Chapter 136 - The Dragon’s Neearance

  I discovered that Emperor Song, millennia ago, wasn't the only one obsessed with dragons. In my own ti, the Founding Emperor also dreamed of possessing one of these legendary creatures. Even in his time, dragons were already sidered distant myths, but that didn't stop him from tirelessly searg across the ti for a hatg or an egg. After all, it was known that only young magical creatures could be trolled. Ohey matured, they became untamable.

  The Founding Emperor, in his quest, eventually discovered the race of Asalon, the winged horses. It was through the power of a young Asalon that he mao build his empire. After all, imagirying to challenge an army of powerful mages mounted on something that could fly. There’s no way to defend a city with walls, as the army would e from above.

  What intrigued me was how he mao tame an Asalon. The answer y in the bond formed during the creature's youth. Somehow, the Emperor established a bond of friendship with the young Asalon, taming it and thus seg power over his kingdom and founding his own Empire.

  My discovery led me to uand that intelligent animals indeed form this type of bond with a person, creating a deep and nearly unbreakable e. After all, you bee family to that animal. This was how the royal family maintained trol over their tigers and monopolized the rare winged horses. Every Asalon foal born was raised by the royal family, ensuring that the bond was made while the creatures were still young.

  This revetion made me reflect deeply on Cyl. Despite her size, she is still just a hatg. Naturally, she won't obey them, as she's an intelligent being. The problem is that, as a hatg, she is weak pared to the power she will one day possess.

  Her firepower and healing abilities make her special, but also vulnerable. If the kingdom discovered her true nature, they might try to take her by force. She hasn’t yet reached her full potential, ae her strength, a powerful group of mages could pose a real threat to her.

  Not that I would let that happen...

  We sidered many sarios, predig what could happen if aried something against Cyl. After discussing all possibilities, we cluded that the best way to deal with the problem was to prevent it from happening. We offered Cyl the option to live in the Forbidden Forest, where she would be away fr eyes and, in theory, protected. But she refused the offer. With no other choice, we had to improvise a ir here at the castle, adapting it as Cyl grew and increasingly took on her bestial dragon form.

  She also told me that, as my wife... she would never abandon her husband. I still don’t know how to deal with this giant, affe-craving dragon who occasionally asks me to give her a kiss on the cheek...

  Even after living with Cyl for years, I still remember the fear in everyone’s eyes when they saw her plete transformation for the first time. It was at that moment that I had no choice but to reveal that I could uand what she was saying. Although the initial tension alpable, over time, everyone adjusted to this new reality. Routine was restored, but only my mother, Aunt Margie, and ao get close to Cyl when she was in her dragon form. To the others, she remained a threatening creature, even if familiar.

  “If Cyl says it’s okay, then I’ll have to trust her,” I said to my mother, trying to reassure her.

  She was visibly worried about what might happen. Cyl and my mother had grown closer over the years. In a way, they shared the responsibility of taking care of me, ea their oerhaps it was this bond that allowed my mother to be more at ease around Cyl, evehers still hesitated to trust her fully.

  While they share the task of taking care of me... I’m taking care of them.

  I chuckled to myself at the thought.

  "It's alright, Nathahem that I've stabilized my bestial form. With the barrier from the Iance process, I won't evolve further in form—maybe just in size," a familiar voice said.

  "Cyl?" I looked around, fused, searg for the phoenix, but I couldn't see her.

  "What is that? ellian?" Chloe excimed, pointing toward the shadows, which seemed to move with a strange restlessness.

  "ellian, what happeo you?" my aunt asked, her voice filled with a mix of curiosity and surprise.

  I moved toward where they were all looking. In the dim light, two small white glows shohey were eyes. Something small and nimble was slowly emerging from the shadows—a Moon Panther cub.

  "It 't be! Has elliaered the Iance period?" my mother asked, shocked.

  As I approached, the panther cub stared at me, its rge, gleaming eyes refleg the faint light of the room. But when it looked at the others, a flicker nition appeared in its gaze.

  "It's me, silly," the cub meowed, and I almost choked, immediately reizing the unmistakable voice.

  "Cyl?" I asked, stunned.

  The small gray panther, looking very much like a kitten, nodded calmly, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. Everyone around me looked at me, clearly expeg an expnation.

  "Is that really her?" Chloe asked, visibly fused.

  "How did this happen?" Aunt Margie inquired, croug o the small gray panther.

  My mother also stared at me before turning her gaze to Cyl, as if trying to process the ge.

  "I've gotteo her being a phoenix, theurns into a dragon, and now... a panther?" my mother ented, her eyes wide with surprise.

  The little gray paarted ughing, rolling onto her side with an almost childlike pyfulness.

  "Care to expin to them that I’ve mastered my Aspect of the Body from my Celestial Eyes?" Cyl asked sarcastically, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  "Expin, Nathan. Is this really her?" my aunt pressed.

  "She’s a legendary magical creature... so, yes, this is possible," I resporying to sound as casual as possible, though feeling the gravity of the situation. I khe expnation o make sense, as Cyl's transformation was anything but trivial.

  My mother, Aunt Margie, and Chloe exged gnces, processing the informatioually, they seemed to accept it, albeit hesitantly.

  "That makes sehey all said almost in unison.

  "But why did she turn into a panther cub and not a phoenix?" Chloe asked, her curiosity still not fully satisfied.

  "That would draw too much attention, wouldn’t it?" my aunt suggested cautiously. "Even though no one knows the true size a phoenix reach, its powers are still highly coveted."

  The little Moon Panther nodded, seeming tent with the expnation.

  "But a Moon Panther cub is still highly desired, known for being fierce assassins when they mature," my aunt added, her tone a mix of worry and caution.

  "Oops..." Cyl meowed, and the light sound made me smile, but I was the only one who uood the hidden meaning behind her ent.

  "But don’t worry, very few people know what a Moon Panther actually looks like. They’re so rare that many sider them extinct," my aunt reassured.

  "At least she’s not a magical bird that’s supposed to be extinct," my mother added, gently stroking Cyl's head, her fingers running affeately through the soft fur.

  With a swift movement, Cyl ran to my side, her small, light paws barely making any noise as they touched the floor.

  "I told you. I'm not going to abandon you at the academy... and I'll be keeping an eye on the human females..." she said, flexing her cws and fshing a mischievous grin. Even in her cub form, Cyl's fierd... jealous personality still shohrough with iy.

  "She's so cute," Chloe said, petting Cyl's head, clearly charmed by the creature's i appearance.

  Her menag nature really doesn't e across in this form...

  I turned my attention back to what truly mattered at the moment: getting my things anized.

  A life as a human, just being a student... I guess even I was a little excited about what I would experiehe closest thing I had to school in my previous life was the Agoge.

  Now, the Apsalon Academy represented something pletely different. The softer military regimen, formal education, and living alongside es and people from different cultures... All of this was new. It was a unique opportunity frowth and learning.

  I highly doubt they'll loyone in a cage with a hungry tiger at Apsalon, I thought, recalling my harsh training in the Agoge.

  At the academy, I would learn many things over the years, even though I had already received advanced magical training from my family and Professor Adrihna, along with the bat skills I had gained in my previous life. At the academy, I would be exposed to different cultures and people from entirely new backgrounds.

  It's a shame I'll be away from battles; I'll miss the a of pleting missions ba the duchy. I bet it'll be a normal, b routine...