Chapter 187: Sovereign vs Hatchling

"Do you truly believe it is that simple, Albert?"

Amelia fixed her eyes on him, her tone calm, yet the undeniable gravity behind her words caused Albert’s confident smile to falter slightly.

"I am not embarking on an easy journey, nor am I angry with you for overhearing something you shouldn’t have—so there is no need to apologize. However..."

She paused briefly, selecting her words with deliberate care before continuing:

"I do not require your protection."

Though Amelia attempted to soften her delivery to avoid crushing the spirit of a young boy merely eager to repay a debt, she was hardly foolish enough to drag a child into a domain whose extreme lethality she herself feared.

This was no leisurely stroll.

She was venturing to the Tower of the Absolute Star—an unmapped territory whose structural and ecological shifts since her past life remained entirely unknown.

The monsters inhabiting those sectors could have mutated. Entirely new apex strains might have emerged. Ancient beasts could have grown exponentially stronger.

Or—a possibility she refused to entertain lightly—a new Monster King or War Hero might have been birthed, capable of upending the power balance of the entire region.

Even with full confidence in her realm-spanning knowledge, Amelia lacked the luxury of underestimating threat vectors.

As for Albert...

He was merely a child sitting at the second tier of the One-Star Realm. Permitting him to tag along defied every principle of tactical logic.

Yet Albert did not shrink back.

On the contrary, he clenched his fists against his chest and met her gaze with eyes blazing with absolute resolve.

"Do not worry..." he asserted, his voice taking on a sharper, far more serious edge. "At the very least, allow me to settle a fraction of the heavy debt I owe you, Lady Amelia."

Taking a small step forward, he added, "Just allow me to accompany you, and I will prove to you that I am no burden."

Amelia stared at him for several seconds.

He was dead serious—and that was precisely what made the situation so thoroughly irritating.

She could simply refuse him. That was the path of least resistance.

Yet upon further reflection, a blunt rejection felt unnecessarily cruel to a young boy striving so earnestly to prove his worth. Albert wasn’t driven by idle curiosity or a childish desire for adventure; he was driven by a profound sense of obligation, desperate to demonstrate that he could carry his own weight.

This is going to be harsh... Amelia muttered internally, letting out a weary sigh.

She brought her hand to her chin, pondering her options.

If she told him he was unnecessary, he would persist. If she warned him of the danger, he would likely treat it as a challenge to prove his bravery. If she commanded him to stay, he would exhaust every avenue to prove he wasn’t weak.

The young dragon was simply too stubborn to back down.

She needed an alternative approach—a strategy that would compel him to concede on his own accord.

Suddenly, an idea materialized.

Amelia looked up, meeting his eyes. "Very well."

Albert’s eyes widened. "What?"

Amelia replied with complete tranquility, "How about we spar right now?"

Silence descended upon the room.

Albert blinked, utterly thrown off by the unexpected proposal.

Amelia pressed on as though suggesting something entirely routine: "If you manage to defeat me by any means necessary, I will allow you to accompany me on the expedition."

She raised a single small finger toward him. "And that is a promise."

Albert’s eyes ignited instantly. "Truly?"

"Yes," she replied, her tone turning stern. "However, if you lack the strength to overcome me, you can hardly claim to be my guardian, can you?"

The instant the words left her lips, Albert’s entire expression transformed.

Pure, unadulterated joy broke across his face.

This was his chance—his stage to validate himself before Lady Amelia. It was no longer just about securing passage on the expedition; it was his opportunity to demonstrate that he was not weak, that standing at her side would bring no burden, and that he was, even in a small measure, worthy of her trust.

"Alright!" Albert declared with undeniable enthusiasm. "I’ll do it!"

Amelia observed him silently as he added with rapid-fire conviction, "I am going to defeat you!"

Despite Amelia having no idea where this young boy derived the absurd confidence to boldly declare—without a shred of fear—that he would defeat her, a glance into his eyes revealed something she couldn’t dismiss.

There was a strange, raw ferocity flickering within them. It was not hostile or menacing, but rather a potent blend of unyielding determination, burning passion, and a sincere desire for self-affirmation—a look that possessed an unexpected intensity for a child his age.

