Chapter 16: A Transformation Bracelet?!

“So… how did you convince your mother to let you attend a human academy?”

From Rein’s Mage Tower to Cantreia University in the imperial capital, taking a carriage — not including rest stops — would still take at least four or five days.

Fortunately, the carriage’s destination was not directly the capital, but instead a developed secondary city closer by, which would only take about one or two days to reach.

Once they arrived there, a faster and more convenient mode of transportation would be available.

From there to the capital would take less than a day.

Rein looked at Sal, who had already taken off his cloak and now appeared completely like a golden-haired beautiful boy, and spoke casually.

But in truth, Rein had already asked indirectly many times before.

Each time, Sal either stayed silent or deflected the topic entirely.

This was Rein’s first time asking directly.

He genuinely wanted to know how Sal persuaded his mother — that golden pureblood dragon — to allow him to leave.

Wasn’t this the same as letting your daughter move out with some blond-haired guy to go rent an apartment together?!

Sal’s answer was:

“I just told her directly.” He said this as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “I told her I wanted to go to that… that Cant—”

“Cantreia Academy of Magic.”

“Oh, right! Cantreia Academy of Magic.”

Sal lightly punched his right fist into his left palm, as if to say “Ah, so that’s what it was called,” and continued speaking.

“I just told Mother I wanted to go there to learn more magic, and she agreed.”

“Just like that? She didn’t say anything more?”

“She told me to maintain my transformation magic properly and absolutely not return to dragon form in the middle of human crowds. Otherwise, there’s no way to explain that.”

Sal crossed his arms and looked out the carriage window.

“There are still quite a few mixed-blood dragons with strong bloodlines who can partially transform. So as long as I’m not seen by an expert in that field, I’ll be safe enough.”

What Sal said was true… because pureblood dragons were extinct, any scholars studying dragons now focused on mixed-blood dragons.

Not because they didn’t want to study purebloods, but because the cost and time investment was simply too great.

In the current academic world, results mattered far more than contribution to humanity or the continent.

A mediocre research result in a popular field could be completed in one or two years — and that alone was enough to get recognition.

Meanwhile, research in an untouched, groundbreaking field could take ten or twenty years — and might still be rejected by other scholars.

Even if that research could potentially push the empire forward — scholars now prefer easy achievements.

In short: modern scholars stay in their comfort zones. Quantity over quality.

So… can such scholars even still be called— (Siren noises)

Cough, back on topic.

After hearing Sal’s explanation, Rein more or less understood why the Dragon Mother agreed to let him leave.

Perhaps she realized that no matter how well she protected him now, a day would come when she was no longer there.

When that time came, Sal would inevitably face humans. Better he adapt now, while she was still alive to support him.

…

And it truly happened this way.

At first, upon hearing Sal’s request, the Dragon Mother was furious.

So furious that she almost locked Sal in the basement — and even considered firing a long-range dragonfire blast at Rein’s Mage Tower based on the address found in Sal’s human clothes.

But Sal managed to perfectly repeat the reasoning Rein had predicted — and it convinced her.

Indeed, she could not care for Sal forever.
He needed his own life and independence.

Understanding human society from books alone would never be enough — he needed to experience it himself.

The Dragon Mother’s mission for Sal was for him to become female in the future and preserve the pureblood line.
Because she no longer believed pureblood females still existed.

Some looked like female dragons, but in truth… Yuyan was a perfect example.

Those dragons had already been polluted by humans.
Even if Sal became a pureblood male and made a family with them, the offspring would not be pureblood.

Not to mention—

They might… not even be fertile anymore. (quietly)

So, the Dragon Mother hoped Sal would eventually shift into a female form, and either:

1. Travel the world and seek another pureblood male to reproduce with.
2. Or, if that failed, find a strong human with powerful magic or physical strength, fall in love, and — over decades — maybe produce a pureblood child.

This second path was the reason she allowed Sal to study among humans.

Let him get used to human society early. If real danger arose, her blood-sense would alert her instantly.

The Dragon Mother truly thought everything through.

Everything — except the man taking her baby to Cantreia.

That accursed human mage.

“Actually, if you want to hide your identity, it doesn’t need to be that troublesome.”

As Rein said this, he took out a silver bracelet with a red gemstone embedded in it.

The gem was about the size of Sal’s thumbnail — pure and clear.

The bracelet fit Sal’s wrist perfectly, as if Rein had measured him beforehand.

“This is a magic-suppressing artifact that stores your draconic magic. Wear it, and the magic you would use for dragon transformation will be stored, helping your disguise.”

“When you need it, you can release all the stored magic at once using a special incantation.”

“Incantation?” Sal accepted the bracelet, curious. “What incantation? Let me hear it.”

“Then listen carefully. Ahem.” Rein cleared his throat, clearly preparing something dramatic.

Then—

Rein: “O wicked spirit born from the abyss of heaven’s fall, heed my—”

“?”

“May the sacred lightning adorning the pure maiden’s supple skin—”

“Take your stupid bracelet and get as far away from me as possible!!!”

The next second, the bracelet was forcefully thrown at Rein’s red, suffocatingly embarrassed face.