Perplexing sentiments

{Ethan, 1st POV}

"So, what motivates you to pursue power? Why work so hard to become strong if you don't want to bear any responsibility? I don't see why."

Because I'm supposed to?...because I have the system? I'm on a mission, right? No..! These are all events that were chosen for me by someone else. So, why do I desire strength...?

"I..don't..know...?"

I honestly have no idea. Since I was reincarnated, I've just been going with the flow. In my previous life, I was relatively mediocre. I didn't have any parents and was merely existing. However, everything changed once I was reborn. I was born as the sole grandchild of the most powerful dragon queen, and I was given a system and tremendous abilities. A wonderful family who adores me to no end, an abundance of talent, and devilishly attractive features. There's nothing else I can pray for. So I never gave it much thought and just did as I was told since this new life has been really fulfilling.

Tiamat's bewilderment grew as she listened to my response. However, her subsequent words perplexed me much more.

"Hugh, what exactly do you mean when you say you have no idea? Is it true that you're only training because I ordered you to? If you don't want to, you don't have to."

'What on earth is she talking about?'

As I glanced at her, I had a thought. I could tell she wasn't joking by the bewildered and partially anxious expression on her face.

"What exactly do you mean when you say that? Do you want me to keep remaining weak?"

I needed to know why she made such an unexpected remark. Even as her grandson, I am not immune to the fact that she is the dragon queen, and dragons only accept might. Her unexpected words have to have a serious purpose behind them.

"For no apparent reason. I believe you think that if you are weak, no one will appreciate you, but who would dare to criticise you? I'm the strongest, and you're my grandson! No one has the confidence to say anything unpleasant about you within the endless sea, the astral realm, or the mortal realm."

To say I was surprised when I heard her claim, which was full of absolute pride and unmitigated arrogance, would have been an understatement. Yet, as I pondered her statement, a sense of insight came over me.

'She is absolutely right!'

Why was I paying so much effort to contemplation? Is it necessary for me to have a specific reason for becoming powerful? No way! The world is controlled by might, just like Tiamat's insane might permit her to make such outrageous promises. With enough strength, you can gain charge of your destiny. Why would I need a righteous goal to rise to power? I'll gain power if I want to.

I heard her talk again as I continued my internal monologue.

"Well, I'll admit that when you were born, I planned to make you stronger for a specific purpose, but as you grew older, my desire to place one such risky burden on your shoulders diminished. I merely want you to do whatever you want at this point."

I was intrigued by the part regarding the purpose. What were her motives, and what is the threat which even she is concerned about?

"What exactly are you referring to? I'm not aware of what you were going for, and I'm not sure what your goal was. Could you perhaps tell?"

"It's natural; I'll have to start with your parents to explain everything..."

She then proceeded to tell me about my parents' past, who they were, and anything else I needed to know. This is the first time Tiamat has mentioned them; she usually avoids bringing the subject up, and I've never pressured her to say anything because, to be honest, I'm not very interested. They are no longer alive, and my prior orphan self was unconcerned with parental issues.

Returning to her storey, it turns out that both of my parents, particularly my father Vritra, are well-known. Because of his passion for fight and equally matching overwhelming powers, he was dubbed as the Asura. He was decisive, interactive, and intelligent. Overall, he was a fine man who was revered by all astral dwellers; if he had any flaw, it was his inability to socialize with women. He was the stereotypical overpowered beta character. Tiamat decided to coronate him as king and step down after she awoke from her last hibernation since he was the sole chaos dragon until my birth and because of his immense potential. This was also agreed upon by all of my aunts.

My mother, Eleanor Castitas, was the only princess of one of the seven great human nations, the kingdom of Virginia, which worshipped the goddess of chastity. She was recognised being one of the most attractive women on the human continent, and her brilliance was undeniable. She was a possessor of a destiny crest who are favoured by fate. She was destined to be a formidable force. Tiamat knows very little about her personality because she's never met her in person.

Vitra and Eleanor met each other in the astral realm when my mother visited to find a contract. They fall in love at first sight, eventually, they formed a contract and left for the mortal realm. Years, went by like this and both of them reached the monarch stage. Eleanor became the queen and Vritra became the king of the Virginia kingdom, Eleanor conceived me a year later. After my birth, they agreed to return to the astral realm and let Tiamat name me. For those how are wondering why I'm not a hybrid but a pure dragon? The reason is simple my father erased the human blood mixed inside me when I was a fetus, chaos magic is very useful in degenerating so it was easy for a powerful monarch like him.

However, things turned for the worst since then, the demons had a change in the monarchy and the new queen Ardat Lili declared war on the humans. This was an extremely bloody battle, many thousands died on both sides, my parents participated too. They managed to defeat the demons army and infiltrate Ardat Lili's palace, only to discover she has already reached the demigod stage something impossible for someone from the mortal realms.

Both of them realised, they were not her match. So, they decided to seal her. My father used a forbidden sealing technique of chaos magic taught to him by Tiamat the infinity imprisonment. With this sealing spell you can imprison somebody in a near infinity number of chaotic dimensions, making it impossible to break the seal; to seal her.

Still, she was in the end a demigod. It was impossible to seal her only with two monarch's mana alone, so they had to turn their life force into energy to completely bind her, resulting in their own loss of life.

A heroic and stupid story at the same time. Yes, stupid! what they did I call it stupidity! There is always a better solution as long as you don't give up on searching. Yet, they choose to sacrifice their lives for the greater good. Utterly ridiculous, it all ends when you die. The moment you stop breathing its game over for you. There might be some population who might regard them as heroes, but that's only because they get to live to tell the tales while you are 6 feet under.

