Reinhard had never felt anything like this before.
Before the age of five, although his mother lay bedridden and unconscious, he could still feel the affection of his father and grandparents. However, ever since the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint transferred to him, leading to his grandmother's death, his grandfather had hated him to the bone and left the Astrea family, while his father, unable to cope with the blow, became a broken man lost to alcoholism.
It led to a haunting realization within his young heart: "I killed Grandmother with my own hands."
Family bonds withered away, leaving only his sword and the crushing weight of the glory of the current Sword Saint to keep him company. In such an environment, the eight-year-old Reinhard had matured far beyond his peers, with a gap between them wider than a canal.
Until today, it seemed he was experiencing something akin to "friendship" for the first time.
This man treated him as a truly equal opponent, fighting him with absolute seriousness. There was no adult-to-child condescension, nor the stifling restraint commoners showed when facing a Sword Saint. Before him, Reinhard felt like he was just a swordsman with slightly better skills, nothing more.
"Hey, little Sword Saint, how long are you going to lie there? Done already?"
The voice, tinged with a hint of teasing, interrupted Reinhard's thoughts. He rolled to his feet and said with a wry smile, "Your strength is extraordinary. I am no match for you."
After all, he was only an eight-year-old child; with his combat experience still so scarce, Aomori had controlled the rhythm of the battle from the very start.
"Giving up? Why not ask your Dragon Sword for help?" Aomori said.
Reinhard glanced at the Dragon Sword on his back, his smile turning more bitter. "I'd like to, but unfortunately, it hasn't responded to me."
"Looking down on me?" Aomori flashed in front of him, resting the blade of dark energy against his neck. "Is it not afraid I'll kill you?"
"Er, you are not that kind of person," Reinhard said pointedly.
"You've guessed wrong there. I actually really want to kill you once just to see." Aomori's gaze lingered on his neck, and a killing intent began to rise.
Since Reinhard possessed the Divine Protection of the Phoenix which allowed for resurrection, Aomori wanted to observe how it activated.
Sensing the surging, palpable killing intent leaking from Aomori, Reinhard was momentarily stunned.
"Forget it. It'd be a hassle if the world started hating me; I don't want to be kicked out of this world so early." Speaking words that Reinhard couldn't understand, Aomori abandoned the tempting idea and shifted his focus to the Dragon Sword.
"I'll be taking that!" Aomori suddenly reached out for the Dragon Sword.
Reinhard gasped. "Don't!"
Aomori's hand speed was staggering. Before the warning finished, his palm had gripped the scabbard, tearing it from the scabbard holder on Reinhard's back. With a flash of movement, he instantly distanced himself, reappearing on the other side of the training ground.
"Wait, don't be impulsive! It will hurt you!" Reinhard wasn't worried about Aomori stealing the sword; he was worried about Aomori's safety.
"If it can, I don't mind," Aomori chuckled, raising his hand to grip the hilt.
Instantly, the Dragon Sword began to vibrate violently, emitting a humming sound as its entire being resisted Aomori.
"Is this all the strength you have? Or have you been wanting a new master for a while?" Aomori injected his remaining dark energy into the sword. Gripping the hilt with one hand and the scabbard with the other, he pulled in opposite directions.
"Open for me!"
Amidst increasingly violent tremors, the Dragon Sword moved slowly, revealing a small section of a flawless, white blade.
"Saying no with your mouth, but your body is quite honest. Why don't you just give in to me?" Aomori licked his lips, increasing his strength further.
"How is this possible?" Reinhard was beyond shocked, but his expression quickly turned to one of alarm. "Let go, quickly!"
In the next second, the Dragon Sword erupted. Countless silver sword beams burst from the exposed blade, instantly shredding Aomori into black mist. The dissipating aftershocks washed out in all directions. Amidst a continuous roar, an enormous cloud of dust rose above the Astrea manor.
"That's enough, Reid." Reinhard ignored the impact, moving to the Dragon Sword floating in mid-air and grabbing it. The sword vibrated stubbornly a few more times before falling silent.
