An Ortiz's Path

I had entered the academy.

The process wasn't hard.

There were paperwork and the likes but the testing was done immediately.

They let me did the basic prana control to test whether I was allowed.

Meris's teaching came in handy as I manage to do the basics.

After entering the Academy the Headmaster of the school asked me to come to his office.

Weaving through the crowd of students, down the halls, and to the staircase leading to said office.

The Headmaster was a Wiseman knocking on the HEROIC status.

"Welcome, welcome, Archduke of Ortiz."

I flinched. I already somewhat knew that there was no way that I could hide my true name from these people. I entered the room while not bringing the confidence and pride of Ortiz. The Headmaster observed me with a diligent eye, measuring me for every second that I was in.

"I heard rumors of your…affliction."

"I had a broken heart," I told the Wiseman. "Let's not talk about it, Good Sir."

"Yes, it would be boorish of me to talk about the past. If a man cannot be forgiven and allowed to start again. Then we must abandon the concept of learning as well."

I nodded. "I came here to learn. To manage and control the prana that I have."

"Yes, I am aware," his eyes gave a supernatural glow. "Your level of prana is in a constant third layer. Something is siphoning your prana, perpetually refining your body as well. A strange affliction that you have, an exchange to retain this perfect form of yours."

"I wouldn't call it perfect," I said to him. But it goes to say that it does maintain my body to a peak level of physical performance."

"Which astonishes me, but let me ask, Archduke."

"Just call me a Student, Sir."

"As you wish, Student Kiran, was it," his smile was playful. Like a man amused at my game of pretend. It wasn't an exaggeration that he must find this small detail entertaining. "Why do you intend to hide that you are knocking on the sixth level of martial power? A few more push, and you continue."

"It was an exchange, Wiseman. An exchange to sustain the power that I am cultivating inside me. I must offer my prana to the essence that I had implanted in myself. I'm sure that the Wiseman could see it?"

"Hmm, I would have said yes to save face, but I cannot. Even if I do want to ask, Student Kiran. Would you answer my inquiry?"

"No, I will not."

"Then keep your secrets," he said. "We do not dwell on secrets nor do we have so much interest in the methods of others. Your path is a deviation of the normal, and your learning of prana control is a curious one. Of course, I am not here to just inquire. Micah, your trusted aide had said that he shall only allow the document to be signed when you are here."

I looked at the piece of paper. It was the documentation that insisted that the Archduchy would give a suitable donation to the Academy in exchange for my privacy. I was attending with a fake name. Even though there are no rules against it, it was better to be 'generous' to the Academy so that no mouths are loose when it comes to revealing who I am. No to mention that there are also problems like my previous dealings.

I signed the document after reading the clauses. The Wiseman prepared a tool on the side that revealed the paper. I also chanted the familiar chant that is used when signing said contracts to avoid getting tangled with a magic contract. After finishing signing, I sat back down and was given an orientation where was my room, who my teachers are going to be, and my duties to the Academy.

I could attend the public lectures. Most of my schedules were rather loose. I even started to think that their teaching policy was rather limited. But I would be a fool to believe that it isn't part of the assessment. Those who came to this Academy have their reasons to do so. And most of those reasons are to be part of a Kingdom, form connections, and better themselves. Only a fool would think they would set up these loose policies unintentionally.

Students that got here had a hard time passing their exams. I had help from Meris in passing, but does that mean that I would just laze around when it comes to my training? They have the facilities, the mentors, and others who might be experiencing the same troubles as me.

I would call this policy nefarious since it leads to the temptation of your determination and will to better yourself. They are purposely giving you a path to the slack off, make yourself look terrible, and be a waste of space. If I hadn't heard rumors, tales, and prior experience from my brother and those who had studied in this Academy. I might have fallen for this trap.

My discussion with Wiseman naturally was going to end when he brought up the appearance of the red dragon on the borders of the Kingdom. "Have you seen it?" the Wiseman asked. I told him what happened when we entered Bilbao. How the Red Dragon just appeared and went straight to the mountains up north. The Wiseman said, "I was told that such dragon had appeared, and from the looks of it. It was a newborn dragon, the same species that appeared years ago."

I know that. I couldn't forget that familiar form. His eyes locked on mine. "Are you going to go after it, Archduke Hadeon Ortiz?" he asked me dully, but there was sureness in his voice.

