Chapter 5 - Brains, Muscles and Wyvern

In the four years since I arrived in this new world, I hadn't set foot outside the palace. My days were nothing but training. Endless, grueling and painful training. What started with an hour became two, then three, until my small body was enduring six hours a day under my father's iron-like routine. Horse stance. Lifting and throwing rocks. Running through the palace halls until my legs felt like they were made of ice. Then dodging arrows, as if my life depended on it. Some days, it felt like it did. 

And all of this? It was because of the awakening. It seems like every offspring had to be trained and ready to survive this ritual.

Hell, I should have paid more attention when reading the damn novel. But no, I had to be the idiot who skimmed through, searching for fight scenes and romance. Fuck. If only I had bothered to read the parts that explained what the awakening process actually was, I wouldn't be so afraid.

But for all the hell my father put me through, there was one place in the palace that felt like a refuge. The palace's library. A place of peace, far away from the sound of arrows slicing through the air and my father's sergeant-like voice booming orders.

"Mother!" I called out, spotting the familiar red-haired figure sitting in her usual spot by the large arched window. She was engrossed in a thick book, her posture calm and regal. But the moment she heard my voice, her obsidian eyes softened, turning toward me with warmth. 

A warmth that spread through my chest. I was getting used to this life, slowly accepting it for what it was, slowly forgetting all about my previous life.

"Christian," she said, her voice soft but filled with warmth. She closed the book in her lap and smiled, though there was still a touch of melancholy at the edges. It never fully left her, that sadness of losing a son.

I walked toward her, but before I could reach her, my father, who had been standing beside me, let out a low growl. "I am also here!" He patted at his chest, puffing it out like a child demanding attention, not a shred of a king's aura present there.

Mother chuckled, covering her lips with her hand - "Yes, darling, it's hard to miss you."- Her eyes sparkled with happiness "Anyway, did my lovely and brilliant Christian finish his training?" 

I nodded, casting a quick side glance at my father. Haha. This was my victory. I tried to excel as much as I could while studying under my mother, anything to buy more time away from the endless drills of training. 

Hell, I'd studied hard back on Earth just to land a good job, so studying here was a extremely easy in comparison. My mother even praised me and it got me more time in the library. An easy job. My plan worked.

"He still has a long way to go," my father grumbled, but there was a rare glint of pride in his eyes as he reached out to ruffle my hair. I tried to push his hand away, but his smirk only widened. "He's developing fast, tough. Maybe he will even beat my record and be the youngest to awaken in Aestum history. I didn't expect any less from my son!" - He patted his chest again, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Come on, Dad.

"I didn't expect anything less from my son! He got my brain and your muscles, darling!" My mother rose gracefully from her seat, the book in her hand hovering in the air for a moment before floating across the room. It flew around the countless bookshelves filling the Palace Library, finding its place into its rightful place.

A mage?

That's right and not a common one. My mother was an Archmage, one of the strongest mages in the world, and there were only fifty of them among the human race. Sometimes I still couldn't wrap my head around it. And as for my father? I still couldn't understand how he managed to hit on her. I mean, seriously. How does a guy like him get someone like her? You could have done better, mother.

"Shall we continue with the World Tree?" - My mother asked, her voice smooth and calm, as she waved her hand. Instantly, a small desk and chair appeared out of thin air, settling in front of me. A thick, ancient-looking book floated from a far away shelf and landed softly on the desk, its pages fluttering open as if it had a mind of its own.

Then, I entered the world of knowledge, absorbing as much knowledge as I could in order to get away from that torture-like training. My future, yeah, my future, depended on it. I had no intention of becoming some hands-on, sweat-covering emperor. No, no, I was going for a real royal life. 

Leon, King of Aestum, stood awkwardly at the edge of the room, watching as his wife and son disappeared into the world of books and knowledge. He didn't get it. How could anyone enjoy sitting still and reading for hours? It felt like torture to him. He preferred leaving heavy thinking, whether it was managing the empire or dealing with other kingdoms, to Isabel. She was the brain and he was the muscles, the spear used to pierce through enemies.

"Should I go hunt a wyvern?" Leon muttered to himself, glancing at the countless shelves of books he would never touch. "I think someone mentioned spotting one near the capital."

He briefly glanced at the duo. They were glued to their books like they held the secrets to beat the Gods - "Yeah, wyvern meat," Leon mused, nodding to himself. "That should help him develop his bones and muscles."

And with that, the king with a serious case of ADHD ran out of the room, grinning like a kid. A fiery red aura flared around him as he shot out of the palace like a comet, ready to prepare dinner.