Reinhard looked at the ground, which was devoid of a single drop of blood, and fell into thought. 'Not his true body? A clone constructed from Yin-attribute Mana? No wonder I felt something was off during the fight. What amazing Yin Magic, to be able to manifest such a realistic clone.'
Knowing Aomori's main body was likely unharmed, Reinhard breathed a sigh of relief.
"Klein Moretti-sama, I look forward to our next meeting."
…
In the bustling market, Fynea was like a busy bee, visiting every stall and letting out bursts of bell-like laughter. Thor, with his superior strength, followed closely behind her without showing a hint of fatigue.
Behind them, Aomori held Elsa's hand, strolling leisurely. Suddenly, his body gave a slight jerk, which Elsa noticed immediately. "Onii-chan, what's wrong?"
Aomori opened his right palm in front of him, glanced at the faint bloodstain that had appeared on it, and replied with a smile, "I'm fine."
Upon the death of his Clone, Aomori learned of the events at the Astrea manor.
'The Dragon Sword is indeed not simple. Its slash actually bypassed the clone to strike the main body, even if the power was reduced by more than half.'
Aomori's interest in the Dragon Sword grew even deeper. Through the battle with the young Reinhard, he had also glimpsed a great deal of information regarding Divine Protections.
'The Astrea manor is quite the auspicious place; it's worth visiting often. But I'll leave it for today, let the little Sword Saint get some rest.' He smiled and continued wandering with Elsa.
…
The sun dipped below the horizon. Most of the Clones had finished their intelligence gathering and dispelled themselves, returning to the main body, except for the one who had lost track of time in the Royal Library.
"There are ten famous swords in the world: the Dragon Sword, the Yang Sword, the Fiend Sword, the Dream Sword, the Beloved Sword... each possesses shocking and powerful abilities..."
Inside the Royal Library, Aomori sat on the floor, flipping through a book thick as a brick. Browsing the descriptions of the ten famous swords, he felt a spark of desire; he currently lacked a suitable "Great Sword."
Unfortunately, aside from the Dragon Sword being with the Sword Saint and the Yang Sword allegedly being with the Sin Archbishop of Pride, the locations of the other swords were not recorded in this book. Aomori searched his memories but knew very little about them. It would come down to whether he was destined to find them.
Closing the book, Aomori stood up and stretched. Seeing the sky had turned dark through the window, it was time to complete his mission. His main objective at the palace was to examine the Dragon Tablet, gifted by the Divine Dragon Volcanica and possessing miraculous prophetic powers, as well as the equally potent Dragon Blood.
He knew these two items would be strictly guarded. Crossing through as easily as he did in the morning would be impossible.
"I'll go take a look first. If I can't get in, I'll have to ask Ditto for help."
Aomori flashed out of the library, heading straight for the secret chamber housing the Dragon Blood and Dragon Tablet based on the intel he'd gathered. Upon reaching his destination and seeing the situation, he frowned. Aside from the patrolling guards, he sensed many unusual mana fluctuations in the room.
Going in unnoticed would be difficult. Forcing his way in wasn't his style, so he had to rely on wit. Generally, no one could enter except for the royal family and ministers with special clearance.
After pondering for a moment, Aomori's figure slowly vanished into the darkness.
…
"Waaa..."
In a magnificent bedchamber, a blond, red-eyed boy was rolling around on his bed. "What's going on? Why does my heart beat so fast every time I think of her?"
Still young, he didn't understand what this feeling represented. Fortunately, a helpful individual extended a rescue hand.
"Fourth Prince-sama, that is a sign of love. You've fallen for Crusch."
"Love? Is this what love is?" Fourier murmured.
In the many plays he had watched, love was an indispensable element. Fourier particularly liked a play called "The Sword Demon's Love Song." Although he didn't fully understand the emotions expressed, the act of never leaving one's side and walking together filled him with admiration.
Suddenly, he realized something was wrong and scrambled up to see who had entered his bedroom without an announcement.