Amelia couldn’t help but offer a slight nod. "I hope your skill matches your confidence, otherwise I might be thoroughly disappointed."

She wasn’t saying it to provoke him; she meant it literally.

In her tactical assessment, Albert possessed virtually zero chance of winning this contest. Even if their raw cultivation levels were identical, sheer power output alone never dictated the outcome of a true battle.

Combat experience, mana efficiency, trajectory reading, split-second decision-making, environmental utilization, and knowing precisely when to strike versus when to retreat—these were the variables that allowed a true combatant to completely overwhelm an opponent of equal rank.

And Amelia possessed combat experience that rendered Albert’s entirely negligible.

She had lived an entire lifetime.

More than that—she was once an Empress who ruled a realm, navigating wars, high-tier confrontations, and lethal conspiracies beyond the comprehension of a child.

At worst, there was only one theoretical path for Albert to claim victory: exhausting her mana reservoir to absolute zero.

Yet Amelia was hardly foolish enough to allow a battle of attrition. She was no novice; she understood how to regulate her energy expenditure, conserve her reserves, and prevent any opponent—even a superior force—from forcing an early drain.

For Albert, achieving such a feat was next to impossible.

Amelia stepped out of her private suite, with Albert following close behind after securing the door.

The pair traversed the quiet corridors of the estate, eventually stepping out into the crisp night air beneath a canopy of brilliant stars. A short walk brought them to a sprawling, lush courtyard.

Verdant trees and thick vegetation enclosed the perimeter, leaving a wide, open clearing in the center ideal for martial training and combat. At this late hour, the grounds were deserted and bathed in tranquil silence.

Albert knew this courtyard intimately. He had trained here extensively over the past few days alongside his instructor and his sister, Mio, infusing the space with a comfortable sense of familiarity.

Amelia, meanwhile, surveyed her surroundings briefly before coming to a halt in the center of the arena.

She turned toward Albert. "Will you be utilizing weapons?"

Albert hesitated for a moment.

Before he could answer, Amelia clarified, "They will be wooden training weapons, do not worry."

At her words, Albert recalled an important detail: Amelia rarely relied on weapons in combat. She belonged to the caster archetype, relying on mana manipulation rather than physical armaments and martial forms.

His mind raced. If he selected a weapon, he needed something that posed zero lethal risk to her. He had no intention of causing her actual harm—his goal was to prove his competence, not to injure Lady Amelia.

His eyes scanned the rack of training weapons bordering the arena, finally settling on a simple wooden quarterstaff.

It was straightforward, light, and sturdy. Long, straight, and comparable in reach to a standard longsword, its basic mechanics were clear and systematic, making it the safest option available.

Approaching the rack, Albert retrieved the staff, testing its weight. It was light enough for quick maneuvers, yet durable enough to withstand high-impact sparring.

He returned to the center of the courtyard and took his stance before Amelia.

Amelia glanced at the quarterstaff in his hands.

She remained silent for a few seconds, then a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

She couldn’t help but wonder if the boy was subtly mocking her.

A simple staff? Does he truly believe he can conquer me with a piece of wood?

Yet she quickly dismissed the thought. He had likely selected it out of concern for her safety—a gesture that, in itself, earned him a measure of her approval.

The little dragon was attempting to be considerate.

Thus, she resolved not to crush his spirit instantly. She would allow him to fight, to unleash his full arsenal and attempt every strategy at his disposal, before delivering the decisive defeat. Afterward, she would remind him that he was still weak, and that he needed to grow significantly before contemplating protecting anyone else.

Perhaps that was for the best. A clean, undeniable defeat—if delivered correctly—could serve as the ultimate catalyst for growth.

Amelia raised her eyes to meet his.

Albert gripped the staff with both hands, his expression hardening with intense focus. He no longer resembled a child playing a game; his eyes were locked onto her, his stance rock-solid, and his small wings flared slightly behind his back, primed to spring into action at any moment.

Amelia offered a small, composed smile.

"Are you prepared to lose?"

Albert raised his head, answering without a second of hesitation:

"I am prepared to win."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Surging confidence."

"Because I won’t allow myself to lose."

His words were simple, yet delivered with absolute, heartfelt conviction.

Albert tightened his grip on the staff, ready for the clash.