Am really a Dragon!

My Hermit Master

Even after the open threat from Clover, the boy was still upright. The way he stood portrayed a hermit cut off from worldly matters... or a warrior not having a single thread of fear after invoking heavens' wrath.

This undoubtedly caused countless frowns.

"You!!" Clover's face reddened and her lips formed a pout giving her this childish charm that I never could ignore.

'This girl, maybe I had did pampered her.

'

"Queen Clover, I suggest we hear him out first. After all, it won't be late to decide his fate then. Boy, you blatantly confessed you can't bow to the throne, tell us the reason why? Speak wisely, know that your answer would decide your fate."

"I had sworn to bow to one, and only one man under the heavens. My Late Master—"

With my order, he shared with us a grand tale of his happy days and his fall from grace.

According to him; his father, the bastard Guido had left his mother who by that time had no idea she was pregnant ( No surprise there, Guido had always been the prick)

She later gave birth, but was forced out of her discounted house since her benefactor, the shameless Guido, never showed any interest in her after that.

With that, she and her newborn baby lived a poor, miserable life until he turned 12 before she got sick with a deadly disease. He boarded a ship when he was that old and transversed the sea in a look for a better life, but alas... He was met with countless misadventures and mishaps until his luck thinned out when he was 17, he partook in a fight that almost took his life, in his dying moment, he met his savior— a man that took him in and brought him up to his current level.

"He also taught me the complete manual of Body Refining and brought me up as his son. It was then that I took this oath"

“You...

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______ GYRFALCON ______

Relinquished in my own story I lost track of time as I kept my voice in a calm serene state.

My face exhibited numerous expressions from Hopelessness to anguish, to a blank look... and then to surprise. My words had somehow silenced the hall and even a needle drop could be heard. In essence, though, it felt like a true story to them all and as my emotions poured out, there wasn't any way to point out a fault in my story... And that is because it IS real.

It had happened when I was 8 years old; I mean 8 dragon years old which when compared to the human Realm, it'll be around 30. Yeah, I know.

To satisfy my curiosity then, I had snuck out from the castle and ordered my guards to go back, to which they were very much happy to comply. The story blurred and I became lost. What could propel such a case to transpire, well, I only remembered playing around and tasting delicacies from hot pots restaurants. Then I went to a festival and then tried up some clothes before bidding in an auction and trying to escape from my pursuers.

'Great days.'

It wasn't long before I noticed the place I had rode to was in another Province and although it had been under my Father's jurisdiction then, the governor had been by no means happy to receive a smelly brat with teary eyes and mucous filled nose claiming to be the Son of the Emperor. Devoid of any emotion, he took pleasure in watching me being thrown out of the castle gates, and downwards to the slums.

I knew hunger then,

I had turned from being bossy to promising the sellers they'll make it big when I get back home, and finally to begging for little coins.

And after 2 years, I had then turned to a lay lad of a sort. Every day I was found at the harbor lifting the luggage and posing as an entourage to the new tourists. I had meant my would-be Future mentor then, 'Glacier' by name. He was injured because of some battle and had wanted to spend his last days in a nice apartment. grasping this opportunity I stayed glued to him which he found somewhat funny. After we knew ourselves we both realize one thing about ourselves.

I had immediately felt an aura oozing from him that felt like a volcano just at the point of eruption, a feeling that I had never felt even from my father. 'A true Master!'

While my fluent speech and knowledge about higher powers and politics did tell him I wasn't the simple beggar everyone thought.

He offered me a place at his attic and we kicked off from there. From becoming neighbors to the irreverent C.E.O— Secretary bond... I'll fill him in on our daily expenses, I'll shop, and cook, after doing the chores.

Our neighbors joked that I could be called his Wife. I think I flipped out, I'm a Secretary!

Though both titles did almost the same things, like... CEO X Secretary I read for fun...

‘Damn, I digress’

It was after a while he called me,

"Rudeus, You running away from home wasn't a wrong thing entirely. Remember boy; to live you have to enjoy all that life brings... go out of your way to feel all. Happiness, Pain, Wrath, Euphoria, Satisfaction, and Greed. Don't shy away from life battles. Face it all with a carefree smile."

"But Master, most things are wrong, the same way restrictions have been placed on most things in the pretense of 'Principle' I can't shout In the streets or go out bare-chested... Too many laws, barely any freedom."

“Haha, That's why this Old Man is here to ‘show' you the way you have to follow, to be the greatest dragon of all time!”

“I don't want that though. I just want to eat all the peppered Bear Paw and chilly chicken anytime I want!”

“T-that too. This master would teach you how it's done!!

hehe, Isn't the answer right in front of you? The only way to shatter these chains is to be stronger than It. An ant cannot stop a carriage, When you grow stronger, even more so to stand on the same footing as the Strongest dragons... Then even the heavens won't be able to stop you from breaking through the ninth realm. Then you'll be able to eat braised pork and chicken when you want"

“With Bear Paws?”

“Yes, with Bear Paws”

"Master, I beseech You, teach me the Way of the Strongest!"

"*Cough Cough* Aiiya! If this old man had met you when he was healthy, maybe your potential would have been limitless, it's such a shame... Come, come. Today we sleep. Tomorrow... The training starts.

I vividly remember the conversation we had after I recounted my past one evening under the fire when we were roasting the fish we had caught.

For 300 years I had learned from him. We traveled through several kingdoms, fought several battles, and drank the best wine there is.

And that was how our strange Master- disciple bond was formed.

Just so you know, I regretted not taking the route any normal person would take... To get a freaking job, maybe as a secretary... aish, I digress, again.