"Eh, it's you!"
"Mm-hmm. What, not welcome?" Aomori sat in a chair carved with intricate patterns, speaking with a smile.
"It's not that you're unwelcome, but entering someone's bedroom so abruptly is very ungentlemanly," Fourier said, his face flushing. The most critical point was that his private mumblings had been overheard, exposing his hidden thoughts and leaving him deeply embarrassed.
"It couldn't be helped, because on a whim, I suddenly thought of how you can repay me."
"Oh? What is it?" Fourier asked curiously.
Aomori beamed and said bluntly, "I want to take a look at the Dragon Tablet and the Dragon Blood."
"The Dragon Tablet and Dragon Blood?" Fourier's expression changed instantly. "No!"
Every member of the royal family knew their importance to the kingdom by heart. Bringing a person of unknown identity like Aomori there was impossible.
"Don't worry, I just want to look. I won't touch them or damage them." Aomori held out his hands. "If you don't trust me, we can swear an oath."
"Why?" Fourier frowned. "Why do you suddenly want to see those two things?"
"First is curiosity, to see if they are truly that miraculous," Aomori said, resting his chin in his hand. "As for the second reason... it's to see if it was worth the kingdom discarding the glory of the Lion King to throw itself into the embrace of the Divine Dragon."
"!" Fourier's eyes widened. He couldn't help but recall his conversation with Crusch earlier; that beautiful and awe-inspiring girl also harbored a longing for the past glory of the Lion King.
"But for hundreds of years, haven't we overcome one crisis after another by relying on the Dragon's protection?"
"Mm, I don't deny that the alliance with the Divine Dragon is a beautiful and praiseworthy thing." Based on his observations over the past few days, Aomori stated his view: "However, that is merely an alliance, isn't it? The Dragon is not the master of the Kingdom of Lugunica; it shouldn't overshadow all the kingdom's past glory."
"Fourth Prince-sama, in the end, people can only rely on themselves, and the same goes for nations. Over-reliance on others is not a healthy sign."
Such a topic was too complex and heavy, leaving Fourier's head spinning. However, his intuition told him that Aomori was right.
"Alright, I admit you have a point." He fell into deep thought. He was no longer as adamant in his refusal of Aomori's request.
"If Your Highness agrees to my request, I can even teach you how to win Crusch's heart."
"Pur... Pursuing Crusch is something I couldn't possibly do through someone else's help!" Fourier shook his head with a red face. "Didn't you just say one shouldn't rely too much on others?"
"I'm just offering some suggestions, it's not that extreme. For example, how to make yourself more charming."
"Increase my charm?" Fourier looked at the elegant Aomori and didn't doubt his words for a second. "You must be very popular with girls."
"I'm alright. The girls who like me could probably form a line from here to the Imperial Capital."
"Heh." Fourier gave Aomori a look. After reconsidering, he said, "You promise you don't have any bad intentions?"
"I promise."
"Fine." Sensing Aomori's sincerity, Fourier eventually agreed. "But even for me, it is very difficult to get in there. You'd best not have too many expectations."
"On that point, I have great faith in your intelligence and wit, Prince-sama."
"Stop flattering me, I know I'm not especially smart." Fourier suddenly coughed twice. "So, in your opinion, how should I increase my charm?"
"Hmm." Aomori didn't let out a single laugh, speaking with absolute seriousness: "Crusch is clearly someone with a tough and competitive heart. Unlike ordinary girls, she prefers a partner who can fight by her side."
Fourier's eyes lit up. "Like the Sword Demon and the previous Sword Saint?"
"Exactly." Aomori nodded. "Therefore, possessing great strength is the shortcut to conquering her. Work hard to become stronger, Fourth Prince-sama!"
"Mm!" Fourier nodded heavily, but then slumped back down. "Compared to Crusch, my talent for swordsmanship isn't very outstanding." Earlier that day, he had been soundly beaten by Crusch.
"It's fine. I have some slight insight into swordsmanship. If you don't mind, I can provide some instruction."
"!"