Valerian, The Legendary

The young prince revealed a surprised expression and asked, “Hmm, you say your brother will rule it, but how? Wasn’t the eastern continent sealed off thirteen years ago?”

The lady snorted and said, “You do not need to know how he will do it. Just know that he will do it.”

Valerian nodded thoughtfully and said, “Then are you being kept here because the dragons wish to stop your brother?”

The lady opened her eyes wide to look at the young man and laughed loudly. Her eyes were brimming with mockery. She laughed loud and clear for Valerian to understand that this lady was looking down on the might of the dragons. He did not react or show any emotion on his face. He just waited for the lady to stop.

After a few minutes, she stopped cackling when the woman ran out of breath. She lay on the ground and panted to catch her breath. She regained her composure and said, “You are funny, kid. What did you say your name was again?”

Valerian looked at her but did not reply. He kept looking at her with a significant focus, and the lady was confused. She asked, “Are you asleep with your eyes open, or did you die?”

The young man asked, “Does your brother wear crimson armor, and his helmet only reveals his eyes to the onlookers? If I am not wrong, your brother, like you, also has crimson eyes. Right?”

The lady was surprised to find that someone knew about her brother, and she began to search her memory to see if she knew this boy.

.....

...

Fortuna stood on her four feet and said, “This shouldn’t have happened.”

Gale asked, “What do you mean, your majesty?”

Fortuna looked at the blue dragon and said, “During my trial to reach the river of time, Valerian helped me pass the three obstacles, and as a result, he got to visit the bank of the river. There he saw the scene when my mother was leaving the eastern continent, with his mother on her back. He saw a glimpse of the Tyrant, and that Tyrant charged at him. If I had been late, he could have fallen in the mysterious current of time.”

The people were confused. They did not expect something like this to be bought to light. However, Sophos was not only surprised, but his wisened eyes revealed a trace of worry. He said, “If Valerian found out that this woman is directly related to the misery of his parents, what would he do?”

Cupido flinched and said, “He will kill her directly, and he does not know that the last obstacle is not the limited strength but the grudges held in his heart. If he succumbs to the grievance, the partial soul will gain control of his body, and all his effort will be useless. Usually, such a person should be killed, but we can only tie him up until his life span ends. Otherwise, Her Majesty will...”

She did not dare to finish the sentence, but the meaning was obvious, dragons and humans were tied to each other once they formed a magical bond. If Valerian were to die, then Fortuna would die too. They could not kill the queen of their nation; it would be a sin that could not be repented.

Fortuna walked to the summit’s edge, and Sophos said, “Fortuna, do not make this mistake. Even if Valerian could pass the trial, your intervention would ruin it. Not only for him but for yourself and the legacy you fought so hard to succeed. Dracos always said that a wise leader should trust those around him.”

Fortuna kept gazing down and said, “Grandpa, he is not here. However, I never intended to intervene. Instead, I am thinking about how he will face the consequences of what he is about to do.”

This shocked the four of them; they all had a bad premonition.

...

The lady nodded and said, “Yes, that is how he looks on the battlefield. How do you know this?”

She was curious about this child now. Valerian asked, “What is his name? Everyone calls him The Tyrant of the east.”

This remark made the lady snort, saying, “The full name is Immortuos Tyrant. I did not give you my name yet, did I? I am Leana Tyrant.”

Valerian nodded slightly and asked in a hushed tone, “Your brother must hold you in exceptional regard, does he not?”

Leana chuckled and nodded. She said, “He loves me the most. Why do you ask?”

Leana seemed to be enjoying all the time she spent together with Valerian. After all, she was an influential figure and a princess of the human world. However, ever since she was captured, she had to spend her days on this path alone. She was only in this place, cold or hot, rain or drought. So, being accompanied by a young man keen on knowing about her was a chance she had almost given up on. She did not know how to explain, but this young man also gave her a sense of familiarity.

Valerian replied, “I am just interested. Of course, my siblings also dot upon me, but the status of the two people is different. After all, your brother is the ruler of an entire continent, so his means must be different, right?”

Leana smiled and said, “My brother loves me enough to kill someone for me.”

Valerian looked shocked and exclaimed, “That’s some true love.”

Leana nodded with pride in her eyes. Then, she said, “What is your story? How come a young kid like you climb this mountain?”

Valerian scratched the back of his head goofily and said, “Actually, one time, I wandered around in the forest and happened to come across a keel left by some old dragon. Then I inherited the magic and also a curse followed by that keel. My instructor in the imperial academy pleaded for a chance to heal myself with one of the guardians of the dragon clan, and so here I am.”

Leana nodded and said, “It all sounds quite impressive.”

Valerian looked shy and said, “I just realized that even if this mountain restricts mana, I can speak.”

Leana asked weirdly, “What does man have to do with the ability to speak?”

Valerian smiled and said, “Umm, I was born mute, but using this collar chain, I can speak, so I am surprised how it is all even working.”

The lady nodded and said, “The dragon god watches the mountain. His mana is always present. It will work if you have any artifact but not the mana in your body.”

The young prince asked, “Is that right? Do you have any artifacts too, Your Highness? Say any weapon or something?”

He acted like a little child who had just found his idol. Leana was not surprised or did not find it suspicious because, in her mind, the entire world was nothing compared to the glory of her family, so this young man from a royal family was worthy enough to follow her orders. She looked at Valerian and said, “I have only one artifact left, I had a few, but they were confiscated. This is the only one they have left with me.”

Valerian asked, “May I see? Please?”

The two people were sitting close enough to touch each other, thinking of Valerian as a dog. The lady patted his head gently and said, “Why not?”

She took out a small cube from under her waistband. Then she held it before Valerian and said, “Tapping either side of this cube will reveal an image imprinted inside by mana. This is called an image stone. It is rare on the three continents, but the southern continents sell it on streets.”

Valerian was surprised and asked, “How did you get it?”

Leana replied, “Divi got it for me from one of his travels.”

This word made Valerian shiver, but his eyes were calm, and Leana ignored his abnormality, thinking that the kid was under the effect of the wind. The young man had realized that Divi was a nickname for his father, Divinus Magnus. His doubt was genuine. This lady was related to the person who killed his parents.

Leana tapped on the cube’s side and formed an image in the void. Valerian recognized the face of the two people, and his pupils expanded in surprise. He asked, “Who are these two people?”

Leana reacted and said, “This man is Divi, and the other is ...”

Her expression changed when she looked at the lady in the image. Her eyes were brimming with hatred and jealousy. Valerian could sense this and narrowed his gaze. He said, “I apologize. You do not have to tell me if it is a sensitive issue.”

Leana shook her head and said, “What is so sensitive talking about a whore?”

The young man asked, “What did you say?”

...

Fortuna said, “She asked for this.”