"Naturally, I am," I said to him. Even f I lied he would have seen through me. It was easy to tell. I could even feel my face smiling while feeling the wrath.

A red dragon was nothing more than a blight to mankind. Although I had promised to truly change, the hatred, the pain, and anger that I have against this species did not leave for any argument. It was the one thing that I would not compromise on, and if I was given chance, then I would join a party willing to hunt it down.

#

I went out of the Headmaster's room. I carried my luggage to the dormitory.

I was about to enter the dormitory when my eyes spied a commotion. Students were somewhat eager to look at the direction. I was rather half-curious, but I continued to my dormitory room. My place was located on the third floor of the dormitory building. I entered my room. I had a bed, a study desk, and this tiny area where I can take a bath. The center of the room had this wood-like texture, and an oblong rug was placed.

The dormitories of the Academy were lavished. I do think that the rest of the dormitories aren't as grand as this, but my room had this fresh and cleaned air on it. I placed my luggage down on the bed. Ever since getting my body like this, I barely feel any discomfort that I had thought would remain on me. I do not sweat as much. I have better control of my cravings and even the essence of the Wraith was holding my libido back pretty well. Of course, although I do find myself craving for the activities, I choose to throw the thought to the side, afraid that it will cover me wholly. I was not craving for it as much as before, but I was afraid that I would just give up on what I had built up so far and stomp on my progress.

My thoughts went to the red dragon. I had thought of what I would do if I ever find a red dragon. If I am right then this red dragon would be burning the north of the lands here as well. I only heard a full report after three months that it had happened, and only a survivor remained. This red dragon would become a monster, it was in a state where it needed to vent its growing ails and to do that, it had to start its killing spree. The red dragons are rather gluttonous. It would devour every living creature that could cure its hunger. From gigantic monsters to even the smallest creature. It will not hesitate to feed on anything that could satiate its hunger.

As much as I like to travel to the north uplands to get this dragon. I was lacking in my control of prana and I needed more than my wraith's essence. With that in my mind, I started writing a letter to be sent to Micah. I reached out for my pen and paper. I penned to Micah that I would need the equipment in the armory. The cloak of elementals, the mithril armor, and the black iron shield. I must have it delivered to me as soon as possible, so I immediately went out of my room, looked out for a post office, and sent the letter while paying the appropriate coins for the service.

Walking out of the post office, I stepped out to the sandpit where students were gathering. I stared at their backs, wondering if I should continue on my training of the sword with my sacred sword. I didn't think of myself as a master of a sword because it belonged to the wraith. Perhaps, it had become mine, and I thought that I wouldn't be so greedy. Nonetheless, although I have my reservations about using the power of wraith's essence to do what I think is selfish. I couldn't control myself when it comes to dealing with this red dragon.

The red dragon changes everything. It was the same species and the creature that had taken my family from me. I know that my brothers and my father had killed the red dragon. But if this red dragon was a spawn of that dragon, then it was needed to be destroyed wholly. I was willing to change. I do want to change for the better. But the red dragon was something that my soul could not tolerate if it existed, I am fine trying to accept my inadequacies, and perhaps I am now blinded with rage, but I was willing to slay the red dragon if I have to.

I could not forgive their very existence. I could not allow a world that something like that exists.

My family had always been the guardians of the realm when it comes to the red dragon. Although I have shamed myself, and that there is a huge chance that I would die in the process of taking this red dragon down. I still had to do it. Even if I die, then at least, let it be known that Hadeon Ortiz died trying to take down the goddamn dragon.

I know what that dragon would become. It would threaten the Empire, the Kingdoms, and even those who I hold dear if I remember correctly. If I do leave this dragon alone, and the future where Carwyn would have to face the dragon, leading to her determination in getting more power, then I would have no choice but to do this. Even in the very future, the dragon would not be taken care of, and all because it had eaten something in the northern uplands that changed the blood and physique of the dragon, turning into a being that could channel magic.

My mind became single-minded as I think more of the red dragon. The obsession that was burning my insides seems to swallow me whole. I tried to calm myself down, thinking of goodness, but the more I try to erase thoughts of the red dragon from my mind, the more I became determined to destroy it.