Starlit Trials IV Unexpected Reunion II

While both sipped at their own paces, while it seemed the wine itself was apparently purposely potent, perhaps Kassandra hoped it'll knock Keira out for the day?

Unfortunately the unintended side effect being the young prince drinking the strongest draconian bloodwine in existence as if she had skipped the steps to increase its potency to an unrealistic degree.

Causing Aurora after realizing that was the case to laugh even more, causing the young prince to pout his heart out as he blushed at the sunset as if the most beautiful thing in the world up until the sun had finally gone away as did the bottle.

Unfortunately, when he finally woken up a hour had passed and he was now apparently, he had been napping on the couch with Aurora inside of Kassandra's massive outdoor training area.

Leaving him in utter shock as he saw the younger Kassandra trying to shoo Keira away.

"Keira, I've already made you my promise, please allow me to train in peace? I'll give you three more bottles if you do so"

Kassandra softly pleaded, causing Keira to happily shake her head.

"Deal! But only on the condition that my baby bestie joins you! He's my bestie's biggest fan and idol so I can't let my baby bestie waste this chance! Look at his baby face! Promise me you'll let him train with you or I'm going to tell everyone my empress bestie hates babies!"

Keira shamelessly added, causing Kassandra to frown before then ultimately nodding if it meant Keira will stop pestering her.

Causing Keira to happily take the three bottles and wink at her besties while the young prince was left in utter shock.

Before then hesitantly getting up and taking off his armor, gear, and his robe revealing that of his training attire he simply used as a nightgown due to him never being able to have the time to find one.

While Kassandra curiously observed him every step of the way causing him after preparing himself to shyly nod before then bowing to Kassandra.

"I-I'm sorry for big sister, your majesty, big sister shouldn't bully the best dragoness in the world"

The young prince shyly apologized, prompting Kassandra to slightly shake her head.

"I'm afraid I was the one who allowed her persistence to progress to this stage, forgive me little one. If you truly wish to follow along, then please do so at your own pace, if you're truly able to manage to keep up with me, then with time you may obtain my proper attention"

"Until then, please don't feel obligated to push yourself farther than you truly should. Damage to yourself at such a cost is never damage worthy of such acts"

Kassandra softly reassured, surprising the young prince as his eyes sparkled before then adorably saluting her and causing Kassandra to slightly smile at his enthusiasm.

And soon enough after drinking a hangover potion that Kiera had given him, Kassandra had continued her training once more.

Be it her exercises, refollowing the paths of her techniques, hand to hand combat, sword mastery, spear mastery, and staff mastery, and finally ghost sparring and sparring with that of puppets.

Resulting in the young prince putting it all in following everything he saw, however while he did so he heard a familiar yet mysterious male voice.

"Forgive me for interrupting Aurel, however you needn't worry about the connection between times with that Kassandra, I've made sure the complications won't interfere further. As for that bunny and Selphie, they are exceptions"

"While those you encounter now such as Kassandra will keep their memories of these events and encounters, nothing substantial truly occurs until the gods descend with their greater races so you needn't worry. I'd say think of it as a favor but I'm simply ensuring your balance doesn't take drastic measures"

"No matter, please enjoy the past to the fullest as you would the present, I'll ensure these precious moments won't be forgotten"

The mysterious male voice reassured, causing the young prince, having paid attention to his message, albeit it wasn't his priority, to mentally nod as he continued to train with Kassandra until finally she took a break.

Causing the young prince to adorably wipe away his sweat and sitting on the bench next to Kassandra's causing her to slightly shake her head.

"I sense you may have thoughts that one may find difficult to share with others, I know that feeling all too well, one should also be considerate of themselves and their thoughts. However, no matter how selfish, selfless, or terrible those thoughts may be, one should always lend an ear"

Kassandra softly conveyed, causing the young prince to hesitantly nod.

"I'm a failure, no matter how much I truly learn, experience, and suffer, and no matter how impressive it all may be, I'll forever feel hollow. I haven't earned this strength, I haven't experienced enough! And it's so frustrating! No matter how hard I work and how much I learn, even if I meet my goal.."

The young prince tearily confessed, despite how it all may seem he took Sterling's words and those of many others to heart. Because they were right.. while the character he was using had ultimately transformed into his own words.

Causing Kassandra to slightly shake her head before then tossing him an ornate inscribed wooden sword and signaling for him to follow.

And soon enough after a series of sparring, be it hand to hand combat, swords, or magic, she had quickly evaluated and located his weak spots in but moments.

However instead of striking right away she waited for him to notice before then finally striking.

As if pointing out his weaknesses without uttering a word, and after several hours of this they had soon returned to their previous benches, causing Kassandra to slightly nod.

