The words that came from Hannah’s mouth shook everyone in the room and would have shocked the entire world had they heard them as well.
Brunhild was the first to recover from it, her sharp voice cutting through the tension, “Are you saying Sokram has already taken a step toward Ascension from birth?”
Hannah's expression grew serious as she nodded, her voice low, almost hesitant. "Not just that, he has also opened his draconic lungs. That’s why this layer of mana swirls around him. He’s breathing it in naturally, just like ancient dragons… Like I do. But since he doesn’t know how to store it yet, all the mana he inhales is being used to strengthen his body with every breath instead.”
A cold bead of sweat rolled down their faces as they gathered around her. They stared at Sokram, cradled in Hannah’s arms, equally amazed and terrified by the monstrous potential of the boy they adored.
“Does that mean I’m going to be the strongest in the world, Nana?” Sokram's face lit up with a childlike grin.
Hannah’s tense expression softened once more at his carefree innocence. “Yes,” she smiled brightly, “Nana and everyone here will make sure you become the strongest dragon this world has ever seen. That’s my promise.”
Yet her work to fulfill that promise made the next years quite hectic...
True to her word, Hannah devoted herself to nurturing Sokram. She moved with the family to Eversnow, a decision that sent shockwaves across the Kingdom of Dracony.
Her relocation was nothing short of scandalous.
As one of the top ten powerhouses and a Grand Duchess in Dracony, her departure created chaos in the political landscape.
While the King of Norwinter welcomed her with open arms, even granting her noble status in exchange for her loyalty, the Dragon King was less than thrilled. Hannah left her nephew, the Dragon King, a curt letter:
"Nephew, since my son’s death, I’ve sought out others who might need my support. I’ve found my late husband’s distant kin in Norwinter, and they need me. The kingdom is now yours to rule without this old nagging aunt interfering. Farewell."
The Dragon King’s fury was uncontained.
Not out of familial affection, but because her departure weakened the kingdom’s standing.
He even contemplated war against Norwinter until the Central Continent Elven Empire intervened.
Empress Meriande’s intervention was not a mere act of diplomacy. It was a calculated move to protect the fragile balance of power in the Northern Continent. The alliance between Dracony and Norwinter, two of the most powerful nations in the region, had been a cornerstone of stability for decades.
But the alliance extended beyond just her desire for these two nations to remain peaceful.
Both Dracony and Norwinter had also formed a commercial alliance pact with the Central Continent Elven Empire, led by Empress Meriande.
The Elven Empire, a global powerhouse, had invested heavily in the prosperity of its northern allies, bolstering their economies as well as Dracony's military.
However, beneath the surface of this united front, a volatile comparison simmered.
While Dracony's dragons were unmatched in individual strength and magical prowess, Norwinter's forces boasted a crucial advantage in numbers.
Norwinter was a melting pot of Humans, Wolf-kins, Snow elves, and Lion-kins, a diverse array of peoples that reproduced far faster than the dragons of Dracony, whose slow reproduction limited their overall numbers.
This disparity meant that while Dracony was a powerhouse in magical and individual combat strength, Norwinter’s diverse armies were capable of outnumbering Dracony’s forces.
The two nations, in terms of total military power, were thus considered near equal, with each having its own unique strengths that balanced the other.
If Dracony and Norwinter were to go to war, the repercussions would be catastrophic.
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Not only would it destabilize the entire northern region, but it would also disrupt the intricate web of trade and cooperation between them and the Elven Empire.
Such a conflict would leave both nations vulnerable to outside threats, including hostile neighbors and rival empires from other continents.
Understanding this, Empress Meriande took swift action. Thɪs chapter is updated by N0velFire.ɴet
She summoned envoys from both kingdoms, delivering a stern warning: a war between her allies would betray their mutual agreements.
She emphasized that the empire’s investments in their prosperity were not charity but part of a greater vision for regional stability. Her message was clear: any action that jeopardized the alliance would have severe consequences, including the withdrawal of imperial support.
This intervention forced the Dragon King to relent, though it was a bitter pill to swallow.
He understood that without the empire’s backing, Dracony’s strength would wane, leaving it vulnerable to Norwinter’s vast and diverse forces, or worse, external enemies.
The intervention, however, wasn't without consequences.