Well, whatever it's their choice, not mine. So about the purpose she was talking about it is indeed dangerous enough for her to worry. She wanted me to kill Ardat Lili when she breaks out from the seal.

Yes, Tiamat believes Ardat Lili can break the seal. No matter, how powerful Vritra and Eleanor were they are still monarch's in the end and the difference between a monarch and demigod is even greater than all the other five stages put together. So, the imprisonment can't hold her for eternity.

To better demonstrate how difficult it is to archive the demigod stage, let me tell you no child born from any of the fourteen divine beasts have reached the demigod stage. Not a single one! All my aunts are still monarch's so are the other divine beast's children's. It came as a surprise to all when the news of somebody from the mortal realm reached the demigod stage.

"..So, now that your father is no more and you are more talented than him. I thought why not make you the next king?"

Tiamat said after finishing the story of the past. Now, I can understand where she is coming from but still, I don't want to be a king at least not yet.

'Yes..!! I don't have to be a king just..yet!'

"Um, I was wondering why go straight for the king? Why not take things slowly. I'll first be the crown prince, I'm still too young to be a king anyways."

Yes, why not be a prince for now. A crown prince can still travel but retain royal power nonetheless, I can excuse myself as still not old enough to hold the title of king.

"Huh, why the crown prince and not the king?"

Tiamat tills her head in confusion as to her king or crown prince are all the same.

"Well, for one I'm still not strong enough to convince the masses, two I want to travel around the world and as the crown prince I can still represent the dragons."

She narrowed her eyes at my suggestions.

"So, all this talk regarding not wanting to be a king is only because you wish to go fool around~"

Her face has a creepy grin as she spoke.

My expression turns ugly. I knew she will never allow me to leave the endless sea till I'm an adult, looks like my presumption is more than correct.

"Y-yes... I-I want to go outside, c-can I not?"

I asked while giving her puppy eyes to deal some emotional damage. Only to meet with an iron defence, tackling all the blows with ease.

"No, definitely out of the question. I won't allow you to leave till you are strong enough."

She said with a no-nonsense face.

"See, that's why I've been working hard to grow stronger. So, you permit me to leave!"

I retorted I cannot back down or she will win. And I can't afford to lose no matter what.

"Humph, so what if you grow stronger I won't allow you what can you do? Beat me, I'll let go~"

She smirked at me arrogantly. She knows beating her is not possible in a short time.

"Y-y-you, you are bullying me!!"

I screamed in indignation, how can a proud dragon the mightiest divine beast be so shameless?

"Yes, I'm bullying you? What can you do? Spank me~"

Her grin widened, watching me unable to refute, taking pleasure at my helplessness.

"Humph, I won't talk to you anymore."

Unable to retaliate I used my right to ignore her. I turned my back at her and remained silent.

"He-he-he-he!!...!!"

She began to laugh loudly making me more angry and frustrated.

'Just you wait! I'll get back at you..!!'

"Okay..okay! I'm sorry to make fun of you, don't be mad."

She apologized and walked closer to my side hugging me from behind. I didn't shake her away but still didn't talk either.

"How about this, I'll declare you as the crown prince in four years. Every noble dragon house and civilians from your aunt's kingdoms will be present at the ceremony. You will be challenged in a dual by the young members of their houses, only after you win every round will they acknowledge you. If you can win over everyone I'll permit you to go."

"Really! You won't go back on your words right?"

I asked her in excitement, four years are more than enough for me to reach the expert stage at the least. Furthermore, it's not like I expected to leave tomorrow, I also want to be strong enough to protect myself.

"Yes, I promise. But you'll have to do more intense training starting tomorrow."

She nodded her head in agreement and said.

"Okay, I'll work hard!"

I agreed without much thought, out of excitement, that moment I didn't realise I am being tempted by the devil...

**********

(Hey, system explain to me honestly, did the one who reincarnated me in this world did some changes here?)

[...]

(I want an answer good or bad, just say it.)

[Master, I don't have enough data. Still, I can tell you this much. Vritra was not supposed to exist and Eleanor Castitas was also a capture target but to make your reincarnation not seem unnatural, the person did some changes and created Vritra, making him and Eleanor love each other as well, resulting in your natural rebirth.]

Just as I predicted, I realised a lot earlier that something is amiss. The war and my birth were just too precise to put the two together, as coincidence.

This made the situation somewhat complicated, I'm still grateful for this second opportunity. But the price to pay was also not small, I don't care much about the others but Tiamat and my other aunt's feelings do matter to me, I care a lot more about their feelings than I imagined.

Even though they try to hide it under the false pretences of happiness. I can easily discern the hidden melancholy and grief in their eyes whenever they look at me. Looking at me remind them of Vritra, whom I assume they miss more than they admit. They are family in the end, no matter how prideful dragons are they still have feelings such as love and affection, I have a damn system that collects points from affection. Imagining their depressed faces made me feel bitter. It felt like something picks my soul whenever I speculate this.

'Fuck it..'

Cursing in my mind I stopped thinking about it. I can't to shit about this issue. Pondering more will only make me feel more complicated. If I learned something from this event, that would be at some point in time, I accepted this world. The new family I have furthermore I didn't only earn affection but gave affection back too.

[Hope you like the chapter, let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Huff!! let me know how you like this new style of writing, I had to work extra hard to come up with this chapter.]