The rest of the hunt went swimmingly.
August was able to keep his wits about him after the first incident. He really wasn't an overly aggressive person in the first place. Once he realized that his instincts were taking over, he was able to make sure it didn't happen again.
Wolves, Sun-Swallowing Pigs, and many other animals fell prey to August's hunt.
And to finish everything, he faced a tiger by himself, achieving victory almost as smoothly as he did when he fought the wolves.
In fact, he was even more fluid since he'd become more used to combat. That tiger didn't stand a single chance.
The training turned out to be too easy for August. The mental hurdle that Damien originally thought would be his greatest challenge was overcome near the start. The rest was really just a matter of him getting used to his own power.
August was still relatively innocent. He'd spared several enemies instead of making sure they died. In this way, he was completely different from his father.
It took Damien until recently to even consider showing mercy to his enemies. August, on the other hand, was a naturally born hero.
It made Damien smile.
He couldn't say he agreed with the ideology. He was not a heroic person. He was willing to sacrifice anyone and commit any evil if it meant the things he valued were protected.
That was not the mentality of a hero. That was just a common practitioner.
August wanted to save everyone. When he said he would only hunt when he needed to, he truly meant it. Enemies who'd surrendered were included in his mercy.
And, from what happened on Veridea Mountain, it seemed to work out.
The ones who were spared never came back. Maybe it was because they were nursing their wounds, but pack animals like the wolves he spared were bound to send their pack after him sooner or later.
Damien observed the entire mountain to make sure no outliers affected August's training, and he saw how those animals reacted to his son's kindness.
It was strange, unlike anything he'd experienced himself.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})'But maybe that's just the fundamental difference between us.'
Truly heroic people would be able to rouse those kinds of feelings in people. To make people change for the better, to convince them to acknowledge their mistakes and move forward…
If August could do that, he would lead Arulion to a future far better than the one it was currently scheduled for.
As such, despite the fact that he believed that all enemies needed to be killed before they became a problem, Damien didn't try to influence his son's thinking,
He just resumed August's training as usual.
"Dad, did you see me out there?"
When August came back, he was ecstatic. He jumped on Damien and talked incessantly as if his mouth had no off button.
"Of course I saw it," Damien responded happily.
"I was watching the whole time. You did amazing."
He really did. He showed Damien that he was a real dragon, and practically affirmed his decision to let August come face to face with danger despite his age.
'But if I end up having kids, I can't really use him as a baseline.'
That would be far too unfair to them, and there was no way in hell he would let his human child fight and kill at five years old. That was a privilege reserved exclusively for dragons.
Nevertheless, the two most important steps had been taken.
August had now built his foundation and was ready to kill. Everything that came next was just textbook.
He needed to increase his level and comprehend the Azure Dragon Manual at a higher level.
This period of training; it would be monotonous and taxing, boring at times yet incredibly rewarding.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})All August needed to do was stay strong and power through it.
As long as he did, when the remaining years passed and he went to participate in the heir wars…
Well, nothing more needed to be said.
Though, on the topic of the heir wars, it was about time, wasn't it?
'I guess I need to tell him about everything soon.'
Damien was wrong the first time, but he was confident now.
August's bloodline memories would awaken soon.
And with that, he'd be exposed to the gnarly truths behind his birth.
***
Five years really could pass in a flash.
But perhaps that was because it was only two months in the outside world.
Not much had changed in Arulion, though, the excitement surrounding the heir wars had spread further and enveloped the entire kingdom,
The common people wanted to see just as much as the nobility how their next leader was chosen. And, if that leader didn't match their expectations, naturally they weren't going to sit still.
Despite the policies of the current Arulion, these dragons had been living lives they'd learned to be satisfied with. It couldn't be allowed to get worse than this.
Nevertheless, as the time approached for the challenge to begin, more and more people lined up at the three locations that had been specified as testing centers for trial participants.
All of those without noble backgrounds who thought themselves talented enough to compete for the throne had rushed to those centers to test their qualifications, and, as expected, most of them went home in shambles.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})The level of talent necessary to participate was far higher than what a common dragon could have.
The current Dragon Emperor was quite insistent on adding a method for the common people to get involved and participate, but in reality, it was just a pretense.
The bar was too high. One or two people could make it through, sure, but none of them would make it that far in the actual heir wars.
Rather than a hand extended for peace, it served more as a way to show common people the gap between their geniuses and the noble geniuses.
Still, every testing center would always experience a few outliers, people who couldn't be judged by the same standards as others.
This year was particularly filled with them.
There had never been more than 4 commoners in the heir wars at a single time throughout the entirety of Arulion's history,
However, somehow, in these few remaining weeks before everything began, ten of them had shown up.
Ten geniuses beyond all others. People who, based on talent alone, could easily compete with the noble geniuses.
It was incredibly surprising for those who watched them be tested, but the true surprise hadn't even come close to arriving yet.
No, he was still within a time dilation, hidden away from the world.
But he would be out soon.
Years had passed for him, and his training had reached heights that he couldn't have imagined when he first began.
He was evolving into a new person, a person he quite liked, and…
About three years prior to this moment, they started to awaken; memories that presented him the history of his lineage.
Perhaps that was the moment his change became severe.
What went on in August's mind?
And how did he react to the tragic story of the Azure Dragon?
To find out what truly happened to him, one had to rewind to that time and see for oneself…
