Draco Von Ashblade [Awakened] EXP: 3/100
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 11 / Agility: 12 / Constitution: 10 / Mana: 50
Beastmaster Manual: None
Skills: None
Stat points: 1
With a stat point to allocate, Draco didn't hesitate before placing it into his agility attribute.
The decision was purely logical, his only combat skill currently increased his agility by a factor of 1.5 through Zephyr's Super-Sonic ability.
By increasing his base agility, he would amplify the effectiveness of that enhancement.
Agility: 12 → 13
The moment he confirmed the allocation, Draco felt a subtle but noticeable change in his body.
His movements felt slightly more fluid, and his body felt slightly lighter. It wasn't a dramatic transformation, but he could sense the improvement in his coordination and balance.
Zephyr perched on his shoulder, chirping softly.
He was currently seated on a wooden bench in the courtyard of the servants' quarters, taking in the cool night air that helped soothe his overheated body.
The moon's pale silver light was shining on the cobblestones, and the distant sounds of the main mansion's evening activities filtered through the night.
The night had already settled in completely, and exhaustion was beginning to overtake his adrenaline.
Standing up from his seated position with legs that still felt unsteady, Draco walked back toward his room with measured steps.
'I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow,' he thought, yawning as fatigue finally caught up with him.
Zephyr had already tucked his tiny head under his wing, apparently as tired as his master from their first full day of training together.
…
As Draco drifted into peaceful sleep, other minds in the Von Ashblade estate remained very much awake, churning with far darker thoughts.
In the main mansion's eastern wing, Lady Vivienne Von Ashblade paced frantically within her personal chambers.
The room was a testament to luxury and excess spending.
Silk curtains in deep emerald hung from floor-to-ceiling windows, while expensive, custom made rugs covered the marble floors.
A massive four-poster bed dominated one wall, its posts carved from premium mahogany and draped with the finest linens money could buy.
Ornate furniture crafted by master artisans filled every corner: an intricately carved vanity table, velvet-upholstered chairs with golden accents, and wardrobes that could house the clothing of a family.
Yet despite all this opulence surrounding her, Lady Vivienne's face was twisted with rage and disbelief.
How is that possible! How could he awaken a talent! It doesn't make sense!
Her hands clenched into fists as she continued her agitated pacing, her expensive black silk nightgown rustling with each sharp turn.
I made sure that his mana core was damaged from when he was young. There is no cure for damaged mana cores, especially one damaged during childhood. How is this possible?
An extremely ugly expression marred her otherwise beautiful features.
Despite being Marquis Lucas Von Ashblade's legitimate first wife, she had always lived in the shadow of his beloved concubine.
Draco's mother, Elena.
The woman had possessed a natural grace and intelligence that had captured Lucas's heart completely, relegating Vivienne to little more than a political marriage arrangement.
Elena's death during childbirth had been both a tragedy to some and, if Vivienne was honest with herself, a stroke of fortune.
She had been planning to arrange the concubine's demise herself but had never found the right opportunity or method that wouldn't trace back to her. When Elena died naturally during labor, Vivienne had seen it as divine intervention.
But Draco's existence had still posed a threat to her son's inheritance. As Elena's child, he carried his father's blood and could potentially challenge Glade's position as heir.
To ensure that such a scenario could never unfold, Vivienne had taken drastic action.
When Draco was barely a year old, she had secretly administered a rare and expensive poison called Mana Blight.
A substance so costly and difficult to obtain that she had bankrupted several of her personal accounts to acquire it. The poison was designed to permanently damage any developing mana core.
The substance was virtually undetectable, dissolving completely after accomplishing its destructive purpose. She had been unable to obtain another dose due to its extreme rarity.
Yet here was Draco, not only awakened but possessing a B-rank talent according to the eye witnesses that had been there at the Awakener's registration.
While Glade's A-rank talent was still superior, the gap was far smaller than it should have been.
Draco should have remained powerless forever, nothing but a mere servant to her son. The only true heir to the House of Von Ashblade.
The sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway interrupted her furious contemplation.
The chamber door opened to reveal Marquis Lucas Von Ashblade himself.
Lucas was a imposing figure even in his evening attire.
His broad shoulders and tall frame made eyes turn no matter the distance, while his steel-gray hair and cold face made women's legs weak.
Despite being in his late forties, he maintained the youthful look and strength of a young warrior.
He raised an eyebrow as he observed his wife's obvious agitation.
"Vivienne? Why are you still awake at this hour?"
Quickly composing herself and forcing her expression into a seducing smile, Vivienne approached him with deliberately seductive movements.
Her silk nightgown clung to her curves as she moved, and she allowed her long auburn hair to cascade over one shoulder.
"I was waiting for you, my dear husband," she purred, reaching out to place a delicate hand on his chest, tracing it slowly.
"It's been far too long since we've had time together…"
But Lucas's face remained completely neutral, unmoved by her seduction. His gray eyes showed no warmth, no desire, only the same indifference he'd shown her for years.
The rejection cut deeper than any blade could have. Even now, even with Elena dead and buried for nearly sixteen years, she still couldn't capture the heart that had belonged entirely to that woman.
Her smile faltered for just a moment before she forced it back into place, but internally, her rage toward Draco and his mother's lingering influence burned even hotter than before.