In the farthest eastern corner of the Cordiana continent, lies the ancient and powerful empire of Salverdine. It is here that an ancient dragon has stood guard since the empire's founding. Dragons, the rarest of all ancient beings, command magic with unparalleled wisdom. These celestial creatures maintain the very laws, order, and integrity upon which the foundation of the world is built.
From the empire's first leader to the current emperor, all rulers have been blessed by Sraverjek, the ancient dragon, whose blessing enhances their cultivation by purging impurities from their core. This gift has helped maintain the empire's dominance through the ages.Emperor Cobard, now in his mid thirties, has reached the rank of Grandmaster, making him one of the greatest warriors the empire has known. Yet, beneath his outward strength, a silent suffering gnaws at him,one only known to the Emperor and Empress Solinine. The root of his torment is his queen's infertility. Despite desperate attempts, seeking aid from dragons, the church, powerful mages, and even otherworldly beings, no solution has been found.
As the usual habit of emperor , Cobard set out on a hunt with his usual escort and a select group of soldiers into the backwoods where monsters roam wild. When the hunt was finished, he returned to camp. It was late into the night; the camp was quiet, with only a few soldiers on guard while the rest slept soundly. Yet, plagued by anxious thoughts, the emperor left his bed and stepped out of his tent.
"I'll take a short walk. Stay alert, but everyone else should rest for now," Cobard ordered.
One young soldier, Conard, spoke up, his voice laced with concern. "Your Majesty, please... return safely."
Cobard, ever confident in his abilities, nodded reassuringly, believing that he could protect himself in any situation. The forest around them was dense, with towering trees that blocked out most of the moonlight. As he ventured farther from the camp, Cobard encountered several monsters, their guttural growls breaking the stillness of the night. He fought them off with quick, practiced strokes of his sword, continuing deeper into the forest.
The further he went, the more an eerie, otherworldly aura began to press against him. His senses, honed by countless battles, flared in warning, but he couldn't locate the source. It was as though something had deliberately concealed its presence, only to reveal it now. The air seemed to thicken as Cobard tightened his grip on his sword and moved cautiously toward the source of the strange sensation.
"Something feels... wrong," he muttered under his breath. "It's as if it's luring me in, but why?"
Pushing forward, he soon came upon a clearing. In the center, suspended five feet above the ground, was an infant, its tiny form floating in the air. The child's skin was pale, and his white hair gleamed faintly in the moonlight, strikingly similar to the king's and his queen's. A sense of suffocation gripped the air, and time itself seemed to halt. Birds froze mid flight, the rustling of the trees ceased, and the leaves remained motionless.
Though the child's eyes were closed, Cobard could see the haunting abyss of their color,a black so deep it seemed to pull at his very soul, with golden pupils that gleamed as if peering straight into the core of his being. For a moment, the oppressive aura around the child seemed to intensify, making it nearly impossible for Cobard to breathe.
Then, as if acknowledging his presence, the weight of the atmosphere suddenly lifted, and time resumed. The birds continued their flight, and the wind began to stir the leaves once again.
Cobard exhaled, his heart pounding in his chest. "It's almost as if it waited for me..." He paused, eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Could it be... the divine blessing of the Lord himself?"
Overcome with a strange sense of elation, he moved quickly, wrapping the infant in his cloak. The child's presence seemed to hold some profound significance , he could feel it deep within his bones. With a sense of urgency, Cobard turned and hurried back toward the camp.
"Everyone, wake up! We're returning to the empire this instant!" His voice rang out with commanding force, though he tempered the volume, ensuring it did not startle the men. The roar of his voice, typically reserved for the battlefield, was still enough to stir the soldiers from their sleep.
"Why the sudden departure, Your Majesty? Did we face an ambush?" one soldier asked, his tone laced with concern.
"Who would dare ambush us in our own territory?" Cobard retorted sharply, though his mind was still on the infant. "Get moving."
The soldiers, though surprised, quickly fell in line. Their formation tightened as they set off, and soon the towering silhouette of Salverdine's castle loomed on the horizon , its ancient stone walls a testament to the empire's might, untouched by invaders for thousands of years.