Chapter 662: What is your full name?

"It is time for you to return to the real Nerathis, Hero."

"Huh?"

Kael tilted his head in confusion.

Ferrakar stared at him quietly for a moment,

"You have spent enough time in the forgotten corner, it is time you return."

"I still need time."

Kael shook his head.

"The Heights has only just settled down, the tribes have only just joined. The Alliance is still weak, the army is wounded, the people barely know how to communicate with each other."

He looked back toward the settlement, then, he tightened his hold on Vaelor.

"I wanted to strengthen the army, train them properly, build roads, shelters, schools, teach them magic, make them stand on their own before I return to the main world."

"You do not have that time."

Ferrakar shook his head, his eyes then looked past Kael, towards the settlement and—

"They are weak."

He spoke directly.

Kael narrowed his eyes at those words.

"To reach the level you want them to reach, they will need years, decades even."

The Dragon spoke and honestly, Kael knew that but...

"What am I supposed to do then?"

He asked.

"I do not have any other standing in Nerathis."

"Then gather allies."

Ferrakar advised.

"Allies?"

Kael frowned.

"Yes, allies who will give you the standing you desire, allies who already have a trained army and the necessary resources to grow further."

"I don’t want to tie myself to a kingdom."

Kael shook his head.

"I did not tell you to surrender to one.

I said gather allies, not masters."

The Dragon looked into Kael’s eyes and—

"There is a difference between standing beside someone and kneeling before them, learn it."

"I do know the difference."

Kael answered.

"But they will not work with me like you say, they need me to leave the Heights and join them, they need to put a leash on me, else they’d be too threatened by what I might become."

Kael wasn’t saying this out of the blue, he had experienced this.

Drakthar did it first.

The Sky Kingdom was no different either.

None of the other Kingdoms or powers offered to work with him either, every single one of them wanted one thing—

And that was for him to join them.

To them, he was a weapon, a resource that could strengthen their Kingdom’s standing, not a Hero who was supposed to protect the world.

Heh.

A Hero who was supposed to protect the World.

Kael laughed at that idea.

But then—

"That was before."

Ferrakar spoke up.

"Before what?"

Kael looked at him.

"Before you had me."

Ferrakar’s golden eyes shone brightly.

But the moment Ferrakar said that, Kael’s expression changed, Lavinia’s eyes changed a little as well. Even Vaelor, who had been quietly resting in Kael’s arms, raised his head and looked at Ferrakar.

Ferrakar slowly straightened his massive body, then, he looked down at Kael and—

"With me, you now stand as one of the strongest forces in this world."

Kael blinked at those words, Ferrakar only laughed.

"You may still be young, your army may be weak, your land may be broken, your people may need more time.

But none of that matters the way it did before."

Ferrakar’s gaze remained on Kael and—

"A kingdom may not bow to you, it may not even like you, but with me here, no kingdom will openly declare war against you and act on it.

Not now."

Kael narrowed his eyes at those words, understanding what they meant. The Steel Dragon did not stop either.

"The world is tense, the kingdoms are watching each other, their armies are already stretched, their rulers are already calculating. The last thing any of them want is for Guardian Beasts to become involved."

And as he said those words, Kael started to understand.

Guardian Beasts were not normal beasts, they were the final line.

The last threat.

The power a kingdom did not bring out unless it was ready to shake the entire world.

Just like the nuclear weapons back in his own world. Even a small country would suddenly have a voice if it managed to develop a nuclear weapon. Bigger nations might still look down on it, they might still hate it or try to pressure it.

But they would almost never attack it.

Because the last thing any of those countries wanted was to use the nuclear weapons.

Guardian Beasts were the same.

They were the ultimate weapons of Nerathis.

And now—

Kael had one standing behind him.

The thought made Kael’s heart beat faster.

"You understand now."

Ferrakar looked at him as if he could see the realisation forming in his mind.

And Kael’s eyes began to shine.

Before this, he was only a talented Hero with strange Bonds and a small land, he was dangerous, sure, but to Kingdoms, he was still a person they could pressure, a person they had no need to look at as an equal.

Now, however, things were different.

Now, he had the standing he wanted for so long.

"Be bolder, Kael."

That was when Ferrakar spoke up again.

Kael looked at him and the Steel Dragon’s voice turned firmer.

"Stop hiding in the corner of the world, waiting until your army becomes strong enough to face the world. That day will come, but not soon enough.

Until then, use what you have."

"And what do I have?"

Kael asked and as if he was waiting for him to ask that question—

Ferrakar answered.

"Your name.

Your title.

Your Bonds.

And..."

The Steel Dragon took a small pause and then—

"Me."

As the words settled in, Kael’s racing heartbeat began to calm down.

And Ferrakar spoke again.

"It is time you announce yourself to the world, Hero."

Lavinia’s expression changed at those words, Kael frowned as well.

"How do I do that?"

Ferrakar looked at him in silence for a few seconds, then he asked.

"What is your full name?"

"Kael Carter."

Kael answered instantly, Ferrakar however, shook his head.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"Carter is not a name of Nerathis."

Kael frowned and Ferrakar continued.

"It may be your name in the world you came from, and I will not take that from you. But to the rulers of Nerathis, it carries no weight. If you wish to stand before this world, then you need a name this world will understand."

Kael nodded at those words, then, he turned towards Lavinia.