“Remember this well—your father’s position will one day be yours.”
“What?”
Hernan was startled by the outrageous statement, so much so that he dropped the quill he had been holding.
The pen, previously perched in an inkwell of deep black ink, bounced out and fell to the floor, leaving a chaotic mess of dark ink spreading at his feet.
The idea that his father’s position would be his—whatever that might mean—was utterly blasphemous.
With two legitimate older brothers ahead of him, how could he ever dare to imagine becoming the Grand Duke?
Even the thought of it could lead his brothers to beat him to death for his insolence.
“Th-that’s impossible! My brothers…”
Hernan stammered, trying to object, but Ryuudene only snorted.
[Do you really think I’d let those worthless husks take the seat when a dragon’s descendant stands in line?]
He spun gracefully in mid-air, his long hair falling toward the floor, a smirk playing on his lips.
[Let me clear up your confusion.]
Hernan could barely suppress the urge to step back in fear as he met the dragon’s gaze.
[I’m not interested in your petty power struggles or the affairs of the common folk.]
Hernan’s mind filled with questions, but before he could voice them, the dragon smirked and continued.
[The only reason I’m helping ‘you’ is because my blood flows within you.]
According to the ancient founding myth of Velon, the first queen, Hildea, laid a dragon’s egg while still in human form.
Though later generations interpreted this metaphorically to sanctify the royal bloodline, it was said that the first queen and his legitimate successors bore scales on their backs, marking their descent from dragons.
Over time, as the bloodline diluted, the dragon-like traits faded, leaving only golden eyes as proof of their draconic heritage.
Hernan, however, had neither scales nor the blazing golden eyes of a dragon.
How, then, could he possibly inherit the throne over his brothers?
As he stared at Ryuudene in confusion, the dragon grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him toward the altar-like pond inside the shrine.
[Look closely.]
Indeed, as Hernan looked at the reflection in the water, it became clear that he and the dragon could have been mistaken for twins.
Ryuudene reached out and traced a small circle on Hernan’s forehead with the tip of his claw.
In response, Hernan’s eyes flared with a brilliant golden glow.
[As long as this bloodline flows through your offspring, I will help you no matter what you choose to do.]
You call this helping?!
Hernan thought bitterly as he endured the harsh and grueling training that followed.
It felt more like a cruel scam than any sort of aid.
Years passed before Hernan finally stepped outside the shrine where he had lived, slept, and trained.
The grueling training with his unpredictable ancestor had completely transformed him.
Though his face still retained the delicate, almost effeminate features of a noble young lord, his body had grown to rival even the most seasoned warriors in size and strength.
When Hernan returned to the Grand Duke’s residence, his second brother greeted him with a scowl, as if he had swallowed something bitter.
Hernan wisely didn’t ask about his eldest brother’s whereabouts.
After exchanging a brief greeting with his second brother, he returned to his vastly changed chambers, where a servant discreetly shared the news.
“Your eldest brother died in a hunting accident last year.”
Whatever the story or conspiracy behind it, it had nothing to do with Hernan.
Their father had been bedridden, too weak to even lift a finger.
Though his second brother was acting in their father’s place, most of the power had already shifted to the dragon, making him little more than a figurehead.
The moment Hernan returned from the shrine, his second brother prepared to send him to the frontlines.
“You know why Velon retains its autonomy under the Empire, don’t you?”
The bulk of Velon’s forces were deployed to fend off the monsters descending from the northern mountain range.
These beasts were not only a threat on their own but also had a tendency to parasitize the bodies of wild animals, forcing them to attack.
These otherworldly creatures, which had to feed on the life of this world to survive, posed a constant threat to the northern borders of Velon.
“Prove the family’s loyalty to the Empire.”
Sending Hernan to the frozen wastelands was as good as sending him to his death, yet his second brother seemed devoid of any guilt or remorse.
[It won’t be a bad experience for you,] Ryuudene remarked casually. [Don’t worry. I trained you to survive more than a little cold.]
[When you return, the name ‘Velon’ will be attached to yours.]
Only the head of the family or an heir who had inherited a title could use the name of the territory as a middle name.
When he became the heir, would Hernan finally be able to stand as an equal before his brother?
Could he face him without the fear that he would be exposed as the worthless wretch he believed himself to be?
Even though it was far too late, Hernan carried the name of his strange, meddlesome brother in his heart as he headed to the frontlines.
The frozen land, covered in ice year-round, was so harsh that even the breath of a strong man would freeze in the air.
Few could endure the conditions for more than a month, yet Hernan survived for years.
Just as the dragon had said, when Hernan returned to Velon Castle, he was no longer the hidden third son.
What he sought first with the power he now held was all too predictable.
His body, which had felt frozen to the core, slowly began to warm.
The tight, almost suffocating pressure that wrapped around his entire body was strangely comforting rather than unpleasant.
He let out a faint groan, his brow furrowing as he gradually regained consciousness.
‘I could’ve sworn I was watching the dying embers of the fire when I closed my eyes…’
Soft bedding pressed against his back, suggesting he had somehow been found before death claimed him.
But why was he lying face down, pinned by something heavy?
As his awareness sharpened, his eyes snapped open, only to find himself staring into the muscular chest of someone else.
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