"Actions are louder than words, however both will do if or when you require it. From my observations, you have so many techniques, and spells but know nothing when it comes to using them. While your foundations are surprisingly solid, one should always make use of their advantages and disadvantages"

"However, doing so when those risks are higher than those who you encounter would always end with you at a disadvantage, what you truly lack are two fundamental concepts, commitment and strategy"

"One should know how to use spells and techniques and how to truly implement them before spreading their focus so thin without taking precautions. That's the only true con of focusing on multiple classes all at once, one may have a slight advantage through this method but no matter how slight of an advantage,

"If one is unable to use it then they'll forever be at a disadvantage. What you truly lack is focus, the focus to focus on one path before even attempting to move onto others"

Kassandra softly observed, causing the young prince to look to her in utter amazement having realized that was the case.

And without refining and committing to his fighting styles then there simply wouldn't be a point. He needed to focus and commit! He needed to fuse his fighting styles into one!

However, the fusing bit may take longer than he anticipated meaning experiments were required!

He now had hope! And perhaps he may also understand what Sterling might have been getting at?! Causing the young prince to become even tearer as he tried his best to wipe the tears.

"Bi-Big sister is really amazing.. thank you-"

The young prince tearily thanked, before then being cut off by Kassandra getting up and sitting next to him before then ultimately laying his head on her shoulder.

"One should never believe they're alone, even if they're alone. Despite Keira's many faults and disruptive behavior. She's truly kind and will ensure you never feel such a feeling again"

"Even if it's only at the cost of a select few bottles of bloodwine. With individuals like her in this existence, there's always hope. One is never truly perfect, while it's even more difficult to forget that fact"

Kassandra softly reminded, causing the young prince to adorably nod before then sleepily looking into her eyes.

"Big sister Kassandra gave me hope, so you're perfect"

The young prince sleepily mumbled, causing Kassandra to slightly shake her head as she looked on to see both Aurora and Kiera sleeping on the coach while the young prince now slept on her shoulder.

Causing her to slightly nod before then effortlessly picking him up as a weightless infant before then helplessly looking to both Keira and Aurora and shaking her head once more.

They may have grown used to this behavior however she will never force a child to endure the same.

Resulting in Kassandra and gently cleaning him of the sweat and muck to then take him to her room, changed him into a nightgown in but an instant and cleansed herself before then tucking him in.

And finally getting under the covers, for all intents and purposes leaving a sleeping child in a room alone would no doubt be traumatic to some.

So as to avoid just that and ensure he doesn't burden himself further she believed this was the only real option she truly had.

While this was the first child she had ever truly taken care of in any capacity resulting in her doing everything within her power to ensure he was comfortable.

Which ultimately prompted in the young prince unconsciously squeezing between her arms causing her to slightly nod before then finally falling asleep herself.

However, after several hours the young prince began to have nightmares and after several more he wouldn't wake up.

It appears The Starlit Trial had decided it must have felt cheated and wished to do continue no matter the era, which in itself was comedic in a way, however hellish for him.

Strictly speaking while he was in the past or future the present was frozen, meaning he had just passed out when Sterling was concerned and due to whatever or whoever sent him here perhaps as a response to The Starlit Trial being activated, he simply didn't know.

And after four weeks, he had endured it all. Albeit it could be said that chances are they The Trials simply threw him into the wilderness or a naturally dangerous area.

And from there he was hunted by everything, while many of the sacred and legendary beasts had a natural camouflage while the sheer abundance of them could have made anyone else hide under a rock.

And after enduring such hellish activities, and surviving by his teeth, his magic sensitivity and he himself could now detect invisible.

And perhaps even hidden beasts or people, while he was now able to hide his presence, and partly camouflage himself with the magic books he found on and in beasts.

And through that of their mana cores.

While his mana efficiently, reaction time, and speed soared while at one point he was woken up as a fat crimson dragon that had barely entered the legendary realm and was monstrous in size.

What was worse he couldn't revert, and he was now dramatically slower!

Resulting in him enduring even worse as a dragon had even dived on him and pummeling him into the ground while tearing into his scales and wings.

At least until he was able to use his body weight and claws to escape it while hiding in caves and trying his best to contain his dragon menace.

While even trying to implement the camouflage to some avail, while he resorted to using wind spells while attempting to lose the weight, resulting in him coming the realization that dragons could use their fat as energy and even mana?!

Meaning it wasn't useless fat after all, along with the fact he no longer had to use those useless exercises anymore!

In truth he had exercised day and night hoping to lose weight and gain more speed, but apparently that did nothing up until such a revelation.

And after the third week he was able to force implementation of the camouflage, blacken his scales to be able to go out at night.

And sharpen his claws while trying his very best to use the fat as efficiently as possible! Perhaps this was why some dragons sleep all the time and become overweight?

It wouldn't show in their human forms while they could simply use such fat to launch a near endless barrage and dragon breathes and if they were even a tad efficient that would be enough to either scare off or become quickly annoying to many.

Lazy Dragons were dangerous in this way because no matter what they were still apex predators?

However now he was forced to eat raw magic beasts which in itself wasn't all to bad? Perhaps in his dragon form it cooks the meat immediately as it hits his tongue?

Which was a new experience if anything else? It was as if your mouth was a campfire or a magic oven! While it itself felt strange in the way that something was cooking in your mouth.