While the Dragon King was quick to see the political sense in the Elven Empire’s position, Hannah’s departure, leaving Dracony to join Norwinter, was seen as nothing short of treason by many in her homeland.
However, in Norwinter, as well as in Eversnow, Hannah was received as royalty, contrasting the treatment she received in her home country.
The King granted her the title of Grand Duchess, matching the noble standing she held in Dracony.
Eversnow’s City Lord, Licarus, a Wolf-kin of the Blackfur Clan, offered her a place in his palace, which she refused, preferring to stay with Sokram and guide his growth.
Thus, the Elven Empire’s unwavering authority helped preserve the peace between Dracony and Norwinter.
Yet, beneath this calm surface, tensions remained.
The Dragon King’s pride was wounded, and the alliance, while intact, had become a fragile thread holding the region together.
Three years passed, and Sokram continued to astound his family.
By the time he was one, he had already mastered speaking, reading, and writing in multiple languages. At two, he solved complex spell equations and array formations.
By three, he had memorized the entire alchemical periodic table. His rapid development was a source of both pride and concern for his family, who marveled at his abilities while worrying about the challenges he would face.
Yet, the boy’s amazing memory left no doubt that another of his bloodline gifts had awakened, the Hyperthymesia of the High Humans.
This revelation prompted Astrid to summon another figure into Sokram’s life: Margiory di Androny, the Androny family’s matriarch and his grandmother.
Astrid had been reporting about Sokram’s development to Lady Androny for a long time now. Although she wasn’t doing it behind anyone’s back, Brunhild wasn’t thrilled about the arrangement.
Adulwulf’s abandonment of Hilda had left deep scars in the relationship between the two families, and Brunhild believed the Androny family bore some responsibility for enabling his actions.
However, Astrid's reassurances that Margiory's intentions were sincere and that she genuinely wanted to be a part of Sokram’s life eventually won Brunhild over, albeit grudgingly.
On one of Margiory’s visits, the family gathered in the backyard.
The women chatted idly while Sokram played, seemingly lost in a game of imaginary combat. But unbeknownst to them, he was preparing for something far more serious.
In the backyard lay an unassuming boulder, a family relic passed down for generations.
To everyone else, it was a simple stone used as a seat for meditation. But Sokram knew better.
In his previous timeline, he had discovered its secret entirely by accident. This time, however, he intended to claim its hidden treasure much sooner.
Positioning himself in front of the boulder, Sokram assumed a martial stance.
He began channeling the three energies, Magi, Vitha, and Aura, into his small fist.
The women noticed the sudden surge of power.
Hilda rose in alarm, but Hannah appeared beside her in an instant, gently restraining her.
“If you startle him, he might release the energy uncontrollably and hurt himself,” Hannah whispered, her voice tense with urgency.
Brunhild and Astrid nodded in agreement, while Margiory and Moira prepared protective spells just in case.
To everyone’s relief, Sokram stopped channeling energy just at the limit his unawakened body could handle.
Hannah nodded in approval and murmured. “Good instincts.”
But then Sokram punched the boulder with all his might.
Pain shot through his tiny fist, and he winced, but he didn’t cry out. Instead, he focused on his goal: injecting his mana into the stone.
Before anyone could react, the boulder began to crack and crumble, collapsing into fine sand. At its core, a radiant ball of light emerged, floating in the air for a brief moment before shooting straight into Sokram’s hand.
A small, intricate symbol appeared on the back of his hand where the light had entered.
Hannah’s sharp senses told her it was an artifact.
The knowing smile prompted Hilda to ask, her tone a mix of worry and curiosity, “What was that?”
But Hannah replied calmly, “A Void Glove, an artifact used to store spatial rings. Very impressive. To think something so valuable was simply sitting around in your backyard, haha.”
“Ouch…” Sokram winced again, clutching his hand as pain shot through his tiny fist.
He glanced up at his family, expecting a scolding, but instead, he saw pride and concern in their eyes.
Still, he was elated.
The artifact was something he had carried with him in his previous timeline, and it was an essential tool for his plans.
Moira approached him with a soothing smile. “Silly boy, let Auntie heal that hand for you.”
As Moira’s magic mended his broken fist, Hannah gazed at the pile of sand that had once been the boulder. “Well, this might be a good time to start his training.”
Still, the reaction to her statement was worrisome, as the consensus among all of the women in his family was the same: Sokram was too young and was developing too fast.