"Tell me nephew, what do you know about the elder race?" Even though he is asking the question, there's a nonchalant air about Jasper as he examines the training dummy. He's not even looking at Rei when he says this, rather placing his hand on the back of the empty armor of the dummy as he begins to channel his mana into it. Rei watches with an ominous feeling as the magical glyph on its chestplate climbs from zero to seven. He subconsciously licks his dry lips before answering.
"When the world began the true Creator initially gave birth to four beings. The great and terrible Dragons of Nolara, said to be naturally gifted in all things magical with sturdy bodies made from the most precious minerals of the earth."
Jasper nods, stepping back to appreciate his own handywork. The empty suit of armor went from a modest fixture to an imposing being, with a threatening aura of blue mana seeping through the gaps.
"The Elves of Nedall born with an innate connection to the world tree, their impeccable memory capable of recording time throughout their long lives, making them the source of all knowledge." The soulless suit holds its broadsword pointed upward at its center as though performing a knight's pledge. Just looking at it is enough to make a chill run down his spine.
"Dwarves crafted from living stone said to dwell in the mountains of Brekka, capable of forging anything with their dexterous hands. And finally, the violent giants on the Southwest continent of Durath, capable of eating a grown man in one gulp." There is no warning when the empty suit of armor dashes right at him with lightning speed.
Clang!
Their swords meet with a sharp screech of iron. Rei feels his arms protest at the heavy pressure bearing down on them. Gritting his teeth, he thrust forward, smacking aside the empty knight's sword. He doesn't even get a moment to breathe before the heavy sword is back for his throat, making him bend his back to avoid being beheaded. Without adjusting his odd position, he kicks out his leg, aiming for the armor's shin. His opponent is forced to stumble backwards, giving him a chance to unleash a sword art of pure light magic.
"Good, good, you certainly learned it all well. Those are indeed the beings we call the elder race, gifted beyond measure with absurd amounts of mana and longer lifespans that exceed those of other races. They are the True Creator's first creations, later followed by humans, merfolk, and beastmen. This is common knowledge that most know." Jasper watches the bout from the sidelines with a blade of grass between his sharp teeth. He doesn't look alarmed by the aggressive way the suit of armor keeps attacking his nephew. In fact, he looks rather bored as he watches the two trade lethal strikes back and forth.
"What people don't know is that to punish the elder race for their rebellion in the battle of the gods, where they sided with outer beings to challenge the true Creator, they were stripped of their ability to freely reproduce."
[Haste] without remorse, Jasper casts support magic to aid the hounding suit of armor.
"Hey!" Rei ducks to the ground as his opponent uses a powerful sword skill, sending a sweeping strike filled with mana past him like a lethal breeze. The strike was strong enough to leave a deep gash on the ground behind him. Breathing rapidly, he uses his twin swords to pry away his opponent's sword before it could fully be retracted.
"To offset the many blessings bestowed upon the elder race, the true Creator placed certain limitations. The great and terrible dragons can only bear children through one mate. They can entertain others but, in the end, only this one being can bear their child." The lecture continues without missing a step.
[Strengthen]
His evil uncle once again casts support magic on the already towering suit of armor. Rei watches in horror as it expands in size, doped up on Jasper's mana.
"That's terrible…huff…what if the other dragon is barren, or dies before they have a chance to meet?" Rei is puzzled why his uncle is bringing up this topic but it's fascinating to learn a secret not commonly known to others. Tightening his grip on his twin blades, he performs a sword dance, unleashing countless blades of light for 5 seconds. They ram into the suit, causing several deep gashes to form on its surface.
"Why do you assume the other must always be another dragon?" To this Jasper gives him an odd look, his red eyes becoming amused by his nephew's simple-minded assumption.
"If not another dragon, how can they bear offspring?" isn't it common for beasts to mate within their race.
"A dragon's mate is not limited to their race nephew. As beings blessed with nearly an infinite supply of mana, dragons are capable of creating an artificial mana womb in anyone. Do you understand now why the true Creator chose to limit their reproductive ability to a single individual?"
…
Rei is stunned by the news but can't even process it before a sword strike nearly severs his arm. Dodging to the side, he kicks off the ground and charges straight for the armored suit, landing several slashes as he breezes by at the speed of light. Looking back, he feels satisfied to see his enemy sustain heavy injuries from that last skill.
[Heal]
Rei feels his blood boil as he watches all his hard work come undone by Jasper's magic yet again. He almost flings one of his swords at his treacherous uncle, but he knows this would only leave him without a weapon and weaken his defense.
"You!"
Jasper doesn't pay much attention to his outburst, continuing his lecture without batting an eye. "Otherwise, what would stop them from impregnating hundreds to create an army like they did during the dark times in the battle of the gods. Believe it or not, before the battle of the gods, it was a common thing to spot a dragon in the sky everywhere. They were the rulers of the skies, unlike today where they are hardly seen."
"And the elves, what was their punishment?" Growing up in a city full of dark elves, Rei can't help but wonder about this. He desperately rolls to the side to avoid being split in half, feeling the earth shake from the sword's impact.
Jasper chuckles, it's as though his mood is picking up with the prolonged torture. "The lifespan of elves became intricately tied to the world tree, if it dies so do they, if it lives on so do they. They are unable to get pregnant without its fruits. This is why they guard it so vehemently, willing to kill any foreigner that gets close to it."
Rei frowns, brushing off beads of sweat from his forehead. "But the world tree of Rahnoff is just a sapling. It has no fruits yet the dark elves here give birth just fine?"
Jasper nods, "That's right, they were blessed to have a crazy ancestor daring enough to challenge fate to improve the lives of his people, risking his very soul to do it. The young world tree you see in the forest today came after Rahnoff was already established. This mad ancestor of the Garrod family managed to break the link between this branch of dark elves and the true World Tree. Truly a remarkable genius of life magic, the world may never see another like him ever again."
"Then he managed to break the True Creator's curse then!" The mere thought of such a thing is unimaginable. Gathering his depleting mana for one final counter, Rei takes a chance, luring in the enemy before spinning in place with his twin blades scoring the ground. The gouged circle fills with mana, slicing the unsuspecting suit of armor within its circumference from the ground up.
"Of course not, don't be naïve." Yet his uncle ruthlessly dashes his hope.
[Heal]
Out of breath, Rei watches in trepidation as the severed parts of the suit mend back together.
'This is going to be a long day' he thinks, realizing that his uncle just might kill him before his father ever does.
Jasper nonchalantly claps his hand, triggering the haunted armor to attack him once more. "They may not need the fruits of the world tree to give birth but that doesn't mean their low birthrate improved. The numbers are still unbelievably low compared to that of humans and beastmen."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Exhausted, he wonders if his uncle is only trying to make him aware of the situation so he's not disappointed in the future if Ariellia is unable to bear him a child. Perhaps it's because of the spring dream this morning. It's entirely unnecessary, Rei isn't the type to badger his wife due to a lack of children in their marriage. They're still young with many years ahead of them, however Jasper's reply completely stuns him.
"Because you're the only lucky fool that I know who is actively trying to divorce his own mate." Rei feels his heart leap to his throat as the armored knight's blade stops inches from his neck. Jasper's red slitted serpentine gaze scorches his very soul.